WINE =======: 0 Gratien & Meyer Cuvée Cardinal
Tasting Date: 2005-12-31
Varietal    : Cabernet Franc
Score       : 84
Country     : France
State       : Loire
Region      : Saumar

Notes
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I'll confess up front: I bought this red, demi-sec sparkling
wine from the Loire valley mostly to break up the monotany
of the all-dry, all-Champagne New Year's. I didn't think it
would actually be any good; the only sparkling reds (or for
that matter, non-sparkling but sweet reds) I've had, I
didn't much care for. But this one surprised me.

For a slightly sweet sparkling red, this wine was actually
pretty decent. The color was a dark rose tint, darker than
the average blush or rose, but lighter than most reds. It
had fairly small bubbles, and a nose of strawberries. The
flavor was interesting, slightly sweet, but not too much so.
The main flavor was of red berries, with maybe a hint of
cough syrup. The highish levels of acidity helped to counter
the sweetness, but I found it a bit on the sharp side.
Overall, this was a surprisingly pleasant wine, not a great
wine, but good quality and offering something different than
your usual sparkling wines.

Production Notes
----------------
100% Cabernet franc.
Output generated by La Wine Club - http://LaWineClub.com/
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