Monday, March 19, 2012

Tasting - Chateau de Valmer Vouvray

Name: Val de Loire Chateau de Valmer Vouvray
Variety: Vouvray White Grape Wine
Region: Loire
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $12.99

Wine Critic's Review: "I've had some lovely Loire Valley wines and some pretty darn bad ones. This one is smack dab in the middle. The wine is quite yellow in color. On the nose are lots of sweet honey suckle smells. On the mid pallet are some quite sweet flavors. On the finish are some tart tastes to take away from of the sweetness. This is not a bad balance, but a little sweet for my tastes. I prefer a little dryer. The wine very much reminded me of a Spatlese German Riesling." -canadianwineguy.com

My Review: When I was looking for a wine to purchase at Kroger the man who works in the wine section offered some help. I told him I was looking for something that had a hint of sweetness and also citrusy. This wine that he picked out for me was perfect. It was very light, had flavors of granny smith apples, a slight taste of lemon, honeysuckle and pears. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine and was the perfect kind of wine to sip on.

I did not eat food with this wine.

Tasting - Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling


Name: Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Variety: Riesling
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $6.99

Wine Critic's Review: "Pleasing and full. Dances on the tongue with good acid. Fruit is forward enough and no heat whatsoever. The peaches and citrus fade away to bring on some canteloupe, honeydew and a small hint of grass. Long, lip-smacking finish. Bit too sweet." -winewelfar.com

My Review: When smelling the wine you get an overpowering whiff of the generic smell of wine and alcohol. Surprisingly, when you taste the wine, there isn't too much heat. I immediately noteced a bit of pear, peach and strawberry all rolled into one. Overall, it didn't seem as if there was much dimension. Before you swallow the wine I noticed a bite in the back of your throat. I would rate this wine just mediocre.

I did not eat food with this wine.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Tasting - Beringer White Zinfandel


Name: Beringer White Zinfandel
Variety: Zinfandel
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $10.00

Wine Critic's Review: "King of the zinfandels, all hail. A full-sensory experience, this zinfandel has a fragrance, color and taste in its pocket. Not only does the wet wine wash well with just about any meal you can prepare, t also doubles as a stand-alone treat with a unique strawberry aftertaste. Completely skipping over the bitterness of other zinfandels, it tingles the sweet buds of the tongue. IF there are better our there, I'd welcome to try them, but haven't found any that measure up so far." -snooth.com

My Review: Right after the bottle was opened there was an overwhelming smell of strawberries. Once it was poured in the glass I smelled plenty of strawberries, but also a fruity blend. In the background I could smell a slight hint of grapes. The color of the wine was a pinkish color. The wine tasted like pear, strawberry and a mix of grape. There was a little bit of heat in the wine and gave a little tingle in your mouth. The wine was just alright to me, the taste and smell of strawberries was too strong for me.

I did not eat food with this wine.

Tasting - Chateau Morrisette Sweet Mountain Laurel


Name: Chateau Morrisette Sweet Mountain Laurel
Variety: Sweet, white table wine
Region: Floyd County, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: Not available
Price: $9.99

Wine Critic's Review: "A distinctive styled wine with a pleasant bouquet of freshly picked grapes. A wonderful balance of natural sugar and soft acidity produces a refreshing wine to be enjoyed as a dessert or whenever the mood strikes you." -winetravelr.com

My Review: The initial smell I sensed a powerful smell on concord grapes. It smelled just like grape juice. The first sip was smooth and light. It was a sweet taste with a large grape taste with a hint of honeysuckle. It had a good aftertaste that was suttle, but had a tingle when I swallowed the wine. I left the wine bottle open for a couple hours, refilled my glass and noticed that there was even a stronger scent of grapes coming from the wine.

I did not drink this wine with food.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Tasting - Trader Joe's Reserve Syrah



Name: Trader Joe's Reserve Syrah Paso Robles
Variety: Syrah
Region: California's North Coast
Country: USA
Year: 2009
Price: $9.99

Wine Critic's Review: Initially very aggressive tannins with blackberry and licorice flavors. With aeration smoky, mineral and bacon elements prominently join join understated licorice. Shows really well on night two with the tannins softening and the savory components on display. Tried some on the third day out of curiosity to find a wine filled with jammy plum and modest tannins that bore little resemblance to its prior self. This could obviously use some bottle age to shed some of the tannins, but it's a great value right now with aeration and appropriate food." -Cellartracker.com

My Review: The aromas I got from initially first sniffing the wine was a savory and meaty aroma, with a hint of fruit. I could smell a little bit of strawberries coming through. On my palate I noticed the meaty flavors and the fruity flavors actually blended well. When I first sniffed the wine I was unsure as to how the different scents would mix on the palate. I enjoyed this wine.

I did not eat anything when trying this wine.

Tasting - Terrenal Cabernet Sauvignon


Name: Terrenal Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Yecla
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $6.99

Wine Critic's Review: "A pleasant, forward nose is followed by a slightly bitter initial attack. Then, a bitter grapefruit flavor remains throughout the palate and finish, which in addition, is somewhat tart. Medium dryness on the palate. Nice flavor overall, though the bitter component is to be noted. Some correspondingly strong food would probably do the trick." -Fruit of the Vine Blog

My Review: When initially smelling the wine, I noticed a slight licorice smell with a hint of blackberry and spice. On the palate was a slight hint of sweet, but the taste immediately turned bitter and a little dryer than I would like. The little taste of grapefruit added a little bitter, yet mildly sweet taste.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - Reggiano Lambrusco


Name:
Reggiano Lambrusco Rosso Dolce Le Grotte Italy Consorzio Vini Reggiani
Variety: Red Wine, Lambrusco
Region: Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Country: Italy
Year: No Year
Price: $5.99

Wine Critic's Review: "It had a blackberry, blueberry and faint spice aromas on the nose. The palate followed exactly and was very smooth. It was only mildly sweet and a bit bitter on the finish." -Cellartracker.com

My Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this wine. It was a medium ruby color. On the nose there was a sweet, yet spicy punch to the smell. I could smell some ripe cherries and plums, along with some blueberries. When taking the initial sip, you could definitely feel the fizz flow through your mouth. It wasn't too sweet of a Lambrusco, but a good balance between sweet and fruity.

I tasted this wine with a sausage, peppers and onion sandwich for dinner. A couple sips of the wine was all I needed during dinner. I noticed I enjoyed the wine more after dinner, more for what seemed like a dessert.