In a week’s 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 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 Bodega Garzon Tannat Reserva (Uruguay)… $18.
Aromas of oranges, toast, bark and a background of brambleberries. Currant notes all day on the palate with a whole lot of brambleberry and tobacco thrown in, front to finish. A hit of citrus sneaks in on the back-end, joined by leathery almost gritty tannins. Tobacco and currant notes linger. Nice complexity and balance. (B+)
Marietta Old Vine Red Lot 69 (California)… $15.
Interesting nose of currants, licorice, oregano and boysenberry. Currants and boysenberries on the palate with a kiss of licorice. A slight hit of tobacco sneaks in on the fresh, currant driven finish where the tannins have a little grip to them. Thin on the mid-palate but the fruit expands on the finish and lingers. A “10” in the delicious category. (B)
2018 Lavis Chardonnay (Trentino, Italy)… $14.
Pears and lemon on the nose with a hit of wet stone and dust. Asian pears on the palate with dusty rocks in the background. Medium acidity is nicely integrated, giving it a stainless steel feeling in the mouth. Dusty rocks and Asian pear on the finish with pear notes lingering. (B)
2018 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Freedom Hills Vineyard (Willamette Valley, OR)… $35.
Dark cherries and earth on the nose with a kiss of Asian spices and black tea. Solid dark cherry notes on the palate with a little cherry skin action thrown in. Earth notes lie underneath front to finish with a hint of Root Beer coming through. The tannins are more prominent than most Pinot Noirs. Solid complexity and integration. (B/B+)
2017 Oddero Barbera d’Alba (Piedmont, Italy)… ?
A touch of funk on the nose, joined by notes of black olive, rust and raspberries, with a kiss of strawberries and red flowers. Black raspberry and strawberry notes are buried in a heap of rust and red flowers on the palate with a backbone of cherries. Orange citrus notes sneak in on the back-end with a touch of sweet fruit coming through. Good balance and structure with nicely integrated acidity. (B+)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
