Showing posts with label Under $20. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Under $20. Show all posts
Sunday, April 29, 2012
2010 Giesta Dao
The last time I recall having a Portuguese wine, I was at the Portuguese embassy,and more than a little hammered (true story). That was back in the early 2000’s, and I was there for a port tasting. After several hours of trying all the ports the great houses had to offer (and cementing eternally my love for a 20 year tawny port), the Ambassador himself came down to mingle with the guests. After mingling for a while he said a few words about Portugal, their wine industries and then opened some wine for us to try. A grand night, and an experience I will never forget. Unfortunately for this story, that evening was quite a bit more interesting than the wine I am about to tell you about.
The wine is somewhat of a non-event. Normally I like wines, or I dislike them, usually with more than a few degrees of emotion. Sadly, this wine elicits none of that from me. I was excited when I first poured it, the color having a bit of brickness to it, and falling on the more red, than purple side of things. And perhaps that might be where it really fell down for me, the taste was nothing like what my eyes had already conjured....I was imagining old world wines, with a mystery and complexity that I would spend the evening unravelling on sip at a time.
This was not to be, for the wine was fairly upfront, and fully of cherry. I don't mind a bit of fruit here or there, but when I see a nice red wine, tantalized with the knowledge that its a blend of three different grapes, I tend to expect more. And thus the failure, it’s not a bad wine, it’s just not a great one. Once you work through the initial impressions, you find that there isn’t too much else to it. As I think about describing the body, the finish, the complexity the only adjectives that come to mind are medium, moderate, middling and mediocre. While I could certainly continue documenting its lack of interest further, but that would only be serving as an excuse to find how many more alliterations I could use, having developed a sudden fondness for them. A fondness that surely was developed by the hole in my affections left by this vintage.
2010 Giesta Dao
I was at a conference last week and met a few wine-loving folks while there. After talking with them about wine and enjoying a fantastic dinner at Shula’s Steak House, I was inspired to review another wine. We have a handful of bottles marked for review and tonight the figurative spin of the wheel led us to open the 2010 Giesta Dao from Portugal.
The facts:
2010 Giesta Dao
Variety: 32% Touriga-Nacional, 45% Tinta-Roriz (Tempranillo), and 23% Jaen
Region: Portugal
Winemaker: Nuno Cancela de Abreu
My take
The nosy is a spicy reddish purple. In a way, I’d say the nose is somewhat misleading. I didn’t get purple when tasting this one (and for me that’s a good thing), but the more the wine opens up, the less spicy it gets. What you do get is a full-bodied, juicy (dare I say chewy?) wine that feels rather new-world in terms of style. You get a burst of pinkish red fruit up front (that’s the new world I’m talking about) with a bit of spicyness in the middle, and a relatively long finish. The wine is not at all dry. To the contrary, it’s rather silky smooth going down.
In the end, it’s not overly interesting, but not one-note or boring either. It’s a bit too new world style for my palate. I’d prefer less up front fullness and a little more complexity in the range of flavors. That being said, if you like a new world style wine with a velvety texture, then this one might just hit the spot.
Price Point: $13 a bottle
The facts:
2010 Giesta Dao
Variety: 32% Touriga-Nacional, 45% Tinta-Roriz (Tempranillo), and 23% Jaen
Region: Portugal
Winemaker: Nuno Cancela de Abreu
My take
The nosy is a spicy reddish purple. In a way, I’d say the nose is somewhat misleading. I didn’t get purple when tasting this one (and for me that’s a good thing), but the more the wine opens up, the less spicy it gets. What you do get is a full-bodied, juicy (dare I say chewy?) wine that feels rather new-world in terms of style. You get a burst of pinkish red fruit up front (that’s the new world I’m talking about) with a bit of spicyness in the middle, and a relatively long finish. The wine is not at all dry. To the contrary, it’s rather silky smooth going down.
In the end, it’s not overly interesting, but not one-note or boring either. It’s a bit too new world style for my palate. I’d prefer less up front fullness and a little more complexity in the range of flavors. That being said, if you like a new world style wine with a velvety texture, then this one might just hit the spot.
Price Point: $13 a bottle
Sunday, January 29, 2012
2009 Mario Ercolino Saserello
Upon stating that I didn’t know what to write, Jonathan told me I should start with something like It was a dark and stormy night.... Then he promptly told me he had dibs on that intro. So I’m back to not knowing how to start the story on this one. Apparently I had a little too much wine too quickly this evening. ;)
So I guess I’ll just get to the gist of it. We recently joined a new wine club to try something different. We now get a case of wine 4 times a year from the Zagat Wine Club and this came from our most recent case.
The facts:
2009 Mario Ercolino Saserello
Variety: 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 25% Sangiovese, 25% Syrah
Region: Sicilia, Italy
Winemaker: Mario Ercolino
My take
The nose is red with an earthy touch, but without being too brown. Before eating anything, the wine is spicy and full up front (but not in an overwhelming way) with a good range of flavors. This wine struck me as fairly complex – more complex than I expected from a wine club wine. (Perhaps my expectations are too low?) The spice carries through the middle and then ends with a dry finish.
All that being said, if you’re a red meat eater – try this wine with steak. The bottle itself suggests it pairs well with “richly flavoured dishes such as steak with a peppercorn sauce, slow-cooked venison with juniper and full-flavoured cheeses” and it lives up to those claims (at least as far as a peppery steak is concerned). The peppery steak took the edge right off the dry and deepened the flavors. I still got spice in the front and middle, but with the meat, the wine rounded out in a dark purple red for a smooth, long finish.
This is one I would definitely buy again. Two bottles came with our wine club shipment and they’re already gone. For the price point, this could easily be a go-to wine that you keep on hand for a good steak dinner without breaking the bank.
Price Point: $12.00 a bottle
So I guess I’ll just get to the gist of it. We recently joined a new wine club to try something different. We now get a case of wine 4 times a year from the Zagat Wine Club and this came from our most recent case.
The facts:
2009 Mario Ercolino Saserello
Variety: 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 25% Sangiovese, 25% Syrah
Region: Sicilia, Italy
Winemaker: Mario Ercolino
My take
The nose is red with an earthy touch, but without being too brown. Before eating anything, the wine is spicy and full up front (but not in an overwhelming way) with a good range of flavors. This wine struck me as fairly complex – more complex than I expected from a wine club wine. (Perhaps my expectations are too low?) The spice carries through the middle and then ends with a dry finish.
All that being said, if you’re a red meat eater – try this wine with steak. The bottle itself suggests it pairs well with “richly flavoured dishes such as steak with a peppercorn sauce, slow-cooked venison with juniper and full-flavoured cheeses” and it lives up to those claims (at least as far as a peppery steak is concerned). The peppery steak took the edge right off the dry and deepened the flavors. I still got spice in the front and middle, but with the meat, the wine rounded out in a dark purple red for a smooth, long finish.
This is one I would definitely buy again. Two bottles came with our wine club shipment and they’re already gone. For the price point, this could easily be a go-to wine that you keep on hand for a good steak dinner without breaking the bank.
Price Point: $12.00 a bottle
Saturday, October 9, 2010
2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Zinfandel
The facts:
2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Zinfandel
Region: Sonoma County, California
Variety: 87% Zinfandel, 13% Petite Syrah
Aging: 9 months in American and French oak (39% new oak)
(photo courtesy of www.drycreekvineyard.com)
My take:
Given that this is a California Zin, I expected it to be big and bold – and it delivered (though not in a punch you in the mouth kind of way). I also liked it more than I expected, given my penchant for old world style wines.
The wine looks dark red in the glass. It smells spicy and big with hints of green pepper on the nose. I’d say it smells dark red to purple. It pretty much tastes the same way – dark red to purple. It’s big up front with a good bit of spiciness in the middle. And it’s definitely dry. It’s drier and spicier if you pull air over it.
We tasted this wine with a small range of cheeses and red meat, all of which changed the character of the wine to varying extents. A reserve gouda (not particularly aged or smoked) completely erased the spice and the complexity of the wine. I thought the gouda made the wine dull and rather creamy in texture. A manchego dulled the spice a bit (not completely) and made the flavor much more grapey (read purple). Finally (my favorite with this wine), a garlic and spice boursin mellowed the dryness, but still left you with a range of flavors and a good bit of spice in the middle. And the wine was quite good with red meat. The effect of the red meat was similar to the boursin, for me.
Somewhat to my surprise, I rather enjoyed this wine and would definitely have it again.
Price point: An internet search found this one anywhere from $12.99 to $19.49.
2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Zinfandel
Region: Sonoma County, California
Variety: 87% Zinfandel, 13% Petite Syrah
Aging: 9 months in American and French oak (39% new oak)
(photo courtesy of www.drycreekvineyard.com)
My take:
Given that this is a California Zin, I expected it to be big and bold – and it delivered (though not in a punch you in the mouth kind of way). I also liked it more than I expected, given my penchant for old world style wines.
The wine looks dark red in the glass. It smells spicy and big with hints of green pepper on the nose. I’d say it smells dark red to purple. It pretty much tastes the same way – dark red to purple. It’s big up front with a good bit of spiciness in the middle. And it’s definitely dry. It’s drier and spicier if you pull air over it.
We tasted this wine with a small range of cheeses and red meat, all of which changed the character of the wine to varying extents. A reserve gouda (not particularly aged or smoked) completely erased the spice and the complexity of the wine. I thought the gouda made the wine dull and rather creamy in texture. A manchego dulled the spice a bit (not completely) and made the flavor much more grapey (read purple). Finally (my favorite with this wine), a garlic and spice boursin mellowed the dryness, but still left you with a range of flavors and a good bit of spice in the middle. And the wine was quite good with red meat. The effect of the red meat was similar to the boursin, for me.
Somewhat to my surprise, I rather enjoyed this wine and would definitely have it again.
Price point: An internet search found this one anywhere from $12.99 to $19.49.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
2007 Chateau Sainte Eulalie Plaisir d'Eulalie - reviewed by Kerri
The facts:
2007 Chateau Sainte Eulalie Plaisir d’Eulalie
Region: La Liviniere, France
Variety: 15% Syrah, 45% Grenache, 40% Carignan (this is the blend for the 2003 vintage, according to the winery’s website)
Aging: Stainless steel for 15 to 18 months (again, for the 2003 vintage)
My take:
When we opened the wine fridge to look at our choices for wine tonight, we decided to go with the mystery French. Had no idea what grapes comprised this wine, but decided to take a chance and review it.
The wine looks dark red in the glass, but smells a bit more cherry red. I’d call this one a light bodied wine that is relatively short. It comes across as rather one note to me. It’s drinkable and pleasant enough, but I don’t get any complexity from it.
After letting it breathe a bit, it tastes more purple, but is still light bodied and not complex. Drinking the wine with grilled steak seemed to add some spicyness to the wine and made the finish a bit metallic. I actually didn’t care for it with the steak.
The bottom line for me: this one is a good sipping wine, if you like a light bodied red that is soft on the palate.
Price point: An internet search puts this at around $13 per bottle.
2007 Chateau Sainte Eulalie Plaisir d’Eulalie
Region: La Liviniere, France
Variety: 15% Syrah, 45% Grenache, 40% Carignan (this is the blend for the 2003 vintage, according to the winery’s website)
Aging: Stainless steel for 15 to 18 months (again, for the 2003 vintage)
My take:
When we opened the wine fridge to look at our choices for wine tonight, we decided to go with the mystery French. Had no idea what grapes comprised this wine, but decided to take a chance and review it.
The wine looks dark red in the glass, but smells a bit more cherry red. I’d call this one a light bodied wine that is relatively short. It comes across as rather one note to me. It’s drinkable and pleasant enough, but I don’t get any complexity from it.
After letting it breathe a bit, it tastes more purple, but is still light bodied and not complex. Drinking the wine with grilled steak seemed to add some spicyness to the wine and made the finish a bit metallic. I actually didn’t care for it with the steak.
The bottom line for me: this one is a good sipping wine, if you like a light bodied red that is soft on the palate.
Price point: An internet search puts this at around $13 per bottle.
2007 Chateau Sainte Eulalie Plaisir d'Eulalie
Light and Thin.
Now this would probably be a compliment if I were talking about a white wine, but since I am talking about red maybe not so much. Interestingly enough, when I first poured the wine, it had almost no nose and very little flavor, time and a bit of warming up fixed that (the whole wine fridge being stuck at 52 thing and all…).
Once it had a bit to open up, it got a bit better, but I am still going to stick with the light and thin comment. Honestly, I cant think of any other way to describe it, and in its defense, the thinness is a gliding, dancing thinness rather than the anemic fragility that plagues, say a Pinot or a Tempranillo. Which at least makes for some semblance of depth of character, but it's a bit like second place, sure you gave it your all...but you still didn't win.
What this wine lacks, unfortunately, is perhaps what I crave most in wine, and what keeps me opening cork upon cork; mystery, depth, a sense of exploration. There are wines that when you drink them, defy understanding on the first taste. They require study, exploration, spelunking through the caverns of complexity that they offer. This is what I seek (well…at least when I am not just drinking for the sake of it), and what this wine fails to provide me with.
I realize, that I have said more about what the wine is not, rather than what it is; I shall correct that now. It’s light, it’s definitely French, and at temperature, it makes for decent sipping wine.
The bottom line: This wine fails to inspire me, I’m not sure I would pick it over the Concannon, or my new love the Neprica (I promise we’ll review that soon. We’ve tried to twice but ended up having such a great time hanging out and enjoying it that it just hasn’t happened yet), but the Plaisir d'Eulalie doesn’t suck, and we didn’t pour it out. I'll label it decent, but not my thing.
Now this would probably be a compliment if I were talking about a white wine, but since I am talking about red maybe not so much. Interestingly enough, when I first poured the wine, it had almost no nose and very little flavor, time and a bit of warming up fixed that (the whole wine fridge being stuck at 52 thing and all…).
Once it had a bit to open up, it got a bit better, but I am still going to stick with the light and thin comment. Honestly, I cant think of any other way to describe it, and in its defense, the thinness is a gliding, dancing thinness rather than the anemic fragility that plagues, say a Pinot or a Tempranillo. Which at least makes for some semblance of depth of character, but it's a bit like second place, sure you gave it your all...but you still didn't win.
What this wine lacks, unfortunately, is perhaps what I crave most in wine, and what keeps me opening cork upon cork; mystery, depth, a sense of exploration. There are wines that when you drink them, defy understanding on the first taste. They require study, exploration, spelunking through the caverns of complexity that they offer. This is what I seek (well…at least when I am not just drinking for the sake of it), and what this wine fails to provide me with.
I realize, that I have said more about what the wine is not, rather than what it is; I shall correct that now. It’s light, it’s definitely French, and at temperature, it makes for decent sipping wine.
The bottom line: This wine fails to inspire me, I’m not sure I would pick it over the Concannon, or my new love the Neprica (I promise we’ll review that soon. We’ve tried to twice but ended up having such a great time hanging out and enjoying it that it just hasn’t happened yet), but the Plaisir d'Eulalie doesn’t suck, and we didn’t pour it out. I'll label it decent, but not my thing.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
2008 Carmen Carmenere
The facts:
2008 Carmen Carmenere
Region: Rapel Valley, Chile
Variety: 85% Carmenere, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aging: Taken from www.carmen.com, "The bunches were crushed and cold macerated for 10 days at 3ºC to obtain colour and fruitiness. Alcoholic fermentation was made in stainless steel tanks between 26-28ºC. Malolactic fermentation occurred naturally in stainless steel tanks. 30% of the wine was aged in French and American oak barrels for a period of 6 months."
My take:
This wine had a red-black nose to me. I definitely got a sense of black pepper upon the first sniff or two. After opening up a bit, that black pepper transformed a bit to more of a green bell pepper.
Though I know we said we wouldn’t describe wine this way, it quite honestly made me think of strawberries, green bell pepper, and black pepper. It’s definitely on the spicy side, but not overbearingly so.
The texture was ever so slightly chewy and slightly dry. I’d call it full-bodied.
When all is said and done, I don’t really have too much to say about this wine. It isn’t great, but it isn’t bad either. We drank it before, during, and after having a steak dinner and it held up to marinated, grilled rib eye. But for me, that green pepper flavor didn’t seem to pair well with the steak. I liked the wine better without food. That being said, it’s not velvety enough for my tastes and I get no sense of the brown that I tend to prefer, so it’s not something I’d purchase again.
Price point: $12-$13
2008 Carmen Carmenere
Region: Rapel Valley, Chile
Variety: 85% Carmenere, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aging: Taken from www.carmen.com, "The bunches were crushed and cold macerated for 10 days at 3ºC to obtain colour and fruitiness. Alcoholic fermentation was made in stainless steel tanks between 26-28ºC. Malolactic fermentation occurred naturally in stainless steel tanks. 30% of the wine was aged in French and American oak barrels for a period of 6 months."
My take:
This wine had a red-black nose to me. I definitely got a sense of black pepper upon the first sniff or two. After opening up a bit, that black pepper transformed a bit to more of a green bell pepper.
Though I know we said we wouldn’t describe wine this way, it quite honestly made me think of strawberries, green bell pepper, and black pepper. It’s definitely on the spicy side, but not overbearingly so.
The texture was ever so slightly chewy and slightly dry. I’d call it full-bodied.
When all is said and done, I don’t really have too much to say about this wine. It isn’t great, but it isn’t bad either. We drank it before, during, and after having a steak dinner and it held up to marinated, grilled rib eye. But for me, that green pepper flavor didn’t seem to pair well with the steak. I liked the wine better without food. That being said, it’s not velvety enough for my tastes and I get no sense of the brown that I tend to prefer, so it’s not something I’d purchase again.
Price point: $12-$13
2008 Carmen Carmenere
Its not a bad wine, and likely I will finish the bottle (that probably more about me liking to drink wine and less about this one), but here is my one sentence review:
If I saw it on a menu, I’d pick something else.
It’s not particularly notable; it doesn’t really stand out in any particular category. If there is anything I did notice it’s the green pepper aspects that really seem to overpower this particular wine. With each sip I am amazed at how “green” tasting this robust purple wine is. You get pepper in the nose, and green pepper on the taste buds with a nice long finish, which while pleasant, is also not particularly remarkable.
The bottom line, it’s a well crafted wine, smooth and balanced. I just don’t think its appeals to my leanings. I recognize the quality in it, but it’s just not my thing.
If I saw it on a menu, I’d pick something else.
It’s not particularly notable; it doesn’t really stand out in any particular category. If there is anything I did notice it’s the green pepper aspects that really seem to overpower this particular wine. With each sip I am amazed at how “green” tasting this robust purple wine is. You get pepper in the nose, and green pepper on the taste buds with a nice long finish, which while pleasant, is also not particularly remarkable.
The bottom line, it’s a well crafted wine, smooth and balanced. I just don’t think its appeals to my leanings. I recognize the quality in it, but it’s just not my thing.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
2007 Trivento Amado Sur - reviewed by Kerri
And we’re back!
Apologies for the radio silence on the blog. With the holidays and then some health issues, reviewing wine has proven a bit difficult in the last several weeks. Now that the second blizzard of the 2009-2010 winter season has hit our area, we’re happy to be snowed in with a bottle of wine, heat, and our laptops.
I picked up this wine from a local grocery store, so presumably it’s readily available in the states. I’ve actually purchased this wine a couple of times (Jonathan loves it, as I’m sure you’ll see from his review), but I have yet to drink it. I wanted to review this one in particular because Jonathan loves a Malbec and I’m notorious for hating them. So, with that as an intro, here’s my take.
My take:
There is quite a bit of intense fragrance on the nose. It smells purple-red to me. That in and of itself is a bit surprising to me, but I’ll get into that more in a moment.
A few swirl and sips later, I’d say it tastes dark purple and has most of its intensity and complexity in the middle. There is a nice subtle, yet mildly spicy quality in the middle. The finish is medium – not long, but not short either.
I’d say it’s medium bodied. And it’s not particularly dry, but it’s not velvety either. It’s too astringent to be velvety. A more velvety texture would likely develop with time, given the blend of grapes.
I’d call this one a good sipping wine, if you like the purple, maybe purple-black, end of the flavor spectrum. What I find most surprising is what it lacks. It lacks that gray ashiness that I usually get from Malbecs. Must be tempered by the Syrah and Bonarda.
The Bonarda is a grape with which I’m unfamiliar. A quick search online reveals that it is widely grown in Argentina and is the same grape as Italy’s Dolce Nero, or Sweet Black. That would certainly explain the darkness that I get from this wine. Similarly, the Syrah is undoubtedly moderating some of the Malbec’s gray and bringing it more to the red side.
In taking the photograph of the wine, I saw the Wine Spectator sticker on the label. Apparently the Wine Spectator gave it 89 points. All things considered, I'd expect this one to age well.
The facts:
2007 Trivento Amado Sur
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Variety: 72% Malbec, 16% Bonarda, 12% Syrah
Price point: $13
Apologies for the radio silence on the blog. With the holidays and then some health issues, reviewing wine has proven a bit difficult in the last several weeks. Now that the second blizzard of the 2009-2010 winter season has hit our area, we’re happy to be snowed in with a bottle of wine, heat, and our laptops.
I picked up this wine from a local grocery store, so presumably it’s readily available in the states. I’ve actually purchased this wine a couple of times (Jonathan loves it, as I’m sure you’ll see from his review), but I have yet to drink it. I wanted to review this one in particular because Jonathan loves a Malbec and I’m notorious for hating them. So, with that as an intro, here’s my take.
My take:
There is quite a bit of intense fragrance on the nose. It smells purple-red to me. That in and of itself is a bit surprising to me, but I’ll get into that more in a moment.
A few swirl and sips later, I’d say it tastes dark purple and has most of its intensity and complexity in the middle. There is a nice subtle, yet mildly spicy quality in the middle. The finish is medium – not long, but not short either.
I’d say it’s medium bodied. And it’s not particularly dry, but it’s not velvety either. It’s too astringent to be velvety. A more velvety texture would likely develop with time, given the blend of grapes.
I’d call this one a good sipping wine, if you like the purple, maybe purple-black, end of the flavor spectrum. What I find most surprising is what it lacks. It lacks that gray ashiness that I usually get from Malbecs. Must be tempered by the Syrah and Bonarda.
The Bonarda is a grape with which I’m unfamiliar. A quick search online reveals that it is widely grown in Argentina and is the same grape as Italy’s Dolce Nero, or Sweet Black. That would certainly explain the darkness that I get from this wine. Similarly, the Syrah is undoubtedly moderating some of the Malbec’s gray and bringing it more to the red side.
In taking the photograph of the wine, I saw the Wine Spectator sticker on the label. Apparently the Wine Spectator gave it 89 points. All things considered, I'd expect this one to age well.
The facts:
2007 Trivento Amado Sur
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Variety: 72% Malbec, 16% Bonarda, 12% Syrah
Price point: $13
2007 Trivento Amado Sur
I love this wine…. A lot.
Granted, that is somewhat of a spoiler, and by somewhat, I mean a complete one. But I figured I would go ahead and proclaim my undying devotion to it upfront.
See….I have had this wine before. Specifically, this would be my third bottle. Kerri bought the first bottle in a random batch of wines to review, and due to its Malbecness, it got ganked from the wine fridge one Friday night when she wasn’t looking. Well…it’s not like I had to sneak past an armed guard for it. Kerri typically isn’t a huge fan of the Malbec, but I do so adore them. So when its Friday night, and I raid the fridge she’s usually more than happy to let me be the guinea pig for it. And, of course, when I raved about it she went out and bought another bottle so we could review that one.
And then another Friday came, and I absconded with that bottle too. (well…it might have been a Tuesday, but that is neither here nor there…)
More determined than ever to review this wine, she hit the store and returned with two bottles, knowing that if she let me near the fridge without supervision, one of them was likely to meet an untimely demise.
A round about way to get here certainly, but I for one enjoy the recanting of the story almost as much as my participation in it. I suppose, in this particular case I can say with just as much enjoyment, by way of said third bottle, and the review that seems to be going on right about now (or would rather, if I stopped telling stories and started being more descriptive….)
The Amado Sur is just simply fantastic. The bottle has this little “89” sticker, which is probably about 10 too low the way that I see it. Typically Malbecs run big bold and jammy, this one…not so much. If I were blindfolded and asked where this wine was from I would probably say France, and I would call it a Grenache and Syrah blend. Yes my friends, this Malbec is, in fact, that subtle. It is gentle and soft on the palette, and when drunk you can almost feel the flavors gently massaging your taste buds.
The flavor is slightly sweet, and slightly dark. I find it to be well balanced with a large amount of nuance, and little in terms of bold defining characteristics. And this is why I am on my third bottle (research of course). With each glass I feel like I am chasing the most elusive of definitions, needing to understand the breadth of what is going on in this wine. And with each glass I am sucked further into the rabbit hole, willingly and joyfully compelled to examine it further and to philosophize more deeply about its nature.
If I had to find fault with this wine, it would be the nose. I find it a bit sharp, a bit heavy on the alcohol. That aside, this one is a must buy for fans of Grenache and for fans of the Malbec. To date, this wine stands as the most sophisticated Malbec I have had yet, and I am heartened knowing there is another bottle sitting in my fridge.
Granted, that is somewhat of a spoiler, and by somewhat, I mean a complete one. But I figured I would go ahead and proclaim my undying devotion to it upfront.
See….I have had this wine before. Specifically, this would be my third bottle. Kerri bought the first bottle in a random batch of wines to review, and due to its Malbecness, it got ganked from the wine fridge one Friday night when she wasn’t looking. Well…it’s not like I had to sneak past an armed guard for it. Kerri typically isn’t a huge fan of the Malbec, but I do so adore them. So when its Friday night, and I raid the fridge she’s usually more than happy to let me be the guinea pig for it. And, of course, when I raved about it she went out and bought another bottle so we could review that one.
And then another Friday came, and I absconded with that bottle too. (well…it might have been a Tuesday, but that is neither here nor there…)
More determined than ever to review this wine, she hit the store and returned with two bottles, knowing that if she let me near the fridge without supervision, one of them was likely to meet an untimely demise.
A round about way to get here certainly, but I for one enjoy the recanting of the story almost as much as my participation in it. I suppose, in this particular case I can say with just as much enjoyment, by way of said third bottle, and the review that seems to be going on right about now (or would rather, if I stopped telling stories and started being more descriptive….)
The Amado Sur is just simply fantastic. The bottle has this little “89” sticker, which is probably about 10 too low the way that I see it. Typically Malbecs run big bold and jammy, this one…not so much. If I were blindfolded and asked where this wine was from I would probably say France, and I would call it a Grenache and Syrah blend. Yes my friends, this Malbec is, in fact, that subtle. It is gentle and soft on the palette, and when drunk you can almost feel the flavors gently massaging your taste buds.
The flavor is slightly sweet, and slightly dark. I find it to be well balanced with a large amount of nuance, and little in terms of bold defining characteristics. And this is why I am on my third bottle (research of course). With each glass I feel like I am chasing the most elusive of definitions, needing to understand the breadth of what is going on in this wine. And with each glass I am sucked further into the rabbit hole, willingly and joyfully compelled to examine it further and to philosophize more deeply about its nature.
If I had to find fault with this wine, it would be the nose. I find it a bit sharp, a bit heavy on the alcohol. That aside, this one is a must buy for fans of Grenache and for fans of the Malbec. To date, this wine stands as the most sophisticated Malbec I have had yet, and I am heartened knowing there is another bottle sitting in my fridge.
Monday, December 7, 2009
2007 Canneto Rossa Di Montepulciano
Frankly, I was a bit stumped about how to start talking about this wine. It’s good, certainly serviceable, but the lead in… the hook was escaping me.
I was sitting on the couch, sipping the wine, contemplating that special moment when the wine first tickles your nervous system. That first gentle warm flirtation of sensation that lets you know you have reached that slightly altered state. I had been discussing the wine (and my difficulty in describing it) with Kerri, when I blurted “I don’t like being punched in the mouth with fruit, but I do like something to chew on”.
Now, out of context, it might sound a bit strange, and as you have come for answers, I intend to provide them. The Canneto is long on finish, and what starts as a nominal experience when first sipped, lingers and gathers steam as the wine slides down the back of the throat. What starts as a gentle earthy caress of flavor, rolls into a significant finish robust, hearty and even a bit jammy. That gets me to the description of my above quote. By and large, I tend to not be fond of overly fruity wines, and certainly not any wine that gets described as “fruit forward”. This particular wine has the strength and body of that type of wine, but without the cheapness that comes from leading with a mouthful of jam. It has all of the elegance and passion that comes from a full host of flavor, but the sophistication to tease you up front, and then draw out the enjoyment over long finish.
Overall, I like this wine. I think the nose is interesting, and the flavor more so. I tend to favor wines that open up and reward persistence and exploration, and this fits that mold handily. The Canneto delivers well as a sipping wine, and for pairings, I would lean probably more to the winery's suggestions of more rustic (and less heavily spiced) foods. This is going to go in the buy it if you see it category.
I was sitting on the couch, sipping the wine, contemplating that special moment when the wine first tickles your nervous system. That first gentle warm flirtation of sensation that lets you know you have reached that slightly altered state. I had been discussing the wine (and my difficulty in describing it) with Kerri, when I blurted “I don’t like being punched in the mouth with fruit, but I do like something to chew on”.
Now, out of context, it might sound a bit strange, and as you have come for answers, I intend to provide them. The Canneto is long on finish, and what starts as a nominal experience when first sipped, lingers and gathers steam as the wine slides down the back of the throat. What starts as a gentle earthy caress of flavor, rolls into a significant finish robust, hearty and even a bit jammy. That gets me to the description of my above quote. By and large, I tend to not be fond of overly fruity wines, and certainly not any wine that gets described as “fruit forward”. This particular wine has the strength and body of that type of wine, but without the cheapness that comes from leading with a mouthful of jam. It has all of the elegance and passion that comes from a full host of flavor, but the sophistication to tease you up front, and then draw out the enjoyment over long finish.
Overall, I like this wine. I think the nose is interesting, and the flavor more so. I tend to favor wines that open up and reward persistence and exploration, and this fits that mold handily. The Canneto delivers well as a sipping wine, and for pairings, I would lean probably more to the winery's suggestions of more rustic (and less heavily spiced) foods. This is going to go in the buy it if you see it category.
2007 Canneto Rosso di Montepulciano - Reviewed by Kerri
The facts:
2007 Canneto Rosso di Montepulciano
Region: Montepulciano, Italy
Variety: 90% Sangiovese grosso, 10% Canaiolo nero, Mammolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot
Aging: 18 months in French oak
My take:
This one smells pinkish purple. I hate to say it, but upon swirling and taking a sniff, it brings to mind strawberries. Seriously.
This is an odd wine. It took a while and several tastes to really figure out what to say about it. First, I’ll say it’s a rather simple wine that moves through the flavor profile quickly. When a bit cold from the wine fridge, it's light, both in taste and feel, up front. After letting it open up some, it's a little chewier in texture and a bit more intense on flavor. That being said, you get most of the flavor in the middle and on the finish. Here’s the thing.... It’s jammy at the end. And I mean grape jelly jammy. It’s a strange finish.
For me, the wine is nothing special, but it’s not bad either. I preferred it earlier, when it was a bit on the cold side. Now that it's had some time to open up, it's a bit too purpley and chewy for my taste. Originally I wrote that I think it makes a good sipping wine. It does not, however, go well with spicy red sauce! After eating pasta for dinner, I had to cleanse my palette to enjoy this wine. Trying it immediately after the red sauce was not good – a bit dank and astringent all at the same time.
So all in all, I’d say this one is medium bodied, pink to purple with a bit of earthiness to it (that’s the sweet dankness), rather simple, and slightly dry.
We got this wine through wine club and after going through the swirl, sniff, taste routine and typing up my notes, I read the tasting notes from wine club. They say it’s "earthy, flamboyant, juicy, and highly scented." I don’t know if I’d go as far as flamboyant, but other than that, their tasting notes seem spot on to me.
Price point:
$12 - $14
Sunday, November 29, 2009
2008 Rocca Bello Negroamaro - reviewed by Kerri
The facts:
2008 Rocca Bello Negroamaro
Region: Puglia, Italy
Variety: Negroamaro
We picked this up one day at a local liquor store because we’ve had negroamaros a few times before and Jonathan has liked them. That, and we were looking for a slightly less expensive wine to review. (I’m not sure how we routinely choose bottles that are around $13.99, but that seems to be our resting point these days.)
My take:
It smells dark red and young (i.e., I could smell the alcohol), but I guess you’d expect that since this is a 2008. I’d say it’s medium to full bodied and complex enough for the price point. (It’s not a $30 wine in an $11 bottle. Nor is it a $7 wine in an $11 bottle. It seems right on the money for $11, maybe a tad more complex than you’d expect at that price.)
When just sipping...
Most of the flavor is up front, comes across as dark purple, the middle seemed a bit weak for me, the finish is longer than I expected at the price point, and it’s on the dry side.
Pulling some air over it is when the wine really expresses itself. The flavors are more balanced through the beginning and middle. It tastes dark red to purple up front and then the taste buds perk up a bit in the middle, where you get more of the complexity, and the finish is even longer with a bit of spiciness to it.
I wish I could write sonnets about it, but it’s just not doing it for me tonight for some reason. It makes me want to have some cheese. Perhaps as a sipping wine, I find it a bit too big? Not mellow enough? Not sure. I suspect it would age well and if I weren’t full from Thanksgiving leftovers, I would definitely be tempted to break out some manchego and give it another try.
Okay, so let 5 minutes pass and pick this up again. As soon as I wrote that perhaps food would add to my enjoyment of the wine, I felt guilty for not giving it that chance. So, I broke out some cheese.
I do enjoy the wine more with the cheese. As I said, I think it’s just a tad too big for my tastes to be a sipping wine. In the interest of full disclosure..., the wine bottle itself says it’s “perfect with red meats, pizza and all Mediterranean spiced dishes.”
Price point:
It was $10.99 in DC.
2008 Rocca Bello Negroamaro
Region: Puglia, Italy
Variety: Negroamaro
We picked this up one day at a local liquor store because we’ve had negroamaros a few times before and Jonathan has liked them. That, and we were looking for a slightly less expensive wine to review. (I’m not sure how we routinely choose bottles that are around $13.99, but that seems to be our resting point these days.)
My take:
It smells dark red and young (i.e., I could smell the alcohol), but I guess you’d expect that since this is a 2008. I’d say it’s medium to full bodied and complex enough for the price point. (It’s not a $30 wine in an $11 bottle. Nor is it a $7 wine in an $11 bottle. It seems right on the money for $11, maybe a tad more complex than you’d expect at that price.)
When just sipping...
Most of the flavor is up front, comes across as dark purple, the middle seemed a bit weak for me, the finish is longer than I expected at the price point, and it’s on the dry side.
Pulling some air over it is when the wine really expresses itself. The flavors are more balanced through the beginning and middle. It tastes dark red to purple up front and then the taste buds perk up a bit in the middle, where you get more of the complexity, and the finish is even longer with a bit of spiciness to it.
I wish I could write sonnets about it, but it’s just not doing it for me tonight for some reason. It makes me want to have some cheese. Perhaps as a sipping wine, I find it a bit too big? Not mellow enough? Not sure. I suspect it would age well and if I weren’t full from Thanksgiving leftovers, I would definitely be tempted to break out some manchego and give it another try.
Okay, so let 5 minutes pass and pick this up again. As soon as I wrote that perhaps food would add to my enjoyment of the wine, I felt guilty for not giving it that chance. So, I broke out some cheese.
I do enjoy the wine more with the cheese. As I said, I think it’s just a tad too big for my tastes to be a sipping wine. In the interest of full disclosure..., the wine bottle itself says it’s “perfect with red meats, pizza and all Mediterranean spiced dishes.”
Price point:
It was $10.99 in DC.
2008 Rocca Bella Negroamaro
A darkly enticing aroma. I wrote that just as a note to myself just by way of a note to begin the writing process. I was going to embellish it some and string it into a long metaphor, involving candle lit swanky bars with muted electronic down-tempo playing, with fez wearing fashionistas smoking clove cigarettes, but that seemed a bit much, so we will just have to settle for using it as the wine blog equivalent of “it was a dark and stormy night”.
So my love of the Negroamaro started at Proof on either our second or third visit there. They had one by the glass and I was absolutely smitten by it. This leads me to the greatest and worst thing about Proof. Their wine list is constantly changing, and its not uncommon to have a different line up on two visits in the same month. Alas the next time we went, literally three weeks later, my new love was gone a dim memory in the backlighting of their glass bar.
Unfortunately, as it is not a particularly common grape, the odds of running into one are somewhat akin to a chance encounter with either the Loch Ness monster or an Australian wine worth drinking. If you see one on a menu, I highly recommend stopping what ever you are doing and ordering a glass, a bottle, or better yet a nebakanezer immediately.
So, I started with the aroma, and I think I will pick back up there. As mentioned it has a somewhat dark aroma, with an air of cherry and earthiness to it. Much like tawny port, this would be a wine that I am content to swirl in a glass and living in the luxuriousness that is the nose of this divine beverage.
The color would be a deep dark rich red, and with less than half a glass in me, I feel compelled to go to the garage, get a ladder, climb up to the roof and proclaim my love for this wine loudly for all to hear. Alas, drinking and ladders don’t go together, nor would my neighbors take kindly to a crazy man shouting about wine from the top of his house. That being said, you could probably label me as a fan.
Opened up, and in the glass this wine becomes increasingly expressive. Starting with what would be best described as the most fleeting of gently sour notes, giving way to an enveloping array of subtle, yet strong flavors. I would speak of them individually, but to do so would less their entirety. Suffice to say cherries are involved in a way that legitimizes that much maligned fruit (I should note, I don’t think cherries are actually much maligned, it just sounded good, and I don’t tend to like them.) and the finish is a long drawn out affair that serves to slow down consumption and to draw out the enjoyment of this wine.
I’m not sure what the availability is like in general, but we picked this one up at our corner liquor store (one that isn’t known for its wine selection) and I know I will be heading back up their to take their remaining stock.
So my love of the Negroamaro started at Proof on either our second or third visit there. They had one by the glass and I was absolutely smitten by it. This leads me to the greatest and worst thing about Proof. Their wine list is constantly changing, and its not uncommon to have a different line up on two visits in the same month. Alas the next time we went, literally three weeks later, my new love was gone a dim memory in the backlighting of their glass bar.
Unfortunately, as it is not a particularly common grape, the odds of running into one are somewhat akin to a chance encounter with either the Loch Ness monster or an Australian wine worth drinking. If you see one on a menu, I highly recommend stopping what ever you are doing and ordering a glass, a bottle, or better yet a nebakanezer immediately.
So, I started with the aroma, and I think I will pick back up there. As mentioned it has a somewhat dark aroma, with an air of cherry and earthiness to it. Much like tawny port, this would be a wine that I am content to swirl in a glass and living in the luxuriousness that is the nose of this divine beverage.
The color would be a deep dark rich red, and with less than half a glass in me, I feel compelled to go to the garage, get a ladder, climb up to the roof and proclaim my love for this wine loudly for all to hear. Alas, drinking and ladders don’t go together, nor would my neighbors take kindly to a crazy man shouting about wine from the top of his house. That being said, you could probably label me as a fan.
Opened up, and in the glass this wine becomes increasingly expressive. Starting with what would be best described as the most fleeting of gently sour notes, giving way to an enveloping array of subtle, yet strong flavors. I would speak of them individually, but to do so would less their entirety. Suffice to say cherries are involved in a way that legitimizes that much maligned fruit (I should note, I don’t think cherries are actually much maligned, it just sounded good, and I don’t tend to like them.) and the finish is a long drawn out affair that serves to slow down consumption and to draw out the enjoyment of this wine.
I’m not sure what the availability is like in general, but we picked this one up at our corner liquor store (one that isn’t known for its wine selection) and I know I will be heading back up their to take their remaining stock.
Monday, October 19, 2009
2005 Concannon Limited Reserve Petite Syrah
So I have a dirty little secret. It weighs on me heavily at times, and today is the day that I free myself from its crushing weight. Given that, I think perhaps its best to just put it out there before I go on.
Our house/table wine is Californian and I love it dearly.
Yes…yes… I know it may come as a shock, and I can certainly understand why it does. I spend more time talking shit about Californian wines than I do writing sonnets about French ones. And while I am sure this admission will bring jeers, this wine is certainly worth enduring the mockery that comes from my love affair with a left coast wine. That being said, we ran into this wine as the DC International Wine Expo a couple of years ago, and to this date I don’t think any wine we have had at a large venue tasting has had such a a lasting impact on me. It’s the Concannon Limited Release Petite Syrah, and I think its wonderful.
There I said it. Its like a weight has been lifted from me.
The gentleman who was pouring it was pushing the distributing wine group's Big House series of jail themed wines (true story….) and mentioned that the Concannon was the lesser known “off brand” (As a slight tangent, I cant think of anything that makes less sense than jail themed wines other than say….a Wookie on Endor, but hey, they do silly things out in Cali so who am I to judge). As you would expect the big house wines sucked being single note, huge and jammy as is the coin that Californian wines typically trade in. It was this off brand however that really did capture my attention, and I dare say undying devotion. The moniker off brand does this wine a great disservice, but hey, that’s how it was presented.
First and foremost it’s a Petite Syrah. For those of you not in the wine industry, a Petite Syrah is basically like a Syrah (or Shiraz) that doesn’t suck….or maybe I am just editorializing a tad. Regardless, the wine is a rich red tending more towards the purple, and the nose is fruity and light. The flavor is where it shines for me. I find it incredibly soft on the palette, so much so, in fact, that you can fill your mouth with wine holding it there without a hint of tannins or alcohol, simply meditating on the soothing blend of soft complexity. With air pulled across said mouthful, again we are treated to a dizzyingly complex array of flavors and aromas without the least hint of overbearing tannins. The complexity, the softness, and ease with which this wine goes about it's busniss all belie its modest price tag, and are what make it shine in otherwise crowded wine racks.
For the record I am well aware that I am swooning over a $13 wine. Did I mention the price? While not a dollar twice (but granting, that the reaction is indeed satisfaction) the Concannon is a steal. It’s widely available, and infinitely drinkable, and for those nights that you want a glass (or three) of wine and don’t feel like getting into something new you cant beat it. It’s also widely available, finding its home in most reputable wine shops, as well as grocery stores.
I love it, and don’t think I have had more bottles of any single wine other than this one. Which makes sense, because if I had the same number of bottles of $30 bottles of wine, I would need to force Kerri to get a second job. To summarize, you are unlikely to find a wine of the complexity and character in this price range. And if by some miracle you did manage to make that happen, it’s likely that you would be telling me about it when you showed me your pictures of the Loch Ness Monster, Leprechauns and Big foot.
Run out to buy a bottle or six now.
Our house/table wine is Californian and I love it dearly.
Yes…yes… I know it may come as a shock, and I can certainly understand why it does. I spend more time talking shit about Californian wines than I do writing sonnets about French ones. And while I am sure this admission will bring jeers, this wine is certainly worth enduring the mockery that comes from my love affair with a left coast wine. That being said, we ran into this wine as the DC International Wine Expo a couple of years ago, and to this date I don’t think any wine we have had at a large venue tasting has had such a a lasting impact on me. It’s the Concannon Limited Release Petite Syrah, and I think its wonderful.
There I said it. Its like a weight has been lifted from me.
The gentleman who was pouring it was pushing the distributing wine group's Big House series of jail themed wines (true story….) and mentioned that the Concannon was the lesser known “off brand” (As a slight tangent, I cant think of anything that makes less sense than jail themed wines other than say….a Wookie on Endor, but hey, they do silly things out in Cali so who am I to judge). As you would expect the big house wines sucked being single note, huge and jammy as is the coin that Californian wines typically trade in. It was this off brand however that really did capture my attention, and I dare say undying devotion. The moniker off brand does this wine a great disservice, but hey, that’s how it was presented.
First and foremost it’s a Petite Syrah. For those of you not in the wine industry, a Petite Syrah is basically like a Syrah (or Shiraz) that doesn’t suck….or maybe I am just editorializing a tad. Regardless, the wine is a rich red tending more towards the purple, and the nose is fruity and light. The flavor is where it shines for me. I find it incredibly soft on the palette, so much so, in fact, that you can fill your mouth with wine holding it there without a hint of tannins or alcohol, simply meditating on the soothing blend of soft complexity. With air pulled across said mouthful, again we are treated to a dizzyingly complex array of flavors and aromas without the least hint of overbearing tannins. The complexity, the softness, and ease with which this wine goes about it's busniss all belie its modest price tag, and are what make it shine in otherwise crowded wine racks.
For the record I am well aware that I am swooning over a $13 wine. Did I mention the price? While not a dollar twice (but granting, that the reaction is indeed satisfaction) the Concannon is a steal. It’s widely available, and infinitely drinkable, and for those nights that you want a glass (or three) of wine and don’t feel like getting into something new you cant beat it. It’s also widely available, finding its home in most reputable wine shops, as well as grocery stores.
I love it, and don’t think I have had more bottles of any single wine other than this one. Which makes sense, because if I had the same number of bottles of $30 bottles of wine, I would need to force Kerri to get a second job. To summarize, you are unlikely to find a wine of the complexity and character in this price range. And if by some miracle you did manage to make that happen, it’s likely that you would be telling me about it when you showed me your pictures of the Loch Ness Monster, Leprechauns and Big foot.
Run out to buy a bottle or six now.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
2007 Il Cuore Rosso Classico
The facts:
2007 Il Cuore Rosso Classico
Region: Mendocino, California
Winemaker: Dennis Patton
Variety: 51% Syrah, 26% Zinfandel, 12% Sangiovese, 6% Carignane, 5% Merlot
Aging: “Modest oak barrel” aging according to their website
This wine is all about mixed messages for me. The label leads me to be skeptical.
I have a hard time taking wine seriously, when it has kitschy things on the label (like the hearts, cats, etc.). But this is a blend of Syrah, Zin, Sangiovese, Carignane (for some reason in California, they add an E on the end), and Merlot. I usually like a red blend, so that led me to be hopeful.
My take:
It looks purple in the glass and upon seeing it, we both remarked, “Well this is a California wine.” It smells purpley-black to me.
The wine is big up front and a bit of spicy in the middle, but more so if you’ve pulled air over it. If you’re just sipping it, the middle kind of falls flat. It has a rather long finish (maybe 10 to 15 seconds) – longer than I’d like, actually because I’m not a huge fan of the taste.
It tastes the same way it smells – purpley-black; almost like dull blackberries, as if they were not tart or sweet, but bland. Because it's a California wine, I expected a more intense flavor, but didn’t really get it. And then the finish is a bit gray.
I’d call it medium bodied and not dry.
Now, all that being said, I went and read up on the wine after tasting and describing it. Turns out Il Cuore is Italian for “the heart” and is a tribute to the Italian immigrants who first planted grape vines in Northern California. Sheds a bit of light on the label, which was designed by Dan Rizzie, a cubist artist. All that is well and good, but it doesn’t make me like the wine any better. It’s just not my style. (I did mention at the outset of this endeavor that I’m biased toward old world style wines.)
If you like California-style wines, you might enjoy this. I read other reviews that indicated this embodies a Northern California wine.
Price point:
$10 - $13 per bottle
2007 Il Cuore Rosso Classico
Region: Mendocino, California
Winemaker: Dennis Patton
Variety: 51% Syrah, 26% Zinfandel, 12% Sangiovese, 6% Carignane, 5% Merlot
Aging: “Modest oak barrel” aging according to their website
This wine is all about mixed messages for me. The label leads me to be skeptical.
I have a hard time taking wine seriously, when it has kitschy things on the label (like the hearts, cats, etc.). But this is a blend of Syrah, Zin, Sangiovese, Carignane (for some reason in California, they add an E on the end), and Merlot. I usually like a red blend, so that led me to be hopeful.
My take:
It looks purple in the glass and upon seeing it, we both remarked, “Well this is a California wine.” It smells purpley-black to me.
The wine is big up front and a bit of spicy in the middle, but more so if you’ve pulled air over it. If you’re just sipping it, the middle kind of falls flat. It has a rather long finish (maybe 10 to 15 seconds) – longer than I’d like, actually because I’m not a huge fan of the taste.
It tastes the same way it smells – purpley-black; almost like dull blackberries, as if they were not tart or sweet, but bland. Because it's a California wine, I expected a more intense flavor, but didn’t really get it. And then the finish is a bit gray.
I’d call it medium bodied and not dry.
Now, all that being said, I went and read up on the wine after tasting and describing it. Turns out Il Cuore is Italian for “the heart” and is a tribute to the Italian immigrants who first planted grape vines in Northern California. Sheds a bit of light on the label, which was designed by Dan Rizzie, a cubist artist. All that is well and good, but it doesn’t make me like the wine any better. It’s just not my style. (I did mention at the outset of this endeavor that I’m biased toward old world style wines.)
If you like California-style wines, you might enjoy this. I read other reviews that indicated this embodies a Northern California wine.
Price point:
$10 - $13 per bottle
2007 Il Cuore Rosso Classico
They say packaging is important, that it can draw you in and make you want to purchase or try a product. Or…. if you are me, it also has the possibility to make you completely discount a product and write it off entirely. Meet my friend Il Cuore. They decided to jazz up their label and put hearts all over the bottle. I'd say I'm not sure why, but the sheet we got with wine club went into detail about it, and its a bunch of crap that some clod in marketing wrote to try and justify it...or they are just chumps. True story. We aren’t talking about just one heart here, there are no less than 5 hearts on the bottle, the foil is even emblazoned with a heart. Awwww…. how precious. Gee…. maybe the hearts will prompt me to pick it for a romantic occasion OR maybe they will warm my black heart and get me all sentimental. Or more likely they will give me yet another reason to talk shit about Californian wines and reinforce my theory that they are, by and large, so devoid of character that they need to resort to clever packaging to ever have a chance of leaving the shelf when there are French, Spanish, or Italian wines in stock.
Ok…I feel better now. Or not. Hearts people…. Seriously? Why not just put a kitten on there? Or an Alien! With Lasers! And a robot. Now, that my friend, is a wine I would buy just because of the label! I should note I did, in fact, once buy a wine called Nostradamus, because A. It came in a clay jug, and B. It's named Nostradamus, and who isn’t going to buy an Eastern European wine named after the premier soothsayer of our time. I’m not sure that’s a good thing to admit but it’s neither here nor there.
On the plus side it’s a blend, weighing in with a good 51% Syrah 26% Zinfandel and 12% Sangiovese. Now I likes me some blends, and if anything can save a Cali wine, its going to be mixing some grapes together. And it works here for the most part.
Poured, the wine splashes into the glass with a warm purple-red hue. Its rich and dark and when swirled clings longingly to the side of the glass. The nose comes off a bit grapey for me but surprisingly low on the alcohol aroma. I wouldn’t call the aroma particularly complex, one good sniff and swirl and you can pretty much get its full measure.
Time to taste.
Gut reaction:
The wine deserves a better label. It doesn’t really suck badly enough to be festooned with brick brack and a cubist doily for a label. I found the syrah to give it a nice soft base on the pallet with the zinfandel punching it up and providing some wow factor (I’d note, that wow factor for me is typically unnecessary and generally what I dislike about Californian wines, I prefer them subtle). I don’t quite know what the Sangiovese is adding, but I found the wine to be balanced and there was no flavor or aroma that was glaringly out of place. It’s smooth, medium bodied and drinkable. Ultimately, the wine ends up being a bit jammy for my tastes, but if you tend to like the offerings of our Western coast, then you might want to give this one a try.
And one of these days, if you all behave and eat your vegetables like you are supposed to, I will let you in on my dirty little secret and tell you about the Californian wine I adore.
Ok…I feel better now. Or not. Hearts people…. Seriously? Why not just put a kitten on there? Or an Alien! With Lasers! And a robot. Now, that my friend, is a wine I would buy just because of the label! I should note I did, in fact, once buy a wine called Nostradamus, because A. It came in a clay jug, and B. It's named Nostradamus, and who isn’t going to buy an Eastern European wine named after the premier soothsayer of our time. I’m not sure that’s a good thing to admit but it’s neither here nor there.
On the plus side it’s a blend, weighing in with a good 51% Syrah 26% Zinfandel and 12% Sangiovese. Now I likes me some blends, and if anything can save a Cali wine, its going to be mixing some grapes together. And it works here for the most part.
Poured, the wine splashes into the glass with a warm purple-red hue. Its rich and dark and when swirled clings longingly to the side of the glass. The nose comes off a bit grapey for me but surprisingly low on the alcohol aroma. I wouldn’t call the aroma particularly complex, one good sniff and swirl and you can pretty much get its full measure.
Time to taste.
Gut reaction:
The wine deserves a better label. It doesn’t really suck badly enough to be festooned with brick brack and a cubist doily for a label. I found the syrah to give it a nice soft base on the pallet with the zinfandel punching it up and providing some wow factor (I’d note, that wow factor for me is typically unnecessary and generally what I dislike about Californian wines, I prefer them subtle). I don’t quite know what the Sangiovese is adding, but I found the wine to be balanced and there was no flavor or aroma that was glaringly out of place. It’s smooth, medium bodied and drinkable. Ultimately, the wine ends up being a bit jammy for my tastes, but if you tend to like the offerings of our Western coast, then you might want to give this one a try.
And one of these days, if you all behave and eat your vegetables like you are supposed to, I will let you in on my dirty little secret and tell you about the Californian wine I adore.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
2007 Onix Classic by Vinicola del Priorat - Reviewed by Kerri
And we're back. Apologies for the radio silence on our end. You know how it is at the end of summer: trips to take, things to do. But, we knuckled down and drank some more wine - just for you. ;)
The facts:
2007 Onix Classic by Vinicola del Priorat
Region: Priorat, Spain
Variety: 50% Garnacha (aka Grenache), 50% Carinena (aka Carignan)
Aging: Stainless steel
My take:
This is a wine that I originally tried at New Heights restaurant back in March. We tried to find it locally at a few different wine stores and had some trouble, but then as luck would have it, my brother and sister-in-law actually found it (without knowing I’d been looking for it) at a Whole Foods in Virginia. Excellent - thanks guys! Time to go in for a second try. (Or is it a third by now?)
The nose is a bit dark red-purple. The taste comes across the same – dark red; plummy even. I get a bit of spice and complexity in the middle and a somewhat dry finish, though I wouldn’t call this a dry wine. It feels like a medium-bodied wine to me – not super light, but not super heavy either.
This is a 2007 and I find myself wondering if it would age well. I can kind of taste the earthy brown in it, but get more of an alcohol-like taste to it that I suspect might go away if it were another couple of years old. (And incidentally, that alcohol-like taste actually mellows out a bit as the wine opens up. I like the wine better after it's had some time in the glass to open up.)
Bottom line – it’s okay. I don’t love it, but I’d certainly have it again if I were to come across it. And as I said, I’m really curious as to what it might taste like after aging another 2 or 3 years. Right now, I’d call it a general sipping wine.
Price point: $13 - $17
Sunday, August 30, 2009
2006 Poggio del Falco - reviewed by Kerri
For this review, I have to start with the story, so I’ll end with the facts.
The other day, I wanted wine after work. So we opened a bottle of something (don't recall what it was and unless you want to know what not to drink, it doesn't matter) that smelled like really ripe blackberries. It didn’t taste like ripe blackberries; it tasted like jam – and not in a good way. At first, I thought, it’s okay; not my favorite, but I don’t hate it.
I tried some cheese (both manchego and a sharp cheddar) to see if that would make the wine any better. The cheese had no flavor compared to the wine! How is that possible? Seriously, how is it possible to make a sharp cheddar taste almost like nothing???
So, we poured it down the drain. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again… life’s too short to drink bad wine.
Then we opened the Italian Poggio del Falco.
OMG.... I hadn’t even taken a sip and I felt compelled to break out my laptop to start writing. The color is beautiful – that brownish red I’ve come to love. And the nose is so pleasantly sweet – like sweet tobacco. And not in a bad Marlboro kind of way (and that's not to disparage Marlboro - I've been known to smoke one here and there), but in a sweet, vanilla, pipe tobacco kind of way. And for some reason the nose reminds me of sweet alyssum, though I admit I haven’t actually smelled sweet alyssum in a couple of years.
After smelling the wine for I’d say a good 10 minutes (I could smell this wine forever), I finally took a taste. Ahhhhh, now that’s what a wine is supposed to taste like. And this is where I fall down in terms of reviewing the wine. After several tastes, I was still having trouble describing it. The only thing that kept coming to mind is that it tasted exactly like what wine should taste like! I realize that's not exactly helpful, so.... What I can say is this:
It tastes a little brown-red; definitely does not taste as sweet as it smells. The texture is that nice resting place between suck your mouth dry and coat your mouth with creaminess. It has a rather long finish. I’d call it medium bodied, though tasting notes online say it’s full bodied. I think the only thing that would make it better is if it were velvety in texture.
Important safety tip – be careful at the bottom of the bottle. There’s a fair amount of sediment and I’d venture to say you don’t want a mouthful of that.
Everyone should try this wine! Well, okay, everyone who is a fan of old-world style wines. If you prefer a full-bodied, in your face, fruit forward, hello I’m a huge wine party in your mouth kind of wine…, then this is not the wine for you.
So there's my story. Jonathan’s on vacation now and didn’t feel as compelled as I to write something up while we were drinking it, so this is a wine review - 1 way. But don’t misunderstand – he did enjoy the wine and I've already ordered 2 more bottles so he may post his take in the not too distant future. Personally, if I had the space for at least half a case, I’d order at least half a case. Maybe we need a bigger wine fridge. hmmm....
Now for the facts:
2006 Poggio del Falco
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Winemaker: Michele Barbiero of the Morazzano Estate (Turner Wine is the importer)
Variety: Sangiovese, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon (organic)
Price point: $15-$20
The other day, I wanted wine after work. So we opened a bottle of something (don't recall what it was and unless you want to know what not to drink, it doesn't matter) that smelled like really ripe blackberries. It didn’t taste like ripe blackberries; it tasted like jam – and not in a good way. At first, I thought, it’s okay; not my favorite, but I don’t hate it.
I tried some cheese (both manchego and a sharp cheddar) to see if that would make the wine any better. The cheese had no flavor compared to the wine! How is that possible? Seriously, how is it possible to make a sharp cheddar taste almost like nothing???
So, we poured it down the drain. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again… life’s too short to drink bad wine.
Then we opened the Italian Poggio del Falco.
OMG.... I hadn’t even taken a sip and I felt compelled to break out my laptop to start writing. The color is beautiful – that brownish red I’ve come to love. And the nose is so pleasantly sweet – like sweet tobacco. And not in a bad Marlboro kind of way (and that's not to disparage Marlboro - I've been known to smoke one here and there), but in a sweet, vanilla, pipe tobacco kind of way. And for some reason the nose reminds me of sweet alyssum, though I admit I haven’t actually smelled sweet alyssum in a couple of years.
After smelling the wine for I’d say a good 10 minutes (I could smell this wine forever), I finally took a taste. Ahhhhh, now that’s what a wine is supposed to taste like. And this is where I fall down in terms of reviewing the wine. After several tastes, I was still having trouble describing it. The only thing that kept coming to mind is that it tasted exactly like what wine should taste like! I realize that's not exactly helpful, so.... What I can say is this:
It tastes a little brown-red; definitely does not taste as sweet as it smells. The texture is that nice resting place between suck your mouth dry and coat your mouth with creaminess. It has a rather long finish. I’d call it medium bodied, though tasting notes online say it’s full bodied. I think the only thing that would make it better is if it were velvety in texture.
Important safety tip – be careful at the bottom of the bottle. There’s a fair amount of sediment and I’d venture to say you don’t want a mouthful of that.
Everyone should try this wine! Well, okay, everyone who is a fan of old-world style wines. If you prefer a full-bodied, in your face, fruit forward, hello I’m a huge wine party in your mouth kind of wine…, then this is not the wine for you.
So there's my story. Jonathan’s on vacation now and didn’t feel as compelled as I to write something up while we were drinking it, so this is a wine review - 1 way. But don’t misunderstand – he did enjoy the wine and I've already ordered 2 more bottles so he may post his take in the not too distant future. Personally, if I had the space for at least half a case, I’d order at least half a case. Maybe we need a bigger wine fridge. hmmm....
Now for the facts:
2006 Poggio del Falco
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Winemaker: Michele Barbiero of the Morazzano Estate (Turner Wine is the importer)
Variety: Sangiovese, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon (organic)
Price point: $15-$20
Sunday, August 16, 2009
2007 Marcel Lapierre Morgon - reviewed by Kerri
The facts:
2007 Marcel Lapierre Morgon
Region: Morgon, Beaujolais, Burgundy, France
Variety: 100% Gamay
My take:
It smells rosy before swirling, then… I get that smell that’s not paint thinner, not nail polish remover, not metallic, but burns my nose a bit – plain ole alcohol I guess.
After taking the first sip, I remarked, this is weird.
I let it sit in my mouth, swished it around a bit and got almost nothing until I swallowed. It’s very light – both in taste and feel. It tastes somewhat purpley-pink, maybe light red. It feels light up front with a little more depth in the middle, where you can feel your taste buds perking up (going, what’s this?) and a strange finish that is almost creamy in texture. I’m not sure I’m a fan of that creamy finish. I find myself taking my tongue around my gums to get rid of the creaminess in a way. (Apologies if that’s TMI.)
After swirling and smelling the wine, I expected it to taste a bit harsh and acidic, but I don’t get any of that. I don’t get any of that alcohol-y sense in the taste, only in the smell. I’m having a hard time describing what it is, but I find that I want more, perhaps just in an effort to define it, to nail down its essence, to figure out if I like it or not.
I sipped some more and then started eating dinner – nothing fancy, but something I’m sure lots of people have in their kitchen: chicken nuggets. (Neither one of us felt inclined to cook a full-on dinner tonight and opted to take the easy way out. But that's a different talk show.)
I discovered that I was more interested in the wine when not eating. Once I started eating, the wine became even creamier in texture, which I didn’t care for. That’s a texture I expect in a white wine, not a red, and it’s not one I like in white wines either.
To be fair, I tried a few different things to see if I liked the wine better with something else... manchego cheese, cheddar cheese, wheat thins, kalamata olives.... The only thing that seemed to cut the creaminess were the olives. In fact, the olives actually extended the finish on this wine.
Now, this is 100% gamay and I don’t have much experience drinking gamay. Perhaps this is a great expression of gamay; I couldn’t say. Other write-ups about this wine and the winemakers (Marcel Lapierre and Jules Cauvet) indicate this wine is made from organically grown grapes, using modern techniques, with no additives. Admirable - yes. Did it pan out in this case? For me, no, but only you can say whether or not it works for you.
All in all, it’s not my favorite wine, but it is intriguing. If you’re looking for a light red to sip in the summer, this might just fit the bill, especially if you like creamy textured wines. Personally, I don’t like that texture, but i still find myself going back for another glass and I don’t do that with all wines. (I’ve been known to open a bottle, take a sip, and be perfectly willing to pour the $20 down the drain.)
Price point:
We got this wine through a wine club where we pay a flat fee per month, but a quick internet search revealed bottles available for between $14 and $20.
2007 Marcel Lapierre Morgon
Region: Morgon, Beaujolais, Burgundy, France
Variety: 100% Gamay
My take:
It smells rosy before swirling, then… I get that smell that’s not paint thinner, not nail polish remover, not metallic, but burns my nose a bit – plain ole alcohol I guess.
After taking the first sip, I remarked, this is weird.
I let it sit in my mouth, swished it around a bit and got almost nothing until I swallowed. It’s very light – both in taste and feel. It tastes somewhat purpley-pink, maybe light red. It feels light up front with a little more depth in the middle, where you can feel your taste buds perking up (going, what’s this?) and a strange finish that is almost creamy in texture. I’m not sure I’m a fan of that creamy finish. I find myself taking my tongue around my gums to get rid of the creaminess in a way. (Apologies if that’s TMI.)
After swirling and smelling the wine, I expected it to taste a bit harsh and acidic, but I don’t get any of that. I don’t get any of that alcohol-y sense in the taste, only in the smell. I’m having a hard time describing what it is, but I find that I want more, perhaps just in an effort to define it, to nail down its essence, to figure out if I like it or not.
I sipped some more and then started eating dinner – nothing fancy, but something I’m sure lots of people have in their kitchen: chicken nuggets. (Neither one of us felt inclined to cook a full-on dinner tonight and opted to take the easy way out. But that's a different talk show.)
I discovered that I was more interested in the wine when not eating. Once I started eating, the wine became even creamier in texture, which I didn’t care for. That’s a texture I expect in a white wine, not a red, and it’s not one I like in white wines either.
To be fair, I tried a few different things to see if I liked the wine better with something else... manchego cheese, cheddar cheese, wheat thins, kalamata olives.... The only thing that seemed to cut the creaminess were the olives. In fact, the olives actually extended the finish on this wine.
Now, this is 100% gamay and I don’t have much experience drinking gamay. Perhaps this is a great expression of gamay; I couldn’t say. Other write-ups about this wine and the winemakers (Marcel Lapierre and Jules Cauvet) indicate this wine is made from organically grown grapes, using modern techniques, with no additives. Admirable - yes. Did it pan out in this case? For me, no, but only you can say whether or not it works for you.
All in all, it’s not my favorite wine, but it is intriguing. If you’re looking for a light red to sip in the summer, this might just fit the bill, especially if you like creamy textured wines. Personally, I don’t like that texture, but i still find myself going back for another glass and I don’t do that with all wines. (I’ve been known to open a bottle, take a sip, and be perfectly willing to pour the $20 down the drain.)
Price point:
We got this wine through a wine club where we pay a flat fee per month, but a quick internet search revealed bottles available for between $14 and $20.
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