Grand Circle Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: USA
Wine appellation: California - Nappa
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 14,5%
Color: medium ruby red s
Bouquet: ripe black currant, black cherries, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium to full body, ripe black currant, cherries, typical for California is this black chocolate and sweet tannin flavor, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: chocolateOverall score: 84
Price: CZK 218
Stopper: cork
Typicall Californian Cab Sauv. There are people who love this sweet chocolaty taste (not sweet because of the residual sugar, but sweet because of low acidity) and people who hate it.

Fontanafredda Barbera Piemonte "Briccotondo" 2007 DOC

Excellent wine.Tasting notes are almost identical and scoring is the same as in  September 2011 tasting.

Fattoria Loppiano Chianti 2007 DOCG

Variety: Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero, Malvasia, Cabernet, Merlot
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appellation: Tuscany
Vintage: 2007 
Color: deep red
Bouquet: sour cherries with wood tones and hint of cinnamon
Taste: medium body, ripe sour cherries with slightlz higher acidity and still young tannins, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: lasagne
Overall score: 83
Price: EUR 5
Stopper: cork
Ordinary Chianti. Nose is much better than taste where the acidity plays dominant roles and as such probably needs to be cellared at least for additional 2 years. Unfortunately this is the only bottle I have so I will not have the opportunity to do so.

Lagunilla Crianza 2007 DOCa

Variety: 80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha

Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Rioja
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium red
Bouquet: nice wood tones underpinned by cranberries and plums
Taste: medium body, canned sour cherries, strawberries and spices, mid palate brings structured fruity tannins balanced by good and layered acidity with vanilla, medium finish

Recommended food pairing: matured cheese
Overall score: 84
Price: EUR 6
Very good value for the price balancing fruitiness of sour cherries with wood and matured tones. 

Highcliff Cabernet Merlot 2002

I tasted the wine almost one year ago here and it is almost with the same tasting notes so I will not reproduce them here. It is amazing how you can get very good wine in a bottle with this basic label.

Vina Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Central valley
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: deep garnet red
Bouquet: canned black currant, eucalyptus, slight vanilla and a bit of smokiness
Taste: medium body, very good balance between fruit, tannis and wood, similar to nose dominantfruit is canned black currant with elegant, gentle, round and velvety tannins supported by good acidity and light vanilla tones, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: steak, or black chocolate
Overall score: 87
Price: CZK 245
Stopper: cork
This is another treasure from my cellar:) after drinking Carmenere of the same vintage (please check the notes here) I discovered Cab Sauv, which is even better!!

Kovacs Regentské Cuvée 2010 pozdní sběr

Variety: 
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation, Nový Přerov village, Na štrekách vineyard
Vintage: 2010, lotte 07/10
Alcohol content: 11.0%
Residual sugar: 0.2 g/l
Acidity: 5.2 g/l
Color: medium ruby red
Bouquet:  raspberries, violet flowers
Taste: light to medium body, very fruity, sour cherries marmelade, plums, hint of chocolate with good acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: duck
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 155
Stopper: plastic cork
Considering very cool 2010 vintage I wa expecting much less than acttually was the reality. It was very drinkable and with French duck breast with honey and chili was the perfect combination for the lunch.

Vinas del Vero Los Sasos Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Somontano
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: Black garnet red
Bouquet: canned black currant, blackberries, black chocolate
Taste: medium to full body, black currant , very good structure, balance of tannins with fruit and supported by nice spiciness, toast bread, black chocolate, longer finish
Recommended food pairing: roast meet
Overall score: 86
 Price: EUR 12
 Stopper: cork
Very good example of Cab Sauv with balance  bettwen fruit and secondary and terciary tones. It is unbeleivable when I checked the DO characteristics on the web where the main description is balanced. I used this word twice independently of the text posted below the pic!!

Somontano is a DO (Denominación de Origen) within the Aragón autonomous community of northern Spain. The name Somontano means 'at the foot of the mountains', signifying the region's location in the foothills of the central Pyrenees (Los Pirineos) to the west of Catalonia's Costers del Segre. Somontano was awarded DO status in 1984 and since then it has developed into a significant force in the Spanish wine industry, with a wide range of wine styles and types on offer. It is also one of the few wine-producing areas of Spain to have adopted a modern approach to wine making. This is reflected in Somontano's technologically advanced wineries and vineyard practices, as well as its innovative wine labels. The overall climate here is continental, but the mighty Pyrenees mountain range has a profound effect on grape-growing conditions. Firstly, the vineyards located on high altitude slopes benefit from intense summer heat and correspondingly low night-time temperatures. This diurnal temperature variance ensures that the grapes maintain all-important acidity. Secondly, a large proportion of Somontano's grapes are planted on the foothills, where the vines are cooled by winds blowing down from the mountains in the summer (when temperatures can reach 95F/35C). The third planting zone comprises the southerly plains, which reach out towards the Ebro valley.
'Balanced' is the word commonly used to describe Somontano's wines. The harmony of fruit, alcohol and acidity in the wines makes them extremely attractive to modern-day consumers. International grape varieties thrive in these conditions, alongside local varieties such as Moristel. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah are the most prominent reds, while Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay top the whites along with Macabeo. Garnacha is also an important variety; it goes into the local blended wines as well as rosé (rosado).

Carmelo Ortega Saxa Loquuntur Uno 2006

Variety: Tempranillo, mazuelo 
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Rioja
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: dark ruby red
Bouquet: expressive,  black cherries, wood and earth tones
Taste: medium to full body, very good structure, raspberries, wild overripe sour cherries dominant in the forefront of the mouth, mid palate brings structured and velvety fruity tannins balanced by good and layered acidity with vanilla, longer finish
Recommended food pairing: beef
Overall score: 88
Price: CZK 249
Very good modern style of Rioja with big fruit and good structure and balance between tannins and wood. I liked it so much that almost whole bottle was finished when my loved ones had a bath. Lenka returned after 30 min and looked at the bottle with 3/4 finished and could not beleive it was so quickly gone:) Interestingly I just checked the web and it got 91 in 2008 wine spectator issue here.

Beamonte Navarra Reserva 2003 DO

For tasting notes please refer to bottle tasted 10 days ago here.

Viña Albali Gran Reserva 2004 DO

Variety: Tempranillo
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Valdepenas
Vintage: 2002
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: `medium red with lighter meniscus
Bouquet: cherries, chocolate, sweet spices
Taste: medium body, sour cherries accompanied by light vanilla tones, good tannins present in the mouth with lingering acidity, which gives the wine medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: salami
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork
Obviously more expensive then in Spain where it cost EUR 5 to 6 (CZK 125 - 150), but still with very good price considering the drinkability. For comparisson please refer to 2002 vintage tasted here.

Víno Tomáš Tetur Zweigeltrebe 2006

For tasting notes please refer to tasting from January this year here.

Viña Tarapacá Syrah 2003

Variety: Syrah
Country of origin: Chille
Wine appellation: Maipo valley
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: deep red
Bouquet: very expressive, forest fruit preserve, black chocolate, touch of coffee, black pepper
Taste: medium body, full mouth feel of cherries in black chocolate with pleasant, round and elegant tannins very good structure and balance between spiciness and black chocolate
Recommended food pairing: chocolate souflee
Overall score: 88
Price: CZK 200 in 2005
Stopper: cork
Stunning Syrah it just amazes me how the wine developed if I compare it to my notes from March 2010 here, where you can find the pics of the bottle and labels. I was actually afraid the wine will be gone and on the contrary itimproved significantly!!! Looks like you never know with the wine you just need to taste it:)

Mussel Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc  
Country of origin: New Zealand
Wine appellation: Marlborough
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: pale yellow
Bouquet: grass, white currant, gooseberry
Taste: light to medium body, white grapefruit, lime, white currant, gooseberry, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: see food
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: screw cap
This is not typicall passion fruit styl of New Zealand SB, it has also nice grass character to it.

Beamonte Navarra Crianza 2004 DO

Variety: Tempranillo x Garnacha x Cabernet Sauvignon

Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Navarra
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: medium red with orange meniscus
Bouquet: cherries marmelade, vanilla, wood
Taste medium body, cherries, vanilla, round structure balancing the tannins and fruit, wood, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: fuet
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 120
Stopper: cork
For picture please refer to my tasting of 2 years ago here. It actually is much better then the reserva I tasted 4 days ago here. Quite like the good balance between the fruit and wood and still visible tannins.

Santa Rita 120 Carmenére 2004

For tasting notes please refer to tasting of the same bottle one month ago here.

Beamonte Navarra Reserva 2003 DO

Variety: Tempranillo x Cabernet Sauvignon

Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Navarra
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: mediumgarnet red with lighter meniscus
Bouquet: plums, canned cherries, vanilla, leather
Taste medium body, canned cherries with vanilla and plums supported by good acidity at the end of the palate, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: fuet
Overall score: 82
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: cork
Aging 18 months in American and French used oak barrels this Reserva offers good value for the price, but does not stand out and in no way is comparable to Tesco Finest Rioja from the same vintage tasted here. Also it is surprising, but when I compared it to my notes of Crianza 2004 from the same producer tasted in January 2010 here , which I do not remember very well, it seems that I liked the Crianza more.

Robertson Winery Shiraz 2005

Variety: Shiraz
Country of origin: South Africa
Wine appellation: Breede River
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium garnet red with bricky meniscus
Bouquet: Christmas spices, clove cinnamon, leather, coffee
Taste: medium body, round, spices, canned blackberries and dry cherries, coffee, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: beef jerky
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork
Excellent leather, spicy style of Shiraz. Very good bottle aging made it round and smooth.

Wombat Hill Cabernet Merlot 2002

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: South Eastern Australia
Vintage: 2002
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: garnet red with bricky meniscus
Bouquet: canned cherries, plum jam (povidla), coffee, vanilla
Taste: medium body, soft, round, plums, cherries, black currant jam, good acidity considering the age with coffee tones in the mid palate and warm (probably alcohol) medium finish
Recommended food pairing: venison
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 200 
Stopper: cork
Interesting if I compare my notes from 2 years ago here, where you can find the labels.

Luis Felipe Edwards Cabernet Sauvignon Pupilla 2005

Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Colchagua Valley
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: medium ruby red
Bouquet: black currant, cherries
Taste: medium body, dominant fruit is the black currant supported with wild cherries and very good acidity, which keeps the wine still fresh and not dull,  medium finish
Recommended food pairing: grilled meat
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: cork
Very good almost book example of CS in very price friendly category. It is nicely round, properly aged and very drinkable.