Tag Archives: VWTC

Bodegas Agro de Bazan Granbazan Etiqueta Verde 2022, Rias Baixas, Spain

20 Monday May 2024

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We kicked off the 36th virtual wine tasting with this delightful Albarino, tasted chilled first and then at room temperature for comparison.   I picked this bottle as we had tasted the 2018 Gran Bazan Ambar and loved it.  Pale lemon in color with a watery sheen (13% ABV).  Medium (+) intensity aromas of cantaloupe, melon, yellow apple skin, peach and saline were noted by the members.  On the palate we got medium (+) acidity and a medium (-) body.  Minerality was a key component of the taste with saline, cantaloupe, melon, honeydew, lemon pith and peach all present.  The finish was medium in length leading to a 17 point award on our tasting scale.

The room temperature version was very muted on the nose and palate but it had more minerality, less fruit and was waxy on the mouthfeel.  There was a pithy bitterness on the back end that we did not get with the chilled version.  It showed a shorter finish as well making it a 12 point effort.

Overall I love this wine and gave it 89 points which makes it a 4 star bottle considering its $19 price point.  I would pair it with grilled Swordfish or a Paella.  Drink now.  Salut….

Sena 2015, Aconcagua Valley, Chile

23 Saturday Mar 2024

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The penultimate wine at our 35th virtual tasting- medium ruby to garnet colored with a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose had medium (+) intensity aromas of barnyard, Sweet Baby Rays (from a fellow taster!), capsicum, cardamom, licorice, coffee, bramble, blackberry, smoke, leather, vanilla, baking spices and green pistachios.  Quite a complex array of aromas!  The palate was dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium (+) tannins that were fully integrated.  Flavors of tobacco, coffee, cranberry, bramble, blackberry, leather, vanilla and creamy milk chocolate that led to a medium (+) length finish.  Everyone loved this wine- they should.  It was $140 and got 100 points from one pro.  For me, it fell short on the finish so I gave it 19/20 on our score sheet.  Technically speaking it got 94 points and therefore it is a 3 star wine.  Lovely and age-worthy, this is an iconic Chilean blend that is right up my alley.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz 2021, Barossa Valley, Australia

23 Saturday Mar 2024

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The third wine at our tasting event was this Shiraz from the Barossa Valley.  I picked it as I have tasted this wineries offerings in the past and feel they exemplify Aussie Shiraz.  I was not disappointed.  Deep ruby colored with medium staining and medium viscosity even though it sports a 15% ABV!  High intensity aromas of game, prune, coffee, licorice, dark chocolate, and chocolate covered blueberries were the comments from the crowd.  It’s technically a dry wine that shows off ripeness on the palate with a sweet sensation- medium (-) acidity, medium (+) body and medium tannins.  Ripe blueberry and blackberry, coffee, creamy chocolate, oak notes and very nicely melded tannins.  The finish was medium (+) in length.  A beautiful wine that scored 17 points on our sheet.  For $23, this wine is a steal that gets 91 technical points from me and therefore a 5 star rating.  Drink till 2029.  Salut….

Rippon Mature Vines Pinot Noir 2019, Wanaka, New Zealand

23 Saturday Mar 2024

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The second wine at our 35th tasting was this Kiwi Pinot.  It is pale-to-medium garnet colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  Medium (+) intensity aromas of black cherry, cherry Coke, barnyard, cranberry, white pepper, licorice and leather.  On the palate it was dry with medium (+) acidity, medium (-) body and low tannins.  Flavors of cherry cola, Rooibos tea, white and black pepper, clove, cedar, cough medicine and yet more cherry led to a medium length finish.  I loved this wine for its beautiful mouthfeel and great balance and gave it 15 points on our scoring sheet.  We paid $55, which is quite pricy but the quality and purity of this wine was worth it- 92 points from me which makes it a 4 star effort to drink till 2028.  Salut….

Hyland Estates Old Vine Gewurztraminer 2022, Willamette Valley, Oregon

23 Saturday Mar 2024

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We held our 35th Virtual Wine tasting last night and it was one of the best yet.  Kicking it off was this Gewurztraminer from Oregon that we tasted chilled and then at room temp.  Normally, I have found more expression and wider appeal with the room temp versions of white wines, but that was not the case.  Pale lemon colored with high viscosity (13.7% ABV).  You could smell the aromas from a mile away- so intense!  Lychee, yellow apple, nectarine, peach, red grapefruit, rosewater, apricot and honey- quite a melange.  On the palate this wine was dry with medium (-) acidity and a medium (+) body.  This varietal is often made in an off-dry style but this one was fully dry and slightly viscous in the mouthfeel.  Notes of apricot, honey, lychee, rosewater, grapefruit and pear went on to a medium to long finish.  It was delicious and got 17.5 points on our scoring sheet.

The room temp version was far less aromatic, which is counterintuitive.  More lychee  but less overall aromas that consisted of grapefruit, cotton candy, apricot, (Laundry detergent- in a fresh sense), crayon (not my words btw).  On the palate it was fuller in body but the acidity was somewhat even less pronounced.  Primarily honey and lychee driven, we also got cotton candy and some apricot.  I gave it 13 points on our sheet.

Overall this wine was a success, but drink it chilled!  I scored it at 91 points and for $20 it’s an excellent intro to this highly aromatic and wonderful grape.  5 stars.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Vasse Felix Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Margaret River, Australia

06 Saturday Jan 2024

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Closing out the 34th Virtual Wine Tasting was this 100% Cab Sav from Margaret River in Western Australia.  I wanted to introduce the group to a whole new region and style that this versatile grape can achieve.  We noted a deep ruby color with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose hit us with an intense aroma of green pepper right off the bat.  Getting past that we smelled cassis, blackberry, black plum, smoke, baking spices, licorice, mint and that telltale- eucalyptus.  The palate was dry with medium acidity, medium (+) tannins and a full body.  The green pepper is much subdued and melds in with the ripe dark fruit, cassis, oak notes and eucalyptus.  A medium length finish closed out the tasting.  I scored it 17 points with a + symbol after it making this my WOTN.  At $40, this 93 pointer gets 5 stars from me until I tasted it again later.  It kept getting better, richer, more focussed.  I will revisit the remnants tonight – looking forward to that!  It needs a Filet steak with creamy gratin potatoes to do it justice.  This one will drink well until 2030.  Salut….

Bodegas Mas Alta Cirerets 2020, Priorat DOCa, Spain

06 Saturday Jan 2024

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For the third wine of the tasting we opened this Grenache/Carignan blend from Priorat.  I was excited for this wine and it did not disappoint.  Medium ruby colored with high viscosity (15.5% ABV).  The nose had medium (+) intensity aromas of game, smoke, musk, black cherry, black pepper, leather, blackberry, anise and was a touch jammy.  Very interesting and earthy/meaty.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium  (-) tannins and a full body.  Not quite as jammy on the palate it still showed its gamy side with dark fruit and leather supporting.  It turned a bit dusty and the tannins seemed very powdery on the mid palate.  An ethereal sensation imho.  The long finish closed out this $40 wine that garnered 17 points on our tasting sheet and a technical score of 93 making it a 5 star effort.  I would drink this beauty till 2030 with some lighter meat dishes or even a roast duck.  Salut….

Quinta do Crasto Superior 2016, Douro, Portugal

06 Saturday Jan 2024

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This is the third time I have tasted the Crasto Superior 2016.  It started out horribly the first time I drank it in 2022, the second bottle being far better so I ordered this one for our tasting group in hopes it would redeem itself.  Deep ruby colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose had aromas of blueberry, violets, vanilla, black cherry and was a touch jammy.  On the palate it had medium acidity, medium tannins and a medium body.  Flavors of blueberry jam, tart cherry and powdery cocoa greeted us.  The finish was medium (-) in length.  I wrote to drink this bottle now as I feel the structure has nearly reached its end game.  At 11 points from on our grading sheet it was unimpressive, until later.  This wine opened up nicely over the next few hours and I have upgrade my initial score of 88 points to 90.  We paid $24 for it and I would say it’s a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Les Princes Abbes Alsace, France

06 Saturday Jan 2024

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We tasted this wine at the 34th Virtual Wine tasting event, served both chilled and at room temp.  Pale yellow with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose gave us aromas of petrol, lanolin, anise, yellow apple, ripe pear, pink grapefruit and lychee.  I made a side note say it smelled waxy and oily.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a medium body.  The petrol, wax and lanolin are immediately discernible followed by lemon, yellow apple, green apple and a sweet tart note from one of the group.  It finishes medium (+) in length with cutting acidity.   I gave it 16 points on our grading sheet.  The room temperature glass was a different beast, some preferred it over the chilled but I was unimpressed with its more muted nose and palate.  It seemed funky and medicinal but I still got petrol and citrus.  It felt heavier on the palate and displayed more acidity which was interesting/counterintuitive.  The finish was curt.  I gave it 10.5 points on our grading scale.   Overall I think this is a beautiful wine that needs to be served chilled.  It gets 92 points from me and for $24 a bottle- 5 stars.  I might need more!  Drink till 2035.  Salut….

Kanonkop Estate Pinotage 2020, Stellenbosch, South Africa

18 Saturday Nov 2023

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Closing out the 33rd virtual wine tasting was this Pinotage from South Africa.  Deep ruby colored it showed high viscosity (14% ABV) and a slight staining on the walls.  Coffee aromas dominated the initial sniff followed by soy sauce, leather, sesame seed (?), black currant, black cherry, orange peel and blackberry.  Medium (+) acidity and medium tannins with a full body made for a lovely mouthfeel.  Flavors mimicked the nose with the addition of a ripe bramble note.  The wine finished medium-long and garnered 17 points on my sheet.  Technically speaking , this $48 effort gets 92 points from me, and 4 stars.  Drink till 2033 with roast game.  Salut….