Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blanc Single vineyard Awatere Valley 2010

3rd bottle of this wine tasted. For label please refer to my first tasting on July 2013.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Undurraga U Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Central Valley
Vintage: 2014
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: watery
Bouquet: lime, grass, white grapefruit
Taste: medium body, very zesty and fresh lime with support of the white currant at the forefront of the mouth profile is followed by nice tones of white grapefruit without excesive bitterness, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+7=85
Price: CZK 149
Stopper: screw cap
Previously I tasted 12 and 13 vintage of this base row from Undurraga, now relabeled in much prettier way as U. This is one of the firts wine of 2014 vintage I tasted (except of the young styles). It is very nice and it delivers very nice value for the money. Dry, zesty and limey.

Cimarosa Estate Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2013

8th bottle of this wine tasted. June 2014 tasting notes still apply. For comparison check April 2014 tasting notes.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Castillo de Molina Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2007

3rd botlle of this wine tasted. Similar to December 9, 2014 I can only refer you to my April 2014 tasting.

Espiritu de Chile Carmenere 2006

Variety: Carmenere
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Central valley
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: darker garnet red
Bouquet: canned cherries,coffee
Taste: medium body, canned fruit profile, with cherries being the major fruit, all supported by light spiciness, slight coffee and chocolate tones, smooth tannins, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing:steak
Overall score: 4+6.5+10+6+6.5=83
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: plastic cork
4th bottle of this wine tasted. Pleasant Carmenere at the peak of bottle maturity. For pics refer to my December 2013 tasting.

Spielberg Pinot Blanc 2009 Austerlitz pozdní sběr

Variety: Pinot Blanc
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Slovácko sub-appellation, Žarošice village, Klášovky vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: tropical fruit, bread, vanilla
Taste: medium body, dry lemon crust, dry fruits, hint of smoked almonds,  longer finish
Recommended food pairing: smoked salmon
Overall score: 4+7+12+7+7=87
Price: CZK 280
Stopper: single piece cork
Quite different to 2007 vintage tasted in September 2013, this is less expressive and more gentle and subtle in the nose and taste.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Luis Felipe Edwards Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

3rd bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes from February 2014 apply.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Luis Felipe Edwards Chardonnay Pupilla 2007

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Central Valley
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: canned pineapple, visible bottle maturity, vanilla notes
Taste: medium body, pineapple, round, melon, vanilla with lighter acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: cream pasta
Overall score: 4+6+11+5+6=82
Price: CZK 120
Stopper: cork
2nd bottle of this wine tasted. The wine is based on my opinion going down. For reference check my May 2013 tasting notes.

Undurraga Aliwen Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah Reserva 2007

3rd bottle of this wine tasted. My tasting notes from October 18, 2014 apply.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Vinařství Plešinger Rulandské modré 2007 výběr z hroznů

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. First tasted in March 2014, despite I thought it will decline it has not. So tasting notes are pretty much identical.

Herbarium Moravicum Rulandské modré 2011 pozdní sběr (Znojmo, lot: 1205141543/2)

2nd bottle of this wine tasted tasting notes from September 2014 apply.

Domaine Chevalier Père et Fils Aloxe Corton 2007 AOC

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes from October 2014 apply.

Vinařství Volařík HIbernal Organic 2013 pozdní sběr

2nd bottle of this wine tasted.  Tasting notes from 2 days ago are valid.

Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: New Zealand
Wine appellation: Marlborough, Awatere Valley
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: pale yellow
Bouquet: fresh lime, grassy, minerality, gooseberry
Taste: medium body, gooseberry, white currant, minerality, lime, good acidity, longer finish finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 4+8+13+7+8+50=90
Price: CZK 300
Stopper: screw cap
Excellent Sauv Blanc with very mineral tones and less of the passion fruit.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Jedlička a Novák Kácary 2007 pozdní sběr

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes from October 2014 apply.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenère Organically Grown 2007

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere
Country of origin: Chille
Wine appellation: Colchagua valley
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: dark red
Bouquet: black currant, sour cherries, nice spiciness, black chocolate, vanilla
Taste: medium body, dense, very good fruit, brambles, black currant, overripe cherries, lower acidity, very good tannins, spices, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+7+50=85
Price: CZK 300
Stopper: single piece cork
Reasonable CS/ Car blend close to its  bottle maturity.

Vinařství Volařík HIbernal Organic 2013 pozdní sběr

Variety: Hibernal 
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub appellation, Perná village, Věstoňsko vineyard
Vintage: 2013
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: pale yellow
Bouquet: lime, pineapple, hint of cassis
Taste: medium to fuller body, fresh lime acidity, pineapple, yellow melon, medium to lnger finish
Overall score: 4+8+12+7+7=86
Price: CZK 249
Stopper: single piece cork

Very expressive in the nose, good acidity is nicely balancing the slightly fuller body.
Feels very fresh.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Sutherland Riesling 2012

Variety: Riesling
Country of origin: South Africa
Wine appellation: Elgin
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: crispy, lime, white blossom
Taste: medium body, quite crispy, lime, very good acidity, minerality, white grapefruit, hint of residual sugar, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: shrimps
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+7=85
Price: CZK 300
Stopper: screw cap
Very good fresh, lime and mineral Riesling with perfect acidity.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Friday, December 19, 2014

Chateau Marquisat de Binet 2009 AOC

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes are the same as in May 2014 with the scoring this time to be slightly better 4+7+11+7+7=86.

Vinařství Komarov Veltlínské zelené 2013 pozdní sběr

Variety: 100% Gruner Veltliner
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Znojmo sub-appellation, Mělčany village, Veselá hora vineyard
Vintage: 2013
Alcohol content: 12.9%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: spicy, white almonds, green pepper, hint of grass
Taste: medium body, lime, almonds, good acidity and freshness is accompanied by spiciness of green pepper, medium finish
Overall score: 4+6+10+6+6+50=82
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: cork
Spicier type of Gruner Veltliner with good acidity. 

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Wieninger Wiener Gemischter Satz 2011

Variety: A field blend based on up to 13 varieties, most significat being Grüner Veltliner, Weissburgunder, Welschriesling, and Chardonnay.
Country of origin: Austria
Wine appellation: Vienna
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: green pepper, lime, herbs, minerality
Taste: medium body, minerality, lime, lemon crust, grass, clen and zesty profile, medium to slightlylonger finish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+7=85
Price: CZK 180 on sale (regular CZK 360)
Stopper: screw cap
In the nose it has nice spicy and mineral element, I would say there is apart of Sylvaner in the blend, the taste is nice fresh, good lime acidity, light sparkling sensation so typical for Austrian wines. Nice example of field blend. you can read something about the wines here: http://www.wieninger.at/en/wines/wiener-gemischter-satz/index.php

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Aranleón Reserva 2006 DO

Variety: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bobal
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Utiel-Requena
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: sour cherries in black chocolate, good portion of the oak
Taste: medium body, gentle canned cherries and black currant all nicely wrapped in good tannins, with pleasant oak, medium acidity, medium to longer finish
Overall score: 4+7+12+7+7=87
Price: CZK 250
Stopper: single piece cork
Better than the Crianza tasted at the same time. It has more matured nose with better structure and tannins.

Aranleón Crianza 2007 DO

Variety: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bobal
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Utiel-Requena
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: deep red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: sour cherries, smoke, oak
Taste: medium body, sour cherries, canned fruit, nice wood element, light tannins, slightly higher acidity, medum to longer finish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+7=85
Price: CZK 220
Stopper: single piece cork
Reasonable Tempranillo blend.

Castillo de Molina Shiraz Reserva 2005

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. Very nice Shiraz for quite good price. Tasting notes from November 2014 apply.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Agricola Fontecolle Sololoro Montefalco Rosso 2008 DOC

Variety: Sangiovese, Sagrantino, Merlot
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appellation: Umbria
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: deep ruby red with violet hues
Bouquet: quite expressive, cherries, spices, hint of black chocolate
Taste: medium body, fruity, black sour cherries with hint of chocolate and very good acidity, quite powerfull and big structured, lighter tannins, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: barbecues, pasta
Overall score: 4+8+12+6+7=87
Price: CZK 250
Stopper: single piece cork
Very expressive in the nose, good fruit combined with black chocolate. Good mid palate, in the end somehow you expect more tannins and longer finish. Overall very good value for the price.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection Ivory Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes are the same as in March 2014.

Michel Torino Don David Malbec Reserve 2005

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. tasting notes are the same as in April 2014.

Flaccianello della Pieve 2009 IGT

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. Looking at my notes from January 2014  they are pretty much valid, it just needed really time to open up.

Jedlička a Novák Rulandské modré 2005 výběr z hroznů

7th and last bottle of this wine tasted confirmed my tasting notes from March 2014. Simply one of the best Moravian Pinots I ever tasted.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Teliani Valley Napareuli 2004

Variety: Saperavi
Country of origin: Georgia
Wine appellation: Kakheti
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13%
Color: deep red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: spices, herbs, dusts, minerals, canned fruit, coffee
Taste: medium body, dry fruits, almost to the skins of the fruit, very nice mouth drying tannins, overall it is very dry, longer finish
Overall score: 4+8+13+8+8=91
Price: CZK 300
Stopper: cork
Very dry with excellent tannins and minerality.






Saturday, December 13, 2014

Bodegas y Viñedos Lleiroso Luzmillar Roble 2004 DO

Variety: Tempranillo
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Ribera del Duero
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: dark red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: quite expressive, overripe black sour cherry, coffee, hint of smoke, licorice
Taste: medium body, similar to nose canned overripe black sour cherry accompanied by nice tones of spices, oak, and coffee, medium tannins, longer finish
Recommended food pairing: dry fermented salami
Overall score: 4+8+12+7+7=88
Price: CZK 250
Stopper: single piece cork
Concentrated version of Tempranillo, very expressive in the nose and flashy in the taste, with slightly lower tannins and not as good length as one would expect. Despite being Roble the oak is still quite visible and nicely accompany big ripe fruit.

Nové Vinařství Cuvée 0 Fata Morgana 2010

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes from February 2014 practically did not change.

Chateau Les Maréchaux 2010 AOC

Tasting notes from October 19, 2014 apply.

Bodegas Murua Aclys 2008 Crianza Rioja DOCa

Variety: 95% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano, 2% Mazuelo
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Rioja
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: medium red
Bouquet: sour cherries, oak, hint of spices
Taste: medium body, wild sour cherries, small red pit fruits, light tannins, spices, hint of vanilla, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: game
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+7=85
Price: CZK 200
Stopper: single piece cork
Gentle crianza with nice oak and spices.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Ramón Bilbao Edición Limitada 2007 Crianza

Variety: Tempranillo
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Rioja
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: dark red
Bouquet: spices, coffee, toast, canned cherry
Taste: medium to full body, canned cherries, black chocolate, coffee, spices, fairly long structure, nicely layered with superb tannins that after swallowing keeps the wine in the mouth for additional 2 minutes
Recommended food pairing: dry salamis
Overall score: 4+8+13+9+8.5=92.5
Price: EUR 19
Excellent Rioja from the modernist winemaker. It needed some time to open, but then it flourished. The structure and the length is incredible.

Henschke Keyneton Euphonium Barossa 2007

Variety: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: Barossa Valley
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Color: deep garnet red
Bouquet: canned cherries, marmalade, spices, coffee, hint of mint
Taste: medium to full body, cherry and black currant jam, coffee, hint of black chocolate, slightly higher alcohol at the end, longer finish
Recommended food pairing: juicy medium rare steak
Overall score: 4+7.5+12+7+7.5+50=88
Price: AUD 50
Stopper: screw cap
Nicely aged blend, Shiraz is not overpowering fruit character in the nose and taste. The wine is nicely aged and integrated all coming nicely together. the only problem I have is the alcohol level, otherwise the scoring would be higher.

Cellier des Demoiselles Chateau de Durfort 2009 AOC

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes from January 30, 2014 apply.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Vinselekt Michlovský Vinum Palaviense Ryzlink Vlašský 2005 výběr z bobulí

Variety: 100% Welsh Riesling
Country of origin:Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation, Perná village, Purmice vineyard
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: expressive, minerality, dry lemon peel, herby, honey
Taste: medium body, structured, nice round profile, dry sugared lemon peel, walnut, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: Schnitzel
Overall score: 5+8+12+7+8=90
Price: CZK 300 in 2009 now  CZK 665
Stopper: single piece cork
Excellent Welsh Riesling. It shows how the variety is perfectly designed for ageing if from prime locations such as Purmice vineyard is.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Castillo de Molina Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2007

2nd botlle of this wine tasted. Not much to add to my April 2014 tasting. The wine is at perfect botlle maturity.

Chateau De La Riviere 2008 Fronsac AOC

Variety: Merlot (83 %) x Cabernet Sauvignon (7 %) x Cabernet Franc (5 %) x Malbec (5 %)
Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Bordeaux, Fronsac
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: dark blackish red
Bouquet: overripe black sour cherries, black currant, smoke
Taste: medium to full body, quite extractive, black sour cherries, black currant, smoke, quite high tannins and spices, hint of black chocolate, nice longer finish
Overall score: 4+8+12+7+7+50=88
Price: CZK 399
Stopper: single piece cork
Very expressive and robust Bordeaux based on Merlot grapes, Resembling slightly new world wines with higher tannins and smoke element. Higher body due to slightly higher alcohol and already drinkable, but will improve over 3 -5 years.


Chateau Pontet Teyssier Saint-Emilion 2007 Grand Cru

Variety: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabermet Sauvignon

Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color:darker garnet red
Bouquet: very closed, canned sour cherries hint of coffee, spices
Taste: medium body, canned cherries, some spices, very light tannins, some acidity, not much in the mid palate, medium finish
Overall score: 4+6+10+5+5+50=80
Price: CZK 400
Stopper: single piece cork
Quite big disappointment as the wine has nothing big and nothing that should deserve Saint-Emilion Grand Cru classification. It is very ordinary Bordeuax.