Spice Route Shiraz 2001

Variety: Shiraz
Country of origin:South Africa
Wine appelation: Swartland
Vintage: 2001
Alcohol content: 14.3%
Residual sugar: 1.9g/l
Acidity: 5.9g/l
Color: deep black red with garnet meniscus
Bouquet: canned forrest fruit, mainly blackberries, smoke, coffee, touch of vanilla
Taste: medium to full , perfectly round, blackberries preserve, black pepper, stunning smooth and adult tannins, very dry, but feels sweet due to alcohol and tannins, long finish, taste stays in the mouth for ages
Recommended food pairing: roast beef, steak
Overall score: 4+8+13+8+8= 91
Price: CZK 500
Stopper: cork
Excellent Shiraz! Stunning bottle maturity and balance between fruit, oak and still very visible yet mature tannins.
2001 was a Flagship vintage. It was harvested from cordon pruned vines at Rheeboksfontein in Malmesbury. The vineyard is on a South facing slope, at an altitude of about 150m above sea level. Sea breezes cool the area down at night. The soils on this farm are red ferric Oakleaf. These are suitable for dry land viticulture as they hold moisture well. The yield of these 14-year-old vines was 5 tons/ha in 2001. The fruit was very small and concentrated in colour and flavour.

Bundu Star Chenin Blanc 2008

Variety: Chenin  Blanc
Country of origin: South Africa
Wine appellation: Western Cape
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet:  canned gooseberry, lemon, slight bottle age
Taste: medium body, similar to taste canned gooseberry, lime acidity, medium finish 
Overall score: 80
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: plastic cork
Basic Chenin serve as preparing the taste buds.
 

Terre dei Roveri Barolo 2007 DOCG

Variety: 100% Nebbiolo
Country of origin: Italy 
Wine appellation: Piedmont
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 14.0%
Color: light garnet red with bricky meniscus
Bouquet: structured, leather, canned fruit, mainly cherries, vanilla
Taste: medium to full body, red cherries, mouth drying tannins, plums, longer finish 
Recommended food pairing: dry salami, sausages
Overall score: 88
Price CZK 500
Stopper: cork
Plesant, more tannic style of Barolo, leave it to age for 2 more years.

Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Tocornal

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appelation: Central Valley
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 13%
Color:dark garnet red
Bouquet: black currant preserve, hint of coffee
Taste: medium body, dry red fruits, black currant preserve, sweet tannis , touch of coffee, medium to longer finish
Recommended food pairing: chocolate cake
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK 150
Stopper: plastic cork
NIce properly aged cab sauv.

Castello della Sala Cervaro della Sala 2008

Variety: Chardonnay, Grechetto
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appellation: Umbria
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: very expressive and seductive, grilled pineapple, toast with hazelnuts, perfect marriage between fruits and oak
Taste: medium to full body, very ripe tropical fruit character, grilled pineapple, mango, toasts, butter, long enjoyable finish
Recommended food pairing: mushroom cream sauce and pasta, pork loin
Overall score: 90
Price: CZK  1300
Stopper: single piece of cork (45 mm)
Perfectly done oaked chardonnay, style is between great Burgundys and oaky Californian Chards. We had pasta with cream mushroom sauce and I was looking for oak Chard to go with that and opened this one and to be honest I made very good choice!

Roquevale Tinto da Talha Grande Escolha 2003

Variety: Touriga Nacional, Aragones
Country of origin: Portugal
Wine appellation: Alentejo
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Color: blackish red
Bouquet: black sour cherries, touc of blackberries and black chocolate
Taste: medium body, similar to nose dominant are black sour cherries, excellent and delicate mouth drying tannins, black chocolate, still very good acidity, long finish
Recommended food pairing: pepper fuet
Overall score: 89
Price: CZK 347
Stopper: cork
Very good wine,  I love the big black sour cherries fruit taste with perfect tannins, good acidity and nice black chocolate. On top of that this all is wrapped in very good priced bottle considering the quality!

Concha y Toro Sunrise Chardonnay 2007

Variety: Chardonnay
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Central Valley
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: medium yellow 
Bouquet: tropical fruit, pineapple, citrusy
Taste: medium body, similar to taste dominant are tropical ripe fruits mainly pineapple, followed by touch of toast and orange peel, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: pasta with cheese cream sauce
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK 179 
Stopper: cork
Very good example of properly done Chardonnay for very good price. Check the previous vintages on the blog Sunrise is allways best value/price wine from Concha y Toro.