Weekly Winedown #13 Le Clairon des Anges

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review.
Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro.

The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy.

Can you believe this is the 13th Winedown? That’s 3 months that have passed. Shocking.

Last week’s Winedown was another roaring success. Who knew Portugal created such delights?
Obviously Portugal knew but they were keeping that little gem to themselves.
Well, now we ALL know how wonderful their wine is.

This week started rough, it was one of those weeks where you the realisation smacks you in the face that you’ve signed up to this parenting lark forever.
FOR. EVER.

If you’re having a really tough week at work you can think ‘the weekend will be here soon’ or ‘at least I can go on holiday soon and forget about it’.
You can’t do that as a parent.

If you’re having a spectacularly shit day, a day that makes you feel like you can’t breath.
A day that makes you dread (only for a moment) the next 15 years, you’ve just got to suck it up.
You’ve got to get through it and hope tomorrow is a better day.
It generally is.
A weekend is a small relief because, in my case, there’s another grown up around and a holiday?
Well it’s not really a holiday, it’s just picking up life and taking it somewhere sunny.

This isn’t a whinge, just a WTF realisation.
Like when you get your Dave’s name tattooed on you only to really understand its permanence once he leaves you for Chantelle.
I jest of course.
Parenting isn’t Dave and Chantelle.

I had a bad day, I survived and now here we are on July 14th.
The happiest day of the year according to scientists.
Must be true right?

To be honest, I am actually pretty happy today but I won’t bore you with that.

This week’s wine is a French red.
Yes, predictable I know.
I’m actually just prepping my palate for next week.
That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

Le Clairon des Anges or ‘The Bugle of Angels’ (everything really does sound better in French doesn’t it?) is on the menu tonight. Usually £9.99 but I had 50% off so……Not cheating. 

The label is a bit faffy for my liking. There’s so much going on!
Different colours, different fonts, a vineyard and a gold angel with a bugle.
Seriously, it looks like I made it.
That’s not a good thing.

It’s so busy I couldn’t even get it all in the photo!
A good label should be able to get a vibe across without having to put so much information on the front.
Wine label makers of the world take heed.

The blurb
“A southern Rhone classic…harvested from old vines.
Blackberry and plum fruit flavours dominate with a subtle twist of spice and pepper, delivering a rich and smooth Costieres de Nimes for all occasions”

The ‘Costieres de Nimes’ bit is the AOC. Basically the French version of Melton Mowbray or whatever.
It’s a wine that is only made in a specified location, in this case an area between Nimes and the Rhone (I bet you didn’t know I knew actual wine facts).

This paired with the ‘Blackberry and plum’ flavours actually worries me. Despite mention of spice I’m going into this thinking it’s going to be a bit fruity for me.
We all know I like a thick wine, I fear this will be thin.
I am entering this wine with trepidation…

Bear with.

Well, the bouquet isn’t convincing. A bit too fruity for my liking. I am talking myself into hating this wine aren’t I?
The taste.
I’ll be honest, the first mouthful was rank.

It does get better, a taste of bitter fruits initially and then a definite aftertaste of pepper.
Not good quality pepper but just the cheap black pepper you get in a greasy spoon.
I’ve never known a wine, nay a LIQUID that actually had an aftertaste of ground black pepper. It’s bizarre.

My mouth isn’t entirely sure how to deal with this and so, in it’s confusion, it will just drink more.
To be fair, the more I drink the more bearable it becomes but with a usual price of £9.99 a bottle I’d be well gutted to have purchased this as a ‘treat’.

Maybe I’ve spoilt myself with last weeks Douro. Maybe there is nowhere to go after such a glorious beverage.
Maybe it’s time to say goodbye to the Winedown.
Pahahaha. No.

I’m going to be here drinking wine and babbling crap for the foreseeable, except next week.
Coming at you like a northern bullet (my unending love for you if you know this cultural reference).

Name – Le Clairon des Anges
Price – £9.99 (but £4.50 thanks to Ocado)
Colour – Claret red.
Smell – Fruity veering toward sweet.
Taste – Bitter with a pepper aftertaste.
Goes well with – Someone else’s dinner.
Overall score – 3/5