Nomadic Wines

Weekday Wine Tasting group - May 16 comparative tasting

Here are the wines we had and some brief notes to help you remember. If anyone is ever interested in buying wine and using me for my discount... I don't mind at all.

Chardonnay flight:
Alamos Chardonnay - $10 - Argentina... for a $10 Chardonnay, I think it is hard to beat the balance offered in this wine. It has some oakiness, but there is plenty of crisp apple fruit and acidity. Good wine with food.
2004 Pierre Janny Saint-Veran - $15 - Burgundy, France... I like this wine because it is bright and fruity without being too sweet. It is loaded with apples and some tropical fruit, which makes it a little un-Burgundyish... but that doesn't really matter.

Italian flight:
2004 Falesco Vitiano - $10 - Umbria... this is one of those wines that I recommend fearlessly because it is so tasty and so great with food. It has strong currant fruit, along with chocolate and spice on the finish. I highly recommend buying this when you need a wine to fall back on.
2001 Taurino Salice Salentino - $15 - Calabria... much earthier and lighter-bodied than the Falesco. It also was a little port-like and reduced (like raisin-y). I think it was overwhelmed by the spicy bbq sauce but it would go great with pasta and mushrooms.

Spanish flight:
La Planta - $13 - Ribera del Duero... This wine was jammy and intense. I think it had a lot of ripe fruit and bright red fruit.
2003 Higueruela - $10 - ... I've had this wine before and liked it more than last night. I think the La Planta was just that much better and it made the Higueruela look like a chump. This wine was fruity, light, and enjoyable... but not as substantial as the La Planta.

GSM flight:
2004 Kaesler Avignon Proprietary Red - $26 - Barossa Valley, Australia... blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Shiraz, and 20% Mourvedre; it smelled like pepper and kirsch liqueur. I think we discussed the jammy nose on this wine -- it smelled black currant jam to me.
2004 Cotes du Rhone Domaine Garrigue "Cuvee Romaine" - $15 - France... made with 60% old vines Grenache and 40% Syrah, this wine is also very peppery and showed rich, red fruit. It also had a more herbal quality.

Good stuff:
Havens Bourriquot - $36 - Napa... this is a Cabernet Franc-based blend that is modeled after the French wine, Cheval Blanc. It is rich and meaty with loads of blueberry and blackberry. Even at $35, it is a great value.

Dessert:
Errazuriz Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc - $13 - Chile... the best dessert wine value I have found, it is light and not too cloyingly sweet. It has nice grapefruit and tropical fruit tones.

Hope everyone enjoyed it.

posted by nomadfromcincy @ 11:19 AM