2019 Cellier des Chartreux, Chapelle Saint-Martin, Côtes Du Rhône Réserve

A passable red, for sure. Made my tongue feel very thick and tingly, but other than that (!), no issues. A little spicy vibe. Possibly improved a bit when cold, a nice Survivor wine and pleasant for 3 days each. Also listed as "a red wine to brood with", which I did, too, as I listened to ladies-and-gentlemen-The Weeknd and reflected on how I wasted my life. An accurate description!

I also post-hoc paired this with the Coffee-Rubbed Steak [see foggy picture], which was OK, but not amazing for the time and money involved (many spices). The coffee didn't even come through that much, it just tasted like vaguely...Trinidadian food. To be fair, I did overcook it a little.

Overall
Cost: 5/10 [17$]
Taste: 6/10

2020 Cellier des Chartreux "Le Grand Prébos" Cabernet Sauvignon

I enjoyed this a lot, which surprised me because it's a cabsav and I associate that with "yuck, parent wine". And it wasn't allergy info'd or screw top'd or any of the wine things I enjoy. But here's a little secret: I watched the survivor premiere while I drank this! And it was sweet and juicy. Then I waited 3 days, drank this cold with the Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes I made (see image below), and it was also quite enjoyable! Impressed that it held up so well, impressed in general with the ~vibes~ I got from this one. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10 [17$]
Taste: 7/10

2019 Cellier des Chartreux "Le Chant du Merle" Merlot

Merlot really is a classic, and I know I shouldn't be this way, but I think I like the wine types I'm familiar with better than I like the more unique ones. This has a Thicc Body, nice warm cherry and oak flavors. It was pretty good cold, too, which is rare for a red. Of course, no allergy info from this French creator, but the cork was look-up-able and it seems to be made from sugarcane, which is kind of cool. In general, this was a good wine that I enjoyed drinking. 

I paired it with the Cast-Iron Pizza with Fennel and Sausage, which was an adventure in itself since every italian sausage I could find had fennel in it, and I have always thought I might be allergic to fennel. But fennel just tastes like anise, so maybe I'm just allergic to anise!? You can read more about this particular drama in my forthcoming sausage review, but long story short, the sausage of 3-hours-ago has not killed me yet. It was also scary to work with raw meat again, and a cast iron pan! So hard to clean properly!! But the pizza was honestly delicious, especially the crust and sauce. And super filling too, so I have more left. I should have made it prettier looking for the records, but alas, it is what it is. Good pairing.

Overall
Cost: 5/10 [17$]
Taste: 6/10