Tag Archives: VWTC

Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Cabernet Sauvignon Sicilia IGT 2016, Sicily, Italy

22 Sunday Nov 2020

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The finale for the 12th virtual wine tasting was a stunner. Dark purple, opaque and very powerful on the nose. Spice box, vanilla, cocoa powder, black cherry and jam were all noted as was, dare I say- plastic and banana. The palate gave us black fruit jam, black tea bursting with beautiful tannins that really coated the mouth. This wine was delicious and I made note that the oak use was very judicious and well played. There was a shot of pepper on the short finish, which took a few points off the table. Still young, it will develop nicely and drink well till 2030. I’m going lower than the pros with 92 points and 5 stars. $50 is not cheap, but this wine has loads of stuffing to it and will get better with time. Salut….

Pulenta Estate Malbec I 2017, Agrelo, Argentina

22 Sunday Nov 2020

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This Malbec was the Wine of the Night (WOTN) for many at the 12th virtual wine tasting. We enjoyed menthol, lilac, raspberry, Damson plum, smoke tar, leather, violets and gravel on the nose. That’s a lot of descriptors. On the palate it is very fruity with just enough tannic grip to give it structure. Plums, dark fruit, licorice and ‘Cognac’ flavors were noted and I felt the wine had a jammy concentration to it. There was a definitive jab of acidity on the decent length finish and the wine had a very pleasing mouthfeel. It was elegant and full of flavor making it the go-to drink after the tasting was over. Well made and worthy of 92 points from me which gets it 5 stars for the $25 price tag. Drink till 2025. Salut….

Xavier Vins SM NV, Cotes du Rhone, France

22 Sunday Nov 2020

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The second wine of the 12th virtual wine tasting was this NV blend of Grenache and Syrah. Semi opaque in the glass it had a medium purple shade. The tasters noted chocolate, white pepper, Kirsch, marshmallow s’mores, dark cherry, cedar, charcoal with earth, funk, spice and a nutty component. On the palate the wine had black pepper, lots of it. Cedar, cola, Birch and black cherry. For me, the tannins came out of nowhere to a big crescendo on the finish. The pepper component was a hit with some, for others it was just a tad overpowering. This wine was ranked very highly with the pros and cost us $23. I am giving it 89 points and 3 stars. Drink till 2022 (this wine is a mixed vintage of 2015/16). Salut….

San Antonio Winery San Simeon Viognier 2018, Paso Robles, California

22 Sunday Nov 2020

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At the 12th virtual wine tasting we drank this Viognier at room temp first and then chilled. As usual there is a marked difference in both smell and taste, but this time I preferred the chilled version- it seemed more focused on fewer key flavors, the warm version was all over the place. Here are some of the notes I recorded from the group.

Pale gold, straw or even Goldenrod in the glass. The nose has a sweetness to it with orange, honey, apricot, pear and floral notes. On the palate we got apricots, orange rind, bakers spices, ‘Icewine’ and a yeasty/bready flavor. The chilled version had melon, pineapple and that bread component on the nose. The palate was softer and smoother with tangerine, honeysuckle and gingerbread with good acidity. One of the tasters remarked that it tasted like good Riesling. Overall it scored decently and I would give it 90 points. Drink till 2022. For $17, it’s a nice intro to the varietal and gets 4 stars from me. Salut….

Numanthia 2015, Toro, Spain

09 Monday Nov 2020

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Last up at the 11th Virtual Tasting was this stunner. It did not appeal to many yet was my wine of the night even though I did not really enjoy drinking it. Let me explain….. This monster is a baby. It has so much complexity, depth and power that is hidden behind a huge tannic wall that it’s hard to coax anything out of it unless you have an aerator, a few days of patience or are willing to take my word for it and cellar some for another 4-5 years. The tasters noted the following:

Inky and nearly black.  Clove, grape hubba bubba, graphite, pencil shavings, creosote.  Very young with loads of tannins.  Cloves, blackberry, iced coffee.  Bitter finish.  Black currant, jam, tawny port like. Tomato.  Short to medium finish.

For me it had layers of anise, tar, black fruit, oak and teeth staining tannins. Great structure will hold this wine together till 2035, but I would cellar until at least 2025, giving a decent 10 year window of enjoyment. Pairing this muscular red with anything but the heartiest of Ribeyes would be foolish, it needs juicy, fatty meat to help cut the tannic grip. On night 2 it was starting to open up and on day 3 I doubled down on the black licorice/anise flavors. The tannins are finally starting to give way. This wine is going to be amazing and for $35 well worth buying a few for the cellar. 95 massive points from me and 5 stars only because I cannot give 6! It’s 100% Tinta de Toro, aka Tempranillo. Salut….

Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2016, Veneto, Italy

09 Monday Nov 2020

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This wine was the third offering at the 11th Virtual Wine Tasting. I have drunk an absolute ton of this wine from earlier vintages and was really looking forward to introducing the Ripasso style of winemaking to my friends. Unfortunately, this wine has been a letdown of late. See my previous posts on the Zenato Ripasso.

Our tasters said the following: Semi opaque, dark purple.  On the nose- Blackberry jam, rich nose, floral, black licorice, peppery, leather, lilac.  On the palate, berry.  Sweeter that expected.  Sharp finish.  Spicy, green pepper, berry.  Velvety but slightly bitter on the back end.  Iodine and leather for the finish.

I was underwhelmed and am giving this wine 89 points yet again. For $25 it’s a solid 3 pointer but there are far better wines to spend that kind of loot on. Drink till 2025. Salut….

Pedra Cancela Selecao Enologo 2016, Portugal

09 Monday Nov 2020

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Number 2 wine at our 11th Virtual Wine tasting was this Portuguese steal that came in at $14. An equal blend of Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo). The tasters had the following to say:

Semi opaque, dark red.  Nice legs but only 13%.  Cigar box, earthy, fig, dried fruit, jammy.  Black pepper?  Dusty bramble.  Sour cherry, earthy, fine grained tannins that hit on the finish.  Light to medium bodied.  Black tea, dry finish.

I enjoyed this wine but did not love it. One of the pros went huge with 96 points, I’m thinking 89. It was enjoyed by many at the tasting and bang for the buck- it was a hit. 5 stars. Drink till 2024. Salut….

Stonestreet Estate Vineyards Chardonnay 2016, Alexander Valley, USA

09 Monday Nov 2020

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The 11th Virtual Wine tasting opened up with this Chardonnay from California. Tasted at room temperature first it gave the tasters: Butter, vanilla, buttered popcorn.  Butterscotch.  Honeysuckle, floral.  Orange blossom.  On the palate- Waxy, caramel, pear, Medium length with a pleasant finish.

The chilled version got passion fruit, green apple, toast, ‘crisper’, buttery, star fruit.  On the palate: hazelnut, slightly bitter on the finish, like grapefruit.  Pith of lemon from our MD friend.  Lemon drop, not too sweet.  Butterscotch.  Full bodied with just a smidge of acidity.

For me this wine was delicious on day 1 and even better the following night. I preferred it at room temperature when we first tasted but the chilled bottle was even more impressive on night 2. 92 points from me which coincides with the pros. For $25 it’s a nice, rich Chardonnay that delivers complexity and gets 5 stars from me. Think grilled Salmon or Salad Nićoise with this one. Drink till 2027. Salut….

Chapelle Saint Theodoric Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Guigasse 2015, Rhone, France

18 Sunday Oct 2020

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The fourth wine of the #10 Virtual tasting was a home run for me. This $60 Grenache was silky smooth, layered with flavors, complex and had an amazing mouthfeel.

It was semi opaque and had a lighter purple shade in the glass. The nose was very fruity with notes of Cedar, prunes, black cherry, smoky meat, pepper and cinnamon. One taster also threw in ‘bug spray’. On the palate it was very smooth and tasted ‘cold’- in a sense that this wine was very focused and had a concentration of flavors. It was Moxie’s favorite wine of the night and she’s not a huge fan of the reds. The tannins are what I think she liked- very fine grained and well integrated leading to a not-so-dry mouthfeel that was complex, balanced and chock full of red fruits and spice. Prunes showed up on the medium length finish. This wine was astounding to me, my first truly remarkable CDP in forever. I think the 5 years of cellaring was the key to softening this wine and allowing the tertiary notes to begin their emergence. I rated this wine 19 points on my tasting scale, a monster effort that translates into 95 points in the real world. The pro’s went 94, not far off. I know sixty bones is a big step in the wallet but well worth it for an exceptional wine that I award 5 stars to. Drink till 2030. No pairing needed, delicious all by itself. Salut….

Clos de Luz Massal 1945 Carmenere 2016, Central Valley, Chile

18 Sunday Oct 2020

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When I started the Virtual Wine Tasting Company I wanted to educate my friends as best I could about as many varietals that we could find. This was the 39th different bottle thus far, and it has taken over as the most controversial wine yet. Some loved, others hated, and I mean with a passion. It stunk, like ass. I will just copy and paste my notes:

Bright purple in glass, nearly opaque. Fine legs.

Smells like the farm, very herbal, hay and cow pies. Funky.  Burnt plastic, bell pepper.

On the palate it offers black cherry, more funk, and is smooth.  Rounded. Not overly tannic nor acidic.  Well with cheese. 

This was an over-the-top expression of Carmenere that I enjoyed to a certain degree. Moxie gave it 1 point on my tasting scale because it was visually pleasing! I tried it on night 2 and it’s as funky as ever, not everyone’s cup of tea. I would give it 88 points from a technical standpoint but I honestly cannot recommend this $21 wine, it’s too much. The pro’s went massive on it with scores ranging from 93-94! Wowsa. Salut….