Tasting- Crane Lake Riesling

25 March 2016

2013 Crane Lake Riesling

Name: Crane Lake

Variety: Riesling

Country: United States

Region: California

Year: 2013

Price: $5.95

Shop Review: The trademark German red grape varietal Dornfelder has a lovely purity of soft red berry fruit. Integrated soft tannins combined with forward fruit flavors make for a perfectly balanced everyday sipping wine. Great with grilled red meat, sausage, and chicken. Best served lightly chilled. 

My Review: Yet another Crane Lake! I caught some more pears on the nose with this Riesling. Also, a little alcohol came through in the bouquet despite only a 11.5% ABV. Powerfully sweet initially that smoothed out nicely into a more enjoyable finish. Probably more enjoyable as a dessert wine for my taste. 

Food: I did not taste this with food. 

-W. 

Tasting- Crane Lake Shiraz

25 March 2016

2013 Crane Lake Shiraz

Name: Crane Lake

Variety: Shiraz

Country: United States

Region: California

Year: 2013

Price: $5.95

Shop Review: Beautiful ruby appearance, with blackberry and pepper notes. Tannins and fruit marry well for a soft finish. This wine pairs well with sharp cheddar cheese and hazelnuts. Also try it along with roast lamb at Easter time, veal marsala, or grilled onion. 

My Review: Old floral and earthy scents dominate this bouquet. It made me think of post garden harvest where the plants are decaying in the dirt. All I can say about the taste of this Shiraz is interesting. There are a long of things going on with this wine and it was almost too much. I think I could eventually get used to it, but it is going to take some time. 

Food: I did not taste this with food. 

-W. 

Tasting- Georges Duboeuf Nouveau

25 March 2016

2015 George Duboeuf Nouveau

Name: George Deboeuf

Variety: Nouveau

Country: France

Region: Beaujolais

Year: 2015

Price: $12

Shop Review: George Dubeouf is THE king of Beaujolais. His wines are full of pop, charm, and great flavor and his Beaujolais Nouveau is no exception. A cornucopia of expressive fruit wrapped in an almost-bubblegum-like frame; it is the flagship Nouveau. 

My Review: Sweet fruity aromas on the nose similar to caramelized sugar. Also, strong floral notes mixed in the bouquet. Dry wine that has a pleasant acidity to it on the finish. Following decanting, this wine softens up and becomes exquisite to drink. 

Food: I did not taste this with food.

-W.

Tasting- Maipe Torrontes

25 March 2016

2014 Maipe Torrontes

Name: Maipe

Variety: Torrontes

Country: Argentina

Region: Mendoza

Year: 2014

Price: $14

Shop Review: The wine has a spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon, and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well-balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish. 

My Review: Pale yellow color. A nice bouquet of apples and melon among other fruity, garden type smells. Lightly acidic bite that I love to see in white wines with a pleasantly smooth finish. Bonus: Maipe is the Andean Lord of the Winds. Pretty sweet name if you ask me. 

Food: I did not taste this with food. 

-W. 

Tasting- Tonnino Pinot Grigio

25 March 2016

2014 Tonnino Pinot GrigioName: Tonnino

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Country: Italy

Region: Sicily

Year: 2014

Price: $14

Shop Review: Tonnino's exotic example of Pinot Grigio has a straw to pale gold color. It is fresh and clean on the nose with fruity notes of pear, green apple, and white peaches. The palate is true to the nose with a fresh acidity, coriander and lime notes followed by a crisp finish. This wine pairs well with youthful aperitifs, clams or mussels, pastas and risotto dishes. 

My Review: I got a serious scent of old rubberbands, ingrown toenails, and light pear. An odd combo to say the least. Immediate almost overwhelming acidity that evened out to a chalky aftertaste similar to smarties. 

Food: I did not taste this with food. 

-W. 

Dinner- The Palisades (Chile)

25 March 2016

Back at it again with the Palisades Wines Around the World. This week the restaurant featured wine and cuisine from Chile, and we were not disappointed. Billy Thomas accompanied me on this trip and offered some of his insights into his wine experience. The meal consisted of Milcaos (potato pancakes with onions), an Empanada (cheese filled pastry), and Pastel de Choclo (sweet corn pie with chicken, raisins, olives, and a hard boiled egg). This dishes were paired with a 2015 Terranoble Chardonnay, a 2013 Terranoble Cabernet Sauvignon, and a 2011 Chocalan Carmenere.

Terranoble Chardonnay 2015

We began our meal with the Milcaos and the 2015 Terranoble Chardonnay.

Bright, transparent, and clear yellow color. I could only smell pears and lots of them. It was almost as if I opened one of those fruit cups for kids except it only had sliced pears in it. Extremely acidic bite on the mid palate, but a smooth finish that seemed to coat my mouth in pear. This wine pairs well with the fried outside of the potato pancake making a smoother mid palate. Interesting combination with the caramelized onions that I was not expecting.

Billy's Thoughts: Light and refreshing on the nose and warm cat urine on the finish. What a combo. Almost caught a tremor of mint on the very end, but we're still unsure how.

Terranoble Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

On to the Empanada and the Terranoble Cabernet Sauvignon 2013.

Deep ruby red color that boasted a strong bouquet of dark fruit, coffee, oak, and vanilla. Definitely a dry wine with great tannic structure. The finish was disappointing as it seemed a bit disjointed and rough. I wasn't a fan of the pairing with the empanada. The fried outside didn't mix well, and the cheese on the inside wasn't able to come through strong enough to work positively with the cab.

Billy's Thoughts: Oooh a Cab! My mom loves Cabernet Sauvignon! I think it has a smooth finish with just a subtle hint of chocolate on the finish.

Chocalan Carmenere 2011

Finally, the 2011 Chocolan Carmenere and the Pastel de Choclo.

Fantastic ruby coloring. I caught a lot of dirty, earthy scents on the nose. Maybe even some hints of cigar smoke too. Taste was also earthy, but it reminded me more of chewing on some grass or weeds. Almost like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn with the long stalk hanging out of their mouth while floating down the Mississippi. Strong tannins came through almost like biting into an apple or watermelon and unintentionally eating a seed. It also had a bitter, coffee ground type of finish. The egg in the Choclo really softened the tannins and rounded out for a more pleasant finish.

Billy's Thoughts: I smell Licorice. That might not be right, but that's the only thing I have right now. It's good.

The Line-Up: (Left to Right) Camenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay

-W.

Tasting- Dona Sol

3 March 2016

Guest Amateur Wine Connoisseur of the Week: Drew Woods

Dona Sol

Name: Dona Sol

Variety: Shiraz, Petite Syrah, & Symphony

Country: USA

Region: California

Year: Mixed vintage

Price: $6.95

Shop Review: Shiraz has a unique jammy fruit character that is well represented in the Sweet Red. Both on the nose and on the palate, jammy fruit, like strawberries, cherry pie and red licorice, entices the senses and pair well with cheeses and deserts. 

Drew's Review: I can't quite put my finger on it... Got it. Dunkin Donuts strawberry donut. That about sums up this wine for me. 

The Thursday Line-Up

My Review: Strong fruity and floral bouquets make this wine pleasant to sniff. Way too sweet tasting for my preferences. It tastes like someone took a cherry poptart, mixed it with a frosted strawberry pastry, crammed it into a bottle, and then named it Dona Sol. I think the finish was a bit simplistic and flabby, but the initial tastes are nice for the sweet wine drinkers. Not quite my cup of tea, but I think this would go well with any dessert dish. 

Food: We did not taste this with food.

-W.

Tasting- Velvet Crush

3 March 2016

Guest Amateur Wine Connoisseur of the Week: Drew Woods

Velvet Crush 

Name: Velvet Crush

Variety: Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon, & Petite Sirah

Country: USA

Region: California

Year: Mixed vintage

Price: $18

Shop Review: Velvety smooth texture just like its name. Soft tannins and lush dark fruit character. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah bring backbone and character, while the Merlot balances out for a soft, smooth texture. 

Drew's Review: I've got a crush on this Velvet crush. I'm talking R. Kelly level of smooth with Aretha Franklin level power in the finish. Delightful tastes of plum and cherry mix well with the natural tannins. I'm interested to see if a few years would allow this blend to fully make it out of the closet.  

My Review: I don't know if it was just me, but my initial sniff was just solid stale urine. Not even cat urine like ammonia just gross, stale urine. Luckily, the second sniff was more pleasant and I caught some earthy, mossy tones on the nose. I tasted some hints of dark chocolate and coffee on the mid palate with some deep fruit flavors. 

Food: We did not try this with food. 

-W. 

Tasting- Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2013

3 March 2016

Guest Amateur Wine Connoisseur of the Week: Drew Woods

Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2013

Name: Grand Cru

Variety: Pinot Noir

Country: USA

Region: California

Year: 2013

Price: $6.95

Shop Review: This ruby-colored wine has aromas of raspberry, cherry, and a hint of vanilla. Flavors of cherry and plum lead to a soft velvety finish. This wine can be enjoyed by itself. It is also an excellent accompaniment with Brie, goat cheese and smoked salmon. Lamb shanks and pork tenderloin are favorite main dishes to pair with this wine. 

Drew's Review: Classic oaky notes on the nose with a bit of cherry mixed in. Caught a little too much heat for my liking on the mid palate. I figured this was an interesting wine so I bought a bottle to give a chance to open up at home. After decanting this Pinot easily opened up and the heat softened a bit for a well-rounded finish. 

My Review: Mild nutty, buttery, earthy aromas on the nose with some additional scents of oaky/woodiness. Initial taste was on dark fruit, but a candy-like taste of the mid palate threw me for a loop. It had a slightly sour, slightly sweet finish similar to a Spree, and then a kind of chalky taste that reminded me of Smarties. Interesting finish to say the least.  

Food: We did not taste this with food. 

-W. 

Tasting- Prime Brume Garganega 2014

3 March 2016

Guest Amateur Wine Connoisseur of the Week: Drew Woods

Prime Brume Garganega 2014

Name: Prime Brume 

Variety: Garganega

Country: Italy

Region: Soave

Year: 2014

Price: $11

Shop Review: Pale color. Fruity, floral minerally inviting aromas of passion fruit, white grapefruit, spice poached pear, and papaya with a lean, racy, bone-dry medium body and a smooth, complex, long lemon, passion fruit, raw hazelnut, and wet stones finish with no tannins and light oak. From the tantalizing nose full of exotic fruit, citrus and minerality thru to the long, crisp finish, this soave can seamlessly go from cocktail hour thru to vibrantly flavored dishes. (Tastings.com Rating: 91 points)

Drew's Review: Two words: Rico. Suave. Complex taste and smooth smells makes this a great wine. One hit wonder for sure. Drink it up right away and enjoy the moment because this one isn't going to last long.  

My Review: I don't know what the Tastings.com reviewer saw in this wine, but I did not catch any of that. On the nose, I caught a dry, floral scent kind of like my grandma's bathroom, but in a good way. (GMa, I promise I'm not hating on your bathroom) It sort of smells like that perfume that well-aged ladies wear. Lightly citrus taste, but I didn't really get much else. 

Food: We did not taste this with food. 

-W. 

Tasting- Quinta Melgaco Blue Vinho Verde 2013

3 March 2016

Guest Amateur Wine Connoisseur of the Week: Drew Woods 

Quinta Melgaco Blue Vinho Verde 2013

Name: Quinta Melgaço Blue 

Variety: Vinho Verde

Country: Portugal

Region: Vinho Verde

Year: 2013

Price: $10

Shop Review: Refreshingly crisp white wine from Portugal -- Vino Verde is soft, light and refreshing, and is an uncompromising and ideal wine for everyday pleasure. Its bright color and pineapple aromas are followed by citrus notes. The palate is clean and fresh. Vinho Verde is an excellent accompaniment to fish and shell fish, white meats and salads. (Wine Enthusiast Score: 91 points)

Drew's Review: Obviously floral on the nose. It's like if someone took a bouquet of summer flowers and then slapped you across the face with them. Not my favorite, but I could be convinced to have a glass or two. 

My Review: Enjoyable floral bouquet with a hint of ammonia. Nice citrus flavors make for a sweet, clean taste with a crisp, acidic finish. Great wine for a warm summer day. 

Food: We did not taste this with food. 

-W.