Wine Tasting 1: at the Vintage Cellar

Today I tasted five wines from the local wine and beer store, the Vintage Cellar. The wines are meant to be both cheap and well crafted to appeal to the college aged budget. All of the wines are Under $20 normally and under $8 on sale at the Vintage Cellar.

As a note I will review each wine separately giving both my impression of the wine and the description from the winemaker themselves. Following that I will rate each wine on a scale [-2, 2]. Where:

-2: Bad wine, undrinkable

-1: Disliked, but drinkable

 0: Okay wine, neither disliked or liked

 1: Good wine, might buy

 2: Great wine, definitely will buy

Wine #1

Name: Lagosta Vinho Verde
Variety: 
Region: Vinho Verde
Country: Portugal
Year: ---
Price: $12 (Sale $5.95)

Winery review: Fresh and juicy, with fresh-cut apple and gooseberry flavors that feature notes of citrus and light spice on the finish. The name “Lagosta” means “lobster,” and this would be a great seafood accompaniment.








My Review: My main feelings when it came to this wine was that it was fairly sour. It had a sharp taste that to me overpowered any more subtle flavors that it may contain. 

Rating: -1

Wine #2

Name: Rubus Rosado Prieto Picudo 
Variety: 
Region: Tierra de Leon
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $14 (Sale $3.95)

Winery review: Bright clean strawberry rose color.　In the nose it is intense and fresh, with strawberry aromas and slight citric hints. In the mouth it is fresh, strong and tasty, emphasizing a delightful tingle due to its carbonic residuals. The name Prieto Picudo means "tight & pointy" (more or less). This is due to the tightly formed bunches and the slightly oval/pointy shape of the grapes. The bunch shape is reminiscent of Tempranillo; the berries are thick skinned, and dark blue-black in color. Prieto Picudo is well adapted to the difficult growing conditions in Castilla y León province - not a lot of rain, very cold winters and scorching hot summers. The vines tend to relatively low yields, with lots of color, concentration and good acidity. Also, it's the same grape as Alfrocheiro Preto in Portugal. Alfrocheiro is an important variety in Dão region of Portugal.

My Review: Like the wine before it this red wine also had a bit of sourness to it, not as much as the white before it, but enough that it made a lasting impression on my pallet. However this wine also managed to have a dryer mouth feel to it that I have found common among reds.

Rating: -1

Wine #3

Name: George Duboeuf Beaujlais Nouveau 
Variety: 
Region: Beaujolais
Country: France
Year: 2014
Price: $14 (Sale $3.95)

Winery review: Balanced and lightly creamy, offering pretty flavors of plum sauce and raspberry coulis threaded with hints of ground spice. Elegant, with a floral finish.





 



My Review: This wine was not very good. It had no flavor at all to the point of being no more than watered down grape juice. It had the same mouth feel and a similar taste to water.

Rating: -2

Wine #4

Name: Five Rivers Merlot 
Variety: Merlot
Region: Monterey
Country: California
Year: 2011
Price: $18(Sale $7.95)

Winery review: Ripe cherry and blackberry fruit stars in this easy-drinking wine, with oak providing toasty sweetness. It’s an everyday, cheeseburger-friendly Merlot.








My Review: Overall a good wine, this Merlot peaked my interest. Not because of its slight woody flavor that you first experience but because it had some "other" things going on as well that my current list of descriptors couldn't explain. It seemed to patiently invite me in to try and understand it and its complex flavors.

Rating: 1

Wine #5

Name: Angove Zibibbo Sparkling Muscat
Variety: Muscato
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: ---
Price: $18 (Sale $4.95)

Winery review: The Zibibbo variety is noted for its delightfully fresh aromas and light fresh palate making it the ideal variety to use in sparkling wine. The variety is part of the Muscat family and is delightfully fresh, this frothy, sweet ‘alfresco’ sparkling wine displays crisp floral aromas with citrus peel and creamy flavors on the palate. Pale straw in color, the wine shouts of celebration and exuberance, and with a modest 8% alcohol, is ideal on a lazy sunny afternoon with friends.




My Review: This is a wine that grew on me, from good when I tried it to hauntingly good later that day when I remembered it. It was a sweet sparkling wine almost as sweet as a soda with more subtle flavors and less bubbles. The flavor was very light and had a zingyness to it a sort of zap that you would experience with a good citrus like an orange or lime. Not really a sophisticated wine but a entry level wine that just tastes good no matter your opinion on alcohol.

Rating: 2