Tariquet Classic Ugni Blanc Colombard 2010

Tariquet Classic Ugni Blanc Colombard 2010

Origin: Côtes de Gascogne, France
Blend: Ugni Blanc (70%), Colombard (30%)
Alcohol Content: 11.0%
Bottle Closure: Screw Cap
Purchase Date: January 2012
Purchase Price: $7.99 (750ml bottle)

Our review: Medium yellow/gold in color, this wine has aromas of tree fruit (notably peaches and apricots) with notes of flowers. Very smooth on the palate, the fruit flavors are similar to the nose, nicely balanced at first, though a little too acidic as the finish develops, which has some unusual notes of under-ripened fruit.

Our rating: This is a rather complex wine, but most definitely not a sipping one. It seems to need food to help round out the various elements present. We served our bottle with roasted turkey breast, mashed potatoes and steamed green vegetables, a good if safe choice. Poultry seems like the best pairing here, but we could easily see it accompanying pork dishes as well. We previously reviewed the Tariquet Classic Ugni Blanc-Colombard 2008, emphatically stating that it was really a seafood wine not to be paired with poultry, quite the opposite of what we're suggesting here! Nevertheless, we rated the 2008 vintage as Above Average, about the same as we rate this year's bottle.

No taste profile from the winemaker found.

Winery website: Chateau du Tariquet.

Tariquet Classic Ugni Blanc Colombard 2008

Tariquet Classic Ugni Blanc Colombard 2008
Origin: Gascony, Bas-Armagnac, France
Blend: Ugni Blanc (70%), Colombard (30%)
Alcohol Content: 10.5%
Bottle Closure: Screw Cap
Purchase Date: September 2010
Purchase Price: $9.99

Our review: Medium gold in color, this wine has aromas of tree fruit (peaches) and citrus (tangerine) with faint floral and spice notes. The fruit flavors have a rather aggressive tartness on the palate, not an unbalanced acidity, just tart -- almost like juice from an underripened orange. There isn't much of a finish.

Our rating: This is an unusual tasting wine, not unpleasant, but very different, one that takes a little getting used to. In many ways, the flavor profile is quite subtle with a lot of interesting facets to it. We completely mispaired it, serving it with poultry, when it is really a seafood wine. We rate it Above Average, but suspect that it may be better with the right cuisine.

Taste profile from the winemaker: "Superbly intense for a dry fruity white, its bouquet reveals floral and citrus aromas with nice touches of tropical fruit. Light and well-balanced, this wine is a thirst-quenching pleasure."

Winery website: Tariquet Wines Armagnac Cotes de Gascogne.

La Vieille Ferme White Wine 2008

La Vieille Ferme White Wine 2008
Origin: Rhone Valley, France
Blend: Grenache Blanc (30%), Bourboulenc (30%), Ugni Blanc (30%), Roussanne (10%)
Alcohol Content: 13.0%
Bottle Closure: Screw Cap
Purchase Date: August 2009
Purchase Price: $7.99

Our review: Pale yellow in color, this wine has aromas of tree fruit (pear, apple) with distinct notes of tree nuts. The fruit and nut flavors are initially nicely balanced on the palate, but then seem to dissipate. The finish has a mineral, almost chalky character and becomes increasingly unbalanced and astringent.

Our rating: This is not a sipping wine and must be paired with the right food to bring out its best character. We served our bottle with a tomato-based dish; the acid in the food complemented the wine nicely, improving it dramatically. It also seemed to help allowing the wine to remain open for 10-15 minutes. Paired with the right cuisine, this wine would rate on the high side of Average. But alone or with the wrong dish, it's likely to be perceived as Below Average.

Taste profile from the winemaker: "Appearance: bright pale yellow with hints of green. Nose: green fruit, corn and hazel-nuts. Palate: soft, balanced and deliciously aromatic. "

Winery website: La Vielle Ferme, Cotes du Luberon.

Pigmentum Ugni Blanc Colombard 2008

Pigmentum Ugni Blanc Colombard 2008
Origin: des Cotes de Gascogne, France
Blend: Ugni Blanc (60%), Colombard (40%)
Alcohol Content: 12.0%
Bottle Closure: Synthetic Cork
Purchase Date: June 2009
Purchase Price: $9.99

Our review: A golden straw in color, this wine has fragrant aromas of tree fruit (notably golden delicious apples) with sweet floral notes. Of light- to medium-body on the palate, the fruit flavors are balanced nicely with a crisp acidity. The finish, of moderate length and fairly complex, is slightly too acidic though.

Our rating: This is more of a summer picnic wine than a dinner party wine, light and flavorful. We enjoyed ours with grilled white fish filets, but it should pair nicely with a wide variety of cuisines. It's not a memorable wine, but it is a nice one. Above Average.

Taste profile from the winemaker: "Its brilliant colour with light green tints confirms its freshness and youth. You will be attracted at once by its explosive aromas of citrus fruits, exotic fruits and white flowers. The intensity persists on the palate thanks to a beautiful balance between the freshness of aromas and the fat issued from the well-crafted maturing on the lees."

Winery website: Pigmentum.

Domaine La Hitaire White Wine 2007

Wine: Domaine La Hitaire White Wine 2007
Origin: Gascogne, France
Blend: 65% Ugni Blanc, 30% Colombard, 5% Gros Manseng
Alcohol content: 10.5%
Bottle closure: Screw Cap
Purchase Date: October 2008
Purchase Price: $9.99

Taste profile from the winemaker: "Magnificent intensity of this “open wine” with floral and citrus aromas and beautiful nuances of exotic fruits. The taste is round, full of ripe fruits, rich in sensations, enhanced by a frank and citrusy finish. A perfect example of lightness and balance that makes this wine a real companion of thirst and pleasure."

ABC Wines review: Golden in color and very aromatic with a ripe tropical fruit and floral fragrance, this wine is slightly effervescent on the palate as the fruit flavors unfold. The body is light and crisp. The finish is unbalanced being initially rather too acidic before tapering off to a somewhat bitter end. Serve this wine with grilled or broiled fish. Our score: Priced high for just an Average wine.

Winery website: Domaine la Hitaire.