Vintage Cellar Tasting-- January 21st

Vintage Cellar Tastings 

Saturday January 21, 2012

 

Alta Luna Phases 

Variety: Teroldego, Lagrein, and Merlot

Region: Piedmont

Country: Italy

Year: 2009

Price: $9.95

 

Vintage Cellar Review: 

40% Teroldego, 30% Lagrein, 30% Merlot aged in small oak barrels for 12 months, then further refined in bottle before release. Deep ruby red Dark cherry, plum and blackberry aromas combine with intriguing spicy notes. Rich, concentrated dark fruit character against powerful yet silky tannins and bright acidity. Excellent structure, with a distinctive freshness to the fruit that creates and elegant profile.

 

My Review: 

Such a tasty wine! A great priced wine as well. I usually am not crazy about red wine, but this one was very good. It was very rich, but had a smooth finish. I tried it without food, but I would love to pair it with a meal, maybe a yummy steak or Italian chicken recipe. 

 

 

 

RN 13 Vin de Plaque Organic White

Variety: Viognier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Langeudoc-Roussillon

Country: France

Year: 2009/2010

 

Vintage Cellar Description:  

A really good fun, sociable white. Very easy-going. This is a blend of Viognier (40%), Chenin Blanc (35%) and Sauvignon Blanc (25%). The palate is a blend of apples, pears and peaches with refreshing acidity and a hint of lemon. Great balance and perfect example of an easy drinking white to serve chilled as an apéritif or with tapas.

 

My Review:

I am a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc, so this was a fun wine for me to try. I definitely prefer white wines to red. I enjoyed the fruity flavor of this wine. However, I would have liked it a tad sweeter, it was a bit tart for me.  Regardless, I still think this would be a great wine to have for cocktails, or with appetizers like the Vintage Cellar suggested. I tried it without food.

 

 

                                                   Candoni Pinot Grigio

 

 

 

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: Friuli

Country: Italy

Year: Fresh, Not Vintage

Price: $10.95

Vintage Cellar Review: 
Medium-bodied, well-structured and sophisticated. It has a rich, pear-like nose, followed by a crisp acidity and a delicious mouth feel. A delicious accompaniment to fish, seasonal pasta dishes or chicken. It can also stand alone as an aperitif on a hot summer day.

My Review: 

This was another tasty white wine, and another of my favorite kinds, Pinot Grigio. I loved the design on the bottle, so cool! The actual wine was sweet and went down very well. It was fruity and not too bitter. I tried this wine without food. 

                                                             Crios Malbec

Variety: Malbec

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2010

Price: $14.95

Vintage Cellar Review:

Previous vintage, 90 points, Robert Parker 5% Bonarda in its blend. It spent 9 months in 50% new French and American oak. Notes of balsam wood, smoke, black cherry and spice box lead to a similarly styled wine that comes off as just a bit too lean. Again, the flavors are pleasant, but should be drunk over the next several year while it retains its fruits.

My Review:

This wine was a red, but tasted a little sweeter than most red wines. That is probably why I liked it more than I usually like reds. I could taste spices and it seemed a bit smoky to me. However, it was a little higher priced than I would like to spend so I probably wouldn't buy a bottle. I tried this wine without food. 

 

 

                                    Four Bears Cabernet 

 

 

 

Variety: Cabernet

Region: Napa Valley

Country: US

Year: 2010 

 

Vintage Cellar Description: 

2010 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color and displays aromas of lavender, cedar and raspberry fruit. Flavors of blackberries and raspberries combined with hints of savory spices coat the palate. The soft tannins and sweet oak balance lead to a long and lingering finish.

 

My Review:

This was my favorite red wine I tasted. It was fruity with rich berry flavors, and tasted very smooth. I tried this without food, but definitely think it would be amazing with a meal.