Wine Reviews

Malbec World Day

Apr17

April 17, 2013 by VineSleuth 1 Comment

By Amy Gross, the VineSleuth

Yep, today is the day to celebrate Argentine Malbec all over the world. (As if we needed another excuse to drink Malbec!!)

I am definitely a Malbec fan. Last fall when I served as a wine judge for the Houston LiveStock Show and Rodeo International Wine Competition, I was thrilled when I found out I would be judging Malbecs on my first panel. I was in sipping heaven!

So, now that today is the day, I’ve got a few ideas for you…

2011 Graffigna Centenario Reserve Malbec

Pick up a bottle of Graffigna Centenario Reserve Malbec for about $8- $10 and enjoy it tonight over a full dinner or tapas. This is a perfect everyday Malbec with full flavor at a super inexpensive price. But don’t just take my word for it, click over and see what the Reverse Wine Snob had to say about 2010 Graffigna Centenario Reserve Malbec last year. Even though a new vintage is being offered, his review still stands for this wine.

Watch a Virtual Tasting of Malbecs

Snooth hosted a virtual tasting of Malbec this past Sunday afternoon, but you can watch the replay anytime. (And I suggest you do!) Gregory Dal Piaz of Snooth and Nora Z. Favelukes, a Wines of Argentina Representative, do a great job of explaining Malbec and Argentine culture in a fun, super approachable way.

You might think an hour is a long time to watch a video but, believe me, the time will fly by. To make it even more fun, pick up a bottle or three (or four) of the wines they explore in the video. (There is a list below the video preview.) If you can’t, though, watching the video is still worth it.

Before you go and click to do that, though, let me tell you about two of the featured wines that I was able to taste while watching. They were a bit more luxurious than the Graffigna, and their prices definitely reflect that. So please read my reviews with that perspective.

Sometimes I’m in the mood for a great $8 bottle of wine that tastes more like a $15 bottle, as the Graffigna most certainly is, and sometimes I’m in the mood for a bit more decadence. These wines are for those more decadent days:

Terrazas de los Andes 2010 Las Compuertas (Single Vineyard) $50
Dedicado, Finca Flichman 2009 Mendoza $30

While I was watching, I confess I texted my husband, who was kind enough to take the kids to a birthday party while I had the house and tasting to myself, to tell him I couldn’t wait for him to get home and taste the wines with me.

Yes, they were that good.

Terrazas de los Andes Malbec

As I said, both of these two Malbecs were quite delicious and luxurious tasting, but the Terrazas de los Andes really took me. I could smell chocolate and vanilla bean on the nose, which was not at all what I was expecting. In the wine, I tasted a hint of carmel at first, and then the glorious fruit.

The long finish presented the wine’s acidity, making me think the wine would not only be fantastic to enjoy alone at the end of the night (as I did with Gary once the kids were in bed) but also with spicy coppa (as I did during the tasting), or with a bold steak (which I need to do sometime). This wine would definitely hold up with substantial foods nicely, and yet it doesn’t need the food, as some wines do.

I thought for sure Gary would prefer this Malbec to the other, but he instead preferred the 2009 Dedicado Finca Flichman, from Mendoza.

Dedicado Finca Flichman Malbec

The Dedicado Finca Flichman Malbec is a blend of 70% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Syrah. Gary often prefers bolder and more tannic wines than I do, and this one, in my opinion, is bolder than the Terrazas de los Andes, but I still definitely enjoyed this one as well. It got my attention at first sip and held it through the long finish. I tried it again two days later, and it was smoother and more delicious. And, bonus, Gary liked it just as much on day three as he did on day one.

New Riedel Malbec Glasses

No matter which Malbec you decide to enjoy, consider picking up the new Riedel Malbec glasses, created through a partnership between Riedel and Graffigna.

(The Riedel glasses are the ones you see in all these photos.)

You might be wondering if the glasses really do make a difference. I think they sure do. No, it is not imperative to use the proper glass every time, but if you want to experience any wine the way it should be experienced, taking in the full aroma and really letting the flavor shine, using the proper glassware does make a huge difference. And when you are celebrating, don’t you want to do it up right?

I hope you are able to find a way to celebrate Malbec World Day today. If you cannot make it happen today, though, consider celebrating this weekend.

Do you know of a Malbec I should try? Please share in the comments so we can all check it out.

Salud!

All three wines and 2 Riedel glasses were provided for my review. Opinions expressed are honest and my own.

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1 Comment Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: Malbec

Wines of Scarpa (Piedmont, Italy)

Apr4

April 4, 2013 by VineSleuth 6 Comments

Earlier this week I told you a little bit about being invited to a weekend of wine seminars with 20 other bloggers in conjunction with the Snooth People’s Voice Wine Awards (Snooth PVA). I was pretty blown away to be invited. And once I arrived, the weekend was filled with opportunities to learn so much about wines from all over the world. We took part in 8 wine seminars from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, and I tasted well over 100 wines. It was all pretty amazing and a bit overwhelming, to be honest.

Over the coming weeks I’ll share with you my impressions of the wines and what I learned, right here on VineSleuth Uncorked.

Wines of Scarpa

I arrived in New York for the Snooth PVA weekend, used Uber for the first time to secure a great ride from the airport to my hotel, checked in, and was able to meet up with a dear friend for a warm-up glass of wine and great conversation at Lulu & Me. (Fantastic roasted shrimp crostini, by the way. The lemon caper cream was a perfect, refreshing touch.)

After that I made my way to the Peking Duck House for our first seminar, where we learned about Scarpa’s Barbera d’Asti and Barolos.

Scarpa’s wines are grown and made in the northern part of Italy as they have been since 1854. The winery is in Nizza Monferrato, in the Piedmont region.

As I took my seat, this is what was before me:

I have been faced with a placemat filled with glasses like that before so that didn’t intimidate me. But then I took a look at the list of wines we would be evaluating:

Scarpa Barbera d’Asti, La Bogliona, 2007, $72
Scarpa Barbera d’Asti, La Bogliona, 2006, $52
Scarpa Barbera d’Asti, La Bogliona, 2005, $68
Scarpa Barbera d’Asti, La Bogliona, 1998, $58
Scarpa Barbera d’Asti, La Bogliona, 1997, $95
Scarpa Barolo, Tettimora, 2005, $74
Scarpa Barolo, Tettimora, 2004, $88
Scarpa Barolo, Tettimora, 2003, $98
Scarpa Barolo, Tettimora, 2001, $130
Scarpa Barolo, Tettimora, 1999, $105
Scarpa Barolo, Tettimora, 1987, $250
Scarpa Barolo, Le Coste di Monforte, 1978, $500

We were jumping right in with some serious wines at our very first seminar. There were some very old wines on that list…and $500? Yikes!

I typically don’t like to know the prices of the wines I taste until after I’ve formed my initial impressions, as I did at the Bordeaux Cru Classe tasting in Houston earlier this year. (And yes, I admit it. I did love the most expensive wine offered at that tasting, but I also loved the least expensive, too.)

I couldn’t help but see those prices, though. They were on my tasting sheet. Looking over the years, even I knew I was in for something very special. I just knew this was going to be one of those things I would look back on in a few years and say, “Wow, if only I knew then what I know now.” But I didn’t know. And I still don’t. And yet I was one of the lucky ones to be in that room, tasting those wines, doing the best I could to make sense of it all.

To be honest, I often feel as though I’m in over my head when it comes to wine. I enjoy drinking it, and I really do enjoy sharing it with friends, and yes that includes those of the online kind like you.

When I taste it, sometimes I’m blown away, sometimes I am intrigued by nuance, and sometimes I wonder what in the world other people are talking about when they describe it. In that room of wine writers, I definitely felt out of my league and decided to just listen to everyone else’s questions rather than pose my own.

I wonder if perhaps others might have felt a little overwhelmed, too. Was I really the only one? I don’t know.

In looking at my notes, I had the most comments on the final two wines.

Scarpa Barolo, Le Coste di Monforte, 1978, $500

I’ll just cut to the chase and jump in with that 1978 Barolo that retails for $500. (I’m not sure how they have these prices listed, though, as we were told these wines are not available for sale in the US just yet.)

My notes say that it was a touch salty and savory and had a hint of bouillon flavor, which does not sound delightful at all, but I remember writing that and thinking that was exactly what I was tasting, and it didn’t sound good, but that it was very good and intriguing. I wanted to drink it all in. It was like no other wine I had tasted in that it wasn’t very fruity at all, but the savory characters were luscious and made me want another sip, and then another, as I thought about how to describe it, and I just enjoyed it.

Scarpa Barolo, Tettimora, 1987, $250

This one also had savory flavors of bouillon, but had a trace of mint I rather enjoyed. (I am very partial to mint anything.) I couldn’t help but wonder if the one from 1978 had the mint at one time but aging took it away. (Anyone with more wine background want to answer that one in the comments? I’d love the input.)

Those are the two that stood out the most, and I promise it’s not just because of their prices. They were so different than any wines I ever remember tasting. That savory taste still intrigues me.

The Other Wines

The Barberas, which we tasted first, were all bright with nice acid that gave the wines structure without being too harsh, and I enjoyed the fruit. But those Barolos called out to me.

Looking back over my notes, I see ‘mint’ written quite a few times, so I cannot help but wonder: Is that a typical characteristic of Barolo? I’m not sure.

I also wrote ‘tannic’ quite a lot, even for a 1999 Barolo. If it is still tannic now, I cannot imagine what it must have been like when it was originally released!

We Take Our Time

Our presenter, Martina Zola, whose mother is the president of the winery, shared that the wines of Scarpa “…are like a Sunday brunch in Piedmont. We take our time.” She went on to explain that a traditional Sunday lunch in the region takes about 4-5 hours, as everyone relaxes and takes their time.

When someone in the group asked about aging, she said, “We work in a human way. When our winemaker says it is ready, we bottle it.”

That really resonated with me, making me think of my own life driven by deadlines and to dos. I loved the idea of making something that wasn’t dictated by a calendar, but explored by a winemaker and moved from one step to the next when he or she deemed it was ready, and not a moment sooner. And, after tasting these wines, taking time certainly made them more intriguing, more interesting, and much more desirable to me.

My husband and I are just starting to buy wines to age. We have several bottles of a trockenbeerenauslese we intend to open each Christmas for many years to see how it changes.

When these wines from Scarpa are available in the US, I’ll probably buy several bottles of a Barolo from a single vintage so I can explore how it changes, perhaps opening one bottle every two years and doing my best to keep good notes to compare. When that happens, I’ll keep you posted.

Until then, my notes will have to suffice.

Next, I’ll share about wines that are much easier to get a hold of in the US: Wines from Oregon. Yes, I’ll tell you about some Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley. But there will be much more.

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6 Comments Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: Italy, Over $50

Quality Wine: JJ Prüm Riesling

Mar19

March 19, 2013 by Steve 3 Comments

by contributing writer, Steve Gross

Slowly but surely my expectations for the wine I drink rise up and up. At this point in my wine-drinking life, I’d rather drink less, but very good wine, than drink wine just for the sake of drinking it. I now know what the really good stuff tastes like! Why settle for less?

Riesling

Let’s take Riesling, a wine produced in several parts of the grape-growing world. Most Rieslings won’t cripple your bank account, but you don’t always get a memorable wine for the $10-20 you spend.

I’d heard, however, that Riesling is the favorite wine of a number of real wine heavyweights (Jancis Robinson of the Financial Times, for example). Considering her credibility, I was willing to listen. Then I read an article by Jay McInerney, a novelist and wine author, about the thrilling wines of JJ Prüm. I was further intrigued.

JJ Prüm

I found several bottles of Prüm Rieslings in a local wine store, so I pounced. The wines completely confirmed what Jancis Robinson and Jay McInerney had said – they were utterly fantastic. I was converted. Riesling had a high end that I had not yet experienced, except in a few wines I’d tasted in the Finger Lakes of New York.

The Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Badstube Auslese 2007 ($32) was the best Riesling I’d ever tasted. Steely, with a complex of pear, apple, wet stone, and clean linen tastes and aromas, the wine stayed around with a long finish that allowed you to really savor what you had just tasted. Wow. Every sip demanded a bit of reverie. You didn’t want each taste to end but also couldn’t wait for the next sip.

The proof, interestingly enough, of the quality of the Prüm was cinched when my mom, who’s usually pretty accepting of what you pour for her (as long as it’s white), had a very strong positive reaction to the bottle I brought over one afternoon. She kept commenting on how good it was, and she’s usually pretty reserved about all of this wine and wine talk we bring around.

So, an average wine drinker thinks it’s extraordinary. A drinker with more experience thinks it’s extraordinary. Ratings of the wine from various locations list it as extraordinary. I guess it’s extraordinary.

Less is More

Drinking less, but markedly better, wine may be the way to go for the budget-conscious among us (myself included). $32 is nothing to sneeze at. Chalk this up to a quality versus quantity argument, but taste the Prüm Rieslings first, then see where you wind up. Enjoy.

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3 Comments Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: Riesling

Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso

Feb26

February 26, 2013 by VineSleuth Leave a Comment

Very soon you’re likely to start seeing the 2008 Brunello di Montalcino wines hitting the wine shops after they made their debut at Benvenuto Brunello in Montaclino, Italy in late February.

One of the Three Greatest Wines in the World

Kevin Zraly, one of the world’s foremost wine educators, names Brunello as one of the three greatest wines in the entire world, and, although I still have a LOT to experience before I could ever come close to making such a statement, I can agree Brunellos, or at least the ones I have tasted, have fantastic character and beauty. And, to top it all off, so many of them are also great values.

I was fortunate enough to be among the first to preview the 2008 Brunellos in late January, when the Consorzio Del Vino Brunello di Montalcino chose to share their wines first in the US with wine writers, beverage directors and sommeliers here in Houston.

Just before the preview, I spoke with Zraly about Brunellos and Rossos and then attended a seminar and tasting of several Brunellos, led by him. Zraly is also the author of the book, Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, which has sold more than 3 million copies since the first edition was released. This guy knows his stuff! Chatting with him first and then attending his seminar really set the stage for me to understand and enjoy the wines I was about to experience.

There were nearly 40 producers in the appellation represented that day, and I took my time visiting nearly each and every one beginning with their Rosso, moving up to their 2008 Brunello and then moving on to their Riserva or 2007 vintage. Tasting those wines back to back helped me to really appreciate and begin to understand the differences between wines at different levels made by the same producers, but also the nuances between different styles used in making wines by the different producers. It was definitely a day of delicious learning!

What is Brunello?

Brunello wines are all made from 100% Sangiovese grapes, a red, zesty little grape that can also be seductive and silky in Brunello di Montalcino, an appellation within Tuscany, which is is just north of Rome.

Brunello wine must be aged in oak for a minimum of two years, which, according to Zraly’s book, makes a fruitier, more accessible wine. Some producers age in smaller French barique to impart more oak flavor, whereas others age in larger oak casks. After that process, the wine is then required to be aged a minimum of 4 months in the bottle, making the wine ready to drink when you buy it. Or, you can still age it longer if you like. In the seminar we explored some Brunellos that were released several years ago, meaning they have been aging longer in the bottle than the current vintage, and several had a richness I particularly enjoyed.

Brunello Riserva is aged a bit longer at a minimum of 3 years in oak and 6 months in the bottle. Brunello Riserva is also ready to drink when you buy it or it can also be aged longer.

What is Rosso?

Rosso wines are typically made from the very same or at least very similar Sangiovese grapes that go into Brunello, making Rosso a great budget-friendly place to start your Brunello education. They are grown in the same place, they just didn’t make the cut for the first label and are not required to be aged as long, and so are called Rosso.

A wonderful thing about Rosso, though, is that it might be second-label grapes, but when you are drinking second-label grapes for what Zraly calls one of the best wines in the world, you know they still must be delicious. And they are.

Budget Friendly and World Class

Aside from being extremely food friendly, easy to pronounce, aromatic and extremely flavorful, another great thing about Brunello wines is their price. They are extremely reasonable and easy on the budget, especially for what you get.

You can expect to pay $15-$18 (retail) for an outstanding Rosso. Zraly suggests you can get an excellent Brunello for no more than $50. I’ve found many Brunellos between those two prices that my husband and I have enjoyed.

Food and Wine Pairing

So what should you eat when enjoying Brunello de Montalcino? Zraly suggests lean beef or lamb. With the Rosso he suggests a bit lighter far such as poultry, risotto, mushrooms or veal. I’d add pizza to both of those lists, perhaps a heavier, meatier pizza for the Brunello and a lighter one for the Rosso. (But, then again, we like to keep things casual at our house.)

Whatever you choose to eat with it, now is the time to head out and try these new Brunellos. If you’re feeling adventurous, pick up a Rosso and a Brunello from the same producer and compare them yourself.

Producers

A few of my favorite producers from the preview include:

Barbi
Camigliano
Collosorbo
Costello Banfi
Pian Delle Vigne
Ridolfi

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Leave a Comment Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: Italy

What Boxed Wines Should I Try?

Jan18

January 18, 2013 by VineSleuth 1 Comment

A friend (and reader) just texted this question to me:

Which are the best box wines?

-J.D.

Box wines have come a long way over the years and there are lots of great options out there. That photo above is one I shot during a shopping trip at an HEB grocery store near me, and it still didn’t capture all of the choices there. I love that there are so many options!

With all those options, though comes more decision making and it can be tough to wade through all the choices in boxed wine, just as it is tough to choose among all the bottles wines.

Botabox is one choice that is typically popular in crowds and, let’s face it, when you are buying boxed wines, it is usually because you want to serve a crowd. The only Botabox wine I have tried myself is the Old Vine Zinfandel and I liked it quite a lot. It had much more flavor and intensity than I expected and it was quite popular at the event where I shared it.

Botabox also sells Moscato, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Redvolution (a red wine blend) in a variety of box sizes, some small enough to pack in a picnic bag and most large enough to contain the equivalent of 4 bottles, like the one I enjoyed (but not all by myself).

Since I know that the peson who sent the question is a Sauvignon Blanc fan, I asked Gwendolyn, another blogger friend, to share her recommendation for a boxed Sauvignon Blanc suggestion. She suggests Octavin Sauvignon Blanc. Click over to read her review of Octavin Sauvignon Blanc, as well as many other boxed wines.

Just like bottled wines, it all comes down to personal preference in selecting a wine. And the Botabox wines typically please a crowd, so they are a good bet.

Boxed wines are also great for cooking. Click over to read my Ask the VineSleuth post about cooking with wine.

Ask the VineSleuth

Do you have any wine related questions? Shoot me an email at amy (dot) g (at) vinesleuth (dot) com or leave your question in the comments and I’ll do my best to share the answer in an upcoming Ask the VineSleuth post. I’m here to help!

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1 Comment Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: Ask the VineSleuth

Inspiration Vineyards 2008 Alexander Valley Zinfandel

Nov18

November 18, 2012 by VineSleuth Leave a Comment

The very nice (and blogger savvy) people at Wine. Woot! Sent me a bottle of Inspiration Vineyards 2008 Alexander Valley Zinfandel in hopes I would share my thoughts on it with you in conjunction with their sale of the wine on Wine. Woot!

Both my husband I and are really enjoying it right now as I type, so I am happy to tell you all about it. After my Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo international wine competition judging experience last weekend, Gary asks me after every glass… Gold? Silver? What do you think?

My assessment of this one took almost no time. I would definitely award Inspiration Vineyards 2008 Alexander Valley Zinfandel a gold medal and I would bet it would be in very high contention for a double gold, if I was judging it for a competition.
Gary decanted it and I gave it my first taste just after he opened the bottle. I like to see if a wine changes as it decants or not.

I liked it at first sip, with its luscious fruit and spice, but felt it was pretty light-bodied for a Zinfandel.

And then, when I tasted it just 20 minutes later, it was a different wine. It had opened up and was absolutely full bodied and delicious. Gary called it muscular and I absolutely agree. The fruit was still there, but it blended in with the spice to make a more unified, yet still interesting and layered flavor. It’s bold without being overpowering and I like that in a wine.

The tasting notes on the vineyard’s website say:

I really like the consistency of this fruit source. Luigi Muzzin does a great job every year in producing Zinfandel that has rich flavors and makes a robust and versatile wine! Balanced and full bodied, your mouth will water as you breathe in the nose of intense blackberries and black pepper, followed by rich flavors of raspberries and coffee. I have been told that this wine is juicier than our 2007 vintage; but like its previous vintage, there are solid tannins that will allow this wine to age gracefully for many years to come.

I would definitely buy this wine and serve it to friends. The sweet sketch on the bottle is not indicative of the lush, full flavor you’ll find inside your bottle if you buy it yourself. Just be sure to decant it to allow it to reach its potential. Waiting the few moments will definitely be worth it.

PS: This wine is on sale on Wine.Woot! right now, Sunday, November 18, at $69.99 for a four pack: one of the ’08 vintage, two of the’09 and one of the ’10. It’s pretty likely I’ll click over and buy some to have on hand at my house. Yes, wine.Woot! sent me a bottle to review. However I was not compensated for the review and this is not an affiliate link.

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Leave a Comment Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: California, United States, Zinfandel

Tempranillo Day Wine Reviews

Nov8

November 8, 2012 by VineSleuth 2 Comments

Today is #TempranilloDay, as declared in 2011 by TAPAS (Tempranillo Advocates Producers and Amigos Society), as if we needed an excuse to try a new wine, and a red one at that!

I’ve already been a Tempranillo fan for some time, especially after spending some time with winemaker Javier Alfonso of Pomum Cellars and his family last Fall during crush.

To kick off the celebration here at VineSleuth, I was provided with 3 bottles of Tempranillo from Freixenet USA, which imports several Tempranillos, to review. I added 2 other wines from my own collection to the mix, invited a few neighbors, set out some light Spanish tapas and we all got to work earlier this week. (I know. It is rough.)

Here’s what we tasted with our thoughts and the winery tasting notes, where available:

2010 Valdubon Cosecha (Spain) about $15

Here’s what the winery’s tasting notes had to say:

The Cosecha is a deep cherry red color with fresh aromas of strawberries, plums and raspberries on the nose. The palate unfolds with firm acidity and a silky red fruit flavors followed by a long finish.

And here’s what we had to say:

Overwhelmingly the group tasted dried cherry and raspberry, and a slight tobacco flavor. We noted medium body, high acidity and medium finish.

2009 Vaza Crianza (Spain) about $15

Here’s what the winery’s tasting notes had to say:

This complex wine has round aromas of red fruit with hints of vanilla and toasted oak followed by flavors of rose petal, leather and tobacco with luscious black plum and raspberry fruit characteristics and a lingering finish. These delightful fruit flavors make this a perfect wine to pair with barbequed meats, stews, and even blue cheese.

And here’s what we had to say:

We found this to be light to medium-bodied, with medium to high acidity. Tasting this with our different foods showed how foods and wines can go so beautifully together, as the flavors in this one really showed themselves when paired with meats. We definitely tasted the raspberry. One reviewer simply wrote “love” on her tasting sheet. This became the favored wine over the two. And then we were on the the next one…

2011 Tapeña (Spain) about $10

Here’s what the winery’s tasting notes had to say:

Intense ruby red colour with violet-blue undertones characteristic of young red wines. This is a classic Tempranillo, showing intense flavors of earth, plums and violets over a hint of orange peel. It is full and luscious in the palate, rich in ripe fruits and fine tannins, with a great balance and lingering finish.

And here’s what we had to say:

I first tried this Tempranillo at an informal wine tasting I hosted at the Savvy Blogging Summit in October and I was glad to try it once again.

I enjoy its earthy aroma and flavor, as did most of my fellow tasters. Half of the group picked up on a flowery aroma, as well, but nothing overwhelming and perfume-y. We noted its medium to full body and medium to strong aroma. At $10, especially, most of the group said they would like to to drink this one again. I would definitely serve it to friends again.

2009 Pedernales (Texas) no longer available, current offering (2010) is about $30

I wasn’t able to find tasting notes on the winery’s website for this one, as the wine is no longer offered on the site. I was able to find this brief review on the Texas Monthly site, however.

Here’s what we had to say:

My Texan group of tasters was surprised to learn this was a Texas wine and almost everyone said this was a wine they would like to enjoy again. It was medium to full bodied with aromas of cherry and rose and a great flavor. I felt this one was very well balanced and hope to try the 2010 soon to see how it compares.

2008 Pomum Tinto (Washington) no longer available, current offering (2010) is about $28

This one did not have tasting notes, either. But the link above will take you to the winery’s site so you can learn more about Pomum’s current offerings.

Here’s what we had to say:

This one my husband decided to pull off the shelf to add to the mix as we were tasting and I am glad he did.

We found it to have a strong aroma of berries and to be full bodied. The rich, fruit flavor was tempered by tobacco and earth and most of the crew was ready to go back to Washington with me to try more. (Good thing you can just pick it up at Spec’s, if in Houston, like the rest of these wines!) The tannins were not overpowering but added structure.

So who was doing the tasting?

My neighborhood tasting team (most of the latest crew is pictured above) is made up of a mix of avid wine lovers, more casual wine lovers and one taster who, when I asked him what he smelled in the wine said “It doesn’t smell like beer.” (I shouldn’t discount him. He does enjoy wine, but I just had to laugh when he had that answer for me!!) We’re a pretty good mix of palates with all sorts of perspectives to draw from, which keeps things interesting.

Overall thoughts on tasting Tempranillo… and tasting wine

Part of what was interesting to me about all of these wines is that, although either 100% Temranillo or mostly Tempranillo, as in the case of the Pomum (77%), they each had their own individual characteristics and were very different from each other with still a string of red fruit flavor and often earth pulling them together.

What I also found interesting was that there was not a clear favorite of the group. Almost every wine had the position of favorite on at least one taster’s ranking. That is one of the things I love about wine, although it can be frustrating at times, too. You have to taste and see for yourself what you like, rather than rely on what your friend (or even your favorite blogger) likes. We each have our own preferences, but it is still fun to compare thoughts on what’s in a bottle.

Want to know more about Tempranillo?

Join me and other bloggers on Twitter tonight from 8-9 EST as Nanette of the Wine Harlots leads us in lively discussion. You can read more about the TweeChat here: Tempranillo Day TweetChat

You can also check out this post on a few Tempranillos on Wine Predator (She even shares her thoughts on a Tempranillo from Idaho.) as well as the Red Wine Diva’s take on a Temranillo from Naked Wines.

Will you be joining in the Tempranillo Day celebration today by trying out new wine? Or will you go with a favorite?

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2 Comments Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: Spain, United States

Ladoucette Les Deux Tours Sauvignon Blanc & Les Deux Rives Corbieres Blanc

Apr3

April 3, 2012 by VineSleuth 3 Comments

Last Wednesday night’s WineChat on Twitter brought a discussion of French wines.

Lush Life Productions and Pasternak Wine Imports were kind enough to provide me with a bottle of Les Deux Rives Corbieres Blanc and Ladoucette Les Deux Tours Sauvignon Blanc to try out and share my impressions during the chat.

Since some of you may have missed it, I thought I’d share a few of my thoughts here, too.

To get ready for the tasting and Twitter chat, I stored both wines in my regular old refrigerator and took them both out about 45 minutes before pouring. I then decanted the Sauvignon Blanc, but did not decant the Corbieres Blanc.

Because I like to enjoy my wine with food, but wasn’t ambitious enough to cook, I prepared a tray of Salame-wrapped mozzarella, Landana goat cheese, almonds, strawberries and green apple slices to nibble with the wines. With the exception on the salame-wrapped mozzarella, all the food went quite well with the wine… The salame over-powered it (oops).

And, to keep the wines straight as I was tasting, I used this ‘fancy’ sticky note technique:

I logged on to Twitter, my neighbor joined me, and the tasting began…

Ladoucette Les Deux Tours Sauvignon Blanc, about $16

This Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Loire Valley, which @loirevalleywine shared is the birthplace of Sauvignon Blanc.

My neighbor and I both tasted tropical flavors of honeydew and pineapple, with a bit of a mineral flavor underneath.

Several tweets about the wine throughout the chat mentioned tangerine, lemon and even lemongrass. And, after reading those observations, I could taste those, too. (That’s just one of the reasons I love Winechat– it helps me to identify flavors I might have missed on my own.) To both my neighbor and me, the finish was a bit more tart than we prefer, so I’m not sure I would buy this wine and serve it… although that doesn’t mean the next person might not love it, as several of the winechat participants tweeted about how much they enjoyed it..

Les Deux Rives Corbieres Blanc, about $10

I was very curious about this one as it is a blend of 60% Grenache Blanc, 20% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne. I am not sure that I have ever had any of those grapes before, so I just had to know how they would taste. And, seeing as the grapes were grown along the Mediterranean coast of France, oh-la-la, they were even more alluring.

And they did not disappoint.

The Corbieres Blanc was both smooth and creamy and still had a kick to it. I got a hint of cinnamon on the nose, not too strong, though, and then the wine took on a mellow flavor tinged with lemon, but also not too strong, and definitely not too acidic. I found it to be well-balanced and wished had I been ambitious enough to whip up some shrimp in a light citrus sauce and angel hair to go along with it. Oh well. Maybe next time…

This one opened more as the night wore on, becoming even smoother, and I would definitely consider sharing it with friends again.

What about you? Have you enjoyed either of these wines? If so, what did you think?

Want to know more about the wines of France? Consider joining VineSleuth Contributing Writer (and my brother-in-law) Steve Gross on his Tasting Tour of French Wine where he will explore, explain and taste wine through the regions of France through the rest of 2012.

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3 Comments Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: France, Sauvignon Blanc, Under $20

Chilean Wines: Matetic EQ Sauvignon Blanc & Santa Rita Medella Real Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Mar22

March 22, 2012 by VineSleuth 20 Comments

The topic of last night’s #WineChat on Twitter was Chilean wine. And they had me at Chile…

I traveled to Chile in 1999 with my then-fiancee and again in 2000, after we were married, and absolutely loved everything about the country. The people were welcoming, the landscape was incredible and the food everywhere was delicious.

On the first trip, we flew into Santiago and made our very first winery visit ever, right there in the Maipo Valley. After a few days we traveled south the Puerto Natales and also Punta Arenas, exploring glaciers and also the mountains of Torres Del Paine. We then went back closer to Santiago, and stayed in Vina Del Mar and explored Valparaiso. Everything was breathtaking. Our second Chile trip was quicker, and we stayed closer to Santiago, as it piggy-backed a trip to Buenas Aires.

Ahhhh, what wonderful vacations!! And every single time I open a bottle of Chilean wine, I am taken back to the smiling faces of the people I met in Chile. I am reminded of the crashing waves beneath my hotel room in Vina Del Mar, the fresh seafood, the gorgeous mountains, the kind translator at the winery and the trip that made me know for sure that being married to the guy who is now my husband was going to be a blast.

So, I’m sure you can tell that when the nice people at Lush Life Productions offered to send me two bottles of Chilean wine to try and consider tweeting about, I did not hesitate for a second.

Here’s what I was sent:

Matetic’s EQ Sauvignon Blanc, which retails at about $17

And Santa Rita’s Medella Real Gran Reserva 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, which retails at about $18

I wanted to enjoy the wines with food, so I asked Haley of Lush Life Productions what she would recommend. This is what she said:

“The wines vary in acidity and pick up salt nicely! Personally, with these wines, I would serve some fruit–berries, green grapes, some lighter cheeses, possibly a bleu cheese, and some dessert, think a salted caramel and dark chocolate, but those are just my suggestions.”

So I took Haley’s advice and this is the spread I came up with:

Although the Twitter chat started at 9 EST, my friend Donna and I got a head start and began pouring at 8 EST. My husband was kind enough to tuck the kids into bed and he joined us as we tasted.

First, we tried the EQ Sauvignon Blanc, which was from the San Antonio Valley of Chile.

Donna and I both thought it had a lot of citrus and honeydew flavors and also a touch of pear. It was a perfect wine for waking up our tastebuds, as we agreed it made our mouths water.

It was incredible to me how my tastebuds reacted with each different bite of food and sip of wine.

Here are a couple of my tweets on the Matetic’s EQ Sauvignon Blanc: (Remember I had to keep them at 140 characters or less)

Okay WOAH!!! Just had a big bite of strawberry & sip of the Matetic SB… WOW! It brings a whole new flav from the wine!
Totally food friendly! green grapes, bl chz, raspberries, seasalt caramel choc… RT@wild4wawine: Matetic EQ Sauv Blanc refreshing #WineChat
Oh! I just had a bite of goat cheese with the Matetic Sauv Blanc… perfect combo
I invited a friend to join me… she is now in LOVE with this Matetic EQ 2010Sauv Blanc.. and she told me she didn’t like SB…

Sipping the Matetic EQ Sauvignon Blanc with goat cheese brought a smoother flavor, but the blue cheese’s tanginess brought out a hint of tangy flavor.

When we had it with a big bite of strawberry, the wine’s flavor pepped way up and became sweeter. The green grapes brought out something else and the milk chocolate with caramel, well that just tasted decadent (as it should!)

I would definitely buy this wine and serve it. It was refreshing, and set the pace for a great evening.

We moved on to the Medella Real Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, which is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc from the Maipo Valley. We decanted it for about an hour before we poured. And even as we drank it, it still grew smoother.

Again, it was a lot of fun to drink the wine, taste the different foods and see how they played off of each other.

Here are some of my tweets on the Santa Rita Medella Real Gran Reserva 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon:

First sniff of 2008 Santa Rita Cab is delicious!! #WineChat
Seriously… I can’t decide if the dark chocolate almond or the raspberries or the bl chz better w/ the Santa Rita Cab!!! #WineChat -
Medalla Real Santa Rita Cab… Not too fruity, not to earthy- lush!! Loving it w/ dark choc almonds, bl cz, raspberries #WineChat
I totally agree RT @mariepayton: Think the 2008 Santa Rita Medalla Real Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 is a great value #WineChat

I would also buy and serve this wine again. I really enjoyed the berry flavors and how they were tempered with the spice to not become too sweet. The finish was nice, too… a great extension of the flavor.

But like I said, I am totally biased when it comes to anything Chile. I love that country and every bottle takes me back there. But isn’t that the way it is supposed to be with wine?

#WineChat happens every Wednesday night from 9-10 EST on Twitter. Each week brings a new topic, and the conversation is always lively. Join us!

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20 Comments Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile, Sauvignon Blanc

Chile’s Carmenere and Curry

Nov9

November 9, 2011 by VineSleuth 4 Comments

Ever since my first visit to Chile in January of 1999, I have been in love with the country.

Aren’t those mountains gorgeous?!

So when Wines of Chile invited me to taste several bottles of Carmenere paired with curry, I was intrigued.

I invited a few friends over, stopped by a local restaurant to order takeout for my dinner party,

Me, puzzled and trying to decide on our menu

set the table,

set out the food,

and a tasting party was born.

As I explained what we would be drinking, one of our guests said he thought that the Carmenere was referred to as the jurassic grape.

A Google search ensued, and we all learned that the Carmenere grape was thought to be extinct and lost in the Phylloxera Plague in Europe, when it was wiped out there, yet it was rediscovered growing alongside Merlot grapes in Chile 150 years later. It had been assumed to be Merlot for quite some time until it was confirmed in the 1990s to in fact be the long lost Carmenere and not Merot.

Now Carmenere has become Chile’s signature grape, producing wine deep in color, with juicy, fruity and spicy flavors. And we found it be a perfect pairing for the fire in curry!

The wines we tasted, along with a few of our observations, were:

Emiliana Natura Carmenere 2010 from the Colchagua Valley $16.99

-Peppery. One taster thought it softened and mellowed with the spice of the food, yet another guest thought it grew bolder with the curry. (I thought it made the flavors bolder.)

Casa Silva Los Lingues Gran Reserva Carmenere 2008 from the Colchagua Valley $22

-Luscious fruit on the nose. Came on bold to taste, yet grew softer.

Montes Alpha Carmenere 2008, from the Colchagua Valley $24

-Very smooth. I loved the hint of vanilla flavor mixed with the spice.

Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenere 2009 from the Apalta Valley $16.99

-The fruitiness and berry made this one a favorite of the group. It also had a rich, long finish.

Conch y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Carmenere 2009 from the Rapel Valley $20

-This one wasn’t as well received as the others.

Haras de Pirque Cabernet Sauvignon/ Carmenere 2007 from the Maipo Valley $13

-The blend allowed for more complexity, making this another favorite of the group. I loved the earthiness mixed in with the fruitiness.

All went well with the curry, with some of us saying we felt the wine lessened the heat of our dinner and others said the wines made the spices come alive and have more character. I know my mouth was on fire more than once during the evening, but the spices became addictive and I just couldn’t stop eating the spices and trying different wines to see what I liked the most.

I can honestly say I would not have thought to put curry and Carmenere together, but I am so glad that I was encouraged to do just that. I definitely think a repeat evening is in order!

Disclosure: The wines were provided by Wines of Chile for review.

What is your favorite food to pair with Carmenere? Or your favorite wine to pair with Curry? Any chance you’d try the two together?

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4 Comments Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: Carmenere, Chile, Under $20, Under $30