Arancio 2004 Syrah Sicilia

April 12, 2007 — -

Feudo Arancio Syrah 2004This Feudo Arancio Syrah 2004 has a nose of blackberry and violets. On the palate, it is smooth with flavors of blackberry, leather, and smoke with hints of floral coming through on the substantial finish. It is fabulous.This wine definitely competes with the Australians reds; my thought is that it is a better value. This could be our next featured best value. I’ll have to see what Tom thinks. . .

Tom: This is a delicious wine with a strong bouquet and a slightly mild taste. Strong berry fruit flavors. Very peppery but not very tannic. Quite a fruit-forward and yet soft taste for a European wine. Interesting and very drinkable. A softer touch compared to many Australian shirazes and American syrahs.

Posted in Italian wines, Syrah, Under $10. Leave a Comment »

Golden Path (2003 vintage) Merlot

April 11, 2007 — -

Golden Path Merlot 2003I am having this Golden Path Merlot for the second night in a row. For a full review, read last night’s entry. The second night is every bit as good as the first night. A pleasant quaff with a smooth mouth feel.

Posted in California wines, Merlot, Over $10. 2 Comments »

Golden Path (2003 vintage) Merlot

April 10, 2007 — -

Golden Path Merlot 2003SidewaysI must admit, I am prejudiced against Merlot. No, it is not because Miles, the main character in my favorite movie “Sideways“, pooh-poohs Merlot. It is because I have discovered that I generally enjoy a good Cabernet or a Shiraz much more than a Merlot. I find that Merlot is generally too light — in flavor, body, and tannicity. However, having confessed this, I can also say I was pleasantly surprised at this delicious Golden Path Merlot. This wine is substantial. I detected a strong whiff of oak in the aroma and a hint of spice, plum and anise on the palate. Like most Merlots, the tannic is soft and the finish is moderate — not long. I still prefer a bigger, more tannic Cabernet, but this is simply delightful!

Tom: This is delicious. Tasting it blind, I mistakenly identified it as a cabernet because it’s quite dry. But it’s softer than a cab, with rich fruit (perhaps blueberry, blackberry, plum) flavors. A very, very nice wine. Miles, in “Sideways,” maybe would have liked this merlot.

Posted in California wines, Merlot, Over $10. Leave a Comment »

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (2004)

April 8, 2007 — -

Penfold’s Koonunga Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2004What a pleasure to drink! This Penfold’s Koonunga Hill Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-flavored and full-bodied Australian Cabernet. Intense and delightful with berries and spice. Tannic with a long and lovely finish.

Tom: This is a medium-tannic, rich-fruit cabernet.  Not bone dry,  but still respectably tannic. A pleasant fruit taste, perhaps blueberry. Very friendly and drinkable.

Posted in Australian wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Over $10. Leave a Comment »

Sterling Vintner’s Collection Shiraz (2004)

April 7, 2007 — -

Sterling Vintner’s Collection Shiraz 2004The Sterling Vintner’s Collection Shiraz is a dark, almost black, deep ruby, with complex, vibrant aromas of ripe black cherries and hints of vanilla. When I hold this wine in the glass up to the light, I cannot see any light come through. I think it is a rather young wine that is fresh and easy to drink. The fruit leaps out of the glass with taste of black cherry from beginning to finish. There are prominent legs on the glass and a very full-body feel in the mouth. I bought this wine for Tom for Christmas. I must say, ooooh, la-la! It is scrumptious. . .I am going to suggest that we buy a case (and I think Tom will agree. . .We’ll soon see what he thinks!).

Tom: First of all, it’s interesting to see the term ‘shiraz’ used for a California wine. (We all tend to think of shiraz as Australian.) Regardless of the name, this is a great wine. Rich, rich fruit flavors without being grape juicy and fruit bomby. Tastes of blackberries and currants. A very noticeable spicy, peppery taste. Good tannic quality, but not the bone-dry tannicity of a cabernet. (A very tiny bit sweet, as though Sterling is competing with the Australians for the American sweet tooth.) Smooth tasting; a very nice balance of acidity, fruit, spice, and alcohol. This would be an excellent wine to give to someone and say, “This is what shiraz tastes like.”

Posted in California wines, Over $10, Shiraz. Leave a Comment »

Nederburg Pinotage (2004)

April 6, 2007 — -

Nederburg Pinotage 2004After Richard’s recommendation of Hill and Dale Pinotage, we set out to find one. We did not find his recommendation but did find this South African version by Nederburg. The first sip explodes with fruit, but it feels much different than an Australian fruit-forward red. It has a thinner texture and a woody aftertaste. The aroma is of raspberries and it has a long and satisfying finish. The tastes of vanilla and wood linger long after you swallow. There is something about this that reminds me of the Shady Lane pinot noir that we bought in the Leelanau Penninsula in Northern Michigan. This pinotage is refreshing and bold. Very easy to drink.

Tom: This has an interesting, cabernet-like taste. Tannic. Some berry fruit flavor, but reserved, not jammy. Strong taste of alcohol (13.5%). In some ways a similar taste to the cabs we’ve been drinking, but obviously a different varietal from a different part of the world. We’ll have to look more into pinotage.

Posted in Over $10, Pinotage, South African wines. Leave a Comment »

Michel Picard Cabernet Sauvignon (2002)

April 5, 2007 — -

Michel PicardWe have reviewed this Michel Picard cab before but we value this wine and buy it often. I love it because it has everything I love in wine: it is big, it is tannic, and the aroma is pleasing and complex. These grapes are grown in Southern France. In reading about this wine, I see that these grapes are allowed to ripen fully, are de-stemmed, and a portion of the juice is strained to intensify the fruit flavors. The aroma is definitely oaky. The flavor is intense with chocolate, smoke, spice, and ripe fruit. I can’t quite distinguish which fruit, but I would lean towards blackberries. What do you think, Tom?

Tom: I’d like to point out that, because we’d had it before, I identified this wine by name when Melody presented it in a blind tasting! My tasting process is quite simple: three steps — how tannic, what fruit, and how alcoholic. This wine is quite tannic, has non-fruit flavors such as chocolate, and has a strong alcohol taste. So it’s identifiable. It’s a no-nonsense, dry French table wine for grown-ups. Quite good, and a terrific value.

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, French wines, Under $10. 2 Comments »

Fontanafredda Barolo 2001

April 5, 2007 — -

Our friend Richard tried a Fontanafredda Barolo recently and was very impressed.

Fontanafredda BaroloHis notes are:

“Wonderful. The bouquet was unlike anything I had experienced. Barolos are ‘top-end’ Italian wines from the northern Piedmont region. They’re made with Nebiollo grapes, an odd varietal that only grows there. The bouquet was of flowers, licorice, earthy. Some say you can even smell the white truffles that grow there.”

We’ll have to be on the lookout for this.

Posted in Barolo, Italian wines, Over $10. 6 Comments »

Villa Puccini Toscana (2001)

April 2, 2007 — -

Villa Puccini Toscana 2001The bottle says that this  Villa Puccini Toscana is a twelve-months oak-aged Tuscan red wine. It is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. The aromas are vanilla, cherry, licorice and leather. This is medium body on the palate with a taste of leather and honey. A vigorous tannicity and a long, satisfying finish. A delicious find from our favorite wine shop!

Tom: This is a delicious, tannic, table-wine-style red. Strong tobacco-y, leathery notes. Strong aroma, but not particularly fruity; noticeable whiff of alcohol. A very interesting, strong-tasting wine.

Posted in Blends, Italian wines, Under $10. Leave a Comment »

Penascal Tempranillo Vino de la Tierra de Casteilla Y Leon

April 1, 2007 — -

This Penascal Tempranillo Vino de la Tierra de Casteilla Y Leon notes a very light touch of oak, but very floral; peppery with minerals and blackberries. This is light weight and rounded, with a dry, mineral, tannic finish. A delectable, moderate finish.

A&L Wine Castle

Tom: This is a fun, tasty wine. Quite tannic, strong fruit taste (perhaps blueberry and blackberry). Dry like a cabernet, but perhaps fruitier. A no-nonsense, strong alcohol taste. A bold red for when you want to drink something big and not necessarily subtle. An interesting representative of Spanish wine.

We found this wine at our wine shop, A&L Wine Castle in Ann Arbor. In addition to an interesting selection of wine, good prices, and helpful advice, a cool thing about A&L Wine Castle is that it actually looks like a castle.

Posted in Spanish wines, Tempranillo, Under $10. 3 Comments »
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