Wine Tasting: 2012 Mullan Road Cellars Red Wine Blend

Tonight's vino is a Columbia Valley, Washington red blend that consist of 51% Cabernet, 37% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc.

2012 Mullan Road Cellars Red Wine Blend

Tasting Notes:
Ink like in color, and aromas of bountiful red fruit and spices.   Black cherry, and relaxed blueberry with hints of ginger and allspice.  Initially fruit forward, yet a wet earthen mossy flavors tame the bouquet of fruitiness to leave you analyzing the depth of it’s complexity.  Finish isn’t substantial and slightly more subdued that I would hope for.  Tannins and acidity just a touch off.

Final Thoughts:
This is a good wine.  Just not spectacular.  In my personal opinion, I do not believe the QPR is there for this wine at around the $40US range

Wine Tasting: 2014 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Limited Release Gold Red Blend

I ordered a dozen wines from the Columbia Crest Wine Club.  Tonight I am tasting the Grand Estates Limited Release Gold Red Blend.

Tasting Notes:
Medium+ body and dark garnet in color with medium legs.     Nice fragrances of blueberries and radishes.  Up front savory flavors of cranberry and red plum followed up by a late sour cherry.  A smooth, but not silky texture and a mellow acidic finish.

Final Thoughts:
Very good for $12US.  Much better than most $12 off the shelf American wines you find.

Wine Tasting: 2013 Castello di Neive Barbera d'Alba Messoirano

Tonight it's Italian for dinner with an Italian pair.

Tasting Notes:
Deep dark violet in color while bright luscious berries on the nose. On the palette, audacious flavors of pomegranate, sour cherry, and hints of passion fruit that I would describe more as tart than piquant. A round texture with a late acidic punch.

Final Thoughts:
A bold and interesting wine, but a bit sharp for my tastes.  That's two in a row!

Wine Tasting: 2012 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Villages Terre d'Argile

Time to practice my French!  Well, French wine drinking anyhow!  Tonight's fare is 2012 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Villages Terre d'Argile.

Tasting Notes:
Dark garnet in color with a medium plus body.  Licorice, red fruit, with a light minerality in the aromas.   Juicy and smooth sporting black cherry, red plum, and cranberry on the palate.  Nice acidic balance.

Final thoughts:
Not too bad.  French wine is gaining a stigma where you have to spend a lot to get a decent French wine.  Given that France is supposed to make lots of great wine you would expect to find decently priced wine that is very good.  Thought it seems many French wines come with bloated price tags that do not match their quality.  This one I'm happy to say is well worth it's price tag coming in at under $20US.

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: 2011 Stag's Leap Hands of Time

Given I'm making a Stag's Leap Merlot in my home winemaking, I wanted to give a try to Stag's Leap Hands of Time red blend.  The friends I've made in winemaking, gave great reviews to the Merlot kit, so I had high expectations for this wine.  (well, higher than expected)

Tasting Notes:
Dark crimson in color with red fruits and all-spice on the nose. Sour plum, cranberry and radish on the palette. The sour verges on slightly bitter. Medium legs, A smooth base, but thrown off a bit by the sour and acidity.

Final Thoughts:
Not really a fan.  I checked the bottle/cork.  The bottle was fine.  2011 was a bad year for Napa, so I expect it was definitely part of the issue.  I still would have expected better of Stag's Leap.

Wine Tasting: 2011 Fattoria Petrolo Torrione Toscana IGT

Today's vino-visit is to Italy.  Of the countries I've visited, (approximately twelve)  Italy is definitely my favorite thus far.

Torrione is a Tuscan red blend consisting 80% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot, and finally 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

My tasting notes are as follows:

Cherries, rose petals, and red apple rind on the nose. Strawberry licorice with a woody essence and a spoke in tartness leading in the the finish.  Smooth, but doesn't have the depth to have a silky texture.  For this wine, I think that maybe superfluous as it certainly doesn't detract from it being a great wine and at it's price point. ($23US) It's an absolute steal.

Wine Tasting: 2011 Maritávora Douro Tinto Reserva

Today's selection is the 2011 Quinta de Maritávora Douro Tino Reserva. A gorgeous full bodied almost completely opaque ink colored Portuguese red wine.

A blend of three Portuguese varietals. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz. Aged for 18 months in French oak and carrying a 15% alcohol content.

In the middle of the 19th century, José Junqueiro Júnior, father of the poet Guerra Junqueiro, acquired a group of farms and properties in the Freixo de Espada-à-Cinta district, Douro, Portugal, most of which are still owned by his direct descendants. An old vineyard of white varieties planted by this ancestor at the end of the 19th century remains in production today. Maritávora Grande Reserva Old Vines White originates from this site.

Today, they are producing incredible wines and this 2011 Reseva vintage is a beacon of light from that long heritage.

Hints of blueberry, and cloves on the nose to flavors of blueberry, minerals and wet wool on the palate. Juicy yet silky smooth with a semi-long finish and extremely well balanced acitidy.

At around $25-$30 US, this is great bargain. Don't just take my word for it. Robert Parker agrees, giving this wine a 93 rating and noting that this wine comes across like a wine that sells for two to three times it's price point.

Tasting: 2007 Bodegas Luzon Jumilla Alma de Luzon

Today's wine is a blend from Spain called Alma de Luzon.  70% Monastrell, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Syrah.

How I came across this wine was actually quite interesting.  Originally, I was in search of 2006 Tandem Ars Mácula which I had been recommended by a friend.   I searched wine-searcher.com to find it and found a local wine shop carried it.  

So, once I got that I started looking around and a woman giving a wine tasting in the shop asked me if she could help me and I told her the wine I was looking for.  She eyed me wearily and asked me if I was kidding.  I said no, she she pointed at one of the bottles she was giving tastings of and it happen to be exactly what I was looking for.

Anyway, we spoke for a while and she told me that Mácula was in their portfolio then helped me retrieve three bottles of Mácula.  While we were at it, she recommended the Alma de Luzon (of course another product in their portfolio).  She said it was very good, but also warned me that the corks were less than they should be.

Anyway, the Mácula was great (I've already posted about that tasting), but I'm opening the Alma de Luzon today and I have to agree.  This is a very good wine also and she was on the money.  The cork basically came out of the bottle like Gorgonzola cheese.    Not happy about that, but the wine is good!

Anyway, aromas of blueberries, fig, and minerals.  Deep flavors of red fruits, nutmeg and toasty oak make this a beautiful wine if you're willing to deal with the hassle of pulling (and filtering) the poor quality cork out.   It starts out a bit acidity, but within 15 minutes of opening the bottle.  It calms down into a nice balance.

While I wouldn't fight a case of corks, this wine was definitely worth it for at least one (possibly two) go around.

Tasting: 2006 Compañía Vitivinícola Tandem Navarra Ars Mácula

Tandem's 2006 Mácula is an unfiltered  blend of 60 Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 24 months in concrete vats and 26 months in French oak.

Garnet in color with a nice ruby red at the edge. I would say a medium legs with aromas of black cherry, minerals, and a mid-level toastiness to it. The flavor boasts a bouquet of raspberry, black cherry and spices. A nice medium / full body with a juicy texture and very well balanced with a great acidity. The wine has a good level of tannins and early acidity so I suggest decanting. The tasting occurred after 24 hours of decanting

I believe this is a great value at $25US.

Tasting: 2007 Castello del Terriccio 'Tassinaia' Toscana IGT

Dark garnet in color with medium plus legs. It smells of blueberry, cherry, plum, a touch of vanilla and lavender. Tastes of blueberries, prunes, cherry with a kind of wet wool finish. The body is medium plus and the wine feels very polished. The wine has a fairly low acidity and a medium finish.  Decanting was not required.

I paired this with my homemade spaghetti with Italian sausage.   It paired beautifully, but this wine is great all by itself also.   I definitely would recommend this wine.