Vinselekt Michlovský Rulandské šedé 2008 pozdní sběr

Variety: Pinot Gris
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation, Nový Přerov village, Na štrekách vineyard
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Residual sugar: g/l
Acidity: 7.6 g/l
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: citruses, specifically orange with white flowers
Taste: medium to full body, very round, lemon tones, lively acidity with small residual sugar, white grape fruit, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 120
Stopper: plastic cork
Very nice and interesting Pinot Gris, quite round with nice lemon acidity accompanied by slight residual sugar. It is the same village and vineyard, but different vintage from the wine I tasted here. I should have one more bottle of 2008 in the cellar.

Viña Tarapacá Chardonnay Reserva 2005

Variety: Chardonnay
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Maipo Valley
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Residual sugar: n/a
Acidity: n/a
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: ripe pineapple, touch of mango
Taste: medium to full body, overripe pineapple, orange peel, balanced and rounded mouth feel
Recommended food pairing: pumpkin risotto
Overall score: 82
Price: CZK 230
Stopper: cork
Nice medium to full bodied new world style of Chardonnay, it was fermented and aged in the French oak barrel for 5 months. The oak is almost invisible at this age. The main characteristics in nose and taste is tropical fruit predominantly pineapple.

Chardonnay Clos du Bois 2002 Sonoma County

Variety: Chardonnay
Country of origin: USA
Wine appellation: Sonoma
Vintage: 2002
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Residual sugar: n/a
Acidity: n/a
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: very smoky, hazelnut, toast, grilled pineapple, bottleness
Taste: medium to full body, overripe pineapple,complex canned tones of  orange marmalade on toast bread
Recommended food pairing: smoked salmon
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 200
Stopper: cork
Very good example of aged smoked new world chardonnay, quite full and Complex with hazelnut character with bigger body. I checked my notes from more than one year ago and they differ so I decided not to link old but reproduce my new ones. Just check out the old ones.

Domaine de L'Isthme Chardonnay 2003

Variety: Chardonnay

Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Languedoc
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: straw yellow, almost oily viscosity
Bouquet: expressive, canned pineapple,  tropical fruits, minerality, nice bottled aged tones
Taste: medium body, apple pie, dry fruit, very round and mineral with slight touch of red grapefruit at the end, medium finish 
Recommended food pairing: cream sauce pasta
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork

Heavier but unoaked style of Chardonnay with lots of minerality and structure.

Bodegas Los Lanos Pata Negra Roble 2005

Variety: Tempranillo
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Valdepenas
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Residual sugar: n/a
Acidity: n/a
Color: medium red with ruby hues
Bouquet: very fruity, plums, sour cherries, and lots of sweet vanilla with chocolate undertones, actually it is quite nice nose
Taste: contradictory to the nose in the mouth it feels light to medium body, canned sour cherries, cherries,  slight acidity, no tannins, sweet spices like vanilla and clove
Recommended food pairing: pork in plum sauce
Overall score: 80
Price: EUR 3.50
Stopper: cork
Well this wine is very surprising, it has excellent bouquet of ripe plums and sour cherries and very visible vanilla tones. In the mount  it is lighter than expected with predominant sour cherries and plums character. This makes it more fruity red one would guess it is from Austria rather from Spain (if the bouquet was not n in the sensory perceptions).

Robert Mondavi Twin Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: USA
Wine appellation: California - Nappa
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 13,5%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: medium red with garnet hues
Bouquet: ripe black currant, black cherries, sour cherries, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium body, ripe black currant, cherries, hint of  black chocolate  medium finish
Recommended food pairing: beef
Overall score: 82
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork
Reasonable Cab Sauv from California.

Chateau Valtice Aurelius 2004 pozdní sběr

Tasting notes are very similar to those written here from tasting in May. This time I can feel even more minerality and less acidity than at that time, score would be the same.