Francis Ford Coppola Rosso 2008

Variety: Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Country of origin: USA
Wine appellation: California 
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13,5%
Color: medium red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: cherries jam, cassis, chocolate
Taste: medium body, very smooth, rounded, sweet cherries, supported by raspberries, typical sweet and pleasant tannins, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: chocolate desert
Overall score: 4+7+12+6+6+50=85
Price: CZK 350
Stopper: cork
Very good representative of Zinfandel based blend. Good bottle maturity. Finished very quickly even Lenka drank two glasses:-)

Pavel Binder André 2009 pozdní sběr

Variety: 100% André

Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Vrbice village, Záhumenice vineyard
Vintage: 2009

Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: deep ruby red 

Bouquet: very expressive, earthy, overripe black sour cherries, supported by stunning animal notes
Taste: medium body, harmonic round tannins, black sour cherries, supported with touch toast, very nice tannins, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: game food

Overall score: 4+8+12+6+7+50=87

Price: CZK 180

Stopper: cork
Excellent Andre, Probably the best I had in my life, it beated the previous three red tasted on this blog with significant difference.

Teanum Otre Primitivo MMX

Variety: 100% Primitivo
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appellation: Puglia
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 15.0%
Color: medium ruby red with lighter meniscus
Bouquet: black forest fruit, black overripe cherries, touch of black chocolate, alcohol
Taste: medium to full body, black overripe cherries, lower extract does not support very high alcohol, at the end slight bitterness, sweet type of tannins, but killed by the high alcohol, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: chocolate dessert
Overall score: 3+7+10+6+6+50=82
Price: EUR 10 on web
Stopper: cork
This was a gift from my friend when visiting Rome, The wine has one big problem and that is : very high alcohol, Yesterday I opened it at 19°C and I could not drink it, how burning it was, today I am drinking it at 14°C and it is better, but alcohol is still dominating the wine in unpleasant way. I drank half bottle and I cannot take more. I will have to invent how to blend it with some Moravian reds I have with 11% of alcohol to make it drinkable.:-)

Quattrocchi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2006

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Argentina
Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 13.9%
Color: deep garnet red
Bouquet: canned black currant, coffe, hint of vanilla
Taste:medium body, similar to taste there is preserved fruit, black currant and cherries with vanilla tones, it misses a bit of tannins and also limited acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: venison
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6+50=84
Price: CZK 220
Stopper: plastic cork
Slightly disappointing considering the expectation I had when opening this Cab, it would be much better if tannin's were higher. I think the problem is in plastic cork, which clearly did not sustain 6 years of aging and the wine is going down.

Aresti Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Selection 2009

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Chile 
Wine appellation: Central Valley
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: medium ruby red
Bouquet: black sour cherries, cassis, touch of vanilla
Taste: medium body, quite fruity, black currant, black sour cherries, good acidity,very light tannins, medium juicy finish
Recommended food pairing: steak, BBQ
Overall score: 3+7+11+5+5+50=81
Price: CZK 170
Stopper: cork
Straightforward predominantly fruity Cab. 3 years in a bottle helped it to soften up.

Vinařství Petr Skoupil Zweigeltrebe 2009 pozdní sběr

I really liked this Zweigelt. We had it with pasta and tomato with chorizo sauce and it was very good combination. Tasting notes are the same as ones from November 2012.

Vinařství Bíza Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 výběr z hroznů

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Czech Republic  
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Čejkovice village, Stará hora vineyard
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: dark garnet red 
Bouquet: Strange, old wet barrels, hint of fruit
Taste: medium  body, sour cherries, not nicely integrated, acidity is very high (I guess due to 2010 vintage) and there is almost no reminiscence of proper Cab taste, although color shows more oxidative style of aging in barrels it still feels young tannins, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: smoked fat sausage 
Overall score: 3+6+8+5+4+50=76
Price: CZK 220 on web (gift)
Stopper: cork
I do not get it who on earth would like and buy this wine, I got it as a present and it is really bad, for this price you get casillera del diablo cab sauv on special with absolutely different quality, this was not pleasant at all.

Jedlička a Novák Svatovavřinecké 2011 pozdní sběr hroznů

Tasting notes are almost the same as in November last year here. This time the wine got more rounded with more time in bottle comparing to fairly fresh bottling last time. Overall score 84

Tapiz Merlot 2004

Variety: Merlot
Country of origin: Argentina
Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13.8%
Color: deep garnet red with bricky meniscus
Bouquet: canned cherries, coffee, touch of vanilla, sweet spices
Taste: medium to full body, small sour cherries in alcohol, vanilla, coffee, spices, gentle tannis supported by stil good acidity considering its age, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: chocolate
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+7+50=85
Price: CZK 250
Stopper: plastic cork
Good and properly aged Merlot from 1300m in Mendoza and aged 8 months in French oak. It is not as sweet as the Chilean Merlot tasted recently and has more coffee and oak in it with good acidity.

Misiones de Rengo Merlot Reserva 2007

Variety: Merlot

Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Rapel Valley
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: deep garnet red
Bouquet: sour cherries in alcohol,vanilla, hint of coffee
Taste: medium body, sweet and fruity, black cherries, vanilla, soft and sweet tannins, at the end slightly burning from alcohol, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: steak
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6+50=84
Price: CZK 179
Stopper: cork
Fruity and vanilla type of Merlot nicely integrated due to its 5 years of age.

Vinařství Libor Veverka Chardonnay 2008 pozdní sběr

Variety: 100% Chardonnay

Country of origin: Czech Republic  
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pvlovice sub-appellation, Čejkovice village
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: tropical canned fruit, pineapple, bannana, touch of bottle age
Taste: medium body, round, pineapple, canned peach, at the end hint of pomelo, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: pork

Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6+50=84
Price: CZK 180 in 2009
Stopper: cork

Fuller style of Moravian Chardonnay with quite tropical tones, it already shows good bottle age. As the cork was almost leaked trough I will search for remaining bottle to be drunk soon.

Simonnet-Febvre Saint-Bris Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Chablis
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: zesty, gooseberry, lime
Taste: medium body,citrusy style of SB, supported by gooseberry tones and white grapefruit, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: fish, salad
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6+50=84
Price: CZK 299
Stopper: screw cap
This is my first Sauvignon from Chablis region, I did not even know it is made there. Overall it is good wine, easily drinkable, but there are much better SB and Chablis is not exactly famous for SB:-)

Tesco Finest Gigondas 2006 AOC

Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre 
Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Gigondas 
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 15.0%
Color:garnet medium red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: plums, red cherries marmalade, spices
Taste: medium to full body, round, cherries preserve, plums, spices, still good tannins, and very warm and long finish
Recommended food pairing: Beef casserole
Overall score: 3+7+12+7+6+50=85
Price CZK299
Stopper: cork
Reasonable Gigondas, hen compared to my tasting notes of the same wine from 2005 vintage tasted in February 2010 here, this seem to be better, but I would still expect something more from Tesco Finest row.

Stormhoek Chardonnay Viognier 2008

Variety: Chardonnay x Viognier
Country of origin: South Africa
Wine appellation: Western Cape
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: nicely layered, tropical tones, pineapple, touch of orange
Taste: medium to full body, round, ripe pineapple followed by orange marmalade, medium to longer finish staying nicely in the mouth
Recommended food pairing: turkey
Overall score: 4+8+11+6+6+50=85
Price: CZK 90
Stopper: screw cap
This wine is one of the hidden surprises in my cellar. Supposed to be drunk young it taste much better now than in November 2009 tasted here, in February 2010 tasted here, in April 2011 tasted here. It is definitely food wine now, very round and structured, but not dull at all.

Misiones de Rengo Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Rapel Valley
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: medium red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: so typical for CS, cassis, supported by ripe cherries and hint of coffee
Taste: medium body, black currant jam, pleasant and mouth drying tannins, good acidity, perfect bottle maturity, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: steak
Overall score: 4+7+12+6+6+50=85
Price: CZK 99
Stopper: cork
Very good value price Cab Sauv, It is in perfect conditions and very nicely drinkable, although alcohol is 14% it does not stand out neither burns.

Badia Corti Barbera D'Asti 2010 DOC

Variety: 100% Barbera
Country of origin: Italy 
Wine appellation: Asti
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: light ruby red
Bouquet: sour cherries, young and fruity
Taste: medium body, red wild sour cherries, quite high acidity, slightly harsher tannnins, raspberries, at the end pink grapefruit, medium finish
Overall score: 3+7+10+5+5+50=80
Price CZK99
Stopper: cork
I quite like Barbera and when I saw this one for sub CZK 100 I Thought I would give it a try. This wine is although reflecting the price, quite thin nd not what u would normally consider to be the representation of the Barbera variety.

Robert Mondavi Twin Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: USA
Wine appellation: California - Nappa
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 13,5%
Color: medium garnet red with bricky hues
Bouquet: typicall American nose, lots of vanilla, sweet tones, black chocolate, plums, canned balck currant
Taste: medium body, sweet fruit, plums, overripe cheery, almost no acidity and very gentle tannins, black chocolate, vanilla, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: black chocolate dessert
Overall score: 3+7+11=6+6+50=83
Price: CZK 220
Stopper: cork
Woman would love this wine due to limited acidity  and sweet and gentle tannins with vanilla profile in the mouth. For me I used to like it more than 10 years ago. I remember when I first tasted Californian wines in 2000 in Corinthia Towers hotel,  I was amazed of the taste and different profile from Moravian reds. Now growing older I am not that huge fan of it unless it is not base Californian red but something more solid:-)

Simpatico Wines Secret Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: Barossa valley
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Color: dark red
Bouquet: typical and pure cassis tones, dominant is fruit above all, alcohol is slightly standing out
Taste: medium to full body, big black currant fruit, pure Cabernet style, round with good and surprisingly not extremely aggressive tannins considering the young age of the wine, medium to longer finish at the very end alcohol is slightly taking the dominant position
Recommended food pairing: duck liver pate
Overall score: 4+7+12+7+6+50=86
Price: AUD 18
Stopper: screw cap
This is the wine from one of the small winery in Barossa we visited. I remember this was one of the best ones there. Drinking it now with distance it's good to have this style of wine once a while (huge fruit) but I would get bored of that quickly. It still should be cellared for at least 3 years to get more soft and rounder tannins.
 

Plantagenet Omrah Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: Western Australia
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: dark garnet red with bricky meniscus
Bouquet: black currant preserve, vanilla, leather, coffee
Taste: medum to full body, similar to taste dominant is canned black currant followed by spices, coffee and vanilla, the wine has still very good tannins considering the age with very good profile in the mouth, longer finish
Recommended food pairing: game food
Overall score: 4+7+11+7+6+50=85
Price: CZK 250 on sale, regular s CZK 350
Stopper: single piece of cork
Already nicely aged CS sealed for Australia untypical excellent quality single piece cork. It is good CS, however I would expect slightly more finesse:-)

Herbarium Moravicum Chardonnay 2011 pozdní sběr (Znojmo, lot: 0512121149)

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Znojmo sub-appellation
Vintage: 2011, lot: 0512121149
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: very nice, clean, white flowers, peach, pineapple, ripe melon
Taste: medium to full body, round, pineapple, ripe green melon, white peach, longer and warm finish
Recommended food pairing: turkey
Overall score: 3+8+12+7+6+50=86
Price: CZK 139
Stopper: cork
Very very nice Chardonnay. I got this as single bottle to try this one out, But I should have gotten at least 3. It would be interesting to compare it directly with the same vintage, variety and the same producer, but different region tasted in June 2012, which I really liked that I bought 6 case to my cellar:)

Víno Mikulov Sommelier Club Ryzlink Rýnský 2009 pozdní sběr

Variety: Rhine Riesling
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Slovácko sub appellation, Syrovín village, Lysiny vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: hint of bottle age, dry lemon, linden tree blossom
Taste: medium to fuller body, similar to taste dry lemon, good acidity, hint of almonds, making it quite round, medium to longer finish

Recommended food pairing: pork schnitzel
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6+50=84
Price: CZK 180
Stopper: plastic cork
This is more fuller type of Riesling most likely due to hot 2009 vintage, It is interesting if you compare it with Riesling from the same producer, but 2008 vintage and different region tasted in June 2012, which for me was better.

Chateau Valtice Rulandské modré 2006 pozdní sběr

Variety: Pinot Noir
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation, Valtice village, Za humny vineyard
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Color: light red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: subdued, red cherries,
Taste: medium body, wild sour cherries, slight bitterness and to my surprise unplesant tannins, which should not be present in PN, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: duck
Overall score: 4+6+9+5+5+50= 79
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork
I remember we had this wine at one tasting of PN together with the same one, but 2007 vintage. This vintage (2006) was hot and the wine lack the finesse and structure of 2007, which was clearly better.

MVZ Winemaker Selection Tramín Červený 2004 pozdní sběr

Variety: Traminer
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Znojmo sub-appellation, Vrbovec village, Šác vineyard
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 11.5%
Color: golden yellow
Bouquet: spicy, dry orange peel, flowers
Taste: light to medium body, spices, similar to taste canned oranges, tangerine, excellent crisp acidity (most likely due to cold 2004 vintage), medium finish
Recommended food pairing: green chicken curry
Overall score: 4+8+11+5+6+50=84
Price: CZK 150 in 2006
Stopper: cork
Another finding from my cellar. Was a bit afraid when bringing up, but the cork was long and single piece in perfect condition, so as the wine. There is no bitterness and flabbiness Gewurztraminer sometimes can get into if there is no acidity. This wine is quite opposite, it is clean in the nose and very fresh and zesty in the palate with proper aged structure. It is more similar to Alsace than to Moravia.

Caves Arcos do Rei Vasco da Gama Reserva 2004

Variety: not stated
Country of origin: Portugal
Wine appellation: Dao
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium garnet red with bricky meniscus
Bouquet: canned cherries, touch of tobacco, and wood
Taste: medium body,  very dry, canned sour cherries, wood, good acidity, medium finish 
Overall score: 3+7+10+5+5+50=80
Price CZK 99
Stopper: cork
Drinkable wine with good bottle maturity and considering the cheap price it is excellent value/price ratio.