In a weeks time, I taste a boatload of wine (seriously). I lot of my friends think I’m lucky. Well, they’re right, and I wouldn’t give this job up for the world. The only thing that makes my job hard, is my feeling of responsibility to taste the samples given to me as quickly as possible and to put my reviews either in my Moleskine, on my YouTube channel (Stan The Wine Man TV), or right here on Stanthewineman.com. Here for your reading pleasure, are five wines that I have reviewed in my Moleskine (good or bad), this past week.
2016 Brook & Bull Malbec (Columbia Valley, WA)… $41.
Aromas of tobacco, wood, dark cherries and blackberries with perfumed red flowers in the background. Sweet structured tannins support notes of dark cherries, vanilla and blackberries front to finish, with chocolate notes lying underneath. The acidity is nicely integrated and gives the wine a lift on the back-end. There is a big red flower hit on the mid-palate leading into the finish where the tannins get a chalky feel to them. (B+/A-)
2016 Newsprint Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Mountain, WA)…$25.
Dark cherry notes on the nose, joined by currants, vanilla and slight hits of red flowers and earth. Cherry and currant notes on the palate, brightened by the well-integrated acidity and soft, structured tannins. Earth and tobacco notes come on strong on the finish mingled with currant notes that linger. (B)
2018 Lone Birch Rose` (Yakima Valley, WA)… $9.
Aromas of grapefruit and tangerine with hits of bubblegum and watermelon. Strawberry bubblegum all day on the palate. Nice and dry from the mid-palate into the finish with a touch of strawberry sweetness underneath. A kiss of watermelon on the back-end. (C+/B-)
2018 Airfield Estates Sauvignon Blanc (Yakima Valley, WA)… $13.
Perfumed lemons on the nose, joined by notes of cut grass and bubblegum. Round apple and lemon notes on the palate with hits of cut grass. A touch of peach shows up on the mid-palate. Tiny, tiny hints of bubblegum show up from front to finish. Creamy, dry finish with apple notes lingering. (B-)
2013 Gamache Vintners Merlot (Columbia Valley, WA)… $22.
Maple and ripe currant notes on the nose with a good dose of meat marinade, tobacco and BBQ spices with a kiss of raspberries. Cherry and currant notes on the palate, blended with BBQ spices and tobacco with a hit of Worcestershire Sauce. There is a spine of iron notes that lie underneath front to finish where it lingers with the tobacco, cherry
