Saturday, September 28, 2013

Stapleton & Springer Pinot Noir 2011 Terasy

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes are the same as in June 27, 2013.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Hacienda Los Haroldos Shiraz 2011

Variety: 100% Shiraz
Country of origin: Argentina
Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: medium ruby red
Bouquet: not very expressive, touch of black cherries and blackberries, hint of plums
Taste: medium body, fruitier style, rather weak, sour cherry, higher acidity, thinner, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: BBQ
Overall score: 3+6+9+5+5=78
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: plastic cork
BBQ quaffer, not very appealing. In March 2012 the wine had at least fruit and scored slightly better. Despite the wide good looking bottle it has cheap plastic cork and average content inside.

Weinkellerei Pannonia Exclusive Zweigelt No.1 2012

Variety: Zweigelt
Country of Origin: Austria
Wine appellation: Burgenland
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Color: light to medium ruby red
Bouquet: small wild cherries, very fruity
Taste: medium body, predominantly fruity, sour cherries s the major fruit, good acidity, at the end hint of pink grapefruit, slight residual sugar,  medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: red sauce pasta or pork
Overall score: 3+6+11+6+5=50=81
Price: CZK 79
Stopper: screw cap
Reasonable Zweigelt for the price. Definitely fruity style wine.

Lamberti Bardolino Classico 2004 DOC

Tasting notes and scoring is the same as one week ago.

Robertson Winery Chardonnay 2008

Variety: Chardonnay
Country of origin: South Africa
Wine appellation: not stated
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: tropical fruit, mainly pineapple, light touch of vanilla
Taste: medium body, pineapple, white grapefruit, good acidity, vanilla, medium to longer finish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6 = 84
Price: CZK 159
Stopper: cork
Good example of lightly wooded Chardonnay.
 

Peter Mertes Riesling Pfalz

Variety: Riesling
Country of origin: Germany
Wine appellation: Pfalz
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol content: 11.5%
Color: pale yellow
Bouquet: peredominantly fruity, mirabelle, apples
Taste: light body, slight residual sugar accompanied by quite high lime acidity, which does not make it dull half dry wine, medium finish
Overall score: 3+7+10+5+5=80
Price: CZK 79
Stopper: plastic cork
Reasonable cheap German Riesling. Good value for the price.

Stanislav Mádl Chardonnay barrique 2009 pozdní sběr

In previous tasting in August 2013 I made reference to detailed tasting notes in June 2013, which stays valid even for today's tasting.

Herbarium Moravicum Rýnský ryzlink 2011 pozdní sběr (Slovácko, lot: 2605121154)

Variety: 100% Rhine Riesling
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Slovácko sub-appellation
Vintage: 2011, lot: 2605121154
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: wide, white flowers, apricot. hint of herbs
Taste: medium body, round, similar to taste dominant is here appricot supported by lime acidity, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: schnitzel
Overall score: 4+8+11+6+6=85
Price: CZK 120
Stopper: cork
Rounder style of Riesling. Acidity is there but not as straightforward and zesty as typical for German rieslings. For comparison check my previous tasting notes of the same wine from June 2012. Now the wine changed in color and also the nose is wider and shows more bottle maturity.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Spielberg Pinot Blanc 2007 Austerlitz výběr z hroznů

Variety: Pinot Blanc
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Slovacko sub-appellation, Žarošice village, Klášovky vineyard
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: excellent nose, toast, grilled pinepple, vanilla
Taste: medium to full body very round and dense, similar to nose, griled pinapple, pear, toast, vanilla, long finish
Recommended food pairing: smoked salmon
Overall score: 4+8.5+13+7+8=90.5
Price: CZK
Stopper: cork
Excellent Pinot Blanc! partly fermented on lees in new French oak provided huge complexity and the wine despite high alcohol does not burn rather it is opulent.

Vinařství Pavlov Chardonnay 2003 Výběr z hroznů

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation, Pavlov village, Sahara Vineyard
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: expressive, honey, ripe pinepple, pear, lemon crust
Taste: medium body, pineapple, round, hint of caramel, lemon crust in sugar, minerality and perfect acidity, which balances slight residul sugar aged to almost non noticeable level, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: cheesecake
Overall score: 5+8+12+6+7=88
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: single piece cork
What is amazing on this wine is the perfect bottle age profile combined with still excellent fruit both in the nose and taste. This is nicely supported by the minerality and acidity, despite 10 years of age the wine is in excellent conditions! For comparison check my previous tasting of this wine from November 2011.

Les Maitres Goustiers Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2007 AOC

Last bottle of this wine. Single piece cork was almost soaked through:-) Checking my notes from previous tasting in January 2013 the wine did not develop much further and the description today is pretty much the same. Scoring is 4+7+10+5+5=81.

Grant Burge Lily Farm Muscat 2007

Same tasting notes as in September 2 and August 23, 2013.

Robertson Winery Chenin Blanc 2008

Tasting notes and scoring is the same as two weeks ago.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Undurraga Chardonnay 2012

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Central Valley
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: lime, green melon, hint of pineapple
Taste: medium body, green melon, pinepple, with white grapefruit,  medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 3+7+11+6+5=82
Price: CZK 149
Stopper: screw cap
Just OK Chard, too young to drink for me:-)

Jedlička a Novák Chardonnay Rulandské bílé Barrique 2009 pozdní sběr

Variety: Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Bořetice village
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: gold yellow
Bouquet: canned pineapple, vanilla, plum cake, showing hint of oxidation
Taste: medium body, canned pear, hint of vanilla and similar to nose there is trace of plum cake and hint of apples, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: pork
Overall score: 3+7+11+6+5=82
Price: CZK 180
Stopper: plastic cork
I have quite bad experience with some whites from Jedlicka & NOvak, which were not sealed under the real cork, rather the plastic cork. This one is one of them. Although stored in constant temperature of my wine fridge the wine shows already slight oxidative tones, despite being only 2009 vintage.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Wine Dietrichstein Pinot blanc 2009 výběr z hroznů

Variety: Pinot Blanc
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation, Mikulov village, Za cihelnou vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: flowery, lime
Taste: full body, round almost towards oily, bread tones, touch of white peach, supported by lime and white grapefruit, all this is well balanced with small residual sugar,  medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: matured cheese
Overall score: 4+8+12+6+6=86
Price: CZK 170
Stopper: cork
Nicely done really full bodied Piot Blanc. Check my notes from September 2011, where you can find the pictures of the bottle.


Sunday, September 22, 2013

Undurraga Aliwen Reserva Chardonnay 2010

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of origin: Chille
Wine appellation: 70% Curico Valley, 30% Maipo Valley
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: very tropical, pineapple, supported by slight vanilla
Taste: medium to full body, pineapple, round, vanilla, good combination of fruit, oak and acidity, which keeps it alive and does not make that dull, medium to longer finish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6=84
Price: CZK 159
Stopper: single piece cork
Nicely done Chardonnay. I would prefer to have it older with more bottle aging. It still feels quite young and New world tropical style, however with good acidity element, which will hold it for another 3 years for sure. Check my notes of 2007 and 2008 vintages, both tasted one month ago, where you can assess the aging potential and notes of 2009 vintage tasted very young in June 2010.

Inniskillin Ice Wine Oak Aged Vidal 2004 VQA

Variety: Vidal
Country of origin: Kanada
Wine appellation: Niagara
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 10.5%
Color: brown
Bouquet: carrob sirup, vanilla, honeysuckle, caramel, hint of oxidation
Taste: medium body, honey, vanilla, spices, reasonable acidity, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: Crème brûlée
Overall score: 3+7+11+6+6+50=83
Price: gift
Stopper: screw cap
This was micro bottle of 50ml and considering this and almost 10 years of age the wine was a bit oxidated, which I remember was also the case when I tasted it with my friend in December 2012.

Císařské sklepy Horák Dornfelder 2005

Variety: 100% Dornfelder
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Slovácko sub-appellation, Čejč village, Hrubé vineyard
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: deep ruby red
Bouquet: red cherries, red peppers, hint ofplums
Taste: medium body, red sour cherries, quite fruity, flatter in the mid palate, slighly higher acidity at the end, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: pate
Overall score: 4+7+10+5+5+50=81
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: cork
Looking back to my tasting in April 2013 my notes are very similar. This time I gave it one point less. It is just OK representation of the variety, which if it is done nicely can be quite appealing like for example this wine from Lahofer.

Vinařství Volařík Svatovavřinecké Rosé 2010 pozdní sběr

Variety: Saint Laurent
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub appellation, Březí village, Ořechová vineyard
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Color: dry onion peel towards the appricot
Bouquet: white cherries,  wild strawberries, hint of spiciness
Taste: medium body, good acidity, wild strawberries, similar to nose hint of spices with yoghurt, good acidity i would guess balanced by hint of residual sugar, medium finish
Overall score: 3+7+11+5+5=81
Price: CZK 200
Stopper: cork
The color looks more similar to claret than rose. This is more spicy type of rose from very cold 2010 vintage. I actually feel hint of residual sugar, although the wine is declared as dry, which could be due to higher acidity. It also looks like the acidity was further decreased by something similar to malolactic fermentation,  hence the feel of yoghurt in the taste.

Marques de Monistrol Selección Especial Rosé Brut Cava DO

Variety: ??
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Cava, Penedés
Vintage: non vintage
Alcohol content: 11,ř%
Color: light orange pink
Bouquet: forest strawberries
Taste: medium body, small sparking, strawberries, hint of bisquit, medium finish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6=84
Price CZK180
Stopper: cork
Last sample to clean our palette, quite pleasant cava for very good price. Full range of tasted wines id in the last picture.

Bodegas Olcaviana 1564 Syrah 2011

Variety: Syrah
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Castilla La Mancha
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium red with violet meniscus
Bouquet: fruity, black sou cherries, blackberries, hint of green tones
Taste: medium body, blackberries, black sour cherries, slightly higher acidity and rougher tannins, medium to longer finish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6=84
Price: CZK 220
Stopper: cork
Very different to my tasting notes of the same wine, but 2004 vintage from March 2011. this vintage does not seem to be that full and ripe rather harsher with to me hint of green tones. Maybe it needs more time to age to settle down.





Azagador Reserva 2007 La Mancha DO

Variety: 70% Tempranillo x 20% Cabernet Sauvignon x 10% Merlot
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: La Mancha
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: darker red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: cherry marmelade, leather, coffee
Taste: medium bodied, canned fruit, mainly cherries, black currant, coffee, leather, good tannins medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: jamon serrano
Overall score: 4+8+12+6+7=87
Price: CZK 210
Stopper: cork
The best wine of the tasting. Nice combination of fruit and leather and spices. For comparison check my notes from tasting the same wine, but 2004 vintage in January 2012. This vintage scored higher.

Corolilla Bobal VInas Viejas Crianza 2010 DO

Variety: Bobal
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Utiel-Requena
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: darker red
Bouquet: black cherries with hint of spices
Taste: medium body, cherries, sweet tannins, hint of chocolate, otherwise quite fruity, medium  finish.
Overall score: 4+7+11+5+6=83
Price: CZK 160
Stopper: cork
Regular Spanish red.  Interesting is if I just compared it my notes of the same wine, but 2008 vintage tasted in November 2012. Looking back to those notes 2010 vintage is definitely more fruity style wine.





El Coto 2008 Crianza Rioja DOCa

Variety: Tempranillo
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Rioja
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: lighter to medium red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: canned cherries, strawberry marmalade, spices
Taste: medium body, wild small cherries, small red pit fruits, light sweet tannins,  hint of vanilla, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: game
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6=84
Price: CZK 220
Stopper: cork
I was not really amazed by this vintage so I checked my previous notes and I realized that I tasted the same vintage in November 2011 with pretty much the same tasting notes, just one point lower scoring:-)

Undurraga Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: Chille
Wine appellation: Cental Valley
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: very pale yellow with green hint
Bouquet: white currant, white grapefruit, lime
Taste: medium body, dominant is white grapefruit supported by white currant, and lime acidity, at the end slight bitterness and slightly burning alcohol (even so the wine is very chilled) , medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+5=83
Price: CZK 149
Stopper: screw cap
Reasonable Sauv Blanc for the price.