Highcliff Cabernet Merlot 2001

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon x Merlot
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appelation: South Eastern Australia
Vintage: 2001
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: already showing its age, nicely lighter red with bricky tones
Bouquet: canned cherries, black currant, vanila, leather
Taste: very smooth tannins, nicely roud, medium body, nicely lingering on a palate, canned cherries, strawbery marmelade, plums, hint of vanilla, oak nicely integrated in the taste not standing out
Recommended food pairing: beef tenderloin medailons, rostbeef, complicated elaboration of pork
Overall score:  85
Price: CZK 170
Stopper: cork
This is really my favorite Cabernet Merlot blend for around CZK 150, so smooth, fruit is balanced with terciary tones from aging in a bottle with hint of vanilla. I tasted this wine with my friend 5 years ago and it was amazing, the oak was more visible as well as tannins, but i guessed it should have had good potential for aging so i boutht two cases of 6 and i did good thing:)

Prahova Valley Pinot Noir 2002 Special Reserve

Variety: Pinot Noir
Country of origin: Romania
Wine appelation: Dealu Mare
Vintage: 2002
Alcohol content: 13%
Color: brownish red with orange meniscus, water colour at the very edge
Bouquet: sour cherries, dried cranberries, dried strawberries, vanilla
Taste: light to medium body, strawberry jam, vanilla, very smooth, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: pheasant, game, pork loin, rabbit
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork
My favourite variety very nicely aged. The bouquet is slightly better than the taste. Pinot Noir, of course, needs aging and in this wine it did help. We accompanied this wine with meat-stuff peppers with tomato sauce and rice made by Lenka :)

Robertson Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: South Africa
Wine appellation:
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 14%
Color: medium red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: black current, canned black current, slight tones of vanilla
Taste: medium to full body, round, harmonick, canned black current, sour cherries, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: sausages, salamis

Overall score: 84

Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork

Cono Sur Merlot 2004

Variety: Merlot
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Central valley
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13%
Color: garnet with brown meniscus
Bouquet: sour cherries and cherries, spiciness
Taste: medium body, cherries, sour cherries, cranberries, medium finish, smooth
Recommended food pairing: beef jerky, chocolate cake
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: plastic cork
Nice example of properly aged Merlot. Excellent price - value ratio. Cono Sur never disappoints us.

Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2004

Variety: Pinot Noir
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Rapel Valley
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13,5%
Residual sugar:
Acidity:
Color: brick red with orange meniscus
Bouquet: canned sour cherries, dried plums, dried pears, leather, wide bouquet
Taste: fruity, red current marmalade, hint of vanilla, canned strawberries, medium body, long finish, still visible tanins, good structure
Recommended food pairing: pheasant, rabbit, hare, pork loin
Overall score: 86
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: plastic cork
Nicely aged but tannins are still present so it has 1 to 2 years potential. In Vino&Styl it won the Gran test of Pinots Noir defeating the Burgundian Pinots getting 89 points. Personally I would not rated as high, but it is enjoyment to drink this wine with some nice food.

Altesino Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2007

Variety: Sangiovese
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appellation: Tuscany
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 14%
Residual sugar:
Acidity:
Color: garnet red
Bouquet: canned sour cherry, alcohol standing out
Taste: sour cherry, strong tanins, red current, medium to full body, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: pork loin with daphneui potatoes
Overall score: 84
Price: EUR 18
Stopper: cork
Although we had low expectations about this wine we were positively surprised and gave the credit to our neighbour.

Botalcura La Porfia Carmenére 2005 Gran Reserva

Variety: Carménère 85% Carignan 15%
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Valle de Rapel
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 14%
Residual sugar: 3.17g/l
Acidity: 6.14g/l
Color: dark red with violet tones
Bouquet: canned black current, vanilla, forrest fruit marmalade, leather, chocolate
Taste: blackberry, black cherry, black current, ample and complex, spicy, chocolate supported by nice oak
Recommended food pairing: beef with mole sauce
Overall score: 87
Price: CZK 950
Stoper: Cork
Very nice representative of new world wine, very jammy vanilla and oaky style.

Kumala Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2006

Variety: Cabernet Sauvingon, Shiraz
Country of origin: South Africa
Wine appellation: Western Cape
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Residual sugar:
Acidity:
Color: red garnet
Bouquet: leather, pepper, smoked sausage, canned blackberry, forest earth
Taste: medium body, blackberry and red current, smoked meat, hint of vanilla and coffee, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: sausage, BBQ
Overall score: 81

Good value - cost us 4 EUR, so it is pretty good for the price.

Cantine Leonardo da Vinci Ser Piero Bianco di Toscana 2006 IGT

Variety: 80% Trebbiano, 10% Chardonnay, 10% Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appellation: Tuscany
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Residual sugar:
Acidity:
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: citrus tones, pineapple, mango, apricot
Taste: zesty, lime, , pineapple, orange, medium body, very nice acidity and minerality
Recommended food pairing: fish,
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK 190
Stopper: screw cap
Very different from Costa di Giuliano from Michele Satta, this one is much more mineral and zesty, not that nice on the first taste and smell but nicely lingering on the palate.

Michele Satta - Costa di Giulia 2008

Variety: 65% Vermentino, 35% Sauv. Blanc
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appelation: Tuscany
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: very light, bright
Bouquet: yellow melon, white-flesh peach, white grapefruit
Taste: medium to full body, very fruity, melon, peach, resembles gruner veltliner in taste
Recommended food pairing: salat with mango, avocado
Overall score: 84
Price: EUR 11
Stopper: cork
Aparently this is the wine we tasted in Richter's villa in Prague and our neighbour made thorough notes and later brought it from Tuscany. We invited her for pumpkin risotto and she rewarded us with this sample of good wine from Italy.

El Emperador - Grand Vino Reservado 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Valle Central
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13,5%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: very nice (garnet with brouuwnish meniscus)
Bouquet: dead cow, leather and horse rider crotch :)
Taste:fruitless, mushrooms
Recommended food pairing: expired fuet
Overall score: 70 with your senses off
Unknown origin proved to be laughable. There was a very nice wire on a bottle and engraving looks like that my former assistant got it from chinese shop next door.

Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Zinfandel 2006

Variety: Zinfandel
Country of origin: USA
Wine appelation: California - Nappa
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 13,5%
Color: light to medium red
Bouquet: raspberries, forrest strawberries,
Taste:medium body, very fruity, smooth, rounded, strawberries, cherries, vanilla, nice tanins, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: pork medailons with spinach, hare on chanterelle
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: screw cap

Jacques & Francois Lurton - Les Fumées Blanches Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Country of origin: France
Wine appelation: Languedoc
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 12%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: canned gooseberry, green apple, grapefruit
Taste: light to medium body, white grapefruit, citrus tones, slight minerality, medium finish 
Recommended food pairing: fish, seafood, seabass baked in salt crust

Overall score: 83

Price: CZK 150 (on sale)

Stopper: screw cap

This wine is keeping its freshness, zestiness and minerality over the years.

Prahova Valley Feteasca Neagra

Variety: Feteasca Neagra
Country of origin: Romania
Wine appellation: Prahova Valley
Vintage: 2002
Alcohol content: 13%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: middle red with brick meniscus
Bouquet: ripe canned sour cherries and black currant with tones of wood and balsamico vinegar
Taste: smooth, round, medium body, canned sour cherries, strawberry jam, vanilla and coffee tones, nice tanins, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: coffee flavour cake 
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 189
Stopper: cork
Very nice example of traditional old world wine with very nice oak integration. 

Moulin de Gassac Guilhem 2005 white

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc Clairette Grenache Blanc
Country of origin: France
Wine appelation: Languedoc
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: shiny light gold
Bouquet: overripe gooseberry, herbal tones, minerality (salty smell), hay, light bottleness
Taste: baked potato (on fire), dried pineapple, white grapefruit finish, medium body, medium to long finish
Recommended food pairing: matured cheese (pecorino, parmegiano) with white baguette, olives
Overall score: 81
Price: CZK 100 (on sale)
Stopper: cork
The colour is amazing - real shiny. It has nice minerality on the nose.

Los Chaclos Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Central Valley
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: garnet withe brick meniscus
Bouquet: not a significant one (surprisingly), canned black currant
Taste: medium body, canned cherries, canned black currant, alcohol standing out, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: sausages
Overall score: 78
Price: CZK 99
Stopper: cork
Regular supermarket wine.

Sole Fattoria dei Barbi Morelino di Scansano 2006

Variety: Morellino (clone of sangiovese)
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appelation: Tuscany
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: deep red
Bouquet: black cherry, alcohol standing out
Taste: alcohol stays in the mouth, cherries, black currant
Recommended food pairing: sausages, cheeses, baguette with olive oil (proved)
Overall score: 80
Price: EUR 13
Stopper: cork
Another piece of Andrea's treasures from Tuscany. Not a very good choice, lesson learnt.

Habanske Sklepy Zweigeltrebe 2002

Variety: Zweigeltrebe
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velke Pavlovice sub-appellation
Vintage: 2002
Alcohol content: 13.4%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: redbrownish, with light meniscus
Bouquet: coffee, canned cherries, leather, hint of chocolate
Taste: minerality, canned cherries, coffee, nice tannins, balanced, nice long finish
Recommended food pairing: veal, game food,
Overall score: 84

Nicely aged, rounded, smooth tannins. Peaking and states surprisingly long in the mouth.

 

Lamberti Bardolino Chiaretto 2007 DOC

Variety: Bardolino
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appelation: Veneto
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: losos pink
Bouquet: grapefruit, strawberries
Taste: light body, red currant, strawberries, nice acidity, refreshing
Recommended food pairing: salads, smoked salmon
Overall score: 82
Stoppper: cork
Price: CZK 149
Nicely done rose, very refreshing, zesty, even our neigbour likes it.

Trivento Shiraz Malbec 2004

Variety: Shiraz Malbec 2004
Country of origin: Argentina
Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: garnet, brownish
Bouquet: spiciness, forest fruits preserve, blackberries
Taste: full body, high alcohol slightly standing out in taste, canned forrest fruit, a bit jammy, medium finish, nicely rounded
Recommended food pairing: red meat, sausages
Overall score: 82
Nicely done, with a bit less alcohol would make it even better.