Coto Real Reserva 2001

Variety: 80% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 10% Grenache
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Rioja
Vintage: 2001
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium red
Bouquet: smoky, toast, cherries, vanilla, chocolate
Taste:medium body, cherries, sour cherries, vanilla, round
Recommended food pairing: roasts, ribs, steaks, any BBQ requiring classy wine
Overall score: 85
Stopper: cork
This was the second sample of our blind tasting. This wine was very different from Marques de Caceres as it was more powerful round and I would say very smoky (probably from toasted barrels). What was amazing it was completely different from the same wine, but 2000 vintage that we also tasted. You would not expect that much vintage variation, but the wines were very different.

Marques de Caceres Reserva 2001

Variety: 85% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha Tinta & Graciano
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Rioja
Vintage: 2001
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: Garnet with orange meniscus
Bouquet: Canned sour cherries, vanilla, spices, orange, very delicate and increases with decanting and airing
Taste: Medium body, very smooth, sour cherries jam, spices, vanilla
Recommended food pairing: veal, pork loin, duck breast
Overall score: 86
Stopper: cork
This was the first sample of our blind tasting of Rioja Reservas, this wine literaly opened itself after we went back and re-tasting the samples to confirm the taste. I remember the bouquet was amazing there were spices, cherries and could not help myself not to smell fresh oranges, all this accompanied by nice vanilla, but very delicate one just to underpin the fruit. Similar characteristics were in the taste.

Vina Jaraba Crianza 2003 DO

Variety: 80% Tempranillo x 10% Cabernet Sauvignon x 10% Merlot
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: La Mancha
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: dark garnet
Bouquet: intense, black cherries, vanilla, chocolate, black currant jam, very nice combination of fruit and oak
Taste: medium bodied, very smooth, rounded, black cherries, plums, chocolate, vanilla
Recommended food pairing: fuet, spanish jamon, dry salami
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 180
Stopper: cork
We had Rioja reserva wine tasting and as some of the participants did not have their own riojas prepared so I volunteer to go to one distributor for some reservas. Obviously I did end up buying more bottles than I expected. I noticed that there was Vina Jaraba Crianza 2004 (new vintage) because last I remember tasting was 2003 vintage. The distributor after some chatting kindly opened the bottle of 2004 vintage for sample tasting. I could not help myself but there was a bit of cork, but the guy claimed not. I just remembered that i still have a case of this lovely 2003, which I really liked. In our blind tastings of Crianzas about 2 years ago 2003 vintage won the first place. So I searched the cellar and found it :). I was a bit afraid after this 2004 bottle, but worries were unfounded :). This is amazing value wine, comparing to reservas it still has fruit in it and it it has very nice vanilla ad chocolate flavor in it as well. Also it still holds very nicely and it tastes the same as i remember it 2 years ago.
P.S. later in the evening of tasting of Rioja Reservas I got SMS from the distributor admitting the cork in this 2004 vintage, that we sampled :)

Viňa Albali Reserva Cabernet Tempranillo 1999

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 85%, Tempranillo 15%
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Valdepenas
Vintage: 1999
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: dark garnet with brownish meniscus
Bouquet: coffee and vanilla tones, sweet wood, licorice, black cherry, canned black current, leather
Taste: black cherries marmalade, vanilla, dark chocolate, hint of spiciness, medium to full body, smooth, round, lingering tannins, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: venison medallions with mashed potatoes and mushroom
Overall score: 86
Price: EUR 10
Stopper: cork
Ten years old CabSav surprisingly in good condition. It was aged 14months in new American oak barrels. The barrel is very nicely integrated within the bouquet and taste. It's very smooth, going towards coffee, leather and spices.

Australian Reserve Chardonnay selected by Tesco

Variety: Chardonnay
Country of origin: Australia
Wine app elation: Eastern Australia
Vintage: 2008 
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: very light yellow
Bouquet: >green melon, peach
Taste: pineapple, melon, slightly spicy, medium body, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: chicken, pasta with cream sauce
Overall score: 81
Although this is own tesco labeled wine it is definitely better than the Lindeman's Chardonnay Colombard we tasted here.

Víno Mikulov Svatomartinské Svatovavřinecké 2009

Variety: Svatovavřinecké
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Morava, Mikulov sub-appellation
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 11.0%
Color:very light raspberry rose color
Bouquet: raspberries, strawberries, white cherries
Taste: very fresh, light body, strawberries, white cherries, nice acidity
Recommended food pairing: vegetable salad, fish
Overall score: 80
Price: CZK 99
Stopper; plastic cork
This svatomartinske is the best from what i tasted this year, the young style really suites the rose, it has nice nose, and very refreshing fruity taste.

Domain Menada Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2006 Oriachovitza

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Bulgaria
Wine appellation: Thracian Valley, Oriachovitza
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color:  light ruby red
Bouquet:  red currant, cherries, smooth, oak
Taste: cherries, black currant, light to medium body, hint of vanilla, slightly higher acidity
Recommended food pairing: pork loin, turkey
Overall score:82
Price: CZK 139
Stopper: cork
Lighter example of Cabernet Sauvignon, still on fruitier side, but already shows nice integration with the oak, I would recommend to age it for at least 2 to 3 years as I used to drink chateau menada cab sauv 2000 in 2007 and it was going towards leathery tones.

Vina Albali Crianza 2004 DO

Variety: Tempranillo
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Valdepenas
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: ruby red
Bouquet: sour cherries, cherries, hint of wood
Taste: fruity, cherries, sour cherries, medium body, slightly higher acidity
Recommended food pairing: BBQ, straightforward stuff, nothing complex
Overall score: 77
Price: CZK 89
Stopper: cork
This Crianza is OK wine for everyday drinking, not very complex, rather fruity style with higher acidity, which would make it nice companion for grilled beef or pork.

Golden Kaan Shiraz 2005

Variety: Shiraz
Country of origin:South Africa
Wine appellation: Western Cape
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 14.2%
Residual sugar: 4.72 g/l
Acidity: 5.69 g/l
Color: medium red
Bouquet: forrest fruits, cherries, pepper, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium body, sour cherries, black pepper, slightly higher acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: roast beef, steak
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork
Similar to 2004 vintage tasted here, but more fruity towards sour cherries. Also although alcohol is higher in 05 it does not stand out like in 04.Fruity style of Shiraz with pepperness in the nose and taste.

Libertad Mendoza Chenin Blanc - Chardonnay 2008

Variety: Chenin Blanc - Chardonnay
Country of origin: Argentina
Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: light umber
Bouquet: mango, apricot, citrus fruits
Taste: citrusy, fresh, medium body, rounded, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: vegetable salad
Overall score: 82
Price: CZK 99
Stopper: plastic cork

La Consulta Malbec 2006

Variety: Malbec
Country of origin: Argentina
Wine appellation: Uco Valley
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: dark red with red meniscus
Bouquet: red current, plums
Taste: medium body, strong acidity, strong tannins, red fruits, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: sausages
Overall score: 77
Price: CZK 80
Stopper: Plastic cork

Cowra Estate Kangaroo ridge Shiraz 2002

Variety: Shiraz
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: South Eastern Australia
Vintage: 2002 
Alcohol content: 14%
Color: dark ruby with brown meniscus
Bouquet: sweet wood, vanilla, cinnamon, canned blackberry, spiciness
Taste: typical Shiraz taste, forrest fruit, vanilla, spices, medium to full body, medium finish, round, slight acidity at the end
Recommended food pairing: medium rare steak
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 249
Stopper: cork
This wine I got about 6 years ago so it aged properly in my cellar. It is now quite nice and rounded, it lost its original sharp tanins which I remember it had. It is probably peaking now so it's the best time to drink it. It has nice spiciness in the bouquet and the taste.

Stonehead Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation:Central Valley
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium red, not very full
Bouquet: red current, fresh green pepper
Taste:red current, medium body, medium finish, slightly stronger tannins
Recommended food pairing: summer barbecue
Overall score: 79
Price: CZK 80
Stopper: plastic cork
This is my first independent tasting on this blog. Yeah, because the wine sucks, thats why. Thank you, wine specialist, for giving me this opportunity on the occasion of this special wine, hahaha. The price was 80 CZK, bought from Vietnamese "vecerka" on the way from walk with the stroller....

Lindemans Cawarra 2008

Variety: Colombard x Chardonnay
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: South Eastern Australia
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: very light yellow with greenish tones
Bouquet: green melon, quite young, hint of lees
Taste: very light bodied, green melon, hint of grapefruit, lower acidity
Recommended food pairing: salads, party summer wine, very fruity light bodied, not complex, but nice
Overall score: 78
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: screw cap
This wine is perfect example of pushing for quick sales of early vintages, it is visibly young and although not complex and designed for aging at least 1 to 2 years in bottle would significantly help it. I would like to try to store it, but with my cellar full and comments from Lenka I have to carefully judge the purchases now and for less money I found much better chard. See this post from the very beginning of this blog :)

Mezquiriz Cabernet Sauvignon Crianza 2000 DO

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Navarra
Vintage: 2000
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: garnet with brown meniscus
Bouquet:coffee tones, candied oranges and figs, vanilla sugar
Taste: sour cherries, dried figs, high acidity but tannins are ok, medium to full body, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: prosciutto
Overall score: 82
Price: EUR 5
Stopper: cork
Very nice bouquet which is promising at the beginning but causes disappointment in taste when you discover the acidity is surprisingly high. This is the last bottle of the three I brought from Spain couple of years ago.

Palazzo Massaini Vin Santo del Chianti 2001

Variety: Trebbiano, Malvasia, San Giovese

Country of origin: Italia
Wine appellation: Tuscany
Vintage: 2001
Alcohol content: 16.5%
Color: ocre towards nutty brown
Bouquet: nut, oxidative tones, almonds
Taste: honey, almonds, carob
Recommended food pairing: almond biscotti (and Andrea made them :-) 88 points for biscotti from Kamil
Overall score: 84
Price: ???
Stopper: cork

Andre Goichot 2004 Bougrogne Pinot Noir

Variety: Pinot Noir
Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Bourgogne
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: light red with orange meniscus
Bouquet: red currant, light (red not black) sour cherries
Taste: light body, red currant, sour cherries, hibiscus, high acidity
Recommended food pairing: pig's killing festival
Overall score: 75
Price: CZK 130
Stopper: cork
Quite dissapointing Pinot noir from the motherland of Pinot noir, especially when compared to Cono Sur and Prahova valley.

Errazuriz Chardonnay 2007

Variety: Chardonnay
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appelation: Casablance valley
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: melon, pineapple, slight hazelnuts, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium to full body, butter, melon, vanilla, alcohol slightly standing out, medium finish, acidity missing a bit
Recommended food pairing: salad with avocado and chicken meat, creamy pasta, turkey
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: screw cap
Quite controversial chardonnay. Neither zesty Moravian nor full vanilla one from barique aging, although alcohol quite standing out. The girls like it but I am not such a fan of it.

La Clusa Rosso Vigna del Torrione 2006

Variety: ?? Cuvee
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appelation: Colli Orientali del Friuli
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: dark red with brownish tones
Bouquet: black cherries, spice, liquorice, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium to full body, spicy tones, cherries, tannins still present, alcohol seems higher than the 13.5% on the label, medium finish with persistent tannins
Recommended food pairing: lasagne (which we had :), prosciutto, dry red sausage
Overall score: 83
Price: ??
Stopper: cork
We got this wine at Vino &Destilaty 2009 show in Prague when we stopped by the section dedicated to friuli wines, we tasted mostly whites and some reds, especially refoscos. This bottle we got at the end of the show. I must say the scores is mainly given its strong tannins, the bouqet is quite nice with secondary tones from the barrel, in the taste the acohol is quite visible with strong tannins, but not rough ones like in young wines, rather matured ones. Nowhere on the bottle or on corporate web pages I found the varieties the wine is made from :(