Tasting - Monte Aman Arlanza Rosado

Monte Arman Arlanza Rosado
Arlanza, Spain
Price: $12

The Vintage Cellar sold out of the originally planned wine for tasting, Oracle Pinotage, so this was a substitute wine.

Tasting Notes: "It has a cherry red color, live, fresh, clean. Very fruity, berries (strawberries, cherries), elegant and surprising. The palate is well balanced and fresh wine in step, with good acidity and is pleasant and enjoyable. It should be served cold, with all types of starters, fish and light meats."

I am typically not a fan of rosés but this one was rather different and I found it to be more complex than any others I have tried. With that said, I enjoyed this wine. It was sweet but had an interesting bite to it and presented a very nice body. Will definitely keep this one in mind for the future.

Tasting - Bolla Moscato

Bolla Moscato

Pavia, Italy

Price: $9.95 (for 1.5 L)

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "Loaded with juicy exotic fruit, mature apricot, yellow peach and tangerine flavors, this sweet and delightful wine is perfect for Sunday brunch or picnics."

This Moscato surprised me on the nose, as it smelled different than others I have tried. On the palate, it was sweet as expected, but not overwhelmingly sweet as Moscatos tend to be. I was actually a fan of this wine because of this masked sweetness, which may be due to the "mature apricot" component mentioned in the tasting notes.

Tasting - Monte Degli Angeli Sangiovese 2013

Monte Degli Angeli Sangiovese 2013
Puglia, Italy
Price: $7.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "The aromas are rich and dark, with lots of black cherry and a hint of balsamic. In the mouth the wine is round and energetic, with cherry and black raspberry fruit complemented by hints of damp earth. If you like Sangiovese-based wines like Chianti or our best-selling Colsanto from Umbria, you'll love this! The wine is ripe, fresh, and fruit-driven with a wonderful dash of earthy complexity at the end. Buy it by the case and drink with pizza, grilled poultry, and pasta."

I caught a dark red and black fruit bouquet right away, with a floral component. When I smelled again after swirling it some more, I noted a weird feet smell that was unpleasant, but the floral hints were still lingering, making it very interesting. On the palate, it was very full-bodied despite its light color. With a smoky, dry finish, this wine was pretty complex in my opinion, but I wasn't a huge fan. However, I would like to try it with the suggested food pairings, as I am a huge fan of all!

Tasting - Alvarez de Toledo Godello 2013

Alvarez de Toledo Godello 2013
Bierzo, Spain
Price: $7.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "Clean pale yellow color. Nose fruity, persistent and elegant aromas. Good backbone on the palate."

On the nose it was slightly woody and smelled full. On the palate however, I was a bit disappointed. I found it to be very bland and non-impressive. The pourer told us it was rather acidic, but I did not find it to be. Overall, I really didn't have much to say about this wine.

Tasting - Villa Jolanda Brut

Villa Jolanda Brut
Italy
Price: $8.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "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."

Opening with a pear and apricot bouquet, this bubbly caught my attention right away. On the palate it was very tart, but pleasant with a nutty finish. Instead of your typical Champagne mimosas, I'd like to try this Pinot Gris and Chardonnay blend.

Tasting - Two Vines Chardonnay 2012

Two Vines Chardonnay 2012
Washington State
Regular Price: $9.99
Sale Price: $7.99

Tasting Notes: "This lighter style Chardonnay is fresh and vibrant with fruit-forward apple and pear aromas with hints of citrus and orchard blossoms. It leads into a balanced crispness and creaminess on the palate and a lingering, lushly fruity finish."

As a fan of Chardonnay, I grabbed this bottle at Kroger in hopes of discovering another great bargain. Unfortunately, I was not impressed by this Chardonnay. Perhaps it was the lack of oak and noticeable crispness of it that turned me off. When I choose a Chardonnay I hope for the nice vanilla and buttery taste that the oak brings. This wine had the characteristics more associated with light-bodied whites like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Unfortunately, this was not my best Chardonnay pick and I was a bit disappointed.

Tasting - Mouton Cadet Bordeaux 2013

Mouton Cadet Bordeaux 2013
Bordeaux, France
Regular Price: $13.99
Sale Price:  $9.79

Tasting Notes: "Pale straw yellow colour; soft pear and grassy citrus aromas; light fruit flavour with a slight refreshing bitterness on the finish."

Excited to try my first Bordeaux I eagerly examined the light yellow color and crisp bouquet it presented. Light apricot and pear flavors filled my palate with this very light-bodied Sauvignon Blanc. However, unfortunately I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I found it to be less crisp than other Sauv Blancs I have tried, and had an unpleasant, lingering bitterness to it. Glad to have tried, but would likely not drink this Bordeaux again.

Tasting - Cool Woods Shiraz 2010

Cool Woods Shiraz 2010
South Australia
Regular Price: $25.99
Sale Price: $6.99

Tasting Notes: "The colour is a deep inky purple. The nose is lifted berry fruits, with hints of dark chocolate and spice. The palate is medium bodied with intense plummy fruit. This
plummy fruit fills the whole palate and combined with the soft and approachable tannins creates a very mouth filling wine. The length of flavour is long with plum and
liquorice fruit and spicy oak."

Extremely acidic on the nose, I was afraid this wine would be a no-go for me. As my first Shiraz, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, it turned out to be quite pleasant. Dry and tart with a beautiful velvety feel in the mouth, this wine was complex and delicious with a lingering finish. Spicy plum flavors and creamy oak balanced out well within this Shiraz. This is definitely a wine to keep in mind for the future! I also had the chance to try it the next day, and I found it to be even more delicious then. Less pungent and spicy than when first opened, this Shiraz was a great first one for me to experience!

Tasting - Estancia Pinot Grigo 2013

Estancia Pinto Grigio 2013
Monterey County, California
Regular Price: $15.99
Sale Price: $9.99

Tasting Notes: "Lively notes of jasmine blossoms, lemongrass, lychee, and lime twist. Delicously crisp white peach and Asian pear flavors lead to a subtle lemon
zest finish."

A very pale, straw color with a bouquet of fresh pears and floral tones, this wine caught my attention right away. On the palate, its crispness was very inviting and I enjoyed the tartness it brought along with the very light body feel in my mouth. It was very smooth and had a refreshing fresh finish. I'd like to try this wine with some seafood appetizers or perhaps a light white sauce pasta dish.

Tasting - B&G Cabernet Sauvingnon 2010

Barton & Guestier Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Languedoc, France
Price: $9.99

Tasting Notes: "This wine is quite the bargain, offering nice fruit and spice for under $10. Simply structured with soft tannins, juicy black currant and plum flavors all accented by a hint of pepper. Drink now"

I really enjoyed this well balanced cabernet sauvignon. Many times I find cabs to be too much for my young, developing palate, but the hint of sweetness with dark/black fruit flavors was a great combination for me. On the nose it gave spicy floral tones as well as blackberry and a hint of raspberry. Definitely a wine to keep in mind.

Dinner - Palisades (South Africa)

When I heard what the theme was for tonight's wine and dinner at Palisades, I was a bit skeptical. I have not had many wines from South Africa and much less had the chance to experience South African cuisine. I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

We began the dinner with the South African dish "Carrot Bredie" and the M.A.N. 2014 Chenin Blanc. The dish was really good and creamy, with hints of sweetness throughout. Pretty different than most other dishes I have had. The Chenin Blanc I found to be rather hot and acidic for my taste. Maybe too citrusy and extremely light-bodied. When paired with the carrot bred however, it was definitely softened and more likable. Perhaps the creamy sweetness of the dish masked the hotness that overpowered all other flavors in the wine when drank alone. Although it was not my favorite wine, it was a pleasant accompaniment to this simple South African appetizer.

Next, was the dish "Bootie" and Mulderbosch Rose 2014. I do not eat read meat, so I was not able to try the ground beef and egg custard, but really enjoyed the yellow rice. Like our waiter told us, I noticed the prominent use of spices over salt, especially in the rice. The saffron was both visible and tastable and other flavors in the rice also gave it a hint of sweetness. The rose however, I was not a big fan of. Not having had many roses, I suppose I expected it to be sweeter than it was. I found it to be tart and also too hot for my liking. I generally don't enjoy extremely sweet wines, but this one, although dry, just did not seem balanced and was a little offensive to my taste buds. Together with the rice, nothing changed much for me. I tried it a couple times, but was unable to detect new flavors coming through. The wine seemed to overpower the rice and they just clashed for me. Perhaps with the beef egg custard it would've been better. My friends did seem to enjoy it.

Lastly was the South African Pizza with the Ken Forrester 2014 Pinotage. As my first Pinotage, I did enjoy it quite a bit. It had a beautiful dark pink/red color and smelled of blackberries and cherries along with hints of strawberry. On the palate I also found it to be really hot with a long, velvety finish. The pizza was probably the most interesting pizza I have ever had, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Diverse with both textures and flavors, it was something I was not used to, but was very pleased with it. I also thought the pairing of it to the Pinotage was the best pairing of the night. The flavors in the pizza softened the wine very much and made it easier and more pleasant to drink.

Overall, I thought the dinner was a really good experience and would definitely like to attend another "Wines Around the World" night at Palisades. Although the cuisine would not have been my first choice, I ended up really enjoying it and grateful for the chance to try so many new and different things all in one great deal.

Tasting - Crane Lake Riesling 2013

Crane Lake Riesling 2013
California, USA
$5.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "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."

I had been wanting to try a Riesling since the Riesling episode of last week's videos, but unfortunately was not impressed. Perhaps I expected a lot, but it just did not provide the punch and excitement I was ready for. Sweet, but tart, it was an interesting mix that I enjoyed to my own surprise, but there was something missing for me. I picked up some melon hints on the palate, but overall was a bit disappointed. I'd like to try some more Rieslings though, especially from Germany, as I have a feeling those will provide the bigger punch I am hoping for.

Tasting - Crane Lake Petite Sirah 2013

Crane Lake Petite Sirah 2013

California, USA

$5.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "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."

I was a big fan of the rosy color this wine presented and the beautiful floral bouquet of it. However, it was very dry to the taste which very much turned me off. I tried again with the sniff and sip, but still I found it unpleasant. As my first of the Petit Syrah variety, this wine did not set a good stage, but I would like to try others for comparison.

Tasting - Yellowtail Reserve Merlot 2010

Yellowtail Reserve Merlot 2010
South Eastern, Australia
Regular Price: $12
Sale Price: $6.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "Round, velvety and mouthfilling, 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."

I was a little put-off by the brand of the wine, as I've heard not-so-great things about Yellow Tail, although I've never had one myself. However, the guy pouring the wine assured us it was better because it was the "Reserve". I ended up really not being a fan of this wine. Normally, I like Merlots quite a bit, so I was surprised by this. This wine was light-bodied for a red and had that unpleasant smoky feel to it. It was overly dry for my taste and I very much picked up on the velvety finish of it. Although I would not buy this wine for myself, I'm glad for the experience of being able to recognize and now apply the smoke and velvet feels to future wines.

Tasting - Takutai Pinot Gris 2009

Takutai Pinot Gris 2009
Nelson, New Zealand
Regular Price: $21
Sale Price: $6.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "Since this wine weighs 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."

I loved this wine!! May be my favorite of any tastings this semester, but definitely my favorite white. It was also my first of the Pinot Gris varietal, so I am excited to try others. Bold and full like Chardonnay, this wine really caught my attention. Its high ABV was a surprise to me as it was less acidic than the Sauvingnon Blanc. With its pear scent and beautiful oakiness, I could not resist this wine. This was my purchase of the week and at 33% of its original price, I will be back for more!

Tasting - Mars & Venus Sauvignon Blanc 2013

Mars & Venus Sauvingnon Black 2013
La Mancha, Spain
Regular Price: $10
Sale Price: $5.95

Vintage Cellar Tasting Notes: "Citrus and gooseberry aromas 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."

A bit more full-bodied and less crisp than other Sauvingnon Blancs I've had actually had me very interested in this wine. The characteristic citrusy tones were prominent and delicious. It was a little bit too hot and acidic for my taste, though.