Wines for the Lazy Summer Days

Got this elegant white from a tasting at the local wine store. I am loving the Gruner Veltliner and Pinot Gris wines that Oregon is producing. It's a terroir to rival big California without the inflated price!

Nose: refreshing notes of honey, lemons. Stemmy

Tongue: lemons, honeysuckle, muscat, and rich lychee jelly. Rich, off-sweet, succulent. Slightly creamy. Very layered and complex for a white

Price: $15

Rating: 4.25/5

Made from 100% Lugana (AKA Verdicchio) grapes in Sirmione, Italy. Never was a fan of the Italian Pinot Grigios so popularized in the States, but Italians really know how to make AMAZING wines with their indigenous grapes! This is a great example of them. Sip it on the porch or with some sharp cheeses, seafood, or Asian food. You won't regret it! Also love the label design on this one :)

Nose: fresh, lemony, tart. Notes of granny-smith apples, peaches, and pears

Tongue: Semi-dry, ripe on the tongue, with flavors of melons and honey. 

Price: $16

Rating: 4/5

A red wine for summer? Why not? Marquette is a relatively new grape grown in the Northeastern States designed to withstand the cold weather. Shelburne Vineyard of Vermont makes a light-bodied yet complex wine with this grape that makes for a wonderful sipper in the hot summer days by the pool. Drink it slightly chilled.

Nose: woody, notes of mulch, mud, desert, roasted marshmellows, asparagus, and artichokes

Tongue: light-bodied and velvety, floral and peppery. Flavors of dark berries, hickory, cherry, and violets

Price: $18

Rating: 4/5

Two amazing wines for your money: La Sabonite Rouge & 2011 Oltrepo Pavese Malvasia Piume

This is the only red wine produced by Sabonite, and this $15 red, though vintage-less and deemed a "table wine", it tastes like a gem. Very quaffable and refreshing on the tongue. Be careful about having too much!

Nose:  spicy, roasty, & nutty with mineral backnotes. Aromas of slate, cloves, caramel, marshmellow, vanilla, and cedar

Tongue: light bodied, with barely noticeable tannins. Smoky and complex in flavors - bell peppers, spice, smoke, tomato, chestnuts, vanilla, and butterscotch - balanced with refreshing minerality. 

Price: $15

Rating: 4.25/5

I've had very good experiences with all of the Martide red wines I've tried. Their beautiful watercolor labels of their vineyard farm animals are definitely a plus. The Piume (meaning 'plume' in Italian), made of Malvasia grapes, is special in every way. I was first struck by the deep honey orange color. The distinctively delicious aroma and mouth-feel makes this one of my favorite whites. To be drunk alone or with spicy food and sharp charcuterie. 

Nose: full of tropical fruits and sweet honey - flavors of pineapple, mango, juicy, very perfumed, citrus blossom, wildflower honey, biscuits 

Tongue: med-bodied with dry finish. Tart flavors are prominent, with upfront notes of lime, almonds, quince and lychee. Remniscent of the New England fall foliage.

Price: $18

Rating: 4.5/5

Wines to splurge on for the holidays: GROTH 2010 CABERNET SAUVIGNON & Circle of Life White 2011

This wine is a huge splurge (by my standards) at $45, but your finessed palate will thank you for the sacrifice. I had my first sip of this wine completely ignorant of the fact that it was a $45 cab and it blew me away - the hallmark difference between a truly amazing wine and an expensive wine.

Nose:  spicy and warm, with full notes of hickory and wet earth. powerful.

Tongue: complex, deep, full-bodied and lush. Fills your mouth with flavors bursting of dark-chocolate, seaweed, and spiciness. Bold & lasting tannins. Yes it's very sexy

Price: $44.99 

Rating: 4.5/5

The Circle of Life white is a biodynamic wine produced by a stunning vineyard in South Africa. At $15, it is not really a splurge, and it is so delicious that you can stock up and have it with all your holiday festivities. Or year-round, for that matter. The next best thing would be to visit the breathtaking biodynamic farm in South Africa.

Nose: layered with notes of pear, white peppercorns, honey, apples, lemons, juxtaposed on a background of wet hay, corn, asparagus. Finished with flavors of vanilla cake..yum

Tongue: sweet & fruit-forward, notes of cantalope, honeydew, honey, pears, and tangerine

Price: $14.99

Rating: 4/5

Beating the snowy weather with vino

Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre 2010 Veronese

This wine was supposedly made in the special "Repasso" method. Whatever that is, it's surely doing a great job. I haven't had a red this delicious in too too long 

NOSE: deliciously layered and aromatic; notes of roasted chestnuts, dried porcini mushrooms, and aged oak; briny, reminiscent of the ocean floor. 

TONGUE: flavors of sea salt, cured meats, & peppercorns. light and mellow on the palate; fine leathery tannins with an elegant dry finish; would pair perfectly with hard cheeses. LOVE LOVE LOVE"

Price: $12 (taste more like a $20 wine!)

Rating: 4.5/5 

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Reinhard Schafer ZUM Mosel Riesling 2012

Riesling is very hit of miss for me, especially with the recent on-slew of commercial soda-like bottles made for suburban party girls. Fortunately, the ZUM Riesling is a hit. It even rhymes with 'yum'!

NOSE: pineapple,  honey, muscat gummies, apple. 

TONGUE: spritzy, bright, with lively acidity,  just the right amount of sweetness,  peachy. Lighthearted and fun to drink

Price: $10.99

Rating: 4/5 

Once again: the Good, the Okay, the Ugly

ZD Chadonnay 2012

Hallelujah! Finally a Cali chardonnay that I like :D

Nose: sweetness - pineapple, honeysuckle, daisies, mead

Tongue: sweet, notes of honey, papaya, pineapple (think tropical fruits!); toasted coconut and grapefruit rind lingers like bittersweet memories on the tongue

Price: ~$25

Rating: 4.25/5
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Johansing Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

Perhaps I should change the title to "the Best, the Great, and the Ugly", 'cause this bottle is a mighty fine thing too

Nose: spicy, heady, musky like dark, damp wood; feel yourself romping through muddy, wet rainforest; as you let the wine aerate, the aroma turns into smores and campfire

Tongue: smooth, velvety, with balanced acidity. Begins with warm flavors of hazelnut, caramel, burnt sugar, molasses, and cinnamon, giving into orange and citrus flavors

Price: ~$28

Rating: 4/5 

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Frey Organic Red Wine

Granted, this wine was $9.99, but I've definitely had a lot better luck with this price range. I should probably stop buying random wines just because it's organic.

Nose: at first promising notes of smoke, embers, and tiramisu soon gives into lingering aromas of sawdust and musky alcohol

Tongue: first impression was "ugh did I just drink my cough medicine?" Then comes flavors of pickles, rotten tomatoes, licorice, and shoe varnish

Price: $9.99

Rating: 2/5 

Parducci Petite Sirah 2007 & MAN Vintners Chenin Blanc 2009

This is a small-priced wine with a big taste. I got it on wine.com using a Groupon. It retails around only $9-$13. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth and sophistication of this wine. As a plus, the grapes are sustainably grown, and the label is pretty :)

Nose: Yummy flavors of chocolate, caramel, coffee, and oak. Earthy

Tongue: big, bold, dark, and very dry - not for the faint of heart. Structured and long lasting tannins, but not overwhelming. Very well balanced. A bit raw for now. It could use a bit more time on the shelf. Notes of wet earth, truffles, dried currants, with a hint of smokiness. Definitely drink this with a substantial meal (mmm...I'm thinking of bloody steaks).

Price: $11

Rating: 4/5

 

While I'm not a huge fan of whites, I've definitely had better Chenin Blancs than this. It was way too bitter - I think it was sitting in my fridge for more than a month before I finally finished it! I guess you can't always have the luck of running into cheap good wines (like the Parducci).

Nose: fragrant, warm floral, and nutty, with notes of peaches, honey, and vanilla

Tongue: sweet at first, with a tangy aftertaste. Top notes of toasty honey grahams and apricots, but has a overwhelmingly bitter and stemmy aftertaste. 

Price: $8

Rating: 2.5/5

Adelseim Pinot Noir 2008 & Pacific Rim Dry Riesling 2007

Got this wine on sale for $19.99, which is a pretty decent deal (it usually retails at around $26). This Oregon Pinot Noir has been featured in so many wine stores and has such a pretty label, I had to get it, even though Pinot Noirs are usually too fruity and unsubstantial for my taste. The Adelseim Pinot certainly lived up to the hype. It has an understated and refined elegance which sets it apart from most of the "big" wines out there. Worth the bang for the buck.

 

Nose: fruit-forward with notes of cherries and juicy, gummy grapes.  Floral undertones. Bright, lemony and sweet. Imagine fruits and nuts enrobed in a silky layer of chocolate.

 

Tongue: sweet, juicy, and succulent. Mellow tannins. Flavors of sweet berry fruits. Slightly spicy, peppery undertones. Light bodied without being watery. Graceful and refined. A tad too acidic, otherwise very well balanced.

Price: $25

Rating: 4.5/5

 

I have learned from my limited experience with American Rieslings that they are usually too sweet for me. Since this one explicitly says "dry", I decided to give it another chance. Obviously, my idea of "dry" (as in bone-dry) is far removed from a relatively dry riesling. I guess this is relatively dry compared to Pacific Rim's other Rieslings, which could have up to 9% residual sugar, whereas their Dry Riesling only has 0.75%. Sweetness aside, this wine is pretty mediocre for is lack of depth and complexity.

 

Nose: apples and pears

 

Tongue:  sweet. Fruit-forward flavors of apples and apricots. Lack acidity. Dull. A slight mineral finish

Price: $10

Rating: 2.25/5

Downs and Ups: Tierracalar Macabeo 2009 & Conde de Baldemar Crianza 2005

Tierracalar Macabeo 2009

I ordered this wine from WineInsiders.com. It is some sort of Spanish white blend. NEVER order wines from there! only reason I bought from that site was because of a Groupon coupon they put out. Out of the 5 wines I received from them, I did not find one that I liked. Wait...actually I did not find one I was not repulsed by! I would not drink this if it was free.
Anyways, I think I am going to think twice or three times before getting wines online now. Besides, wine shopping in 3D is so much more enjoyable!

Nose: sweet and syrupy. Very one-dimentional

Tongue: dry, tart, bitter, and very watery. Grassy. Tastes like a mix of apricot kernel and toothpaste. Ugh. Pretty much undrinkable actually..

Price: $9.99

Rating: 1.75/5

Conde de Valdemar Crianza 2005

On a brighter note, my tastebuds were rescued when I had a glass of this Rioja. Had it with steak, and it was amazing! This is a delicious, complex, substantial wine. It warms up my insides (along with a slab of juicy steak) like no other! It's also drinkable enough by itself sitting beside the fireplace on a wintry night with whomever you so desire ;)

Nose: meaty, bold, and heady. Whiffs of forest and wet earth.

Tongue: smooth and full bodied with velvety tannins and a nice, rounded finish. Succulent in the mouth. slightly spicy, bold, ripe, complex and sophesticated.

Price: $20

Rating: 4.55/5

Olivier Leflaive Chablis Les Deux Rives 2007

I caught this Chablis in an online deal - only $14.95 and free shipping on four bottles! It was a god given opportunity to stock up on Chablis (I rarely see one under $20). The Chablis region of France has always given me trusty dry minerally whites, so I was not too worried about getting four bottles of a wine I have never tasted. Besides, it was given a whopping 90pts by Wine Spectator.

The Olivier Leflaive did not disappoint. It was clean, crisp, and refreshing. As a plus, it also has a cool high-tech rubber cork which seals the air in the bottle when used as a stopper (who said rubber corks were crap?) 

Perfect for sipping on a hot summer day. It would also go superb with something light, such as a caprese salad, sashimi, or creamy goat cheese. I am looking forward to slowly savoring my other three bottles of this Chablis :)

Nose: sweet amd refreshing, with delicate whiffs of honeysuckle, melon, honeydew

Tongue: notes of lemon and lime. Citrisy, with a nice acidity (might be slightly too acidic for some I think, but I tend to like more sour things), mouth-watering tartness, nice medium tannins, clean minerality. Spritzy, and dry. Best of all, it has none of the bitterness and heavy oakiness of California Chardonnays :D

Price: $14.95

Rating: 4.7/5 Love it!

Cheap wines: The Good, the OK, the Bad, and the VERY Ugly

The Good:

2009 Casata Monticello Dolcetto D'Asti

Bought this one in a 2 for $16 deal from Bauer Wine & Spirits on Newbury St. I did not expect too much since it was so cheap, but I was pleasantly surprised. This wine has amazing complexity and punch for such a price :)

Nose: slightly heady, deliciously spicy, with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, plums, warm spices, chocolate, nutmeg, and raisin

Tongue: sweet, velvety, slightly spicy, acidic, light tanins. A pleasant light to medium bodied wine with medium depth.

Price: $8.99 or $16 for two

Rating: 3.25/5


The OK:

2008 Brunellesco Soave

 Again from Bauer Wines, this time it was only 2 for $12! Gotta love them for the amazing deals :). It was my first Soave, which I have been meaning to try in the longest time, and it was a good first impression. The crazy cheap price was a big plus...

 It inspired a "vino goddess" doodle

 Nose: herbal, lemony, zesty. Notes of honey, ginger, and honeydew melons. Slightly sweet

Tongue: very light, spritzy, citrisy, and crisp. Off-dry. It got pretty watery and flat quickly after opening though.

Price: $6.99 or 2 for $12

Rating: 3/5


The Bad:

 2007 Piazzo Barbera

 This one was only $7.99 I think, from the liquor store at BJs. I was excited to find a cheap Barbera after the memories of the great Matilde Barbera wine from my last post. But this was nothing like it. The Piazzo Barbera puts Italian wines to shame. It was totally raw and lean and mean :(, only thing i liked was the smell

Nose: sweet, nutty, vanilla, cinnamon, plums. Warm

Tongue: acidic, slightly spicey, with light to medium tanins. Medium bodied. Notes of forest berries and warm spices. Fairly lean and raw

Price: 7.99

Rating: 2.25/5




*drumrolls*.......now The VERY Ugly:

  2008 La Mano Mencia Roble

I really can't get over the fact that Robert Parker gave this wine a wooping 90 points! Sadly, that is the reason I actually bought this wine. It was one of the worst, if not THE worst wines I have tasted. I even doubted my own delicately cultivated tastebuds for a minute! Are my tastes that different from Mr. Parker's? But after a search at other bloggers' views online, it so happens that a great majority disagrees with him just as much as I. Whew, a relief to know that my tongue is still sane...

Nose: rotting meat, rotten fruits

Tongue: heady, raw and young. Notes of dark berries. Uber-bitter and stringent. Little to no depth. Barely drinkable ugh

Price: $7.99 (wouldn't drink it even if it were free)

Rating: 0.5/5

Martilde OLTREPO PAVESE Barbera 2005 & Cycles Gladiator Central Coast Chardonnay 2005

I bought this wine at CentralBottle Wines after tasting it during one of their Thursday wine events. For a $13 bottle, this wine is extremely impressive. The beautiful label is another plus :) Antonella Tacci herself creates the artwork and produces the wines with her long-time companion and partner Raimono Lombardi. The winery Martilde is a combination of their beloved cats Martina and Matilde. This wine is a feast for the eyes, nose, and tongue!

Nose: sweet, succulent, juicy, and very creamy. Smells like yummy creme brulee and tiramesu. Juicy, with notes of cherry, warm spices, and delicious milk chocolate

Tongue: ultra smooth, robust - can hold down pretty much anything (except maybe raw steak), flavors of the forest and wet earth. Full bodied, bold, and spicy.

Price: $13

Rating: 4.5/5

I'd like to think that I'm a fairly open-minded person and would hate to call myself an ABC (no not American Born Chinese, but Anything But Chardonnay). I have never tasted a California Chardonnay that I liked, but I love Chablis (basically a French Chardonnay, which is mostly unoaked). So I thought that my dislike of Cali Chards might be because of their heavy oaking. This Gladiator Chardonnay boasts of a "subtle use of oak". Besides, the label is gorgeous. I thought I would give it a try. The result? Well, maybe I am an ABC after all...

Nose: toasty, light, with notes of kiwi, honeydew, and pear. Crisp

Tongue: shallow, short finish. I didn't detect any oakiness. Notes of honeysuckle. Stemmy, acidic, slightly aggressive

Price: $10

Rating: 2.8/5