Tasting - Chateau La Roberterie Bordeaux

Name: Chateau La Roberterie 1590 'Selectus' Bordeaux Superieur

Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Bordeaux

Country: France
Vintage: 2017
Price: $9.99

Critic Review: (2016 vintage) "Now mature, this is a smoothly textured wine. Ripe with blackberry flavors as well as a dense texture, the wine has richness, generous spice and perfumed acidity. Drink now. Roger Voss" - 88/100, Wine Enthusiast

Wine Folly: pg. 83 Bordeaux Blend (Red) - high tannins, full body, mid to high alcohol, low acidity, and little to no residual sugars. I can agree with all of these measures after having tasted it. On the nose, very fruity (blackberry or black cherry perhaps), a hint of honey making it smell sweet, and floral. After tasting, sweeter than I was expecting and black cherry and a little blueberry on the palate. Well blended and very good in my opinion. 

My review: Thoroughly enjoyed this wine. I thought it was very well blended despite having high tannins and a higher sweetness than i was expecting, which can sometimes lead to overpowering a a lack of cohesion. However, this was not the case and the wine came together very well with each aspect of the wine blending with the next while flourishing on its own. I enjoyed the cherry and blueberry notes on the palate and the fruity, floral hints on the nose. Actually crazy that this wine from 2017 was UNDER $10. Unreal.

I tasted it on its own without any food pairings.

Tasting - Miha Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Miha Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Marlborough

Country: New Zealand
Vintage: 2024
Price: $13.99

Critic Review: It’s fabulously expressed on the nose, showing kiwifruit, green rockmelon, kaffir lime and jasmine aromas, leading to an intensely flavoursome palate offering excellent vibrancy and length. At its best: now to 2027. Sam Kim June 2024 - 93

Wine Folly: pg. 165 Sauvignon Blanc - strong herbaceous flavors, a wine with a light body, low sweetness, and high acidity. I noticed the high acidity and light body, very crisp. Grassy and citrus on the nose, and a light citrus, acidity, grapefruit on the palate. Wine Folly also mentions notes of gooseberry, honeydoo, and white passionfruit which I did not notice.

My review: I liked this wine A LOT. I often enjoy a Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand being my favorite), but this one was better than others I have had. Extremely crisp and light on the palate without being overwhelming. I think it was well balanced yet complex. We tried this at the Vintage Cellar weekly tasting and had to buy a bottle. Would 100% reccomend this wine, under $15 as well.

I tasted it on its own without any food pairings.

Wine Dinner 1

Overview: Tonight we had a wine/dinner pairing with 3 wines we picked out and 3 dishes we thought would pair well with the specific wines. For the first course, we made a garlic butter steak with chimichurri sauce and paired it with a Malbec. Course 2 included burger sliders topped with caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, and smoked gouda cheese which we paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon. The last course included a dark chocolate lava cake with a blackberry glaze, paired with a Syrah. The best pairing in my opinion was the dessert course for the reasons I describe below.

Wine Selections:

        

        - Rancho Campo Malbec 2023

        - Fieldwren's Folly Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

        - 1/3 Washington Syrah 2020       

        

        

    

Course 1 (Malbec & Steak): The Rancho Campo Malbec 2023 (Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina) was full bodied and had high tannin levels. Notes of black fruits (blackberry, black cherry) on the nose, and flavors of cherry and medium acidity on the palate. Well balanced, not too complex however. Paired with a garlic butter steak with chimichurri sauce. The idea here was for the garlic to bring out the earthiness of the wine while the fats in the steak soften the tannins. I did notice the fattiness of the steak almost completely removed the tannins of the wine making the fruity flavors much more noticeable. The chimichurri also made the acidity in the wine more pronounced and vibrant. Good example of the classic "pair red wines with red meats."

Course 2 (Cabernet Sauvignon & Beef Sliders): This pairing included the Fieldwren's Folly Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (Clare Valley, Australia). The wine was my favorite of the night and one of the better wines I've had over the past couple weeks. Very fruity and floral on the nose, lots of blackberry. Flavors of sweet blackberry, honey, and chocolate on the palate. There was an initial sweet taste that blended into fruity/tannic as the tasting evolves. This wine was paired with a burger slider with caramelized onions, and topped with sauteed mushrooms and a smoked gouda. This pairing helped to soften the tannins in the wine, while also complimenting the sweetness of the onions extremely well. The dish was good by itself, but grew in complexity with this pairing. The lack of tannins after the pairing made the wine taste much fruitier and almost a tad sweeter. I think the dish benefited more than the wine in this pairing, but overall a great one.

Course 3 (Syrah & Dark Chocolate Lava Cake): The last course, dessert, included the 1/3 Washington Syrah 2023 (Columbia Valley, Washington, US). The wine itself was not very well balanced, with notes of plum on the nose, and flavors of mild tannins and an overpowering spice on the palate. This was paired with a dark chocolate lava cake covered in a blackberry glaze. I must say, this pairing surprised me and greatly improved both the wine and the dish. The sweet chocolate meshed well with the plum flavors, and balanced the spice flavors making it taste much different. I also think that the cake was a little dry, so tasting it with the wine made it much more moist. This was my favorite pairing of the night.

All in all, the best pairing in my opinion was the 3rd course Syrah and chocolate lava cake. Both the dish and wine changed and grew because of the pairing. A close second was the 2nd course Cabernet Sauvignon and beef sliders. Would recommend the first 2 wines mentioned and all 3 dishes.

Wine and Cheese Pairing 1

Overview: This was the first wine and cheese pairing we tried and it went well. We opened 3 bottles of wine and paired them with 3 cheese types that we tried with each wine to compare and contrast the differences in the wine. The 3 wines we tried were a Spanish Vino Tinto, a California Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Bordeaux Blanc. The 3 cheeses we paired them with were a simple goat cheese, Manchego, and a soft brie. All in all, I think certain cheeses paired well with specific wines and either blended well and brought out new flavors in the pair, or clashed and created flavors/sensations that were not desirable.

Wine Types: Below are the 3 wines we tried with details about each including the year, varietal, and wine producer. Also below is each pairing and how the pairing was either beneficial or detrimental to its components.

Vino Tinto: The first wine we tried was my favorite of the 3: Munro Leaf's Ferdinand Vino Tinto from Spain 2020. The wine was well balanced and very smooth. Very fruity and floral on the nose, converting to low tannins and hints of blackberry/cherry on the palate. By itself the wine was good, not great, but flourished when paired with the Manchego cheese. I think the stronger pungent flavor of the cheese by itself breaks down with this wine and allowed the flavor of the cheese to come though. I also think that the wine benefited from it, softening it a tiny bit but allowing the cherry notes to come on stronger. The other 2 cheeses did not pair well, especially the goat cheese clashing with this wine in a way that created a bad taste in my mouth.

Cabernet Sauvignon: This was the second wine we tried, falling a little short of the Vino Tinto. This was the Founder's Fortune Cabernet Sauvignon 2020. This wine was more tannic than the first (mid to high) and had notes of blackberry and raspberry. I did notice much more fruity presence in both the aroma and palate of this wine. This wine was okay, nothing special on its own. I also do not think it benefited much from the pairing of the different cheeses. The brie and Manchego did not blend well with the flavors of the cab sav, however the goat cheese did mesh okay is and was the best cheese pairing for this wine solely because it was not bad. The goat cheese helped soften the tannins, but the flavor of the wine did not improve in my opinion.

Bordeaux Blanc: The last wine we tasted was a 100% Sauvignon Blanc: Le Temps des Récoltes Bordeaux Blanc 2020. This wine was rather simple and hard to identify flavors on the palate that showed any significance. There were notes of grapefruit and pineapple on the nose, and little citrus and yellow apple flavors on the palate. It was almost watery to taste. This wine wasn't bad per se, but lacked any sort of complexity or punch of flavor. However, when paired with the brie cheese we had, the wine grew in flavor and the brie brought out the grapefruit on the palate. This was the only wine of the 3 that was meh on its own and brought to a new level when paired correctly. Impressed with this pairing and when drinking the Bordeaux Blanc with the brie, it was rather enjoyable.

To wrap up this blog summary, out of all the wines and pairings we tried, the best tasting was the Vino Tinto and the Manchego cheese, while the most impactful of the pairings was the Bordeaux Blanc and the brie. None of the wines were stellar on their own but were brought to new levels when paired correctly.

Tasting - Toscana Appassite Duca di Saragnano

Name: Duca di Saragnano Toscana Appassite

Variety: 60% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Tuscany

Country: Italy
Vintage: 2022
Price: $14.99

Winery Review:  Deeply intense dark red colour with delicate purple hues. Aromas of cherry and black cherry, complemented by complex bouquet of sweet spices and vanilla jump from the glass. This is a full-bodied and elegant wine, enveloping and velvety on the palate with its smooth and structured tannins.

Wine Folly: pg. 162 Sangiovese - grape variety with mid tannins, high acidity, mid to high body, and very low to no residual sugars. Notes of cherry and black cherry on the nose. A slight sweetness immediately on the palate although it fades quickly, turning into a darker fruity flavor with higher tannins. Wine folly mentions other notes of roasted tomato and sweet balsamic although I did not notice them. We drank this wine right out of the bottle and did not decant the suggested 30 min.

My review: This may be the best red wine I've had so far this semester. I really enjoyed the aroma of the wine: fruity, floral, and complex. I also liked the flavors this wine displayed with the tannic cherry and subtle sweetness at the beginning. The high acidity was noticeable but well balanced by initial sweet punch. This wine was great and for the price. Will definitely be buying again and recommend.

I tasted it on its own without any food pairings.

Tasting - Willi Haag Riesling Spatlese

Name: Willi Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese

Variety: Riesling Spatlese
Region: Brauneberger, Mosel

Country: Germany
Vintage: 2021
Price: $37.99

Critic Review:  A very bright and energetic Mosel Spatlese with a very wide spectrum of fruit aromas from nectarine to passion fruit via blackberry with a touch of mint. Joyful freshness and vitality, this leaps and bounds over the palate. Super-fresh and long finish with a ton of wet stone minerality. Excellent aging potential. Drink or hold. JS - 95

Wine Folly: pg. 239 Spatlese - "Late Harvest" grapes, sweetness level from mid-sweet to sweet. Definitely agree here, I thought it was more on the sweet side, almost a dessert wine. Pg. 158 Riesling - an aromatic white wine with ranging levels of sweetness and high acidity. Could taste the high acidity right off the bat. Notes of pear and some honey on the nose, but sweet apple, green apple on the palate. The sweetness was well balanced and complimented the flavors very well.

My review: A little too sweet for my taste, but extremely well balanced. Not too much a fan of sweet wines, but for how sweet this wine was it quite nice. Great aroma with the pear and honey notes, and a well balanced green apple flavor. I think the sweetness complimented the palate very well and if sweet wine is your thing this wine would be great for you. Impressed with this one, and definitely going to look for the Kabinett version of this.

I tasted it on its own without any food pairings.

Tasting - Brotte Côtes du Rhône

Name: Brotte Creation Grosset Cairanne Cotes-du-Rhone 2020

Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Vintage: 2020
Price: $17.99

Critic Review:  Offers a stream of juicy cassis, fresh red currant and dried herbs that race alongside smoked sandalwood and pencil lead shavings, with incense and floral notes adding lift. Well-built, with a firming frame of tannins bringing shape and a salty mesquite note at the close. WS - 90

Wine Folly: pg. 156 Rhône / GSM Blend - a mix of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre with mid to high alcohol, body, and tannins. I noticed the higher levels of tannins and a fuller body in the wine. Hints of raspberry and strawberry on the nose which changed to flavors of blackberry on the palate. Well balanced, but not too complex. Wine folly also mentions rosemary and baking spices which I did not detect.

My review: Great wine, thoroughly enjoyed this one. We discovered this wine at a local tasting and had to buy a bottle. The aromas are fruity and floral and flavors of blackberry and strawberry complement them well. Higher tannins although they are balanced well with the sweeter darker fruit flavors. Not too pricy either, a good steal under $20.

I tasted it on its own without any food pairings.

Tasting - Andre Brut California Champagne

Name: Andre Brut California Champagne

Variety: Champagne (Sparkling Wine)
Region: California
Country: United States
Vintage: 2024
Price: $7.99

Seller Notes: This wine is crisp, simple & slightly sweet. This sparkling wine is made from a blend of white grapes from California. Its refreshing & versatile with fruity notes of green apple, pear and sweet lemon. Andre California champagne is a classic choice for toasting & celebrating. Total Wine

Wine Folly: pg. 94 Champagne - Normally made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We served in a flute glass as recommended to observe the bubbles and artistic effect of the sparkling wine. We did not chill as recommended which was a HUGE mistake. Lots of citrus and lemon on both the nose and the palate as expected and some pear on the palate right when it hits the tongue. Wine folly mentions hints of cream, almond, and toast, which I did not pick up on.

My review: Pretty good for a $8 bottle of sparkling wine advertised as champagne. I liked the hints of pear at the beginning of the tasting although it was not balanced very well and quickly got drowned out by the lemon citrus taste. Quite dry with limited residual sugars and was not overly carbonated. Overall a good purchase to have for a larger group when price per bottle would come into play.

I tasted it on its own without any food pairings.

Tasting - Cinquesegni Primitivo Puglia

 

Name: Cinquesegni Primitivo Puglia IGP 2023

Variety: Primitivo
Region: Province of Taranto, Puglia
Country: Italy
Vintage: 2023
Price: $13.99

Winery Notes: Intense purple colour, tending towards amber with ageing. This wine has a very solid structure due to the elevated alcohol and the balance between the soft tannins and acidity, with a distinctive note of the barrel ageing. Cinquesegni

Wine Folly: pg. 260 Primitivo - Very fruity with notes of strawberry on the nose. The fruitiness continued on the palate followed by an earthy/smokiness taste. The book highlights baked blueberry, fig, leather, blackberry, and clay pot (whatever that means). Very smooth with little tannins and mid to low levels of acidity and bitterness. Overall very smooth and easy to drink. The book refers to Primitivo and Zinfandel interchangeably so not sure if there is a difference here.

My review: I liked the smoothness of this wine, but in comparison to other Italian reds, it lacked a depth of flavor and punch. I liked the fruitiness and earthy tastes. Other than that, the wine seemed simple and was not impressed. Much better options for the price of $13.99.

I tasted it on its own without any food pairings.

Tasting - Toscana IGT Sir Passo 2022

 

Name: Toscana IGT Sir Passo 2022 Duca di Saragnano

Variety: Sangiovese
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Vintage: 2022
Price: $14.99

Winery Review: Sir Passo by Duca di Saragnano is a blend of red berried grapes born from the desire to experiment with new flavours, new aromas and new scents that can surprise and amaze from the first taste. Luca Maroni - 98

Wine Folly: pg. 87 Tuscany Italy - Increased tannins which were definitely noticeable and came across overpowering the flavor profile of the wine. I tasted cherry and a hint of strawberry which the book noted. Supposedly the palate is also made up of licorice and coffee which I missed. pg. 162 Sangiovese - Higher acidity and low sweetness. Tasted the cherry but not the roasted tomato, sweet balsamic, or espresso. Did not let the wine decant for the suggested 30 min.

My review: Let down by this wine. Honestly seemed a little too light and lacked complexity. High in tannins without the balance of much noticeable flavor and a little too bitter for my liking. I did enjoy the cherry and strawberry however. Not deserving of the 98 points given to it by the ITALIAN wine critic.

I tasted it on its own without any food pairings.

Tasting - Chateau Jalousie Beaulieu Bordeaux

Name: Chateau Jalousie Beaulieu Bordeaux Superieur

Variety: 83% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Year: 2022
Price: $16.99

Critic Review: A bright and vivid Bordeaux with currants, fresh earth and flowers on both the nose and palate. Medium body. Firm, fine tannins and a clean finish. Linear and refined. Drink or hold. JS - 91

Wine Folly: pg. 83 Bordeaux Blend (Red) - A blend of Merlot, Cab Franc, and Cab Sauv. Definitely high tannins noticeable right off the bat. Medium acidity and mid to high bitterness. On the nose it smelled quite sweet, almost raspberry-esque, but was much more bitter on the palate, more of a bitter blackberry. Wine Folly says to expect black currant, black cherry, graphite, chocolate (noticeable as well), and dried herbs. We did not decant the suggested 60+ minutes.

My review: I liked this wine, but it seemed a little simpler compared to other Bordeaux's I have tasted. I enjoyed the chocolatey start and more bitter, tannin-full blackberry flavor that followed. I was expecting the flavor of the fruity notes to come across a little stronger, but they were still noticeable.

I tasted this with simply seasoned steak (medium rare) and they complimented each other very well. The wine softened with the meat and allowed the fruitiness to flourish. Suggest this or a similar food pairing.