Plantagenet Hazard Hill Shiraz 2003

Variety: Shiraz with splash of Grenache
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: Western Australia  
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Color: very deep blackish garnet
Bouquet: ripe forest fruit, mainly blackberries accompanied by plum jam (povidla)with sweet spices and chocolate tones
Taste: medium to full body, forest fruit marmalade, coffee, vanilla, at the end tones of licorice
Recommended food pairing: chocolate cake
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 293
Stopper: cork
This is very nice example of how fare can Aussie Shiraz go when left in the cellar for 7 years. The fruit has transformed itself more to the jammy tones supported by the chocolate, vanilla, coffee and sweet spices. Although alcohol on the label is quite high, surprisingly it does not stand out and is nicely integrated. We have accompanied it by Aussie dark chocolate (named Decadent Dark:)) to keep the unwritten law that the wine should be accompanied with the local food :)

Jacob's Creek Chardonnay 2005

2nd bottle of this wine tasted. No changes in a development of this wine from our tasting from 1st January tasted here.

Znovín Znojmo Rulandské šedé 2007 výběr z hroznů

Variety: 100% Pinot Gris

Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Znojmo sub-appellation, Želetice village, Frédy vineyard
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Residual sugar: 7.6g/l
Acidity: 5.0g/l
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: hint of bread, ripe grapes
Taste: medium to full body, mirabelle, very nicely drinkable, round and smooth with very slight residual sugar
Recommended food pairing: dry matured cheese
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK 179
Stopper: cork
This is very nice example of Pinot Gris, nice smooth and round with bigger body and slight residual sugar.

Philippe de Noange Chateau Haut Mares Medoc 2003 AOC

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon x Merlot
Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Bordeaux
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: medium brownish red
Bouquet: black currant marmalade, hint of coffee
Taste: medium body, black currant, nicely round, bottle aged tones
Recommended food pairing: Camembert cheese
Overall score: 82
Price: CZK 170
Stopper: cork
This Bordeaux is base CabSauv and Merlot blend. It already shows nice aged tones, which make it nicely soft and round. It is about the peak time for drinking

Bessa Valley Enira 2005

Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah
Country of origin: Bulgaria
Wine appellation: Pazardjik
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Color: garnet red with bricky meniscus
Bouquet: strong vanilla flavor, chocolate, hint of plum jam, sour cherries preserved in alcohol
Taste: medium body, vanilla, higher tannins, canned cherries, strawberries, slighter acidity, medium to long finish
Recommended food pairing: pork loin
Overall score: 84
Price: gift
Stopper: cork
This bottle I got from my friend leaving Czech Republic and actually I gave him the bottle for his birthday:)The wine has strong vanilla character with dominant fruit preserved in alcohol. Although alcohol is high, it does not stand out in the nose. It is nice, mellow, just slightly lower acidity would move it to higher scores.

Concha y Toro Sendero Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Central Valley
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color:  medium ruby red
Bouquet: ripe sour cherries, cherries, hint of black currant, quite fruity
Taste: medium body, ripe red berries, mainly sour cherries, fruity style with slight acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: BBQ, party
Overall score: 82
Price: CZK 129
Stopper: cork
This is straightforward Cab Sauv. Ripe berries character, it is still quite young. I would recommend to age it for at least 2 years to get rounder.

Tesco Finest Crozes Hermitage 2005 AOC

ariety: Syrah
Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Crozes Hermitage
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: medium red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: small ripe red berries, not very strong one
Taste: medium body, sour cherries, higher tannins, higher acidity, in the end pink grapefruit
Recommended food pairing: pasta with beef sirloin
Overall score: 80
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork
This is a bit disappointment of what you might expect from the appellation. In this case Tesco did not make the right choice. I would guess the main reason was the budget as they had to fit the bottle to CZK 199, which in case of Crozes Hermitage is almost impossible:)