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.
2018 Hecht & Bannier Syrah-Grenache-Carignan (Languedoc, France)… $14.
Violets, plums and boysenberries on the nose with a kiss of earth. Rich plum and boysenberry notes on the front of the palate, balanced by nicely integrated acidity and a solid splash of minerality. Hints of bacon fat come through on the mid-palate. Finishes fresh with a hit of red flower notes that linger. Good balance. (B/B+)
2015 Chateau Blaignan Bordeaux Rouge (Bordeaux, France)… $17.
Aromas of rust,, cherries, earth and red flowers. Fresh on the palate and a bit hollow on the mid-palate. Earth notes come through, joined by minerals, red flowers and rust. This baby is thin and boring AND over-priced. The finish is all rust. (D+/C-)
2017 Banfi Col Di Sasso Toscana Red (Tuscany, Italy)… $10.
Candied red flowers on the nose, joined by notes of raspberry, strawberry and a kiss of licorice. Sweet tannins on the palate that support notes of black raspberries and currants. Smooth with a fresh edge to it from the well-integrated acidity. Rust notes sneak in underneath along with licorice. Sweet fruit notes beam through front to an earthy finish. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese (B-)
2018 Banfi “Centine” Toscana Red (Tuscany, Italy)… $13.
Aromas of earth (dirt), pomegranate, cherries and red flowers with a little brownie and sage thrown in. Smooth tannins that have a touch of rust to them, support notes of chocolate, cherries and pomegranate front to finish. Balanced and nicely integrated. On the finish, the pomegranate notes linger with red flowers. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese (B/B+)
2016 Chronic Cellars La Munca Red (Paso Robles, California)…. $15.
Aromas of Smucker’s Mixed Berry Jam and ripe currants. Plump mixed berry notes on soft tannins with a good shot of white pepper. Ripe currant notes hit big-time on the back of the mid-palate into the fresh finish. Good balance and integration. Starts out fruit-forward and ends on the cleaner side. Interesting complexity for the price. 68% Zinfandel, 28% Petite Sirah, 2% Syrah, 2% Grenache (B-)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
