A really nice little pinotage, with some plum, leather, and clove action. I had it open for a while and it held up alright. I think overall I'd go about 87-88 points on it, it wasn't that memorable but it was decent and nicely drinkable.
In other news, I tasted the Newton Johnson Sauvignon Blanc (2006) and the Fleur du Cap Pinotage (2005) today as well. Both are also from South Africa. The Fleur du Cap was way overly alchoholic, it was a shame, because I was expecting so much more. I'm going with about an 80 point rating on that one. It had some nice clove, spice, and plum characteristics but the alchohol was just too powerful on the palate and the finish. I kept spitting it out I could not swallow it! Which is very uncharacteristic of how I treat wines! The Sauv. Blanc was much better, with some apple, pear, and grass components. Overall not too overpowering but pleasant, crisp, but it felt a little less crisp than your typical sauvignon blanc, it felt more like a blend between a sauvignon blanc and a pinot grigio. I'll go with a score of 86 on that one.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wines of 2007: Spain, Portugal, and South America
South America
Santa Ema Merlot 2003 (Chile): (75) Very out of balance, way too much alcohol and acid. Not complex at all and not smooth like is typically seen in merlot. Even for the price ($7.99) it is definitely a pass.
Niento Senetiner Reserva 2004 Malbec (Argentina): (90) I was very impressed with this wine. It was a lot more than I was expecting. There was a lot of smokey, chocolate, coffee, and plum flavors, as well as some oak. Really nice and complex, and pretty well balanced.
Casillero del Diablo Reserve Carmenere 2005 (Chile): (90) Lots of chocolate and coffee flavors. Overall one of my favorite wines. I think it's really well balanced and a great wine for the price, and can cream a lot of wines in even higher price points. Similar to the Niento Malbec but a little less smokey. Yumm!
Concha y Toro Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2006 (Chile): (88) For the price point, definitely not a bad wine. Not that complex, but definitely tastes like a South American Cab / Merlot. I could see this being used in an earthier sangria.
Spain
Luzon Verde Monastrell 2006: (89) Organic, lovesss it. A really great, smooth Spanish wine from Jumilla. Really smooth, and the best way to describe it is that it tastes like the spanish country side. It was a little harsh on popping, but soon it smoothed out. I would aerate it for at least half an hour before drinking.
Campo Viejo Crianza Tempranillo 2004: (88) Overall not bad, I sort of wish I had popped out the extra few bucks and gotten their Reserva instead, because this one was a little too acid and off balance. However, still a really good wine for the price, and it smoothed out a little after opening.
Codice Vino de la Tierra de Castilla 2005: (85) I was very disappointed with this effort, it was WAY over-oaked, and the oak was masking other flavors typical of this kind of wine. A little strawberry, and vanilla were present but hard to pick out because of the oak, any other flavors that might have been there were impossible for me to pick up. The oak was really making my jaw pucker. Similar to the Rioja Vega Crianza but that one I think is much better. I have no price comparison on that one though.
Portugal:
Casa do Conego Aragonez (Tempranillo) Reserva 1999: (91) If you can get your hands on this, do it. A really, really smooth, wonderful Portuguese tempranillo. Lots of red fruit characteristics and so unbelievably smooth. I've yet to hear someone say they dislike this wine and it was the best seller in our store for as long as we had it. We're just on the last few bottles now...
Santa Ema Merlot 2003 (Chile): (75) Very out of balance, way too much alcohol and acid. Not complex at all and not smooth like is typically seen in merlot. Even for the price ($7.99) it is definitely a pass.
Niento Senetiner Reserva 2004 Malbec (Argentina): (90) I was very impressed with this wine. It was a lot more than I was expecting. There was a lot of smokey, chocolate, coffee, and plum flavors, as well as some oak. Really nice and complex, and pretty well balanced.
Casillero del Diablo Reserve Carmenere 2005 (Chile): (90) Lots of chocolate and coffee flavors. Overall one of my favorite wines. I think it's really well balanced and a great wine for the price, and can cream a lot of wines in even higher price points. Similar to the Niento Malbec but a little less smokey. Yumm!
Concha y Toro Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2006 (Chile): (88) For the price point, definitely not a bad wine. Not that complex, but definitely tastes like a South American Cab / Merlot. I could see this being used in an earthier sangria.
Spain
Luzon Verde Monastrell 2006: (89) Organic, lovesss it. A really great, smooth Spanish wine from Jumilla. Really smooth, and the best way to describe it is that it tastes like the spanish country side. It was a little harsh on popping, but soon it smoothed out. I would aerate it for at least half an hour before drinking.
Campo Viejo Crianza Tempranillo 2004: (88) Overall not bad, I sort of wish I had popped out the extra few bucks and gotten their Reserva instead, because this one was a little too acid and off balance. However, still a really good wine for the price, and it smoothed out a little after opening.
Codice Vino de la Tierra de Castilla 2005: (85) I was very disappointed with this effort, it was WAY over-oaked, and the oak was masking other flavors typical of this kind of wine. A little strawberry, and vanilla were present but hard to pick out because of the oak, any other flavors that might have been there were impossible for me to pick up. The oak was really making my jaw pucker. Similar to the Rioja Vega Crianza but that one I think is much better. I have no price comparison on that one though.
Portugal:
Casa do Conego Aragonez (Tempranillo) Reserva 1999: (91) If you can get your hands on this, do it. A really, really smooth, wonderful Portuguese tempranillo. Lots of red fruit characteristics and so unbelievably smooth. I've yet to hear someone say they dislike this wine and it was the best seller in our store for as long as we had it. We're just on the last few bottles now...
Wines of 2007: Italy, California, New York
Italy
Verdi Raspberry Sparkletini Spumanti: Nice, on the sweeter side, definately tastes like raspberries. I think we even put fresh raspberries in the wine too. It was definitely decent for the price. Considering all the ingredients in it I'm not sure I'd considering it "wine"...it was almost more of a sparkline wine cooler, minus the obnoxious sweetness of those, but I'd recommend it considering it's category.
Di Majo Norante Sangiovese 2005: (87) Overall pretty nice, peppery, classic sangiovese. Not bad for the price point ($8.99) but if you go a few dollars higher you can find some chiantis and sangioveses that are much better, I think.
Voga Pinot Grigio 2006: (88) A pretty nice wine, very crisp, but with some nice apple, orange rind, and floral notes on the nose. A little grassy, which is typical of italian pinot's but done in a good way. Overall it felt almost like it had a little too much crispness, and for that I'm rating it a little lower. I would definitely recommend this though, it is a nice balance between old-world and new world.
California
Mirassou Pinot Noir 2006: (90) Really, really great pinot noir from California. It lacks the obnoxious fruit characteristic of many california wines these days. There is almost a buttery kind of component, some nice fruit, and very, very smooth. It reminds me as an almost-as-good version of the Acacia Pinot Noir. It is a little on the more full bodied side and can go with a range of foods, including hamburgers.
Chandon Riche Sparkling Wine: (88) This is a pass for the price point. at $19.99 it is just not worth it. There are plenty of other sparkling wines and champagnes in the $10-15 dollar price point that I would buy hands down over this sparkling. Luckily, I didn't pay for it, it was a gift. However it was a bit dissapointing because I saved it for my birthday and it really wasn't that great. There was a kind of funny aftertaste and other than that not very memorable.
New York
Duck Walk Vineyards Blueberry Port 2005: (90) A gem of New York State. I used this in the blueberry steak sauce as well. Really nice, definitely tastes like blueberries, and lacks the sometimes overpowering "liqueur" kind of flavor on the back end. Really smooth, I can see this being used in a lot of recipes or for desserts, or just being drank alone, as well as added to champagnes for a unique kind of "kir".
Verdi Raspberry Sparkletini Spumanti: Nice, on the sweeter side, definately tastes like raspberries. I think we even put fresh raspberries in the wine too. It was definitely decent for the price. Considering all the ingredients in it I'm not sure I'd considering it "wine"...it was almost more of a sparkline wine cooler, minus the obnoxious sweetness of those, but I'd recommend it considering it's category.
Di Majo Norante Sangiovese 2005: (87) Overall pretty nice, peppery, classic sangiovese. Not bad for the price point ($8.99) but if you go a few dollars higher you can find some chiantis and sangioveses that are much better, I think.
Voga Pinot Grigio 2006: (88) A pretty nice wine, very crisp, but with some nice apple, orange rind, and floral notes on the nose. A little grassy, which is typical of italian pinot's but done in a good way. Overall it felt almost like it had a little too much crispness, and for that I'm rating it a little lower. I would definitely recommend this though, it is a nice balance between old-world and new world.
California
Mirassou Pinot Noir 2006: (90) Really, really great pinot noir from California. It lacks the obnoxious fruit characteristic of many california wines these days. There is almost a buttery kind of component, some nice fruit, and very, very smooth. It reminds me as an almost-as-good version of the Acacia Pinot Noir. It is a little on the more full bodied side and can go with a range of foods, including hamburgers.
Chandon Riche Sparkling Wine: (88) This is a pass for the price point. at $19.99 it is just not worth it. There are plenty of other sparkling wines and champagnes in the $10-15 dollar price point that I would buy hands down over this sparkling. Luckily, I didn't pay for it, it was a gift. However it was a bit dissapointing because I saved it for my birthday and it really wasn't that great. There was a kind of funny aftertaste and other than that not very memorable.
New York
Duck Walk Vineyards Blueberry Port 2005: (90) A gem of New York State. I used this in the blueberry steak sauce as well. Really nice, definitely tastes like blueberries, and lacks the sometimes overpowering "liqueur" kind of flavor on the back end. Really smooth, I can see this being used in a lot of recipes or for desserts, or just being drank alone, as well as added to champagnes for a unique kind of "kir".
Wines of 2007: France
So, my first priority on this blog is to record what I can remember of all the wines I had in 2007, and consolidate them into a few blog posts. I'll do it by country so its easier. It will take a while but I'll keep updating until I catch up.
Barton & Guestier Pinor Noir 2005: (86) Fairly earthy and easy drinking, but not a really memorable wine. It lacked complexity but was well balanced.
George Duboeuf Boujolais-Village 2005: (84) Overall it was okay, it wasn't as great as I had hoped. It was a little out of balance and slightly too acidic for my taste. A bit one dimensional but a lot of red fruit characteristics.
Chateau de Montagu Saint-Emilion Bordeaux 2005: (91) LOVEDDD this wine. Really, really great dimenions. Lots of old-world components, it was like eating smooth butter-y bacon-y hay as well as a bit of nice dark-fruit action. A really great kind of "fat" component but in a good way. I drank it with blueberry steak and sweet mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus. Overall the combination was great and we used a bit of the wine to make the sauce. I would definitely recommend pairing this wine with any kind of beef, steak, or lamb. Definitely something for heavier darker meats.
Muscadet de Beaumes de Venise: Used this to roast pairs, it was fine for that but not something I would reall drink on its own, there was just too much of a brandy-ish alchohol component coming through.
Louis Jadot Rose 2005: (90) Some really great fresh flavors, crisp but not too dry, beautiful color and a nice complexity for a rose. There is some strawberry, raspberry, and hints of orchard fruits and berries mixed in with a sort of floral aspect. Very nice wine and it goes really well with Turkey but it is also great to drink alone, because its pretty easy drinking.
Domaine du Prieure d'Amilhac Pinot Noir 2003: (85) This may have been getting a bit old for a pinot, it was fine but not as good as I had hoped, it was earthy but fairly fruit forward...however, it was a bit too acidic and off balance. I ate it with pizza. Not sure I would pair that combination again. It was just a bit too much acid.
Barton & Guestier Pinor Noir 2005: (86) Fairly earthy and easy drinking, but not a really memorable wine. It lacked complexity but was well balanced.
George Duboeuf Boujolais-Village 2005: (84) Overall it was okay, it wasn't as great as I had hoped. It was a little out of balance and slightly too acidic for my taste. A bit one dimensional but a lot of red fruit characteristics.
Chateau de Montagu Saint-Emilion Bordeaux 2005: (91) LOVEDDD this wine. Really, really great dimenions. Lots of old-world components, it was like eating smooth butter-y bacon-y hay as well as a bit of nice dark-fruit action. A really great kind of "fat" component but in a good way. I drank it with blueberry steak and sweet mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus. Overall the combination was great and we used a bit of the wine to make the sauce. I would definitely recommend pairing this wine with any kind of beef, steak, or lamb. Definitely something for heavier darker meats.
Muscadet de Beaumes de Venise: Used this to roast pairs, it was fine for that but not something I would reall drink on its own, there was just too much of a brandy-ish alchohol component coming through.
Louis Jadot Rose 2005: (90) Some really great fresh flavors, crisp but not too dry, beautiful color and a nice complexity for a rose. There is some strawberry, raspberry, and hints of orchard fruits and berries mixed in with a sort of floral aspect. Very nice wine and it goes really well with Turkey but it is also great to drink alone, because its pretty easy drinking.
Domaine du Prieure d'Amilhac Pinot Noir 2003: (85) This may have been getting a bit old for a pinot, it was fine but not as good as I had hoped, it was earthy but fairly fruit forward...however, it was a bit too acidic and off balance. I ate it with pizza. Not sure I would pair that combination again. It was just a bit too much acid.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
New Years Resolution #1
One of my 2008 resolutions was to catch up with my own wine drinking habit and finally stick all the labels, of all the wine bottles, in a book together with my tasting notes on them. I kept promising my housemates that I would do this over winter vacation in order to rid our kitchen of all the random wine bottles that have overtaken the counter by the microwave (which does not include all of the bottles randomly interspersed in random crevices my room). That was a lie, essentially, because I haven't done that yet. I haven't even tried. I got busy, lazy, and labels aren't that easy to get off wine bottles anyways. Well after catching up on two weeks of missed WLTV episodes I came to the following amazing realization : i should just share my wine journal with the rest of the wine community, via a wine blog. Which really should make up-keeping a wine journal much easier for me, more appealing for my housemates, and more entertaining for anyone who feels like reading this. That is the premise of this blog, happy reading (i hope) !
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