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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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%
Index-of-reviewed-wines
Copyright 2012 Dennis Tsiorbas. All rights reserved, Template provided by Blogger
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
Index-of-reviewed-wines
Copyright 2012 Dennis Tsiorbas. All rights reserved, Template provided by Blogger
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.
Index-of-reviewed-wines
Copyright 2012 Dennis Tsiorbas. All rights reserved, Template provided by Blogger
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.
Index-of-reviewed-wines
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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, $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.
Index-of-reviewed-wines
Copyright 2012 Dennis Tsiorbas. All rights reserved, Template provided by Blogger
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!"
