Admin: Retirement

Since I am trying to eat (and drink) healthier and lose weight, I doubt that I will update this blog more frequently than once or twice a year. I still love wine and I still drink it, but not as frequently as I once did. This may change down the road, but for now this site is going into retirement. Or, more specifically, it's being given emeritus status where it'll retain its location, but only be updated very rarely.

Leonard Oakes - 2009 Chardonnay

Tasted on :Friday & Saturday September 16th & 17th, 2011
Purchased for: $15  

This won't be a typical structured review because, well, because I said so. I first tasted this wine at the South Wedge Farmer's Market and immediately loved it. It's a dry white chardonnay, but that doesn't inhibit it from having a wonderfully full flavor. I would definitely buy this wine again. 90/100.

Fulkerson - 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasted on :May 27, 2011
Purchased for: $13.99

Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12%
• Residual Sugar: 0%

Wine Awards and Ratings:

• 2010 - Oakland Community College Great Lakes Wine Competition - Bronze
• 2010 - International Eastern Wine Competition - Bronze
• 2010 - Golden Nose Wine Competition - Bronze
  

Tasting:

Appearance: Dark, inky, plum colored. Very pretty.

Aroma: As my glass is airing, I can smell the wine from about a meter away. Wonderfully berry aroma.

Taste / Texture: You can definitely tell that this has been oak aged. Great flavor and smooth texture. The taste is cloy and doesn't slap you in the face. Subtle.

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is nice. Medium finish.

Decision: Nice wine. A great balance of flavor and acid. The oak aging is the best part of the taste. 85/100

Imagine Moore - 2007 Wisdom (Cabernet Franc)

Tasted on :March 11, 2011
Purchased for: $15.99

Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12.5%
• Residual Sugar: unknown, dry
  

Tasting:
Appearance: Sitting in my living room lit with one lamp, my glass of wine looks black. There seems to be little light able to penetrate the liquid. Bringing the glass up to the light, it is still VERY dark, but a red hue is detectable and not much light makes it through.

Aroma: A nice bouquet. Typical cabernet franc notes.

Taste / Texture: Smooth. Again, very typical cabernet franc taste. Nice balance of acidity and alcohol. Mineral ending.

Aftertaste: Doesn't linger on the tongue. Nice aftertaste.

Decision: 80/100. A nice, typical cabernet franc.

Row House Cellars - Red Table Wine

Tasted on : March 4, 2011
Purchased for: $9.99


Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12.5%
• Residual Sugar: 0%

Tasting:
Appearance: Dark, dark blood red
Aroma: A subtle bouquet. I can't really identify the aroma notes, but it's very nice.
Taste / Texture: An interesting blend of flavors. Again, I can't pin down the exact notes, but they're nice together. Smooth feeling on the tongue and nice blending of tastes.
Aftertaste: Medium-short finishing time on the tongue. The aftertaste itself is pleasant enough.

Decision: Decision 75/100 Okay for a blended wine. It isn't anything particularly special about this wine. I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Brotherhood - 2008 Merlot

I haven't tasted a new vintage of New York wine for a while, but I'm back!

Tasted on: February 26, 2011
Purchased for: $10.99




Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 13%
• Residual Sugar: <0.3%

Tasting:
Appearance: Dark, dark, barely transparent color. Decent set of legs.

Aroma: After letting my glass of red wine air for a half hour, the aroma still wafted over to my chair. A wonderful bouquet of berry and pepper.

Taste / Texture: My first impression is that the flavor is unassuming and pleasant. A tad acidic with the berry (currant?) flavor. Decent mouth feel.

Aftertaste: Relatively short finish with a nice aftertaste.

Decision: Decision 85/100 I haven't had too many merlot wines to compare this one, but I like it and would purchase it again.

Happy New Year!

We here at the blog will be enjoying a sparkling wine from Swedish Hill to celebrate the occasion.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Wagner - Reserve White

Tasted on : November 27, 2010
Purchased for: $5.99

Tasting:

Appearance: Clear, pale, pale straw. Nice legs.

Aroma: Playful apple aroma.

Taste / Texture: Nice, fairly bold taste. Smooth, but neither thin nor thick. Apple note is at the forefront and I cannot detect other flavors.

Aftertaste: Pleasant aftertaste despite a relatively short finish.

Decision: Great value wine! Not only is it tasty and pleasant, it is affordable. 85/100

Treleaven - 2008 Dry Riesling

Tasted on :November 20, 2010
Purchased for: $12.99
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 10.9%
• Residual Sugar: unknown, dry
  

Wine Awards and Ratings:

• 2009 Wine Spectator - 85 points
  

Tasting:
Appearance: Clear, pale straw. Bubbles are adhering to the sides of the wine glass.

Aroma: Nice, delicate bouquet. Hard to place exact notes aside from "fruity".

Taste / Texture: Excellent mouthfeel. Wonderful flavor. Crisp fruit notes.

Aftertaste: A lingering lemon on the sides of the tongue after swallowing. This note lasts longer than the taste on top of the tongue. Medium finish on the top of the tongue, medium-long on the sides.

Decision: Very respectable Riesling wine. Interesting flavor notes on different parts of the tongue. 85/100

Swedish Hill - Viking White

Tasted on : October 29, 2010
Purchased for: $6.99Wine Data:

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

Wine Awards and Ratings:

• Gold medal NY Wine & Food Classic, NY 8/09
• Gold medal LA Int'l, CA 5/09
• Gold medal Indy Int'l, IN 6/09

Tasting:
Appearance: Very clear, light straw-colored. Nice legs.
Aroma: Crisp apple aroma. Subdued such that it does not flit across the room to ensnare the nose.
Taste / Texture: My immediate reaction isn't very favorable. The taste of the wine is akin to a pinot grigio. There is a mineral or other type of note that completely overwhelms the taste.
Aftertaste: The aftertaste is the best part, funnily enough. The taste is nice and the finish is rather short.
Decision: I've had better wines in this price range, so I wouldn't buy this again. 70/100

Anthony Road - 2007 Chardonnay

Tasted on: September 25, 2010
Purchased for: $10.99
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12.7%
• Residual Sugar: 0.5%

Tasting:
Appearance: Beautifully clear, transparent, straw colored

Aroma: Very subtle aroma. I'm finding it hard to pinpoint the notes here.

Taste / Texture: Smooth taste. Lemon? Interesting complexities that I can't seem to define. Nice balance of acidity, alcohol, and sugar.

Aftertaste: Medium finish. Pleasant aftertaste.

Decision: Very pleasant chardonnay! Great value. Would buy again. 80/100.

Glenora - 2007 Pinot Noir Rosé

Tasted on : September 18, 2010
Purchased for: $13.99


Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 11.5%

Tasting:
Appearance: A lovely clear, cherry color.

Aroma: The aroma of this wine isn't very strong. I can't chalk that up to chilling since it was only the fridge for about twenty minutes. I can detect the strawberry notes the description mentions.

Taste / Texture: The first taste is interesting because it's both sweet and dry. The strawberry note is at the forefront and dominates the taste. There's also a tinge of acidity that I find interesting. This wine doesn't have much body.

Aftertaste: A nice aftertaste. A weak finish, though.

Decision: A mediocre rosé wine that doesn't have any glaring defects, but overall doesn't add up to much. I've had better. I've had worse. 75/100

Flechas de los Andes - 2007 Gran Malbec

Tasted on :August 20, 2010
Purchased for: $14.99

Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 14.5%
• Residual Sugar: dry

Wine Awards:

• 92 points - Wine Advocate
  

Tasting:

Appearance: Dark, dark burgundy. Seems thick because after swirling there were no rivulets that ran down the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Wonderful cracked pepper and cherry notes.

Taste / Texture: That's a lot of wine character! Medium-full bodied, smooth with a blast of pepper. The fruit notes take a back seat. Nice feeling on my tongue.

Aftertaste: Pleasant and rather long finish compared to other wines I've tasted.

Decision: I like it! 85/100

Keuka Lake - 2007 Leon Millot

Tasted on : August 13, 2010
Purchased for: $14.99
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 11.5%
• Residual Sugar: unknown, dry
  

Tasting:
Appearance: Dark, dark red. Impenetrable by a normal table light.

Aroma: Lovely aroma. Can definitely pick out the currant / peppery note. It isn't particularly fragrant, like, you cannot smell it from several feet away; however, I don't find this is a huge drawback.

Taste / Texture: A quite different taste than I'm used to. The taste is a bit of an acquired, well, taste. Quite smooth in taste with a bit of an acidic tinge.

Aftertaste: Nice. Medium-long finish.

Decision: An interesting wine. 80/100

Leonard Oakes - 2008 White Oakes

Tasted on: August 07, 2010
Purchased for: $11.49
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 11%
• Residual Sugar: 0.6%

Tasting:

Appearance: One of the palest white wines I've encountered. The palest of yellows. Nearly colorless.

Aroma: Lovely bouquet. Not the most aromatic wine, but the notes that are there are pleasant. I cannot place the aromatic notes through smell. Perhaps the chill has dampened them (and my allergy-afflicted nose doesn't help!).

Taste / Texture: Very smooth texture. Interesting flavor. Fruit note... pear? No. The winery describes it as apple. Yes, I can agree with that. The winery also notes an allspice component, but I can't tease that apart from the flavor as a whole.

Aftertaste: Medium finish on the tongue. Aftertaste flavor is pleasant.

Decision: Very nice, mild wine. I might not buy it for myself again, but I would not turn down an offered glass or two. 80/100

Fox Run Chardonnay

Tasted on: 07/30/10
Purchased for: $11.99

Wine Data: 2007 Vintage

• Alcohol Content: 12%
• Residual Sugar: low
  

Wine Awards and Ratings:

• Awards

Tasting:
Appearance: Clear light straw coloring

Aroma: Subtle citrus and pear/apple scented

Taste / Texture: Medium body with explosive lemony/orangy punch that evaporates quickly leaving a slight overtone

Aftertaste: pleasant citrus tones that gently remind without being overbearing

Decision: 95/100

Hunt Country - 2007 Cabernet Franc

Tasted on: July 23, 2010
Purchased for: ~$15
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 13%
• Residual Sugar: 0.2%

Tasting:

My mother and I went to Keuka Lake to do some wine tastings at wineries around there. Hunt Country was a winery that I had to visit. I bought this bottle there because I loved its taste during the tasting.

Appearance: A dark, dark red - almost black.

Aroma: I can detect cherries and the oak aging of the wine. Unfortunately my nose isn't working for me tonight. Needless to say, it smells quite nice.

Taste / Texture: Delightfully dry and full of flavor. Full body and great balance between flavor, alcohol, and sugar.

Aftertaste: Pleasant aftertaste. Medium finishing time.

Decision: There was a reason why I bought this wine after the tasting. Excellent taste. Like the winery, I would recommend this wine for any beef dish or to pair with cheeses. 90/100

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.