Recently, I wrote about a malbec from the same producer, Familia Zuccardi, out of Mendoza, Argentina. The wine now in my glass is from a separate product line, Santa Julia. Unfortunately, I don't know what's different about it, except that it costs less, because the website is in Spanish and I can't understand what it says. (My 1/2 a semester of Spanish classes just doesn't cut it.)
The wine has the same vibrant violet hue in the glass; it's young - a 2009 - and it looks it. The aroma isn't as powerful and complex as the Zuccardi I tasted a few weeks ago, though I do get some lovely raspberries, some cocoa and toast. It's also not as impressive in the mouth as the other. It's overly sour and bitter, without the benefit of any delicious, juicy fruits on the palette. Zuccardi definitely saved their good grapes for the other wine. These taste unripe and just not very pleasant. I don't think any more time in the bottle would help it; though it might open up a bit, I think it will remain unbalanced. Eh...81.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
2007 Los Maquis Calcu Colchagua Valley
Chile, reportedly, has one of the most ideal climates and situations for great winemaking in the world. And land is cheap, so everybody and their uncle is making wine. A lot of the wine is great, and very inexpensive to purchase. But I've noticed that, on more than one occasion, I've smelled some...unfortunate....aromas wafting from a glass of Chilean wine. For example, the sauvignon blanc that smelled like a farm shed (tractor oil, livestock, and rotting vegetation). This is not to say that all Chilean wines smell like yuck, but...it's an observation.
The wine I'm tasting today, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, carmenere, cabernet franc, and petit verdot, has a very appealing dark garnet color in the glass. A little cloudy, which is unusual in these days when most wines are expected to be clear and without sediment, but doesn't mean anything is wrong with the wine.
I admit my nose to the glass and...grape popsicle and POOP. Okay, so professional winetasters don't say poop. They say "barnyard" or "manure." Actually in this case, barnyard might be quite appropriate, as not only does the wine smell like ordure, but there's also a hearty whiff of decaying vegetation. This is not a happy-smelling wine. So, let's try it in the mouth (if I must).....
Better. Whew. Good balance between the bracing acidity and the moderate but refined tannins. It's medium in body, a little "hot" - meaning that the alcohol is a little high and isn't quite in balance with the other elements in the wine - and a bit lacking in complexity and concentration. There is a hint of the aroma that carries over to the palate, but it comes across more as just overripe black cherry, rather than actual rot.
So, if you can get past the poop on the nose (ew), it's an okay wine. But...why would you want to drink something that smells like a barnyard? I give it an 80.
The wine I'm tasting today, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, carmenere, cabernet franc, and petit verdot, has a very appealing dark garnet color in the glass. A little cloudy, which is unusual in these days when most wines are expected to be clear and without sediment, but doesn't mean anything is wrong with the wine.
I admit my nose to the glass and...grape popsicle and POOP. Okay, so professional winetasters don't say poop. They say "barnyard" or "manure." Actually in this case, barnyard might be quite appropriate, as not only does the wine smell like ordure, but there's also a hearty whiff of decaying vegetation. This is not a happy-smelling wine. So, let's try it in the mouth (if I must).....
Better. Whew. Good balance between the bracing acidity and the moderate but refined tannins. It's medium in body, a little "hot" - meaning that the alcohol is a little high and isn't quite in balance with the other elements in the wine - and a bit lacking in complexity and concentration. There is a hint of the aroma that carries over to the palate, but it comes across more as just overripe black cherry, rather than actual rot.
So, if you can get past the poop on the nose (ew), it's an okay wine. But...why would you want to drink something that smells like a barnyard? I give it an 80.
Friday, October 22, 2010
2007 Mad Bay Western Australia Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Oh, those crazy Australians, first I find Madfish Bay, now just Mad Bay...who can be mad when there is wine to be tasted (even if you are a fish!)?
This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, its father Cabernet Franc, and Merlot (the flesh on the bones) is a classic Bordeaux combination, but transported far south to Australia. The grapes come from an area of Western Australia, Margaret River, that is often described as having a similar climate as Bordeaux. The color of this resultant wine is a vibrant, dark ruby with just a little orange starting at the rim, indicating the some aging. The aroma is far more Bordeaux-like than I was expecting. Even with the same blend of grapes, "New World" wines tend to be fruitier and fleshier than most austere terroir-driven Bordeaux wines. But this wine has earthy notes of dried grass and a forest in the fall, with just a hint of blackcurrant in the background.
In the mouth, it's not quite as pleasant. It finishes well, with a nice blend of grassy and blackfruit flavors, and a bit of cocoa powder, but these only evolve after your tastebuds are rather assaulted with acid and bitterness. Frankly, I've had this experience with Bordeaux in the past, so perhaps the winemakers were merely striving for regional authenticity? What it lacks that Bordeaux tends to have in abundance is tannin. Only the faintest hint of astringency is there, which may be why the acid is beating me over the head - there's not much there to balance it out.
So, the finish makes it a drinkable wine, but I think these grapes could have used a little more time on the vine and/or a warmer growing season so they could develop more sugars and the phenolic ripeness they crave and dispense with some of that acid. And it needs to be consumed with lots of soft cheese. I give it an 84.
This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, its father Cabernet Franc, and Merlot (the flesh on the bones) is a classic Bordeaux combination, but transported far south to Australia. The grapes come from an area of Western Australia, Margaret River, that is often described as having a similar climate as Bordeaux. The color of this resultant wine is a vibrant, dark ruby with just a little orange starting at the rim, indicating the some aging. The aroma is far more Bordeaux-like than I was expecting. Even with the same blend of grapes, "New World" wines tend to be fruitier and fleshier than most austere terroir-driven Bordeaux wines. But this wine has earthy notes of dried grass and a forest in the fall, with just a hint of blackcurrant in the background.
In the mouth, it's not quite as pleasant. It finishes well, with a nice blend of grassy and blackfruit flavors, and a bit of cocoa powder, but these only evolve after your tastebuds are rather assaulted with acid and bitterness. Frankly, I've had this experience with Bordeaux in the past, so perhaps the winemakers were merely striving for regional authenticity? What it lacks that Bordeaux tends to have in abundance is tannin. Only the faintest hint of astringency is there, which may be why the acid is beating me over the head - there's not much there to balance it out.
So, the finish makes it a drinkable wine, but I think these grapes could have used a little more time on the vine and/or a warmer growing season so they could develop more sugars and the phenolic ripeness they crave and dispense with some of that acid. And it needs to be consumed with lots of soft cheese. I give it an 84.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
2008 Bodegas San Valero Juice Banger Tempranillo Garnacha
As you might guess - I bought this wine because of its name. It also has a pretty rocking label, and - even though I know all too well that a great label does not a great wine make - it still worked its marketing magic on me. So let's see how it worked out!
The color is a medium ruby red with a young, pinkish rim. The aroma is fruity, with some cream, smoky black pepper, and strawberries (that' s the garnacha talking). That may sound odd, but one of the most delicious of the many bars of chocolate I've eaten in my life contained both strawberries and black pepper. Whoever discovered that combination was a crazy genius.
In the mouth, the wine is just plain delicious. There is the right amount of acidity and tannin to give the wine bones, but not overpower the fruit. The first sensation I noted upon tasting was cream. The texture is creamy, though not thick, as is the flavor. A bit of bitterness evolves on the tail end, but quickly gives way to strawberry for a satisfying finish. The only fault I find with this pleasant, easy-drinking wine is that it's a bit hollow midpalate. By that I mean that I'm feeling the tannins and acidity on the sides of my mouth and tongue, but in the middle where I want complex flavors and fruit, I'm just not getting much of note.
For $10, this wine is a fantastic value, and is light enough in texture and flavor that you could drink it with just about anything that has some substance (i.e. probably not cod). This wine may very well be present on my Thanksgiving table! I give it an 89.
The color is a medium ruby red with a young, pinkish rim. The aroma is fruity, with some cream, smoky black pepper, and strawberries (that' s the garnacha talking). That may sound odd, but one of the most delicious of the many bars of chocolate I've eaten in my life contained both strawberries and black pepper. Whoever discovered that combination was a crazy genius.
In the mouth, the wine is just plain delicious. There is the right amount of acidity and tannin to give the wine bones, but not overpower the fruit. The first sensation I noted upon tasting was cream. The texture is creamy, though not thick, as is the flavor. A bit of bitterness evolves on the tail end, but quickly gives way to strawberry for a satisfying finish. The only fault I find with this pleasant, easy-drinking wine is that it's a bit hollow midpalate. By that I mean that I'm feeling the tannins and acidity on the sides of my mouth and tongue, but in the middle where I want complex flavors and fruit, I'm just not getting much of note.
For $10, this wine is a fantastic value, and is light enough in texture and flavor that you could drink it with just about anything that has some substance (i.e. probably not cod). This wine may very well be present on my Thanksgiving table! I give it an 89.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
2005 Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Marina Cvetic San Martino Rosso
I'm sure there there is not-so-good Montepulciano d'Abruzzo out there - but I can't recall ever having one. Of course, I don't remember much about any wines I tasted before I really learned to taste. But this wine from Masciarelli certainly upholds my vision of Montelpulciano as a delicious wine.
It's dark, dark, dark in the glass, in fact a completely opaque ruby. Luckily I gave it a sniff before the chicken roasting in the often started to overpower it (wine may smell like many thinks, but chicken isn't generally a desired aroma). There are dark chocolate-covered cherries in this glass, some earth as well, though the aroma isn't intense - it's clear, but like I'm smelling it from far away, as a member of my tasting group said today (about a different wine). The chocolate is likely the influence of oak-aging, which can also impart vanilla, toasty, buttery, and caramel aromas and tastes, depending on the age of the barrel, the grape varietal, the level of charring in the oak, etc.
I think part of the reason I can't get a lot of aroma out of the wine (which is also making it hard to taste much) is that...it's really cold in my apartment and I think the wine would be a lot more expressive if I bit the bullet and turned up the heat. But....I'd rather spend my money on wine than gas bills....
The palate is quite dominated by some firm, scratchy tannins, which I think would have mellowed out a bit if I had opened the wine a year ot two from now. Right now, they're making my lips stick to my teeth and I'm wishing that chicken would hurry up and roast so I had something to eat with the wine. Ooooh, or maybe some nice pasta with marinara and spicy sausages....mmmmmmm.... The wine also has some pronounced acid that is making me pucker, but it's fairly well balanced out by some juicy red fruit and - believe it or not - black olives - on the finish.
Overall, a wine with excellent structure and potential to pair really well with a rich, Italian dish. By itself, the acid and tannins are kind of hurting me. Must go in search of cheese. I give it an 84.
It's dark, dark, dark in the glass, in fact a completely opaque ruby. Luckily I gave it a sniff before the chicken roasting in the often started to overpower it (wine may smell like many thinks, but chicken isn't generally a desired aroma). There are dark chocolate-covered cherries in this glass, some earth as well, though the aroma isn't intense - it's clear, but like I'm smelling it from far away, as a member of my tasting group said today (about a different wine). The chocolate is likely the influence of oak-aging, which can also impart vanilla, toasty, buttery, and caramel aromas and tastes, depending on the age of the barrel, the grape varietal, the level of charring in the oak, etc.
I think part of the reason I can't get a lot of aroma out of the wine (which is also making it hard to taste much) is that...it's really cold in my apartment and I think the wine would be a lot more expressive if I bit the bullet and turned up the heat. But....I'd rather spend my money on wine than gas bills....
The palate is quite dominated by some firm, scratchy tannins, which I think would have mellowed out a bit if I had opened the wine a year ot two from now. Right now, they're making my lips stick to my teeth and I'm wishing that chicken would hurry up and roast so I had something to eat with the wine. Ooooh, or maybe some nice pasta with marinara and spicy sausages....mmmmmmm.... The wine also has some pronounced acid that is making me pucker, but it's fairly well balanced out by some juicy red fruit and - believe it or not - black olives - on the finish.
Overall, a wine with excellent structure and potential to pair really well with a rich, Italian dish. By itself, the acid and tannins are kind of hurting me. Must go in search of cheese. I give it an 84.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
2009 Four Sisters Sauvignon Blanc Central Victoria
I'm often suspicious of Australian white wines. Far, far too many that I have tasted have had an overwhelming quality of...rubber. I don't know if it's the heat, the sun, the soil, or some other element of terroir, but I just don't enjoy drinking something that tastes like a hose.
There a bit of a latexy aroma here, but far more prevalent is the telltale "green" smells of a sauvignon blanc. In fact, when I sniffed it first, I thought "greenhouse!" There are leaves and flowers here, as well as a sort of white peppery quality that I puzzled over quite some time before realizing it was basil. In fact, Thai basil to be overly specific. Who would have thought?!.
There's a bit of sweetness on the palate, though it's by no means a "sweet wine" (after the Pedro Ximinez sherry I tasted last night, maple syrup seems merely "off dry" - like drinking pureed raisins, it was). Besides the sugar, the first thing I noticed was a lack of acidity. My mouth just wasn't watering. These two things can go hand in hand. In a warm climate, which Central Victoria can be, grapes can ripen to produce exquisite levels of sugar (sometimes too much for the yeast to ferment before they poison themselves with alcohol, thus leaving some "residual sugar" in the finished wine), but often at the expense of acidity, which decreases over time.
The bottle is sitting across the room and I don't feel like getting up to look at the alcohol content, but I would expect it's pretty high, given the prickling at the back of my mouth. Between that and the sugar, the wine has a fairly high viscosity and a very smooth, silky texture. Extremely pleasant, indeed! There is some prominent fruit on the palette as well, which has a slight bitterness that puts me in mind of grapefruit. Overall, it's a pleasant wine, and a good value one as well; it just lacks a bit of the acid structure that could have taken it to the next level. And the bitterness of the grapefruit on the palette becomes more like "rind" than "fruit" as the wine evolves in my mouth. So, eh. I'd give it an 82.
There a bit of a latexy aroma here, but far more prevalent is the telltale "green" smells of a sauvignon blanc. In fact, when I sniffed it first, I thought "greenhouse!" There are leaves and flowers here, as well as a sort of white peppery quality that I puzzled over quite some time before realizing it was basil. In fact, Thai basil to be overly specific. Who would have thought?!.
There's a bit of sweetness on the palate, though it's by no means a "sweet wine" (after the Pedro Ximinez sherry I tasted last night, maple syrup seems merely "off dry" - like drinking pureed raisins, it was). Besides the sugar, the first thing I noticed was a lack of acidity. My mouth just wasn't watering. These two things can go hand in hand. In a warm climate, which Central Victoria can be, grapes can ripen to produce exquisite levels of sugar (sometimes too much for the yeast to ferment before they poison themselves with alcohol, thus leaving some "residual sugar" in the finished wine), but often at the expense of acidity, which decreases over time.
The bottle is sitting across the room and I don't feel like getting up to look at the alcohol content, but I would expect it's pretty high, given the prickling at the back of my mouth. Between that and the sugar, the wine has a fairly high viscosity and a very smooth, silky texture. Extremely pleasant, indeed! There is some prominent fruit on the palette as well, which has a slight bitterness that puts me in mind of grapefruit. Overall, it's a pleasant wine, and a good value one as well; it just lacks a bit of the acid structure that could have taken it to the next level. And the bitterness of the grapefruit on the palette becomes more like "rind" than "fruit" as the wine evolves in my mouth. So, eh. I'd give it an 82.
Monday, October 11, 2010
2008 Familia Zuccardi Malbec Mendoza Serie A
Violet violet violet. Just as a good malbec should be, this wine is opauely violet; when I swirl the glass, a noticeably purple sheen is left behind even when the wine settles back into the bowl. The nose is sensuous and striking with vanilla custard and raspberries, and - this sounds weird but - creamed corn. Big yum. (Good thing, because I swirled so vigorously, I sloshed it all over my pants.)
In the mouth, the wine is still silky and creamy (obviously a happy marriage between the grapes and the toasty barrel here). The acidity doesn't stand up and shout "hello!" but is very well balanced with the velvety tannins and tingly alochol. It has a medium-full body and some juicy concentrated blueberry pie and a hint of black pepper on the palette, and a finish that lingers for minutes. All around a delicious wine. I could drink this every day!
Argentina does it again! I give it a 91. A first, I think!
In the mouth, the wine is still silky and creamy (obviously a happy marriage between the grapes and the toasty barrel here). The acidity doesn't stand up and shout "hello!" but is very well balanced with the velvety tannins and tingly alochol. It has a medium-full body and some juicy concentrated blueberry pie and a hint of black pepper on the palette, and a finish that lingers for minutes. All around a delicious wine. I could drink this every day!
Argentina does it again! I give it a 91. A first, I think!
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