Name: Cellar 8 Pinot Grigio
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Napa Valley
Country: California
Year: 2009
Price: $13
Review: "Cellar No. 8 wines are crafted at the historic Asti Winery
in California. Cellar No. 8 Pinot Grigio displays notes of pineapple
and jasmine on the nose. Crisp and light, this wine has grapefruit and
lime flavors that open to a refreshing finish with balanced acidity.
Cellar No. 8 Pinot Grigio is perfect on its own, anytime. Cellar No. 8
wines honor and reflect the rich winemaking tradition at Asti. Whether
relaxing in your favorite leather chair or celebrating with friends,
Cellar No. 8 is a great discovery which might just become your next
tradition."
My Review: One of my favorites. Tasted of citrus fruit, specifically pineapple. Light and tasty. Hints of lime coming through. Slight heat at end. Very good.
I did not drink this wine with food.
Kristy's fantastically awesome wine blog
So this semester, instead of doing endless amounts of chemistry and biochemistry homework, I decided to drink wine instead. Great life decision.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Tasting Spanish Vines Sauvignon Blanc
Name: Spanish Vines Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Sevilla
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $10
Review: "Recommended with caution. The sample this note is based on was weighty and smooth, with apple and floral notes and then an almosty buttery palate with baked apple and citrus flavors. Oddly, it’s a soft, ripe wine that’s fading and not showing much Sauvignon Blanc typicity"
My Review: Clean/fresh smell to begin with. When I tasted the wine, it was refreshing and smooth but it was basically tasteless, like spring fabreeze. Surprisingly had a bitter aftertaste. Would not recommend. Not my favorite.
I did not drink this wine with food.
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Sevilla
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $10
Review: "Recommended with caution. The sample this note is based on was weighty and smooth, with apple and floral notes and then an almosty buttery palate with baked apple and citrus flavors. Oddly, it’s a soft, ripe wine that’s fading and not showing much Sauvignon Blanc typicity"
My Review: Clean/fresh smell to begin with. When I tasted the wine, it was refreshing and smooth but it was basically tasteless, like spring fabreeze. Surprisingly had a bitter aftertaste. Would not recommend. Not my favorite.
I did not drink this wine with food.
Tasting Coldstream Hills Sauvignon Blanc
Year: 2009
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region:Yarra Valley
Country: Australia
Price: $27
Review: "Coldstream Hills Sauvignon Blanc is sourced mainly from vineyards in the cool Upper Yarra. The wine is predominantly fermented in stainless steel, with a small percentage barrel fermented in older French oak - in some years, a percentage of Semillon is blended to add texture. Best consumed when young and fresh."
My Review: I really had a good impression of this wine. It tasted of tangy fruits such as peach and orange. Smooth with a fantastic aftertaste. I would definitely purchase this wine in the future.
I did not drink this wine with food.
Tasting Palos Verdejo
Name: Palos Verdejo
Variety: 100% Verdejo
Region: Castilla
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $15
Variety: 100% Verdejo
Region: Castilla
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $15
Review: "Castellana’s 2009 Palos Verdejo is medium
straw-colored with a nose of fennel, spring flowers, citrus, and apple.
Crisp and vibrant on the palate, this tasty offering is a good value
that will deliver pleasure over the next 12–18 months." -
87 pts. Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: June, 2010
My Review: Crisp apple scent- great initial smell. Tasted very citrusy and smooth. No strong hints of specific fruits though. All in all I enjoyed the wine and would consider buying it in the future.
I drank this wine without food.
Tasting Three Rivers Merlot
Name: Three Rivers Merlot
Variety: Merlot
Region: Walla Walla Valley, Washington State
Country: USA
Year: 2006
Price: $27
Review: "Perfumed berry aromas offer an initial sense of sweet fruit, followed by more savory tones of tobacco leaf and dried herbs. Complex in the mouth, a melange of cherry, plum, and black raspberry flavors make up the fruity core, while accents of tobacco, cedar, and a subtle sense of dusty earth add depth. Fresh acidity and finely balanced tannins give a good frame and force to the flavors, with subtle oak spice in the background. The elegant finish is long. A cellar candidate, or enjoy now with a grilled T-bone steak."
My Review: First smelled of petrol and sweet berries. Good initial impression. At first taste, it was smooth and earthy with a bitter aftertaste. Overall, not my favorite but Merlot varieties have never clicked with me.
I drank this wine without food.
Variety: Merlot
Region: Walla Walla Valley, Washington State
Country: USA
Year: 2006
Price: $27
Review: "Perfumed berry aromas offer an initial sense of sweet fruit, followed by more savory tones of tobacco leaf and dried herbs. Complex in the mouth, a melange of cherry, plum, and black raspberry flavors make up the fruity core, while accents of tobacco, cedar, and a subtle sense of dusty earth add depth. Fresh acidity and finely balanced tannins give a good frame and force to the flavors, with subtle oak spice in the background. The elegant finish is long. A cellar candidate, or enjoy now with a grilled T-bone steak."
My Review: First smelled of petrol and sweet berries. Good initial impression. At first taste, it was smooth and earthy with a bitter aftertaste. Overall, not my favorite but Merlot varieties have never clicked with me.
I drank this wine without food.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Dinner- Palisades (South Africa)
Andrew has a crazy face before entering the restaurant. |
This past Thursday, I found myself making my way back to the restaurant that already holds so many memories. Except this time, I was to be enjoying the weekly wine and food pairing instead of my usual pear pizza (absolutely delicious, by the way, as is everything in this restaurant!) The theme of the evening was South African, specifically from the Stellenbosch district. According to the information sheet given to us, this district is the second oldest wine region in South Africa and is responsible for around 14% of the country's annual wine production. In addition, this region harbors a "Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and cool wet winters."
Me, Meredith, and Steve anxiously awaiting our food! |
The featured foods and wines of the evening. |
We began by smelling and tasting the Chenin Blanc. It smelled like citrus fruits, oak and overall earthy. Since it was a white wine, we tried it with the pumpkin fritters and chutney to begin with. Paired with the pumpkin fritters (delicious, by the way!), the berries came out in the wine in a fuller flavor. With the apricot chutney, the berry flavors do not seem as vibrant as with the pumpkin but the wine still tasted better with food than without food.
Next, we smelled and tasted the Petit Pinotage. It smelled of oak and dark berries (especially cherries). Tasting it without food, it tasted of oak and tannins, with a little heat. In addition it was medium bodied. Paired with the beef skewers, the heat was not as apparent; however, the heat was more apparent with the pumpkin and slightly more apparent when paired with the beef and the onion. Clearly, as a red wine, it was meant to be paired more with meat than with vegetables.
Finally, we smelled and tasted the Cabernet Sauvignon. At first glance, we noticed particles floating at the surface of the wine. We suspected that these small particles were yeast. It smelled of dark berries, oak and tabacco. Without food, this Cab Sauv tasted of oak, tabacco, dark berry (it tasted like it smelled) and was smooth and full bodied. With meat, it seemed to maintain a similar taste however it was a bit neutralized (slightly less flavorful).
Overall, I had a very enjoyable evening. My roommate, Julia, turned 21 that night and I know that she had a fun dinner, as did the rest of us. My favorite wine was the Chenin Blanc, probably because I always seem to favor white wines over red wines. My least favorite was the Cabernet Sauvignon, which I believe to be an aquired taste. Would definitely go back to the Palisades, one of my favorite restaurants!
Tasting Copa Del Rey Merlot
Name: Copa Del Rey Merlot
Variety: Merlot
Region: Maipo Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2008
Price: $15.00
Critic Review: "Our winemakers worked in Chile to craft the Copa del Rey Merlot from the vineyard to the bottle. The latest New World winemaking techniques were employed to bring out the best of the Maipo Valley terroir. In the vineyard, extra hang-time allowed the grapes to reach full physiological ripeness, developing great intensity, depth and structure. In the cellar, French oak added complexity, body and flavor and our unique micro-oxygenation treatment was used to soften the tannins and create a rich, round mouth-feel. This Merlot also benefitted from the latest fining and filtration techniques which bring forth the full expression of fruit in the wine."
My Review: Smelled strongly of oak and sweet berries and these scents were overwhelming. The taste was overbearingly of oak and smoke. The aftertaste burned my throat. One of the most heated wines that I have experienced. Definitely not my favorite.
I did not drink this wine with food.
Variety: Merlot
Region: Maipo Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2008
Price: $15.00
Critic Review: "Our winemakers worked in Chile to craft the Copa del Rey Merlot from the vineyard to the bottle. The latest New World winemaking techniques were employed to bring out the best of the Maipo Valley terroir. In the vineyard, extra hang-time allowed the grapes to reach full physiological ripeness, developing great intensity, depth and structure. In the cellar, French oak added complexity, body and flavor and our unique micro-oxygenation treatment was used to soften the tannins and create a rich, round mouth-feel. This Merlot also benefitted from the latest fining and filtration techniques which bring forth the full expression of fruit in the wine."
My Review: Smelled strongly of oak and sweet berries and these scents were overwhelming. The taste was overbearingly of oak and smoke. The aftertaste burned my throat. One of the most heated wines that I have experienced. Definitely not my favorite.
I did not drink this wine with food.
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