Glou Glou wines: a tasting and some commentary
There’s a category of wines that goes unofficially by the name of Glou Glou. It’s a French term that was first applied to wine by Molière in a play he penned back in 1666. It is described beautifully by natural wine advocate Aaron Ayscough in an article in Sprudge, in which he charts the history of the use of this term:
An onomatopoeic noun-turned-adjective imitative of both the sound of liquid leaving a bottleneck and of the rapid gulping of said liquid, glou-glou leads a small pack of recent French lexicographical imports driven by the surging global interest in French natural wine.
Aaron Ayscough, Sprudge 2018
Here’s the article:
A glou glou wine is a red wine with intense drinkability. These are usually lighter-coloured reds (but not exclusively) made with low extraction, and usually possessing both bright acidity and relatively low alcohol. A glou glou wine is smashable.
I remember when I first started drinking wine: we prized red wines with intense flavours. Extraction was everything. A wine’s merit could assessed visually: the darker it was, the better. We’ve moved on from these days, and now we get excited by pale reds, and even pale cloudy reds.
So here are some glou glou reds from UK importer Les Caves de Pyrene. It’s a nice spectrum, taking in different countries and different grape varieties. All are delicious.
Château Plaisance Serr da Beg Negrette Sans Soufre 2018 Fronton, France
Vividly coloured and grippy. Powerful, fresh, crunchy, vivid raspberry and blackcurrant. Juicy with a nice savoury edge and real impact, 93/100
Domaine Catherine & Pierre Breton Avis de Vin Fort 2018 Bourgeuil, Loire, France
This has fabulous drinkability. Juicy, supple and grainy with a nice chalky edge to the bright red fruits. Fresh and drinkable with lovely purity. 93/100
Monte Dall’Ora Valpolicella Classico ‘Saseti’ 2018 Veneto, Italy
Light, elegant and juicy with raspberry and some herbs. Nice fine-grained structure. Floral aromatics, with a nice green hint, and lovely fruit. 92/100
Pol Opuesto Wines Criolla Que Grande Sos 2017 Mendoza, Argentina
Pale red in colour. A fine, fresh, elegant infusion-style red with beautifully textured red fruits. Very pure and light with nice fine structure. Pure and light. 92/100
Domaine de la Borde Ploussard Côte de Feule 2018 Arbois, France
Pale red in colour. So subtle and refined with juicy red cherries. Supple with lovely acidity. Textured and smooth, yet also fresh and fragrant. Fine. 94/100
Vino de Anna Palmento Rossa 2018 Etna, Italy
Pale cherry red in colour. Juicy and fine and light with red cherries and plums. So elegant and fine with lovely crunch. Such a pretty wine. 93/100
Domaine Le Clocher Capitalisme Rouge 2018 Vendôme, Loire, France
Vivid and tyextured with sweet red cherries and raspberries. Vivid and fruity, showing nice grip. Crunchy and delicious, and also has a bit of warmth. 92/100
Ruth Lewandoski Wines Feints Red 2018 Mendocino and Utah, USA
Pale coloured. Light and expressive with red cherries and spice. Nice fine, juicy red currants with red cherries and spices and some structure. 93/100
Loraxel Ops Garnacha 2018 Penedès, Spain
Rounded and sweetly fruited with some elegance. Smooth, with nice grainy structure. Floral, textured and fruit driven. 90/100
Momento Mori Wines Etcetera Etcetera 2017 Victoria, Australia
No added sulphites, 11.5% alcohol, a blend of Schipettino, Fiano and Syrah. Pale coloured and cloudy. Juicy and lively with lovely red cherries and high acidity, Shows peach and pear alongside lemony acidity. Fresh and textural: such a wine – remarkable. 94/100
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
