Name: Cortenova
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Veneto
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $6.95
Shop/wine critic/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: Super clear wine, smells like an unripe pear with honey and strawberries. It tasted overwhelmingly like apple and lemon. Lingering acidity and tongue pucker, hint of watermelon rind taste. Mid-dry. Vinegary start, smooth finish.
Wine #2Name: Mars and Venus
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Central Valley
Country: Chile
Year: not given
Price: $5.95
Shop/wine critic/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 of weeknight sipping.
My review: This wine was a little more yellow than the Cortenova pinot prigio with what looked like a higher viscosity. It smelled like cat pee, overripe tangelo orange, and kiwi. Upon taste, it really made the tip of my tongue pucker and tasted like lemon. Slightly minty finish, not a long lingering wine.
Name: Bodegas Atalaya
Variety: Laya (blended red)
Region: Almansa
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: 88 points - Stephen Tanzer. A blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera, aka Alicante Bouschet, and 30% Monastrell; fermented in stainless steel, followed by four months in French oak. Bright purple. Cissis, 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: Ruby red/purple wine. Smelled like a baby daffodil/hibiscus aka slightly sweet floral with bits of melon and raspberry. Medium tannins with a biting acidity on the finish. I tasted cloves and spice with hints of lingering blackberry. I felt like this wine needed to either be rapid-aged or be paired with cheese to be more drinkable.
Wine #4:Name: Paul Laureano
Variety: Tinto Classico
Region: Alentejano
Country: Portugal
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Paulo Laureano's Classico is a 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: This wine was brownish-red and I felt like I already knew what it would taste like from the color alone. It smelled like tomato and bacon with a little bit of vanilla coming through. It tasted like the way an old tobacco barn smells, like you could exhale smoke from drinking it. Spicy feel, light tannins. Sensed some kind of mouth-filling fruit, but couldn't identify it.
Name: Villa Pozzi
Variety: Moscato
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: not given
Price: $8.95
Shop/wine critic/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: Pale yellow sparkling wine rather than green. Smelled like a mix of honeysuckle, jasmine, orange zest, overripe pineapple, overall delightful, if overly sweet, nose! Tasted like one of those sugar-coated peach rings -- LOTS of sugar. I also picked up hints of lime at the finish.
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