Wine Tasting 7: 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 with unusual tastes and finished with a Moscato a sweet desert wine type 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 #38

Name: Cortenova
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Veneto
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $6.95

Winery review: Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections. Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas. Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste.






My Review:
A Fruity wine ob the nose, this wine has a lot of similarities to a Moscato. Such as subtle fruit flavors such as pear and orange, mixed with some soured cherries. This wine was not very impressive overall leaving much to be desired.

This wine would be easy to drink though due to its non offensive nature and its heavy, water-like body. The heat from the alcohol is also well hidden.


Rating: 0


Wine #39

Name: Mars and Venus
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Central Valley
Country: Chile
Year: N/A
Price: $5.95

Winery review: A very nice value Chardonnay that comfortably over-delivers vs. its modest price tag. No oak here, just bushels of clean, crisp, Chardonnay apple and stone fruit with a hint of caramelized pineapple.  Juicy and clean, this is a mid-weight white that's just perfect for parties or weeknight sipping.






My Review: 
This is a very buttery Chardonnay that smells like a bit of fruit gone wrong. When you taste it, it has both qualities of under-ripe fruit and overripe fruit at the same time. Meaning that it has some of the tartness of an early green apple and some of the mushy awfulness of an overripe apple. This gives the wine an off kilter feel to it that makes it seem like it is completely off balanced. It's lack of acid is also what makes it feel too soft and watery.


Rating: -.5

Wine #40

Name: Bodegas Atalaya
Variety: Laya
Region: Almansa
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Winery review: 88 Points – Stephen Tanzer
A blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera, a.k.a. Alicante Bouschet, and 30% Monastrell; fermented in stainless steel, followed by four months in French oak.  Bright purple.  Cassis, blueberry, pungent herbs and mocha on the nose.  Smooth and open-knit on the palate, displaying fresh cherry and dark berry qualities and a hint of black pepper.  Finishes with gripping tannins and good length, leaving a subtle floral note behind.  




My Review: 
Super dark fruit and smells that remind me of Cabernet Sauvingon, which means smells of blackberries and currents. These tastes follow through in the mouth and have some small tannin that needs to have some more acid to crisp the flavor and lighten the body which is watery like the previous Chardonnay. 


Rating: 0

Wine #41

Name: Paul Laureano
Variety: Tinto Classico
Region: Alentejano
Country: Portugal
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Winery review: Paulo Laureano’s Classico is a delicious blend of the native Portuguese varietals Trincadeira (40%), Aragonez (40%) and Alfrocheiro (20%). This is a full bodied red that reveals all that the terroir of Portugal has to offer. Light cigar tobacco and soft leather present beautifully on the nose. Dark, black fruits fill the mouth, but the wine flows smoothly over the palate, with a good bit of spice on the finish. Pair with spicy, cured meats and hard cheeses.




My Review: 
A much darker, muddy blood red color wine. Has a sort of funky forest floor type of taste to it that creates a funky type of taste. The taste also has components of black dark currents with a spicy after taste that is reminiscent of nutmeg. The total of all these flavors makes the wine have a taste just like eggnog. It has a light body and very good acidity with small tannins that makes the wine feel well crafted and quite pleasurable to drink.

Rating: 1

Wine #42

Name: Villa Pozzi
Variety: Moscato
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: N/A
Price: $8.95
Winery review: Loaded with juicy exotic fruit, mature apricot, yellow peach and tangerine flavors, this sweet and delightful wine is perfect for Sunday brunch or picnics.







My Review: 
A typical moscato that brings not much else to the table. It is sharp, acidic with a light fizz that makes for a standard moscato. Orange and citrus flavors abound on the taste but does not have an open nose which makes the moscato not memorable. Not interesting or extremely well made but a nice standard moscato.


Rating: .5