Le Froglet Shiraz 2011 France

Le Froglet Shiraz 2011 is a wine that falls under the new designation of Vin de France ( Vin de Table with no Geographic Indication!). It is a new category which has to be made in France ( anywhere and may have mixed grapes from different regions) and can have the variety on the label. It is a way that France sees that it can compete on the wider stage of the New World competative market. This wine actually comes from the Languedoc - but do the grapes?
It is also worth a mention that the label calls the grape Shiraz, not Syrah ( the same grape of course but named differently in the New World) once more an indication that large French brands have realised that the wine buying public shop by grape 'brand', and Shiraz is one they will recognise, would Syrah have the same impact?
This is a young wine with a ruby core and purple rim, the nose and palate have baked black and red fruits and an earthiness that has an elegance not expected in this wine, the sweet fruits have ripe soft tannins and the wine is for immediate drinking, the finish is quite short with sweet black fruits intermingled with spice and is pleasant. The acidity of the wine lacks umph - so the wine itself feels slack and flabby - but not to such an extent that it is unpalitable. At £6.49 from M&S - good value.

Score ; 82 ( it would have been 87 if the finish had been longer with more concentrated fruits)