Tasting with the Belgians (part 2)

The Reds (part 1):

After  the whites we moved on to 30 different reds from the Languedoc-Rousillon.  As with the whites, they were served single-blind, going from lighter in style to heavier.  Leading off were two wines made by carbonic maceration, a technique that promotes primary fruit flavors and was popularized in Beaujolais. (I'll save the details for another time.)  

1. Wine three from Domaine Mas des Agrunelles (seen earlier with a delicious white), this time their 100% carignan from 50 year-old vines, "La Carino" (I did not get the appelation but it might well have been a vin de pays).  Super saturated blue/purple color.  Leather and coffee (along with a bit of funk).  Acidic and tannic with as short finish.  Young and simple but good with saussicon sec.  A bistrot wine for sure (about 5€).  (The wines were going fast and I didn't get all the names..only those that I really liked for quality and price)  
2. Wine seven then stuck out (in a good way).  From Puech Auger, their "Les Faisses de Jean" a blend of syrah, mouvedre and grenache (AOC Coteaux de Languedoc), a barrel sample, was purple-ruby in color, very ripe with tar, mint, smoke and red fruit flavors.  A closed in finish was not surprising considering it still needs time before bottling.    A fair price at 8.5€.
   
3. Wine eight was faulty, nine was dull, then 11 got interesting again...  Domaine Mas des Agrunelles,...again!  "Carmin," their blend of syrah grenache, carignan and cabernet sauvignon for 10.5€.  Red purple color with an expressive black fruit nose.  Ripe black fruit on the palate with sweet round tannins for the finish.  One of my favorites of the night.  
4. Wine 12 was pleasing, a Faugeres (AOC) by Ch. La Liquiere.  Good stink in the nose (dirt, mushrooms, decaying matter) with a cool and minty finish.  
5. Wine 13, 2006 Valjulius, was a hit with the table in general (but I was slow to come around).  Made of syrah, grenach and cab sauv., deep ruby color with wood, red fruit, spice and cheese rind on the nose.  Spicy wood, tar blueberries and medium bodied in the mouth, it showed its tannins on the finish.  Too woody I thought, but definitely stylish.
   
6. Wine 14, 2004 Puech Auger (AOC Montepeyroux) syrah grenache mouvedre and carignan (oak aged) deepr ruby with a "classic" southern French volatile nose, pure and sappy on the palate, raspberry, with a sappy finish.  Poised. Around 12€
7. Wine 15 was a head turner.  Dom. Les Amants de la vigneronne, " Le Rouge aux Levres" (AOC Faugeres) like Mas des Agrunelles, these guys are spending more time on their wines than on their web site.   Dull purple but ripe blackberry, smoke and mint on the nose.  Ripe and spicy but medium bodied (a bit thin??), with a spicy, smoky, nutty and blueberry finish.  As you will see, I liked several of their cuvees...So did the Guide Hachette (2008) and they gave their "De chair et de sang" 2005 one star.
8. Wine 19, 2003 Mas de Perry, (AOC Coteaux de Languedoc) from the winemaker of Mas des Agrunelles (crazy how this blind tasting showed my consistency).  Only 1,000 bottles produced of this syrah mouvedre blend (22€).  Deep ruby color with dirty blueberries on the nose.  Tight and intense blueberries on the palate too.  A super Languedoc.
9. Wine 20 was overdone.  Ch La Liquiere "Tucade" (AOC Faugeres) was stinky and woody with WAYYY too much structure for too little fruit.  27€
10. to be continued....