Wine Tasting Note: Domaine de Chamans Hegarty No.3, 2003, VdT, France.  Add/Read Comments

Does anyone actually read wine labels? Does the fact that a French bottle bears the AC mark really make that much difference? I think not. Price, a pretty label and a personal recommendation influence the buying patterns of people far more than the bureaucracy and complication of France's wine regulations. Don't get me wrong, the regulations have their part to play in ensuring (or they should ensure) quality and correct wine making practices; but for the average consumer having Appellation Contrôlée on a label matters little. Take this wine. Only on returning home and inspecting the label did I realise that this bottle was 'just' a humble Vin de Table, which is about the lowest on the quality scale that a French wine can meet. Why did I buy it? Because it looked interesting and seven quid was all I had in my pocket.

Wine Tasting Note: Domaine de Chamans Hegarty No.3, 2003, Vin de Table, France.
Available from Oddbins for £6.99.
It matters little that this is a 'lowly' vin de table, It's a blend of Syrah and Grenache added to a majority of carbonic macerated Carignan is delicious and well worth the asking price. Opening with a mash of strawberry and cherry fruit the tannins, not so much invade, as slip in gracefully as the flavours revel a hint of mint to the rich and ripe berry fruit. With just a touch more sweetness this could easily be Australian, it hails however from the Minervois. It is exactly what I required from a wine - supple, drinkable yet complex and weighty. Excellent for a Tuesday night supper but also classy enough to impress at a dinner party. Alcohol 14%.
Scribblings Rating - 96/100