Clos de Chenoves 1996
Borgogne
Recoltant a Culles-Les Roches
|
| Composition | 13% ABV |
| Eyes |
deep red with hints of purple, no hints of orange yet, non-filtered with visible filtrate
|
| Nose |
strong deep red fruits, hint of coffee, earth, minerals
|
| Taste |
medium body mild acids and tannins, medium finish, velvety feel on the tongue
|
| Purchased |
40 francs in France, Sabrina says. Ohhhh.... the benefits of living
in France!
|
| Other |
After two days in Normandy, speaking only french, it was the opening of this bottle
that solidified the fact that I was in France (and the rare beef and french green beans it was served with, thanks Sabrina).
I opened the half-bottle of green glass and even without bringing the bottle to my nose I could smell
the nose... mmmmm... yummy.
|
Louis Changarnier 2001
Primeur
Beaujolais Pimeur
AC
|
| Composition | 12.5% ABV |
| Eyes | Clear, light purple-tinted red |
| Nose | Light floral and mineral scents |
| Taste |
Refreshing, thirst-quenching light pink and red fruits, no strong
citrus, lingering flavor of fruit that surprised me for such a light wine
|
| Other |
(Mis en bouteille a F, 21700 par Louis Chargarnier Negociant a Beaune, Cote-d'Or, France)
Perhaps Beaujolais Primeur is designed to hold its quality longer than other Beaujolais since I had read that
Beaujolais is supposed to be drank between November and February of the
year that it is released. This wine did not seem to be overly old
taste or falling apart, in fact, it seemed to me that it could have been drank for another
few months without suffering at all. This is the first Beaujolais I
have ever enjoyed (the others I have tried have been too thin on flavor)
|
Chateau La Fleur des Ormes 1998
Pomerol
AC Grand Vin de Bordeaux
|
| Composition | 12.5% ABV |
| Eyes | Clear deep purple |
| Nose | Strong musty earth and mineral smells with a hint of barnyard and yeast over dark red fruits |
| Taste | Full in the mouth, medium tanins, balanced acid but very smooth and hard to discern, velvety feel,
very complex lengthy finish with mild oak and little to no sharp spice |
| Purchased | 23 Euros at the duty free wine shop in the Gare du Nord Eurostar Chunnel Wine store |
| Other |
(SCEA gros et fils. proprietaires, Mis en bouteille au chateau, a Pomerol france par
ARBF Barrier Freres F 33290) We did open it an hour prior to drinking and let it breath as the wine store proprietor and label both advised.
Another classic example of why Americans are deprived of amazing excellent European wines at reasonable prices. A wine
of this quality is impossible to find at around $20 US in California. |
Chateau Barreyes 1999
Haut-Medoc
Cru Borgeois
AC
|
| Composition | 12.5% ABV |
| Eyes | Dark garnet with purple tones |
| Nose | Strong dark fruit preserves, minerals, yeast, light vanilla |
| Taste | Medium to heavy weight, light acidity perceptible, medium to heavy tannins, extremely smooth texture, wonderful
combination of ripe heavy red fruits without over-ripeness that the nose may suggest, wonderfully enjoyable wine.
|
| Purchased | Sainsbury's, Finchley Road, London, 7.99 Pounds |
| Other |
(Mis en bouteille au chateau, Societe civile du chateau Barreyres Proprietaire A Archis - Gironde)
Probably the best value for a French wine that I bought while in Europe. The label lists its Medaille de bronze Paris
2001 Concours General Agricole, which I found interesting because it must
have been labeled after winning the medal, instead of affixed with a sticker like is more common in the US.
|
S. Orsola (Emilia) vintage
Lambrusco
IGT
|
| Composition | My host seems to think it is very light in alcohol, similar to cidre, but the percentage was not listed on the
label
|
| Eyes |
light ruby red, slight bubbles, less than champagne-style wines
|
| Nose |
light plum
|
| Taste |
light body, mellow tastes of ripe young red fruit, refreshing, slightly dry
|
| Other |
goes well with thin chicken (scallope?) cooked in
salted butter and fresh cream, contrary to what it sounds like, it was a very light sauce (love staying with friends
in france who cook french food!)
|
unknown
Cabernet Franc
house red, Bar Insonnia, Belforte All'Isauro, Le Marche, Italy
Veneto
|
| Eyes |
Ruby red, no purple, but also no brown, small miniscus
|
| Nose |
light fragrance of red fruit, not much to discern
|
| Taste |
bright red fruits, light to medium body, no lingering taste, designed for easy drinking or to accompany food
|
| Purchased |
50 centissimi (Euro cents) per glass
|
| Other | I spent 3 weeks in Belforte All'Isauro at a language school. I, like many of the locals would come to Bar
Insonnia to have a glass of wine in the four hour lunch break when everything in the town was closed, or in
the evening. Part of the Arte di Fare Niente, was this bright, happy, slightly sweet wine for a ridiculous
price. Gianni, the owner of the bar, drove to Veneto a few times a year to fill up whatever bottles were
available with this typical Italian table wine.
|
Folonari 2000
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
DOCG
|
| Eyes |
deep red, clear, thin miniscus
|
| Nose |
light scents of citrus
|
| Taste |
Extremely dry tart cherries and other young fruits.
|
| Purchased |
I enjoy Montepulciano d'Abbruzzo, so its price at the
supermarket (~3 Euro) in Belforte required that I buy this wine and try it.
|
| Other |
Great with
cream sauce pasta. Difficult to enjoy on its own or with a more acidic dish.
|
Rocca di Fabbri Satiro 1995
Sangiovese dei Colli Martani
DOC
|
| Eyes |
Orangey garnet |
| Nose |
tangy red fruits with acetal aldehyde and other chemical overlays
|
| Taste |
Drinkable light fruit, but gritty, with hints of syrup-like overfermentation
|
| Purchased |
The last wine store in Assisi on the main road as you walk down to
the parking lot at the base of the town's hill, 6.4 Euros.
|
| Other |
Gorgeous lable with a classical drawing of well-built man dancing
with a voluptuous and strong female. The year is listed on the back label.
|
Antinori 1998
Tuscan
Tignanello
IGT
|
| Composition | 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet, 5% Cabernet Franc, aged for 14 months in small old Italian oak casks (those used for
Brunello) |
| Eyes | Clear garnet, no discernable purple, all red tones with hints of orange near the miniscus |
| Nose | Vanilla and caramel with strong citrus fruits, a hint of tea and cinnamon |
| Taste | Full strong citrus fruit in the mouth, medium weight, medium to high balanced tannins and acidity, very smooth texture
considering the high tannins, hints of vanilla,
and spices such as nutmeg and clove on the lengthy finish. Amazing!
|
| Purchased | 52 Euros at La Mangiatoia restaurant in San Gimignano, Italy |
| Other | The owner came to our table to open the bottle and was extremely happy to find Americans who spoke Italian and loved his
country's wine. He congratulated me on my selection, saying in his opinion Tignanello was the best red wine made in
Tuscany, but quickly qualifying it with, "in my opinion". I was amused that this was, in his opinion, the best red wine
made in Tuscany, considering that his wine list contained a selection of additional wines that were MUCH more expensive than
the Tignanello. This was the most memorable bottle of Italian wine that I enjoyed in Italy this trip.
|
Rosenblum 2000
Zinfandel
Paso Robles Richard Sauret Vineyard
Single Vineyard growth
|
| Composition | 90% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 15% ABV |
| Eyes |
Very dark and somewhat syrup-like.
|
| Nose | Vanilla and young red fruit smells. |
| Taste | Rich. Medium to heavy weight, very smooth and sweet
tastes of mellow cherries. Full finish. |
| Other | One of the best young california zinfandels I've ever had--I
usually prefer them after a bit of the acidity has mellowed.
Warning: It's a warm wine, but it's well-balanced and delicious
enough that I didn't realize it was carrying 15% of its
content in alcohol until after a couple of glasses |
Rosenblum 1999
Zinfandel
Paso Robles Richard Sauret Vineyard
Single Vineyard Growth
|
| Eyes | |
| Nose | |
| Taste | |
| Other |
I tasted this wine alongside the 2000 at the Rosenblum tasting
room. It was more acidic, less smooth, and overall, less
to my liking than the 2000. On its own, I probably would have
liked it fairly well, but I knew that I was comparing two years
of the same vineyard and only intended to purchase one. If
blinded, I most certainly
would have guessed that the 1999 was the younger of the two.
|
Brown Estate 1999
Zinfandel
Napa Valley
|
| Eyes | dark purple red |
| Nose | Strong tangy cherry-berry smells with a hint of vanilla/caramel |
| Taste | Medium weight, well-balanced, smooth large fruit with a light spice finish |
| Purchased | Harris Steak House, San Francisco, CA |
| Other | Excellent companion to rare beef without sauce |
