Friday, May 17, 2013

Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc

Here's what I have to say about this tasting: AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! There was so much wine that I don't think we got all of them in the picture, and I definitely didn't write them all down. At some point we decided it was a great idea to go onto the roof, despite the frigid winds. Of note: we had already had a bottle of cab sav before starting the actual tasting. Oops.

Please disregard the lapse in the standard rating system on the previous post. My memory is just not what it used to be.



A. The Seeker Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - more info
Appearance: Light straw, well-hydrated pee
Nose: 3.5
Intensity: 3
Balance: 2.2
Complexity: 2
Finish: 3
Comments: Finish is worse than taste, good summer wine, but flat. Acidity of asparagus with lemon cuts through the sweetness well, good with toasted bread.

B. Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - more info
Appearance: Same, but more color
Nose: 2.1
Intensity: 1.5
Balance: 3.2
Complexity: 2
Finish: 2.2
Comments: A bit of honey, refreshing, mellow, good sangria base, good wine for people who don't like wine, mason jar wine, super drinkable.
Chris likes it.

C. Line 39 Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - more info
Appearance: Clear, stronger legs
Nose: 3.2 - Pear, poison ivy
Intensity: 3.2
Balance: 3 - Firm, formal
Complexity: 3.5
Finish: 2.3 - Quick and dirty
Comments: Not as sweet as expected, may go well with fish.

D. Ponga Sauvignon Blanc 2011 - more info
Appearance: Legs come slow
Nose: 2.9
Intensity: 2
Balance: 4
Complexity: 2.75
Finish: 1.8
Comments: Acidic, innocuous, Juicy Juice

E. Stark Raving Cab NV - more info
Appearance: Super dark, purple, turbid
Nose: 3.9 - This is a smelly wine
Intensity: 4
Balance: 2.8
Complexity: 3.2
Finish: 2.3 - Leaves with just the smoke
Comments: Sweet, with smokey undertones, would go well with cake. "I like burnt shit."
Annie and Chris would drink the shit out of it. Ian, Brian, and Jen liked it as well.

F. Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 - more info
Appearance: Dark, looks like cannons, burgundy
Nose: 3
Intensity: 2.7
Balance: 2 - Fruit forward, smoke after
Complexity: 2.7
Finish: 3.5 - Surprisingly mellow
Comments: Astringent, but complex.
Brian liked it.

G. Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 - more info
Appearance: Sepia, dark
Nose: 2.9
Intensity: 2.5
Balance: 2.35
Complexity: 3
Finish: 3.5
Comments: Caramel note, cloying, Werther's Original, cinnamon, good after dinner, can stand well on its own.
Jen's favorite.

H. Bota Box Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 - more info
Appearance: Standard red, doesn't disappear, looks sustainably packaged
Nose: 3
Intensity: 3.7
Balance: 3
Complexity: 2.9 - Jammy, coffee
Finish: 3
Comments: Coffee smell, not enough Jazz Berry, mild and inoffensive. 

Wine continued beyond this point, but seeing as how illegible my handwriting became by that last one (I didn't post some of the comments simply because I could not read them), it's probably good that I stopped taking notes.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir

Our first tasting focused on varietals started with pinot grigio and pinot noir. It was also a celebration of Haley's birthday (yay!) and we tried a mixed ginger beer drink that Ingrid supplied (delicious, as long as you like both beer and ginger). We were pretty critical this time around. Maybe we're getting too wine-snobbish?

Thing I learned-- pinot grigio and pinot gris are from the same grape, but processed differently. Pinot grigio is the lighter and fruitier of the two, originating in Italy.



A. The Naked Grape Pinot Grigio NV - more info
Appearance: Very light, damn clear
Nose: 2.3
Aroma: 3.3
Balance: 3
Complexity: 2
Finish: 2 - metallic
Comments: Would make a good white sangria, unimpressed, not good on its own.

B. Ménage à Trois Pinot Grigio 2011 - more info
Appearance: Light straw
Nose: 2.6
Aroma: A crispy 3 (apple, not french fry)
Balance: 4 -> 2
Complexity: 2.2
Finish: 1.9 - sooooo acidic
Comments: "If you spit it out, it would be lovely." "Just the tip!"

C. Barrymore Pinot Grigio 2011 - more info
Appearance: Same as above
Nose: π/2
Aroma: 2 - unripe strawberries
Balance: 3.5
Complexity: 1.999999
Finish: 2 - short and innocuous
Comments: Better than expected, more front of the mouth, a "washing things down with dinner" wine, can hold its own against creamy dishes.

D. Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris 2009 - more info
Appearance: Same as always, a little bit more clear
Nose: 1.5
Aroma: 3.5
Balance: 2.1
Complexity: 2
Finish: 3 - but not much going on
Comments: Neutral, watery.

E. Cloud Break Pinot Noir 2011 - more info
Appearance: Pretty, red
Nose: 3.5
Aroma: 3.9
Balance: 2.5
Complexity: 2
Finish: 3 - there, but you want it to go
Comments: It seems like it's going to be good, and then you drink it. Jammy. "This hurts my belly."

F. Chateau Bianca Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2010 - more info
Appearance: Marginally lighter, bloody straw
Nose: 2.5
Aroma: 3
Balance: 2
Complexity: 2.3
Finish: 2 - long but bitter
Comments: Makes you take a breath, very dry. Rasperries, tart cherry. Too much acid, too bitter.

G. Cellar No. 8 Pinot Noir 2010 - more info
Appearance: Much darker, murky, 150 NTU
Nose: 3
Aroma: 3.5
Balance: 4
Complexity: 3.2
Finish: 4 - short but pleasant
Comments: Tastes better than it smells, smooth and easy. Strawberry footie pajama jam, footies, but no butt flap.
The all-around favorite.

H. Bearboat Pinot Noir 2008 - more info
Appearance: Really dark, pomegranate molasses
Nose: 2.7
Aroma: 3.6
Balance: 3 - drier
Complexity: 2.3
Finish: 2.6 - solid, but short
Comments: "If my wine is going to be fruity, I want it to be limp-wristed and flamboyant."
The first ever duplicate bottle!





Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Under $10

Our tour of the world wines has been completed. We've sampled from pretty much every main region we could think of. So what's next on our list? Would that be the end of Tannin Team?

Of course not! Because the holidays are always a tight time for cash, we decided to wrap up our tasting year with a celebration featuring bottles with list prices under $10 at our area wine stores. That's not to say they might not be a little pricier wherever you are, but they're guaranteed to be on the less expensive side.


A. Barefoot Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon - more info
Appearance: Dark, beet juice, "Outstanding!"
Nose: 2.5
Aroma: 3.8
Balance: 4
Complexity: 2.2
Finish: 2.5 - "It's long, but I don't like it."
Comments: "Church wine." "I was gonna go with college, but that works, too."
Haley and Jen liked it.

B. Montebuena Rioja 2010 - more info
Appearance: More cherry-colored, legs look alright.
Nose: 1
Aroma: 2
Balance: 3
Complexity: 2.1
Finish: 2.3 - longer, but bitter, like grapefruit
Comments: Definitely wine, guaranteed. "It'll do." "This wine needs to eat a sandwich [because it needs more body]." Dry. "This is the kind of wine where I really don't like it, but I keep drinking it, because it's so interesting, whatever it's doing to my mouth."

C. Big House Cardinal Zin 2011 - more info
Appearance: Light, too light for a zinfandel
Nose: 2
Aroma: 2 - peppery flowers
Balance: 3.3 - sweet
Complexity: 2
Finish: 3 - short, but sweet
Comments: "And there was a great smacking of lips." Juicy, would be good for sangria, off-dry, the opposite of a flouride treatment.

D. DFJ Vinhos Alta Corte Caladoc Tinta Roriz 2009 - more info
Appearance: Darker, fatter/slower legs
Nose: 4
Aroma: 3.9 - like a country store at Christmas time
Balance: 1.5
Complexity: 1.5 - metal, blood, and NPR
Finish: 1 - not short, but very bitter
Comments: Tastes like "Car Talk."

E. Mirassou Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - more info
Appearance: Straw, coliform failure
Nose: 3
Aroma: 3 - "I dunno..."
Balance: 1.5
Complexity: 1.5
Finish: 2
Comments: "This is not sauvignon blanc." "It tastes like balloons." Sweeter than it should be. Kind of like a chardonnay.

F. Naylor Vidal Perfection 2009 - more info
Appearance: Medium straw
Nose: 2
Aroma: 3.3
Balance: 4 - but a bit sweet
Complexity: 2.5
Finish: 3 - short, but not unpleasant
Comments: Smells less offensive. "This wine is a slut." "Well, her name is NAYLOR..."
Our favorite white.

G. She Flirts Chardonnay 2008 - more info
Appearance: Dehydrated, vibrant, pineapple juice
Nose: 2.5
Aroma: 3.5
Balance: 2.7
Complexity: 2.7
Finish: 2.1
Comments: Not mislabeled. "Why does that make me think of a cow?" "Keep drinking until you find the complexity." "I'd rather Naylor."


Now that we've looked at different regions and gotten an idea of the qualities of various wines, we're going to look a little deeper and focus on varietals. Each tasting will feature one red and one white, just for variety. Our hopes are to discover more subtleties between vintages and vineyards, and maybe discovering that we don't actually hate moscato. Following the varietal features, we'll take a look at blends, organic wines, and do a sangria contest. What fun!

East Coast

Back in October, we did a tasting featuring East Coast wines. I think the reason I procrastinated so much with getting this post up is that we weren't blown away by these wines as a whole. That's not to say that the wineries on the East Coast do not produce fantastic wines-- we enjoyed our visit to Blue Mountain Vineyards that I mentioned in the last post, many delicious things were had at Wine in the Woods, and Drink Local Wine is even coming to visit Maryland because we're so cool.


(Wines not exactly in order of tasting)

A. Turk Mountain Vineyards La Tour d'Afton 2008 (Virginia) - more info
Appearance: Dark, pretty, long legs
Nose: 4
Intensity: 3
Balance: 3
Complexity: 2 - cheese brings out complexity (we had chevre)
Finish: 2.7
Comments: Very dry, tart, best with goat cheese.

B. Flickerwood Wine Cellars Flickerberry Dew (Pennsylvania) - more info
Appearance: Ruby, garnet, very pretty
Nose: 5
Intensity: 4
Balance: 1
Complexity: 1.5
Finish: 2
Comments: "I don't even think it's alcoholic. I'm drinking juice." "Leaves me wanting water." Remind's Katie of Boordy's Jazzberry, would be great as a reduction over ice cream.
Katie's favorite

C. Wagner Vineyards Estate Bottled Niagara (New York) - more info
Appearance: Clear, straw, very pale
Nose: 2.5 - sugar, leather, smells like peanut skin
Intensity: 4
Balance: 1
Complexity: 1.7
Finish: an unfortunate 3
Comments: Would make a good white sangria.

D. Red Newt Cellars Salamander White (New York) - more info
Appearance: Pale, blonde, disappears into ceiling
Nose: 4.5
Intensity: 1.3
Balance: 3.9
Complexity: 4
Finish: 4
Comments: "They're really nice there." "I taste a hint of newt!"
Everyone but Dan loved this one.

E. Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2011 (New York) - more info
Appearance: Stained ceiling
Nose: 3 - delightful honey
Intensity: 2
Balance: 4
Complexity: 3
Finish: 3
Comments: Crisp, with is lasted longer, kind of tart, powerful thighs. "For a riesling, I'm surprised!"

F. Blue Mountain Mountain Spice Apple Wine (Pennsylvania) - more info
Appearance: "'tis yellow."
Nose: 4 - spicy
Intensity: 3.2
Balance: 3.5
Complexity: 3
Finish: 4
Comments: Honey and spicy and apple-y. "I wanna add caramel to it."