Wine Blog

Photo of Wine:   Photo of Me:   Name of wine:  Apothic Rose Varietal:  None given Region:  California Country:  USA Year:  2020 Price:  $8.99 Wine critic:   The 2020 Apothic Rosé is light in color, yet dark in nature. Aromas of raspberry, strawberry, and watermelon offer a crisp refreshment, perfect to drink anywhere or anytime, because this rosé doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. The wine opens with its vibrant pink color and aromas of berry and black cherry. Apothic Rosé offers hints of ripe raspberry, strawberries and watermelon that are complemented by its crisp acidity and touch of sweet fruit notes on the long finish. References: Blend, no varietals found My review:  Slight apple and pear aromas.  Light tannins, with the body of a white wine.  However, there is a level of fruitiness that you might expect to taste with a red wine.  The aftertaste has a stronger alcoholic flavor than the rest of the ex...

Photo of Wine:   Photo of Me:   Name of wine:  Bordeaux Clairet Dry Rose Varietal:  None given Region:  Bordeaux Country:  France Year:  2020 Price:  $9.99 Wine critic:   Deep rosé in color, the wine has a light tannic character to go with the red berry fruits. There is acidity, enough to give this wine a crisp aftertaste. Drink now References: Blend, no grape given My review:  Fruity and alcoholic aroma, but less so in the flavor.  There is a definite oaky flavor in the forefront of the flavor profile.  Medium dryness, more than the Apothic, with little alcohol in the flavor.  It has an overall smooth, velvety finish, and does not bite the tongue with acidity and alcohol as much as the other Rose.  It's a strange experience, since there is some fruitiness in the flavor, but the fruity and alcoholic smell is not represented as strongly in the taste as is the oak and earthy qualities.  The flavor I ...

Photo of Wine:   Photo of Me:   Name of wine:  Moscato by Castello del Poggio Varietal:  Muscat Blanc Region:  Piedmont Country:  Italy Year:  None provided Price:  $8.36 Wine critic:   Straw-yellow with golden reflections and a delicate mousse. Intense and very inviting, with delicate scents of underbrush, musk and peaches. Sweet but not at all cloying; well-balanced and with an extremely refined fruitiness. References: Muscat Blanc (pg. 138):  Orange blossom, meyer lemon, mandarin orange, ripe pear, and honeysuckle flavors.  High in sweetness and acidity, but low in alcohol, body, and tannins.  My review:  The aroma was much smoother, and overall the taste was not as crisp and intense as the Lodali.  Very little dryness, and low in alcohol and acidity.  The taste is rather generic in the mouth, not being too strong in any direction, but swallowing brings out the orange blossom flavor coupled with...

Photo of Wine:   Photo of Me:   Name of wine:  Moscato d'Asti by Lodali Varietal:  Muscat Blanc Region:  Asti, Piedmont Country:  Italy Year:  2020 Price:  $8.99 Wine critic:   Light pale, pear, peach, elderflower, honey, with a perfect balance between freshness and sweetness. References: Muscat Blanc (pg. 138):  Orange blossom, meyer lemon, mandarin orange, ripe pear, and honeysuckle flavors.  High in sweetness and acidity, but low in alcohol, body, and tannins.  My review:  The smell was crisp and fresh, but not quite like most white wines which have an apple hint.  While there was some green apple, there was some kind of citrus sweetness to the smell, which I believe to be orange or lemon.  Upon tasting, it was immediately very sweet and full of citrus flavor.  There were hints of pear, lemon, and green apple, but the predominant flavor was orange.  The wine was also verging on carbona...

Wine photos:       Cheese photo:   Photo of me:   Pairing 1:  Wente Cabernet Sauvignon w/ Gorgonzola Wine alone Hints of raspberry and blackberry in the aroma, with a potential hint of plum.  It has a very jammy and fruity flavor; mild tannins and a medium body.  A hint of tobacco in the aftertaste. With cheese The thick gorgonzola almost melts with the wine, creating an even further jammy texture.  The tannins are nearly completely absorbed and the fruitiness sings well with the rich cheese.  I then tried the pairing with a cracker, and the cheese immediately lost some of its biting intensity.  The resulting pairing had flavors of grilled cheese, jam, toast, and other starchy and cheesy foods.  This pairing was incredible, largely due to the smoothness of the cheese merging so well with the Cabernet. Pairing 2:  Mark West Pinot Noir w/ Havarti Wine alone Instant aromas of smoky campfire and oak.  Low t...

Photo of Wine:   Photo of Me:   Name of wine:  Sauvignon Blanc by Torrent Bay Varietal:  Sauvignon Blanc Region:  Nelson Country:  New Zealand Year:  2020 Price:  $12.99 Wine critic:   Bright, even, pale straw-yellow. The nose is fresh and vibrant, well-packed with aromas of tropical guava, passionfruit, lime, penetrating with a dusting of white pepper, along with lime flowers, herbaceous notes of capsicum. Medium-light bodied, the palate is fresh with bright aromas of lime, passionfruit, backed up by ripe guava; underlying flowers, capsicum and white pepper are integrated. A light phenolic grip reminiscent nuances of oyster shells and sea salt. The bright acidity flows with good energy and buoyancy, carries delicate florals and lifted spices to a fine-textured lingering finish. References: Sauvignon Blanc (pg. 165):  gooseberry, honeydew, grapefruit, white peach, and passionfruit.  High in acidity, medium in alcohol,...

Photo of Wine:   Photo of Me:   Name of wine:  Sauvignon Blanc by Lapis Luna Varietal:  Sauvignon Blanc Region:  North Coast, California Country:  United States Year:  2020 Price:  $13.99 Wine critic:   Tropical fruit, white peach, and ripe pineapple perfume the nose.   Juicy acidity, refreshing with crisp citrus and stone fruit flavors finishing with delicious length . References: Sauvignon Blanc (pg. 165):  gooseberry, honeydew, grapefruit, white peach, and passionfruit.  High in acidity, medium in alcohol, and low in body, sweetness, and tannins. My review:  Peach, tropical flavor.  Light smell, and a light body when tasting.  Low acidity, and there is a distinct alcohol flavor in the aftertaste.  The Sauvignon has an almost creamy texture in the mouth, but the aftertaste has very little flavor due to the alcohol overwhelming anything I may detect after swallowing.  This wine has almos...

Photos of wines:         Photos of meals:         Photo of me:   Names of wines: Avant Unoaked Chardonnay by Kendall Jackson 2020, California Sauvignon Blanc by Oyster Bay 2021, Marlborough, New Zealand Chianti by Coeli Aula 2020, Montespertoli (Florence), Italy Wine notes without food: Chardonnay (unoaked):  Sweet apple flavor, with a buttery aftertaste.  Similar to other Chardonnays, but not as crisp.  Low acidity. Sauvignon Blanc:  Subtle pear flavor, more tannins than previous Sauvignon Blanc's I've tried.  The aftertaste was strongly acidic, but overall the flavors were somewhat weak. Chianti:  Strong smell, but not nearly as piercing as the rest of the red wines I've tasted.  Upon drinking it, it has a medium body with extremely high tannins.  This was the driest red wine I've tasted thus far, and it had hints of raspberry and earthy flavors.  The overall flavor I can describe ...

Photo of Wine:   Photo of Me:   Name of wine:  Gewurztraminer by Chateau Ste. Michelle Varietal:  Gewurztraminer Region:  Columbia Valley, Washington Country:  United States Year:  2020 Price:  $10.49 Wine critic:   Pale straw color, floral fragrance. White peach, pear, apple and clove notes. Medium acidity, light body, little sweet at the end. References: Gewurztraminer (pg. 115):  Lychee, rose, grapefruit, tangerine, and ginger.  High in sweetness, alcohol, and body, and low in acidity and tannins. My review:  Right away there is a floral smell, and what I believe to be some grapefruit.  Upon tasting, the fruity flavor is softer, less biting and acidic than the Riesling.  The floral flavor is still very present, but I found that the flavor profile was more uniform than the Riesling, which had distinct green apple and lime flavors.  The body is fuller than the Riesling, but the acidity is signific...

Photo of Wine:   Photo of Me:   Name of wine:  Dry Riesling by Chateau Ste. Michelle Varietal:  Riesling Region:  Columbia Valley, Washington Country:  United States Year:  2021 Price:  $10.49 Wine critic:   The aromas pop, with notes of jasmine, lime, white peach and flower. Bone-dry Nestea lemon iced tea flavors follow. It delights. Sean P. Sullivan References: Riesling (pg. 158):  Lime, green apple, beeswax, jasmine, petroleum.  It is very high in sweetness and acidity, and low in alcohol, body, and tannins.   My review:  Right from the smell it's clear the Riesling lives up to its name.  We chilled the wine for roughly an hour before tasting, and it made quite the difference.  There are strong green apple, pear, and lime flavors that demonstrate the high acidity.  On top of the that, the dryness was shockingly pleasant, most other whites have been relatively sweet, but this Dry Riesli...