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.
2018 Patricia Green Cellars Reserve Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, OR)… $27.
Aromas of crushed red brick, rose petal, Root Beer and dark cherries. Solid aromatics. Sweet fruit on the front of the palate with notes of ripe dark cherries, backed by an under-belly of Root Beer and nicely integrated acidity. Bark and black tea notes join up on the finish with a kiss of spice and almost a leather-like grip on the back-end. (A-)
2017 Felix Martinez “Estenas” Roda Bobal (Utel-Requena, Spain)… $14.
Candied currants and cranberries on the nose with a kiss of plums. Currants and plums on the palate, blended with coffee bean and chocolate front to finish. Gritty minerality and tannins hit on the back of the mid-palate into the finish where they fade and the coffee bean and chocolate notes linger. A little tight on the palate, it needs decanting. (C+)
2014 Terrazze Dell’Etna Carusu Etna Rosso (Sicily, Italy)… $26.
A little stink action on the nose, joined by slight strawberry and cherry notes, with a kiss of earth and cola. A little meat and blood action on the palate, blended with notes of strawberry and a little rust. Light bodied, but it finishes strong with notes of crushed rock, rust, strawberries and a hit of tobacco. Very Nebbiolo-like. 80% Nerello Mascalese, 20% Nerello Cappuccio (B-/B)
2017 Angela Estate Chardonnay (Willamette Valley, OR)… $35.
Buttery pears and oak all day on the nose with a kiss of mushroom. Oak dominates on the palate with apple and pear notes trying to break through the wood. A little disjointed with a hit of citrus joining the splinters of wood on the finish. (D+/C-)
2015 Angela Estate Pinot Noir Angela Vineyard (Yamhill-Carlton, OR)… $30.
Aromas of dark cherries, black tea and a kiss of Asian spices. Nice balance of black tea, Asian spices and Sarsaparilla on the palate. Beauty bark notes join up on the mid-palate into the finish where red flower notes linger with the Sarsaparilla. Light in body, but powerful at the same time. (B/B+)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
