Tasting - Sonnenband Moscato Magnum

Name:  Sonnenband Moscato Magnum

Variety:  100% Moscato

Region:  N/A

Country:  Spain

Year:  2010

Price:  $20.00

Winery review:  This wine is intricate with the delicate perfumes of white flower blossoms, profound tropical fruit sweetness, and energized by citrus nectars.

My review:  Smelling this wine, I get peach and mango, along with some floral aromas. The tropical fruit smell carries over to the palate—very sweet and peachy. I can also detect hints of honey. Overall, a very good wine.

Food:  Did not have with food

Tasting - Neu Direction Cabernet Sauvignon

Name:  Neu Direction Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety:  100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region:  Mendoza

Country:  Argentina

Year:  2010

Price:  $15.00

Winery review:  This Cabernet Sauvignon shows very good purity of fruit and skillful winemaking. This wine is full of black-fruit aromas, depth and style. The palate pushes ripe plum and berry fruit along with chocolate, and the finish is chewy and correct in terms of tannins and structure.

My review:  This wine is very sweet and jammy on the nose. It gave off strong aromas of black fruit and raspberry. Not as sweet as expected based on smell. Like the review above, this wine is “chewy.” The tannins give this wine a thick and long lasting body.

Food:  Did not have with food

Tasting - Champteloup Pinot Noir

Name:  Champteloup Pinot Noir

Variety:  100% Pinot Noir

Region:  Loire

Country:  France

Year:  2011

Price:  $15.00

Winery review:  In the heart of France’s Loire River Valley lies the Touraine wine region. Although it produces vast amounts of well-priced, fresh, mostly white wines, lovely reds like this are broadening Touraine’s appeal. This wine may seem familiar to you. It is a sibling of the Touraine Sauvignon Blanc we’ve offered for years. Serge de Bucy employs a light touch in his winemaking, using no wood and doing as little as possible to preserve freshness. Bright cherry and strawberry fruits are followed by a soft, smooth palate.

My review:  This wine gave off a smell much like that of oak and ash, along with some peppery hints. These aromas carried onto the palate, giving it a smoky ash-like taste. Very subtle hints of cherry poked through. The wine has a smooth body and a dry finish.

Food:  Did not have with food

Tasting - Baumann Gentil Classiq

Name:  Baumann Gentil Classiq

Variety:  Riesling Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and Pinto Gris

Region:  Alsace

Country:  France

Year:  2012

Price:  $17.00

Winery review:  A delicious and fresh blend of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris. Light aromas of fresh fruit and delicate white flowers start your journey, followed by crisp flavors of stone and citrus fruit. A well balanced acidity on the dry finish ends this French blend beautifully.

My review:  Fruity and floral aromas are given off from this wine. On the palate, I get citrus fruit flavors. The many different grape varieties make this wine very complex. This is a fresh, crisp wine with a dry finish.

Food:  Did not have with food 

Tasting - Fattori Runcaris Soave

Name:  Fattori Runcaris Soave Classico

Variety:  100% Garganega

Region:  Soave

Country:  Italy

Year:  2010

Price:  $15.00

Winery review:  From the local Italian word for “to work the soil,” Runcaris represents an easy, fresh expression of Soave Classico with lingering aromas of citrus, yellow rose, honey, jasmine and dried herbs.  86 Points – Wine Enthusiast

My review:  The wine gave off fruity and floral aromas. Citrus fruit flavors carried to the palate, along with hints of honey. This wine was very fresh and light, with little body.

Food:  Did not have with food

Tasting - Clean Slate 2011 Riesling

Name: Clean Slate

Variety: Riesling

Region: Mosel

Country:  Germany

Year: 2011

Price: $11.95

Winery review:  This wine, the 2011 Clean Slate Mosel Riesling, really sings "Summer of Riesling". It is a perfect summer sipper. Clean, fresh, and lively it is packed with refreshing, juicy fruit. And at about $10/bottle, it's a great buy too. Brimming with enticing aromas of ripe peaches, apricots, orange citrus and white flowers, Clean Slate Riesling is medium sweet, but the sweetness is nicely balanced by the wine's racy acidity, which heightens the wine's juiciness and exotic tangy flavors. Easy drinking, but by no means boring — just delicious and each sip begs the next. –Mary Gorman-McAdams, MW

My review:  Presents sour apple and lime peel aromas along with some floral fragrances. On the palate, this wine is very acidic and mildly sweet. Taste of crisp sour apple carries over from the nose to the palate. Some flavors of peaches and minerals. This is a great wine for someone who enjoys a very fresh and tangy wine.

Food: Did not have with food

Tasting – Angove Zibibbo Sparkling Moscato

Name: Angove Zibibbo Sparkling Moscato

Variety: Zibibbo

Region: South Australia

Country:  Australia

Year: N/A

Price: $15.00

Winery review:  This is a tasty and generous Moscato that opens with plush aromas of honey, peach syrup, white flower and fragrant exotic fruit. There’s a nice sensation of fullness and creaminess in the mouth that is backed by the foamy effervescence of this sparkling dessert wine.

My review:  Presents crisp fruity aromas along with floral and sweet honey fragrances. On the palate, this wine displays fruity and citrusy flavors, with an initial creamy mouth-feel. The combination of a sweet, crisp apple taste and a bubbly finish makes this a delightfully fresh and sweet sparkling wine.

Food: Did not have with food

Tasting – Fetzer Malbec

Name: Fetzer Mendoza Malbec

Variety: Malbec

Region: Mendoza

Country:  Argentina

Year: 2011

Price: $15.00

Winery review:  Delicious Malbec is 100% from Mendoza, Argentina. It has a vibrant red color with violet tones. Subtle and delicious aromas with an intense mixture of red fruits, plum and cherry jam. On the palate it’s juicy and has intense wood-like tannins that make it a rustic, yet versatile wine. Long finish.

My review:  A ruby colored wine with aromas of blackberries and cherries with a little spice and smokiness on the nose. Medium-weight; herb and wood-like tastes followed by very juicy black-fruit and berry flavors. Has a soft mouth feel and long finish.

Food: Did not have with food

Tasting – Tres Ojos Garnacha

Name: Tres Ojos Old Vines Garnacha Calatayud

Variety: 100% Grenache

Region: Calatayud

Country:  Spain

Year: 2011

Price: $6.95

Winery review:  "Made from 100% Old Vine Garnacha (40-50 year old vines). The wine has a brick red color with a bouquet of red raspberries, spice and white pepper. The palate is incredibly concentrated and rich. The modern styles of Garnacha in Spain are continuously being perceived worldwide as wines of extraordinarily good quality. This wine is fruity, juicy and shows a great depth, ripe tannins, length but yet with wonderful elegance and lightness. Enjoy with sausages, roasted meats, aged cheeses, etc.”
- I-WineReview (December 2013), 90 pts.

My review:  This wine gives off a strong blackberry and raspberry aroma, with hints of spice and rubber. It is very rich and complex on the palate with heavy mouth-coating tannins. Black-fruit flavors mixed with some spice are apparent with a very strong and lasting finish.  

Food: Did not have with food

Tasting – The Royal Old Vines Chenin Blanc

Name: The Royal Valley Vineyards Wine Company Old Vines Steen Chenin Blanc

Variety: 100% Chenin Blanc

Region: Swartland

Country:  South Africa

Year: 2012

Price: $7.95

Winery review:  "One of the greatest buys I have tasted this year is this under $10, 100% Chenin Blanc from the Western Cape. A super flowery-scented nose includes notions of ripe honeydew melons and pears. This medium-weight, fresh, fruity, crisp, dry, textbook Chenin Blanc will provide immense pleasure over the next 12 months." 90 Points – Robert Parker

My review:  Fresh floral scents mixed with hints of pineapple and pear on the nose. Fruity, citrusy, but sweeter than expected, and a little dry on the palate. Citrus flavors, predominately an apple taste, lead to a lovely tartness on the close.

Food: Did not have with food

Tasting – Norton Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Bodega Norton Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Mendoza

Country:  Argentina

Year: 2012

Price: $12.00

Winery review:  Aromas of pithy citrus and pineapple are decent but unrefined, while flavors of tangerine and pineapple are tropical, zesty and what they are. This is nothing more than a fresh, simple, citrusy white to sip on the patio.

My review:  I agree with the above review calling it a “fresh, simple, citrusy” wine. The wine gives off a strong citrus, pink grapefruit aroma. I didn’t get the grassy aspect so much, typical of a Sauvignon Blanc. Flavors of fresh, crisp sour apple and pineapple are eminent on the palate. Definitely a white wine that I enjoyed.

Food: Did not have with food