2008 Bodegas Borsao Campo de Borja Red Wine

On January 12, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Borsao Red Wine by Bodegas Borsao from Campo de Borja, Spain. This wine is made from 75% Garnacha (Grenache) and 25% Tempranillo grapes. It was purchased for under $7 and will be interesting to compare with the 2007 Bodegas Borsao Red Wine.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark purple in color with garnet around the edges.

Aroma

The fruit jumps right out the glass on the nose of this wine. It has intense black currant and raspberry aromas. There is also a hint of mint and juniper which is refreshing. It is a young wine and smells like a fresh one.

Flavor

On the attack there is a sweet (too much maybe) strawberry component. Then, in the mid-palate it becomes a medium dry wine with great fruit. Strawberry and cherry give way to some good spice on the finish. I like the fruit throughout and believe that is will be very food friendly. It is medium bodied and a bit hot on the finish due to the 14% alcohol. It will pair well with beef tenderloin and smoky meats.

Rating

For the price, I think this wine is compelling. It is a bit too sweet and would be better if it was more of a dry wine. I rate it 87 points.

I think this vintage is slightly better than the previous year. It continues the trend of improving on the finish, but there is less oak and better fruit. Have you tried it? What did you like or dislike about it?

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2007 Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon

On January 11, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley region of Chile. This bottle of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon was purchased for under $8. It is aged in French oak for 4-6 months.

Color

In the glass it is a very dark garnet color.

Aroma

The nose has a hefty component of red currant and mint. There is also a oak component present and it hides some of the earthiness.

Flavor

On the attack there is some sweet cherry flavors and the mid-palate starts to get green. It is a mix of the cherry and blackberry with asparagus and celery. It finishes with nice tannins, vanilla and oak. This is a medium bodied wine that actually is food friendly. It will pair well with beef or chocolate.

Rating

I like some of the flavors found in this wine and I give Santa Ema credit for not turning it into a syrupy mess. I rate it 86 points.

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2007 TerraNoble Reserva Carmenere

On January 8, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 TerraNoble Reserva Carmenere from the Maule Valley region of Chile. This wine is from 95% Carmenere and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It can be found for under $12. This wine is aged for ten months in oak, followed by an additional eight months of aging in the bottle. This will be a multiple day tasting to see how the wine evolves after being uncorked.

Day One

The bottle has just been opened.

Color

In the glass it is deep purple with red edges.

Aroma

On the nose there is luscious black currant notes along with a hint of dark chocolate. There is also a substantial component of sulfur. It could offend those that are sensitive to the wet dog type of odors, but to me this is an intriguing wine.

Flavor

On the attack, I get some red raspberry. The mid-palate is chalky and has red-currant notes. It finishes with medium tannins and very nice cherry. Overall the fruit is very muted. The wine is well made and the oak is not overdone. It will pair well with pizza.

Rating

For my palate this is a little too ordinary for me to get excited. It is easy to see why Carmenere was thought to be Merlot in Chile for so many years. This drinks very similar to Merlot based wines. I rate it 86 points.

Day Two

The bottle has now been open for about 24 hours with only a wine stopper in place.

Aroma

Most of the sulfur component has disappeared from the prior day and the black currant is still showing well. There is also a ripe strawberry component contributing to the nice berry nose.

Flavor

On the attack the fruit is quite intense with good cherry and strawberry. The mid-palate is actually quite sweet with cherry dominating. The finish is long and a little hot. Overall the fruit is intense and a bit sweet. There are not vegetable flavors to note and there is no oak component either. This wine will pair well with tomato-based Italian dishes.

Rating

For me this is a decent Carmenere. I have had similar bottles for less than $10. I rate it 86 points.

Summary

It was interesting to see how this wine showed over time. It definitely opened up and the fruit went from being muted to being intense. It was sweeter than I would like. Overall it is a good wine, just nothing special.

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2007 Viu Manent Reserva Malbec

On January 7, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Reserva Malbec by Viu Manent from the Valle de Colchagua region of Chile. This bottle from 100% Malbec was acquired for under $15. Malbec is an interesting grape varietal having arrived in Chile before landing in Argentina where it is so prominent. This wine is produced from old vines on the San Carlos estate and is aged in oak for 10 months. I do have one complaint about the Viu Manent wines. They need to revisit their closure system. I have consistent found their corks do be trouble. So, be careful when opening them.

Color

In the glass it is a dark purple.

Aroma

The aromas begin to jump out of the glass as soon as it is poured. It is not aromatically shy. There are blackberry and cedar components. In addition there is a hint of earthiness. It reminds me of humid, rotten leaves on the forest floor in the summer.

Flavor

The attack is showing cherry notes and plum. The mid-palate begins with some more cherry and a cola component. It finishes with a little heat and dry tannins. The oak is a little strong on the mid-palate. Overall it is pretty dry with only a bit of sweetness on the attack. This is definite more controlled than some of the Argentinian Malbecs which are more extracted and fruity. However it isn’t as easy drinking as most people might expect from a Malbec. It will pair well with milk chocolate. Also with spaghetti.

Rating

For me this wine is a bit bland for the price. It is also got too much oak showing. I rate it 83 points.

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2007 Montes Alpha Syrah

On January 6, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Montes Alpha Syrahicon from Colchagua Valley region of Chile. In the past this has been a blend of primarily Syrah with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier added. Do you know the percentage for this vintage? The Alpha line from Vina Montes has historically been one of the top premium Chilean wines. This one is usually available for under $16.

Color

In the glass it is very dark with black shade of purple.

Aroma

Loads of black currant on the nose. It is deep dark berries galore with some blackberry as well. There is also some Eucalyptus at the end. Very big nose characteristic of a powerful wine.

Flavor

The attack is full of blackberry. It is excellent quality fruit and without the sweet sugary nature of some lesser wines. The mid-palate shows more good dark fruit such as black currant, blackberry and some black cherry components. There is also a little bit of an earthy, chalky component. Then the finish lingers really long with black pepper and a smoky component. The tannins are solid as well. This is a big wine but not what I would call a fruit bomb. It is well balanced and the fruit is intense without being sweet. This will pair beautifully with steak.

Rating

I like this wine and think it is a great match for my palate. It has the dark fruit combined with black pepper spiciness that I like in a Syrah. I recommend trying it and rate it 92 points. Have you had it?

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2008 Cono Sur Vision Pinot Noir

On January 5, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Vision Pinot Noir by Cono Sur from the Colchagua Valley of Chile. This 100% Pinot Noir varietal wine is shipped in a CarbonNeutral fashion and is generally available for around $13. This is the first bottle I have had in their Vision level of wines and I am very excited to see how it compares to their standard 2008 Cono Sur Pinot Noir. Vina Cono Sur is especially noted for their Pinot Noir having New World character with Old World Burgundian craftsmanship.

Color

In the glass it is a light red typical of a good Pinot Noir.

Aroma

Initially there is a bit of the wet dog, sulfur on the nose. It quickly is replace by a super strawberry component. It is a aromatically pleasing nose.

Flavor

On the attack there are ripe strawberries and some cherry. The transition to the mid-palate shows good raspberry and blackberry components. The finish is one of the smoothest I have had recently with a hint of chocolate in the mix with the berries. This is a complex wine with lots of flavors, good acidity and will pair very well with chicken and pork dishes.

Rating

I highly recommend this wine. It is a great match for my palate and very food friendly. I rate it 93 points.

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Domaine Ste Michelle Blanc de Noirs

On January 4, 2010, In Sparkling, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Blanc de Noirs by Domaine Ste. Michelle from the Columbia Valley in Washington. This non-vintage sparkling wine is made from the Pinot Noir grape and was purchased for under $8.

Color

In the glass this wine is a brilliant copper color. It looks like liquid metal with a pink hue and is very attractive with decent bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose it has very noticeable grapefruit followed up by lemon.

Flavor

On the attack the grapefruit is dominant with lime on the mid-palate and finish. This is a very sour wine. It has a quick finish and not a lot of complexity. It is definitely a dry wine and pairs with lighter fair.

Rating

Over all this is a decent wine. Not as good as the Blanc de Blancs but prettier in the glass. I rate it 88 points.

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Domaine Ste Michelle Blanc de Blancs

On January 3, 2010, In Sparkling, White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the Blanc de Blancs by Domaine Ste. Michelle from the Columbia Valley in Washington. This non-vintage sparkling wine is made from the Chardonnay grape and was purchased for under $8.

Color

In the glass it is a lighter yellow with good bubbles.

Aroma

On the nose it has an unusual egg aroma. There are also good grapefruit and lemon notes.

Flavor

On the attack the lemon is again present followed by grapefruit on the mid-palate. Then on the start of the finish it shows some cantaloupe melon. And then it lingers with a salty, yeasty component. This is a dry wine and pairs very well with food. It works well with seafood.

Rating

I really enjoyed this effort from Domaine Ste Michelle and think it is one of the best and most available sparkling wines in this price range. For me it is a good match. I rate it 90 points.

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