Today's tasting involved a new player in the BC wine scene, Gold Hill. An Okanagan winery that just opened their doors in 2011, they are considered by many to be an up and comer in the market. After today's tasting, I would suggest they are showing some promise but have a long ways to go yet.
Gold Hill 2012 Viognier I
Floral and pineapple notes make for a pleasant bouquet, but at 15.2% the alcohol masks (overwhelms?) the subtlety of the fruit on the palate. At $21.90, I could never recommend this wine unless you are a Viognier fanatic who likes high alcohol wine.
Rating: 3/10
Gold Hill 2011 Pinot Gris I
Strong pleasant notes of pear greet your senses, giving way to a clean finish of pear, apricot and honeydew. Retails for $18.00 and would pair nicely with creamy pasta or seafood dishes.
Rating: 5/10
Gold Hill 2011 Gewürztraminer I
Intensely aromatic floral notes gave me high hopes on this one, but the off-dry finish dominated by mango was a disappointment. At $18.00, there are many better options on the shelf.
Rating: 3.5/10
Gold Hill 2011 Syrah II
Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla, dominates the nose and palate on this simple and smooth Syrah. If you like vanilla, and lots of it, this may be the wine for you. At $26.90 it's an entry level Syrah, but unless you are a vanilla maniac, you can find other options.
Rating: 4/10
Gold Hill 2011 Cabernet Franc II
I'm still looking for that breakout single-varietal Cabernet Franc that knocks me over, and this was certainly not it. Subtle notes of anise and pepper. Would pair nicely with lighter meats such as duck or pork, but at $26.90, I once again have to suggest there are better options on the shelf.
Rating: 3.5/10
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Top BC winery comes to taste.....
In the interest of full disclosure, Quails' Gate is my favorite BC winery, hands down.....so I go to today's tasting expecting nothing less than their usual excellence. I wouldn't say I love ALL their wines, as they have a diverse portfolio, but generally if it says "Quails' Gate", it has a pretty good chance with me.
I have tasted all these wines before but not these particular vintages, in most cases. I had actually tasted the 2012 Chenin Blanc when it was first released and at that time it seemed to be suffering from a bit of bottle shock.
Their Chenin Blanc has been interesting to me; my wife and I both LOVED their 2010, and both HATED the 2011. Amazing what a difference one year can make. I had a bottle of their 2006 shipped to me from their library at Xmas and it was sublime, so I'm certainly willing to give the 2012 the benefit of the doubt.
As excellent as most of their offerings are, this winery is all about Pinot Noir. I've tried their Pinot Noir from every year from 2005-present and it's uniformly excellent. Let's see if this year's is any different?
So let's get to my reviews:
2012 Chenin Blanc
Strong hints of lemon and melon on the nose, with notes of citrus on the palate. Dry, crisp and fresh. winery suggests this would be a perfect match for oysters; I don't eat oysters so I'll take their word for that. I will be sure to try this with a much better seafood at some point. This wine will reward those of you willing to put it away for some careful cellaring for 3-5 years. At $18.99, it's a reasonably priced option if you have the desire to buy a case and put half of it away for a while.
Rating: 6.5/10 (probably will go up a half point or a full point after some aging).
2012 Chasselas Pinot Blanc Pinot Gris
Funny story; Chasselas was the first grape they ever planted, and it was planted by mistake. They were trying to plant a grape for eating, not for wine. Turned into a pretty good mistake, as this has turned into a best seller for the winery.
Notes of pear courtesy of the Pinot Gris enhance the natural flavors of the Chasselas. A perfect patio sipper, slightly off dry and well balanced. No need to put this one away; at $18.99, buy it now and enjoy. Should also pair well with lighter seafood dishes.
Rating: 6.5/10
2012 Rose
Firstly, I don't generally like Rose as I've mentioned in this blog before. This one is SO different from the norm.
Notes of green tomato and rhubarb dominate the nose; and the tomato doesn't end there, as it also comes through on the palate. A crisp and dry finish ensures it should pair well with salads or tomato pasta dishes. I'm going to pick one of these up to try it out on my next pasta night. At $15.99, an excellent value.
Rating: 6.5/10
2011 Pinot Noir
Intense and fruity, this version of their regular Pinot Noir doesn't disappoint. From new vines and aged 8 months in barrels, this wine is perfectly good to drink now but if you can put it away for another 2-3 years you will not be disappointed. Subtle hints of spice mix with the fruits on the palate. At $24.95 this is my "go to" red wine, and if you like Pinot Noir, it should probably be yours, too.
Rating: 8/10 (almost certainly to go to 8.5 after aging)
2011 Stewart's Family Reserve Pinot Noir
OK now let's get to their flagship product. Grapes from old vines, aged 18 months in brand new barrels, this is the cream of the crop from Quails' Gate (although I'd argue that their SFR Chardonnay, which we didn't taste today, is pretty damn good too).
The wineries notes say it is "made to be elegant with grace and finesse, this wine is made for wine lovers who desire a sophisticated style of Pinot Noir". I couldn't have said it better myself.
This is a fabulous bottle of wine, ready right now, but if you have the patience to put it away until 2017, 2018, maybe even 2019, you will be very, very well rewarded.
I currently have five of these in my cellar (but today was my first chance to actually taste it), marked to open sometime over the next 4-6 years. Very much looking forward to that :-)
Not a budget wine, at $45, but you will not be disappointed.
Rating: 8.5/10 (almost certainly to be a 9 after aging).
2010 Old Vines Foch
I'll repeat what I said about the Rose; Foch is not my thing. I've tried past vintages of QG Foch and they were OK; this one was a little better, though, and if I was going to go into a store and look for Foch, this would be the one.
Not what I'd consider a "sipping" wine; it's bold, jammy and earthy, and would go best with food. Would probably pair fabulously with very strong foods; braised lamb, or something involving a blue or other stinky cheese. Ready to drink now, but could be cellared for 4-5 years. $24.99.
Rating: 6.5/10
All in all, a terrific day of tasting from one of BC's original wineries. I cannot recommend their wines enough, and also highly suggest you have lunch or dinner at their Old Vines restaurant next time you are up in their neck of the woods.
I have tasted all these wines before but not these particular vintages, in most cases. I had actually tasted the 2012 Chenin Blanc when it was first released and at that time it seemed to be suffering from a bit of bottle shock.
Their Chenin Blanc has been interesting to me; my wife and I both LOVED their 2010, and both HATED the 2011. Amazing what a difference one year can make. I had a bottle of their 2006 shipped to me from their library at Xmas and it was sublime, so I'm certainly willing to give the 2012 the benefit of the doubt.
As excellent as most of their offerings are, this winery is all about Pinot Noir. I've tried their Pinot Noir from every year from 2005-present and it's uniformly excellent. Let's see if this year's is any different?
So let's get to my reviews:
2012 Chenin Blanc
Strong hints of lemon and melon on the nose, with notes of citrus on the palate. Dry, crisp and fresh. winery suggests this would be a perfect match for oysters; I don't eat oysters so I'll take their word for that. I will be sure to try this with a much better seafood at some point. This wine will reward those of you willing to put it away for some careful cellaring for 3-5 years. At $18.99, it's a reasonably priced option if you have the desire to buy a case and put half of it away for a while.
Rating: 6.5/10 (probably will go up a half point or a full point after some aging).
2012 Chasselas Pinot Blanc Pinot Gris
Funny story; Chasselas was the first grape they ever planted, and it was planted by mistake. They were trying to plant a grape for eating, not for wine. Turned into a pretty good mistake, as this has turned into a best seller for the winery.
Notes of pear courtesy of the Pinot Gris enhance the natural flavors of the Chasselas. A perfect patio sipper, slightly off dry and well balanced. No need to put this one away; at $18.99, buy it now and enjoy. Should also pair well with lighter seafood dishes.
Rating: 6.5/10
2012 Rose
Firstly, I don't generally like Rose as I've mentioned in this blog before. This one is SO different from the norm.
Notes of green tomato and rhubarb dominate the nose; and the tomato doesn't end there, as it also comes through on the palate. A crisp and dry finish ensures it should pair well with salads or tomato pasta dishes. I'm going to pick one of these up to try it out on my next pasta night. At $15.99, an excellent value.
Rating: 6.5/10
2011 Pinot NoirIntense and fruity, this version of their regular Pinot Noir doesn't disappoint. From new vines and aged 8 months in barrels, this wine is perfectly good to drink now but if you can put it away for another 2-3 years you will not be disappointed. Subtle hints of spice mix with the fruits on the palate. At $24.95 this is my "go to" red wine, and if you like Pinot Noir, it should probably be yours, too.
Rating: 8/10 (almost certainly to go to 8.5 after aging)
2011 Stewart's Family Reserve Pinot NoirOK now let's get to their flagship product. Grapes from old vines, aged 18 months in brand new barrels, this is the cream of the crop from Quails' Gate (although I'd argue that their SFR Chardonnay, which we didn't taste today, is pretty damn good too).
The wineries notes say it is "made to be elegant with grace and finesse, this wine is made for wine lovers who desire a sophisticated style of Pinot Noir". I couldn't have said it better myself.
This is a fabulous bottle of wine, ready right now, but if you have the patience to put it away until 2017, 2018, maybe even 2019, you will be very, very well rewarded.
I currently have five of these in my cellar (but today was my first chance to actually taste it), marked to open sometime over the next 4-6 years. Very much looking forward to that :-)
Not a budget wine, at $45, but you will not be disappointed.
Rating: 8.5/10 (almost certainly to be a 9 after aging).
2010 Old Vines Foch
I'll repeat what I said about the Rose; Foch is not my thing. I've tried past vintages of QG Foch and they were OK; this one was a little better, though, and if I was going to go into a store and look for Foch, this would be the one.
Not what I'd consider a "sipping" wine; it's bold, jammy and earthy, and would go best with food. Would probably pair fabulously with very strong foods; braised lamb, or something involving a blue or other stinky cheese. Ready to drink now, but could be cellared for 4-5 years. $24.99.
Rating: 6.5/10
All in all, a terrific day of tasting from one of BC's original wineries. I cannot recommend their wines enough, and also highly suggest you have lunch or dinner at their Old Vines restaurant next time you are up in their neck of the woods.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Different wine growing regions of the world
As I mentioned very early on in my blog, I am a BC wine guy; but that doesn't preclude the rest of the world. There are some interesting facts, and misconceptions out there about where all the great wine in the world comes from.
I'm not going to rehash my column about why Canadian wine gets little respect in the world; I'd highly recommend everyone go back and read that column; but here is another reason that we are not necessarily thought of as a major wine player: we don't produce that much of it.
Looking at a list of the top 10 wine producers in the world, I would suggest that the first four are obvious to even the most inexperienced wine enthusiast: France, Italy, Spain and the USA, in that order. Who's number five? This one was a bit of a surprise to me, and it's a country that I do not believe I have EVER tasted wine from: Argentina.
Argentina relies highly on wine exports to keep their production this high. Their wine industry has its roots in Spain, but their most planted grape actually has it's origins in France: Malbec. In fact, the second most planted red grape, Bonarda, also comes from France where it is called Douce Noir. Spain's influence isn't found until you get down the list to the fifth most planted red grape, Tempranillo, which also trails Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in terms of the amount planted.
The influx of Italian immigrants to Argentina has brought with it many Italian varietals with notable plantings in Argentina as well, including Barbera, Dolcetto, Freisa, Lambrusco, Nebbiolo, Raboso and Sangiovese.
Argentina's most widely planted white grape is called Pedro Gimenez (a close relative of Spain's Pedro Ximenez). Many other white grapes are planted in earnest as well, including Torrontes Riojano, Muscat of Alexandria and Chardonnay.
While Malbec has never much appealed to me, I'm going to have to search out a good Argentinian Malbec and try it out.
Sixth on our list is another country that relies heavily on their export business, our friends from Down Under, Australia. I promise not to make a "shrimp-on-the-barby" joke in this entry.
Australia is primarily known for their Shiraz (Syrah in other parts of the world), and it dominates in terms of area planted. As of 2008, Shiraz accounted for almost 44,000 hectares, more than the next four red grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Grenache) combined.
On the white side, it's all about Chardonnay, which, at over 31,000 hectares, accounts for about 45% of ALL the white grapes planted in Australia.
I have been to a couple different tastings of Australian wine and while the tastings included many varietals, they were dominated by Shiraz, both in sheer numbers of wines to taste, and the quality of the wines.
I hear their Chardonnay goes really well with BBQ shrimp, though. See what I did there? I lied. Live with it.
Next on the countdown at number 7 is Germany and their aromatic whites, lead by Riesling. We've talked about these in the past, German Rieslings are my favorite.
At number 8 is another country I'm pretty unfamiliar with, South Africa. I've only tried one South African wine, if memory serves, and it was awful. South Africa produces many different varietals but is primarily known for Chenin Blanc, which makes up about 18% of the plantings, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Columbard (a white grape which is an offspring of Gouais Blanc and Chenin Blanc).
At number nine is Chile and their Carménère, (often called the "lost varietal" of Bordeaux), which is their most famous export although not their most planted red grape; that honour goes to Cabernet Sauvignon. Second on the list is a grape called Pais, which is used mainly for domestic consumption. Pais was Chile's most harvested red grape for most of the history of the Chilean wine industry, just being passed by Cabernet Sauvignon at the beginning of the 21st century.
Rounding out our top 10 is a country we've discussed in the past; Portugal. Known mainly for Port wines, Portugal also produces some high quality table wines. For more info on some of those, please reference past blog posts on Portugese Douro.
So now I have a good shopping list: Argentinian Malbec, South African Chenin Blanc, and Chilean
Carménère. Oh the horror of having to shop for new wines :-)
So as you see from this list of the top 10 wine-producing regions (in terms of litres produced, not quality), Canada doesn't make the list. We fall into the "everyone else" category, with the likes of New Zealand, China and Mexico. And about a bazillion other countries who produce wine.
Hope you enjoyed the read, and maybe even learned a little something. I certainly did.
Until next time
I'm not going to rehash my column about why Canadian wine gets little respect in the world; I'd highly recommend everyone go back and read that column; but here is another reason that we are not necessarily thought of as a major wine player: we don't produce that much of it.
Looking at a list of the top 10 wine producers in the world, I would suggest that the first four are obvious to even the most inexperienced wine enthusiast: France, Italy, Spain and the USA, in that order. Who's number five? This one was a bit of a surprise to me, and it's a country that I do not believe I have EVER tasted wine from: Argentina.
Argentina relies highly on wine exports to keep their production this high. Their wine industry has its roots in Spain, but their most planted grape actually has it's origins in France: Malbec. In fact, the second most planted red grape, Bonarda, also comes from France where it is called Douce Noir. Spain's influence isn't found until you get down the list to the fifth most planted red grape, Tempranillo, which also trails Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in terms of the amount planted.
The influx of Italian immigrants to Argentina has brought with it many Italian varietals with notable plantings in Argentina as well, including Barbera, Dolcetto, Freisa, Lambrusco, Nebbiolo, Raboso and Sangiovese.
Argentina's most widely planted white grape is called Pedro Gimenez (a close relative of Spain's Pedro Ximenez). Many other white grapes are planted in earnest as well, including Torrontes Riojano, Muscat of Alexandria and Chardonnay.
While Malbec has never much appealed to me, I'm going to have to search out a good Argentinian Malbec and try it out.
Sixth on our list is another country that relies heavily on their export business, our friends from Down Under, Australia. I promise not to make a "shrimp-on-the-barby" joke in this entry.
Australia is primarily known for their Shiraz (Syrah in other parts of the world), and it dominates in terms of area planted. As of 2008, Shiraz accounted for almost 44,000 hectares, more than the next four red grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Grenache) combined.
On the white side, it's all about Chardonnay, which, at over 31,000 hectares, accounts for about 45% of ALL the white grapes planted in Australia.
I have been to a couple different tastings of Australian wine and while the tastings included many varietals, they were dominated by Shiraz, both in sheer numbers of wines to taste, and the quality of the wines.
I hear their Chardonnay goes really well with BBQ shrimp, though. See what I did there? I lied. Live with it.
Next on the countdown at number 7 is Germany and their aromatic whites, lead by Riesling. We've talked about these in the past, German Rieslings are my favorite.
At number 8 is another country I'm pretty unfamiliar with, South Africa. I've only tried one South African wine, if memory serves, and it was awful. South Africa produces many different varietals but is primarily known for Chenin Blanc, which makes up about 18% of the plantings, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Columbard (a white grape which is an offspring of Gouais Blanc and Chenin Blanc).
At number nine is Chile and their Carménère, (often called the "lost varietal" of Bordeaux), which is their most famous export although not their most planted red grape; that honour goes to Cabernet Sauvignon. Second on the list is a grape called Pais, which is used mainly for domestic consumption. Pais was Chile's most harvested red grape for most of the history of the Chilean wine industry, just being passed by Cabernet Sauvignon at the beginning of the 21st century.
Rounding out our top 10 is a country we've discussed in the past; Portugal. Known mainly for Port wines, Portugal also produces some high quality table wines. For more info on some of those, please reference past blog posts on Portugese Douro.
So now I have a good shopping list: Argentinian Malbec, South African Chenin Blanc, and Chilean
Carménère. Oh the horror of having to shop for new wines :-)
So as you see from this list of the top 10 wine-producing regions (in terms of litres produced, not quality), Canada doesn't make the list. We fall into the "everyone else" category, with the likes of New Zealand, China and Mexico. And about a bazillion other countries who produce wine.
Hope you enjoyed the read, and maybe even learned a little something. I certainly did.
Until next time
Monday, August 5, 2013
BC Day blog features two really good wines
Given that today is BC Day, it would only be logical that I would feature nothing but BC wines in today's blog. But of course nobody has ever accused me of being logical. I'm not Mr. Spock for goodness sake.
A few days ago, I was wandering through a random liquor store, checking out their pretty lousy selection of wine, when I came across this bad boy from Spain:
2003 Bajoz Cranza Tempranillo
Bold and earthy, very fruit forward with a pleasant, rich finish, I'd highly recommend picking one of these up if you can find it. I'm going to head back to that store and see if they have any more of them. For $23, it was a steal, and the best part is it's already 10 years old; no reason to further age it. Pop that baby open and enjoy! If you like a good Tempranillo at a very reasonable price, this is for you.
Rating: 7/10
***UPDATE, just got back from the store, picked up the LAST bottle!
OK I guess I better at least feature ONE B.C. wine in my BC Day blog. I had some good friends over for dinner on Saturday night and they brought me this one, which I had not yet tried:
2010 Nk'Mip Quam Qwmt Chardonnay
Try pronouncing that one. No, you're wrong. Try again. No still wrong. Time to give up! This was very nice, with notes of butter and caramel that I love in a Chardonnay. Very rich, with an extended mineral finish. An excellent choice if you are looking for a nice Chardonnay at a reasonable price point of $25.
Rating: 7/10
A few days ago, I was wandering through a random liquor store, checking out their pretty lousy selection of wine, when I came across this bad boy from Spain:
2003 Bajoz Cranza Tempranillo
Bold and earthy, very fruit forward with a pleasant, rich finish, I'd highly recommend picking one of these up if you can find it. I'm going to head back to that store and see if they have any more of them. For $23, it was a steal, and the best part is it's already 10 years old; no reason to further age it. Pop that baby open and enjoy! If you like a good Tempranillo at a very reasonable price, this is for you.
Rating: 7/10
***UPDATE, just got back from the store, picked up the LAST bottle!
OK I guess I better at least feature ONE B.C. wine in my BC Day blog. I had some good friends over for dinner on Saturday night and they brought me this one, which I had not yet tried:
2010 Nk'Mip Quam Qwmt ChardonnayTry pronouncing that one. No, you're wrong. Try again. No still wrong. Time to give up! This was very nice, with notes of butter and caramel that I love in a Chardonnay. Very rich, with an extended mineral finish. An excellent choice if you are looking for a nice Chardonnay at a reasonable price point of $25.
Rating: 7/10
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Tasting for BC Day Long Weekend
Sardis Park VQA, my local wine store, hosted a tasting yesterday of four wines to drink on this long weekend. A couple of bubblies to start things off:
The View 2012 Distraction Frizzante
Very dry and sharp, even a little bitter. Finishes off with notes of watermelon. Done in the Prosecco style; if that's your thing, you may enjoy this. Retails for $19.90
Rating: 4/10
Therapy Vineyards 2012 FizzioTherapy Blanc
Another Prosecco-style bubbly, and my thoughts on it are almost the same as the above. Dry with a hint of bitterness. Retails for $22.99
Rating: 3.5/10
And, we also got to taste the new Blind Trust offerings from Laughing Stock Vineyards. For those of you not familiar with what the Blind Trust is all about, they are two blends that change from year to year, and you don't know what you are getting until you open the bottle, as the percentages are printed under the foil. Or you could just read this blog entry, as I'm going to give them to you.
Laughing Stock 2011 Blind Trust Red
A blend of four of the "big five" grapes that you will see in most Bordeaux blends, with a little Syrah in place of Petit Verdot for good measure.
Merlot 47
Malbec 31
Cab Sauv 12
Cab Franc 6
Syrah 4
Smooth and drinkable with notes of plum and cherry. Very balanced. Surprisingly ready to go for a young wine. No need to age this one, pop it open now. It's good, but at the $30 price point, there are better options.
Rating: 6.5/10
Laughing Stock 2011 Blind Trust White
Pinot Gris 43
Pinot Blanc 29
Viognier 28
Crisp and clean, very balanced finish. These are generally not my three favorite white grapes, but putting them together worked pretty well. If you like these grapes, you will probably really enjoy this wine.
Rating: 6/10
The View 2012 Distraction FrizzanteVery dry and sharp, even a little bitter. Finishes off with notes of watermelon. Done in the Prosecco style; if that's your thing, you may enjoy this. Retails for $19.90
Rating: 4/10
Therapy Vineyards 2012 FizzioTherapy Blanc
Another Prosecco-style bubbly, and my thoughts on it are almost the same as the above. Dry with a hint of bitterness. Retails for $22.99
Rating: 3.5/10
And, we also got to taste the new Blind Trust offerings from Laughing Stock Vineyards. For those of you not familiar with what the Blind Trust is all about, they are two blends that change from year to year, and you don't know what you are getting until you open the bottle, as the percentages are printed under the foil. Or you could just read this blog entry, as I'm going to give them to you.
Laughing Stock 2011 Blind Trust RedA blend of four of the "big five" grapes that you will see in most Bordeaux blends, with a little Syrah in place of Petit Verdot for good measure.
Merlot 47
Malbec 31
Cab Sauv 12
Cab Franc 6
Syrah 4
Smooth and drinkable with notes of plum and cherry. Very balanced. Surprisingly ready to go for a young wine. No need to age this one, pop it open now. It's good, but at the $30 price point, there are better options.
Rating: 6.5/10
Laughing Stock 2011 Blind Trust WhitePinot Gris 43
Pinot Blanc 29
Viognier 28
Crisp and clean, very balanced finish. These are generally not my three favorite white grapes, but putting them together worked pretty well. If you like these grapes, you will probably really enjoy this wine.
Rating: 6/10
Friday, August 2, 2013
There's a MONSTER lurking amongst us
Today's tasting features four offerings from Monster Vineyards, the "entry level" brand from Poplar Grove.
2009 Monster Vineyards Rose
Strawberry on the nose, but quite lemony on the palate. A unique rose, different from most that I have tasted. $17.90.
Rating: 5/10
2012 Monster Vineyards Skinny Dip Chardonnay
A sharp citrus nose gives way to a crisp and fruity palate; unoaked, and very smooth. If you like your Chardonnay unoaked, you will enjoy this. And at $17.90, a good value.
Rating: 6/10
2011 Monster Vineyards Merlot
Very light and mild with underlying notes of spice. Dull tannins and clean acidity suggest that it will not respond particularly well to aging. Should pair well with red meats. $19.90.
Rating: 5/10
2011 Monster Cabs
A Meritage blend with strong notes of dark chocolate and coffee. Tannins are very ripe. Just OK right now but will almost certainly improve with age. A very reasonable price point of $19.90 suggests if you have the patience to lay it down for a couple of years, you may end up with a steal.
Rating: 6/10
2009 Monster Vineyards Rose
Strawberry on the nose, but quite lemony on the palate. A unique rose, different from most that I have tasted. $17.90.
Rating: 5/10
2012 Monster Vineyards Skinny Dip Chardonnay
A sharp citrus nose gives way to a crisp and fruity palate; unoaked, and very smooth. If you like your Chardonnay unoaked, you will enjoy this. And at $17.90, a good value.
Rating: 6/10
2011 Monster Vineyards Merlot
Very light and mild with underlying notes of spice. Dull tannins and clean acidity suggest that it will not respond particularly well to aging. Should pair well with red meats. $19.90.
Rating: 5/10
2011 Monster Cabs
A Meritage blend with strong notes of dark chocolate and coffee. Tannins are very ripe. Just OK right now but will almost certainly improve with age. A very reasonable price point of $19.90 suggests if you have the patience to lay it down for a couple of years, you may end up with a steal.
Rating: 6/10
Thursday, August 1, 2013
What temperature do I want to serve my wine at?
Quick blog entry today, but this is an important subject. What temperature to drink wine at? Here is a handy guide.
Particularly love the 5 degree whites :-)
Particularly love the 5 degree whites :-)
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