Sunday, March 29, 2009

Rivera Il Falcone 2003

This is a very well structured Italian wine from the Puglia region (the heel of the Italian boot)that is a mix of 70% Nero di Troia, 30% Montepulciano. The nose consists of cherries and currants with tobacco and pepper aromas as well. The spicy fruit flavors combined with oakiness and licorice along with some acidity and a nice long finish. Open this early or decant. The label (a picture of a falcon) is homage to Emperor Fredrick II of Swabia who liked to hunt with his falcon. Wine Advocate gave this wine a 92 point rating and I would absolutely agree.

Isolda 2007

This is a medium-bodied Spanish red wine made up of Tempranillo, Granacha, Merlot and Cabernet. It is VERY fruit forward of red berries and jam. However, there is no finish to it. Was like drinking Kool-Aid. Was OK but I would not run out and buy it again. Retails for about $7.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Valentin Bianchi New Age

After my meeting with Robert Pepi, noted in a previous post, I found the New Age white wine by Valentin Bianchi in a local store. Tonight, we served it with one of our many Swiss meals, raclette, which is made with a semi-soft cow's milk cheese. With the salty cheese, potatoes, pickles, baby corns and pickled onions, it was a good pairing. The New Age is a citrusy blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Malvasia. It starts with a citrus and flowery nose followed by a crisp fruity taste of lime and lemon. This is a sweet wine with only 9.5% alcohol. Great summer drink. The New Age can also be served on the rocks with a slice of lime. Would be a great fit for seafood appetizers. Retails for $10. Imported by Quintessential Wines in Napa.

Las Lenas Malbec

We were given a bottle of the 2008 Las Lenas Malbec from Mendoza. With so many nice malbecs in the market, don't waste your time and money with this one.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Montecillo Rioja 2006

This is a white Rioja. PASS!!!!! Don't waste the $5.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Bianchi and Two Angels

I recently had the opportunity to meet and speak with Robert Pepi, the master wine maker for Valentin Bianchi wines from Argentina and Two Angels wines from Napa, CA. We did a comparison of 5 wines from each country, of which some were the same grape but had completely different tastes. For a warm summer day, try the "New Age White" from Bianchi. The Eponymous Cabernet from Napa and the Enzo Cabernet from Bianchi are excellent wines. I highly recommend you tracking down wines from both of these wineries.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Da Vinci Chianti Reserva 2005

Following the 2004 DaVinci Chianti Reserva which I posted previously, I purchased some of 2005 Reserva with the hopes of a similar quality wine. Although there were lots of similarities as the medium-bodied 2004 with the aromas of smokey fruit and the cherry and plum tastes, I was a little disappointed in this vintage. It had a little more dried herb taste to it. Additionally, the tannins were a little more chewy, but I'm not surprised since it was a 2005. Wine Spectator gave this an 87 point rating. I would tend to agree. Certainly drinkable but not as enjoyable as the 2004 Reserva.

Monday, March 9, 2009

2008 Viu Manent Secreto

Yes, a 2008!! According to the bottle, Viu Manent is a family owned winery in Chile that has been in operation since 1935. This particular sauvignon blanc, Secreto, has a light straw color with soft citrus, pear and melon aroma. Flavors include peach and passion fruit with a touch of kiwi. A crisp wine with good acidity and a long finish. Secreto was recommended by BevMax and I would recommend you trying this too. Very nice wine that retails for about $10-$12. Nice pairing for appetizers.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Molly Dooker Two Left Feet

Last night we made a goulash with lots of spices and paprika so we decided on the 2007 Molly Dooker Two Left Feet. This is an Australian Shiraz mix with Cabernet and Merlot. The Molly Dooker wines are hard to come by and don't last in the stores long. This full bodied wine is almost black in color and has an aroma of smokey oak along with black cherry and blueberries. You will have to decant for several hours to get these aromas. The flavors are spicy blue and black fruits. As with many of the MD wines, the alcohol content is 16%. This is a hard wine to pair with foods unless it is a bold, spicy dish that can hold its own ground. I would cellar this for about 5 more years and then try it. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated this 93 points and the Wine Spectator rated it 88 points. I would have to agree with the Wine Spectator.