Wine Tasting 4: at the Vintage Cellar

Another week of wines at the Vintage Cellar, same rules as always. 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. This week featured a balance of reds and whites and finished with a Wite Zinfandel to shake up the usual formula  while still keeping a sweet desert wine at the end.

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 #18

Name: Santa Luz
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc 
Region: Valle Central
Country: Chile
Year: 2013
Price: $11 (Sale $6.95)

Winery review: Like any good Sauvignon Blanc, this opens with oceanic aromas of citrus fruits, sea foam and minerality. In the mouth, it is juicy and stony, with washing acidity. Flavors of honeydew, lime and a nice grassiness finish firm, with good backbone. Drink this with salads, shellfish and ceviche.







My Review: 
A fruity smell of pear and apple with slight floral notes and a bit of bite the Santa Luz is everything you expect from a well crafted white wine. Nothing more, nothing less this solid build earns points for its good taste but looses out on being anything complex or more interesting.

Rating: 1

Wine #19

Name: Riebeek
Variety: Chenin Blanc 
Region: Swartland
Country: South Africa
Year: 2014
Price: $10 (Sale $6.95)

Winery review: Fresh kiwifruit, green apple and almond notes bounce along, showing a flash of plantain on the friendly finish. Drink now. 








My Review: 
With a subtle sweet zing not unlike muscat varietals this Chenin Blanc is fresh and crisp giving fruity flavors like blackberries and apple.

Rating: 1.5

Wine #20

Name: San Elias
Variety: Carmenere
Region: Valle Central
Country: Chile
Year: 2014
Price: $9 (Sale $5.95)

Winery review: This medium-bodied red offers roasted plum, kirsch, sage and game notes, with light tannins supporting the spicy finish.

My Review: 
On the nose this wine is straight up musk, it bleeds earthy, dirty smells of mushroom and mold. These smells are unique in that they are so conspicuous that any person could pick up on them as opposed to the subtle hints of other wines.

Rating: .5

Wine #21

Name: Ilurce
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2008
Price: $14 (Sale $5.95)

Winery review: 88 points – Stephen Tanzer
Dark purple. Zesty, youthfully medicinal aromas of dark berries, licorice and cracked pepper. Juicy and fresh, with smooth texture and sweet cherry and spice flavors framed by dusty tannins. Finishes with a suggestion of slightly roasted fruits and good clinging persistence. Delivers a lot of power and richness for the money.

My Review: 
While this wine had earth tones to its taste it was rather overshadowed by the wine before it making it harder to distinguish some of the characteristics of its nose. What I did pick up was similar to a sort of dusty earth like an attic with hints of moldy cork and peppery spices. The wine was good in that it tasted almost spiced.

Rating: 0

Wine #22

Name: Coastal Vines
Variety: White Zinfandel 
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $6.95

Winery review:
This White Zinfandel has a beautiful pink salmon color and crisp acidity. The wine shows juicy fruit flavors of strawberry and cherry, with a tangy sweet finish. Pairs well with mild cheeses, crab cakes, and spicy Asian cuisine. 





My Review: 
While most people do not think sweet "candy" wines are as respectable as big complex Reds there is a time and place for candy wines. This white zin was a good example of a candy wine; pretty sweet with a raspberry and watermelon jolly rancher flavor. All in all a good wine for people who don't like wine very much.

Rating: .5

Wine Tasting 3: at the Vintage Cellar

The third week of wines at the Vintage Cellar, same rules as last time. 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. This week featured a balance of reds and whites and finished with a Muscato which is becoming a tradition.

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 #13

Name: Hugl
Variety: Grüner Veltliner 
Region: Niederösterreich
Country: Austria
Year: 2013
Price: $14 (Sale $7.95)

Winery review: "A fresh scent of green pears greets the nose. What follows comes in a light, crisp citrus vein, supported by a rounded mouthfeel. A refreshing wine for immediate drinking. - Anne Krebiehl, MW"







My Review: Fruity, sweet and sour taste with hints of pears and green apple. There was a small amount of alcohol heat on the tongue and a peppery zing. Overall a decent white wine for the price.

Rating: .5

Wine #14

Name: Maipe
Variety: Torrontes
Region: Mendoza 
Country: Argentina
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Winery review: Spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish.








My Review: Strong smells of fresh spring flavors, this wine has a greater heat on the tongue and a small amount of fruity peppery finish.

Rating: .5

Wine #15

Name: Canyon Road
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: California
Country: US
Year: 2013
Price: $12 (Sale $6.95)

Winery review: Rich, fruit forward cherry flavors, soft tannins, a medium body and a smooth velvety finish. Pairs well with creamy soups, salmon, and savory pork dishes.

My Review: An extremely smooth, soft wine. It comes with some cherry vanilla flavor. This wine comes off as a sweeter red wine while still having some of the complexity red wines have to offer. I liked it a lot as a "starter" red wine.

Rating: 1.5

Wine #16

Name: Resonata
Variety: Nero D’Avola
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $14 (Sale $6.95)

Winery review: The grapes are soft pressed and the juice is placed in stainless steel along with the skins for a maceration of 8 to 10 days with daily pumping over of the juice to extract more color and sweet tannins. Dense ruby red with violet reflections. Lush and ripe bouquet full of mulberries, blackberries and spice. Harmonious and well balanced with good berry fruit in a spicy background. Excellent with lamb, grilled and barbecued meats, dishes with olives or capers and seasoned cheeses.

My Review: A dark fuity red wine it brings hints of earthy smelling fruits, has the tastes of a younger non-oak aged wine as well as some licorice components. Neither good or bad this wine just is.

Rating: 0

Wine #17

Name: Canyon Road
Variety: Muscat
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $12 (Sale $6.95)

Winery review: Floral, with tea rose and cherry blossom notes, this balanced Moscato shows flavors of ripe white cherry, candied plum and almond on the smooth finish. 







My Review: A very sweet wine this moscoto is extremely zingy with floral notes of oranges and maybe some slight vanilla. It has a almost candy-like flavor of a creaminess lingering in the background.

Rating: 1