Wine Tasting: Monchiero Carbone, Mon Birone, Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont, 2010

Tonight's wine is an Italian Barbera I picked up while browsing at the local wine shop.

Tasting Notes:
Beautiful ruby red in color with black cherry and sweet cranberry on the nose.  Abundance of semi-tart raw red fruits up front with tannic pomegranate and liquorice finish.  A punchy acidic early, but with time fades to provide a nice balance.

Final Thoughts:
It's a very nice wine.  Medium complexity with an interesting bold initial flavors that dulls a bit during the finish.  The early acidity provides a bit of pizzazz, though as it fades the body of the wine comes forward.  Enjoyable.

Wine Tasting: 2010 Terre di Bo Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

Tonight is a trip to Italy.  One of my favorite places to visit!  Of course, Italy's best wines can compete on any vino stage.

Amarone is usually a dry wine, but this one is more semi-sweet.

Tasting Notes:
Black cherry in color.  Full bodied with slow legs.  Luscious red fruit and eucalyptus on the nose.  Deep velvety raspberry and black cherry with smoky overtones.

Final Thoughts:
Not overly complex, but enough to be a beautiful bouquet of thick rich fruit and body that grabs your attention.  Needless to say.  I am enjoying this wine.

Wine Tasting: 2010 Yering Station Village Shiraz Viognier

Tonight's fare is a 2010 Yering Station Village Shiraz.  It's a blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier aged in French Oak.

Tasting Notes:
Dark purple in color.  On the nose I Raspberry, plum, hints of raddish, and black tea.  On the palate, I have a stewed cranberry of sort, vocanic rock, and a brazilian nut with hints of tobacco.  Medium plus body with a slight hint of higher acidity that burned off within minutes of the pour.

Final Thoughts:
It's a good wine for it's price point. ($14US)

Tasting: 2010 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ~ Black Label

This Cabernet Sauvignon is like dark red ink with crimson at the edge.  The legs are slow and it almost tastes just like it smells.  Blueberry and raisin though the taste also has a bit of licorice in the finish.  I would say it has a leathery texture and a medium finish.  The acidity gives it a decent balance.

I always enjoy the perceived  irony of finding a very good screw top wine.

Tasting: 2010 Bodegas Olarra Rioja Cerro Anon Reserva

Definitely needed decanting.  It took almost an hour before it really started to pop.

I paired this with a roasted red pepper, red onion, and eight month old Manchego cheese Quesadilla.  It paired rather well, but I felt the Manchego cheese was a bit underwhelming for the Quesadilla.  I switched the Manchego to a Chipotle Gouda and the Quesadilla was much better, but the wine didn't pair as well.

Next time I make these Quesadillas, I will pair the wine with the Chipotle Gouda.

Tasting: 2010 Schild Estate Shiraz

The color is somewhere between ink and garnet in color. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like cherry, raspberry and twinge of apricot. The taste is much more pungent than the smell.  It tastes of a smokey cherry plum flavor with a third flavor that I can only describe as a variation of cedar. The body is medium/full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes long has medium acidity. 

I was very surprised by how much more pungent the taste was to the smell.  I would have to say I do like this wine and probably for the reason given.

Tasting: 2010 Bodegas Ramirez Rioja Selección Crianza Ramirez de la Piscina

This Rioja is garnet in color with medium legs.  It smells of cranberry, strawberry, and black cherry.  It tastes of blueberry, prune, with a hint of pine and a tarry finish.  The body is medium full, texture is pretty even with a medium finish and minimal acidity.

Paired well with a Rigatoni with red peppers and Italian sausage.