Wine Tasting - Protocola

Name:Protocolo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla

Variety: White Wine Variety   

Country:Spain

Region: Castilla De Mancha

Year: 2012

Price: 6.95

Wine Review: Greenish gold. Subtle aromas of mint, lemon and orange with a hint of honeysuckle. Dry, understated and focused offering clean citrus and melon flavors and slow-building sweetness. Finishes dry and brisk with an echo of lemon. As usual, this is an outstanding value. 

My Review:   Very interesting wine.  The citrus flavor was very prevalent and nice.  I have to disagree that it was a slow-building sweetness.  I felt that it was sweet from the get go!  Not my favorite, but not bad.

Wine Tasting - Lehmann

Name: Peter Lehmann Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay   

Country: Australia 

Region: Eden Valley

Year: 2010

Price: $20.00

Wine Review: The 2010 chardonnay presents subtle notes of spiced apple slices and ripe peaches with hints of freshly baked bread and melon. Light bodied, clean and refreshingly crisph in the mouth, it offers just enough apple and pear flavor concentration, finishing with medium-long persistence. 

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine as well.  Pretty much liked all but one of them during this past Thursday's tasting.  The fruit in this wine were very sweet and crisp.  Very refreshing white wine.  Solid!

Wine Tasting - Vina Borga Borsao

Name: Vina Borga Borsao

Variety: Red wine variety    

Country:Spain

Region: Vina Borga

Year: 2012

Price: $6.95

Wine Review: Made from 100% Grenache, the 2012 vina borgia was fermented and aged in stainless steel. Its medium dark ruby color is followed by abundant notes of strawberries and black cherries offered in a straightforward, medium-bodied, soft, hedonistic, round style. It is hard to believe a wine this good can sell for $7 a bottle. Enjoy it over the next 1-2 years. 

My Review: I thought this was a delicious wine at the tasting and for a great price.  The strawberries and black cherries were very subtle but had a great presence in the after taste.  Great wine!

Wine Tasting - Jam

Name: Jam Jar Sweet White

Variety: Sweet White     

Country:South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Year: 2011

Price: $8.95

Wine Review: Soft floral hints add depth to the otherwise straightforward ripe peach and nectarine aromas. There's a good balance in he mouth, with a nice acidic lift and slightly lime edge to cut the sweetness on the finish and close with the faintest hint of honeydew melons. 

My Review:  I really liked this white.  The nectarine flavor that comes through is a delight.  Very tasty wine with a soft smooth finish.

Wine Tasting - Entrada Malbec

Name: Entrada

Variety: Malbec    

Country: Argentina

Region: Mendoza

Year: 2012

Price: $5.95

Wine Review: Firm and structured, this is a solid wine, laced with mineral acidity and tight tannins. It has a juicy, blackberry fruit component cutting through the texture. 


My Review:  Out of the five wines I tasted at the Vintage Cellar, this wine was by far my favorite of the day.  I ended up purchasing a bottle!  Not sure what exactly I liked about it so much, I just simply enjoyed it.  I think it was just very well balanced with several different flavors that complimented one another.

Wine Tasting - Le Roc Des Anges Segna de Cor

Name:  Le Roc Des Anges Segna de Cor
Variety: Grenache, Cariganan and Syrah
Region: Montner
Country: France
Price: $23.95
Year: 2012

Wine Review:  50% Grenache, 30% Carignan and 20% Syrah.  The relation between the Grenache and the terroir of Roc des Anges gives fruity and fleshy grapes.  To balance this generosity, they are blended with old Cariganan (60-80 years old) and Syrah giving firm structure and dark colour and resulting in a tender and fruity wine sustained by a real texture of tannins.  Four S's: soft, smooth, silky and smoky!  Lively and fresh in the mouth, gentle flavours of red grape and berry, dried spices and roasted herbs.  From the rock of the angels springs the blood (Segna) of the heart (Cor).

My Review:  The four S's describe this wine perfectly.  It was awesome to experience each and everyone one, one right after the other.  This wine in particular gets me excited to try more Grenache based wines going forward.  Lot of subtle flavors like the red berrry, spices, herbs, and hints of tabacco.  Delicious wine.  

Wine Tasting - Gres St Vincent Cotes du Rhone

Name: Gres St Vincent Cotes du Rhone
Variety: Grenache and Syrah
Region: Rhone
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $13.95

Wine Review: "Nearly black in the glass with a deep purple rim. Scents of black plum, cured green and black olives, orange pulp and smoky bramble dominate the nose. The palate is a deep and luxurious expression of ripe black and red fruit flavors followed by dried meat tones and sweet herbs. This powerful blend is boosted by supple acidity and the wine finishes with subtle tannins.

Works beautifully with leg of lamb, grilled venison, wild boar sausages, roasts." --Jenny & Francois

My Review:  This was another one of my favorites at the tasting at the Vintage Cellar.  It was very balanced from the first taste to the subtle tannin finish.  It was very complex with the taste of dark fruit, olives and smokiness. Great wine.

Wine Tasting - Coto de Hayas

Name:  Coto de Hayas Garnacha Syrah
Variety:  Grenache and Syrah
Region: Aragon
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $8.95

Wine Review: Ruby red color. Pronounced red fruit and spice
aromas. Medium-bodied, dry and easy going. Fresh,
fruity and lightly peppery with mild acidity and
soft tannins.

My Review:  This wine was one of my favorites at the tasting.  I agree with almost every descriptor in the wine review except that it wasn't just "lightly peppery," it was very peppery.  I enjoyed this aspect nonetheless.

Wine Tasting - Vincent Dampt Chablis

 Name: Vincent Dampt Chablis 2012
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Burgandy
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: $21.95

Wine Review: 100% Chardonnay, from the birthplace of Chardonnay: Burgandy.  Pale lemon in colour. The nose shows soft jasmine notes and ripe fruit.  The palate is elegant with a classic, flinty minerality, balanced by soft, creamy fruit.

My Review:  I didn't much care for this wine.  I did not find it balanced, the flavors contradicted each other on my palate.  I have a hard time appreciating whites as is, but this one was not my up my alley.

Wine Tasting - Eudald Cava Brut Familia

Name: Eudald Cava Brut Familia
Variety: Blend of Macabeu, XarelAlo, Parellada and Chardonnay
Region: Someplace in Spain
Country: Spain
Year: Unkown
Price: $15.95

Wine Review: From a 9th generation winemaker who is pushing the envelope for quality and value.  This traditional-styled Cava is a blend of Macabeu, XarelAlo, Parellada and Chardonnay all grown in organic/biodynamic vineyards.  Our first reaction to tasting it was, “Wow – this is really good!”  There’s plenty of elegant white and even some red fruit set off by a fine yeasty/bready character and a dash of seaside minerality.  Creamy, with small, refined bubbles, and ready to enjoy anytime you need a little lift.

My Review: I haven't had any wines with refined bubbles in them before, but I must say it was a delight.  I am not much of a white wine drinker, so I was skeptical at first taste.  After a second taste I was hooked and will look for this bottle in the future.  I picked up on the minerality of it and it was certainly creamy.  Didn't get any of the red fruit, but maybe next time.