Chateau de Cabriac Corbieres 2007

Some background: I came across the Wine Century Club, which is a website that will give you a certificate if you promise you have tried at least 100 different wine varietals ("the application is entirely on the honor system; should you lie, may the wrath of Bacchus curse your palate!"). Once you get past the first dozen or so, it gets a little obscure. So, we have a new mission.

This French wine is a combination of Syrah (got it), Grenache (got it), Mourvedre (uh, got it), and Carignan (need it!). So, check #42 off the wine century club list, and here we go. I get a dark berry and possibly flinty aroma, and the colour is a nice deep ruby. It's definitely not heavy or chewy, but there's just enough structure and body to keep it from feeling too thin. The acidity is just about right, but it seems to lack - well, flavour, I guess. I don't think this wine would stand up to any sort of rich food. I'm struggling to think what it might pair with (possibly seared ahi tuni?? what a stretch), and it's kind of plain to sip on its own, so I'm not sure where that leaves us. It's not a bad wine, just doesn't really seem to fit in. It's smooth and has some character, but ultimately is kind of unsatisfying.

I just poured another glass, this time with the aerator, and that helps a bit. Acceptable with the leftover popcorn chicken nuggets from tonight. Bump it up a point, but still, something is lacking, I wish it had some game. I'm trying not to blame the carignan.

87 points. About $14.

Bodegas Piqueras Marques de Rojas 2007

Love the label, and the back has an equally good story: "Almansa in the South East of Spain was a Republican stronghold duning the Spanish civil war where the local women who took up the struggle were known as 'Las Rojas'. Many of the vines survive from this era...."

Now then, the wine itself is 100% grenache ("garnacha") and is bold, plummy with a great balance and structure. Actually it would make a kick-ass sangria. It smells a lot like port but is not overpowering to drink. I have to admit, it's not my favorite, probably more because of the varietal that the winemaker, but it does grow on you a bit. It's a little too sour for my taste to really get a top grade (I'm finding too much acidity is a real turn-off these days for some reason). I'd probably not buy it again if it were $18, but for half that it's a good value and will probably show up again on our shelf. At that price, I don't even feel bad about using it for sangria, which has traditionally been reserved for our crappiest wines (really, an undrinkable red wine makes great sangria - try it!).

86 points. $8.99

Chat-en-Oeuf "Red" 2006

Kind of fitting that the first French wine in here has a cartoon of a cat on the label. If I can't get a free gift hanging around the neck of the bottle when I buy wine, then I go for the cartoon label next. This one is from the Cotes du Ventoux appellation in the Rhone region, not far from Chateauneuf-du-Pape as you may have guessed from the name of the wine. If you like this type of humour, then you'll love "Goats do Roam" and "Bored Doe".

Chat-en-Oeuf is made with grenache and syrah, which are typical for the region. I actually opened this last night and had a glass, but I was too tired and just went to bed. I thought it was better last night, maybe it doesn't oxidize well even though I screwed the cap on tight. The back label promotes itself with lots of adjectives like "mouth-filling" and "juicy", but it's fairly thin and ordinary to me. I would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this one and a Sonora Ranch red. Mostly earthy and a little heavy on tannin, and practically no nose or finish. Maybe a little more complex, but honestly a bit disappointing. We don't drink a lot of French wines, but the ones we do - the ones Robert Parker doesn't get to - have been underwhelming. Despite the non-snooty marketing and bargain bin price, I'd pass on this next time. Well, maybe I'd try it once more and drink it fresh just to make sure.

81 points. $9.89 at Superstore.