Tasting - Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Shiraz

Name: Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Shiraz 

Variety: Shiraz 

Region: South East

Country: Australia

Year: --

Price: $9.95

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

My Review: This wine was a very common tasting wine. The nose did not give me much to work with, I could smell freshness and could tell it was a sparkling wine because of it. The taste was good, nothing that surprised me. The finish was great, it was a good balance between light and dark.

I did not have it with any food. 

Tasting - Tres Ojos Garnacha

Name: Tres Ojos Garnacha

Variety: Garnacha, Tempranillo

Region: Calatayud

Country: Spain

Year: 2011

Price: $6.95 

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.

My Review: I did not hear the wine pourer that this was a sparkling wine.I believe it was my first time having a sparkling wine of a darker color. The nose had a strong cherry aroma. I'm not a fan of cherries, but the taste was delicious! The fuzziness and bubbles softened the taste of cherries. The fuzziness also made the finish a bit more fun.

I did not have it with any food. 

Tasting - Montebuena Tempranillo

Name: Montebuena

Variety: Tempranillo

Region: Rioja

Country: Spain

Year: 2010

Price: $8.95 

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.

My Review: The color of this wine was very dark, so I knew it would taste complex and strong. The nose was very strong, hitting me with smells of berries and cherries. The initial taste was strong and the finish was strong. It was quite a dry wine!

I did not have it with any food. 

Tasting - Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence Rose

Name: Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence

Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault

Region: Provence

Country: France

Year: 2011

Price: $8.95 

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.

My Review: The look of this wine was very fresh and enjoyable. The nose confirmed it, it had a floral aroma, reminding me of warmer days. Though it had a nose that made it seem shy and reserved, the taste was strong and complex. It had fruity flavors and a fresh, strong finish. This was my favorite!

I did not have it with any food. 

Tasting - Canyon Road Chardonnay

Name: Canyon Road Chardonnay 

Variety: Chardonnay

 

Region: California 

Country: United States 

Year: 2011 

Price: $6.95

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.

My Review: The nose didn't give me whole lot. I didn't smell much just some cinnamon and citrus. The taste was definitely stronger than the nose gave. It was fruity and fresh. It was too citrusy for my taste, but I could surely enjoy it with any type of dinner entree. 

I did not have it with any food. 

Tasting - Potluck Sweet Malbec

 

Name: Potluck Sweet Malbec

Variety: Malbec

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2010

Price: $7.95

 

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.

 

My Review: As I was swirling it, I noticed there were little particles swirling around. The color was dark red and the nose smelled red as in like red fruits like strawberries or raspberries. It was a complex and had a lot of tannins. It was a fresh, desert wine.

 

I did not have it with any food.

Tasting - Domaine de Grange de Payan

 

Name: Domaine de Grange de Payan

Variety: Grenache

Region: Côtes du Rhône

Country: France

Year: 2011

Price: $8.95

 

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.

 

My Review: The wine pourer was telling us how this wine is considered a new world wine and that isn't meant to be paired with dish and the nose reassured that. The nose was light and simple. I thought the taste was too strong, it definitely would taste better with food. I could taste some berries which I liked.

I did have it with any food.

Tasting - Tinto Figaro

 

Name: Tinto Figaro

Variety: Garnacha

Region: Calatayud

Country: Spain

Year: 2009

Price: $6.95

 

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.

 

My Review: This wine had a strong nose. I couldn't smell anything specific aside from maybe some almond, or something making it smell spicy. The finish was bitter and lingering. It was not as smooth of a finish as I was expecting.

 

I did not have it with any food.

 

 

Tasting - Maipe Malbec Rose

 

Name: Maipe Malbec Rose

Variety: Malbec

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2011

Price: $7.95

 

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.

 

My Review: The nose was very fresh and colorful. The initial taste was fruity and sweet. The nose did not reflect the finish. The description states a balanced acidity, but I thought it was too acidic. I would love to taste it with a complementary dish and overcome the longing acidic aftertaste.

 

I did not have it with any food.

Tasting - Cortenova Pinot Grigio

 

Name: Cortenova Pinot Grigio

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: Veneto

Country: Italy

Year: 2012

Price: $7.95

 

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.

 

My Review: As I smelled the wine, I didn't smell as much fruitiness as the description boasted about. As I tasted it, I could make out some fruit flavors, I could especially taste the apricot or some type of peach. I would have loved to have some food with it. The aftertaste was strong and food would have balanced it. As I read the description, I began to crave seafood and imagining how much better the wine would taste with it.

 

I did not have it with any food.