Spring has arrived, and with it a load of wine samples for me to try in hopes that I will do something with them at the store as the busy season approaches. I fully intended this to be a weekly contribution to my blog and for some reason I’m finding it hard to keep up. With all these wines to review, I think it is time for me to stick to my writing schedule.
I am still impressed with the quality of wines across the board. There are still a few bad ones out there, but I am running across them less frequently then in the past. Let’s see what I have tasted these past few weeks.
2008 Olsen Estates Red … Yakima Valley, Washington… 11.99
From what I understand, Olsen Estates Winery is closing it’s doors for good. This is always a sad day, but it also means that many of their wines can be picked up for greatly reduced prices. This little red is one of those deals.
Aromas of earth/forest floor,tobacco, blackberries and black currants. Sweet dark fruit on the front of the palate that stays throughout. Hits of vanilla and tobacco with hints of spice on the mid-palate. Finishes with underlying black currants and spice that lingers. This is a solid wine and worth more then the twelve dollar price tag. If you see some around, snap it up before it is gone for good. 88+ points
2009 Ventisquero Queulat Carmenere Single Vineyard… Maipo Valley, Chile … 14.99
Here is that Ventisquero label again. This winery blows me away, and their carmenere is no exception. Aromas of tomato stem, green bell peppers and under-ripe blackberries. Spicy, dark core of fruit on the palate. Notes of black currants and cassis with hits of tomato stem and green bell peppers. Long finish of dark fruits black tea, tomato stem and tobacco with a black pepper edge. As herbaceous as this wine may sound, and you would expect it out of a carmenere, the dark fruits balance it out. This is a beauty for fifteen bucks. If your local wine merchant is not selling these wines, get on them! It should not be hard to get. For those in Western Washington, Unique Wines is the distributor. 93 points
Non-Vintage Secco Italian Bubbles … Italy … 11.99
Aromas of pear and apple with a hit of minerals. Apples and pears all day in the mouth from start to finish. The bubbles are a little large for me but the wine had a nice mouth-feel. Although done in a brut style, there was just a touch of sweetness. 89 points
2010 Chateau Lestrille Capmartin Entre-Deux-Mers … France … 12.99
Entre-Deux-Mers is a fairly large region in the Southeast of Bordeaux. There are some super good values coming out of this area including this one. Aromas of fig, grass and citrus. Soft mouth-feel with delicious notes of lemon curd, fig and grass that flow seamlessly into a mineral driven finish with just a touch of creaminess. 90 points
2010 Deusa Nai Albarino … Spain … 10.99
This is a classic example of … “Not sure if I wrote it down correctly or not.” This may be a close-out and that is why I cannot find it in the distributor’s catalog. In either case, here are my notes on it.
Light aromas of tangerine, mandarin orange and hints of grass. Nice minerality on the palate backed by perfumed notes of tangerine and mandarin orange the lingers. This will make for a nice spring and summer deck sipping white. 88 points
2009 Cloudline Pinot Gris … Oregon … 10.99
Nice aromas of honey, peach and Red Delicious apples. Creamy on the palate with notes of apple and honey coming through on the front and mid-palate. A nice mineral driven finish with Red Delicious apple on the back end. For the money, this is a killer pinot gris from Oregon. 90 points
Telmo Rodriguez Basa Blanca … Rueda, Spain … 13.99
Made from the verdejo grape, I always find these wines quite interesting and unique. Aromas of burnt match with a backdrop of honey. Nice viscosity on the palate with notes of earth, minerals and lemon rind flowing into notes of apple skin on a medium to long finish. This white is for the adventuresome wine drinker. If you like weird, you will be rewarded. 88 points
2010 Cousino-Macul Antiguas Reserva Chardonnay … Maipo Valley, Chile … 10.99
If you are the mood for some bombastic chardonnay, and you don’t want to spend a ton of money, this should do it for you. Aromas of butter, oak and pears drizzled with honey. Very creamy on the palate with notes of pear and butter up front. The mid-palate turns to butterscotch leading into a finish of pears, butter and hints of oak. I love this wine for what it is… There is no make-up, just big juice for next to nothing. 90+ points
2011 Campuget Costieres De Nimes Rose … France … 9.99
70% syrah, 30% grenache. Aromas of strawberries, rhubarb and a touch of earth. Strawberries and herbs right up front with a nice spice hit on the back end. Raspberries, herbs and anise come through on the mid-palate leading into a dry finish. This rose has a nice minerality to it with delicious and dry fruit. An excellent value. 89+ points
2007 Torres Coronas Tempranillo … Catalunya, Spain … 10.99
Aromas of currants, blackberries and iron (a lot of iron actually) with a hint of herbs. Loads of minerals on the palate backed by notes of blueberries, plums and cassis. Nice balance from front to finish with a little hit of cedar on the medium finish. I know this label has been around for a long time, but it is nice to rediscover what a great value this wine is. 89 points
2009 Castillo De Monjardin La Cantera Garnacha … Navarra, Spain … 8.99
Interesting nose of green tea, beets and Russet potato skins. The potato skins come through on the front of the palate with creamy notes of blackberries and black plums. Some tannins come through on the finish which is a little thin followed by a late spice hit that lingers on the lips. Very interesting wine and for nine bucks, it’s not bad. 87 points
2008 Altano Duro Red …Portugal … 7.99
Aromas of iron and cassis that are bright on the backside with a hint of vanilla. Bright on the palate with notes of cassis and blueberries with some strawberry coming through. The tannins hit you on the finish which is a little thin. Not a bad little country wine for eight bucks. 85 points
2010 Tinto Negro Malbec … Mendoza, Argentina … 9.99
Aromas of blackberries and minerals with an interesting grapey component that comes through followed by hits of green tobacco. Very plush on the front of the palate with notes of blackberries and currants. The mid-palate shows a little alcohol spike with notes of black tea coming through. Finishes with hits of brown sugar a little spice and char. A little one-dimensional and soft. Some will like this effort, but with the abundance of choices in this price range with many showing better and more complex I suggest you try something else. 87 points
2007 Watermill Winery Chances “R” Red … Washington … 11.99
This is a “kitchen sink” blend with a heavy dose of merlot. It is the first time I have tried something from this winery so I was excited to give it a whirl. For some reason I didn’t look at the label to see if it was Columbia Valley appellation. Anyway, the nose was rather subdued which was disappointing showing faint notes of blackberries and vanilla. Nice core of dark fruit on the palate backed by balanced acidity. Some sturdy tannins on the mid-palate with a mocha, vanilla and spice kick backed by solid tannins on the finish. This wine has some aging potential and is well built. Give it three to five more years for the tannins to settle down and you are in for a treat. 89 points
2009 Chateau Haut-Roudier AC … Bordeaux, France … 9.99
When you have a great vintage like the ’09 in Bordeaux it is a good idea to seek out the lower tier wines, since they also reflect the quality of the vintage without the high price tag of the big boys.
Aromas of cedar, cassis and rose pedal with just a little hit of stink. Cassis and cedar all over the front of the palate. Spice and tomato stem elements come through on the mid-palate followed by cassis and minerals on the finish. Some tannins come through on the back end. This is a really good rustic style “country” Bordeaux for the price. 87 points
2009 Chateau Lestrille Capmartin Cuvee Tradition Rouge … Bordeaux, France … 14.99
Another of those little gems from the ’09 vintage. Aromas of blackberries, tomato stem, tobacco leaf, spice and vanilla. Blackberries, spice and currants up front. A thin grip of tannins on the mid-palate with a little spice and tobacco leaf on the back end. Also some interesting brown sugar and soap elements on the back of the medium to long finish. A little more interesting then the first Bordeaux, and worth spending the few extra bucks for. 89 points
2009 Terranoble Gran Reserva Carmenere … Maule Valley, Chile … 19.99
Aromas of perfumed blackberries, tree branch, vanilla and dusty rocks. Green bell peppers, blackberries and currants dominate the palate with notes of vanilla and black tea coming through on a long finish. Great balance of acid and fruit, showing everything you would expect in a carmenere. Does not get too heavy on the herbaceous side but definitely has the elements. Well made wine. 91 points
2009 Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva … Chile … 9.99
Aromas of charcoal and blackberries with some stinky plum and mint action. Sweet tannins on the palate with notes of blackberries and a little “branchy” element on the mid-palate. Hits of mocha and chocolate with a little leather thrown in on the medium length finish. Made from organically grown grapes. 88 points
2010 Cono Sur “Vision Series” Single Vineyard Pinot Noir … Colchagua Valley, Chile … 9.99
Aromas of bright cherries and strawberries with a little sulfur stink coming through. This wine is very dark for a pinot noir, almost deep purple. Bright acidity smacks the tongue right off the bat. Notes of Bing cherries, tobacco leaf and some fir tree bark come through up front. Very bright and almost mouth puckering throughout with a hit of blueberry on the tart finish. This wine is out of balance acid wise and even at this great price it is not a deal, that is unless you want a super acidic wine. Then have at it. 82 points
Non-Vintage (?) Bons Ventos Tinto Red … Casa Santos Lime, Portugal … 7.99
I put a question mark by the vintage because I am not sure if I just forgot to write it down. Hopefully non-vintage is correct. Aromas of black plums, currants and tiny hits of tomato stem and dirt. Blackberries and plums come through on the palate with a little vanilla mocha on the mid-palate. Nice little spice hit on the finish which thins out just a bit. This wine has good fruit and structure and delivers a lot for eight bucks. 87 points
2009 Xiloca Garnacha … Navarra-Aragon, Spain … 12.99
A little stink action on the nose along with notes of black plums, boysenberries, tobacco and hints of maple. Plump, dark fruit up front on soft tannins. Earth notes come through on mid-palate leading into sweet blackberries, earth and tobacco leaf with slight hits of pepper that lingers on the finish. I like this wine for its “Old World” style but I am not sure if the average consumer will like it. 89 points
2008 Kennedy Shah Merlot … Rattlesnake Hills, Washington … 12.99
Aromas of brown sugar and blackberries with hits of black currants and warm spices. Plush dark fruit with soft, structured tannins. Minerals show up on mid-palate leading into a finish of perfumed dark fruits, spices (nutmeg) and tobacco leaf on a long finish. This is what Washington State merlot is all about at a crazy price. 91 points
2010 ShingleBack Red Knot Shiraz … McLaren Vale, Australia … 9.99
Intense aromas of blackberry jam and currants. Nice intensity on the palate with notes of blackberry jam and white pepper on mid. The blackberry notes seem to have a black tea element on the backside. Nice balance with a long finish with hits of iron. This wine gets close to hedonistic, but does not quite get there. It’s too bad that Australian wines are seeing a decline in sales because this is a classic example of how good syrah can get for next to nothing. 90 points
The spring is always busy when it comes to wine sampling as vendors work hard to get shelf or display space. The Moleskine is loaded with more notes to share with you next week. Till then, happy wine drinking and I hope I helped you with your wine spending budget. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
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