J. P. Chenet Cabernet-Syrah

If red wine is my passion, then mass producing wine companies are the oversized cotton pyjamas that kill it! Chenet is an example of such a company, who seemingly relish in the destruction of everything good about wine. Gallo, Blossom hill, they all do it. You see, the creation of wine is an art. Winemakers are paid obscene amounts of money to create their masterpieces, and it has long since been my opinion that these mass producers undermine what ...
...knows what the current years crop are like, and creates a wine based on the characteristics that this seasons fruit have taken on. By this, I mean that different weather conditions, for example, create a different tasting fruit. Warm weather will create a sweeter fruit, with fuller flavour. Colder seasons will create shorter, more bitter fruit. The key to the art of wine, is to know what to do with these to create a great drinking wine, not just ... more

If red wine is my passion, then mass producing wine companies are the oversized cotton pyjamas that kill it! Chenet is an example of such a company, who seemingly relish in the destruction of everything good about wine. Gallo, Blossom hill, they all do it. You see, the creation of wine is an art. Winemakers are paid obscene amounts of money to create their masterpieces, and it has long since been my opinion that these mass producers undermine what they do.

A winemaker knows his grapes, knows what the current years crop are like, and creates a wine based on the characteristics that this seasons fruit have taken on. By this, I mean that different weather conditions, for example, create a different tasting fruit. Warm weather will create a sweeter fruit, with fuller flavour. Colder seasons will create shorter, more bitter fruit. The key to the art of wine, is to know what to do with these to create a great drinking wine, not just to bung them in a vat and produce gallons of offensive muck.

Chenet is probably one of the better ones, though. J.P. Chenet operates out of the Languedoc, in the south of France. Although they produce many different types of wine, the cabernet-syrah is probably the best. It rises majestically, like a pheonix from the ashes, to sit proudly on the top branch of the mediocre tree. It is not a great wine, but it is in the very least drinkable.

Why do we mix a few different grapes together to make a blend? To understand this, we must first take a brief look at the grape types involved.

************Cabernet sauvignon****************************

Sauvignon is derived from an old French word for savage, or wild. It is known as a colonizer, as it takes over wherever it is planted. And it grows almost everywhere. The grapes are small and thick skinned, and the thickness of the skin directly effects the type of wine it creates. Thick skinned grapes are very rich in tannin. It is this that creates a dryness, and is essential to create a full bodied wine. It naturally creates flavours of blackcurrant, and tobacco.

*************Syrah/Shiraz************************ **********

Syrah is the french term for this grape, hence Chenet uses it. It is also know as shiraz. It is a grape that adores heat, and has a very deep colour. This is noticeable in the wines it creates. It, too, is thick skinned, and tannic in nature. It compliments Cabernet well, due to this and has been used to create some of the most complex, and exquisite wines in the world. It naturally gives off spicy flavours, as well as red fruit. It gives a wine a very good nose.

So, we blend grapes to give a wine characteristics of both grape type. In this case, we get a fuller bodied wine, with a deeply complex mix of flavours. The Shyrah is added if nothing else, to give these wines a fantastic aroma.

The Chenet definately achieves this fantastic bouquet. When you pop the cork, you are instantly hit with a rich, and fruity nose. Deep, and enticing, it has definite notes of red fruit, and a slightly peppery hint too. As we pour, which is made easier by Chenet's funky shaped bottle (its the one in the shops that looks like it has melted.), we see the Syrah's, deep ruby red colour.

It is in the drinking, that this wine is let down. And given that you most likely bought it to drink, rather than smell, this is a major fault. We know that the grape mix is a classic, and makes for a great wine. But for some reason, it just doesn't work. I think it it is because these poor little grapes have been robbed of all there complexity, having been grown in such a ferocious manner. It is drinkable, without being stylish. First swallow is a bit of a chore, as you do taste the alcohol first. Not a good thing, as you should be tasting the fruit. As you get past the first few swallows, you start to notice the flavours. Blackcurrant, such a feature of both grapes, is highly noticeable, as are the spicy notes given by the syrah. It is a very earthy wine.

The wine does not deliver the ummph that it should. It is no more than a medium bodied red, when it should surely have been full. I believe Chenet has purposely over-ripened the grapes, to make them sweeter, and therefore more widely saleable. It is a crime to compromise the wine, in order to make the wine softer, and easier for the novice to drink.

As a wine, this promised so much, and delivered so little. Yes, it is pretty cheap. You should not pay more than about £4.50 for a bottle of this. But there are so many better examples, for little or no extra. For only a pound more, you could have a go at the rather excellent Kumala cabernet shiraz. The chenet just does not do enough for me, and although it may do far BBQ drink, that is not why I drink wine. I drink wine to enjoy it, and if I don't think I will enjoy it, I dont drink it.

If you do buy this wine, it would be best served at room temperature, and served as an accompaniment to grilled meat, or curries. Anything that has a bit of spice to it, will be complimented by the syrah of the wine.  

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