Posts Tagged ‘vanilla’
Varietal: 100% Malbec
Region: Patagonia, Argentina
Cost: $13 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: A deep ruby-colored wine with rich, smooth blackberry flavors and vanilla aromas. Pairs well with red meats, cheeses, and pastas.
My Review: I’ve been a fan of Malbec for some time now, I’ve found it to be, on the whole, a nice inexpensive alternative to numerous other budget wines where you can get far better quality than your dollar would lead you to believe, especially coming out of South America, and it tends to pair well with the foods I like to eat. Because of that, I was pleased to receive a bottle of Malbec as a sample right at the end of the year, and my wife and I finally decided to pop the cork and give it a try last night.
Varietal: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Syrah; 3% Merlot; 2% Petit Verdot; 1% Malbec; 1% Cabernet Franc
Region: California – USA
Cost: $11 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: The wine has a smooth texture and sweet, red fruit character that distinguishes California’s finest Cabernet Sauvignons, along with smoky oak, vanilla, and roasted nut accents to invigorate the palate and provide a lengthy finish. Enjoy with standing rib roasts, grilled steak, roast duck, spareribs, lasagna, or flavorful hard cheeses.
My Review: An evening where my wife was out and I was home alone with the dog to fend for myself on dinner usually only means one thing – steak, a baked potato, and a bottle of red wine to be enjoyed. There are worse ways to spend an evening. I’d been sitting on this sample until I could get around to cooking up a steak, and as tends to be the case, I’m glad I did.
Varietal: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon; 6% Merlot; 4% Cabernet Franc; 1% Petit Verdot
Region: Napa Valley – California – USA
Cost: $20
Winemaker’s Notes: Rich, ripe, and focused with juicy blackberry and cherry fruit, cocoa and hints of mint all tied together with a creamy French vanilla middle and finish that in a word is…lingering.
My Review: So, full disclosure, I absolutely grabbed this bottle because the label design was interesting. As we all know, we eat with our eyes first, which is problematic when selecting a bottle of wine since we can’t use our nose, and in a bottle, reds in particular all sorta look alike. So, from time to time, I will narrow my selection down to two or three bottles and then pick the one with the most interesting label. Last Saturday was just such an occasion.
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Region: California – Napa Valley – USA
Cost: $18 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Pale yellow in color with aromas of Fuji apple, ripe pear, citrus and white nectarine fruit layered with rich notes of cream, toasted hazelnut, and vanilla. In the mouth the wine is silky and round with flavors of pear, apple, citrus, and honey with notes of rich creme brulee, mineral, and cream lingering at the finish. Pairs well with chicken dishes, soft cheeses, and cream based pastas.
My Review: I can always tell when the warmer months are upon us because the samples I receive change from big bold reds to lighter wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. It’s my little way of knowing that winter will soon be over and that I can finally put away my heavy wool coat. The first of such samples to show up at my office this time was a 2009 Franciscan Estate Chardonnay.
As you know, picking out Chardonnay is a bit of a trial in my house as my wife doesn’t like overly oaked Chardonnay. Fortunately I think that a) her tastes are evolving and she’s getting more into oaked Chardonnay, and b) we’re finding plenty of Chardonnay that’s spent time in oak, but doesn’t beat you over the head with the oak flavors. The 2009 Franciscan definitely falls into that category. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: 100% Malbec
Region: Mendoza – Argentina
Cost: $19.99 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Intense red color with violet tones. Aromas of wild berry and dark plum with a hint of coffee. Berry and plum continue to the palate with smoke and vanilla joining through the persistent finish. Pairs well with red meat entrees, Beef Wellington, roasted leg of lamb, grilled vegetables, and semi-firm cheeses.
My Thoughts: So, if you read my post on what I served during Christmas, you know that I’ve already opened up a bottle of the 2008 Antigal Uno Malbec. However, I wasn’t taking notes, nor pairing it with anything, so I was glad to have a second bottle to review at a later time. This is that later time. Now before I launch into my review of the wine, I want to take a moment to speak on packaging.
I know that there are plenty of websites out there that speak about wines hiding inferior juice behind a splashy label, and I’ll be the first to admit that this is true. However, there’s something to be said for taking pride in your product, and wanting it to look great on the shelf as well as taste good in the glass. Antigal has done a great job of that here, with an attractive bottle design, with the raised copper number one on it, that makes the bottle stand out on the shelf and hopefully entices more people to try it. Now, on to the review. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Rioja (90% Tempranillo; 10% Graciano)
Region: Spain
Cost: $11
Ruby red color with notes of violet. Flavors of black fruit, vanilla, and coconut. Pairs well with cheese and red meat.
Recommendations: This wine is a perfect example of wine you listen to your wine guy. While attending the Friday tasting held by The Wine Cellar, the manager recommended the Burgo Viejo, knowing that my wife and I are fans of Spanish wine. Let your wine store know your palate and they will find great wines for you.
It didn’t take us long to get the bottle open once we got home, deciding to pair it with the pork tenderloins we had been marinading for two days in bourbon (ask me for that marinade some time – it’s awesome). Great jammy flavors of black fruit were readily evident on the palate, with a nice smooth finish that belied the 13.5% alcohol. Read the rest of this entry »
