Wolf Blass Red Label Cabernet Merlot 2012

20 Wednesday Nov 2013

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This is the third varietal in the Red Label series that I have tried from Wolf Blass.  Cabernet and Merlot blended together are one of my go-to combos.  This wine rolled in at $20 for two 1 liter bottles, do the math.  It’s a very reasonably priced wine that everyone enjoyed.  Easy to drink with raspberry and red currants on the palate and a red fruity nose.  Built for pop-n-pour, it offers no complexity and no associated stuffiness.  The tannins are slight and the acidity very gentle making it very versatile for pairing.  I think this would be an awesome party wine and believe it is widely available.  86 points and 4 stars for this one.  Salut….

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Tilia Malbec-Syrah 2012

18 Monday Nov 2013

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We tasted this wine next to it’s stablemate, the Tilia Merlot.  For me, Malbec is supposed to be very fruity, rich and sometimes jammy.  Syrah has a far greater flavor profile and draws a lot from the terroir where it is grown.  The combination of the two is somewhat bedazzling.  I can’t really enjoy the Malbec side, and the Syrah portion is not to my personal taste.  It does however offer up some decent fruit for the measly $9 price tag.

Darker purple than the Merlot, this wine had a more candied nose of red fruits.  On the palate, raspberry and earth with a touch of cafe’.  There was a slight sweetness to the wine, but nothing off-putting.  The tannic structure is decent as is the acidity.  I think I prefer my Malbec served straight up, no mixing.  Syrah is a wonderful grape by itself or in company with more traditional blends.  I  will look for the pure Malbec from this winery to see the difference, stay tuned.  85 points and 3 stars from me for this effort.  Salut….

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Tilia Merlot 2012

18 Monday Nov 2013

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Can you say QPR?  In essence, when taking cost into account this wine is a must try.  I paid $9 for it and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Reminiscent of right bank Bordeaux, the Merlot was round, fleshy and tasted of plums, chocolate and red berry.  A certain earthiness came though and the tannins were slight but present.  I found this wine to be a great basic wine with no faults and loads to offer.  We drank it pre-dinner and I reckon it would go well with pasta, steaks and pizza.  Not for cellaring, buy it by the dozen in case a party erupts, everyone will love it.  88 points and 5 stars from me for this Argentinian gem.  Salut….

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Santa Ana Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

17 Sunday Nov 2013

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The only reason I am posting about this wine is so I remember to never buy it again.  Enough said.

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Greyrock Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2012

17 Sunday Nov 2013

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A new world version of Pinot from New Zealand.  Pinkish red in the glass, it exploded with strawberry and cherry on the nose.  I usually prefer the Burgundian style of this varietal but every so often I come across a refreshing new world bottle that I appreciate.  This varietal never offers up tannins in the usual sense, making it hard for me to discern and predict aging potential.  This wine seems like it could go the distance yet it offers immediate bing cherry, strawberry and red currants.  The whole package is well balanced and easy to drink.   I found it for $20 and it gets 89 points from me and 3 stars.  Salut….

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Chateau Hanteillan 2010

17 Sunday Nov 2013

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I have had the 2006 Hanteillan before and hated it.  This is a totally different beast.  2010 is a much better vintage and it shows in this offering.  A very young yet approachable wine that displayed a dark purple hue in the glass.  Searing tannins greeted me on the first pass, but after getting acquainted the blackberry and cassis came shining through.  A strong plum chord struck on the mid palate and there was an  earthy component that surfaced on the back end.  Cellaring would be good for this wine and 2016 would be an opportune time to pull some out and pair them with game, steaks and pasta.  I wonder if secondary flavors will evolve and would like to get some for my cellar.  I found it online for about $20 and give it 89 points making it a 3 star effort pour moi.  Ps.  I drank it after lunch on a flight, served with cheese and dessert.  Salut….

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Peter Schweiger Grüner Veltliner Kamptal Terrassen DAC Reserve 2011

17 Sunday Nov 2013

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I believe this is the first time I have tried Grüner Veltliner.  It reminds me of unoaked Chardonnay and I like it.  Pale yellow in the glass, I was getting pears and apple on the nose.  The palate presented the same with some great mid palate acidity and a spice component on the back end.  The crispness of the wine is terrific and I really enjoyed it with a salad and some smoked salmon.  I stayed with it for the main course of pan seared Chicken breast, loving the flavor profile.  I don’t know how much this wine costs or where to get it as it was served on a flight.  I highly recommend it if you like dry whites and reckon it would pair greatly with many lighter dishes.  I love expanding my palate and think this was a great way to get to know a new varietal from Austria.  91 points in my book.  Salut….

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Torbreck ‘The Struie’ 2010

17 Sunday Nov 2013

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This is a massive wine with great credentials.  Almost black in the glass I knew I was in for a treat.  Hoping for complexity, finesse and not the usual Aussie fruit bomb, I was not disappointed.  This wine offered layers of blackberry, blueberry and chocolate with ripe plums interlaced .  The tannins are fully integrated now and there is a gentle acidity to balance the package up.  2010 was a great year for Barossa and it shows in this gem.  Moxie and I paired this up with some massive Ribeyes, Spaghetti Squash, roasted Rutabaga and sautéed greens.  The combination worked and allowed the wine to shine against the relatively basic flavors.  This wine got large points  (93 WA, 91 WS) for a good reason.  It is well made and will provide lots of enjoyment for the $42 price, I agree with 91 and give it 4 stars.  Salut….
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Mollydooker ‘The Scooter’ 2010

15 Friday Nov 2013

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I love it when a food and wine pairing hits all cylinders.  Moxie, my little cavewoman treated us to a Bison dish with garlic, ginger, green beans and Rainbow Chard.  If you have never tried Bison, it’s a rather bland meat that takes well to marinade but is rather dry on the palate.  Chard is a very crunchy yet bitter leafy vegetable that I have been totally digging lately.  I needed something soft, somewhat sweet and not too tannic to balance the main components.  Enter The Scooter.  If you missed my last few posts, I am on a mission to taste the whole Mollydooker lineup.  This one happens to be a Merlot that hides its 15.5% alcohol in a remarkable fashion.  Albeit  over the 2 year requirement for the MD Shake, I performed it anyway.

Bison with Green Beans and Chard

Bison with Green Beans and Chard

The wine is dark purple in the glass and gave off currant and blueberry on the nose. The initial attack had Blackcurrant, Pomegranate and blue jam.  The currant and blue notes hit mid palate.  The wine displayed a certain sweetness that I noticed in ‘The Two Left Feet’.  Juicy acidity was perfectly suited to the pairing and the tannins were slight, which was the perfect due to the dryness of the Bison.  The bitterness of the Chard was offset by the sweetness of the wine and the whole package melded greatly for me.  It very approachable and is delivering a juicy, fruity wine that is sure to please any discerning palate.  For $22 this is a veritable steal and gets 90 points from me making it a 5 star wine.  If you live near me, sorry- I snagged all they had at the shops.  Seriously, get some if it comes across your radar, you won’t be sorry.  Salut….

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Mollydooker Two Left Feet 2012

14 Thursday Nov 2013

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Continuing with my mission, I picked up this Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend for tonight.  If you have read my previous posts about this brand you will notice that I was concerned about the wines being closed, shut down for biz.  The lovely folks down under sent me a message to perform the Mollydooker Shake.  Basically the wine is finished with as little sulfites as possible, to preserve freshness they use Nitrogen which subdues the flavors.  Shaking the bottle and releasing the bubbles allows the wine to regain its composure and taste right.  I was dumbfounded and curious so I performed the shake with a test glass and a control glass.  The results were astonishing.  The glass on the left was the control and the one on the right was the test that I shook.  You can see the effervescence dissipating in the test glass.

IMG_0322The control wine had a very subdued nose and offered up Blackberry on the palate.  I could feel the acidity and noticed a certain sweetness, probably from the Merlot.  The finish was decent but lacked much tannic structure.  The test was a whole different beast.  Plums and black fruits on the nose came alive in the glass.  The initial attack mixed those flavors with chocolate and plums.  The mocha was very delineated and the acidity was somewhat reduced compared to the control glass.  The tannins remained in check and there was an overall balance to the wine.  Comparing this wine to the Maitre D’ I would say it is a much more approachable wine that is meant for easy drinking right away.  The pure Cab Matre D’ is much more structured and has a far greater cellaring potential.  This wine is delicious now as long as ‘the Shake’ is carried out.  Moxie and I drank it with grilled Calamari and vinaigrette laced Kale salad.  The control wine actually did better with the food as the acidity was equal to the vinegar component of the dressing.  She also made a broccoli and cauliflower soup garnished with bacon.  The test rocked this pairing.

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Overall this is an excellent wine that I purchased for $23.  Somewhat limited in availability you should get some if you see it.  90 points and a 5 star effort from me.  Loving this winery!  Salut….

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