2008 Fetzer Gewürztraminer Valley Oaks

On March 9, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Fetzer Gewurztraminer Valley Oaks from California. This bottle was purchased for under $6. I believe this wine sees no time in oak barrels and is aged in stainless steel instead.

Color

In the glass this wine is a beautiful golden color.

Aroma

There is a hint of cinnamon on the nose of this wine. I also get orange and ripe mango components. There is also some pineapple as well. Overall a very tropical fruit nose.

Flavor

On the attack the oranges and peaches are dominant. In the mid-palate and finish I get more citrus components which remind me of red grapefruit. Be prepared for the sweetness on this wine. It is definitely not dry. I couldn’t find the amount of residual sugar on this wine, but it must be fairly high. Comment if you know it please. However for a spicy meal it should pair well and the acid is enough to balance some of the sweetness.

Rating

I like this wine. It is a steal at this price. Just know what you are getting regarding the sugar levels. But if sweet fruit forward white wines match your palate then I strongly recommend you try this wine. I rate it 86 points.

Have you tried a Gewurztraminer before?

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2005 Chateau Chantemerle

On March 8, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2005 Chateau Chantemerle from the Medoc region of France. This is a Merlot based Bordeaux blend and was purchased for under $12. The 2005 vintage was a classic year for Bordeaux so it will be interesting to see what this wine brings to the table. If you know the percentage of grape varieties that makeup this wine, I love for you to share it in the comments.

Color

In the glass this wine is a good ruby red shade.

Aroma

Heavy oak on the nose of this wine. I also detect some blackberry notes. Unfortunately it is not showing much else right now.

Flavor

On the attack there is black currant and plums. The mid-palate has black cherry and asparagus. Finishes with sour cherry and an herbaceous, woody note. This is a medium bodied wine with big tannins. It is quite astringent and needs to breathe or be put away for a while. I’d love to have some blue cheese with it.

Rating

What this wine lacked on the nose, it made up for on the palate. This is a nice break from the fruit bombs of the New World. I like it, but wish it had less oak. I rate it 86 points.

Have you tried a Medoc wine from 2005?

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2008 Porta Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

On March 5, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Porta Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon from the Aconcagua Valley of Chile. Porta is part the VC Family Estates which is a member of the Corpora Group. I have previously had the 2009 Porta Merlot. This Cabernet Sauvignon is in their Reserva level and was purchased for under $9. I bought this before the massive earthquake hit Chile, but haven’t seen any reports of damage to this winery. So I assume it will remain available and similarly priced. Have you heard anything about it?

Color

In the glass it is a nice dark purple.

Aroma

There is a lot of mint on the nose of this wine. I also detect a lot of black currant notes. There is also a cedar component and a hint of basil. But the dark fruit dominates right now.

Flavor

On the attack there is some sweet black cherries mixed with a vegetable component. I can’t quite name the vegetable that is giving it the green influence. In the mid-palate, there are sour cherries and raspberries. It finishes with beautiful silky tannins. The fruit on the finish lingers for a long time. For a wine with a 14.0% alcohol level the fruit is definitely keeping it in check. This is well made and begs to be paired with beef tenderloin.

Rating

I like this wine a lot and think it is a very good value. Keep in mind that it isn’t heavily oaked nor is it over extracted fruit. It may be a little sweet for those looking for a Old World style wine, but for my palate it is a good match. I rate it 90 points.

Have you tried it? Anyone tried their Carmenere Reserva?

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2008 Toscar Monastrell

On March 4, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Toscar Monastrell by Salvador Proveda from Alicante, Spain. This wine is made from primarily, if not 100%, Mourvèdre (Monastrell) grape variety and was under $9. I have previously tasted the 2007 Toscar Monastrell over multiple days and will do the same with this vintage.

Day One

The wine has just been uncorked.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark purple color. Very pretty.

Aroma

Initially I get leather and oak components on the nose of this wine. There is also a very nice black currant aroma combined with a hint of mint. Finally I detect a little earthiness from it which reminds me of dark, rich compost soil.

Flavor

The attack is very vegetal. There is a distinctive broccoli flavor to it. In the mid-palate cherry cola starts to take over with an emphasis on the cola. Sweet tannins show up on the finish. It exhibits a very long finish. I am still getting the cherry on the finish. This is definitely an Old World style of wine and will pair really well with rich dishes particularly those grilled meats.

Rating

This is a interesting vintage for this wine. I like it and rate it 87 points.

Day Two

The wine has been recorked and and then opened again after 24 hours.

Aroma

The nose of this wine has opened up and the dark fruit is now dominating it. Rich, almost Creme de Cassis like aromas of black currants and blackberries combine with just a hint of sulfur. It is really a good nose today.

Flavor

On the attack the blackberry flavor is very prominent and transitions to black cherry in the mid-palate. The tannins are more bitter on the finish than yesterday and there is some black pepper components as well. Overall it is a lot more of a New World style wine than the first day. None of the vegetable flavors are present.

Rating

I like this wine, but it has definitely become a simpler, more New World leaning style. I rate it 88 points.

Summary

I enjoyed this wine on both days and found it really educational to watch it go from being Old World on day one to New World on day two. I recommend you try the same experiment on your own and share your findings here. It would be fascinating to determine if this wine consistently shows this pattern or if it is partly my palate changing. It also might show a strong relation to how this wine will age. Agreed?

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2009 Spier Chenin Blanc

On March 3, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Spier Chenin Blanc from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. This 100% Chenin Blanc based wine was purchased for under $8.

Color

In the glass this wine is a very light color, almost clear like water.

Aroma

The first aroma showing is green apple. It is accompanied by notes of pears and a unique brie cheese component. The brie cheese note isn’t like a smelly component, it is more of what I would describe as a mineral component perhaps connected with the rind of a brie cheese. I also get a basic white grape aroma. Over all it is a very fresh nose.

Flavor

There is lemon on the attack and then honeydew and some nice grapefruit components on the mid-palate. It finishes with nice acidity and lingers with a white grape juice component. It is fresh, crisp and light. Good before a meal or as a complement to a salad.

Rating

It is difficult to beat the price of this wine as a simple dry white wine. I recommend trying it and rate it 86 points.

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Rapidan River Unoaked Chardonnay

On March 2, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the non-vintage Rapidan River Unoaked Chardonnay by Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery from Virgina. This 100% Chardonnay based wine is aged in stainless steel for 8 months. It was purchased for under $10.

Color

In the glass it is a very light beige color.

Aroma

On the nose this wine shows good green apple and ripe melon notes. There is also a distinct custard apple note.

Flavor

On the attack there is honeycrisp apple flavors and then in the mid-palate a honey note is present. It finishes with pineapple and grapefruit notes. The acidity of this wine will make it very food friendly and crisp. It is medium bodied and unlike a lot of wines it actually improves as it warms up. Despite the fact that it is a dry wine, the fruit provides a lot of rich flavors.

Rating

I enjoyed this wine and liked the difference between it and Chardonnay under oak. I only wish it was available in a vintage version. I rate it a solid 88 points.

Have you had a Unoaked Chardonnay?

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2008 Anakena Indo Cabernet Sauvignon

On February 26, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Indo Cabernet Sauvignon by Vina Anakena from Cachapoal Valley of Chileicon. The Indo designated wines are one of the premium levels produced by Anakena. I found this bottle for under $10. Unlike prior vintages which contained Cabernet Sauvignon – Syrah on the label, this does not. I’ve inquired with the vineyard to find out if this is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and will update this post if I hear back.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark ruby red. It is a little thinner than a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon wines I have had before, so that leads me to believe there is little or no Syrah blended with it.

Aroma

Right off the bat, I can tell that this is not going to be a jammy fruit bomb so common in the New World Cabernet Sauvignons. It has notes of cedar and eucalyptus. There are also blackberry and raspberry components as it opens up more. There is a hint of bell pepper as well. Overall it makes for a quality nose.

Flavor

On the attack the blackberry transitions from the nose and then in the mid-palate the tannins are very noticeable. There are black cherries on the mid-palate and the finish consists of a sour cherry cola component along with solid tannins. This wine is definitely young. It will probably age well and be a bit more approachable in a couple of years. But one of my favorite things is the long lasting tannins on the finish. I recommend decanting it if you are drinking it soon.

Rating

This is an interesting wine. On the one hand it pleases me that it isn’t over extracted sugared up fruit, nor is it over-oaked. But on the other hand it is a bit plain. I didn’t detect a lot of flavors, but I do think it will please a lot of palates, especially if you like tannins. I rate it 85 points.

Have you tried this wine? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it and whether it was a better match for your palate.

Update: Andrés Tauber, the export manager at Anakena, was kind enough to write me back and let me know that this is a blend of 15% Syrah and 85% Cabernet Sauvignon. I really appreciate the quick customer service from Anakena. I think I will be on the lookout for that Indo Sauvignon Blanc next.

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2008 Luigi Cecchi & Figli Bonizio Sangiovese di Maremma Maremma Toscana IGT

On February 23, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Bonizio Sangiovese di Maremma from the Tuscanyicon region of Italy. This wine by Luigi Cecchi is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% other red grapes. It was purchased for under $8. I haven’t been able to find any evidence of aging in oak, nor do I know what the other 10% red grape varieties are. Do you know?

Color

In the glass this wine is surprisingly dark purple.

Aroma

There are notes of blackberry and red currant on the nose. It also exhibits aromas of cedar and a hint of oregano. Overall it is pretty tight.

Flavor

On the attack there is a flavor of raspberry which is quickly replace by cherry and then sour cherries on the mid-palate. It finishes a tiny too hot from the alcohol, but also has some mild tannins. The finish is actually quite short. The flavors are basic and are found in many Chianti wines from Italy. This will pair well with pastas and pizzas.

Rating

I found this wine to be a bit dull. For my palate it doesn’t bring a pure fruit flavor of a new world wine, nor the green rustic flavors of the old world. It instead tends to be a combination where each is watered down. But for the price it is not offensive or flawed either so it might match your palate. I rate it 82 points.

Have you tried this wine?

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2007 Torres Mas Rabell

On February 22, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Torres Mas Rabell from the Catalunya region of Spain. This wine is a traditional Mediterranean blend of half Garnacha (Grenache) and half Carinena (Carignan) grapes. It was acquired for under $9 and has been aged in oak for 6 months.

Color

In the glass it is a pretty ruby red.

Aroma

On the nose this wine exhibits a mixture of strawberry and blackberry cobbler aromas. There is also some wet compost enriched soil components and a hint of the oak. Pretty strong nose.

Flavor

On the attack there is a lot of cherry. In the mid-palate I get quite a nice flavor of the tannins and it finishes acidic with sour cherry which lingers. This is a medium bodied wine which will pair well with pork and winter vegetables. I think the dryness (astringency) and tannins of the Carignan is well balanced by the Grenache.

Rating

I think this is a food friendly wine and recommend it with a meal. I rate it 87 points.

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2009 Nobilis Vinho Verde

On February 21, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2009 Nobilis Vinho Verde from Portugal. This “green” white wine was purchased for under $7 and comes with a screw-cap.

Color

In the glass it is a very light golden color typical of this style.

Aroma

On the nose there are excellent lemon notes combined with a fresh cool water aroma. Reminds me of cold cold tap water perhaps due to a bit of chlorine component.

Flavor

On the attack there is a lot of lemon and lime but without the sweetness of Sprite. On the mid-palate there is a bit of quinine which reminds me of tonic water. The finish exhibits grapefruit notes. Over all it is a crip light, citric acid style which pairs very well with light dishes. Nothing is negative with this Vinho Verde, nor is it complex.

Rating

I like this wine. It is exactly what I expect for its style and price. I rate it 88 points.

Did you know quinine is used to treat malaria and other diseases? Hence the “tonic” in tonic water. Wonder what this wine will help with.

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