Chateau Lafayette Reneau - 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasted on: June 26, 2010
Purchased for: $9.99
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 13%
• Residual Sugar: unknown, dry
  

Wine Awards and Ratings:

• Gold, Best of Class – 08 New York Wine and Food Classic

Tasting:
Appearance: A gorgeous color of purple. A royal and dark purple. Clear and without fault.

Aroma: A wonderful bouquet marked with a cherry note. Definite notes of black pepper and perhaps oak?

Taste / Texture: An excellent taste. I can definitely pull out the black pepper taste and some of the oak. The cherry note is in the forefront. The mouthfeel is absolutely pleasant and the body is medium. The entire wine seems balanced in notes, acidity, alcohol, and sweetness.

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is nice. It remains on the tongue for a medium length of time, possibly shortened by its dryness.

Decision: A great red wine. I think cabernet sauvignon is at the top of my red wine types. I would definitely buy this again as it is both a bargain and an excellent wine. 90/100

Swedish Hill - 2008 Dry Riesling

Tasted on: June 18, 2010
Purchased for: $11.99

Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12%
• Residual Sugar: 0.5%

Wine Awards and Ratings:

• Gold Medal NY Wine & Food Classic, NY 8/09

Tasting:
Appearance: Light green and clear. No particulates

Aroma: Nice, strong riesling bouquet. Strong fruit notes, particularly pear; however, the description indicates that they are floral notes. I can see how I confused the two. Definitely clean and uncomplicated.

Taste / Texture: Great initial taste. Smooth texture with a punch of dryness, especially after eating something salty. The exact notes of flavor are difficult for me to separate out this evening, especially after my nose led me astray earlier. I'll just say that whatever the flavors, they're very nice.

Aftertaste: Medium-short finish. Nice lingering taste.

Decision: Very agreeable dry riesling. The notes are pleasant and the dryness doesn't over- or underwhelm the wine. I'd definitely buy this one again. 85/100.

Hermann J. Wiemer - 2007 Chardonnay

Tasted on: June 4, 2010
Purchased for: $11.99


Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12.5%
• Residual Sugar: unknown

Tasting:
Appearance: Nice and clear. Very, very pale yellow. No particulates.

Aroma: After a slight chill and several minutes of airing, I can already smell the chardonnay. I can detect a fruity, mango-type note in this appealing bouquet. It's hard to separate out other notes.

Taste / Texture: Dry, dry, dry. Nice mango taste. Soft and smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol a little too in the forefront, but not enough to distract.

Aftertaste: Medium lingering time. Pleasant taste after swallowing and evaporation. The tongue is not overly coated by this vintage.

Decision: Chardonnays tend to not be my cup of tea. This one has a nice flavor and no strong strikes against it. I would consider buying it again. 80/100.