There is a rush of setting up a wine-related venture in India. With a great growth potential and a huge market pie to dominate on all the biggies are also rushing towards it. Some of the leading producers have already spread their wings here, and the rest are keeping a close watch on the right time for them to strike. One of the leading UK-based wine business entities, Boutinot, is eyeing to have their share of the market now.
Boutinot is a three decade old venture that has transpired into one of the biggest in its country. Trading international labels and making their own wines in over 150 countries, the company has a league of its own. Name a wine-producing country and they have their stamp on it. Some of the labels Boutinot owns have now become synonyms to their region of origin. Their winemaking philosophy is simple: showcase the best of the region using quality produce at every price point. Wi-Not tasted some of their Rhone Valley, France, wines and couldn’t be held back from sharing the reviews.
2009 La Fleur Solitaire Viognier – White
Magan: Simple Old School, restrained, unpretentious. Not excessively light or buoyant, has weight to hold itself down on the palate. Even if the aromas are not entirely open and present at the moment. Oak is non-existent and I was pretty much convinced it wasn’t there. The overall effect that it leaves is a nice mineral-lined full-bodied finish with hints of butterscotch and that is what I enjoy the most about this wine. Utterly awesome value-for-money.
Gagan: Young pale lemon hued wine with an expressive fruity nose with hints of minerality to follow. Well structure dry palate with some green fruits and vegetative notes along with asparagus, ginseng, and citrus. Hints of creamy malolactic fermentation notes are visible. Appealing acidity and body. An expressive yet composed wine. A great sipper.
2009 Les Cerisiere – Rosé
Magan: Salmon robe, strawberries and cream on the nose, dry palate, elegant, but lacking a bit in open-form expression. The aromas and mouthfeel seem a tad blocked, or closed. French in style, subtle and soft, some distant berry notes. What one may perceive as nuanced, an amateur may see as lack of power.
Gagan: Attractive bronze hint in the colour is inviting. Red fruits, berries, and floral aromas. Palate is dry and is not very intense. Distant notes of berries, cherries, and some nutty crispiness can be well received. Good balance of acidity, alcohol, and body. Young drinking style wine that’ll be great with steamed fish and glazed pork dishes.
2007 Les Coteaux Cotes du Rhone Villages – Red
Magan: Nice, fruity, and well tasty. Easy, packs in a nice kick, and yet playful. Again, oak is virtually undetectable.
Gagan: Deeply extracted colour, sweet, juicy, and jammy nose. Dry on the palate with a good tannic grip. Expressive reed fruits flavours with a simple delicate touch of oak. Pleasing balance, has some journey to cover.
2007 La Cote Sauvage Cairanne – Red
Magan: More marked, both in terms of oak and fruit aromas. The palate is refined, elegant, and defined. Spices and cherries, ripe and robust. Classic style.
Gagan: Elegant deep ruby red colour. Deep fruity nose with hints of spices, and coconut-like oak. Powerful palate full of red fruits, olive tapenade, oak, and some spices. The balance, structure, and elegance of this wine makes it an all-round winner. This is a wine that can be laid down for long thus age-worthy.
2009 Les Amphores Vinsobres – Red
Magan: Fruity, rich, powerful.
Gagan: Young wine, almost opaque. Jam, tar, black fruits, and high alcohol are noticeable on the nose. Tough dusty tannins on the palate with impressive tones of pepper, minerality, and earthiness, along with definitive oak. The wine yells for food.
2008 La Citadelle Sablet- Red
Magan: Expressive, Juicy, fruit-laden.
Gagan: Opaque looking wine with intense aromas of smoked spices, cloves, wood shavings, earth, and tar. Black fruit character, matured structure, and a mix of husky-dusty gripping tannins. Aftertaste lingers for a long duration. Great wine that can live for another decade.
Multiple awards indicate the passion, precision and meticulous management. It’s hard to find a wine that you taste and forget the name of the beautiful lady who introduced them to you in the first place. One of their wines did that to us. It won’t be incorrect to say the Boutinot Wines’ are an experience rather than just another Monday morning tasting spree. It is a wait and watch game now before the wines are available in India and the good word is shared.