Subscribe to this site's RSS feed.
La Ronescina Pinot Grigio Collio, Italy This white wine smells mildly of cantaloupe, but no other scents jump out at me. That’s probably because it’s extra chilled, which dulls the aroma — my bad. It tastes dry at first, but a sweetness swells up in the middle of the glass. The notes are vanilla with [...]
St. Somewhere Petit Verdot 2010 Paso Robles, CA I was recently introduced to the petit verdot varietal at the Virginia wine tasting I attended at the Angus Barn in June. I was impressed with its versatility in those VA blends, but mostly, I enjoyed finding a petit varietal that wasn’t too tart for my palate. [...]
Protocolo 2011 White Wine Castilla, Spain This white wine blend is very light in coloring. It smells like honeysuckle and citrus with afterthoughts of vanilla and cedar. The wine is thin to medium bodied. Plenty of butter coats the mouth. Other than that buttery quality, there is honeydew and perhaps honeysuckle—I’ve never eaten it, so [...]
Tinto Negro Malbec 2010 Mendoza, Argentina This malbec smells like sour berries, wood, and unsweetened cocoa. It tastes surprisingly savory, almost like a beef broth at first, complete with the carrot, celery, and bay leaf flavoring. It’s pretty dry with that brothy undertone. Medium-bodied, clove and star anise spices burn on the aftertaste. However, [...]
About two weeks ago, I was invited out with other food and drink industry types to come for a special wine tasting at the Angus Barn. It was the second event in a tour promoting Virginian wares to their neighbor to the south: us. The first was a Virginian wine and food event at Fullsteam [...]
Cocobon 2010 Red Wine California This is one of those wines I selected based on the label design, and I’m not ashamed. Look at how pretty that brown and beige label is! I love it. The taste ends on mildly sweetened cranberries, and it starts with milk chocolate and pomegranate seeds. Those fruit flavors [...]
Revelation Cabernet-Merlot 2010 Pays D’Oc, France This French blend comes across like a Spanish wine with plenty of spice in nice proportions. Those Spaniards can go overboard sometimes, so the balance is appreciated. The fruit is lovely, bright and young with raspberry and champagne grapes prominently featured. A bit of tobacco lends depth, and the [...]
Torrontes Dolce 1591 La Rioja, Argentina Sparkling Torrontes! Hooray! Torrontes quickly fought its way to the top of my favorite white wine varietals, so trying a sparkling version is trés exciting. This bottle has a fun purple rubber cork that contrasts with the simple, elegant label design, but I think that just makes it all [...]
La Vielle Ferme Récolte 2010 Rhone Valley, France This red table wine smells like a black raspberry gumdrop. It tastes like a liquid black raspberry gumdrop with hints of licorice and eucalyptus. The aftertase is all spice, mostly cinnamon. Some strawberry and vanilla also comes through. It’s a thin-bodied wine with exquisite layers, making it [...]
Maniña Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 Valle Central, Chile The Maniña Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 tastes prominently of cigarettes. Leather and smoke may be a better approximation. Think of it that way— it’s more appealing. On drinking, piquant berry is the first flavor. Apricot, gooseberry, and sandalwood are also present. The smoke is dominant; I’d wager that it’s [...]