A boatload of wine
In a weeks time, I taste a boatload of wine (seriously). I 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 thirteen wines that I have reviewed in my Moleskine (good or bad), this past week.
2017 Tenuta Santa Maria “Lepia” Soave (Veneto, Italy)… $17.
Wet stone, white flowers, melon and a touch of peach on the nose. Crushed rock backs fennel, Root Beer and citrus notes on the palate (yes I wrote Root Beer). Excellent acidity keeps it fresh in the mouth, front to finish. Good balance of acidity, minerality and fruit. (A)
2015 Golden Eagle “Julia James Chardonnay (California)… $13.
Fig, spice and banana bread on the nose. Round on the palate with solid fig notes and slight baking spice. Very smooth and almost slick with good balance. Green apple notes and minerals sneak in on the back-end. (B+)
2016 Walnut Block Wines Sauvignon BLanc (Marlborough, New Zealand)… ?
Big time gooseberry on the nose, joined by notes of grapefruit and a hit of fresh-cut grass. A little sugarfied on the palate with notes of grapefruit, peach, apples and gooseberry. Somewhat round on the front leading into fresh, but not cutting on the palate like a lot of N.Z. Sauvignon Blancs can be. There is a pinch of grapefruit pith on the back of the finish. (C/C+)
2016 Cristom Pinot Noir Mt. Jefferson Cuvee`(Willamette Valley, OR)… $35.
Subtle dark cherry notes on the nose with a hint of Asian spice and cinnamon. Perfect weight in the mouth (that is for my palate of course), with notes of cherries and underlying cranberry. Asian spices shadow the fruit notes front to finish where black tea joins the palate party and hangs around. Nice balance. (A-)
2016 Viberti “La Gemella” Barbera D’Alba (Piedmont, Italy)… $17.
Aromas of dirt, crushed red brick, red flowers, licorice and cherries with a kiss of hay. Bright on the palate with notes of under-ripe blueberries and cranberries with a slight kiss of rust. Red flower and crushed brick notes lie underneath. Cranberry notes morph into red raspberry on the back-end. This baby is mouth-watering and puckers you up a bit. Just what you would expect from the old world of Northern Italy. Bring on the food. (B+/A-)
2013 Idilico Tempranillo Reserva (Yakima Valley, WA)… $30.
Ripe currants and sweet tobacco on the nose with a touch of licorice. Currant and bark notes on the palate with a hint of BBQ spices lying underneath. There is a sweet hit on the mid-palate that disappears on the fresh finish where notes of leather, tea and orange peel sneak in. (A-)
2017 Alberto Nanclaros Ocio Dandelion Albarino (Rias Baixas, Spain)… $19.
Ripe pears all day on the nose with slight apricots underneath. Sweet fruit on the palate with a nice racy backbone. A fruit medley with notes of tangerine, orange and apricots that go to the dry side on the bracing finish. (B/B+)
2016 Domaine Costal Chablis “Les Truffieres” (Burgundy, France)… $36.
Aromas of fig, wet stone, mushroom and banana with slight soap element that comes through. Vibrant citrus notes on the palate. Orange and lemon with just a touch of viscosity on the mid-palate. Minerals are well-integrated and the finish goes on and on with mushroom notes hanging in the background. (A)
2016 Georges Vigouroux “Gouleyant” Malbec (Cahors, France)… ?
Meat marinade with a splash of violet juice on the nose joined by crushed red brick, toast and graham cracker. High-toned on the palate (acidity baby!). Notes of red flowers, cranberry and red brick. Tart and tight so it really needs to be paired with food (spaghetti, meatballs, steak). Acidity takes over on the savory finish with notes of white pepper and red flowers lingering. (C/C+)
2013 The Leader Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, WA)… $16
Aromas of chocolate, licorice and currants. Ripe currants on the front of the palate with underlying chocolate notes coming through. There is a nice core of acidity that gives the wine a lift in the mouth. Almost meat-like on the palate with a little mint action rearing its head as the fruit notes expand on the mid-palate leading into the fresh finish with a little tobacco hit. (B-/B)
2016 Contrade White (90% Malvasia, 10% Chardonnay) Puglia, Italy… $9.
Wet stone, melon, white and orange flowers with a slight hit of white peaches on the nose. Creamy and fresh on the palate with notes of white pepper, banana, fig and minerals front to finish. Fig notes linger with a splash of white pepper and a kiss of citrus. Creamy on the mid-palate, fresh on the finish. Nice balance. (C-/C)
2016 Joseph Drouhin Macon-Villages (Burgundy, France)… $14.
Aromas of apple, banana, lemon, fig and bread dough. Notes of apples and pears on a clean, balanced mouthfeel. Light on its feet and somewhat simple with the finish losing strength quickly. An easy to quaff Chardonnay that could be matched by quite a few versions in the ten-dollar or under range. (C-)
2016 Twin Islands Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand)… $12.
Gooseberry and grapefruit on the nose with a touch of pine needles. Mostly grapefruit on the palate with a hint of lime and oranges underneath. Solid, balanced acidity with grapefruit and orange notes lingering on the medium to long finish. (B-/B)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
