South Africa

I actually did a bit of research on South African wines before this party. And by "research," I mean I read one chapter about it from the book Educating Peter, by Lettie Teague. It was useful, but did not give me very high hopes, as Pinotage, the "only truly South African grape," was described as tasting reminiscent of animal pelt.

Even though the book didn't have much good to say about Pinotage or Chenin Blanc (and made me worry that these varieties will soon be extinct), we did enjoy the unique taste of those wines. And look, we have a picture this time! They're even in order of drinking.

A. Mulderbosch Sauvingnon Blanc 2010 - more info
Appearance: White, pale
Nose: 4
Intensity: 3.3
Balance: 4
Complexity: 2
Finish: 2
Comments: Semi-dull, has a bite, fresh, minerals, tart finish. "Better than I thought, but I don't love it." "I can feel it more than I can taste it."
Michelle's favorite white


B. Indaba Chardonnay 2010 - more info
Appearance: More hay, less straw
Nose: 2.5
Intensity: 1.7
Balance: 3
Complexity: 3.4
Finish: 4.1
Comments: Finish is better than the sip.


C. Indaba Chenin Blanc 2011 - more info
Appearance: Pale, good legs, transparent
Nose: 4
Intensity: 1.3
Balance: 3
Complexity: 3
Finish: 2.6
Comments: Unassuming, apples and leather, gets better the more you drink it, biggest taste at mid-palate, could go well with red meats.


D. Kanu Chenin Blanc 2009 - more info
Appearance: fizzy, cloudy
Nose: 5 - "Oh!!"
Intensity: 2.6
Balance: 3.7
Complexity: 3.2
Finish: 3.1
Comments: Like champagne, more bold, it rises, has a lot of texture, wavy finish.
Andy's favorite, MV and Jen's favorite white, Michelle's other favorite white.


E. Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards Theta Syrah 2003 - more info
Appearance: Deep, chocolatey, opaque, leggy, dark
Nose: 5 - Chocolate, wood
Intensity: 4
Balance: 3
Complexity: 5
Finish: 3.8 - Dry
Comments: Smokey, beefy, earthy. "It's kinda like dirt... I like it." "Candlewax, campfires, and apples."
The only red Michelle has ever liked.


F. Goats in Village Shiraz Pinotage 2008 - more info (This link doesn't offer price, but it does have the story, which you will need to read to understand the comments.)
Appearance: Translucent, dark, angry, "I see a lot of AIDS, but not many goats."
Nose: 4 - Smokey
Intensity: 3.5
Balance: 5
Complexity: 4.2 - Bursts
Finish: 4 - Tasty but subtle
Comments: It has AIDS and goats. Highest entertainment value per dollar. Likely good with chocolate or steak.
Dan and Haley's favorite. Jen's second favorite red. 

G. Barista Pinotage 2009 - more info

Appearance: Similar to the last one, cherry, not as viscous
Nose: 5 - Spicy and grassy
Intensity: 2.7
Balance: 4
Complexity: 5 - "What is that?"
Finish: 5 - "Long and luscious"
Comments: Grassy, coffee, mocha, cherry, meadow, open field, snakes and butterflies, staccato, sensuous.
Kerri's favorite. Jen's favorite red.



H. Graham Beck The Game Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - more info
Appearance: Purple, confident and sexy (in a Scottish accent)
Nose: 3.6 - Molasses, honey
Intensity: 2.4
Balance: 4
Complexity: 2.95
Finish: 4.2
Comments: Hippie wine, berry, vaguely smokey, chewy, round.

Asia/Sake

In celebration of the Lunar New Year, we decided to do Asia for our January tasting. Yes, Asia. Yes, I know that Asia is not a single country. This was all about easy access to the thing that most screams "Asian alcohol"-- SAKE! (And plum wine.) So, after we had our fill of delicious food, we began.

However... we ran into a little bit of a predicament. Sure, we can pretend that regular wine ratings work for the plum wines, but how do we rate sake? A quick trip to the internet gave us our answer. I found eSake's guide to be the most comprehensive and easy to follow; the following variables and descriptions were snagged from their website.

- fragrance (1=none, 5=prominent fragrance)
- impact (1=quiet, 5=explosive)
- sweetness (1=sweet, 5=dry)
- acidity (1=soft, 5=puckering)
- presence (1=unassuming, 5=full)
- earthiness (1=delicate, 5=heavy)
- tail (1=quick, 5=pervasive)


A. Momokawa Silver Junmai Ginjo Sake - (more info)
Fragrance: 1.8
Impact: 1.4
Sweet/Dry: 3
Acidity: 1
Presence: 2
Earthiness: 2
Tail: 2.4
Comments: Floral and fruity fragrance, refreshing, watery, clean, not overpowering. "Like vodka spraypaint." (But subtle!)


B. Kizakura Carbonated Nigori Sake - (more info)
Fragrance: 1
Impact: 1.758
Sweet/Dry: 2.5
Acidity: 1
Presence: 1.8
Earthiness: 1.5
Tail: 2
Comments: Hits sweet, finishes dry. Fizzy, very mild. "Really enjoyed it."
Everyone's favorite sake, I think.

C. Gekkeikan Horin Sake - (more info)
Fragrance: 3.7
Impact: 4
Sweet/Dry: 4
Acidity: 3.5
Presence:  4
Earthiness:  3
Tail: 4
Comments: "I feel like it bitch-slapped me." Definitely not a beginner's sake, or for those looking for something mild. Regardless, good flavor.

D. Gekkeikan Kobai Plum Wine - (more info)
Appearance: whiskey, apple juice, thin and golden
Nose: 4
Intensity: 3
Balance: 2
Complexity: 2
Finish: 4
Comments: Apple juicy with an aroma of amaretto. "Oh damn!"
Ashley's favorite


E. Fuki Plum Wine - (more info)
Appearance: thin simple syrup, thick water
Nose: 4
Intensity: 2.4
Balance: 2.78
Complexity: 2.86
Finish: 4
Comments: Cherry, delicious, "yum," "good," easy to drink


And now for something completely different:

F.  Naylor Red Raspberry Wine - (more info on the vineyard)
Appearance: very red, cranberry juice
Nose: 2.4
Intensity: 1.7
Balance: 2
Complexity: 2
Finish: 3
Comments: Crisp, tart with an earthy aroma, "like eating a raspberry off a wild bush."
Jen's favorite

G. Naylor Intimacy Ice Wine 2007 - (see above for info)
Appearance: yellow, wine-ish
Nose: 2.7
Intensity: 1
Balance: 2
Complexity: 3
Finish: 4.6
Comments: Honey aftertaste, marshmallow-y and then honey.

Australia/New Zealand

Today's ACTUAL foray into the realm of wine led us to Australia and New Zealand (the last post was a catch-up from the previous tasting). We went with whites first. Today, MV taught us that you can see the amount of tannin in a wine by looking at the vertical streams in the glass after you swirl it. Who knew?! Here's some other interesting stuff about tannin.

EDIT: The lines are actually created by the alcohol-- more lines = more alcohol = drier wine.

A. Mohua Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - more info
Appearance: blonde, clear, straw-colored
Nose: 4
Intensity: 1
Balance: 3.5
Complexity: 3
Finish: 4
Comments: Tart, crisp. Would go well with sharp cheese, fish, or crab.
Jen's favorite white

B. Yellowtail Moscato - more info
Appearance: "Miller High Life," slightly bubbly, more golden
Nose: 2.5
Intensity: 1
Balance: 4.257
Complexity: 1.7
Finish: 3
Comments: "Golden Delicious" apple-dapple, "sugar in a glass," "it's good, man."

C. Starborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - more info
Appearance: blonde
Nose: 4.5
Intensity: 1
Balance: 3
Complexity: 3
Finish: 3
Comments: smells more alcoholic, like grass, doesn't follow through-- it smells better than it tastes. Good with cheeses and creams. More sour than tart, but better as you drink it. Good with onion rings!

D. Royal Bitch Reserve Merlot 2008 - more info
IT'S A TRAP! This wine is actually from Chile, but we rated it anyway.
Appearance: intense, formidable, deep red, garnet
Nose: 5
Intensity: 3
Balance: 3.8
Complexity: 3.14
Finish: 4
Comments: pair with something heavy, "warm and fuzzy," more with-dessert wine.
Bryan's favorite

E. Robert Oatley Tempranillo 2009 - more info
Appearance: really dark, cherry
Nose: 4.2
Intensity: 3.5
Balance: 4.5
Complexity: 3.5
Finish: 3
Comments: "more for a winter's day than a summer evening," "it's strong, but it's not long."
Jen's favorite red

E. Layer Cake Shiraz Vintage 2009 - more info
Appearance: deep, almost purple/black, cranberry
Nose: 4.2
Intensity: 4
Balance: 4.8
Complexity: 4
Finish: 4
Comments: spicy, strong, smoky, savory, steak wine (or lamb), dark fruit. "I feel like I should be a vampire."
Dan, Haley, and Pete's favorite

Spanish Wines

Based on a conglomeration of various wine rating charts around the web, these aspects were chosen for our rating system:
- color depth and hue
- aroma nose (1=oxidized, 3= acceptable, 5=intriguing)
- aroma intensity (1=light, can only smell with nose in the glass, 5=pronounced, can smell when held at shoulder level)
- balance (5=perfectly balanced among fruit, tannin, acidity, sugar, alcohol, delicacy, and structure)
- complexity (1=simple, 3=interesting, 5=dynamic with many flavors)
- finish (1=none, 2=short/bitter, 3=medium, 4=long, 5=long with delicious aftertaste)

A. Muga Rioja Rose 2010 - more info
Appearance: light rose
Nose: 3.5
Intensity:2
Balance: 3
Complexity: 3.5
Finish: 3.5
Comments: Clean and crisp, a bit spicy; I, personally, became obsessed with this wine... it's one of the best roses I've had.

B. Savory & James Amontillado Medium Sherry - more info
Appearance: medium golden brown
Nose: 5
Intensity: 4
Balance: 2
Complexity: 5
Finish: 5
Comments: 20% alcohol! Like whiskey, flavors of maple, mocha, and chocolate.

C. Celler Piñol Terra Alta Nuestra Senora del Portal 2009 - more info
Appearance: Yep, it's white.
Nose: 3
Intensity: 1.5
Balance: 3
Complexity: 2
Finish: 2
Comments: Strange finish, acidic, more flavor with finish than sip, mild, good dinner wine.

D. Tapeña Verdejo 2009 - more info
Appearance: Also white. (We didn't get very creative with the whites.)
Nose: 4
Intensity: 2 
Balance: 4
Complexity: 3 
Finish: 3.7
Comments: Smooth, mellow, but not mild, summer wine, good, drinkable, very enjoyable all around.

E. Arroyo de la Vega Verdejo 2009 - more info
Appearance: White. (No sh*t!)
Nose: 2 
Intensity: 2.35
Balance: 3.89 
Complexity: 2.97
Finish: 2.83
Comments: Obviously we couldn't all agree on ratings for this one. Slightly acidic, "meh," standard issue table wine.

F. Dominio de Eguren Protocolo Tinto Vino de la Tierra Castilla 2009 - more info
Appearance: Very dark red, almost black
Nose: 4
Intensity: 4
Balance: 3.5
Complexity: 4
Finish: 4.8
Comments: MUST let it breathe. When we first opened it, it smelled very much like vinegar. Goes well with chocolate cake, not as smooth, but has "zing," initial bite.

G. Red Guitar Navarra Old Vine Tempranillo Garnacha 2008 - more info
Appearance: deep red
Nose: 4
Intensity: 3
Balance: 4
Complexity:  3
Finish: 3.95
Comments: Nice, like the bottle, festive (we did this one last, can you tell?), probably good with steak. Very drinkable red.