Marks and Spencer Tasmania Pinot Noir 2009

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: Tasmania
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: light ruby red
Bouquet: cherries, sour cherries, quite fruity, less complex
Taste: medium body, similar to nose dominat fruit are cherries and sour cherries with slightly higher acidity, straightforward fruity, not complicated, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: duck
Overall score: 80
Price: CZK 149
Stopper: Screw cap
Straightforward not complicated fruity Pinot Noir. It is still quite young, I would recommend to leave it in the cellar for at least 2 year (might do so just for interest).

Domaine Monplezy Plaisirs 2007

Variety: Carignan, Grenache, Syrah,
Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Languedoc
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: dark ruby red
Bouquet: forest fruits, small black berries, a bit of marmalade tones, black pepper 
Taste: medium body, dominant canned blackberry fruit with spiciness and pleasant tannins,  medium  finish
Recommended food pairing: duck liver pate
Overall score: 82
Price: CZK 220 on web (gift)
Stopper: cork
Pleasant fruity and spicy at the same time. More similar to Cote du Rhone than Languedoc region. Perfectly fit my taste when I was looking for something Grenachy style.:)

Gato Negro Carmenère 2007

Variety: 100% Carmenère
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Central valley
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Residual sugar: 3.5 g/l
Acidity: 4.5 g/l
Color: medium red with lighter meniscus
Bouquet: red sour cherries, redcurrant
Taste: light to medium body, straightforward fruity wine, cherries, sour cherries,red currant, at the end touch of pink grapefruit bitterness, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: BBQ
Overall score: 78
Price: CZK 149 
Stopper: cork
This Carmenere is just straightforward easy going fruit driven wine with no complexity. Definitely wine for summer drinking outside where you do not have high expectations, such as BBQ just to wash down some food.

Golden Kaan Shiraz 2007

Variety: Shiraz
Country of origin:South Africa
Wine appellation: Western Cape
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 14.11%
Residual sugar: 5.5 g/l
Acidity: 5.56 g/l
Color: medium red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: Dominant spiciness of black pepper followed by cherries and blackberries
Taste: medium body, sour cherries, black pepper, nice sweet tannins, slightly higher alcohol burning in the mouth, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: steak
Overall score: 82
Price: CZK 180
Stopper: cork
Reasonble Shiraz with visible spiciness, and cherry type of flavour. As far as I remember it is more similar to 2004 vintage tasted here than 2005 vintage tasted here. I do not know the vintages in SA, but 2005 was better then 2004 and also this 2007 Shiraz. Also given its younger profile this 2007 vintage is more fruity than the older vintages, both tasted  more than one year ago.

Pheasant Gully Shiraz Cabernet Bin 201 2008

Variety: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: South Eastern Australia
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Residual sugar: n/a
Acidity: n/a
Color: medium ruby red with lighter violety meniscus
Bouquet: very fruity, blackberries with black currant, partially plums, tones of nice Shirazy spiciness after black pepper
Taste: medium body, very fruity, similar to nose flavor of black currant with blackberries accompanied by ripe sour cherries, very straightforward, low tannins and alcohol slightly burning in the mouth,  medium finish
Recommended food pairing: definitely BBQ outside with friends
Overall score: 81
Price: CZK 149
Stopper: screw cap
Wine is produced by John Schwartzkopff from Dorrien Estate. Reasonable Sh, CS blend, rather fruity with dominant alcohol and more Shirazy than Cabernety style. On the label it says it was aged in American and French oak but it is not very visible.

Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut

For detail of the sparkle please refer to one year old wine tasting published here. I remember I was tasting it last Christmas and I have repeated the same this year Christmas. If you compare it to description from last year it is in the nose and taste less apply and more bisquity. The score would be the same of 84.

Ludvík Maděřič Rulandské bílé 2007 pozdní sběr

Variety: 100% Pinot Blanc
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Slovácko sub-appellation, Moravská Nová Ves village, Vonohrady vineyard
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Residual sugar: 1.6g/l
Acidity: 6.7g/l
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: ripe grapes, bread tones,
Taste: medium body, citrus fruit tones, nice vibrant acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: turkey, pork
Overall score: 80
Price: CZK 150 
Stopper: cork
Reasonable Pinot Blanc with nice round full mounth feel and nice acidity, which makes it nice fresh and not dull wine.

Domaine de la Meynarde Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhône Villages 2009

Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Carignan 
Country of origin: France
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Color: violet red
Bouquet: very fruity, cherries, plums, touch of blackberries
Taste: medium to full body, black sour cherries, hint of blackberries, very drinkable, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: casserole
Overall score: 81
Price CZK 169
Stopper: cork
Reasonable CDR wine, it has higher alcohol which is not fully hold by the body. Main dominant  fruit characteristics is sour cherry with touch of blackberry. if you compare to Vidal Fleury Ventoux tasted here this wine lacks the forest fruitiness and juiciness of Ventoux.

Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: South Eastern Australia
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Residual sugar: n/a
Acidity: n/a
Color: deep ruby red with lighter meniscus
Bouquet: strong black currant, almost the way my mum used to make a preserve from that fruit, ripe black sour cherry, very slight hint of mint
Taste: medium body, very fruity, typical cabernety flavor of black currant, very straightforward, medium tannins still slightly harsher I would like,  medium finish
Recommended food pairing: definetely BBQ outside with friends
Overall score: 82
Price: CZK 220 (I got it at promo 1+1)
Stopper: plastic cork
Reasonable juicy and fruity cab sauv not trying to be complicated, fruit is a dominant characteristic, very good choice at promo price, reasonable at regular. I saw even 2010 vintage to be sold.  I cannot imagine the taste of this vintage as I would recommend mine second bottle of 2008 to be opened in 6 to 12 months to see whether this still slightly harsher tannins would soften.

Ernest & Julio Gallo Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: USA
Wine appellation: California 
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 13,5%
Color: medium red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: very Californian indeed, first of all there is a black chocolate, vanilla and black currant preserve, coffee
Taste: medium body, black currant preserve, sweet and round tannins with almost no acidity at all, vanilla, black chocolate, coffee, medium finish with round tannins at the back after it is swallowed
Recommended food pairing: Camembert cheese
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 170
Stopper: plastic cork
Definitely nice example of CS, nicely aged with round sweet tannins and chocolate and coffee tones in it. I had it about 1 year ago and it nicely integrated and softened. Have two cases of this vintage in the cellar, cool!

Stanislav Mádl Ryzlink vlašský 2005 pozdní sběr

Variety: Welsh Riesling
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub appellation, Zadní hora vineyard
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 11.0%
Residual sugar: g/l
Acidity: g/l
Color: lighter to medium yellow
Bouquet: citrus tones with hints of bread
Taste: light body, lemon, white currant, with a bit of grapefruit, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 78
Price: CZK 120 in 2007
Stopper: cork
Uncomplicated light bodied Welsh Riesling with lively acidity to be drank with fish or by itself

Vinařství Maděřič Chardonnay 2008 pozdní sběr

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Moravský Žižkov village, Slovenské vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Residual sugar: g/l
Acidity: g/l
Color: medium yellow with oily viscosity
Bouquet: in the nose are visible some artificial tones resembling volatile acids and some yeasty tones
Taste: medium body, very high acidity with residual sugar, not pleasant, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: ??
Overall score:70
Price: CZK 178
Stopper: cork
Something must have gone wrong with the wine it is not pleasant at all, and it has silver medal from AWC Vienna.

Herbarium Moravicum Ryzlink Vlašský 2006 pozdní sběr (Mikulov, lot: 310701001)

Variety: Welsh Riesling
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation,
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: very expressive, complex, nuts and overripe mirabele, minerality
Taste: medium body, very nice tones of ripe white fruit with hint of nutty tones
Recommended food pairing: fish, pork schnitzel
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 130
Stopper: cork
This is my hidden gem, I remember discovering this wine about 2 years ago and I immediately bought a case. It is produced by MVZ the owner of Mikros, one of the best producer of Welsh Riesling. As it is from Mikulov area I suspect it could easily be from the same vineyards. The wine is very nice and complex with nice round mouth feel and excellent bottle maturity.

Piccini Special Edition Chianti Riserva 2006

Variety: 100% Sangiovese
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appellation: Tuscany
Vintage: 2006 
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Residual sugar: g/l
Acidity: g/l
Color: medium red with lighter meniscus
Bouquet: red cherries, hint of spice ad wood tones
Taste: medium body, red cherries, and sour cherries, slightly higher but pleasant tannins, nice acidity keeping it fresh and visible dryness, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: dry fermented salami,roasts
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK 139
Stopper: cork
Reasonable, but not great Chianti. Definitely much better than the other Chianti in this price rage on the market, which are hardly drinkable. Decanter awarded this vintage with Silver Medal in 2009.

Château Mirausse La Paissiere 2005

Variety: 60 % Grenache, 30 % Syrah, 10 % Carignan
Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Languedoc, Minervois
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Residual sugar: g/l
Acidity:  g/l
Color: medium ruby red
Bouquet: very strange, initially very animal tones, later bouquet gets fruity and flowery with the visible spicy tones of black pepper
Taste: medium body, very spicy and fruity at the same time, almost no tannins, but no flabby and not dense, alcohol is quite high, cherries, similar to herb tones, black pepper, medium  finish
Recommended food pairing: Camembert cheese
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 320 on web (gift)
Stopper: cork
Definitely interesting wine, it combines very strange animal tones initially with very big fruits and more flowery and herbal nose. In the mouth it is not jammy at all, rather lighter to medium with higher alcohol and no tannins, definitely interesting wine and a bit of exposure to this region I did not have a lot of chances to drink.

Moulin de Gassac Guilhem White 2005

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: light gold
Bouquet: overripe gooseberry, herbal tones, visible minerality manifesting itself in slightly salty bouquet, light bottleness, smells very dry
Taste: medium body, very dry, nice minerality, dried lime peel, still amazing lemon style of acidity keeping it fresh with white grapefruit at the end, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: definitely fish or shrimps
Overall score:82
Price: CZK 100 (sale) 
Stopper: cork
Very good dry style of Sauvignon Blanc type of blend. Visible minerality accompanied by citric acidity and bone dry flavor, quite different wine when compared to recent tastings I did where majority of the wines had residual sugar in them. I tasted the wine about year ago here where you can find the pictures of the labels. Todays notes are very similar, the wines is very stable and does not show bigger signs of aging and did no move significantly from last year.

Doña Paula Estate Malbec 2004

Variety: Malbec
Country of origin: Argentina
Wine appellation: Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Residual sugar:  g/l
Acidity:  g/l
Color: medium ruby red with garnet menscus
Bouquet: red berries fruit, mainly ripe cherries with the hint of coffee and chocolate
Taste: medium body, concentrated very sooth and round, overripe black cherries and sweet tannins, hint of chocolate, at the end black sour cherries acidity keeping it quite long in the mouth
Overall score: 88
Price: CZK 300
I was cleaning my cellar and found this absolutely stunning Malbec. It has everything I expect from Malbec of this price range, stunning fruit character combined with hint of chocolate and mocha flavor given its aging. Tannins are very nicely rounded, mild and sweet and stays nicely in the mouth.

Kovacs Ryzlink vlašský 2005 pozdní sběr

Variety: 100% Welsh Riesling,
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation, Novosedly village, Kamenný vrch vineyard
Vintage: 2005, lotte 37/05
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Residual sugar: 6.2 g/l
Acidity: 6.9 g/l
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: ripe apple, hint of lemon and honey
Taste: medium body, nicely round with the dominance of red ripe apple and sub tones of wallnuts, slight residual sugar balanced by lively acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 140 in 2008
Stopper: cork
I quite like Welsh Riesling, especially from Mikulov area and this is a good example of very nicely drinkable balanced and properly aged WR. It has absolute dominance of ripe (not green) red apple with interesting touch of some complex flavor resembling walnuts, which stays in the mount after you swallow it.

264 wines in 2010!! not bad:)

And all wines were not added as they were tasted in restaurants an I did not make notes there:). I have managed to beat up also last December, which I am proud of. What do you think about the blog. Do u like it? Do u find it usefull??

Gandía Finca Del Mar Tempranillo 2004

Variety: Tempranillo

Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Utiel-Requena
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Residual sugar: n/a
Acidity: n/a
Color: medium garnet red with bricky meniscus with notable sediment
Bouquet: canned cherries with hint of coffee tones
Taste: medium body, cherries, going towards canned cherries and marmalade with touch of tannins, medium finish.
Recommended food pairing: dry salami
Overall score: 77
Price: CZK 120 in 2007
Stopper: cork

Reasonable Tempranillo with notable tannins and coffee tertiary tones from bottle given its aging.