My wife suggested I change up my intro to this piece, so I’m taking her advice and tweaking it. Each week I taste dozens of wines. I take notes on most, but not all. At times, I watch my YouTube channel and write down the descriptors I use during each episode. As a result of all this note-taking, I have filled up many Moleskines in my career. I use the notes to make signs in the store I work at when I display the wines I buy. A disclaimer for my local friends who read this piece… Not all wines I write about will be found in my wine department. It’s not to say they won’t make it to the store in the future. Here for your reading pleasure, are five wines I have tasted recently.
2015 Chateau Dutruch Grand Poujeaux (Medoc, France)… $38.
Aromas of perfumed red flowers, currants, bark and licorice with a kiss of tobacco. Tight and acid-driven on the palate. Earth, tobacco and wood notes on the palate, with red flower notes joining up on the mid=palate into the finish. Currant notes hide underneath. The finish is tight from the acidity, but with a little more time in the bottle, this has potential. 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc (B-/B)
2017 Foppiano Vineyards Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, CA)… ?
Cinnamon, cherries and a kiss of Root Beer on the nose with a hint of earth. Earth notes come through big-time on the palate on solid acidity and light cherry notes. Root Beer and Asian spice notes hide underneath and sneak out on the finish with a hit of bark coming through. The acidity is slightly out of balance with the fruit. (C+/B-)
2015 Borsao Berola (Campo de Borja, Spain)… $20.
Currants and dark cherries on the nose, with a kiss of rust, pomegranate and red flowers. Tight tannins support notes of pomegranate and citrus. This baby is seamless and bright giving the tannins a crunchy feel on the palate. There is a touch of grit on the back-end where citrus notes linger with a hint of red flowers. A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. (B-/B)
2017 Zuccardi “Zuccardi Q” Malbec Valle De Uco (Mendoza, Argentina)… $20.
Dried twig notes on the nose, joined by notes of tobacco, blackberries, vanilla and red flowers. This baby is bright and mouth-puckering. Notes of red flowers and under-ripe blackberries rest on gritty, approachable tannins. The finish is on the tart side with notes of green blackberries that almost seem citrus-like. Note worth the twenty bucks, just saying. (C-)
2017 Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River, Western Australia)… $19.
Perfumed cherry notes on the nose with hints of tomato stem, dried branches and vanilla. Ripe cherry notes on the palate, balanced by tomato stem and green bell pepper notes on structured, approachable tannins. Dried branch notes lie underneath front to finish where the tomato stem notes come on strong with a serious hit of white pepper. Nice integration of acidity, tannins and fruit, with a generous share of veggie. (B+)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
