Wine Tasting 4/5

Vintage Cellar Tasting

April 5, 2012

gPG Garganega Pinot Grigio

 

Name: gPG Garganega Pinot Grigio
Country: Italy

 Year: 2010

 Price:  $8.95

Wine Review:
gPG is from the delle Venezie regions of northeastern Italy. A clean and crisp palate with plenty of texture and weight follows aromas of apples and zesty lemons. It's perfect with grilled white fish or light risotto.

My Review:

This wine was very crisp and refreshing. I tasted hints of apple and citrus in this wine. It would have been great with a light fish or chicken recipe. I enjoyed this wine a lot. 

Montebuena Rioja Crianza

 Name: Montebuena Rioja Crianza
Country: Spain

 Year: 2007

 Price:  $6.95

Wine Review:
100% Tempranillo. Dark red. Spicy red berries and cherry on the nose, with hints of cracked pepper and dried rose. Crisp and dry on the palate, with spicy redcurrant and cherry flavors, light tannins and a fresh, energetic finish. An excellent value, and surprisingly elegant for this price point.

My Review: 

This was a very rich wine. The color was deeply red, and the smell was intensely alcoholic. It tasted very dry, and even had a hint of spice to it. I could definitely also taste a cherry flavor in it. This wine was maybe a little too intense for my liking.

Varas Vinho Tinto

 Name: Varas Vinho Tinto
Country: Portugal

 Year: n/a
Price:  $5.49/bottle ($21.95 for 4 bottles)

Wine Review:
This smooth Portuguese red is a blend of Castelão (45%), Tinta Roriz (25%), Tinta Barroca (20%) and Pinot Noir (10%). The vineyards are located near Lisbon, planted in sunny gentle slopes of clay and limestone soils. The wine was aged in oak barrels.

My Review:

This wine was definitely very oakey. I was not surprised to read it had been aged in oak barrels because that is the flavor I tasted most. Like the one before, the color was also very dark and the flavor was very rich. The body was pretty smooth and I liked it a fair amount.

Cantina di Casteggio

 Name: Cantina di Casteggio
Variety: Moscato
Country: Italy
Year: n/a
Price:  $7.95

Wine Review:
Bright, light golden color. Very aromatic nose of ripe apricots, sage, honey and a slight minerality. Medium bodied, sweet and fruity with flavors of apricots and tangerine. Well balanced acidity and medium finish with layers of sweet and citrus fruit.

My Review: 

This was my kind of wine! Super sweet! Almost too sweet actually... I could taste almost no alcohol and mainly just sugar. If you can handle the super sweetness, it was a good wine. I definitely tasted the fruitiness in the wine. 

Oveja Negra

 Name: Oveja Negra
Variety: Syrah-Cab Rose
Country: Chile
Year: 2010
Price:  $6.95

Wine Review:
Oveja Negra Reserva Rosé is bright cherry-red in color and has an attractive nose with aromas of raspberries and strawberries as well as plum and a bit of green apple. Crisp and juicy on the palate with a slight sweetness that accompanies the red fruit flavors. Pleasing natural acidity with medium high intensity, nice persistence, and a fresh finish.

My Review: 
I really enjoyed the complexity of this rose wine. It had noticeable fruitiness to it, while also remaining somewhat acidic. This wine had a great finish and aftertaste of berry.