Tasting- Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Shiraz!

Name:  Emeri de Bortoli
Varietal:  Sparkling Shiraz
Region:  South Eastern Australia
Country:  Australia
Year:  NV
Price:  $9.95

Shop Critic:  A relatively light, fresh style of sparkling Shiraz, with berries and hints of chocolate picking up  just a touch of sweet vanilla on the finish.

My Review:  This wine had a beautiful deep, brick color.  Very fizzy!!  It was a sparkling red wine which you don't see very often but I wish you did!  It was absolutely delicious.  The nose was sweet with intense fruit reminiscent of raspberry syrup or jam.  This medium bodied wine had a sweet flavor that was mellowed out by the bubbles.  It also had some lovely undertones of white chocolate in the finish.  Very drinkable and delicious!  I would definitely come back to this wine again and again.

I drank this wine on its own with no food pairings.

Tasting- Tres Ojos Garnacha

Name:  Tres Ojos Garnacha
Varietal:  85%, Garnacha, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Tempranillo, and 1% Syrah
Region:  Calatayud
Country:  Spain
Year:  2011
Price:  $6.95

Shop Critic:  This wine has a brick red color with a bouquet of red raspberries, spice and white pepper.  The palate is incredibly concentrated and rich.  The modern styles of Garnacha in Spain are continuously being perceived worldwide as wines of extraordinarily good quality.  This wine is fruity, juicy and shows a great depth, ripe tannins, length but yet with wonderful elegance and lightness.  Enjoy with sausages, roasted meats, aged cheeses etc.

My Review:  This wine smelled of cranberries, raspberries, with some prominent black pepper notes as well.  More overwhelming, however, was the alcohol that came there.  This probably wasn't the most well-crafted wine and the alcohol smell overpowered a lot of the other aromas present.  The mouthfeel was smooth yet dry, a little bit sticky and chalky.  It was extremely hot and bitter on the back of my palate.  I did not really enjoy this wine at all.  Definitely going to pass on this one.

I drank this wine with no food compliment.

Tasting- Montebuena

Name:  Montebuena

Variety:   100% Tempranillo

Region:   Rioja

Country:   Spain

Year:  2010

Price:  $8.95

Shop Critic:   Ripe cherry and black currant on the nose and in the mouth.  Pliant and seamless in texture, with good heft and back-end energy.  Finishes smooth and sweet, with fine-grained tannins providing shape and grip.  Still on the young side but this wine drinks very well with an hour or so of decanting; it's an excellent value for Rioja.

My Review:    The nose on this wine was smooooooth as silk and smelled just like cherry licorice!  It was slightly perfumey as well.  The taste was reminiscent of the nose.  A lot of cherry candy flavor with some underlying oak or bark.  It was intriguingly supple with some chocolate notes in the finish.  Overall a very interesting wine!

I drank this wine on its own with no food pairings.

Tasting- Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence

Name:  Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence

Variety:   Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault

Region:   Provence

Country:   France

Year:  2011

Price:  $8.95

Shop Critic:   Bright salmon pink; typical of the fresh but warm Provence style.  Refined and complex on the nose, with summer fruit and floral notes.  Dry and crisp, with a delicate flavor and full texture.

My Review:    After smelling this wine I was immediately transported in my mind to my childhood when my mom would give me Welch's White Grape Juice.  It was an extremely refreshing aroma!  While tasting this wine I found it had a very mild light flavor.  Slightly fruity and had very little body to speak of.  The flavor dissipated quite quickly.  It was surprisingly dry for a rose!  Probably from the Cinsault grape.  Overall, not a terrible wine but it's a pass for me.  The grapes used were all typically "Red" grapes but this wine was very light indicating the skins were not left on long.

I drank this wine on it's own with no food pairings.

Tasting- Canyon Road Chardonnay

Name:  Canyon Road

Variety:   Chardonnay

Region:   California

Country:   USA

Year:  2011

Price:  $6.95  

Shop Critic:    Medium-bodied wine with notes of crisp apple and ripe citrus fruit with a hint of cinnamon spice.  Delicious complement to grilled chicken lighter pasta dishes or mild cheeses.

My Review:    We were told that this particular chardonnay was 'unoaked' which made sense because it was one of the most "tart" chardonnays I've ever tasted.  It had a ton of green apply malic acid bite on the nose with hints of lemon and citrus as well.  The taste was very tart and slightly floral which reminded me of summertime.  The aftertaste was a bit like meely apples so that was a bit of a turn off for me on this wine.  Not one that I would go back to again.

I drank this wine on it's own with no food pairings.

Tasting- Potluck Sweet Malbec

Name:  Potluck Sweet Malbec

Variety:   Malbec

Region:   Mendoza

Country:   Argentina

Year:  2010

Price:   $7.95

Shop Critic:   Deep red brilliant with violet hints.  Complex, fruity, and predominant red fruits.  Easy to drink, round with persistent sweetness, very well balanced with sweet tannins.  

My Review:  This wine had a very fruity, slight raspberry jam or fig scent.  It reminded me of fig newtons!  The sweetness would build each time you smelled this wine.  It had a fruity-smokey taste.  Definitely a lighter, more refreshing red wine but very sweet on the tip of the tongue.  The residual sugar was very prominent.  Overall not a bad wine.

I had this wine on its own with no food pairings.  

Tasting- Domaine de Grange de Payan

Name:  Domaine de Grange de Payan

Variety:   Grenache

Region:   Cotes du Rhone

Country:   France

Year:  2011

Price:   $8.95

Shop Critic:  Intensely spicy and precise, with lively red berry flavors and a hint of black pepper.  The Grenache, which makes up the majority of the wine, is deeper and more powerful, offering cherry and black raspberry qualities lifted by zesty minerality.

My Review:  This wine was an alcohol powerhouse at 15%!  It smelled slightly like wet rocks with subtle fruit aromas like blueberries and raspberries.  This velvety wine was smooth and thick in the back of my palate.  Creamy and buttery flavors lingered for a while with a little bit of spice, and toasted acidity.  

I drank this wine with no food pairings.  

Tasting- Tinto Figaro

Name:  Tinto Figaro

Variety:   100% Garnacha

Region:   Calatayud

Country:   Spain

Year:  2009

Price:   $6.95

Shop Critic:   Made from a selection of the best grapes grown in the oldest vineyards.  While not truly an "oaked wine", a short stay in oak barrels provides a nice spicy flavor boost.  Bright violet.  Dark berry and cherry aromas show a jammy aspect.  Supple and gently sweet, with good lift to its black raspberry and boysenberry flavors.  Smooth and broad on the finish, leaving behind a hint of spiciness.  Extremely easy to drink and an excellent value.

My Review:   A very bitter nose overwhelming like raisins or prunes with hints of black pepper in the background.  This heavy-bodied wine was intensely smokey and very, VERY dry.  This heavy wine coated my tongue and stayed on my palate for quite a while.  It was a little spicy and just reminded me of tart fruits like raspberries and blackberries.  

I drank this wine on its own with no food pairings.  

Tasting- Maipe Malbec Rose

Name:  Maipe

Variety:   Malbec

Region:   Mendoza

Country:   Argentina

Year:  2011

Price:   $7.95

Shop Critic:   Intense pink color with violet hints.  Fresh red fruit bouquet, strawberry and cherry flavors, balanced acidity, dry and lingering finish.  Excellent with tuna or green salad, pasta, spicy Asian dishes.

My Review:  Powerful jammy aromas were the star of this wine.  It was almost as if you had just opened a jar of strawberry jam.  Very thick, rich and well-rounded scent.  It had quite a richer, thicker mouthfeel as well.  Fruity, cherry and slightly creamy in it's finish.  Very delicious wine.  I really enjoyed this one!

I drank this wine on its own with no food pairings.

Tasting- Cortenova Pinot Grigio

Name:  Cortenova

Variety:   Pinot Grigio

Region:   Northern Italy

Country:   Italy

Year:  2012

Price:   $7.95

Shop Critic:   Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections.  Fresh and floral bouquet with a a hint of pears, apricots and bananas.  Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste.  Pairs well with seafood dishes, risottos with scampi, spaghetti with clams, sole in white wine.  Perfect also as an aperitif.

My Review:  This wine was extremely light in color.  It had a mildly sweet aroma reminiscent of moscato.  It had some fruity-brightness along with some floral tones but over all this was a very simple wine.  Nothing special.  Just an everyday, take it or leave it wine for me.  I drank this wine on it's own with no food pairings.

Tasting- Monte Aman

Name:  Monte Aman

Variety:   100% Tempranillo

Region:   Arlanza

Country:   Spain

Year:   2009

Price:   $5.95

Shop Critic:  Fermentation of selected grapes in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature.  Aging in American oak casks for 5 months followed by 3 months in the bottle before being released in the market.  Inky ruby.  Ripe cherry and plum on the nose.  Smooth and fleshy, with deep dark fruit flavors complicated by bitter chocolate and anise.  A spicy quality adds lift and focus to the weighty fruit.  Offers an appealing mix power and energy and drinks very well right now. 

My Review:  You could tell this wine was not really filtered.  It had bits of skins floating in it and was ruby red dark, almost opaque.  The nose was well-rounded and smooth with lemony-broccoli qualities.  The taste was assertively bitter and reminded me of prune juice.  This wine wasn't bad.  Decent for $6!

I drank this wine on its own with no food pairings.

Tasting- Cortenova Montepulciano d'Albruzzo

Name:  Cortenova Montepulciano d'Albruzzo

Variety:   100% Montepulciano 

Region:   Montepulciano d'Albruzzo

Country:   Italy

Year:   2010

Price:   $6.95

Shop Critic:  Deep ruby red color with violet highlights and a pleasant and fruity bouquet.  Full bodied, soft tannins and good acidity.  Excellent with pasta dishes and red meats.

My Review:  This wine smelled just like sour cherry candy, and tasted just about the same.  There was also a bit of leather saddle mixed in.  It was almost as if you ate a sour cherry jolly rancher, then licked a piece of leather.  It made your mouth feel just about that dry.  There was quite a bit of tannin.  Extremely dry mouth feel that lingered and coated your mouth for a while.  The aftertaste had hints of slightly bitter tobacco smoke.  Relatively complex but not a wine that I would ever buy.  

No food pairings here!  I could see how it would go well with pasta to mellow out the flavors.