Wine Tasting Monte Aman

Name: Monte Aman
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region:  Arlanza
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $5.95

Winery review: Fermentation of selected grapes in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature. Aging in American oak casks for 5 months followed by 3 months in the bottle before being released in the market. Inky ruby. Ripe cherry and plum on the nose. Smooth and fleshy, with deep dark fruit flavors complicated by bitter chocolate and anise. A spicy quality adds lift and focus to the weighty fruit. Offers an appealing mix of power and energy and drinks very well right now.  

My review: The wine smelled of cherries with a mix of something I couldn't put my finger on. The wine was dry but very velvety and smooth. I was surprised by how easy this wine went down. There was a tart initial taste and then a bubble gum after taste. It was quite interesting. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Cortenova Monepulciano d'Abruzzo

Name: Cortenova Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Variety: 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Region:  Abruzzo
Country: Italy
Year: 2010
Price: $6.95

Winery review: Deep ruby red color with violet highlights and a pleasant and fruity bouquet. Full bodied, soft tannins and good acidity. Excellent with pasta dishes and red meats. 

My review: The wine had a blueberry mixed with strawberry smell. It was very pleasing to the nose. The wine had a really strong taste with a nice little kick at the finish. The wine was dry but smooth. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Maipe Chardonnay

Name: Maipe Chardonnay
Variety: 85% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier, 30% malolactic fermentation, 30% was aged in French oak barrels
Region:  Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2012
Price: $7.95

Winery review: Brilliant yellow golden color with green hints. The wine is crisp and filled with white peach, pear, green apples flavors, toasty vanilla. Elegant and luscious wine, well balanced. Crisp and long finish. Pairs well with creamy soups, pork, veal, and vegetables.

My review: I smelled sharp Parmesan cheese from the wine. I could taste green apple with a hint of citrus and apple wood. It's very nice wine. Very crisp and smooth. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Villa d'Orvieto

Name: Villa d'Orvieto
Variety: Blend of Grechetto, Procanico (Trebbiano), and Malvasia
Region: Orvieto
Country: Italy
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95

Winery review: Fresh and crisp, it has a beautiful, floral bouquet. It is wonderful with appetizers, fish, chicken, and salads. 

My review: There was a flower alcohol smell. It went down easy and it was really crisp. There was a sour citrus taste. It made my tongue feel smooth after I drank the wine, which was interesting...that was the first time that that's happened to me. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Dibon Cava Brut Reserve

Name: Dibon Cava Brut Reserve 
Variety: 45% Macabeo, 25% Xarel-lo, 30% Parellada
Region:  Penedes
Country: Spain
Year: NV
Price: $9.95

Winery review: Light gold with plenty of bubbles, this wine has aromas of apples and pears with pleasant floral notes. Crisp and light-bodied on the palate, stone fruit flavors are accompanied by a mild minerality and balanced acidity. A delicious sparkler for a great price 

My review: The wine smelled of citrus alcohol. The first sip left a tingle on my tongue. It was very clean and crisp taste. I could taste citrus fruits on my palate. There was a bitter after taste. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Fortediga

Name: Fortediga
Variety: 40% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region:  
Country: France
Year: 2008
Price: $20-$9.95

Winery review: A wine that reveals considerable richness and depth while maintaining a pure, crystalline quality in its dark, varietal fruit. 

My review: The wine had a strong wood smell with a mix of cherry. It was pleasing to the nose. The wine was really dry and bitter. I could taste a bit of spic at the end of the wine. I liked the smell but not so much the taste of the wine. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Isiri Dolcetto d'Alba

Name: Isiri Dolcetto d'Alba
Variety: 100% Dolcetto
Region:  
Country: Italy
Year: 
Price: $$18-$7.95

Winery review: Cherry and plum aromas fill the nose with jammy overtones. It is firm with almond flavors on the finish. Dolcetto is the everyday wine of the Piemontese, it pairs well with a wide variety of dished from tomato-based pasta dishes and white meats, to minestrone and antipasto platters

My review: The wine had a very strong kind of rotten cherry flavor. It wasn't too pleasing to my nose. The wine tasted very sour and dry. There was a nutty after taste to the wine. Not one of my favorites. It was unique though.

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Joseph Carr Pinot Noir

Name: Joseph Carr Pinot Noir
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region:  
Country:  
Year: 2008
Price: $33-$9.95

Winery review: Ever-elusive, our central Coast Pinot Noir offers cherry, and dark wild raspberry in both the bouquet and taste. I also find aromatic violets, tea, strawberry seed, and hints of mushroom. The wine shows very good structure with balanced, yet approachable tannin. 

My review: The wine smelled like seafood with cherries mixed with mushrooms. There was a prominent fish smell. The wine tasted really really bitter to me. It had a lot of body and a lot of flavors going on that it was over powering. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting J.P. Chenet Dry Rose Sparkling

Name: J.P. Chenet Dry Rose Sparkling
Variety: Rose
Region:  
Country:  
Year: 
Price: $18-$6.95

Winery review: Intense and fine, dominated by notes of red berries. The combination of fine bubbles and delicate aromas makes this a delightfully light and silky rose. Aromas in the mouth evoke red berries, cherries, strawberries: mellow and well-balanced

My review: The wine smelled of sweet flowers mixed with berries. I loved the smell. The taste was sour and had a bit of tingle to it. The bubbly made my mouth pop. It seemed like I should have been at a celebration. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Fortediga Vermentino

Name: Fortediga Vermentino
Variety: 100% Vermentino
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy 
Year: 2010
Price: $20-$9.95

Winery review: Clear yellow in color. The aromas are lifted with pleasant hints of pear and green apple. The fresh, smooth flavors on the entry persist, the structure is fine and balances well with the fruit.

My review: I smelled pears and a lot of alcohol. The taste was not that flavorful and I tasted a lot of alcohol. There was a bitter after taste to it too. This wine was not very good in my opinion. 
I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Nopa Vinho Verde

Name: Nopa Vinho Verde
Variety: 50% Arinto and 50% Azal
Region:  
Country: Portugal 
Year: 
Price: $13-$5.95

Winery review: The result is elegant, silky, fresh and well balanced, with a fine citrus brightness. Ideal as an aperitif or as a perfect accompaniment to seafood, poultry, pasta, salads, spicy oriental food and grilled white meat. Enjoy in moderation and in good company. 

My review: This wine smelled like a mix of citrus fruits. I couldn't pinpoint which fruits but it smelled fruity with sourness. The initial taste shocked me. I wasn't expecting it to be so bitter. The bitterness was all I could taste for a while. The after taste was when I started to taste the circuitousness of the wine.

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Gabriella Chianti

Name: Gabriella Chianti
Variety: 100% Chianti
Region:  
Country: Italy 
Year: 2008
Price: $7.95

Winery review: This beautiful wine has the very deep red, almost purple color that you would expect in a Chianti. The first thing you notice is the fruit, balanced by a bit of spice. It's a good dry wine with a bold flavor. Even with it's boldness, this Chianti is velvety smooth.

My review: The wine smelled of spoiled grapes. I did not enjoy the smell of the wine and tasting was not the best either. It was super dry and bitter for me. After the bitter taste, was sourness. I did not enjoy this wine at all because the smell bothered me.  

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Lavarini Valpolicella Classico

Name: Lavarini Valpolicella Classico
Variety: 65% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 10% Molinara
Region:  
Country: Italy 
Year: 2010
Price: $6.95

Winery review: The red ruby color and the dry taste give this wine joviality and cordiality  It is fresh and fruity, with lovely strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors, with nice spice and a silky texture

My review: The wine smelled of cherry. Really sour and ripened cherries. The taste was bitter and had a nutty flavor to it at the end. It was really strong and dry for my taste. I had a difficult time swallowing the liquid, it seemed to want to stay on my throat. I did not enjoy this wine at all. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Dom de Mirail

Name: Dom de Mirail
Variety: Cabernet and Merlot Rose
Region: Cotes de Gascogne 
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $5.95

Winery review: There is a fresh, crisp character to this light rose. It is eye-watering in its refreshing   character, with balancing acidity, smoothing out the edges with a touch of caramel. 

My review: The wine smelled of sweetness pair with alcohol. I would just smell something sweet but I couldn't put a fruit or anything on it because the alcohol would take the smell away after a few more sniffs. The wine itself was sour and tingly to the tongue. It was a bit drier than what I was expecting.

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Norton Torrontes

Name: Norton Torrontes
Variety: 100% Torrontes
Region: Mendoz
Country: Argentina 
Year: 2011
Price: $5.95

Winery review: Greenish yellow with hints of gold, this Torrontes has intense aromas of white peach, rose petal, and jasmine. Norton Torrontes 2011 is pleasant and well balanced on the palate.

My review: The wine smelled of peaches and flowers. I loved the smell of the fruit mixed with flowers it was very calming to me. The wine tasted a bit sour, but it was like the sourness from a peach so it wasn't too bad. It was a little dry for my taste.   

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Dibon Cava

Name: Dibon Cava
Variety: Blended
Region:  
Country: Spaiin
Year:
Price: $9.95

Winery review: Xarel-lo, Parellada, and Macabeo. The nose offers regal yeast and richness, while the palate has complexity to prop up apple, citrus, and grapefruit flavors. Solid from front to back, with health and freshness. 

My review: Smelling the wine was a bit difficult for me. I couldn't get passed the alcoholic smell. I tried swirling it several times but I just couldn't smell more than I wanted to. The drink was very sour and contained a mushroom aftertaste. It was a bit weird for me

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Opera Prima Pink Moscato

Name: Opera Prima Pink 
Variety: 97% Moscat, 3% Tempernio 
Region: 
Country: Spain
Year: 
Price: $5.95

Winery review: This fine sparkling presents an intense aroma of fresh berries and tropical fruits with hints of white flavor petals. Delicate bubbles caress the palate offering a silky and pleasant sweetness well balanced by a crisp, refreshing finish. Ideal on its own, as an aperitif or with all types of sweets and desserts.

My review: I loved the smell of this wine. I smelled flowers and fruit. The strongest smell was the lycee fruit smell. It reminded me of home so it made me enjoy smelling this wine more. The taste was amazing. It was sweet, fruity, and crisp. I love the bubbles that was in the wine because it made it that much more enjoyable. I would definitely love to buy this wine. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Black Opal Shiraz

Name: Black Opal Shiraz
Variety: 100% Shiraz
Region: Barossa Valley 
Country: South Eastern Australia 
Year: 2011
Price: $5.95

Winery review: The Black Opal wines are sourced from vineyards found in South Australia along the Limestone Coast, at Langhorne Creek and in the infamous Barossa Valley. Black Opal Shiraz is rich red in the glass. Aromas of blackberry, pepper and spice followed with rich plum flavors round out the palate. Soft tannins give structure to the fruit-driven palate.

My review: When I first smelled the wine, it made me cough from the pepper and spice. I was expecting it to be that strong. I could barely smell the plum because the pepper and spice was overpowering. Trying the wine tasted exactly how it smelled. Peppery and spicy. I didn't really enjoy this wine because it was difficult for me to get over the pepper and spice smell and taste.  

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting Sokol Blosser Meditrina

Name: Sokol Blosser Meditrina NV 
Variety: 50% Syrah, 22% Zinfandel, 28% Pinot Noir
Region: Oregon 
Country: United States
Year: 
Price: $7.95

Winery review: It's created from the finest Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel. The taste is lush and velvety with expressive notes of raspberry and cherry. It pairs nicely with pasta and anything off the grill.

My review: The wine smelled of sweet mixed berries. I couldn't pinpoint the types of berries though. It just seemed like a berry mix. The wine tasted bitter. Not how I imagined it was taste after I smelled it. It was also a bit bitter to me. I don't think I would want to have this wine again. Maybe not by itself anyway

I tasted this on its own with no food.