DTN #1

Name: Domaine Grand Veneur Cote du Rhone

Producer: Alain Jaume

Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault

Region: Rhone

Country: France

Vintage: 2019

Price: $16.99

Wine Review: "Perhaps best known for the family's Domaine Grand Veneur, this firm produces a huge range of wines from the Southern Rhône, which usually combine high quality with very reasonable prices The medium to full-bodied 2019 Cotes du Rhone Grand Veneur seems to favor Syrah in its notes of black olives and licorice, but also shows plenty of fleshy black cherry fruit. It's actually a tank-matured blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault. Concentrated but supple, it's round and expansive in the mouth, finishing with a subtle dusting of ripe tannins and hints of mocha.”

    - https://www.cbcwine.com/wines/Alain-Jaume-Cotes-du-Rhone-Grand-Veneur-2019-w53081275o

My Review: Having a garnet, almost ruby like, color from the body, I was immediately hit with a dark cherry smell that incredibly pleasant. Full bodied and leaning on the dryer side, it tastes of blackberry and red cherry, with a slight spice after taste.

Step 2: We had to let the bottle sit out for 2 hours and then taste again. After letting it sit out the taste was very similar to me if not the same as when we first opened it but slightly more tart. The smell was less strong but still pleasant.

Step 3: We then had to try the wine with cheese, which for us was an asiago cheese from Kroger. I first bit the cheese, let it sit in my mouth then swallow and then take a sip of the wine. I felt as if the wine mellowed out a lot with the wine and a lot of the flavor of the wine disappeared with the cheese.

Step 4: We then tried the wine with a classic pepperoni. I tried it the same way that I did with the cheese, and I found that the wine tasted slightly more bitter with the pepperoni, and the spices were a lot more present in the taste in a not so positive way.

Step 5: We then left the wine sit out for 24 hours without the cork in it. After the 24 hours passed we tasted it again and found that it smelled like olives and the strong was a lot stronger. The aftertaste was a lot more present than before and the initial taste was very airy and almost overripe. The sediment was also a lot more present in the bottle and in our glasses. I did not enjoy the wine as much but found that it tasted best when it was first opened compared to 2 hours and 24 hours later.

This was definitely a very interesting lesson for us on how air can affected the taste and smell of a wine and how it changes over time. I am excited to do this again.