Name: Mars & Venus
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $10, sale $5.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Citrus and gooseberry are mild but typical of the variety. A basic citrus palate delivers modest tangerine and nectarine flavors which lead to a mild, pithy finish showing light citric notes.
My review: This was a very pale yellow wine. On the nose, I found lemon and pears with a little bit of crushed grass (which I now know is a typical flavor for sauvignon blanc). This wine didn't have a powerful taste other than slight hints of pear, but what really stole the show was the acidity. It perfectly targeted the sides of the tongue for a pleasant puckering sensation that just about made up for my inability to taste supposed tangerine and nectarine flavors.
Name: Takutai
Variety: Pinot Gris
Region: Nelson
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2009
Price: $21, sale $6.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Since this wine weights in at 14%, the fruit was clearly very ripe. That ripeness is reflected in the flavors as well, which feature nectarine and honey accented by hints of white pepper. It's full bodied and lush, with a long finish that mingles the sensations of sweet and spicy.
My review: This wine was also clear, but slightly more yellow. It smelled like honey, ginger, and ripe honeycrisp apple. Upon sipping, this wine tasted spicy and earthy with a long, lingering finish that was tasted like I'd opened the door on a smoking brisket and inhaled. Again, the finish really defined the wine though this time it was more defined by flavor than sensation.
Name: Yellowtail Reserve
Variety: Merlot
Region: South Eastern
Country: Australia
Year: 2010
Price: $12, sale $6.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Round, velvety, and mouth-filling, this is a satisfying Merlot at a bargain price. Aromas of black cherries and herbs fold in hints of cinnamon and mocha, while the flavors are generally fruity, but with a slightly tomatoey note. Soft on the finish. Drink now.
My review: For me, Merlots can fall anywhere on a spectrum of delicious to undrinkable. This one nestled itself in the middle, leaning towards the gross side. It was a dark brownish red, opaque color like dried ketchup. On the nose, I picked up cloves, earth tones, tomatoes and the slightest hint of a creamsicle milkshake. I had a really hard time identifying the taste on this one, but it almost tasted like unripe melon. It left me with the same taste you get when you bite into cantaloupe and it just isn't ripe yet. The tannins were mild and left the tongue tingling.
Name: Crane Lake
Variety: Petite Sirah
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Shows a certain rustic simplicity now, with youthfully jammy flavors of blackberries, cherries and currants, sprinkled with cocoa and pepper and wrapped into dusty tannins.
My review: This wine had a positively delightful fuchsia color around the edges of the glass! It smelled like Burt's Bees Clover Honey Chapstick with a hint of strawberries and a little bit of pepperiness on the nose. This wine had BIG overwhelming tannins and I really couldn't taste anything other than a cinnamon finish. I'd say it needs to age a couple of years for the jamminess to come out.
Name: Crane Lake
Variety: Riesling
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Punchy lime and lemon mark this off-dry Riesling with a staccato rhythm, adding edge to honeyed tones of peach and honeysuckle. Exceptionally priced, it's satisfying and elegant.
My review: This Riesling had a nice dry grass color to it. It smelled overwhelmingly like honey and brown sugar as well as banana laffy taffy, mango, and a touch of crushed mint. It tasted almost like mead, it was so sweet, and like the type of pineapple that Bruster's Real Ice Cream puts on banana splits or maybe even pineapple upside down cake. I really need to work on my sweet descriptors.
No comments:
Post a Comment