Sunday, March 31, 2013

Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Shiraz

Emeri de Bortoli
Sparkling Shiraz
$9.95
Non-vintage
Southeastern Australia

Winery Review:  A relatively light, fresh style of sparkling Shiraz, with berries and hints of chocolate picking up just a touch of sweet vanilla on the finish.

Personal Review:  Blackberries overwhelm the aroma, with cherries being apparent as well. Chocolate can also be detected in the nose, but only faintly. The carbonation is good and refreshing, but contrasts with the smokey flavors. Overall a good sparkling wine, but tastes as if it would be better just as a sweet red without the carbonation.

Tres Ojos Garnacha

Tres Ojos
Garnacha
2011
$6.95
Calatayud, Spain

Winery Review:  This wine has a brick red color with a bouquet of red raspberries, spice and white pepper. The palate is incredibly concentrated and rich. The modern styles of Garnacha in Spain are continuously being perceived worldwide as wines of extraordinarily good quality. This wine is fruity, juicy and shows a great depth, ripe tannins, length but yet with wonderful elegance and lightness. Enjoy with sausages, roasted meats, aged cheeses, etc.

Personal Review:  Very strong, distinct smell, with a slight smokiness and obvious dryness. Tastes very dry with no apparently dominant flavors. Pepper can be detected at the finish, but overall was not one of my personal favorite reds.

Montebuena Tempranillo

Montebuena
Tempranillo
2010
$8.95
Rioja, Spain

Winery Review:  Ripe cherry and blackcurrant on the nose and in the mouth. Pliant and seamless in texture, with good heft and back-end energy. Finishes smooth and sweet, with fine-grained tannins providing shape and grip. Still on the young side but this wine drinks very well with an hour or so of decanting; it's an excellent value for Rioja.

Personal Review:  Dark cherry, like Cheerwine with a licorice smell. Has been stored in burned barrels, as a smokiness is present. Swisher Sweet cigar taste, with a light smoke and a fruity hint at the finish, definitely of dark fruits like the cherry apparent in the aroma.

Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence

Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence
Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault
2011
$8.95
Provence, France

Winery Review:  Bright salmon pink; typical of the fresh but warm Provence style. Refined and complex on the nose, with summer fruit and floral notes. Dry and crisp, with a delicate flavor and full texture.

Personal Review:  Very herbal smell, like leaves and persimmon. Tastes a lot like the smell, but with added sugar. Reminded me of fresh leaves with a syrupy texture from beginning to end.

Canyon Road Chardonnay

Canyon Road
Chardonnay
2011
$6.95
California

Winery Review:  Medium-bodied wine with notes of crisp apple and ripe citrus fruit with a hint of cinnamon spice. Delicious complement to grilled chicken, lighter pasta dishes or mild cheeses.

Personal Review:  Obviously a chardonnay with its butter smell. A hint of pear can be detected, as well as a little bit of antiseptic, which could be due in part to the alcoholic aroma. A very, very good sweetness, like a light nectar. Excellent smoothness, not excessively fruity and no tartness or bite in the finish. Prime stuff.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Potluck Sweet Malbec

Potluck
Sweet Malbec
2010
$7.95
Mendoza, Argentina

Winery Review:  Deep red brilliant with violet hints. Complex, fruity, and predominant red fruits. Easy to drink, round with persistent sweetness, very well balanced with sweet tannins.

Personal Review:  Smells like Kool Aid. Hints of cherries, blackberries, and strawberries all are present in the aromas. Tastes similar, but with a slight spice. No tartness or bitterness can be detected but the higher alcoholic content of the wine is a little much for such a sweet red, especially one served as a dessert or finishing wine. Would be best served with food rather than alone.

Domaine de Grange de Payan Grenache

Domaine de Grange de Payan
Grenache
2011
$8.95
Cotes du Rhone, France

Winery Review:  Intensely spicy and precise, with lively red berry flavors and a hint of black pepper. The Grenache, which makes up the majority of the wine, is deeper and more powerful, offering cherry and black raspberry qualities lifted by zesty minerality.

Personal Review:  Smells like a wine with high alcohol content, and tastes like it as well with a kick in the finish. A tart smokiness is the dominant impression, with little fruits present throughout. The 15% alcohol content hits the back of the throat with a tinge as it goes down. Not an overly impressive wine, as it is quite dry.

Tinto Figaro Garnacha

Tinto Figaro
Garnacha
2009
$6.95
Catalayud, Spain

Winery Review:  Figaro is 100% Garnacha, made from a selection of the best grapes grown in the oldest vineyards. While not truly an "oaked wine", a short stay in oak barrels provides a nice spicy flavor boost. Bright violet. Dark berry and cherry aromas show a jammy aspect. Supple and gently sweet, with good lift to its black raspberry and boysenberry flavors. Smooth and broad on the finish, leaving behind a hint of spiciness. Extremely easy to drink and an excellent value.

Personal Review:  Smells and tastes like cherries jubilee with ice cream and extra sugar, mainly in the scents. Tasted a little smokey, as if it had been stored in burned barrels. The smokiness wasn't enough to throw off the sweet flavors, but added a nice touch to make it more of a dinner wine than a dessert wine.

Maipe Malbec Rose

Maipe
Malbec Rose
2011
$7.95
Mendoza, Argentina

Winery Review:  Intense pink color with violet hints. Fresh red fruit bouquet, strawberry and cherry flavors, balanced acidity, dry and lingering finish. Excellent with tuna or green salad, pasta, spicy Asian dishes.

Personal Review:  Smells like a reddish candy, maybe a cherries with cinnamon aroma. A little spice in the finish, due to its 14% alcohol content. Still a nice sweet rose despite the kick at the finish. Reminded me of a fireball candy without the heat.

Cortenova Pinot Grigio

Cortenova
Pinot Grigio
2012
$7.95
Veneto, Italy

Winery Review:  Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections. Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas. Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking
style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste. Pairs well with seafood dishes, risottos with scampi, spaghetti with clams, sole in white wine Perfect also as an aperitif.

Personal Review:  Melon and pear scented white wine, like a less-sweet moscato. A litter bitter at the first taste, but is a very distinct nutty flavor. Reminded me of a buttery pecan or perhaps almond. Sweet and buttery, almost syrupy. 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Wine Dinner: Alta Vista Malbec

Dinner- Chantilly, VA with the in-laws

Over spring break, I made a visit to northern Virginia to visit my brother and his wife for a weekend. We ended up making a surprise trip to Chantilly to my sister-in-law's parents house for dinner. It just so happened that Mr. Manley (her father) was pouring a new bottle of Alta Vista Malbec out of his decanter back into the bottle to serve with dinner that evening.
The Malbec was a 2011 vintage from Mendoza, Argentina. At first glance I wondered why a red was being sold so soon after being fermented, but within the first few sips I found out why. It was not an overly sweet red, but the overwhelming flavor and texture was of butter and vanilla. It was a very creamy sensation, and I could tell that the wine was aged for a short period of time in new American oak to give it those distinct flavors. Sure enough, I looked at the bottle and it explained that the wine had been aged 6 months in American oak and then 6 months in French oak.
Our dinner consisted of beef, mashed potatoes, applesauce and green beans. Not by coincidence, the Mrs. Manley had soaked the beans and potatoes in butter while cooking, bringing out the flavors in the wine even more. I realized that even though I enjoyed the Malbec from first taste, it become more and more flavorful as the meal progressed, especially as I ate four to five slices of the beef. The beef would have been very good soaked in the Malbec as well, but it served as an excellent pairing for the meal. My second glass seemed even smoother and less tart than the first, and I realized that the foods were affecting my palette and really bringing out the smoothness and creaminess of the Malbec.
We finished off the meal with cheesecake with an assorted berry topping of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Although there was no separate dessert wine, I tried what Alta Vista I had left with the cheesecake. It did not pair as well, since the sweetness and sugar levels did not compare to the food I had been eating before. A moscato or light, sweet red would have paired excellently with that dessert, and not a creamy or tart wine.
This was the first experience I had where a wine got progressively better as I drank it, and it was due in part to the food I was eating with it. My review of the Alta Vista Malbec would be a positive one, but it is much better paired with food than sipped on by itself, and it does not pair with anything sweet. While it is not tart or bitter, it is a very smooth red with a satisfying finish.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Monte Aman Tempranillo

Monte Aman
Tempranillo
2009
$5.95
Arlanza
Spain

Winery Review:  Fermentation of selected grapes in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature. Aging in American oak casks for 5 months followed by 3 months in the bottle before being released in the market. Inky ruby. Ripe cherry and plum on the nose. Smooth and fleshy, with deep dark fruit flavors complicated by bitter chocolate and anise. A spicy quality adds lift and focus to the weighty fruit. Offers an appealing mix of power and energy and drinks very well right now.

Personal Review:  Smells of cherries and spices, and the flavors are similar. Hasn't been aged long but still retains an oaken flavor. Not a smooth red, but there are many flavors present, from pepper and vanilla to cherries and strong spices.

Cortenova Montepulciano

Cortenova
Montepulciano
2010
$6.95
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Italy

Winery Review:  Deep ruby red color with violet highlights and a pleasant and fruity bouquet. Full bodied, soft tannins and good acidity. Excellent with pasta dishes and red meats.

Personal Review:  Lots of fruit in the aromas, especially cherries and plums. Obviously was stored and aged in a burned barrel, with strong spices and smokiness in the flavors from start to finish. A little too dark for my liking.

Maipe Chardonnay

Maipe
Chardonnay
2012
$7.95
Mendoza
Argentina

Winery Review:  Made from 85% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier. 30% malolactic fermentation, 30% was aged in French oak barrels. Brilliant yellow golden color with green hints. The wine is crisp and filled with white peach, pear, green apples flavors, toasty vanilla. Elegant and luscious wine, well balanced. Crisp and long finish. Pairs well with creamy soups, pork, veal, vegetables.

Personal Review:  I had bought this wine a few weeks before it was offered at the tastings, and loved it. It has the smell of a darker white, but is very full. In flavor, it is very smooth and tastes similar to lighter fruits such as pears. The finish is excellent and smooth. I enjoyed drinking this chardonnay after a meal.

Villa d'Orvieto

Villa d'Orvieto
Grechelo, Procanico, Malvasia
2011
$6.95
Umbria
Italy

Winery Review:  It’s a blend of Grechetto, Procanico (Trebbiano), and Malvasia. Fresh and crisp, it has a beautiful, floral bouquet. It is wonderful with appetizers, fish, chicken, and salads.

Personal Review:  A pleasing aroma, reminding me of melon and citrus with a kick to it. Tasted sweet but not sugary. The aftertaste was good with a hint of spice mixed together with fruits.