Tasting - Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Name: Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Variety: Gamay

Region: Beaujolais

Country: France

Year: 2011

Price: $12

Shop Review: All red cherry and banana fruit, this is a soft, juicy and bright wine.  Fresh but framed softly with some dry texture.

My Review: This wine had a nice cherry bouquet with a light cherry and grapefruit taste.  It has a dry finish and is slightly tannic.

I had this wine alone without any food.

I also learned that by French law, Beaujolaes Nouveau cannot be released each year until 12:01 on the 3^rd Thursday of November (November 17^th for this particular vintage), and it is intended to drink young (as in the wine’s age, not the person’s age).

I bought this wine today at the Vintage Cellar closeout sale!

Tasting - Weinkeller Erbach Flonheimer Adelberg Silvaner

Name: Weinkeller Erbach Flonheimer Adelberg Silvaner

Variety: Silvaner

Region: Rheinhessen

Country: Germany

Year: 2010

Price: $9.95

Shop Review: The fruity, mouthwatering wine has a nice acidity-sugar balance and comes from the so called “Rhenhessen-Switzerland,” the heartland of Rheinhessen.  It has a floral bouquet and smells like yellow fruit, lemon-grass and green tea.

My Review: Lemon-grass was the dominant scent in the bouquet.  The initial taste of this wine was lemony with hints of other citrus fruits and had a sour finish.  It had a good balance.  It would be lovely on a hot summer’s day!

I had this wine alone without any food.

"There are no standards of taste in wine, cigars, poetry, prose, etc. Each man's own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard."

-Mark Twain,1895

BONUS: Cider Tasting

So yesterday was the hard cider tasting at the Vintage Cellar hosted by Crispin and Fox Barrel Cider, and some of my friends and I just had to check it out!  We had a variety of hard ciders, so I will comment on the memorable ones.

First up was the Crispin Original and Crispin Brut.  The Original had a tart, yet crisp green apple taste.  The Brut was similar, but was noticeably drier.  All of my friends and I enjoyed this one, and now seeing that it is recommended to be served on ice, I may have to check it out this fall!

Next was something that was different, Crispin "Cho-Tokkyu."  This cider was brewed with Sake yeast and organic rice syrup.  The initial taste was odd for me, and I'm assuming it was the Sake flavor.  I haven't had the opportunity to have Sake yet, so I can't say for sure.  I don't really have an opinion either was on it right now.  After the initial taste, it had a very distinct, crisp apple finish that kept the dryness from the Sake yeast.

The last two ciders I'm going to talk about are the Fox Barrel Apricot Pear and the Fox Barrel Blackberry Pear.  In the apricot pear, the pear stood out to me more than the apricot taste.  While it was still tasty, it was a little bland, as if I were waiting for something more in the flavoring.

The Blackberry Pear was very bubbly.  It almost overcame the blackberry taste, so I with the carbonation was a little more subtle.




They were all in balance, and I could hardly taste the alcohol in any of these, so hard cider could get dangerous!

I did go to Maison Beliveau today, but the winery portion of their beautiful B&B will not be open until May.  It is definitely a place I will have to check out in the future because they said they have a prime spot for Pinot Noir grapes (which is apparently rare in Virginia), so I'll have to see how it turns out.

After the Maison Beliveau adventure, I had to opportunity to make it to the wine tasting at the Vintage Cellar, and stumbled across a rare find that I will be reviewing on Friday!

Tasting - Alta Luna Phases

Name: Alta Luna Phases

Variety: 40% Teroldego, 30% Lagrein, 30% Merlot

Region: Trentino-Alto Adige

Country: Italy

Year: 2009

Price: $9.95

Shop Review: Aged in small oak barrels for 12 months, then further refined in bottle before release.  Deep ruy red dark cherry, blum and blackberry aromas combine with intriguing spicy notes.  Rich, concentrated dark fruit character against powerful yet silky tannins and bright acidity.  Excellent structure, with a distinctive freshness to the fruit that creates an elegant profile.

My Review: Unfortunately, I couldn't taste the dark cherry, plum and blackberry.  However, it did have a finish with a kick that I was certainly not expecting.  There were definitely spicy notes.  I would be willing to try this again as well, in order to be able to fully experience the fruitiness with the kick.

Tasting - Las Rocas Garnacha

Name: Las Rocas Garnacha

Variety: Grenache

Region: Calatayud

Country: Spain

Year: 2008

Price: $11.29

Shop Review: Deep ruby colored with a gorgeous nose.  Attractive aromas of kirsch, raspberries, pepper and melted liquorice.  Full flavored wine with a supple texture and no hard edges.  Medium to full bodied, fruit driven sumptuously-textured and long aftertaste.

My Review: For me, this wine was too dry and harsh tannins.  The only flavor I could indentify was a liquorice flavor, and I am not too fond of liquorice.  That may play a big role in why I did not particularly enjoy this wine.  It is recommended to be paired with roast dishes, Spanish stew, mushrooms or grilled meats.  The fact that I tried this alone without food may have made it so that I could not appreciate it for how it is supposed to be tasted, so I would not be opposed to trying it again with food.

Tasting - Four Bears Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Four Bears Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Napa Valley
Country: United States
Year: 2010
Price: $14.95
Shop Review: 2010 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color and displays aromas of lavender, cedar and raspberry fruit.  Flavors of blackberries and raspberries combined with hints of savory spices coat the palate.  The soft tannins and sweet oak balance lead to a long and lingering finish.
My Review: I instantly picked up on the woody and dry taste of the wine.  I also picked up the variety of berries used, specifically the raspberry.  There was a good balance between the two flavors!

Tasting - Oraison Côtes du Rhône

Name: Oraison Côtes du Rhône
Variety: Grenache
Region: Côtes du Rhône
Country: France
Year: 2009
Price: $10.95
Shop Review: Full of spicy red fruit aromas, with cigar box and licorice tones as well.  In the mouth it is rich and complex while retaining its fruit flavors.  Serve with barbecue, grilled meats and any hearty or spicy recipe.
My Review: This was a very complex, full-bodied wine for a novice wine taster.  It was dry and woody with unfamiliar aromas to me.  I am not familiar with what a cigar box smells like, so I wasn't able to identify this aroma.  Once I gain more experience, I would like to try this wine again with some of the suggested foods.

I had this wine alone, without any food.

Tasting - RN13 Vin de Pique Organic White

Ok, so I looked at my syllabus, and realized I didn't do my blog properly, so I am redoing the ones from my tasting this weekend.  I'll keep the original post since I spent some time on it.  Here we go:

Name: RN13 Vin de Pique Organic White
Variety: Blend of Viognier (40%), Chenin Blanc (35%) and Sauvignon Blanc (25%)
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $14.95
Shop Review: The palate is a blend of apples, pears and peaches with refreshing acidity and a hint of lemon.  Great balance and perfect example of an easy drinking white to serve chilled as an aperitif or with tapas.
My Review: Previous to beginning my tasting, I made the rookie mistake of chewing a minty gum.  Therefore, my taste may have been off.  The taste that stood out the most to me was a refreshing taste of pear.  The wine was smooth and in balance.  Even though it's winter in Blacksburg, I can definitely see myself relaxing on a warm summer evening enjoying this chilled wine!

I tasted this on its own with no food.

January 21, 2012 Vintage Cellar Wine Tasting

So, I had my first wine tasting experience of the semester at the Vintage Cellar, and I learned a few things:
1) Get there early...or else all 499 other students and their friends will have gotten there first.
2) Don't chew gum soon before wine tasting...enough said.
3) Bring water and crackers.

First up was this 2010 Sean Minor/Four Bears Sauvignon Blanc.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a good taste of it due to the suffering of my taste buds due to the Juicy Fruit.  It's a shame that I didn't get a good taste, so I'll have to try it again another time.  According to the tasting sheet, it is "Rich and complex with aromas of ruby grabfruit, citrus and tropical fruit.  On the palate, the combined flavors of fresh melon, fig and line are balanced perfectly to form a crisp, mouthwatering texture and a lingering finish."  It sounds like something nice and refreshing for a summer evening!


Next up, as I begin to regain proper tasting, is what is described by Professor Boyer as a "bizarre wine."  In France, it is considered a no-name brand of wine and is sold in plastic jugs as milk would.  Here, it has a convenient flip-top to make serving simple.  This wine is a mixture of various fruits and grape varieties. I could definitely taste the pears.  

This is when I really knew that my taste buds were back!  I came with an adjective to describe this wine from the Côtes du Rhône region of France.  While it is not a very original description, I would say that this wine is woody and dry.  It's description says it's aromas have "cigar box and licorice tones."  I don't really know what a cigar box smells like, but I'll trust that that is what I smelled.

This Four Bears Cabernet Sauvignon helped me and my drinking buddy for the day, Josh, learn a lot about wood barrels!  I instantly tasted blackberries and raspberries when I tasted it, with a hint of the woody taste.  Josh commented that a lot of these wines reminded him of bourbon.  Again, Professor Boyer steps in to save the day!  Apparently, after distilleries use a barrel for about 20 years, they often sell them to wineries to use.  I can imagine how much flavor the wood had absorbed over the years and released into the wine along with the woody flavors.

This Crios Malbec is another dry and woody wine, with a touch of spice and black cherry.  To me, it seems like a good wine for those summer nights!

The last white wine I tasted was the Candoni Pinot Grigio.  At first, the fruity tastes were subtle, but as the chilled wine warmed in my mouth, a strong taste of pear came through.  This is another good summer wine that can be served with fish, pasta, chicken or alone.

Las Rocas Garnacha is a bonus wine that was not listed on the tasting list, so I was not sure what to expect.  It was very, very dry, and had a flavor that I couldn't identify, so after trying to identify it as a licorice flavor, I had to do some research.  According to the Las Rocas website, it is made with "vibrant black raspberries."  I had no idea how that tasted previous to today, but if I can ever get past the dryness, I'll know next time.  I don't mean to go on about how dry the wine was, but seriously, I think it evaporated in my mouth.  As a fan of sweeter wines, I will be hesitant to try it again without at least having some food to pair it with.  It is recommended to be paired with grilled beef or other hefty meats.

I believe I will have to make a point to try the Lyeth Cabernet again when I have the opportunity.  After the Garnacha, my taste buds were shot again.  This Cabernet is described as being "sweet and jammy in cherries, blueberries and cocoa."  I was very excited to taste the fruits and cocoa, but all I got was that it was somewhat dry as well.  

Last for today, but certainly not least, is the Alta Luna Phases.  Unfortunately, I couldn't taste the dark cherry, plum and blackberry.  However, it did have a finish with a kick, that I was certainly not expecting.  There were definitely spicy notes.  I would be willing to try this again as well, in order to be able to fully experience the fruitiness with the kick.


I learned a lot to that I can use for future tastings!  Hopefully, I'll begin expanding my wine vocabulary and start assigning more words for different aromas and tastes.  Nothing really caught my attention today, but it's all part of the experience!


Summary of the day:  These are great cook-out summer wines, especially if you like drier wines with woody flavors.
Next Friday is a hard cider tasting, and then on Saturday, I may be doing a tour and tasting at Maison Beliveau.

Introduction

Here's a little about what I know about wine already, before I start learning a ton of new stuff:

I first had wine with my family when I was 18, and never really drank it that often because, as most people think the first time they have it, I thought it was disgusting.  I kept trying it, since I knew it portrayed "maturity."  Over time, I began to enjoy wine more.  I turned 21 last May, so that is when my wine tasting experiences really began.  I went to the Central VA Wine Festival in July, and after I tried several different Virginia wines, I knew I wanted to know more about wine.  I visited a vineyard over the summer as well, so I have learned a little bit about the wine making process.  Throughout this semester, I think I may be overwhelmed by all that I am learning, but I can't wait to know as much as I can!  Tomorrow, I am doing a free wine tasting at the Vintage Cellar with my friend Josh (who isn't a huge fan of wine), but I'll see if I can convert him into a wine lover!

Here's my mom and I at the Central VA Wine Festival sponsored by the VT Alumni Association