Cuvée Extreme 2008

Variety: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan
Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Languedoc-Roussillon
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Color: deep red
Bouquet: quite fruity, black sour cherries, baked fruit, slightly higher alcohol is visible on the nose
Taste: medium to full body, black sour cherries, surprisingly it has some acidity and does not feel sweet or porty , fruity profile, lower tannins, longer finish
Recommended food pairing: duck liver pate
Overall score: 4+7+11+7+7=86
Price CZK 320
Stopper: single piece of cork

I expected something more considering the price. It has high alcohol, low tannins, predominantly fruit driven style, but OK.

Cantine Settesoli Fiano 2008 IGT

Variety: Fiano
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appellation: Sicily
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: apple, herbs, dry lime crust

Taste: medium body, very dry, similar to nose dry lime crust, Mediterranean herbs, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: fish, grilled chicken on thyme
Overall score: 4+7+10+5+6=82
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: screw cap
Pleasant rounder style of white. 4th bottle of the case tasted. For previous tasting please refer here.

Sileni Tahuna Pinot Noir 2004

Today I really felt like Pinot Noir, I realized after opening some Grenache and Syrah based cuvee from Languedoc, which I sealed and will drink tomorrow. Tahuna was the safe choice, properly bottle aged Pinot. Tasting notes are the same as in December 2013.

Ernest & Julio Gallo Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

16th bottle of 2005 vintage tasted. Notes are the same as in February 2014.

Naturvini Ryzlink vlašský 2010 kabinet

I remember my tasting of this wine in December 2013 so I got another bottle. Looking at the tasting notes from December 2013 they are almost the same with lime being the major fruit supported by white grapefruit. It is noticeable it comes from quite cool vintage with quite high acidity (not unpleasant).

Vinextra 99

Variety: 99% Welsh Riesling, 1% Pinot Gris and Chardonnay
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation
Vintage: non vintage, prod. #: 065
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Residual sugar: 2.3 g/l
Acidity: 6.3g/l
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: minerality, honey, herbs, red apples
Taste: medium body, citrus fruit combined with visible minerality and still quite high acidity (mostly due to very low residual sugar level), in the mid profile hint of walnuts, medium to long finish
Recommended food pairing: schnitzel
Overall score: 4+7+10+6+6=83
Price: CZK 170 in 2009
Stopper: vino lok (glass stopper)

The wine has still quite strong acidity, which kept it for such long time in good drinkable conditions, It was produced by Nove Vinarstvi for Tesco. For previous tasting notes please refer here.

Pirramimma Stock's Hill Shiraz 2003

Variety: 100% Shiraz

Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: McLaren Vale
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: dark brown red
Bouquet: coffee, spices, canned forest fruit
Taste: medium to full body, similar to nose forest fruit marmalade, blackberries, spices, black pepper, medium still visible mouth drying tannins, medium to long finish
Overall score: 4+7.5+12+6.5+7=87
Price: CZK 350 in 2007
Stopper: screw cap

Amazing conditions of this Shiraz really surprised me. Sealed with the screw cap, bought ages ago Ia was curious what to expect. Styill quite visible tannins and dry profile prevented this wine from being shared with Lenka and enjoyed myself:-)

Ernest & Julio Gallo Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

15th bottle of 2005 vintage tasted. Notes are the same as in February 2014.

Saint Clair Family Estate Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc 2007

11th bottle of this wine tasted. Same tasting notes and scoring as in March 24, 2014.

Cimarosa Estate Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2013

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. For tasting notes and scoring please refer to tasting from April 11, 2014.

Saint Clair Family Estate Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc 2007

10th bottle of this wine tasted. Same tasting notes and scoring as in March 24, 2014.

Ernest & Julio Gallo Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

14th bottle of 2005 vintage tasted. Notes are the same as in February 2014.

Miguel Torres Gran Sangre de Toro Reserva 2007

Variety: 60% Grenache, 25% Mazuelo, 15% Syrah
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Penedes
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: dark red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: black sour cherries, hint of spices and toast, not very expressive rather subdued
Taste: medium body, sour cherries, hint of black currant, quite high acidity, medium tannins, at the end bit astringent, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: salamis
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6=84
Price: CZK 449
Stopper: single piece cork

The wine is not bad, but I expected more considering the price. I checked my notes from tasting the same wine, but 2000 vintage in January 2013 and the comment about the acidity really holds as this vintage has to me quite high acidity and the bottle really needs to be drunk with meat, not by itself.

Viña Tarapacá Merlot 2004

Variety: Merlot

Country of origin: Chille
Wine appellation: Maipo Valley
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: deep garnet red with bricky meniscus
Bouquet: transformed fruit, cherries marmalade,coffee, hint of wood
Taste: medium body, round, cherries preserve, similar to nose strong coffee and spices tones, soft tannins, slight  acidity, medium to longer
Recommended food pairing: venison
Overall score: 4+8+112+6+7+50=87
Price: CZK 199 in 2008
Stopper: cork

This really is a holder. This is 7th bottle tasted and the wine is really really nice the fruit is transformed to jam tones and the coffee is just stunning.  I may be biased but I expected this wine already going down and it still did not happen:-) For chronological tasting of the wine please refer here.

Ernest & Julio Gallo Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

13th bottle of 2005 vintage tasted. Notes are the same as in February 2014.

Bodegas Castillo Viejo Cata Mayor Tannat Reserva 2008

Variety: Tannat

Country of origin: Uruguay
Wine appellation: San José
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: dark red
Bouquet: expressive, animal, leather tannins, cellar, smells like old world wine rather new world wine
Taste: medium body, very austere, lean, sour cherries,  higher acidity, no jam so typical in new world wines, alcohol at the proper level,  strong tannins still need time to softhen up, at the end hint of grapefruit and red currant caracter, medium to longer finish
Overall score: 4+8+12+6+7= 87
Price: CZK 180
Stopper: cork

I really was curious what to expect and when I poured the first sample I was so amazed that I opened another bottle to drink it before this one opens. The wine has very expressive nose, with lots of animal tones, In taste it feels very cool climate and austere and precise with high tannins. Majority of the average consumers would not enjoy it at all. For example I guess my partner's palate is so used to Californian sweet tannins that I am lucky to enjoy it myself today:-)

La Forge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Unfiltered 2012

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Languedoc
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: medium ruby red
Bouquet:  black sour cherries, hint of black currant, some earthiness and spices
Taste: medium body, gentle and rounder style, black cherries, black currant, lower acidity, black pepper, spices, medium finish
Overall score: 3+7+11+6+6=83
Price: CZK 179
Stopper: cork

The wine is packaged in very heavy bottle, raising the expectations quite higher than the content does actually prove. However, it is nice, slightly earthy, style of Cab Sauv, but nothing groundbreaking. I would say it needs time to age a bit in the bottle as well to fully develop. For interest check the Syrah 2007 and Merlot 2005 from the same winery tasted in 2010 and 2009 respectively.

Casato Dei Medici Riccardi Morellino di Scansano 2011 DOCG

Variety: 100% Sangiovese

Country of origin: Italy
Wine appellation: Tuscany
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium ruby red
Bouquet: predominantly fruity,  sour cherries, hint of wood
Taste: medium body, sour cherries, slightly higher acidity, the oak is almost invisible in the taste, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: salami
Overall score: 3+7+11+6+6=83
Price: CZK 149
Stopper: single piece cork

Quite easy going fruity Sangiovese with hint of oak, nothing unpleasant, but nicely drinkable. With Italian salami I drank half of the bottle rather quickly :-)

Jedlička a Novák Rulandské šedé Barrique 2007 výběr z hroznů Botrytis Cinerea

Variety: Pinot Gris
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Bořetice village, Terasy vineyard
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: expressive, flowers, bananas, pineapple, pear, hint of oak
Taste: medium body, very nice structure of tropical fruit, pear, orange, combined with proper acidity and nice light vanilla and buttery character, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: pork loin
Overall score: 4+7.5+12+6.5+7=87
Price: CZK 200 in 2009
Stopper: single piece cork
Fantastic food wine. What confirms my theory about Jedlicka wines is confirmed here. The wine is sealed with real cork (quality one) and not plastic, which caused quite a lot of the wines I had from them to be oxidated. Check how much wine the cork is covered by wine stone.

Trapiche Oak Cask Chardonnay 2007

Variety: Chardonnay

Country of origin: Argentina
Wine appellation: Mendoza

Vintage: 2007

Alcohol content: 13.5%

Color: medium yellow

Bouquet: grilled pineapple, pear, butterscotch, vanilla

Taste: medium body, round, ripe pineapple, pleasant acidity, hint of pear accopanied by vanilla and hazelnut, medium to longer finish
Overall score: 4+7+12+6+6=85
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: single piece cork

Last bottle of this vintage. It does not feel as fresh as 2009 tasted one month ago and when tasted last time in November 2013, where are the pictures.

Viña Tarapacá Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Chille
Wine appellation: Central valley
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium ruby red with violet hues
Bouquet: very fruity, cassis, black cherries
Taste: medium body, dominant is black currant, cherries, slightly higher acidity and still quite young tannins, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: steak
Overall score: 3+7+10+5+5+50=80
Price: CZK 119 special
Stopper: cork

Base Cab Sauv.

Castillo de Molina Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2007

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Cachapoal Valley
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: deep red
Bouquet: expressive, strong cassis tones supported by smoke and toastiness
Taste: medium to full body,black currant, black sour cherries, perfect acidity, proper matured gentle tannins, hint of black chocolate, slightly longer finish
Overall score: 4+7.5+12+7+7.5=88
Price: circa CZK 250
Stopper: single piece cork
I very much like this Cab. It combines perfectly fruit with barrel and bottle maturity.

Znovín Znojmo Rulandské Modré 2009 výběr z hroznů

See my notes from one week ago.

Santa Rita Chardonnay 2006 Reserva

Enjoying very much the wine, which ended up on the second place at our Chardonnay tasting three weeks ago.

Ernest & Julio Gallo Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

12th bottle of 2005 vintage tasted. Notes are the same as in February 2014.

Olifantsberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Nothing has significantly changed from my last tasting in November 2013.

Santa Rita Medalla Real Special Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2005

One forgotten bottle in my cellar proves the wine can age stunningly. Tasted previously in August 2011 the wine is in superb conditions!!  Scoring is 4+8+12+6+7=87

Cantine Settesoli Fiano 2008 IGT

Nothing significant has changed from my October 2013 tasting.

Canepa Oak Aged Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah 2004

Nothing significant has changed from my NOVEMBER 2013 notes.

Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc 

Country of origin: Chille
Wine appellation: Central valley
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: light  yellow
Bouquet: citrusy, lime, white currant, gooseberry
Taste: medium body,  lime, white grapefruit, white currant, reasonable acidity, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6+50=84
Price: CZK 179
Stopper: screw cap

Food value Sauv Blanc.For previous tasting including the pictures please refer to my October 2013 tasting., which includes the pictures.

Saint Clair Family Estate Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Same tasting notes and scoring as in March 24, 2014.

Jacob's Creek Chardonnay 2005

8th bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes and scoring hardly changed from November 2013. The wine still holds. Cork was hardly soaked.

Nové Vinařství cuvée Sarment 2006

3rd bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes are the same as a week ago. Very very nice indeed:-).

Saint Clair Family Estate Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Same tasting notes and scoring as in March 24, 2014.

V.E.B., Loc. Colombara Primitivo Salento IGT 2012

Variety: Primitivo

Country of origin: Italy
Wine appellation: Salento
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: darker ruby red
Bouquet:  overripe black cherries,blueberries, blackberries
Taste: medium to full body, good structure, black overripe sour cherries, forest fruit, lower acidity, lower tannins, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: chocolate dessert
Overall score: 4+7+10+6+6=83
Price: CZK 80
Stopper: cork

Reasonable value Primitivo, predominantly fruity style but nicely done.

Casa Defra Il Leone e la Luna Cabernet Sauvignon e Cabernet Franc 2002 IGT

5th bottle of this wine tasted. Tasting notes and scoring from October 2013 still valid.

Tasting of Malbec - Kaiken Malbec 2010

Country of origin: Argentina

Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Color: medium rub red with violet hues
Bouquet: very fruity, black sour cherries, vanilla, black chocolate 

Taste: medium to full body, similar to nose the wine is predominantly fruity with the main fruit being overripe black sour cherries accompanied by black chocolate and vanilla, medium to longer finish
Overall score: 4+7+11+6+6=84
Price: CZK 200

Stopper: single piece cork

Typical example of new world, huge fruit, combined with vanilla and black chocolate. Check my tasting notes of the same wine from November 2012. This time I did not like it that much and I would guess it is rather basic Malbec. (I am getting older though:-)).
 

Tasting of Malbec - Viu Manent Malbec Reserva 2008

Country of origin: Argentina

Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Color: dark red
Bouquet: clean, precise, good fruit (plums, black cherries) combined with hint of smoke and black chocolate 

Taste: medium to full body, similar to nose there are overripe cherries, with hint of blackberries and plums, medium tannins, lower to medium  acidity, at the end very nice black chocolate, longer finish
Overall score: 4+8+12+7+7=88
Price: CZK 200

Stopper: single piece cork

Less of typical New World style, good smoke and spices and the nose and more tannic taste than Kaiken tasted at the same time does bring it to different level.

Tasting of Malbec - Kuorio Malbec Grand Reserve 2006

Country of origin: Argentina

Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: darker red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: fruit marmalade, sour cherries

Taste: medium body, black ripe sour cherries, hint of spices, slightly higher acidity and unbalanced tannins, lower extract, oak almost not visible despite 6 months on oak according to the label, flatter in the mid profile, medium finish
Overall score: 4+6+10+5+6=81
Price: CZK 149

Stopper: single piece cork

Basic Malbec, although aged six months on barrique the oak is hardly noticeable.

Tasting of Malbec - Baudron Malbec 2013

Country of origin: Argentina

Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2013
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: medium red
Bouquet: very fruit driven, sour cherries, cherries

Taste: medium body, similar to nose the wine is predominantly easy going fruity with cherries and sour cherries as major fruit without much of complexity, medium finish
Overall score: 3+6+10+5+5=79
Price: CZK 130

Stopper: plastic cork

Basic Malbec served as zero sample to align the scoring.

Tasting of Malbec - Baudron Malbec 2007

Country of origin: Argentina

Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.8%
Color: darker garnet red
Bouquet: very jammy, spices and hint of coffee

Taste: medium body, smooth, very gentle and with almost no tannins, canned plums and black cherries, lower acidity, lower tannins, at the end hint of pomegranate,  medium finish
Overall score: 4+7+11+5+6=83
Price: CZK 159

Stopper: plastic cork

Malbec at the peak of bottle maturity. We had it before official tasting as the welcome drink. Major characteristics both in the nose and taste is canned or jammed fruit without underlying tannins and structure. Marketa very much liked it:-)

Tasting of Malbec - Michel Torino Cuma Organic Malbec 2007

Country of origin: Argentina

Wine appellation: Cafayate valey
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Color: dark red
Bouquet: sweat, animal tones, earthy, black sour cherries, blackberries, at the end hint of plums, light coffee

Taste: medium to full body,everything seems to be in proper balance, canned fruit cherries, plums and sour cherries with the hint of mulberries,medium tannins, medium and pleasant acidity, very light oak, nice and longer lingering finish
Overall score: 4+8+12+6.5+7=87.5
Price: CZK 299

Stopper: single piece cork

I very much like this Mabec, it resembles more Old World, it has more acidity, tannins, structure, it fells more animal rather fruity and less oaky.

Tasting of Malbec - Michel Torino Don David Malbec Reserve 2005

Country of origin: Argentina

Wine appellation: Cafayate valey
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: dark red
Bouquet: canned sour cherries, coffee, toast

Taste: medium to full body,canned cherries and sour cherries, good acidity, still visible tannins, big fruit already in transformed canned form combined with nice coffee and hint of black chocolate, longer finish
Overall score: 4+7+12+7+7=87
Price: CZK 299

Stopper: single piece cork

Comparing to Cuma row from the same producer tasted at the same time, this one is more oaky, and toasty with proper integration of the fruit and barrel, less fruity, rather coffee and black chocolate style, difficult to judge against Cuma, which is very different. I liked Cuma slightly more. Also comparing it to Viu Mament the nose is less intense and more matured (not always good).

Tasting of Malbec - Las Moras Black Label Malbec 2005

Country of origin: Argentina

Wine appellation: San Juan
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: deep dark red
Bouquet: spices, coffee, canned fruit, hint of toast  at the back end of the nose

Taste: medium body,round, proper tannins, black overripe cherries, plums, black chocolate, lower acidity, very pleasant tannins, nicely longer finish
Overall score: 4+8+12.5+7+7=88.5
Price: CZK 369

Stopper: single piece cork
The wine is in super conditions, aged 15 months in French oak it has very good combination of ripe fruit with coffee, chocolate and light touch of vanilla. The wine does not feel new world at all, I really like the toast and smoke element in the taste profile, which is perfectly integrated with fruit and tannins. For me this was the winner, not everyone liked the tannins. High scores from me, Tom, Marketa, Lenka, Low from Lubos and Katka.

Tasting of Malbec - Bodega Sottano Malbec Reserva de la Familia 2010

Country of origin: Argentina

Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol content: 15.1%
Color: deep dark red with violet hue
Bouquet: black cherries, blackberries, black chocolate, hint of vanilla

Taste: medium to full body, round, black overripe cherries, plums, black chocolate, medium acidity, very pleasant tannins, vanilla, slightly higher alcohol at the end of the mouth profile, nicely longer finish
Overall score: 4+8+12+7+7=88
Price: CZK 431

Stopper: single piece cork
Winner of the tasting for majority of the people. It is very nice example of Malbec, I only had slight problem with alcohol so me this was not the winner.

Tasting of Malbec - Las Moras Malbec Reserve 2005

Country of origin: Argentina

Wine appellation: San Juan
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: deep dark red
Bouquet: canned cherries, hint of vanilla and spices

Taste: medium body,canned cherries , light touch of coffee, and jammy tones, lower acidity and lower tannins, at the end hint of black chocolate, medium to longer finish
Overall score: 4+8+12+6+7=87
Price: CZK 295

Stopper: single piece cork
THe wine is at the peak now, despite 12 months in the oak  it nicely balances the fruit and the oak.I just miss slightly the acidity and more tannins.