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.

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!

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."

Pacific Northwest

Yes, yes, I know this is ridiculously late. I don't even remember what month it was from. Pretty sure it was July. Solid wines from the Pacific Northwest, two of which I have labeled as the "overall fave." Not sure which one actually won out, if there was a definitive best!

On a random note, a couple of us recently visited Blue Mountain Vineyards in PA and learned some things. I need to write it down before I lose this knowledge completely:
- Tannin comes from the seeds and oak barrel.
- The legs are caused by the alcohol; more/stronger legs = longer fermentation time, higher alcohol content, and less sugar (drier wine).
- If a wine bottle doesn't say "estate wine," they may have gotten grapes from another region and just turned it into wine in whatever area the label says it's from.
- If a wine says "aged in oak" and it's labeled with the same year that you are buying it, it was probably mixed with chips of oak leftovers during fermentation, not actually aged in oak barrels like you would like to think. This means that the oak flavor will be good right away, but it may not be present if the bottle is aged.
- A good quality wine should taste like it smells.
- The pop you hear when you uncork wine is from nitrogen in the bottle, used to prevent the wine from coming into contact with oxygen and deteriorating the flavor when it's stored.

A. Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - more info

Appearance: "It's dark."

Nose: 4

Intensity: 2.5

Balance: 5

Complexity: 3.7

Finish: 4.2

Comments: "It's like a boyscout." Bill's (from Laurel) preferred. Spicy, "really good," fruit flavor. *Overall Fave*

Dan and Haley's favorite

B. 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - more info

Appearance: Black, dark, "really dark."

Nose: 2.5

Intensity: 1.3

Balance: 3.14

Complexity: 2.5

Finish: 2.7

Comments: "It's gone." Sweeter than the last one.

C. 14 Hands Hot to Trot Red Blend 2010 - more info

Appearance: Dark again, ok legs.

Nose: 3.5

Intensity: 1.5

Balance: 3.5

Complexity: 2

Finish: 2

Comments: "Kinda dank." (This comment was the result of us smelling pot wafting in from one of my neighbors.) Spice, burns a bit, would be good mulled. "It wants to be sexy, but it's just trying too hard."

D. Airlie Pinot Gris 2009 - more info

Appearance: Light yellow, a bit cloudy.

Nose: 3.5

Intensity: 2.5

Balance: 3

Complexity: 3

Finish: 4

Comments: Good with creamy things, a day-drinking bottle, odd flavor, no mint.

E. Sawtooth Riesling 2009 - more info

Appearance: Light.

Nose: 2.5

Intensity: 1.8

Balance: 3.8

Complexity: 3.2

Finish: 4

Comments: "That's a riesling." "I generally don't like rieslings, but this is good." Good with peach, good summer wine.

Jen's favorite white

F. Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2011 - more info

Appearance: Really clear.

Nose: 4 - Pretty, like us!

Intensity: 2 - Trying to be subtle

Balance: 4.8

Complexity: 3 - One beautiful note

Finish: 3 - Sour lingers

Comments: "Has an identity crisis," tastes like pinot grigio, sour, pucker, *Overall Fave*

California

Yes, I'm a slacker. California was June's selection and it's already almost August! But let's get on with it--

We did California at Dan's place so we could show off the new bar. There were a lot of people, and subsequently a large wine selection. Please do not judge us too harshly from the following image, as the empty bottles make us look a little less than classy.

A. Bohemian Highway Merlot 2009 - more info

Appearance: Dark, creepy red, scarlet, blood, ruby, garnet, cranberry (I think this was less a descriptive effort and more of people acting like a thesaurus)

Nose: 3.5

Intensity: 2

Balance: 3

Complexity: 2

Finish: 2.3

Comments: Warms the heart, had nice legs, would make a good sangria, simple.

Dan and Katie liked it

B. Ghost Pines Zinfandel 2009 - more info

Appearance: Blood-looking, very dark, pretty, blackberry, prune juice, purple-ish

Nose: 3

Intensity: 1

Balance: 3

Complexity: 3.3

Finish: 4.5

Comments: Pops and punches, Mike Tyson wine, blackberry and vanilla, jammy, hangs in the back, dense, fruity, dry

Jen and Dan liked it, not Ashley (2) approved.

C. Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 - more info

Appearance: watery purple, between the first two, leggy

Nose: 3.5 ("Smells like communion," effervescent)

Intensity: 1.5

Balance: 2 (acidic)

Complexity: 2.7

Finish: 2 (lingers, but not in a good way)

Comments: Probably good with red meat, bacon pizza
Ashley L. and Kerri liked it.

D. Snap Dragon Red Blend 2008 - more info

Appearance: dark silk, ruby, crimson, vermillion

Nose: 2.5

Intensity:  1.2

Balance: 4

Complexity: 3

Finish: 2 (intense but quick)

Comments: "It's good," "solidly smooth," a good generic wine, good with spicy food, brings out the smokiness in barbeque.

One of Jen's go-to reds, Ashley L. likes, Michelle's fave.

E. Robert Mondavi Pinot Grigio 2010 - more info

Appearance: light yellow, straw

Nose: 3

Intensity: 2

Balance: 3.9 (watery, light)

Complexity: 2

Finish: 1.1 (no oompf)

Comments: Would go well with hearty fish, chicken, or crab. Drinkable, but not substantial on its own, tastes watered down with white grape juice.

Dan likes

F. Serafina Cellars Malvasia Bianca 2009 - more info

Appearance: same, Jewish, cloudy

Nose: 3.8 (sweet)

Intensity: 3.4

Balance: 1.5

Complexity: 4

Finish: 3

Comments: Tastes like it's mixed with cider, Welch's, coppery, mineral, flavor builds, smells sweeter than it tastes, likely good with yogurt. "I got goosebumps drinking that."

Katie and Zach's fave

G. Running with Scissors Chardonnay 2010 - more info

Appearance: golden, yellow, straw

Nose: 4 (sweet, grassy, straw, oats)

Intensity: 1

Balance: 3.9

Complexity: 2

Finish: 3

Comments: Smell is reminiscent of hay fields, taste is berry, tart.

Ashley L.'s fave, Jen likes

H. Cherry on Top white blend 2010 - more info

Appearance: yellow

Nose: 3.3 (sweet, after rain)

Intensity: 2

Balance: 3 (apple!)

Complexity: 3.5

Finish: 2

Comments: Can taste the chenin blanc, smooth, in and out really quickly, pair with french vanilla ice cream.

Jen's fave

I. Menage a Trois Moscato 2010 - more info

Appearance: yellow

Nose: 3.5

Intensity: 2

Balance: 2.2

Complexity: 2

Finish: 3

Comments: "I find this wine shallow and pedantic." "Makes a valiant effort, but it just doesn't get the job done." "We're drinking Rhianna right now..."

J. d'Arenberg The Stump Jump Sticky Chardonnay 2008 - more info

Appearance: golden, dehydrated

Nose: 1.5 (Capri Sun)

Intensity: 2

Balance: 3 (for a dessert wine)

Complexity: 2

Finish: 3.8 (long and agonizing)

Comments: Simple syrup, golden raisin, good for a dessert wine.

July's Pacific Northwest selection coming soon!

Italy

Because there's really not much else I can do right now, I decided to knock this out! Apparently my calculations went the opposite way this time-- I started with lots of decimals and then just gave up and used whole numbers at the end. Definitely some high rankings, and even our first negative with this group. Thank you Michelle & Jen B. for hosting us in your lovely home!

A. The Sopranos Chianti 2008 - more info

Appearance: Ruby red, cranberry

Nose: 3.8

Intensity: 3.14

Balance: 4

Complexity: 2.5

Finish: 2 – Bitter

Comments: Cranberry, smoky, pretty light, not fruity, a good “anytime” wine. “Better than I thought it would be for an HBO wine.”

B. Da Vinci Chianti 2010 - more info

Appearance: Crimson, darker, blood red

Nose: 3.2

Intensity: 1.1

Balance: 4.5

Complexity: 3.33 (I couldn’t find a way to put a macron on top to truly indicate 1/3!)

Finish: 3.33

Comments: More drinkable, good table wine, not a good cheese wine overall, but good with ricotta. “Not what I was expecting.”

Jen’s favorite red

C. Corte Giara Pagus Soave 2008 - more info

Appearance: Yellow, “golden apples”

Nose: 3.8

Intensity: 1.3

Balance: 3.5

Complexity: 1 - Apple

Finish: 3

Comments: Smells like apple juice, tastes like apple juice, tingles, apple juice finish.

Haley and Dan liked this one

D. Kiwi Cuvée Pinot Grigio 2010 - more info (2009)

Appearance: Very light, straw, pale gold

Nose: 4 - Plum

Intensity: 2 - Tickles nose

Balance: 5 - “Ooh!”

Complexity: 2.5

Finish: 3.4 - Better flavor on finish, strawberry

Comments: Good with pasta or fish, very drinkable.

Jen’s favorite white; Haley liked this one, too.

E. Clara C Fiori di Prosecco Cuvée NV - more info

Appearance: Like champagne, clear

Nose: 4

Intensity: 1.5

Balance: 5

Complexity: 2.1

Finish: 2 - Sparkle kills finish

Comments: Leaves an appropriate amount of vagueness.

Michelle’s favorite.

F. La Marca Prosecco NV - more info

Appearance: Also clear

Nose: 3 - “Smells silly” - Lucas, age 2

Intensity: -.5

Balance: 5

Complexity: 3.2

Finish: 4.7

Comments: Better than the last one, honey, peachy, very good!

Mike and Jen B.’s favorite.

G. Bartenura Moscato 2010 - more info

Appearance: Very, very slight golden tint

Nose: 3 - Kind of spicy

Intensity: 3

Balance: 2 - Very fruity, sweet

Complexity: 2

Finish: 3

Comments: Very sweet, even more so than the apple juice Soave, sugar in a glass, peachy, tastes like peach ring candy, definitely moscato.