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.
2016 Bodegas Borsao Syrah “Zarihs” (Campo de Borja, Spain)… $22.
Aromas of ripe currants with a big hit of tar. Dark violet notes and an edge of smoke and bacon fat. Solid acidity on the palate keeps it fresh in the mouth. Notes of violets, boysenberries, currants and a kiss of vanilla, front to finish. There is a touch of smoke and blueberries that sneak out on the back-end. (B+)
2018 Catena Zapata Paraje Altamira Malbec (Valle de Uco, Argentina)… $23.
Very earthy on the nose with notes of licorice, pomegranate, cranberry and underlying plum notes. Plum and pomegranate on the palate with a touch of cranberry and leather coming through. There is a slight beam of blueberry underneath front to finish where the leather notes come through and linger. A bit on the bright side with good balance. (B)
2020 Illahe Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, OR)… $20.
Root cellar apple notes on the nose with a kiss of applesauce and baking spices. Fresh, clean apple notes on the palate front to finish where a hint of baking spices come out on the back-end. Simple and clean, but slightly over-priced for what you get. (C)
2020 Quatre Tours Classique Rose’ (Aix En Provence, France)… $14.
Aromas of fennel, strawberries, watermelon and a hint of red raspberries. Strawberry and watermelon notes on the palate with a touch of raspberry, balanced by nicely integrated acidity. Fresh with solid flavors. Dry on the palate with a crisp lingering finish. A steal for this Provence Rose’. (B/B+)
2019 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux Blanc (France)… ?
Aromas of cut grass, lime, grapefruit and stainless steel. Sweet fruit on the front of the palate, morphing into laser-like focus on the mid-palate into the finish. Notes of white grapefruit and lime front to finish with grass notes lingering underneath. Good balance with a clean, crisp finish where the lime and grapefruit notes linger. Superlinear on the palate. A blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. (B-)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
