Bouquet - Licorice, boysenberry, graphite and beeswax
Taste - Boysenberry, licorice, herbs and a strong cola finish.
Opinion - More balance needed to be enjoyed as a stand-alone wine. Would pair nicely with red meats on the rarer end of the spectrum and great with peppered cuts. Prime rib also comes to mind. Decent tannins and weight. Has potential if paired correctly. Not dull but it does lack the depth of other Cab's in its price range. Slap a peppered new york strip on the grill and enjoy. $15-18.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Axis 2007 Lodi Zinfandel
Bouquet - spice, licorice, black currant, oak, herbs and vanilla
Taste - Persistent licorice and black currant layered with BIG spice notes along with a creamy oaky vanilla finish.
Opinion - This is Lodi Zin! A rock and roll, intense, unapologetic in-your-face wine. Big bold flavors backed by great structure and firm tannins that fade into a smooth finish. Very spicy, dry and powerful. A bit tight out of the bottle, I used the vinturi to open it up and it was good to go. I definitely reccomend this one, especially with grilled foods. $16-$20 at your wine shop.
Taste - Persistent licorice and black currant layered with BIG spice notes along with a creamy oaky vanilla finish.
Opinion - This is Lodi Zin! A rock and roll, intense, unapologetic in-your-face wine. Big bold flavors backed by great structure and firm tannins that fade into a smooth finish. Very spicy, dry and powerful. A bit tight out of the bottle, I used the vinturi to open it up and it was good to go. I definitely reccomend this one, especially with grilled foods. $16-$20 at your wine shop.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Albet i Noya 2008 Tempranillo/Garnacha
Bouquet- mixed berry, white pepper and woody heabal notes
Taste- Cherry with a touch of oak, herbs and strawberry. The slightest bit of bread yeast is evident as well.
Opinion- A very basic wine. Light bodied, somewhat hushed fruit character and it could be balanced a bit better. The tannins are overly strong for the body and amount of flavor coming out of the wine. Has a bit of tartness to it. Would make a great pizza wine if it were priced a bit lower (there are better options out there). The wine did pair quite well with a cajun and brown sugar salmon dish I made. Definitely a wine that needs the companionshio of food to work out its weaker points. Needs a brighter expression of fruit. Its organic however, so thats a plus for me. $10-$14 if you'd like to give it a shot.
More info here.
Taste- Cherry with a touch of oak, herbs and strawberry. The slightest bit of bread yeast is evident as well.
Opinion- A very basic wine. Light bodied, somewhat hushed fruit character and it could be balanced a bit better. The tannins are overly strong for the body and amount of flavor coming out of the wine. Has a bit of tartness to it. Would make a great pizza wine if it were priced a bit lower (there are better options out there). The wine did pair quite well with a cajun and brown sugar salmon dish I made. Definitely a wine that needs the companionshio of food to work out its weaker points. Needs a brighter expression of fruit. Its organic however, so thats a plus for me. $10-$14 if you'd like to give it a shot.
More info here.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Boxhead Shiraz 2008 South Australia
Bouquet- Gobs of blackcurrant and blackberry with a hint of ink and bark. Just a touch of sweetness is sensed through the bouquet.
Taste- Big juicy mix of dark fruit. Blackberry is dominant followed closely by blackcurrant and blueberry. There is a bit of cola floating around in there as well as a tiny touch of ink. Has a long finish that is accompanied by a muted grape flavor.
Opinion- This wine is a straight shooter. Its dark, its inky, its BOLD. It is what it is. The bouquet offers a big sneak peak of the flavors which are basic and straightforward. Round tannins which makes this an approachable "heavy" wine. Feels juicy and plush. Pop this one open with some barbeque or other spiced/smoked and grilled meat dishes and enjoy. Widely available at wine shops and higher end groceries. $11-14.
Taste- Big juicy mix of dark fruit. Blackberry is dominant followed closely by blackcurrant and blueberry. There is a bit of cola floating around in there as well as a tiny touch of ink. Has a long finish that is accompanied by a muted grape flavor.
Opinion- This wine is a straight shooter. Its dark, its inky, its BOLD. It is what it is. The bouquet offers a big sneak peak of the flavors which are basic and straightforward. Round tannins which makes this an approachable "heavy" wine. Feels juicy and plush. Pop this one open with some barbeque or other spiced/smoked and grilled meat dishes and enjoy. Widely available at wine shops and higher end groceries. $11-14.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
2005 Arcadian Pinot Noir – Gold Coast Vineyard. Santa Maria Valley
Bouquet - Very aromatic. Ripe raspberry, strawberry and cherry leap from the glass. Quite a bit of alchol sting is also apparent with a good whiff.
Taste - As with the bouquet, the raspberry shows up immediately and dominates the palate. Nicely balanced and layered flavors of grape and plum take over and are supported by a herbal undertone.
Opinion - Upon first sip its apparent that this is a very well crafted wine. You are introduced with an explosion of juicy fruit flavor that slides seamlessly into an enjoyable layered experience that is interesting without being overly complex. Great mouth-feel, nice weight, smooth tannins and a nice acidic backbone. As I often do with my wines I like to sample and then prepare a dish to match. I chose a bruchetta made of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, mixed herbs and balsamic vinegar. The tartness and slightly sweet character of both the raspberry and grape flavors in the wine worked well with the balsamic and the wine had just enough structure to hold up to the potency of the garlic. Wish I had another bottle to pair with goat gouda. A bottle will run anywhere between $40-$55 and being a 2005 its probably near its prime. Drink it now!
Taste - As with the bouquet, the raspberry shows up immediately and dominates the palate. Nicely balanced and layered flavors of grape and plum take over and are supported by a herbal undertone.
Opinion - Upon first sip its apparent that this is a very well crafted wine. You are introduced with an explosion of juicy fruit flavor that slides seamlessly into an enjoyable layered experience that is interesting without being overly complex. Great mouth-feel, nice weight, smooth tannins and a nice acidic backbone. As I often do with my wines I like to sample and then prepare a dish to match. I chose a bruchetta made of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, mixed herbs and balsamic vinegar. The tartness and slightly sweet character of both the raspberry and grape flavors in the wine worked well with the balsamic and the wine had just enough structure to hold up to the potency of the garlic. Wish I had another bottle to pair with goat gouda. A bottle will run anywhere between $40-$55 and being a 2005 its probably near its prime. Drink it now!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel California 2008
Bouquet- BIG cigar box aroma loaded with nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and a touch of leather.
Taste- Blackberry, bright cherry, and toasted oak laced with vanilla.
Opinion- A great medium bodied zin! Suits my palate well as it leans toward the darker/earthier side. Soft upfront with a nice tannic structure following through with the firm dry finish showing up right on time. Very enjoyable! My pours seem to be disappearing quite rapidly. At 15% alcohol you'd expect a bit more zing but the depth of flavor seems just right to mask any would-be overpowering alcohol taste that might otherwise show through. Seems to be very "autumn friendly" with just the right amount of oaky, toasty/tasty warmth to match the current season. Would pair well with bison. At a purchase price of $13.99 this one is a great great buy and should be readily available.
Visit the Cline Cellars website here to see more. http://www.clinecellars.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showDrilldown&productid=390f8ac0-fe3c-48a0-54a1-40fba3bfbc81&ProductCategoryID=75119e30-c7d7-cba6-5bf3-611315a990c6&OrderBy=PXPC.DisplayOrder%20Asc,%20P.Price1
Taste- Blackberry, bright cherry, and toasted oak laced with vanilla.
Opinion- A great medium bodied zin! Suits my palate well as it leans toward the darker/earthier side. Soft upfront with a nice tannic structure following through with the firm dry finish showing up right on time. Very enjoyable! My pours seem to be disappearing quite rapidly. At 15% alcohol you'd expect a bit more zing but the depth of flavor seems just right to mask any would-be overpowering alcohol taste that might otherwise show through. Seems to be very "autumn friendly" with just the right amount of oaky, toasty/tasty warmth to match the current season. Would pair well with bison. At a purchase price of $13.99 this one is a great great buy and should be readily available.
Visit the Cline Cellars website here to see more. http://www.clinecellars.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showDrilldown&productid=390f8ac0-fe3c-48a0-54a1-40fba3bfbc81&ProductCategoryID=75119e30-c7d7-cba6-5bf3-611315a990c6&OrderBy=PXPC.DisplayOrder%20Asc,%20P.Price1
Intro...
So this blog is intended to share my wine experiences with all of you (primarily through tasting notes) in hopes that I can give and also recieve feedback and opinions with my fellow wine lovers. Don't take yourself too seriously... it's just fermeted grape juice.
-A little bit about my tasting notes/categories.
I will share my wine experiences based on three simple categories:
1. Bouquet
2. Taste
3. Opinion
I think these three categories are sufficient to evaluate and compare the qualities of a wine. I choose not to include appearance because I believe we all see just about the same thing in our glass. When it comes to bouquet, taste and overall opinion however, this is where individual tastes and characteristics become varied and interesting. There will be no point or rating system because tastes and preferences change over time so its always a weighted system that really does not hold much value. I think its your opinion that counts. Yes that will change over time too, but there is no dominant structure or strict value/rule that your opinion is held to. If you like it you explain why, if not, you explain why, then you move on.
So, how 'bout some wine!
-A little bit about my tasting notes/categories.
I will share my wine experiences based on three simple categories:
1. Bouquet
2. Taste
3. Opinion
I think these three categories are sufficient to evaluate and compare the qualities of a wine. I choose not to include appearance because I believe we all see just about the same thing in our glass. When it comes to bouquet, taste and overall opinion however, this is where individual tastes and characteristics become varied and interesting. There will be no point or rating system because tastes and preferences change over time so its always a weighted system that really does not hold much value. I think its your opinion that counts. Yes that will change over time too, but there is no dominant structure or strict value/rule that your opinion is held to. If you like it you explain why, if not, you explain why, then you move on.
So, how 'bout some wine!
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