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.