Wine Tasting - 2

Wine Tasting 1 -

Wine Tasting - Quinta de Chocapalha Tinto

Name: Quinta de Chocapalha Tinto . 

Variety: Southern Portugal Red Blend. 

Region: Lisboa. 

Country: Portugal. 

Year: 2017. 

Price: $16.99. 

Winery Review: Lubos V. describes this year's vintage as follows: "Slightly aged Portuguese red with very nice acidity, present tannins and pleasantly complex multifaceted structure. Hint of balsamic notes in the nose, dark fruit and forest berries, smoke and oak." A gentleman by the name of "Three Colours Red" says: "Leather cigar, oak and chocolate. Slightly smokey with blackberry and cherry. Goes great with lamb Sunday lunch. Low tannins, medium acidity and slightly dry." Lastly, one Kent French details this one as: "Quite a collection of local grape varieties. Mostly Touriga, which provides an intense favor of dark berries. It defines 'bold' in my book."

Wine Folly: (Page 321) "Wine Regions -The climate changes drastically across Portugal, making a variety of wine styles... In Central and Southern Portugal there are a diverse range of wine varieties. Whites include age-worthy Arinto, and aromatic Fernao Pires. For reds, Trincadera and Alfrocheiro tend to be more elegant whereas Baga, Alicante Bouschet, and Jaen (a.k.a. Mencia) can be quite bold."  

My Review: Following suit with our aged wines, this week I've got two to discuss. Tonight's first wine is a red blend from Portugal bottled back in 2017. Sandra Tavares da Silva made this wine with the following mix: [65% Touriga Nacional; 10% Tinta Roriz; 10% Alicante-Bouschet; 10%Touriga Franca; 5% Castelao]. Paired with a freshly delivered pizza from the Beast of Blacksburg, here's my take: bold and acidic with a wide variety of taste. Cherry, oak, cigar smoke, black peppercorn, and blackberries are very prominent. Tannins are pungent at first but are flushed out by the wine's light aftertaste of a blueberry chocolate mix. 

Wine Tasting - Napa Vista Red Blend 2019

            

Name: Napa Vista. 

Variety: California Red Blend. 

Region: California. 

Country: United States. 

Year: 2019. 

Price: $12.99. 

Winery Review: Ray Van Buskirk gives an insightful description of his experience with this year's vintage: "The other Mondavi family, Charles. Strong oak, vanilla and berry nose upon opening. Dark red. Cherry and slight blackberry. After a one hour decant, some raspberry and blueberry come into play. Very smooth and silky. Slight tannin on finish. Good balance and very drinkable. Some sweetness. Better than their jugs and a good value. Cheers! Update, second day much of the sweetness departs and tannins, alcohol and astringency pick up. Still pretty good wine." Skip Davis adds: "Oak, vanilla & black fruit nose turns into a slightly dry, slightly jammy, black cherry back by black berry delight. A bit tannic on the rear end, but a great table wine or late-night drinker. Definitely needs to aerate."

Wine Folly: (Page 351) "Wines to Explore - "California is first known for bod Cabernet Sauvignon, oaked Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. The up-and-coming wines of Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel all highlight California's fruit-forward style..."

(Page 350) "California - Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah."  

My Review: Withholding 13.8$ alcohol standing at five years aged, this red wine tastes extremely similar to that of a port wine. Hints of raspberry, cherry, and oak are very evident alongside medium tannins and a just as sweet counterpart to balance the body of this wine. Last week, I tried an eight years aged bottle of red for the first time - rather, that was the oldest bottle I've tasted for this class thus far. Trying this 2019 vintage red helps me understand firsthand why certain wines are aged to begin with. This one is very well done, but, of course, try it for yourselves. 

Wine Tasting - Red Diamond Chardonnay 2016

           

Name: Red Diamond Chardonnay. 

Variety: Chardonnay. 

Region: Washington State. 

Country: United States. 

Year: 2016. 

Price: $8.99. 

Winery Review: Andrei Holban says: "My first Chardonnay from Washington state, US: - appearance: a medium lemon color, unctuous - on the nose: Honey, overripe pineapple, chamomile, vanilla - on the palate: full body, medium acidity, beautifully balanced for intense barreled, intense flavors of ripe pineapple, pear, grapefruit, almond, butter, apple with a long aftertaste. - to be paired with salty and acidic dishes." Fero K. adds: "Bold and rich in taste. Dry wine of pale golden color with a high viscosity. Creamy butter pear, apple, ripe pineapple, oak, and a lot of vanilla. Slightly lower in acids, but this is a fine and pleasant wine."

Wine Folly: (Page 124) Chardonnay: "One of the world's most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from sparking Blanc de Blancs to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. [Yellow Apple, Starfruit, Pineapple, Vanilla, Butter.]"  

My Review: At 13% alcohol, we've got a fine one from Washington state. Hints includes, but is surely not limited to the following: light garlic, smokey oak, sweet vanilla, dry tobacco & hay, tropical fruits of pineapple and melon, sour apple, citrusy lemon, and of course alcohol. In my opinion, this one is very well balanced and hides the alcohol fairly well with a sweet exterior and light body. Out of its shown home bottle, it has a rich silver/gold color which is vibrant under any soft light. 

Wine Tasting - Thorn-Clarke James Goddard Shiraz

          

Name: Thorn-Clarke James Goddard Shiraz. 

Variety: Shiraz/Syrah. 

Region: Barossa, South Australia. 

Country: Australia. 

Year: 2018. 

Price: $14.99. 

Winery Review: Tommy Yakas states: "Black pepper and blackberry with notes of oak and a bit of mint. Unfiltered and a nice earthy texture as a result. Really solid value." Brian C. follows that up with: "Wow and for the price. Raspberry, cherry, blueberry, plum, pepper, jalapeno, leather, wet ash, crushed gravel, chocolate. Pretty tasty! #VintnersCatalyst." Finally, Gail Her adds: "Nice bold Napa Cab. Deep inky color. On the nose, cherries, plum, blackberries, mint, eucalyptus, & oak. Dark red & black fruit in the palate, vanilla, earthy, leather. Bold & dry, with balanced tannins & acidity. 13.8% ABV."

Wine Folly: (Page 376) Syrah: Additional Tasting Notes - "Few wines can meet the intensity of South Australian Shiraz. Historically, Barossa Valley grapes were used in fortified Port-style wines. Today, the 100-year-old vines make some of the most coveted Syrah in the world..."  

My Review: Adding onto the older side of wines that I've had for this course, we've now got Thorn-Clarke James Goddard Shiraz. With an oaky vanilla & blackberry beginning, this wine finishes with hints of leather, tobacco smoke, and back cherry. a hint of white chocolate lingers from start to finish but isn't exactly prominent until the very end when you leave the wine to linger a while longer. Some acai berry is noticeable but I'd say, like with any wine, you'd need a list of descriptors in order to get it - at least, I needed that. For a shiraz, it's almost bordering a port wine. However, it's acidity leaves that distinction drawn bright and clear. According to the winemakers, this bottle should age just fine in three to five years since its conception. Luckily for me, that timer is on the longer side at almost a year overdue. Thats more than a good enough reason to have cracked this one open tonight. 

Wine Tasting - Anciano No. 7 Reserva Rioja 2016

         

Name: Anciano No. 7 

Variety: Tempranillo. 

Region: Rioja. 

Country: Spain. 

Year: 2016. 

Price: $12.99. 

Winery Review: One Ursus Teddicus reviews this vintage as the following: "Medium ruby color. Moderately intense nose of black cherry, black currant, red plum, smoke, vanilla, and clove. Dry palate that is reflective of the nose with an additional note of balsamic; acidity is high. Medium bodied with pronounced, fine-grained tannins. Long finish with a long, tannic grip. Modest price and good value."

Wine Folly: (Page 380) Tempranillo - "Spain's top variety, made famous by the wines of Rioja, where wines are classified by how long they age in oak. Fine Tempranillo ages 20+ years but costs a little more... [Cherry, Dried Fig, Cedar, Tobacco, & Dill.]"  

My Review: This week, I broke my own rule in which I am reviewing two reds instead of my usual red and white mix. I also aimed for some more aged wines. These two took a little while to find, but I found them at a fair cost as well. I've had Anciano once before, but a more recent vintage rather than this 2016. With this being one of the older (nearly 10 years old) wines I've tasted, I finally understand why red's get better with age. It's almost as smooth as water with light tannins on the way down after a sip. Definitely fruity: blackberry, strawberry, and even some black cherry. It's quite sweet tasting although this variety isn't known to have all too much sugar overall. Otherwise, I'd say some hints of chocolate, slight earthy, cedar, and vanilla mixed in there as well. This is definitely a solid wine to break the ice with someone over dinner. Well done.