Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: N/A
Country: Chile
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95
"Vintage Cellar" Review: "This Chilean Sauvignon Blanc just oozes with bright citrus flavors and a nose of herbs and grass. Stylistically, it is a cross between the herbal, grassy wines so prevalent in Sonoma County and the riper, more fruit forward products of New Zealand. Match it with pasta sauced with arugula, pine nuts, mushrooms and parmesan."
My Review: There was a distinct fruit smell on this wine but I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. It also had a very herby scent, like the write-up suggested. It was very light bodied and crisp. Other than that, I wasn't able to pick out many other discriptors. To me, this wine didn't have much going on.
Tasting #2: Lost Vineyards Chardonnay
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: N/A
Country: Argentina
Year: No vintage
Price: $3.95
"Vintage Cellar" Review: "Pale golden color. Perfumed peach, pineapple, and nougat aromas. Round and soft with fruit-yet-dry medium body. Tangy apple skin and lemon zest notes lift the fruit nicely on the finish."
My Review: This was a weird wine. Very different for a chardonnay. It had a slight vanilla nose and a very smooth and buttery flavor. I wonder if this wine was not oaked because it definitely didn't have an overwhelming oak flavor.
Tasting #3: Sierra Cruz Carmenere
Varietal: Carmenere
Region: N/A
Country: Chile
Year: 2009
Price: $6.95
"Vintage Cellar" Review: "As a member of the cabernet sauvignon family, carmenere (pronounced car-men-yare) originated in Bordeaux as one of the grapes permitted for use in the red blends of that storied region. Chilean winemakers have embraced it and several wineries in that country produce it as a single varietal. The '09 Sierra Cruz is a very pleasant, soft, medium-bodied wine that has fresh cabernet-like aromas and flavors of spice, dark fruit and black pepper. It is a great value and also would be a nice match with marinated and grilled skirt or flank steak."
My Review: This wine was spicy but also slightly sweet which was a nice balance. It was surprisingly smooth for a red and also had a slight smoky flavor to me. This was only my second experience with a carmenere, so I'm not too familiar with the characteristics of the grape.
Tasting #4: Senda 66 Tempranillo
Varietal: Tempranillo
Region: N/A
Country: Spain
Year: 2008
Price: $8.95
"Vintage Cellar" Review: "90 Points, Robert Parker. 'The 2008 Senda 66 spent 8 months in new French oak. Purple/black in color, it sports a fragrant nose of spice box, lavender, blueberry, and blackberry. Smooth-textured, layered, and remarkably rich on the palate for its humble price, this lengthy effort will drink nicely over the next 5-6 years.'"
My Review: There was something very distinct on the nose of this wine but I could not put my finger on what it was. It had really strong tannins that made it very dry. There was also something distinct in its flavor, which I would imagine to be the same thing on the nose. Different. I think 90 points is a little high for this one for me.
Tasting #5: Opera Prima Sweet White
Varietal: Unsure
Region: N/A
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $5.95
"Vintage Cellar" Review: "Flowery and sweet smelling, then round and fairly smooth in the mouth. The flavor package of tropical fruits galore is pleasant and shouldn't be offend anyone. Finishes clean and easy. A mango boat of flavor."
My Review: This smelled a lot like a Moscato to me. It actually smelled like a cross between a Moscato and a Riesling. It had that strong floral bouquet of the Moscato, but that fruity sweet smell of a Riesling. It was a pleasant surprise that it did not taste as sweet as it smelled. It was very light, very fruit and floral, but not overwhelmingly sweet and it was almost smooth. This is still not my type of wine, but for someone who likes sweeter wines, this would be a great summer wine!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete