Brian's Wine Blog

As I write this, it is March 19th, and I have basically finished the Geography of Wine class. All my weekly wine blogs for the rest of the semester are in the can, and while still have half of the lectures to watch, I have done enough to secure an A, and will continue on merely because I enjoy the content. To celebrate, I am having a Korbel Brut Rosé California Champagne, a thing that doesn't actually exist given that it was not made in the Champagne region. A blend of many grapes, it brings about aromas of strawberry and other light fruits, and coalesces into a rich sparkle jamboree en la boca. I have no need to publish this post, but I want to in order to discuss how much this class has impacted me. As I said in the beginning, my parents have always been big wine nuts, but I never really got into it. After just a couple months of blogging and learning, I'm obsessed. The wide variety of tastes, from the sugary sweet delights, to the tannic bombs I used to hate so much, all hav...

                    Name:  Columbia Crest - H3 Merlot Varietal:  86% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon Region:  Horse Heaven Hills, Washington Country:  United States Year:  2019 Price:  $15.95 Vintage Cellar Review:  This medium-bodied Merlot delivers aromas of spice, plum and blackberry with the perfect balance of earth, cocoa and ripe black cherry notes on the palate. The complex flavors are followed by a smooth, velvety finish. - 90 Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. 132) Merlot is obviously popular worldwide, but is quite notable in the Columbia Valley of Washington state, with its wines featuring sweet fruit flavors like black cherry and boysenberry; higher acidity and lighter bodies; and notes of chocolate cream, violet, and mint. My Review:  Given that this is my final regular blog for this class, I knew there was one major varietal I had yet to discuss. Merlot is something I have been anxious to try ...

                       Name:  Wild Thing Rendezvous Rosé Varietal:  Carignane, Zinfandel Region:  Mendocino County, California Country:  United States Year:  2022 Price:  $9.95 Vintage Cellar Review:  Light cranberry color, juicy strawberry-watermelon fruit aromas, nice mineral, nice lift of spring flowers. Deep pink, light red in color and delivers excellence in flavors. Aromas and flavors of bright cherry cola. - 91 Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. 90) The particular blend is somewhat of an anomaly, but the Carignane grape is typically used in rosé with hints of dried cranberry, raspberry, tobacco leaf, baking spices, and cured meat. My Review:  I figured that I should try blogging about at least one rosé before this class finishes, and luckily I had a chance to taste this one for free at the store before purchasing a well-priced bottle. What started with an aroma of light, flittering strawbe...

                      Name:  Locations NZ Varietal:  Sauvignon Blanc Region:  Marlborough Country:  New Zealand Year:  ??? Price:  $19.95 Vintage Cellar Review:  In the glass, a brilliant pale yellow reminiscent of white currants; the wine opens with an intense bouquet of gooseberries, feijoas, and ripe tropical fruits. The bright entry of fresh cut grass and preserved lemon lead to passionfruit pot de crème showcasing a long finish of fresh herbs and clean minerality. Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. 166) New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is notably distinct from other more herbal varietal variations, as it prominently includes notes of tropical fruits like passionfruit and kiwi along with more residual sugar, with further flavors of pea shoot, jasmine, ripe pear, and CAT PEE! My Review:  To be perfectly honest, I mainly wanted to try this for the cat pee, because that seems so stupid yet so intriguing. ...

                      Name:  Castellani Toscana Varietal:  Sangiovese Region:  Tuscany Country:  Italy Year:  2019 Price:  $15.95 Vintage Cellar Review:  Perfumed nose of cedar, spearmint, morello cherry, vanilla and lemon verbena. Medium-bodied with polished tannins. Spicy character with ambitious new wood. Mocha at the end. - 91 Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. 162) The workhorse grape of Italy, Sangiovese is known for its high acidity, role in the composition of Chianti, and its flavors of cherry, roasted tomato, sweet balsamic, oregano, and espresso. My Review:  With the number of remaining reviews running low, I knew it was about time I tried an Italian wine, considering they are the largest producer of the dang thing! The aforementioned acidity, particularly unusual by red standards, was the first thing I noticed upon putting the glass to my nose, along with some cherry and oregano spice. Imme...

                                     Name:  Santa Julia Tard í o Varietal:  Torrontés (Late Harvest) Region:  Mendoza Country:  Argentina Year:  2022 Price:  $16.95 Vintage Cellar Review:  This late harvest Torrontés is characterized by fresh aromas of flowers and pink grapefruit, a sumptuous texture on the palate and an excellent balance between sweetness and acidity, featuring pineapple, nectarine and apricot fruit. With a very gentle finish, this delightful wine is the first one of its kind in Argentina. Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. 177) While technically including three separate varietals, this Argentinian grape possesses a good sweet-dry balance, which goes perfectly with its notes of Meyer lemon, peach, rose petal, geranium, and citrus zest. My Review:  Full disclosure: this was consumed on a night where I had already been drinking, and I origi...

                     Name:  Underwood Varietal:  Pinot Noir Region:  Oregon Country:  United States Year:  ??? Price:  $3.95 Winemaker Notes:  Union Wine Co. brings the spirit and character of Oregon to wines you can put on your table every day. We believe the contents are more important than the container; that good wine should be able to go anywhere. We love our wine, we just don't drink it with our pinkies in the air. #PINKIESDOWN!!! Notes: Cherry, Black Currant, Forest Floor Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. 296) Oregon Pinot Noir is quite different from the same varietal produced in California, with a greater focus on light bodied allspice, tart cherry and pomegranate flavors, and a mushroomy earthiness with potting soil and vanilla. My Review:  Wine... in a can? And for that price, there was no way I could pass up this intriguing opportunity. Unfortunately, I was dumb and poured it out of the c...

                      Name:  Antonio Maccieri Varietal:  Moscato (Muscat Blanc) Region:  Oltrepò Pavese, Lombardy Country:  Italy Year:  2019 Price:  $5.95 Vintage Cellar Review:  Young white wine, slightly natural sparkling, fine and persistent bubbles from second natural fermentation. Pleasant, sweet with typical note of natural Moscato. Pair with fruit cake, apple pie, yellow fruits, danish biscuits, cream cakes and dessert. Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. 138) This wine is quite versatile, with a bevy of pairing option, high aromatic tendencies, and hints of orange blossom, Meyer lemon, mandarin orange, ripe pear, and honeysuckle. My Review:  $5.95? That price can simply not be beat, and I was more than willing to risk a quality issue after briefly sipping on it during a wine tasting. The sweetness that was advertised was definitely omnipresent right from the first sniff, with a shade of Mandar...

                     Name:  Jam Jar Varietal:  Shiraz (Sweet) Region:  Paarl, Western Cape Country:  South Africa Year:  2021 Price:  $9.95 Winemaker Notes:  This fresh, fruity, semi-sweet wine displays aromas and flavors of ripe, juicy berries with dark chocolate undertones. The perfect balance between sweetness and acidity makes for a refreshing approachability. It is a versatile food wine, best served slightly chilled. Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. 172) Also called Syrah, this grape commonly gives off flavors of blueberry, plum, milk chocolate, tobacco, and green peppercorn. However, given this is a sweeter version of that wine, the preceding list might not be fully accurate. My Review:  I thought the name was so cute, I just had to try it! The general berry aromas definitely seemed sweeter than usual at first, and that sweetness was particularly delightful as it first graced the innards of my...

                    Name:  Santola Varietal:  Loureiro, Pederna Region:  Vinho Verde Country:  Portugal Year:  ??? Price:  $8.95 Vintage Cellar Review:  Soft and creamy, although with just the right Vinho Verde bite, this is a crisp and clean wine, boasting light pear and pink grapefruit flavors. Off dry and very fresh. Made from Loureiro and Pederna grape varietals. - 86 Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. 184) This blend comes in many styles, with its most popular form being what I got, a fruity white wine with little alcohol, a bit of spritz, and hints of lemonade, pink grapefruit, lime zest, yellow apple, and white blossom. My Review:  This is one of the most popular wines at Vintage Cellar, and after having some myself, it is clear to see why. The first smell was light and sparkly, with pink grapefruit shining through the bubbliness upon first consumption. Add in the red apple and lime zest that I noti...

                    Name:  Thistledown Gorgeous Grenache Blanc Varietal:  94% Grenache Blanc, 6% Chardonnay Region:  Riverland & Eden Valley Country:  Australia Year:  2023 Price:  $17.95 Vintage Cellar Review:  An explosion of flavour meets suave, seductive personality! Bright, tangy citrus laced fruit with hints of honeysuckle and lemon balm. Taut, yet textured and complex, this is a beautifully crafted white that breaks the mold. - 93 Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. 119) This full-bodied color mutation of Grenache is much less common than its red counterpart, delivering hints of yellow plum, pear, lemon zest, honeysuckle, and toast. My Review:  Fun fact: this is the only white wine produced by this company, but they certainly made sure that it left an impression! Like many whites, the first sniff was a bit understated with a possible hint of pear; however, the first taste revealed a low...

                  Name:  Breit Varietal:  Bacchus Region:  Mosel Country:  Germany Year:  2021 Price:  $14.95 Vintage Cellar Review:  Markedly tropical, this is a juicy, fruit-forward wine from the workhorse German grape Bacchus. It's sweet in style with a slightly nectar-like unctuousness but balanced by tangerine acidity. Enjoy young. Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. N/A) This grape is so rare that it's not in the book! Even on the Wine Folly website it has little info. It is a low acid wine most popular in the relatively tiny UK wine scene that is a cross of Silvaner x Riesling and Müller-Thurgau. My Review:  So I may or may not have bought this thinking it was a Riesling. Given that it looks like a Riesling, was right next to other German Rieslings, was specifically described as sweet, and is such an uncommon grape, I am going to give myself some grace on this one. Another co...

                       Yes, I know that the book recommended I do this exercise first, but better late than never right! Anyways, this exercise involved tasting the same wine under five separate conditions. Per Vintage Cellar staff, I was directed to try the 2020 Domaine Grand Veneur Côtes du Rhône, and here is what I discovered. 1. Taste Immediately:  Upon pouring a glass, I immediately noticed a dark red color to the wine that remained constant throughout the entire night, and I assumed that the wine would have very strong tannic and dark fruit elements similar to a Cabernet Sauvignon. The smell largely supported this with strong, dark berries on the nose, but strangely with a hint of... pepper? Not only was that pepper confirmed upon my first sniff, but surprisingly, the Cab Sauv impression made an ass out of u and me! While there was a nice spice to it, the tannins were not close to the same level, and though...

                   Name:  Shotfire Varietal:  51% Grenache, 39% Shiraz, 10% Mourvedre Region:  Barossa Valley Country:  Australia Year:  2020 Price:  $16.95 Vintage Cellar Review:  Black violet color. Aromas of blistered blackberry, sweet tea, carnation, and smoked meats with a slightly chewy, vibrant, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a seamless, amusing, medium-long cinna-mint finish with well-integrated, crunchy tannins and moderate oak flavor. An inky GSM from Down Under with bold flavors and well-integrated tannins. - 93 Flavors/Aromas:  (Pg. 156) A blend that's notable enough to have it's own entry, this versatile food pairing wine imparts hints of raspberry, blackberry, rosemary, baking spices, and lavender on drinkers. My Review:  Clearly, my previously discussed reluctance to write tasting blogs on blended wines has greatly diminished! It helps that this blend is so well-known th...