Vinařství Líbal Sauvignon 2010 VOC

This wine drinks very well. Looking back at my notes from last year the wine is almost identical and not much has changed. This is a beauty of very cold vintage with high extract and higher acidity balanced by hint of residual sugar.

Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Tasting notes and scoring is the same as 4 weeks ago.

Nové Vinařství cuvée Sarment 2006

4th bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes are the same as in April 12, 2014

Cimarosa Estate Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2013

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: New Zealand
Wine appellation: Marlborough
Vintage: 2013
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: watery yellow
Bouquet: expressive, white currant, black currant leave, good grass element, dead nettle flowers
Taste: medium body, dominant is white currant supported by the white grapefruit, touch of lime, good acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: nothing, just on its own outside in hot summer day or fish
Overall score: 4+8+12+6+7+50=87
Price: CZK 130
Stopper: screw cap
5th bottle of this wine tasted.This is easy going, very expressive in the nose and pleasant in the taste SB, excellent candidate for party. What is funny I scored it the same as in April 2014 when tasted for the first time. THe problem of this wine would be that one bottle disappears very quickly and then you ask for something more complex like Saint Claire or Astrolabe;-)

Astrolabe Voyage Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc 

Country of origin: New Zealand
Wine appellation: Marlborough
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: light to medium yellow
Bouquet: minerality, herbs, hint of passion fruit, elderberry flowers
Taste: medium to fuller body, white currant, gooseberry,good minerality, rounder structure, good texture and well perceived profile in the mid palate, longer finish
Recommended food pairing: octopus
Overall score: 4+7+12+7+7+50=87
Price: CZK 399
Stopper: screw cap 

Very different to all others, Rouder style, less zesty more complex, heavier style. There would be people would would love it and people who would not be a big fans of it. The truth is that the first glass is a bit strange , but than you realized you pour more and more just to "re-taste it";-)

Saint Clair Family Estate Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc 

Country of origin: New Zealand
Wine appellation: Marlborough
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: light to medium yellow
Bouquet:  white currant,  gooseberry, dead nettle, hint of minerality
Taste: medium body, gooseberry, white currant, white grapefruit, pleasant acidity, slightly rounder than zesty style, medium to slightly longer finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 4+8+12+7+7+50=88
Price: CZK 399
Stopper: screw cap 

when 07 6-case was finished in April. I opened 09 case and already drank 3 bottles, Now discovered that I have also 6-case of 2008 vintage;-). Remembering 07 and 09, this vintage feels slightly rounder style a bit less zesty, on the other hand with good texture. 

Tesco Finest Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: New Zealand
Wine appellation: Marlborough
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: pale yellow
Bouquet: white currant, nettle, grassy and herbal tones
Taste: medium body, white grapefruit, white currant, nicely dry with very good lime acidity and texture, medium to slightly longer finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 4+8+13+6+7+50=88
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: screw cap

Excellent SB. Fantastic value, comparing to Seabird Island tasted just before it has more herbal and grassy nose, better mouth profile with more go and texture not just lime and zestiness. 4th bottle of this wine tasted. For previous tasting please refer here.

Seabird Island Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Notes are the same as 2 days ago.

Robertson Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country of origin: South Africa
Wine appellation: 
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 14%
Color: medium red with garnet and watery meniscus
Bouquet: toast, charcoal, hint of cassis
Taste: medium body, round, black currant, black sour cherries, good acidity,  black chocolate, light wood, pleasant tannins, medium to longer finish with alcohol slightly burning at the end

Recommended food pairing: sausages, salamis

Overall score: 4+7+11+6+7=85

Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork

Quite good example of Cabernet. Good balance between the fruit, acidity, tannins and oak. 

Ernest & Julio Gallo Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: USA
Wine appellation: California
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 13,5%
Color: garnet red
Bouquet: black currant preserve, coffee
Taste: medium body, black currant preserve, very typical Californian Sweet tannins, gentler smooth, cloa type of flavor, coffee, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: matured cheese
Overall score: 3+7+12+6+6+50=84
Price: CZK 170
Stopper: plastic cork

After finishing 19 bottles of 2005 vintage this is the first bottle of 2006 vintage. Notes are very consistent with 2005 vintage. The wine is very drinkable with sweet tannins and I can imagine Lenka will be drinking the three cases I have in the cellar very quickly;-)

J.& F. Lurton Les Salices Pinot Noir Oak Aged VdP 2004

Variety: 100% Pinot Noir

Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Languedoc, Minervois
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: medium garnet red wit bricky meniscus
Bouquet: not very expressive, spices, cherries, less gentle that I would expect for Pinot
Taste: medium body, cherries, spices, very straightforward with no further complexity, medium  finish
Overall score: 3+7+10+5+6=81
Price: CZK 250
Stopper: screw cap

One of the discoveries from my cellar. I checked and I tasted the same wine in March 2010 so I was interested how the wine changed. Due to screw cap stopper there was no oxidation at all, however the wine did not behave like typical Pinot, it lacked the elegance and finesse and was rather straightforward average wine. What is truth is the fact that my palate got spoiled in these 4 years, so for now I would say it is pretty basic Languedoc Pinot and you can get better Pinots from Moravia for the same money.  

Seabird Island Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: New Zealand
Wine appellation: Marlborough
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: pale yellow
Bouquet:  lime, white currant
Taste: medium body, quite zesty, lime, white currant, white grapefruit, higher acidity, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: on its own in hot summer day
Overall score: 4+7+12+6+6+50=85
Price: CZK 180
Stopper: screw cap

Very good value for the money. Last time the wine was drank was in July last year, where you can find the pictures.

Sileni Tahuna Pinot Noir 2004

8th bottle of the wine tasted. I am very conservative. If I like something very much, like this Pinot I get it to my cellar and enjoy drinking it and seeing how the wine develops.

Back in March 2010 this bottle was the winner of our blind tasting of Pinots. At that time I already liked Pinot and now I am a huge fan of the variety. Foreseeing this I bought everything I could from the store (around 20 bottles) of this wine and now I have the luxury to tasted it in perfect bottle maturity 10 (!!) years after the bottling. Tasting notes today are almost the same as in December 2013.

Small & Smith Family Estate Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard 2008

Last bottle of the 12 case of this single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. For tasting notes please refer to my notes from May 2014. First bottle was opened on 18th May and last today on 24th June. It says everything about its popularity.

Chateau Dereszla Tokaji Dry 2009

Tasting notes and scoring is the same as one month ago. The wine went very well with pork cutlets.

Jacob's Creek Chardonnay 2005

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: South Eastern Australia
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: golden yellow, shiny
Bouquet: tropical fruit, overripe pineapple, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium body, similar to nose there is ripe pineapple, hint of grapefruit and vanilla, rounder style with slightly less acidity, medium to long finish
Recommended food pairing: turkey roll stuffed with pear
Overall score: 5+7+11+6+6=85
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: single piece cork
This is the 9th bottle tasted of this vintage. Now probably at the peak, so remaining bottles will be drunk quickly as I do not want to risk it whether it will hold or not:-). Last tasting notes to which the previous tastings are referred to are from November 2013.

Small & Smith Family Estate Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard 2008

Following our 10th bottle drank yesterday we opened today the 11th bottle of this wine. Same as yesterday for detailed tasting notes please refer to my tasting in May 2014. 1 more bottle to go to crack the 12 case:-)

Vino Hort Zweigeltrebe Rosé 2013 kabinet

For detailed tasting notes please refer to my tasting in May 2014.

Small & Smith Family Estate Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard 2008

Following our 9th bottle drank yesterday we opened today the 10th bottle of this wine. Same as yesterday for detailed tasting notes please refer to my tasting in May 2014. 2 more bottles to go to crack the 12 case:-)

Small & Smith Family Estate Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard 2008

9th bottle of this wine tasted. For tasting notes please refer to my tasting in May 2014.

Pavel Binder Rulandské Modré Reserva 2008 výběr z hroznů

Variety: 100% Pinot Noir

Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Velké Pavlovice village, Trkmanska vineyard

Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: lighter to medium red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: wild sour cherries, forest strawberries, pink grapefruit, fresh cut wood crust, but not near what would expect from wine that aged 18 months on new oak, the nose suggest the oak is not French rather Slovenian (the label does not say), which has very different profile (I may be wrong). What I would bet that the oak was definitely not toasted   

Taste: medium body, similar to nose there is red currant, small wild sour cherries, less of the delicate profile of forest strawberries, which appear a bit in the nose, higher acidity, pretty straightforward with no further complexity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: pork
Overall score: 4+6+11+5+6=83
Price: CZK 190
Stopper: single piece cork
THis was the 2 bottles addendum to my 6 case of Andre 2009 that I ordered based on the very good tasting experience. As i like Pinot Noir very much and the description on the web looked fine I got 2 bottles. Good I did not get more as the wine is just OK for the price, it is not bad at all, but I am getting a bit of spoiled of how proper Pinot should profile itself:-)

Znovín Znojmo Kerner 2008 výběr z hroznů

Variety: Kerner (Trollinger x Riesling)

Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Znojmo sub-appellation, Hnanice village, Knížecí vrch vineyard
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Residual sugar: 5.6g/l
Acidity: 6.2g/l
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: lemon crust, minerality, hint of tropical fruit and bottle maturity
Taste: medium to full body, rounder style, tropical fruit, going slightly towards carambola and maybe hint of mango, visible aged tones, lower acidity, longer  finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6.5+7=85.5
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: single piece cork

3rd bottle of this wine tasted. Previously tasted in September 2013 and February 2013 the wine is rather food wine with quite low acidity and oily profile. I would say the wine did not hold that long as I would expect especially comparing to this 2007 Riesling tasted yesterday.

Cimarosa Estate Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2013

4th bottle of this wine tasted. For tasting notes and scoring please refer to tasting from April 11, 2014.Excellent value for the money. Lenka drank it like a water:-)

Tesco Finest Steillage Riesling 2007

4th bottle of this Riesling tasted. It is amazing how it aged. For detailed notes please refer to my April 2014 tasting.

Peter Mertes Gold Edition Bernkastel-Kueser Riesling 2010 Kabinett

Tasting notes and scoring is the same as in January 2014. Very nice Riesling with superb acidity.

Terredora Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco 2007 DOC

One more treasure from my cellar, I am huge fan of the wines from Terredora, the first vintage I tasted from them was 2002 Falanghina in September 2009. Quite old at that time proved stunning aging potential and was followed by 2 bottles of Greco di Tufo 2005, one case of 2007 and one bottle of 2008 Falanghina  (already finished),  and a case of Lacryma Christi 2007. This is the 4th bottle and I can only refer you to my February 2014 tasting for more detailed notes and scores.

Bremerton Verdelho 2007

As stated yesterday.

Bremerton Verdelho 2007

When organizing my cellar I found last 2 bottles of the 12 case of Bremerton Verdelho. This is the 11th bottle tasted and looking at my notes from May this year nothing much has changed. I remember I had two 2006 bottles as a sample and the following year I decided to buy the full 12 case. The wine accompanied me from 2012 to now I very much liked it. This bottle also finished very quickly:-) Tomorrow we will crack the last one.

Small & Smith Family Estate Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard 2008

8th bottle of this wine tasted. For tasting notes please refer to my tasting two three weeks ago.

Misiones de Rengo Chardonnay Reserva 2009

4th bottle of the wine tasted, nothing much has changed from March 2014 tasting notes.

Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Tasting notes and scoring is the same as 2 weeks ago.

Luis Felipe Edwards Chardonnay Terraced Gran Reserva 2006

Variety: Chardonnay
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Colchagua Valley
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: golden yellow
Bouquet: expressive, overripe pineapple, vanilla, toast,
Taste: medium to full body, very round, similar to nose dominant fruit is overripe pineapple accompanied by sweet vanilla tones, longer finish
Recommended food pairing: pork, salmon
Overall score: 4+7+12+7+7+50=87
Price: CZK 290
Stopper: single piece cork

Round structured quite heavy, definitely food style wine. Comparing to my notes from March 2013 the wine is more matured  and more towards canned fruit style.

Vinselekt Michlovský Malverina 2005 Organic

5th bottle of this wine tasted. No change from my February 13, 2014 tasting notes. I had it to accompany Chaoucre cheese. and it was perfect>

Spice Route Shiraz 2001

4th bottle of this wine tasted. It is excellent wine, nothing to add to my January 2014 tasting notes.

Gato Negro Carmenère 2007

Tasting notes and scoring is almost the same as in November 2013.

Viña Tarapacá Syrah 2003

Variety: Syrah
Country of origin: Chille
Wine appellation: Maipo valley
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: deep black garnet red
Bouquet: expressive, black berries preserve, black chocolate,nice touch of coffee and spiciness
Taste: medium body,similar to nose the major fruit profile is of the blakberries preserve with associated tannins, followed by nice overripe black sour cherries with the balance between overripe fruit and acidity (despite more than 10 years of age), mid profile is slightly flatter, but with nice long and still(!!) mouth drying finish
Recommended food pairing: black chocolate
Overall score: 5+7+12+7+7=88
Price: CZK 200 in 2005
Stopper: cork
This is amazing wine, 4th bottle tasted and considering the vintage it still kicks very nicely. For previous tasting please refer here. PS. This was the second bottle opened, the first was corked.

BUČEK FRANTIŠEK Monarch Selection Rulandské šedé 2009 výběr z hroznů

Variety: 100% Pinot Gris
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Slovácko sub appellation,
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: heavier, peach,  hint of tropical fruit

Taste: medium to full body, lower acidity. with visible botlle maturity, orange, peach, pineapple, slight residual sugar, oily,  medium to longer finish
Overall score: 4+6+11+6+6=83
Price: CZK 350
Stopper: cork

Improved upon its first tasting in December 2010, but quite and heavy and rather food wine, it would go well with cheese cake.

Herbarium Moravicum Rulandské bílé 2010 pozdní sběr

3rd bottle tasted. For tasting notes please refer to my tasting from June 3, 2014.

Vinselekt Michlovský Sauvignon 2011 pozdní sběr

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation, Nový Přerov village, Na štrekách vineyard
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet:
Taste: medium body,, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 4+8+12+6+6+50=86
Price: CZK 130
Stopper: cork

6th bottle of this wine tasted. For previous tastings please refer here.

Small & Smith Family Estate Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard 2008

7th bottle of this wine tasted. For tasting notes please refer to my tasting three weeks ago.

Marques de Arienzo Rioja Reserva 2001 DOCa

Variety: 95% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and Mazuelo

Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Rioja
Vintage: 2001
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: medium garnet red with bricky meniscus
Bouquet: gentle, old school Rioja, leather, spices, canned cherries, Christmas cake, vanilla

Taste: medium body, nice combination of the fruit, spices and very gentle and fragile tannins, longer finish
Recommended food pairing: fuet
Overall score: 4+8+13+7+7=89
Price: CZK 400
Stopper: single piece cork

What is amazing on this Rioja is the following:

I tried tasting it from 3 different glasses to compare the nose and mouth profile with the following results:

The best glass was Riedel XL Shiraz/Hermitage, which has slightly more restrained, however fruitier nose and well perceived taste profile of fruits and spices, supported by superb (very gentle not sharp at all) acidity . 

To my surprise Riesling glass performed better than standard Bordeaux glass. Nose was slightly restrained, but fruitier than Bordeaux, on the palate it lacked a bit of fruit compared to Hermitage glass.

Last place was the Bordeaux glass. The nose is quite intense but more towards spices than fruit, considering the minimum fruit the wine already has  and how fragile it is drinking it from wide open Bordeaux glasss resulted in a perception of the wine that lacked a bit of concentration on the nose and went too quickly to canned fruits, similarly you could find the same profile noticeable in the mouth.

Miguel Torres Coronas Tempranillo 2011

Variety: Temprannilo, Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Penedes
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium ruby red
Bouquet: lots of fruit, predominantly sour cherries, hint of spices,
Taste: medium body, similar to nose the wine is quite fruity with sour cherries playing the major role supported by hint of black currant with higher acidity, lower to medium tannins, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: salamis
Overall score: 4+6+11+6+6=83
Price: CZK 280
Stopper: cork
For me this wine is too young to drink at this point, needs at least 3 years to round up, which should help it to get closer to 86 points:-). I have 2 more bottles, so let's see;-)

Herbarium Moravicum Rulandské bílé 2010 pozdní sběr

2nd bottle tasted. For tasting notes please refer to my tasting from June 3, 2014.

Small & Smith Family Estate Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard 2008

6th bottle of this wine tasted (5th was yesterday:, which says how much I like it-). For tasting notes please refer to my tasting two three weeks ago.

Small & Smith Family Estate Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard 2008

5th bottle of this wine tasted. For tasting notes please refer to my tasting two three weeks ago.

The Gum Semmillon Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: Adelaide Hills
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Color: light to medium finish
Bouquet: dry lemon crust, gooseberry
Taste: light to medium body, white grapefruit, lime, white currant, slightly lower acidity and freshness, medium finish

Recommended food pairing: sea food, fish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6=84
Price: CZK 246 on sale (regular CZK 492)
Stopper: Screw top
Average blend of SB and Semillon. reasonable value for discounted price, however not for the full price.

Herbarium Moravicum Rulandské bílé 2010 pozdní sběr

Variety: 100% Rulandské bílé
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Slovácko sub-appellation
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 11.5%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: fresh, zesty, citrus fruit
Taste: light to medium body, zesty style, lemon, hint of herby character, crunchy acidity combined with slight hint of residual sugar, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+7=85
Price: CZK 120
Stopper: cork

Very nice Pinot Blanc with crunchy acidity from cold 2010 vintage.

Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Country of origin: Chile
Wine appelation: Casablance valley
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: gooseberry, lime, white currant, hint of herbs
Taste: medium body, similar to nose there is dominant gooseberry supported by white currant, acidity slightly lower, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: finish
Overall score: 4+6+11+5+6=82
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: screw cap

Looks like the wine is already behind its zenith as it lacks freshness..

von Racknitz Riesling auf Vulkan-gestein gewachsen 2010

Variety: Riesling

Country of origin: Germany
Wine appellation: Nahe
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet:  dry lemon crust, good minerality, hint of benzin tones
Taste: medium body,  lime, minerality, perfect (for some people could be higher) crispy acidity, citrusy style, longer finish
Recommended food pairing: trout
Overall score: 4+8+12+7+7=88
Price: CZK 440
Stopper: screw cap

Stunning Riesling, very mineral and crispy at the same time. Acdity is slightly higher due to cold 2010 vintage, but it would provide good longevity.

Castillo de Jumilla Jumilla Monastrell 2005 DO

3rd bottle  and the last bottle of the mixed case (3 Monastrells, 3 Tempranillo- Monastrel). Tasting notes has not changed much from December 2013.