FRIDAY’S FIVE

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Stan The Wine Man

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 right here on Stanthewineman.com. Here for your reading pleasure, are five wines that I have reviewed in my Moleskine (good or bad), this past week.

2014 Chateau Vincens Cahors L’Instant Malbec (France) … $12.

Aromas of red flowers, licorice, candied blackberries, cherries and bark. Fresh and tight on the palate with notes of dried leaves, earth and crushed rock. Red flower and cherry notes try to sneak out, but they are stopped by the earth and mineral notes. Solid acidity with crunchy tannins. (C+/B-)

2017 Matthews Winery Red Cuvee’ (Columbia Valley, WA)… $30.

A little hair perm action on the nose, joined by notes of currants, cherries and a hit of tobacco. Ripe currant notes on the palate that are held in check by the nicely integrated acidity. Baking spice and tobacco notes lie underneath, with a little green stem action. Finishes with a hit of tobacco on the back-end. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. (C+/B-)

2017 Tour Des Gendres Petillant Natural Brut Vin de France (Bergerac, France) … $25.

Aromas of orange creamsicle, fig and yeast. Light apple and fig notes on the palate, joined by a hit of roasted nuts and orange citrus on the back-end with apple notes lingering. Small bubbles, good intensity and nice complexity. (B+/A-)

2018 Friend & Farmer Tempranillo (Castilla LaMancha, Spain) …$14.

Aromas of red flowers, dusty stones, dried bark, strawberries and cherries. Very light in body, with notes of earth, rocks, red flowers, cherries and strawberries coming through. Red flower notes expand on the mid-palate into the fresh finish, where a little green leaf component sneaks in. A touch too thin with the minerality dominating. (C-/C)

2018 Torremoron Tempranillo (Ribera Del Duero, Spain) … $15.

Earthy and savory on the nose with notes of dried bark, char, cherries, leather and wilted red flowers. Dark cherry and boysenberry notes on the palate, surrounded by savory earth notes front to finish. Soft tannins and well-integrated acidity keep it fresh. The fruit notes expand on the mid-palate into a mineral-driven finish with a kiss of white pepper. (B/B+)

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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BITS & BOBS

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Stan The Wine Man

My wife Susie is in London spending quality time with her best friend Meg. I want to say happy birthday to Meg, I know she is going to have a great time celebrating with all her friends. I wish I could be there, but things need to be accomplished here at home. I miss my wife, but I’m glad she’s having a good time and I look forward to her return home.

I am getting prepared to shoot a couple of episodes on wine that matches up nicely with prime rib, my personal choice for Christmas dinner. I think the first will focus on value wines that won’t bust the budget. I will also shoot an episode with some big reds that may cost a little more for those of you that like to have something a little special. I know some of you like to have a Christmas ham. An episode will be dedicated to wines for that meal as well. If a turkey is your choice, check out one of my episodes for Thanksgiving here. Stay tuned for my focus on sparkling wines for the holidays as well. Fun stuff to look forward to.

I am working hard on my top forty wines under twenty bucks list. I have my choices nearly completed and it should be out there to view soon. I believe I have my winery of the year nailed down as well and I will be writing up an article on that which you will see in a couple of weeks. It took me a while to decide on who should get that honor, but I’m confident that the choice is well deserved. This winery is putting out quality wine at a fair price, exactly the criteria I use for my decision. I know you are excited to find out. Soon my friends, soon.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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FRIDAY’S FIVE

Posted on November 22, 2019 by Stan The Wine Man

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 right here on Stanthewineman.com. Here for your reading pleasure, are five wines that I have reviewed in my Moleskine (good or bad), this past week.

2012 Bussola Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico (Italy)… $50.

Aromas of raisin, coffee, tobacco and red flowers. Ripe currants all day on the palate with a raisin edge underneath. Tobacco notes hit on the mid-palate, joined by notes of red flowers and coffee. This finish is all about over-ripe currants and raisins. This baby has probably seen better days, but if you have a sweet tooth you will love this one. Almost Port-like. (C+/B-)

2017 Portlandia Pinot Noir (Oregon)… $18.

Cherries and Root Beer on the nose, with a splash of wood and red flowers. Bright, balanced acidity supports notes of cherries with a kiss of Root Beer and a spine of red flowers. The acidity is nicely integrated and drives through the finish, lifting the fruit and flower notes where a touch of white pepper joins in the long finish. Great price on a food-friendly Pinot Noir. (B+)

2018 Jules Taylor Gruner Veltliner (Marlborough, New Zealand)… $17.

Banana and filbert on the nose with a pinch of lemon, melon, apple and slight cut grass notes. Banana, melon and a kiss of lemon front to finish on the palate with a spine of fresh acidity. Apple notes sneak in on the mid-palate into the steely finish where filbert and banana notes linger on the back-end. (B+/A-)

2018 Domaine Blain Soeur et Frere Brouilly (Beaujolais, France)… $27.

Aromas of charred marshmallow, red flowers, cherries and a kiss of perfume. Crushed rock and red flowers on the palate, supported by a solid bed of acidity. Tart cherry notes flow in the middle, front to finish where leather and tobacco notes sneak in on the back-end. This baby is true to the region and all about the old world and food is required. (B-/B)

2018 Domaine De Colette Beaujolais-Villages (Beaujolais, France)… $16.

Perfumed red flowers on the nose, joined by notes of cherries and plums with hints of black licorice. Dark fruit notes rest on nicely integrated acidity with a touch of blackberry stem coming through on the palate. Fresh and brooding at the same time with almost crunchy tannins. Leather notes sneak in on the long finish. Seriously tasty Gamay that could be drunk all by itself, but will complement food nicely. (A-)

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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BITS & BOBS

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Stan The Wine Man

I love writing this piece, but for some reason, I missed last week. It’s funny how you start something like this on your own (nobody pays me to write, at least not yet), and I feel guilty when I miss a week. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? It might have something to do with the book I’ve been meaning to write that sits unfinished on my computer. I will finish it, but every time I skip a self-imposed writing assignment, it makes me doubt that I will ever get it done. My wife Susie wants me to make a chapter (or book) out of Bits & Bobs. I think it’s a great idea, but in order to do that, I need to keep at my writing. The more you write, the easier it becomes (supposedly). I will finish the book, I can feel it.

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and the task of buying wine for the meal looms over our heads. A lot of us will go to our old favorites. Some of us will seek advice from the local wine shop or from articles written about it online or in magazines (yes, people still read them). I personally like to experiment with wines for this occasion. A couple of years ago, I opened a bottle of Grenache for the meal and everyone loved it, so I’ve included this varietal in the mix of wines I open on Turkey Day. I always do a little research to see what others are suggesting. Recently, I ran across an article that suggested Sauvignon Blanc. That caught my attention because this is a varietal I’ve never considered for Thanksgiving. I shot a YouTube episode featuring Sauvignon Blanc which will go up tomorrow. I’m going to give it a try this year to see how it works. If you are like the thousands who go to Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Pinot Gris or Zinfandel as your choice of wine for Thanksgiving, have some fun and throw something new in the mix to see how it works. You may be surprised at the results.

I am in the process of selecting my winery of the year for 2019. I think I have it locked down, but I am leaving my options open in case something is put in front of me that will change my mind. I don’t think that will happen, but I still remember last year when Ashley brought the Longship Cellar wines by my office late in 2018. I had a couple of wineries in mind at that point, but when I tasted the Longship Cellars line-up, I had no doubt in my mind who would be my choice for that year. Kyle and Cassie Welch are awesome people and Kyle continues to produce fantastic, high-quality wines at fair prices. If you haven’t tried Longship Cellars wine you are missing out. Who will I choose for 2019? I’m pretty sure of my choice, you will have to find out in December.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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