Friday, August 31, 2012

Columbia Winery Columbia Valley Cellarmaster's 2010 Riesling


Columbia Winery Columbia Valley Cellarmaster's 2010 Riesling, $11.89-$13.99, 89 points, is glass-clear with light gold tones.
Has a mineral-water aroma with hints of sharp lemon.
The medium body is viscous, giving this wine a luscious mouth-feel, and carries good acidity with some sweetness.
Flavors of tangerine and pink grapefruit are pleasant, fresh, and linger-on the fair finish.
Once again, the North West builds a Riesling I not only will drink, but I'll like drinking it.
Cellarmaster's 2010 Riesling paired well with my fried Sea scallops.



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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Treana Paso Robles 2008 Red Wine


Treana Paso Robles 2008 Red Wine, $26.99-$34.99, 92 points, is like the movie Secretariat: "Big Red", though not as good as the movie (Talk about apples and oranges!). This wine still delivers a run for your money with, big complexity, richness, and surprisingly, paired very well with my rare peppered steak.
The color is deep purple, black at the core, and having a clear rim.
The aroma is an explosion of savory spice, with sweet cinnamon, pungent clove, and cedar-box rounding off the savory sage, cardamon and thyme , but not without black fruit smoothing and rounding-off this bouquet.
A smooth full body carries good acidity, layers of tannin, floral notes early palate, licorice and plum mid-palate, and finishes strong on spice and heat (15% alcohol).
This Red wine is dry. The varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.


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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Salvatore Principe Prosecco


Salvatore Principe Prosecco, $17.99, 89 points, but I'm sure this is the inflated price of a new specialty market (The Fresh Market) that opened at the Bedford mall. Though this isn't a store review, and though the prices were higher than many other "ordinary" markets, this one offers many interesting, different, and esoteric items, and this Prosecco was one of them. I couldn't resist the label :-)

To the wine:
Salvatore Principe Prosecco, is the clear color of water, with gray copper tones.
The aroma began vibrantly floral, but quickly diminished, as did the effervescence. 
With good acidity, the light body delivers typically neutral Prosecco crispness, refreshing, and non-intrusive flavors that are great with or without food; this Prosecco trends toward citrus and a hint of tangerine, especially on the fair finish.
That label should quicken almost any affair.




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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

ZinSane Paso Robles 2010 Zinfandel


ZinSane Paso Robles 2010 Zinfandel, $13.69, 90 points, is a monster of a wine, bright cranberry color with a broad transparent rim, bright red fruit aroma with a hint of alcohol (14.4%) and spice.
This near full bodied wine is delicious bramble fruit, warm alcohol (Some will consider that a fault),  licorice, and plum. This wine is insanely jammy, but it's morbidly under control. ZinSane has good acidity and mild tannin.
Finishes well on fruit and spice.
Paired perfectly with a grass-fed strip-steak, freedom fries and a green salad. 
Those who love Dry-Creek Zinfandel, may find this similar in style, with maybe just a bit more fruit; let me know what you think.
I bought this wine at The Harvest Market in Bedford (Good job Janice), and I'm going to grab another as soon as possible.




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Stuhlmuller Vineyards Estate Bottled Alexander Valley 2008 Chardonnay



Stuhlmuller Vineyards Estate Bottled Alexander Valley 2008 Chardonnay, $15.29-$24.99, 88 points, has a light brass color, and an aroma of citrus, a hint of brown sugar, and honeydew. Stuhlmuller 2008 Chardonnay has a much lighter oak profile than you maybe accustom to in an oaked Californian Chardonnay, yet has a medium body with mild acidity, and a gentle lemon flavor. This wine seems to be past its prime, lacking distinctiveness. It is clean and smooth, and has a medium finish which mirrors its overall profile.
My challenge, if I decide to take it, is to find a current release of this wine, because if I'm right about the "past its prime", then this must have been quite a stunner a few years ago.






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Monday, August 27, 2012

Mer Soleil Silver 2010 Unoaked Chardonnay



Mer Soleil Silver 2010 Unoaked Chardonnay, 
$16.99-$21.99, 86 points, has a deep brassy-gold color, an opening aroma of Chardonnay grape with a hint of tomato (a first for me).
The near medium body carries an easy acidity, smooth and clean.
With the nose dominating the flavor profile, including the addition of mild spice on the finish.
I'm not a big fan of over-oaked Chardonnay, but I loved their 2008 Oaked Chardonnay, and the 2010 Silver just didn't "cut-it" for me. However, the ceramic bottle is kool!






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Sunday, August 26, 2012

Steininger Young 2011 White Wine from Austria



Steininger Young 2011 White Wine (Austria), $15.39-$16.99, 87 points, was a blend of: 70% Grüner Veltliner, 20% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Muskateller.
Appeared light lime in color. The aroma was citrus and lychee with a funky note.
This light-bodied white wine carried fair acidity and was off-dry with just a hint of sweetness.
Flavors were predominately citrus, but finished modestly with a hint of grapefruit and flowers.




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Saturday, August 25, 2012

Banfi Castello Poggio Alle Mura 2006 Brunello Di Montalcino



Banfi Castello Poggio Alle Mura 2006 Brunello Di Montalcino, $60.34-$74.99, 95 points, maroon to dark red and rosewood to the core, with a broad transparent rim. 
The nose is a mind-bending array of of spice, cedar, and black and red berry sunburst. Medium-plus body is smooth with espresso, blackberries, plum, licorice, black olive, dried herbs and bourbon flavors, good acidity and ample tannin are the backbone to this truly remarkable wine. Finishes in its complexity with gentle spice and warmth (14.5% alcohol).
Absolutely delicious on its own, but amazing with a good cup of coffee, customary tomato based Italian cuisine, or chocolate; I double dare you to try this wine with chocolate! Milka hazelnut milk chocolate is a pairing out of this world (Hergestellt in Deutschland).
Okay, it's easy to go over-board with a grande wine like this. You visit a wine review for a reason, and I'm guessing you may want some guidance on spending your money on this wine; well, I'd buy another!
My thought is why not, for $60-$70, you'll taste a wine that brings you to the brink of excellence, and I'd rather have this wine once in a week (A month) than 4 or 5 bottles of mediocrity.


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As a side note:
I wrote this review last night and published it this morning, but this afternoon I thought I'd explore what others had to say about this wine, because you deserve as much  advocacy as possible, especially if your going to spend that much money on a wine I recommend.
Robert Parker and Wine Spectator scored the wine 92 points, while Monica Larner (Wine Enthusiast) scored the wine 94 points. My son Ethan gave the wine 93-94 points.
Someone from Cellar Tracker scored the wine 84 points, which to me is ostensibly foolish.
Needless to say, I've given you the best advise I can, but I think if you are a point-hound, 92 points is marginal for a wine in that price range, and if I had researched it before-hand, I might not have bought the wine.
Serendipity can be a good thing.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Cline Contra Costa County 2011 Mourvèdre Rosé








Cline Contra Costa County 2011 
Mourvèdre Rosé, $7.99-$14.99 (NHLS Power-buy), 91 points, has a terra cotta to pale strawberry color; some people care more than others about color, but from the picture you can see how beautiful it is, as is the bottle itself.
The aroma is a gentle floral pink grapefruit, with a hint of key-lime pie (lovely).
Having a light body with good acidity, this beautiful Mourvèdre Rosé carries a whisper of floral strawberry-pomegranate flavors that finishes easy with a hint of pink grapefruit.
This maybe the best Rosé I've tasted. Thanks Jim, from the Bedford New Hampshire liquor store, for the recommendation!













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Thursday, August 23, 2012

Duck Pond Willamette Valley 2010 Pinot Gris




Duck Pond Willamette Valley 2010 Pinot Gris, $11.89-$13.99, 90 points, is nearly without color except for a slight gray tint.
The aroma is profuse pineapple, lychee, and pear with other more floral aromatics (Nice!),
The light body is a bit thin, but carries good acidity with a most refreshingly crisp, though seemingly one dimensional flavor, one that is a delicious and delicate extension of the nose.
The finish is long and tangy.
The Duck Pond PG paired well with my Maine lobster roll, and has a high quality price ratio (QPR).



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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Secco Italian Bubbles Prosecco



Secco Italian Bubbles Prosecco, $13.99-$15.99, 90 points, has a ginger-ale color, and appears to be without effervescence except when pouring or swirling, but the ginger-ale look carries over to the mouth-feel (almost biting) in a way no other Prosecco, up to this point in my experience, has; the light-plus body is almost hidden beneath this ginger-ale quality, which does subside with air.
This is a dry wine with good acidity.
The nose is soft pome fruit with a hint of vanilla.
The flavor is still on the neutral side, yet there is a hint of tart apple accentuating the Prosecco grape.
Ginger, tart apple, the buzz, and Prosecco carry onto the finish in crisp refreshment.
Paired well with my Asian cuisine.





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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Peachy Canyon Paso Robles Westside 2008 Zinfandel


Peachy Canyon Paso Robles Westside 2008 Zinfandel, $11.99-$19.99 (NHLS Power-buy), 86 points, has its moments, but this vintage didn't strike me to be as good as the 2006.
The 2008 Westside Zin has a nearly cloudy cranberry color throughout, but darkens at the core and has a clear rim.
An earthy cherry nose with hints of spice is just okay for me.
This Zinfandel is nearly full-bodied and carries persistent acidity with light tannin.
Flavors I tasted were wild-berry, plum (as the wine breathed), and red cherry which tasted and felt too jammy for me (almost syrupy).
The finish is the high-point of this Zin; it is long on a spicy cayenne, clove and white pepper; there is some warmth with the 15.2% alcohol.
QPR is excellent at $11.99.


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Monday, August 20, 2012

Tenuta Guado Al Tasso Antinori Bolgheri Superiore 2006 D.O.C. 2006 Red Wine


Tenuta Guado Al Tasso Antinori Bolgheri Tuscany Superiore D.O.C. 2006 Red Wine, 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Syrah, $66.29-$110, 94 points, has a deep-dark ruby color with garnet tints and a clear rim.
The aroma is a beautifully big, floral, and spicy bouquet wafting from the vases of bottle and wine glass.
The medium-plus body is velvety smooth with good acidity, is quite dry, and has a moderate blanket of tannin, but the spicy impact of the very long finish is what stands out in my memory the most, but there is a touch of heat (14.5% alcohol) and mint there too. Though the wine is a complex array of black and blue fruit, with hints of espresso and licorice, it also has a slightly too floral accompaniment.
This is a stand-alone wine; it is too powerful with most cuisine I'm familiar with, but a spiced lamb, venison, or tenderloin might do nicely; Guado Al Tasso 2006 Bolgheri Superiore is reminiscent of a Big Californian Cabernet. Regardless, this Red Wine is heads and shoulders above my latest Red Wines, but so is the price!



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Sunday, August 19, 2012

Villa Cornaro Extra Dry Prosecco


Villa Cornaro Extra Dry Prosecco, $8.99-$15.99, 90 points, is a Prosecco of  real value; having a clam-bake, need a refreshment for a hot afternoon get-together, or is it just you and your date, this will not harm your purse or wallet, but will take the edge off the worry of what to drink.

The color is crystal-clear with some gray tints.
Having an aroma so subtle Prosecco grape, I had to open a tin of chocolate wafers to test my olfactory sense.
A light body carries good acidity.
The flavor is a deliciously pure pronounced Prosecco with hints of vanilla.
Villa Cornaro finishes long with a ginger buzz.




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Saturday, August 18, 2012

Cupcake D.O.C. Trentino 2011 Pinot Grigio



Cupcake D.O.C. Trentino 2011 Pinot Grigio, $8.00-$10.99, 86 points, has a light golden color.
The nose is grapefruit, pine, and a touch of lemon.
The light body carries lip-smacking acidity, it is clean and crisp, flavors of grapefruit and hibiscus are slightly diminished by a sour note (Some will like that).
The finish is grapefruit with a continuance of that sour note.





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Friday, August 17, 2012

Hall Napa valley 2011 Sauvignon Blanc






Hall Napa valley 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, $17.99-$22.99, 91 points, began with a light lemon/lime color.
The aroma was a beautiful lychee, tangerine, and sweet melon.
The light-plus body had good acidity and flavors reflective of the aromas with some rather neutral beech-wood, slight hints of fresh-cut grass and grapefruit.
The 2011 Hall Sauvignon Blanc finished long on the trailing palate, ginger, and a potent 14.8% alcohol.
Paired well with General Tso's chicken and our Chinese cuisine.






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Cupcake Red Velvet 2009 Red Wine



Cupcake Red Velvet 2009 Red Wine, $8,99-$10.99, 88 points, is another surprisingly "good" off-dry red wine (a bit on the sweet side); not complex, not a blow-you-away red wine, but a delicious accomplishment in "homogenizing" grapes (blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah) into something almost everyone will drink and not complain about; is it a bit thin, yup! But it tastes good! Like almost every Cupcake wine I've tasted, the Red Velvet (I wouldn't go that far) is a fair and inexpensive wine; you will get what you pay for, and in this case a little more. There will be those who may call this a "two-buck-chuck" wine, but I would say they're wrong, and there are those who wouldn't even stoop-so-low as to taste this wine, but I'm not one of them.

The Red velvet has a crystal-clear ruby color.
The aroma is cooking spice and blackberry.
A light to medium body carries fair acidity, light-plus tannin, and flavors of blackberry and boysenberry.
The finish is surprising long on spice.
At 13.5%, the alcohol is well balanced.


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Thursday, August 16, 2012

Padthaway Pillar Box Red Wine


Padthaway Pillar Box Red Wine, $11.04-$15.99, 88 points, is not a complex wine, but it is delicious throughout, carrying on a medium body good acidity, mild tannin,  and smooth pale boysenberry fruit.
The color is light cranberry to garnet with a clear rim, and the nose is a toasty eucalyptus and black fruit.
Mostly black fruit flavor with rich licorice.
Finishes moderately on spice and a touch of heat (14.7% alcohol)
I was surprised at just how much I liked this wine; can drink alone or with that grass fed beef.

65% Shiraz, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot are the varietals.


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Wine tasting can go viral!

Update 2018: Having done this fun non-wine post within a wine-blog almost six years ago has gone a bit stale, so with the help of Congdon's bakery I'm adding Nick's opinion of their jelly donut: "Magnifico!"
Drinking wine with a critical palate can lead to all sorts of malfeasance ("This is just wrong!").
Nick, out of the blue, says that "Dunkin Donuts are the best . . ." So, now having trained myself to taste-test wine more critically, I challenged Nick to a "blind doughnut tasting".


The challengers in the Jelly doughnut category where from left to right:
Dunkin Donuts: 6 points ($1.00)
Hannaford's Super market: 8 points (86 cents)
Market Basket: 10 points (79 cents)
Shaw's Super market: 9 points (79 cents)

Earlier he tasted spiced apple; the results were:
Dunkin Donuts: 4 points
Hannaford's: 6 points
Market Basket: 8 points

These scores do not reflect size or price, but seeing is believing. 

Now when Nick wants a doughnut, guess where he gets them?



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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Mount Veeder 2006 Napa Valley Bordeaux-Style Red Wine



Mount Veeder 2006 Napa Valley Bordeaux-Style Red Wine,
 $29.99-$44.99 (NHLS power-buy), 92 points, is a very good red wine, a big red wine, complex, still young, yet under $30, makes this red wine the one to grab while you can; yes, still a bit pricey, but think ahead: will you buy a special wine for that special someone to celebrate a promotion, a going away gift, or for Christmas? I doubt that this Mount Veeder (Reserve) will be available in NH in December! Just cradle it and put it in a dark-cool safe place until your star taster is ready to receive your wisdom.
Mount Veeder Reserve Red Wine is dark ruby in color, and with a clear rim.
A massive bouquet of Blackberry, Black currant, flowers and cooking spices shimmer-up as you pour.
This is a full-bodied wine with ample acidity, firm tannin, and a rich mouth-feel.
Juicy flavors of Blackberries and currant, with licorice and hints of violet carry-on.
The finish is quite long on spicy Black pepper, grape-skin, and a touch of heat (14.5% alcohol).






Cabernet Sauvignon 86%
Melbec 7%
Petite Verdot 4%
Merlot 2%
Cabernet Franc 1%


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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Ernie Els Big Easy 2010 Red Wine


Ernie Els Big Easy 2010 Red Wine, $16.99-$19.99, 87 points, ruby-red and a broad clear rim, with a toasted white-bread aroma and only hints of cherry fruit and petrol.
The near-full body carries good acidity and mildly soft tannin.
Flavors of dominant red cherry and floral hints manage to make this wine rather jammy, and the spicy finish is fair.

This South African Red Wine is composed of :
67% Shiraz
16% Cabernet Sauvignon
6% Cinsaut
4% Mourvedre 
4% Grenache
3% Viognier


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Monday, August 13, 2012

Cantine Maschio Treviso Brut Prosecco



Cantine Maschio Treviso Brut Prosecco, $10.99-$12.99 (Purchased at the Londonderry Market Basket), 86 points, has a water-clear color with only a faint tint of yellow.
The aroma is slightly Prosecco grape, and the light body carries an instant frizzante bomb and then subsides quickly. 
The flavor is quite neutral with only hints of yellow fruit. Finishing consistently with its neutral favors.
This wine is okay as a refreshment and has enough acidity to pair well with Chinese cuisine or even fried clams.




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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Col D'orcia 2004 Brunello DI Montalcino


Col D'orcia 2004 Brunello DI Montalcino, $49.99-$53.99 (I had a NHLS $25 gift card as well- final cost: $24.99), 91 points, is, right up front, the lowest scoring Brunello I've tasted. This is not a "bad" wine, but just doesn't qualify for any Quality Price Award.

Bright ruby-red in color with a broad transparent rim, smelling of earthy menthol, beech-wood, and black olive, having a medium body with bountiful acidity that melted my meal before I swallowed it, and firm tannin pressing into the comparatively short finish of tart fruit.
Though the palate was juicy with a bit of Boysenberry and hints of sweet cooking spice, this Brunello is, to me, not a stand alone wine, but excellent with typical Italian cuisine. 


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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Diacetyl And Alzheimer’s Disease?


Diacetyl  "is also created naturally in fermented drinks like beer, and gives some chardonnay wines its buttery taste, according to the study."
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/08/10/butter-popcorn-chemical-linked-to-alzheimers/




"The makers of some wines, such as chardonnay, deliberately promote the production of diacetyl. . ."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diacetyl

At a certain level diacetyl smells like rancid butter and is considered a wine fault.




Any and all thoughts on this subject are welcome, but I thought this report worthy of your consideration.
None of the above rather obscured labels implies that these wines have any diacetyl in them, but are used as a broad headline announcement of a generic product under review.


Corte Moschina Prosecco

Corte Moschina Prosecco, $12.99 at the Londonderry Market Basket, 86 points, is quite clear with just a touch of "sun-light".
Has a gentle melon aroma.
A light body magnifies an early onslaught of fizz which diminishes quickly, but the acidity is good and the wine is very dry.
Prosecco grape flavor is present, but overall this is a more neutral tasting Prosecco than most I've tasted.
The Prosecco grape flavor finishes long.
Since I'm fast running out of Prosecco wines to taste, I did not wait for a sale on this wine, and since I can't seem to find this any more, it was good that I didn't wait. So, if you're looking for the Corte and can't find it, I apologize, but I will keep my eyes open and let you, those who might be interested, know.


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Friday, August 10, 2012

Newton Napa County 2008 Unfiltered Chardonnay


Newton Napa County 2008 Unfiltered Chardonnay, $32.29-$39.99, 92 points, is more round, more rich, and more full-bodied than your average California Chardonnay, as you might suspect with the term "unfiltered" used on the label. Does that mean it's better? I can't answer that, and like everything in life you have devotees, but I just taste the wine and try and give a relative judgment as to how much I like the wines I taste. The price of the wine has to be taken into consideration, and this is not an inexpensive Chardonnay. 
There is another aspect of buying a wine, and as I've mentioned before: how will the bottle itself enhance your "table setting" and is that a consideration for you, is the meal an important occasion?
I've included a picture of the whole bottle to display the elegance of this one and how lovely it is; I'm guessing that the Newton winery spent a bit more money bottling this wine.
To the wine:
The color is golden with brassy tones.
The aroma is apple blossoms and honey-dew.
The medium-plus body carries mouth-watering acidity smoothly, is off dry, and has flavors (none-over-powering) of melon, quince, vanilla, butterscotch, and caramel.  The wine finishes long with ginger and white pepper.
I like this wine, and I believe the cost of $32.29 is comparable to other Chardonnay wines in the low 90s; is it your best value? Only in tasting will you know.



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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Mountain 2007 Red Wine



Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Mountain 2007 Red Wine, $50.99-$59.99, 93 points, 45% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, has a
dark red to deep purple color with a clear rim, but this wine trails near black at the core.
As I poured this wine, waves of blackberry and purple grape flowered upwards with just a hint of alcohol (14.5%).
With fair acidity, and smooth tannin, this near full bodied dry red wine exudes elegance, dressed in floral raiment and rich black berry, licorice, and mellow spice that is only intensified with a touch of heat on the long finish train.
Though this red wine was wonderful as a stand alone wine, it overpowered my rare spicy strip-steak; I'll have to pair it with something a bit more dominant.




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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Sokol Blosser Willamette Valley 2010 Pinot Gris


Sokol Blosser Willamette Valley 2010 Pinot Gris, $15.29-$19.99, 93 points, is one of those wines I can safely say: "Though I'm not sure why this is such a good wine, I know one when I taste one." I suspect that when you pour a cold glass of this wine for your family and friends you'll see the instant pleasure on their faces. So, what ever price you pay, you'll get one of the better Pinot Gris wines sold in the Granite State.
To the wine:
The color is near water-clear with gold and lime hues.
Though the aroma is soft and subtle, it is nevertheless lovely sweet apple and apple blossoms.
Having a light-plus body that carries good acidity  (medium-plus for the nonplussed), and off-dry. The mouth-feel is full, rich, brisk yet substantial, and refreshing.
The flavor contradicts the axiom: "You don't get sweet and bitter from the same fountain." Sokol Blosser begins with sweet quince and warms to tart apple.
I want to say this is not a complex wine, but I might be at odds with my description of it. So finishing with my post and the long ginger finish of this wonderful Piont Gris, I'll leave you with the profound simplicity of this quaffer of a wine.


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Sunday, August 5, 2012

Michele Chiarlo Monferraton 2006 MonTald Albarossa



Michele Chiarlo Monferraton 2006 MonTald Albarossa (DOC), 
$23.37-$27.49, 90 points, is an uncommon grape varietal hybrid of Nibbiolo and Barbera grapes and grown in Piedmont, Italy.
The color is deep rosewood, black at the core, and with a clear rim.
"Barnyard Blues" was the aroma upon opening, so I let it sit over night to behold a transformation not unlike a princess kissing a frog (Sometimes a wine needs more time before it shows-off what it has to offer). This morning the "butterfly" bouquet was sweet cooking spice, hints of cedar, and black cherry.
The near full body shows high acidity and layers of firm tannin.
Black cherry was the fruit of note, but this is a complex wine, a delicious wine with eucalyptus and floral notes, a bit chalky with earth and mushroom.The finish was long on the palate notes, but juicy with only a hint of spice.

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Friday, August 3, 2012

Nino Franco Rustico Brut Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore


Nino Franco Rustico Brut Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, $14.99-$17.99, 92 points, is another new favorite sparkler from  Italy.
The color is near clear with gray/brass tones.
The aroma is a bella subtle blend of apple and vanilla.
Brut dry with a light body, fizzes into a head, and continues weakly for a long time. Has good acidity, and paired bella with our tuna.
Typical neutral fruit flavors are present, and with that noticeable acidity, they continue onto a long finish.


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Thursday, August 2, 2012

Tua Rita Rosso Dei Notri 2009 IGT Toscana


Tua Rita Rosso Dei Notri 2009 IGT Toscana, Red Wine with 60% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot, 15% Syrah, and 10% Petit Verdot.
Price: $22.94-$26.99
Score: 92 points
Color: Burgundy
With a bouquet of Black currant, cinnamon, "after the thunderstorm freshness", and dried herbs which carries onto the palate.  
Good acidity and soft tannin on a medium-plus body, smooth with red-wine bourbon (14% alcohol) and a finish reminiscent of  Sambuca are the hallmarks of this wine; looking for globs of fruit? You won't find them here, though some Damson plum is present.
If you like this style of wine, then I highly recommend this dry red wine with red meat cuisine, or traditional Italian pasta dishes.
As a stand alone sipper? Yes!


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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Benton Lane Willamette Valley 2009 Pinot Gris


Benton Lane Willamette Valley 2009 Pinot Gris, $13.59-$15.99, 84 points, is very clear with some grey tones, the aroma makes me a bit suspicious, having a (not pleasant) funky grapefruit aroma, good acidity carried on a light-plus body and citrus flavors, ending fair on a ginger finish.
As is often the case with a borderline-spoiled bottle of wine, I'm not happy with my review, but it is what it is until I get a chance to find a more recent vintage and try again. As it is, not a recommended white wine. 

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