Beau: 2001 Castelmaure Coriberes

Thanks to Beau at Basic Juice for the invite to taste this wine...

From the Languedoc area near Embre-et-Castelmaure & Villenueve-le-corbieres,
South of Narbonne, on France's Southern coast. I opened it the other night with the Mrs....

Aromas stayed on the cooked red stone fruit side, with some stewed plum notes, and what I would characterize as "tomato bisque" aromas.

And while -thankfully- the Brett aromas were not overpowering, the effect muted the fruit quite a bit. Some earthiness came across, but it lacked any true barnyard or manure aromas. With wines like this one I always end up wondering what it would've been like had they been free of the Brett infection...what was the fruit really like? What would the intensity of the wine have been? Oh, well...

Acid level was on the average-plus level, and the muting effect of the Brett left the wine somewhat simple on the palate. Length in the mouth was slightly longer than average, and tannins were at a decent level - though I don't think it'd be really age worthy. Drink within a few years of vintage...

Overall, I don't think I'd be out searching to get another bottle, but would probably have a glass if someone brought it over to the homestead. In other words - not bad, but something to have with food that has some character (like rack of lamb, with a lamb-juices/wine reduction sauce & garlic-rosemary potatoes). The unanimous conclusion for it was "ok", but not top flight or a wine to write home about (sorry Beau! You'll have to save the Beret for another time...). Not a wine we thought we'd pick for a relaxing sip by itself, seemed like 'vin ordinaire' to us.

And it does serve as a good example of how low level Brett can affect a wine without making it a total disaster, but without making it anything better than it would've been otherwise, IMHO.