Valle Las Nencias Malbec Reserve 2008
- Variety: 100% Malbec
- Region: Mendoza
- Country: Argentina
- Year: 2008
- Price: $14.95
- Shop review:
- 89 points, Wine Spectator
- "This plush red delivers sweet raspberry and boysenberry fruit, with ample toast caressing the full-bodied finish."
- My review:
- This wine had almost no nose at all, which was strange because I expected it to be strong and fruity. However, the wine tasted great, with notes of red fruits such as blackberry and raspberry. I really loved this wine.
- I did not have this wine with food.
Deck Pinot Noir 2010
- Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
- Region: Itata Valley
- Country: Chile
- Year: 2010
- Price: $15.95
- Shop review:
- "A lively and purple red color. It shows great varietal character in a young and refreshing approach: rich fruit notes of cherry, plum and strawberry."
- My review:
- This wine smelled delicious, like raspberry. Unfortunately, as Gary Vaynerchuk says, the Oak Monster was VERY strong in this wine. It is definitely the most oak-y wine I've ever tasted, and that is not a good thing. It was also toasty, but I couldn't taste any specific fruit flavors. I did not like this wine at all.
- I did not have this wine with food.
Waimea Chardonnay 2008
- Variety: 100% Chardonnay
- Region: Nelson
- Country: New Zealand
- Year: 2008
- Price: $19.95
- Shop review:
- "Classic aromas of crisp apple, pear and lemon with a hint of vanilla and toast. It's rounded and creamy without forgoing the mineral texture born of those alluvial soils."
- My review:
- This wine smelled very moldy and dirty, which made me wary to taste it. It had a slight carbonation, and tasted toasty with a hint of apple.
- I did not have this wine with food.
Tierras Guindas Verdejo Rueda 2010
- Variety: 100% Verdejo
- Region: Rueda
- Country: Spain
- Year: 2010
- Price: $13.95
- Shop review:
- "Sweet notes of ripe fruit, with good intensity are distinguished in this white wine from Rueda. Roses, apple, pear. Also crisp aromas of fresh hay are perceived. On the palate it is dry but with great softness in its passage. Aroma not reminiscent of fruits and flowers. Something mineral. The end in the mouth is resounding and full-bodied."
- My review:
- This wine smelled very musky with a distinct pear aroma. It also tasted like pear, as well as wildflowers. It was a little dry.
- I did not have this wine with food.
Michael Shaps Petit Verdot 2009
- Variety: 100% Petit Verdot
- Region: Charlottesville, VA
- Country: USA
- Year: 2009
- Price: $26.95
- Shop review:
- "Becoming one of Virginia's rising stars, Petit Verdot is well suited for the Virginia climate and soil. A small lot production of a very dark aromatic red, this wine has wonderful spice and floral notes. The color is reflective of the concentration of flavors. Having been in French Oak for eighteen months, the wine is rich, with bold tannins, a lot of structure and depth. This is a young wine that has great aging potential."
- My review:
- This wine had a very dark color that was much more intense than other red wines I've seen. It was very, very oak-y and strong, which made it difficult for me to discern the other flavors because I was so focused on the oak. It was a little bit floral, which provided a slight counter to the oak flavor.
- I did not have this wine with food.
Michael Shaps Cabernet Franc 2008
- Variety: 100% Cabernet Franc
- Region: Charlottesville, VA
- Country: USA
- Year: 2008
- Price: $26.95
- Shop review:
- "Made in a traditional old world style, this is a heavily extracted wine designed to highlight the aging potential of the Cabernet Franc. The grapes were harvested at ultimate maturity (25 brix) and the wine went through an extended maceration for six weeks. This Cabernet Franc has rich dark fruit aromas and a hint of spice. The tannin extraction is evident, but does not overwhelm the wine. The concentration of fruit, balanced by oak, provides for a lengthy finish. This wine will be evolving for the next ten years."
- Note: The host of the wine tasting stated that this wine had been aged in French oak barrels for two years.
- My review:
- I was not a big fan of this wine. It was very spicy and oak-y, as well as a little dry. It was hard to discern specific fruit flavors because of the heavy spice. I think that as far as red wines go, I would have to work my way up to enjoying this one.
- I did not have this wine with food.
- Tasted at the Vintage Cellar wine tasting on 03/23/2013.
Wineworks Merlot/Malbec/Tannat 2011 ("Wineworks Purple")
- Variety: 50% Merlot, 33% Malbec, 17% Tannat
- Region: Charlottesville, VA
- Country: USA
- Year: 2011
- Price: $15.95
- Shop review:
- "Our 'Wineworks Purple,' the Merlot/Malbec is a fresh and invigorating pick. Full of luscious, bright fruits on the palate and a clean finish. This is a perfect wine to transition the seasons- with enough tannin to stand up to hearty winter soups and a delicate complexity that will not overpower fresh spring and summer meals."
- My review:
- The deep red color of this wine is very striking. It is much sweeter than I had expected, and I mostly tasted plum. This wine was also slightly oak-y.
- I did not have this wine with food.
- Tasted at the Vintage Cellar wine tasting on 03/23/2013.
Shaps & Roucher Cotes de Nuits Villages 2007
- Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
- Region: Burgundy
- Country: France
- Year: 2007
- Price: $19.95
- Shop review:
- "A rounded, mouthfilling wine. At the beginning, it seems very soft, but then it is possible to discern rich tannins through the concentrated red fruits and black plums. The acidity is there all the time, a fine counterpoint to the seductive, rich fruits and dry tannins."
- Note: The host of the wine tasting described this wine as an "entry-level Pinot Noir."
- My review:
- This wine was interesting because it had a strong leather aroma, which was a little off-putting. However, I tasted raspberry and plum, which were very good. It was definitely a rich, bold wine.
- I did not have this wine with food.
- Tasted at the Vintage Cellar wine tasting on 03/23/2013.
Shaps & Roucher Meursault Les Vireuils 2006
- Variety: 100% Chardonnay
- Region: Burgundy
- Country: France
- Year: 2006
- Price: $34.95
- Shop review:
- "A powerfully rich wine that brings in delicious white and yellow fruit flavors. It is unctuous, rounded, made richer with toast then given a boost by a streak of fresh citrus acidity. Good, plump white Burgundy."
- My review:
- This wine tasted very different from what I expected. Unlike other white wines, I tasted strong notes of red fruits. Additionally, this wine was very mineral-y/earthy and a little bit peppery. The consistency was a little bit oily. All in all, this wine was very unique and I really liked it.
- I did not have this wine with food.
- Tasted at the Vintage Cellar wine tasting on 03/23/2013.
Wineworks Viognier 2012
- Variety: 100% Viognier
- Note: This is the official state grape of Virginia!
- Region: Charlottesville, VA
- Country: USA
- Year: 2012
- Price: $15.95
- Shop review:
- "A bright floral and citrusy wine made from the official wine variety of Virginia. Made in stainless steel tanks to highlight the fruit character, this wine is like d rinking in a Virginia summer day. The aromatic intensity is very inviting; the palate is dry and crisp with enough acidity to match up to many food pairings."
- My review:
- This wine was very light and refreshing; as the review states, it would be perfect to drink in the summer. The nose of the wine had hints of kiwi and orange. I tasted lemon and lime flavors.
- I did not have this wine with food.
- Tasted at the Vintage Cellar wine tasting on 03/23/2012.
Dom Vincent Paris Saint-Joseph 2010
- Variety: 100% Syrah
- Region: Rhône
- Country: France
- Year: 2010
- Price: $24.95
- Shop review:
- "Bright ruby. Spicy black raspberry and cherry on the nose, with a delicate floral touch. Juicy and a touch jammy, with lively red berry and floral flavors and a good tangy cut. Bright and focused on the finish, which repeats the spice and floral notes. This drinks well now." -Josh Raynolds and Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
- My review:
- This wine was very jammy to me; I definitely tasted raspberry or blackberry jam. These flavors made the wine taste fairly sweet and pleasant. This is one of the better red wines I've tried so far, I really liked it!
- I did not have this wine with food.
- Tasted at the Vintage Cellar wine tasting on 03/02/2013.
Jean Royer Le Petit Roy 2011
- Variety: 100% Grenache
- Region: Vin de France
- This wine is a "vin de France," which means that the grapes come from all over the country.
- Country: France
- Year: 2011
- Price: $19.95
- Shop review:
- "Deep dark crimson red colour. The nose displays youthful freshly crushed raspberry aromas followed by some cherry, plum, and spice. The palate is a youthful essence of Grenache possessing excellent concentration with mouthfilling flavours of raspverry, plum, dark cherry, confectionary, and spice. Very fine grained well integrated tannins. Good length with long raspberry, plum, and spice aftertaste. Cellar 3-4 years (2015-2016)."
- My review:
- To me, this wine was extremely acidic and tart. I had trouble picking out specific flavors because I couldn't get past the strong acids. I think I tasted dark fruits like raspberry and black cherry, but it was hard to tell. I was not a big fan of this wine.
- I did not have this wine with food.
- Tasted at the Vintage Cellar wine tasting on 03/02/2013.
Paride Iaretti Uvenere Gattinara 2010
- Variety: 30% Nebbiolo, 30% Vespolina, 20% Croatina, 20% Bonarda
- Region: Piedmont
- Country: Italy
- Year: 2010
- Price: $12.95
- Shop review:
- "50-70 year old vines. Maggiorina, ancient trellising system - typical of the northern part of Piedmont. Uvenere is Italian for 'black grapes.' Purplish-red, intense perfume, redolent of flowers, red fruits & spices."
- My review:
- This wine was bold and tannic. The bouquet was powerful and there was a long finish. I tasted strong flavors of red fruits and berries, and it was very earth-y.
- I did not have this wine with food.
- Tasted at the Vintage Cellar wine tasting on 03/02/2013.
Gerard Boulay Sancerre Chavignol 2011
- Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
- Region: Loire Valley
- Country: France
- Year: 2011
- Price: $27.95
- Shop review:
- "Much more than a simple quaffer with its aromas of candied grapefruit, Mandarin orange, lime, and windflowers. But what really sets it apart is its mineral-infused personality. These are wines of the soil, wines that echo the land with precision and delineation found in only the greatest of white wines. Comprised from the Boulay's many small parcels around the hamlet of Chavignol- considered to be the finest spot in all of Sancerre."
- My review:
- This was a fantastic white wine. It had strong lime and citrus notes which made it light and refreshing. It was very fruity and easy to drink.
- I did not have this wine with food.
- Tasted at the Vintage Cellar wine tasting on 03/02/2013.
Dom Labbe Abymes Vin de Savoie 2011
- Variety: 100% Jacquère
- Region: Savoie
- Country: France
- Year: 2011
- Price: $13.95
- Shop review:
- "This delicious crisp white is 100% Jacquère, a grape varietal that grows especially well in the Savoie region of France nestled in the foothills of the alps. The meticulous and traditional vineyard work of low yields couples with vinification in non-reactive tanks and foudres produces a wine with excellent typicity and freshness. The color is a clear pale lemon green and the aromas are pure with a medium intensity of flowers and citrus. A clean, dry white wine with bright acidity, stony minerals and floral fruit flavors. It is a natural match for shellfish or it can be enjoyed alone as an aperitif on a warm sunny day."
- My review:
- This wine was very acidic and tart. I tasted pear, green apple, and a hint of lemon or another similar citrus fruit. I think this wine would pair very well with fish or sushi. It was very refreshing and summer-y.
- I did not have this wine with food.
- Tasted at the Vintage Cellar wine tasting on 03/02/2013.
