Category: wine review

Airplane Chenin!

On By sandysoloIn Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment
Airplane Chenin

I’m on my way to the 1880’s, I mean Texas, on a Jet Blue flight for a quadrennial tradition of “The Winter Wine Olympics” where I visit my Aunt and Uncle to engage in a few days of watching the games, drinking wine, and inventing activities like the Nathan Chen Drinking Game.

I usually check out the wine selection on any flight mainly for a good laugh and rarely expect to be surprised to see anything but some generic Merlot or Cab and a Chard that likely tastes like a gas station apple pie.

Today I had to stare for several seconds, not believing what I was seeing: South African Chenin Blanc. What?????

I typically love Chenin. It’s one of my favorite white varietals. Although I do need to dive deeper into South African Chenin, as I usually drink safely in The Loite Valley.

So today, I was so excited and surprised, I decided to ignore it was 11am, and talk myself into the fact that it was Sunday so I could call it Brunch, and considering I was watching the Olympics on the seat back TV thus being on brand for the Wine Olympics, I ordered myself some Airplane Chenin.

For something that came out of a mini screw top bottle in an airplane that was stored in a baggie with some ice in a rolling beverage cart, it was leaps and bounds better than anything I’ve ever found on a flying metal bus or on many a house wine list for that matter.

This Chenin ain’t winning any awards, or isn’t some highly rated gem. It’s definitely “dumb,” meaning not complex. But I firmly believe there is a time and a place for good but dumb wine and an airplane is one of them.

There is a softness to the citrus-y and slightly tropical nose. It’s light and citrus-y on the palate. And that’s really it and I’m here for it.

Moral of the story: non- typical varietals are usually a better value when found by the glass or on an airplane. And wine is necessary when traveling to a state that is currently banning books, suppressing the vote, and limits the rights of women to make thier own healthcare decisions.

Joao Portugal Ramos, 2017, Marques de Borba, Alentejo

On By sandysoloIn alentejo, Portugal, Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment
Oh, Mr. Ramos…

When are the damn Portugal borders opening up to US travelers?! This is my second to last bottle of wine from Alentejo left in my stash. This is a wine emergency!

Okay, so you can find this wine in the US but that takes the fun out of it. For me. But not for you!

I love Alentejo wine. It tends to have great fruit concentration but also a perfect pop of acidity that perks up your taste buds.

This is no exception but also has a great earthiness to it.

On the nose the aromas just melt together- earthy-dusty-berries-cherries-mushroomy-nutty.

On the palate it’s dirty ripe blackberries, cinnamon and that kick of acidity that wakes you up. It walks the body borderline of medium and full with some mild but lightly dusty tannins. It finished with a pleasant lingering earthiness that I’m digging tonight.

Can someone please smuggle me and my dog into Portugal immediately? Please?

Hermann J Wiemer Field Blend White

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Lionel gave it two paws up.

I visited the Finger Lakes a few years ago with my dog, Lionel. Yes, you read that right. Not my boyfriend or group of girlfriends. My dog. Almost all of the wineries were dog friendly inside and out, and I planned a last minute getaway just after Thanksgiving. We had a blast. 10/10 highly recommend.

Hermann J Wiemer was my favorite. Their dry Riesling is one of my favorite Rieslings. Their winery was beautiful, and their wines were top notch.

I forgot how delightful their field blend was until I popped  bottle tonight. I took an online class about East Coast Wines (because if one more person asks me about Pennsylvania wineries…) and this aligned with the topic because, when in Rome (or on a zoom…)

The bottle says this is Gruner Veltliner, Riesling and Chardonnay. Being that it is called a field blend, that usually means there are dozens of varieties so there probably are others in here. But this has all the qualities of those three varietals and you can taste them all: apples, lemon-lime, something vegetal that is fresh cucumber here and honey. And a hint of something herbaceous. Oh and some pineapple.

It’s not super complicated but it’s also not so simple like you may assume from the words “field blend” which conjure up images of everything but the kitchen sink. It is an absolute delicious delight.

You can find their wines at wine.com or at some retailers but you can order right from their website if your state allows DTC shipping from out of state.

On The Third Day of Wine Events…

On By sandysoloIn Spanish Wine, Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment

On the third day of wine events the vintners gave to me, La Rioja and Jumilla, Yummy!

Today I had some of my favorite clients on a virtual event that lasted much longer than normal because they were so engaged and interactive. I had a bunch of fun talking about one of my favorite topics, Spanish wine, and tasting these wines:

La Rioja Alta, Viña Ardanza Reserva – 2008: This wine pretty much affirms my earlier opinion that I like Ribera del Duero Tempranillo more than La Rioja. Sorry. This was a good wine, but not my jam. It had this truffles-buried -under-forest-floor note that is similar to why I don’t love Bordeaux – which makes so much sense based on the influence of Bordeaux on La Rioja.  Also nutmeg  which is not my favorite aroma either, and a little bittersweet chocolate.  On the palate there were some tart cherries but I could not get past the truffle nutmeg earth. So again, it was a good wine just not in my aroma wheel sweet spot.

Clio,  Jumilla 2018 – So most Monastrells I’ve have had from Jumilla have topped off at about $17 and have been delicious. So I was expecting this $45 Jumilla to literally knock my socks off. The 16% abv was enough to knock them right off if the richness didn’t. That signature smokey nose was full-on tobacco, followed by dark berries, toasted caramel and a wee bit of steak tar tar. Also, a noticeable amount of green bell pepper from the Cab (it’s 30% Cab) but there was enough of the other goodness to drown out my least favorite red aroma.  Very full body, berry rich, smooth caramel, and I didn’t hate the slight bell pepper.

On The 2nd Day of Wine Events…

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On the second day of wine events my true love gave to me, worldly wine including Burgundy.

I had two events today, one normal “class” style with two wines, and a more social corporate holiday gathering with three wines. Both groups were inquisitive and fun and I generally had a good time tasting the following:

Jean Marc Millot Bourgogne Rouge 2018: On the nose, earthy but not as funky as most Burgundies, with some delicate florals, cherries, a hit of menthol, and a vanilla aroma that came out after about 20 minutes in the glass. On the palate, it was tart cherries, roses, and little bitterness. It wasn’t a favorite, but nicely made if you like a lighter wine with tart fruit.

Amuse Bouche Richard G Peterson Pinot Noir 2017: Out of the bottle it was barnyardy. I was surprised at how the earth hit my nostrils with such force. It also smelled of burnt something, which developed into burnt vanilla after some air. On the palate was a rush of concentrated and ripe berries and cherries with none of the earth. This lovely caramel note developed after a short time. Medium bodied. Little tannin. I prefer this new world style of Pinot.

Quinta do Popa “Contos de Terra,” Douro Red 2017, Portugal:  This wine has me stumped. It defies science, or it’s mislabeled. I can’t figure it out. The label says 12% abv. This has to be wrong.  On the nose its earthy, with plums and sweat or iodine. The I taste it, and get both tart and ripe fruit, concentrated with some orange peel. I swear I get some vanilla. Its fruity, but rich in a way that suggests some oak but there was no oak in the winemaking process according to the tech sheet. The body feels much heavier than a 12% abv should be unless it had residual sugar. There is only 1.1 g/l of residual sugar so that aint it. ????? What’s going on?  It’s delightful and mysterious.

Il Rosso di Casa IGT, Romagnoli, 2018, Italy (Montelpuciano/Sangiovese blend):  On the nose, there were berries, dried herbs, and something along the lines of burnt oranges. On the palate, ripe blackberries and raspberries with a hit of balsamic syrup. Full body.  It’s not complex but certainly easy drinking. Made me wish I had a pizza.

Fairvalley, Chenin Blanc 2019, South Africa: Aromas of grilled pineapple, tropical fruit, minerality, melon, and a slight hint of gooseberry, just a hint. On the palate, tangerines and citrus, tropical notes, with a dollup of honey, and a touch of salinity. I’m really not into gooseberry so if I forget about that, this is a nice, tropical Chenin. Not as crisp as I like typically. It has a bit of weight to it. Just a bit.

The 12 Days of Wine Events

On By sandysoloIn Spanish Wine, Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment
Wines for week 1 of the 12 Days of Wine Events

I am doing 12 virtual wine tasting classes and events between today and December 20th. Coincidence or did the stars align to 12 even so I could make up catchy parody songs and blogs? Definitely the later.

So….on the first day of wine events we tasted happily, a cava and a GSM Blend.

Bohigas Brut Reserva Cava: I believe that sparkling is too fun to drink to spend too much time analyzing. Yes I could sit here and list 17 aromas and talk about the texture. But honestly I have too much fun drinking it to pay attention to every detail separately. So let’s just simply say this smelled like apples, pears, lemons, dry herbs and some flowers. It tasted more like oranges, and toasty almonds. It was delightful.

2014 Kaleidos Morpheus: This is more of a SGM blend, than a GSM since it had more Syrah. It smelled like meat berry pie and the participants in the event agreed with me. There were berries, and then vanilla and chocolate, and this interesting hit of pine needles. The more it sat in the glass the more the vanilla smelled like caramel. On the palate it was rich ripe blackberries and raisins, with vanilla and some meatiness. So it tasted more like deconstructed meat berry pie 🙂 Would definitely drink again.

Turkey Time = Wine Time

On By sandysoloIn French Wine, Portugal, Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment

This is going to be one very different Thanksgiving. If you’re adhering to CDC advice to stick to your immediate family due to the mad increase in Covid around the country, your gatherings are bound to be much smaller, spent with the same people you see each and every day. This could be a good or bad thing depending on your family. My “bubble” consists of me and my dog and my wine stash. After picking up take out Turkey, I’ll be eating it at home alone, thankful my family across the country is healthy (at least from Covid…) and I have plenty of wine to get me through the season.

 Most people tend to pair Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with a holiday meal of such great variety. I mean, in my family at least, it usually involves several different types of potatoes, regular stuffing in the bird, sausage stuffing in a pan, a few types of vegetables coated in butter, crusty rolls, and some surprise dish someone decided they wanted to cook that year.

This is the perfect Thanksgiving to ditch your usual wine pairings and try a new one. It might be the biggest risk you take this Thanksgiving. Feel the rush of living on the edge.

If opting for a white wine, ditch the Chard and try another full-boded varietal instead: Viognier. I “Coravin’d” glass of a Viognier I brought back from Portugal last year: Dona Maria Amantis Reserve 2016.  My initial gut reaction was “I can’t wait to drink this with my turkey.” The nose was delightfully rich, of tangerines and mango with some minerality buried under the fruit. This was also this wonderful buttery pie crust note, and finally some delicate honey-dusted flowers. On the palette it was full bodied with an oily texture, and sang of dried mango, tangerine rind, and this hit of white pepper that was a spectacular bite.  You can find this exact wine in the states at limited places like this: Binny’s  But if you can’t, look to the Rhone in France.

If opting for a red, ditch the lighter bodied Pinot Noir and try something with a little more oomph and some dried herb notes that will marry with the sage and thyme in  your meal. Go with Grenache  – or a blend like this one that I wrote about last month: Zaca Mesa Z Cuvee.  On the tongue, this was fresh, fruity and savory.  Raspberries and fresh blueberries coated in a dusting of sage. Medium bodied with some flashy tannins and an herby savory finish. If you can’t find this, again, head to the Rhone for their famous GSM blends – although I would make sure it is in fact heavier on the Grenache so you definitely get those herby notes.

Cheers!

19 Syllables, 2 Italian Wines

On By sandysoloIn Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment

Bru-nell-o di Mon-tal-cin-o. Am-a-ron-e del-la Val-Pol–i-cell-a.

19 syllables. That’s a mouthful for two wines. These in particular were worth every syllable and every sip.

If you were not aware, and most non-wine people are not, Brunello is a Sangiovese clone. Brunello = Sangiovese. Brunello di Montalcino DOCG require the wine be made of 100% Brunello, unlike say a Chianti DOCG that requires it be only 70% Sangiovese. Sangiovese is not one of my favorites, however I don’t know that I drink enough of it to make that blanket statement. The jury is still out I guess. I have more drinking to do.

La Columbina, Brunello di Montalcino, 2015: On the nose, the fruit is dark, blanketed in a mineral-y earthy note, and even iron – like iron from raw meat. There is some black licorice and leather. And a tiny bit of vanilla.

On the palate, the licorice note hits me first and while I loathe black licorice, this doesn’t bother me. The black cherries are tart but the blanket of oak notes almost makes you not notice the acidity at first. But after a second it comes bursting through along with some thyme-infused balsamic. I’m normally not that specific. I’m really liking this.

Zenato, Amarone della Valpolicella, 2015: The nose is full of exactly what you’d expect – raisins. But also plums and this lovely toffee note mixed with toasted earth.

The palate is almost all of what I smell – raisins and ripe plums and toffee. But then there is this black tea note that I find very appealing. Like the of taste iced black tea stuck out so much that I would swear I’m also picking up some citrus, but I’ve convinced myself its my brain playing tricks on me since I literally drank iced lemon black tea earlier today. This is whopping 16.5% ABV so be careful with this beauty.

Tobin James French Camp Vineyard Zinfandel 2016

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I could have just written the word “YUM” and called it a day. But since this is a blog, I’ll keep going.

Tobin James makes my favorite Zin of all time, Fat Boy. You can also read a previous blog of all the other Tobin James wines I tried in my Quarantine stash. Quick plug: their customer service is amazing. I got a hand written note with every order, and a phone call thanking me this last time for a measly two-bottle order. Even if their wine wasn’t delicious, I would probably be a frequent customer to get a phone a call every once in a while.

The French Camp vineyard Zinfandel was a joy to drink. It changed and opened in the most delightful way in the 30 minutes it took me to drink one glass. There was something new or different in every sniff and sip.

First a whiff of blackberry jam, then some leather. A dash of vanilla. A little menthol next. The chocolate covered caramel. There was this slightly vegetal note I could not place for like 10 minutes and then it hit me: celery. There is this odd celery note that is sort of fresh and herby and I dig it because I so was not expecting it.

The rich blackberry figgy jam on the palette is almost a little too much, but not quite. Burnt vanilla caramel on the long finish is what I call a happy ending. There is enough acidity to hold it up – its not flat.

A few minutes later I smell it and get this dried rose note. Another delightful surprise. Its like a candied dry rose petal – there is something deep and dark and concentrated that fits right in. It’s not light and fragrant. And then some nutmeg.

So yeah, YUM.

Aranleon, “Solo”, 2017

On By sandysoloIn Spanish Wine, Storytasting, Wine, wine reviewLeave a comment

I received my official Certification in Advanced Spain today!

I’m celebrating with an ancient Spanish varietal, Bobal, from Utiel-Requena in the Valencia Region. U-R is known for resurrecting Bobal and it thrives there.

The name describes my Pandemic state perfectly: Solo. I’m currently drinking Solo solo.

The nose is fruitful of ripe cherries and raspberries, an earthy minerality, and a tiny hint of mocha.

On the pallette, it’s surprisingly fresh for a 14.5% abv, fresh red fruit, a little hit of bitter orange peel, and it finishes with the minerals. But the fruit stands out nicely above everything else.

Available at the PA State Store for $19.99.