FRIDAY’S FIVE

In a weeks time, I taste a boatload of wine (seriously). A 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

2017 Bernier Chardonnay Val De Loire (Loire Valley, France)… $12.

Light lemon and apple notes on the nose with a little concrete thrown in. Light and fresh on the palate with notes of lemon and apple and a solid under belly of crushed rock. Nicely integrated acidity keeps it fresh and clean. Lemon and apple notes linger (B-/B)

2016 Aia Vecchia Logone Toscana Red (Tuscany, Italy)… $16.

Aromas of licorice, currants, menthol and dark cherries with a healthy dose of red flowers. Nice integration and balance on the palate. Dark cherry and currant notes come through with a backbone of tobacco and baked earth. Approachable tannins that have a little attitude. Tobacco and currant notes linger on the finish with a big splash of red flower petals. (B/B+)

2017 The Cosmic Egg Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, WA)… $22.

Currants on the nose, with a kiss of brown sugar, cherries, licorice and a hint of chocolate. Notes of currants, chocolate and cherries front to finish on the palate, backed by solid acidity and edgy tannins that show a little grit on the back-end. Currant notes linger on a fresh finish. (B-/B)

2017 Domaine La Calmette “Trespotz” Malbec (Cahors, France)… $25.

Smells just like fermenting grape juice with an edge of cedar and a kiss of orange citrus. Orange citrus on the palate, joined by notes of purple and red flowers with a backdrop of red raspberries, cranberries and cherries. Good balance of acidity and fruit with a fresh, long finish where purple flower notes linger. (B+/A-)

2017 La Senda Diego Losada 1984 (Bierzo, Spain)… $22.

Coffee bean big time on the nose backed by notes of roasted tomatoes with a kiss of earth and blackberries. Red flower and citrus notes all day on the palate backed by edgy tannins. There is an underbelly of coffee bean and blackberry notes leading into the finish where tomato and meat marinade notes join up and linger. 100% Mencia (B+/A-)

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man