WBW #22: Lite alcohol reds

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Wbwlogo_1 This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday was a bit of a challenge. We perused our local wine store for about an hour to find a lite alcohol red, with less than 12.5% alcohol content. Most of the California wines we picked up, not surprisingly, had at least 13.5%, if not 14%. Australia didn’t fair much better. We found a few Spanish Chiantis that fit the bill, but ended up bringing home the 2002 Gerard Raphet Bourgogne, which clocks in at the borderline of 12.5%.

Bourgogne2_1 I had every intention of writing more about the history of the wine than the wine itself, but information (or my research skills) is sorely lacking. Gerard Raphet, son of Jean Raphet, is a traditional and apparently shy French winemaker. I’m under the impression this is his intro level Burgundy.

The wine itself goes through a range of emotions. The wine is aromatic, with leather and cherry. On first taste, it is a bit tart, with flavors of spice, black cherry, cloves, and leather. As the wine opens up, it takes on a fruitier, almost sweeter flavor with a lot less tang and more smoke. As always, that French Red earthiness I enjoy so much underscores the other flavors with a nice subtlety.

This month we followed the rules and it worked out. We really enjoyed this wine. I was pleased that the flavors didn’t decrease with less alcohol. This is a quiet, but elegant wine, coming in at $20.99.