Jacob’s Creek Reserves Pinot Noir 2007, South Australia

August 25th, 2010 Posted in Australia, Dry Wines, Red Wines
Aug, 25 2010
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A medium-bodied Pinot Noir with lots of personality and texture from South Australia Region. Predominantly from Adelaide Hills sub-region.

Technical Data: 100% Pinot Noir. Aged in second and third use French oak for a few months. Twist off cap.

Description: Ruby red in color with garnet hues. Surprising nose expressing aromas of sweet cherries well mingled with chocolate, liquorice, toast and dried herbs. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, jammy, chewy and textured with soft refined tannins. The flavors this wine displays are an echo to its nose. Quite delightful long lasting finish.

Food Pairing & Service: Will accompany really well an Extra Mature Aged Cheddar Cheese, the one I tried it on with, was from the brand Fiscalini from California, that suggestion of pairing was made by my friends from the “Cheese Fromagerie” Department from the store I was tasting in. I love this wine by itself, what can I do, truth be told, I am a Pinot Noir Lover, but I must confess, this is the first time, Australia impressed me so much, with one of their Pinot Noir! The wine will pair well with roast duck and Turkey as well. Remember that tip when Thanksgiving will come!

Score: 9/10.

Ageing Potential: Can be definitely drunk now, but can also be stored in cellar without a doubt for up to 5-6 years.

Price as seen on DC shelf: $18.39

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Franciscan Merlot 2006, Napa Valley, USA

August 25th, 2010 Posted in Dry Wines, Red Wines, USA
Aug, 25 2010
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A silky smooth Merlot Blend from Napa Valley (Yountville South). Just so you know, this wine is quite a charmer!

Technical Data: 99% Merlot and 1 tiny % of Cabernet Sauvignon, just to say there some in there:-). 16 months in 60% French and 40% US Oak barrels, 25% of were new.

Description: Ruby red in color with purple hues. Intense cherry and plum aromas backed up by light oak. Elegant and full-bodied palate showing off very soft tannins and refine characters of cherry and plum, with some tobacco, a hint of black pepper and some earthiness on top of oaky flavors. The wine is textured and jammy as well as well balanced and long lasting.

Food Pairing & Service: Will accompany really well the French cheese called Chaumes as suggested by my friends from the “Cheese Fromagerie” Department from the store I was tasting in. Also due to the richness of this wine it will go wonderfully with some hearty dishes or even a steak.

Score: 9/10. I have to say, I am not usually a Merlot Lover but this one got definitely into me!

Ageing Potential: Up to 5 years.

Price as seen on DC shelf: $26.99

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Rosemount Estate, Diamond Label Shiraz’08, Australia

August 3rd, 2010 Posted in Australia, Dry Wines, Red Wines
Aug, 03 2010
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A rich dry wine from South-Eastern Australia. This wine is kind of reminiscent to me of an “old loved gloved” you put on your hand…Something dear you are glad to go back to once in a while, you’ll understand what I mean exactly, when you’ll try it, try it out and you’ll adopt it!

Technical Data: 100% Shiraz, parcels of this wine were matured for 14 months in seasoned oak..

Description: Deep garnet red color with purple hues. The nose expresses aromas of black fruits and plum laced with bitter chocolate, black pepper and just a tiny hint of oak. A very rich fruits forward and soft palate for this full-bodied Shiraz loaded with blackberry and blackcurrant flavors backed up by cedary notes, black pepper, leather and oak. A bit herbal at the very end. Silky smooth tannins.

Food Pairing & Service: Personally I would match this wine with “hearty” dishes.

Score: 7/10.

Ageing Potential: up to 5-7 years.

Price as seen on DC shelf: $12.99

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Rosemount Estate, Diamond Label Shiraz Cabernet’09, Australia

August 3rd, 2010 Posted in Australia, Dry Wines, Red Wines
Aug, 03 2010
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An affordable and quite surprising blend, uniting two full of characters and bold grapes for a full bodied and dry wine from South-Eastern Australia.

Technical Data: 60% Shiraz blended with 40% of Cabernet Sauvignon, small parcels of this wine were matured with oak for 9 months total.

Description: Deep ruby red color with purple hues. An intense nose with black fruits aromas and ripe plum intertwined with roasted coffee and spices. Quite a supple mouth. Full bodied wine, rich in flavors, ripe plum, black cherries, some spices and cedary notes, a slight touch of dark chocolate and a hint of roasted coffee. Smooth velvety tannins for a extremely smooth palate. good length on the finish.

Food Pairing & Service: Personally I would match this wine with “hearty” dishes.

Score: 7/10.

Ageing Potential: This wine should be drunk in its youth.

Price as seen on DC shelf: $12.99

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Simi, Alexander Valley Cabernet Savignon’06, CA, USA

August 3rd, 2010 Posted in Dry Wines, Red Wines, USA
Aug, 03 2010
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A dry but smooth and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Alexander Valley re-known for being “The” best place to produce “Cabs” in California.

Technical Data: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 4% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc aged 14 months in 38% new French oak and 25% new American oak.

Description: Dark garnet color with ruby hues. Charming plumy nose exuding also candied black fruits aromas enticed with black pepper and cedary notes. On the palate, lush, fresh berries flavors and ripe plum are dominant, backed up by a hint of roasted tobacco, a touch of cedar and very ripe smooth tannins for a velvety long finish.

Food Pairing & Service: I can imagine sipping this wine while enjoying red meat or tomato based hearty dishes.

Score: 9/10.

Ageing Potential: Easily up to 8 years.

Price as seen on DC shelf: $30.99

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Simi, Sonoma County Merlot’06, CA, USA

August 3rd, 2010 Posted in Dry Wines, Red Wines, USA
Aug, 03 2010
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A spicy and elegant Merlot blend from Sonoma County in CA.

Technical Data: 93% Merlot blended with 4% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 13 months on oak.

Description: Ruby red color. At first, aromas of spicy cloves are dominant then,the rich fruity aromas are coming forward and the wine shows an intricate nose of cassis, plum and ripe black cherries all laced together for creating a very pleasuring bouquet. Elegance is what comes to mind when sipping this wine, again a lot of complexity here, the palate is rich and exudes ripe black fruits in general and more particularly black cherries and black berries, you will find as well smooth tannins thru and thru, some cedary notes, a hint of leather and a great balance for a velvety finish.

Food Pairing & Service: I can imagine sipping this wine while enjoying red meat “in sauce” or with a square of dark fine rich chocolate.

Score: 9/10.

Ageing Potential: Easily up to 6 years.

Price as seen on DC shelf: $22.99

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What does O.P.A.P. means in the Greek “Wine Jargon”?

August 3rd, 2010 Posted in Greece, Red Wines, What is ...?, White Wines
Aug, 03 2010
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O.P.A.P. is, very simply, the acronym for “Onomasia Proelefsis Anoteras Poiotitas” that you could translate in English by “Appellation of Origin of Higher Quality”.

Greek wine law is kind of based on the French legislation regarding wines. Legally, it means that the designation O.P.A.P. that you could find on the Label of Greek wines would be an equivalent to the French quality wine category known as VQPRD (in French: ”Vin de Qualité Produit dans une Région Déterminée”).

Greece counts 20 O.P.A.P. Appellations only, because of stricter conditions applied to this designation, meaning that wine with this distinctive designation will most likely be of a higher hand, and will show off more of a “Terroir” taste.

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Vassiliou Nemea Red’07, Nemea, Greece

August 2nd, 2010 Posted in Dry Wines, Greece, Red Wines
Aug, 02 2010
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A medium to full-bodied dry red wine from the region of Nemea in Greece.

Technical Data: 100% Agiorgitiko grape, indigenous to Greece, aged 12 months in oak + 6 months in bottle prior its release.

Description: Deep plum color. On the nose, the wine exudes cherry and herbs aromas. Medium to full-bodied “bone-dry” red wine. On the palate, ripe cherries flavors and herbal notes entangled with plum and very ripe tannins.

Food Pairing & Service: This wine will accompany perfectly medium to high intensity dishes.

Score: 7/10.

Ageing Potential: Up to 5 years.

Price as seen on DC shelf: $21.99

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Château Mercouri, Regional dry Red Wine from Letrinon’06, Peloponnese, Greece

August 2nd, 2010 Posted in Dry Wines, Greece, Red Wines
Aug, 02 2010
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A medium-bodied and spicy easy-drinking red wine from Peloponnese in Greece.

Technical Data: This is a blend of Mavrodaphne and Refosco grapes, both indigenous to Greece. It is likely that this wine was aged in oak barrels but I could not find any “sure” info about that matter.

Description: Ruby red color. The nose is loaded with red and black fruits aromas nicely laced with cedar and leather. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, dry and spicy and exults of plum and ripe black cherries. Cedar and leather notes are present at the very end. Smooth velvety tannins.

Food Pairing & Service: This wine will accompany perfectly medium to high intensity dishes.

Score: 7/10.

Ageing Potential: It could easily lay down from 5 to 10 more years, but it is already amazingly good that it probably won’t make it that long into your cellar!

Price as seen on DC shelf: $20.99

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Columbia Crest Grand Estate Cabernet Sauvignon’07, Collumbia Valley, Washington State, USA

August 2nd, 2010 Posted in Dry Wines, Red Wines, USA
Aug, 02 2010
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A full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Washington State.

Technical Data:95% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 5% remaining are divided between Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. Aged 16 months in 1/3 new oak barrels.

Description:Dark garnet color. Fragrant ripe cherries aromas enticed with cedar and spices. Fulled-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon blend with silky smooth tannins.This wine displays flavors of ripe cherries, plum, cedar, cloves and spices. Long lasting finish with a hint of toast and chocolate.

Food Pairing & Service: Would be a good choice to accompany any red meat, tomato based “heavy” dishes and hearty pasta dishes.

Score:8/10

Price as seen on DC shelf:$11.99

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