The French Dinner: June 28 2014 in a secret venue in Melbourne!

DiscoverVin as well as our friends Domaines Rollan de By and Chateau Beycheville are excited to be part of this unique event. 

"The French Dinner" is a secret and unique culinary experience following the four seasons. Food created by legendary chef Jaques Reymond in a secret location.

Champagne aperitif and classical music. 6 course degustation dinner prepared by Jacques Reymond with matching wines (6 glasses of fine French wine by DiscoverVin) , French cabaret, and... Sorry, but everything else is a... SECRET!

For more information and to purchase tickets click here !

New wine: Chateau Rollan de By 2008

Our new wine from Bordeaux Chateau Rollan de By 2008 has attracted some attention this week being named wine of the week by wine writer Winsor Dobbin.  He wrote....

"The price of some the more prestigious Bordeauxs has put them beyond the reach of mortals with budgets; but there is still some great "claret" available to those without a black American Express card. This is a case in point, a very impressive Cru Bourgeois from the ever-growing stable of Jean Guyon, who also owns the renowned Chateau Greysac. This Medoc blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot is soft and understated without any hints of greenness. There are moccha and ripe fruit aromas while the medium-bodied palate is blessed with an appealing structure with dark blackcurrant and restrained oak to the fore. Perfumed and elegant, it was an excellent match for a beef casserole. I liked this a lot. $59. Imported by DiscoverVin " ...

This wine has won many other awards including 2 stars in the French wine review bible The Guide Hachette and a Gold Medal at the Paris wine show.

All published scores for this wine are here on wine-searcher 

Wine Enthusiast	90/100
Wine Spectator	90/100
CellarTracker	87/100
Jean-Marc Quarin	85/100
Decanter	16.7/20
Gault & Millau	15/20
Jancis Robinson	15/20
Vinum Wine Magazine	14.5/20

Jean Guyon is the owner of Château Rollan de By. Twenty years ago, when he purchased this domain, he began to improve quality and extended the vineyard.  Traditional vine growing systems were adopted.  Vines were replanted and natural fertilizers used to support the recovery of the natural ecosystem.  On an impressive deep soil of gravel, Jean Guyon produces wines that were every bit as good as the classified-growths.  The vines on the 45 hectare vineyard have an average age of 35 years.

Berry Brothers in London describe this Chateau as "a very reliable source of good value Medoc"

Region/Terroir:  Médoc –Cru bourgeois

Grapes:  Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Merlot (70%), Petit Verdot (10%).

Soil:  Clayey-chalky gravel hills.

Alcohol:  13% VOL

Wine making: Grapes picked by hand.  Fermentation occurs at low temperatures in stainless steel, temperature controlled vats.  Malolactic fermentation occurs partially in new oak barrels.  The wine is aged in oak for 16 months.

Cellaring potential:  A wine that will achieve full maturity a decade from the vintage, but which enjoys such balance that it can be enjoyed in its youth.  Parker suggest drinking over the next decade (see below)

Our Tasting notes:  This wine had a WOW factor in a large line up of wines from the Médoc.  Lifted nose with some floral (violet) notes and blackcurrant/cassis.  Gorgeous mouth feel,soft, round and long with great balance.  Complex palate , blackcurrants, liquorice notes and tobacco.  As good as many classified growths.

It is a pleasure for DiscoverVin to bring this wine to Australia. It can be found on our website by clicking here. Trade prices on application 0260206016 or info@discovervin.com.au

"Offal the beaten track" : food and wine event in Sydney.

Chophouse, one of our favourite Sydney CBD restaurants is holding a winter dinner on 3rd June. It's called 'Offal the Beaten Track' and features some interesting cuts of meat and a superb array of interesting unusual wines/grape varieties.

The dinner includes one of DiscoverVin's white wines - Domaine Bellegarde "Pierre Blanche" Jurançon Sec 2009 - a superb dry white from an organic producer in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the south-west of France.  

We attended a wine dinner at Chophouse last year and it was a fantastic night- excellent food, service, atmosphere and generous wine pours.  For more details see the menu below.

Seems like this will be a great night of "culinary exploration for the adventurous"! 

Chateau Laroche Joubert 2010

Introducing our new delicious red wine from Chateau Laroche Joubert from the Cotes du Bourg appellation in Bordeaux. This wine had a wow factor in a series of tastings on a recent buying trip to France. 

This wine won a Silver medal in the Paris and Aquitaine wine shows (the proportion of wines receiving medals in French wine shows is lower than Australia so this signifies a very good wine). 

It is an easy drinking merlot blend from the Bordeaux Cotes de Bourg appellation. The vineyards of Bourg face Margaux across the Gironde estuary and offer exceptional quality and excellent value for money.

Château Laroche Joubert, Cotes du Bourg

Year: 2010

Size: 750ml

Located on the heights of the hills of the Cotes du Bourg appellation, the 15 hectares of Laroche Joubert are planted with a majority of merlot vines. The same family has owned the estate since 1795. In 1998 a new manager set about modernising production. Since then it has consistently received awards at various shows and mentions in the Guide Hachette (the French wine review bible).

Terroir:  The vineyards of Laroche Joubert face the Margaux vineyards across the Gironde estuary and produce very good merlot based wines at an excellent price.

Grapes: 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec

Wine making: Long maceration for 3-4 weeks in small temperature controlled vats. Aged for 12 months in oak

Our tasting notes: The expressive nose presents notes of red fruits and plums.

This is a delicious wine, with lovely, plummy fruit and minerality, a good balance and nice tannins. 

Alcohol: 13%

Ready to drink now but will improve with one-three years cellaring.

This is a good value for money Bordeaux wine. It is a good example of what the small producers in Bordeaux can do, especially in good years (such as the 2010 vintage).

More information here online. Trade prices on application.