Individual Wine Reviews---Part 3

Individual Wine Reviews--Part 3 The following is a compilation of 33 of our individual wine reviews from the message board. This Part includes wines from New Zealand, Oregon, Romania, South Africa, Spain, and Uruguay. There is also a section on Sake. Please note that this article will be continually updated and expanded with new reviews. New Zealand 2000 Rippon, Pinot Noir, Central Otago (Rich) At $40, this was the most expensive wine of the tasting. But, I would never have guessed it from its taste. It was an average pinot with nothing exceptional about it. I have had $20 pinots that would blow this one away. A disappointment and a definite No Drink/No Buy. 2003 Hunter's Pinot Noir, Marlborough (Rich) New Zealand has acquired some fame for their pinots and this wine is a good example of what they can do. A light colored, medium bodied wine is has a nice fruit aroma and a pleasant taste on the palate. It tastes of some berry but with spice as well. The berry is not too lush or overpowering. It is more subtle with a decent finish. It is a smooth wine as well with some complexity in its structure. It is a $20 wine so you do expect some complexity and it does deliver in that regard. For me, it is a definite Drink and Buy. 2005 Sileni Cellars, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (Rich) At only 12.5% alcohol, this was a crisp, light wine with citrus and tropical fruit flavors. At $14, it was the most flavorful of the three wines and my favorite. A definite Drink/Buy. 2004 Mt. Difficulty Chardonnay, Central Otego (Rich) One whiff of this wine and I knew I would dislike it. It was a very oaky chardonnay, which I generally dislike. If you like oaky wines, you might like it. No drink, no buy. Oregon 2002 Montinore Estate Pinot Noir, Pierce's Elbow, Willamette Valley (Rich) This is a single vineyard wine of limited availability with only 300 cases having been made. This is another very good pinot, also in the Burgundian style. I t is a light wine, nicely balanced and with a long finish. I do like the Paraiso more than this wine, but I think both are excellent wines, especially for the price, also $20. A couple others who had both wines with me preferred the Montinore, once again showing that wine is largely a matter of personal preference. If you want to buy the Montinore, you can get it at the Wine Shop in Reading, though I doubt it will be there for long with its limited availability. 2004 Big Fire, Pinot Noir (Rich) This was disappointing. It seemed to be an anemic pinot, far too light and innocuous. I expect much better pinot from Oregon. This is a definite no drink, no buy. 2004 Cooper Hill, Pinot Noir, Cooper Mt. Vineyard, Willamette Valley (Rich) This pinot was somewhat between the French and California ones, balancing the subtly and bold upfront fruit. At $15, it is more reasonably priced and should appeal to more people. I liked it and would be a Drink/Buy. 2005 Anne Amie Riesling, Williamette Valley (Rich) This is a low production wine ($17) with a slight sweetness to it though I felt the finish was a bit bitter. Again, it was an ok wine but nothing special. Romania Vox Populi Pinot Noir (Rich)A Burgundian style pinot noir, so more subtle than the fruit bombs that some New World pinots can be. An excellent value for the price of $13. An easy drinking wine that should please many. Drink and Buy. South Africa 2003 New World Syrah (Rich) With dinner this evening, BBQ, I chose this wine from South Africa ($10). This is not a fruit forward Shiraz from Australia. This is a more complex Syrah, with spice and a bacon flavor! It is a more full bodied and smooth wine with a nice finish. This goes great with BBQ!!! And at the price, this is an excellent value as well. Definite Drink and Buy. 2004 Boekenhoutskloof, The Wolftrap, Franschhoek (Rich) I have recently had two bottles of this intriguing red wine blend that contains 47% Merlot, 14% Grenache Noir, 14% Malbec, 12% Syrah, 8% Ruby Cabernet, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cinsault. It is also French oak aged. It costs about $12 and has a screw cap. This is an excellent wine with a very smoky and spicy flavor. It is a full bodied wine which would be best with a nice piece of beef. It definitely has muscle and will make you take notice. It goes down very smoothly. I would definitely recommend this wine! (Chris)--I couldn't find the $28 wine we had a couple weeks ago, when I asked I was referred to something the wine shop said was similar, but being the cheap-ass I am, I couldn't buy something for $25 that I hadn't tasted and wasn't bringing to Tuesday. So, I ended up with a bottle of "The Wolftrap" 2004, South African, 47% Merlot, 14% Grenache Noir, 14% Malbec, 12% Syrah, 8% Ruby Cabernet, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cinsault... LOL. Anyway, I've enjoyed it tonight, all 100%, I'll try to pick up a bottle for review. Oh, it was $10.99 2005 Chardonnay Louisvale, Stellenbosch (Rich) This is an unoaked Chardonnay ($12) that was a smooth, mild wine with lots of citrus flavors on the palate. A nice, refreshing summer wine. As well as a Chardonnay for those who do not normally like Chardonnay due to its oakiness. 2003 Hill & Dale Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz (Rich) This wine ($10) was a very pleasant drink. It was a complex little wine, with interesting smoke and spice, a decently long finish and some notes of almost chocolate. It was an easy drinking wine without overpowering tannins. At this price, it is one of the better predominately cabernet wines I have had. A definite Drink and Buy. 2003 Hill & Dale Pinotage, Stellenbosch (Rich) This had to be the blockbuster value ($9) of the tasting. Smooth, smoky, earthy. A n intriguing and complex wine which is a superb value. It is mellower than most Pinotages so might even interest those who generally do not care for Pinotage. 2002 Rudera Syrah (Rich) This is a full bodied, chewy wine ($28) with lots of smoke and spice. It is still smooth and has a nice, long finish. This is a very enjoyable wine. A fine example of Syrah. A definite Drink and Buy. Spain 1998 Remirez de Ganuza Rioja Reserva (Rich) This Spanish wine is a traditional Rioja. It is a highly rated wine (95 by Robert Parker) and a superb example of the best of Spain. It retails for around $65. Last evening, I opened a bottle of this Rioja, for a birthday celebration of a friend. All I can say is MMMMMMMMMM!" What a superb experience! So smooth on the palate, like liquid velvet. A long, satisfying finish. This was just an exceptional wine and everyone who tasted it absolutely loved it. It was well worth every penny I paid. 2000 LAN Rioja (Chris) Full bodied, smooth finish. very.... dunno, large flavor, but not in a bad way. The second of my $11.99 bottles of the evening, and much better than the first. Drink/Buy for me. 2001 Castillo de Almansa Reserva, Bodegas Piqueras, S.A. (Rich) This Spanish wine is from a town just north of Jumilla. It is a red blend of 70% Tempranillo and 30% Mourvedre. It retails for $12-15. This was an excellent wine, nice berries on the nose, and a complex taste with the distinctive Mouvedre flavor. The finish is medium in length and it is a very satisfying wine, either alone or with food. A definite Drink and Buy and another fine example of some of the good values that can be found in Spain, especially in the lesser known regions. 2002 Les Alcusses, Celler del Roure, Valencia (Rich) This wine is a blend of 40% Monastrell, 40% Tempranillo and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a very nice easy drinking wine, with a berry nose, nice dark fruit on the palate and a bit of a smoky finish. Would go nice with some BBQ. Another good example of a Spanish value wine ($9). A recommended Drink & Buy. 2003 Taja Monastrell (Rich) With dinner this evening, I opened a bottle of 2003 Taja Monastrell, from the Jumilla region of Spain. For only $9, this reasonably priced wine is a good value. It is very smooth, with dark fruits and a jammy taste. It has a decently long finish and went well with pork. Another good value wine from Jumilla! 2003 Carchelo, Jumilla (Rich) This wine comes from the same area of Spain as the Panarroz. The Carchello is 50% Mourvedre, 20% Merlot, 10% Tempranillo, 10% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It cost $10. It has a nice light color with a tempting aroma. You get a mouthful of flavors, including some cherry, a bit of spice, maybe a little licorice. No one flavor dominates, instead the flavors mingle and tease. It went quite well with my minced, spiced lamb filled pastry. I would definitely recommend this as a Drink & Buy, another fine example of the values that can be found in Jumilla. 2004 La Vendimia, Palacios Remondo Rioja (Rich) An excellent example of Spanish Rioja ($15) that is a big, bold and chewy wine with lots of berry flavor. 2004 Barahonda Monastrell (Rich) This evening, I tried a bottle of this wine from the Yecla region of Spain, which is near the Jumilla region. On the nose there is dark cherry and a bit of earthiness. It is a full bodied wine, with cherry and dark berry on the palate. It is a more lush wine with a nice finish and some complexity. And at $12, I think it is another good value wine from Spain, a definite drink and buy. You might want to drink this wine with some food as it may be a bit strong for some alone. Oroya (Rich) Thursday night, I bought a bottle of Oroya, a Spanish wine created especially for drinking with sushi. A Japanese wine maker, Yoko Sato, created the wine, a blend of 3 grapes. The blend is 60-percent Airen, 30-percent Macabeo, and 10-percent Muscat de Alexandria. The Airen gives a floral touch, the Macabeo a tartness and the Muscat a sweetness. The bottle also has the kanji letters for "sushi" written on it. Some of the reviews states this is a crisp, yet lush, white wine. The three grapes combine to give smooth lemon-lime and white grapefruit flavors, light floral and citrus aromas, and just a hint of viscosity. The off-dry, yet still crisp and mineral finish holds up well to the heat of wasabi. Airen is grown on huge tracts of land in central Spain, it normally does not make a fine wine. Macabeo is one of the three grapes used in sparkling cava wine. I found this to be a very mild wine with no strong tastes. It definitely would never overpower any type of food. It went decently with the sushi, and was nicely quenching after a taste of wasabi accented sushi. It is an inoffensive wine, but with no real uniqueness. For $10, it is an ok white wine. I am not sure though that it provides anything of merit to the sushi. I will try another bottle soon, and see if I feel the same way. Villacezan "Seis Meses Tierra De Leon (Rich) This intriguing wine ($13) uses the Prieto Picudo grape, a very rare grape only grown on 12 estates in the world. This had a great nose and a very unusual but interesting taste. Nice fruit but with some tannins giving it more structure. Drink and Buy. Liberalia Cero, Toro (Rich)This was the essence of a dark, smoky wine, like a fine syrah or cabernet. A complex, dark-fruit and well balanced wine. Definitely worth the price of $20. Drink and Buy. 2005 Laxas Albarino (Rich) A Spanish white ($16) reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc. It is crisp, fruity (without overpowering grapefruit) though it has a short finish. Uruguay 2002 Vinedos de las Vientos Tannat (Rich) Tannat is the varietal of this wine ($23) and I had never tasted it before. It has a very unusual flavor, earthy and rustic, with alot of tannins. It definitely is a food wine, especially wild game or big meats. I did enjoy this wine, and think it is rather unique. A definite Drink and Buy, especially for the adventurous. Sake Hakushika Junmai Ginjo (Rich) This is usually found in 300ml bottles and costs about $9. That is a usual price for sake, if not even a little lower. For $27, you would get 900ml of sake vs the usual sized 750ml bottle which often costs $30+. This sake can be found in many stores and I often purchase mine at the Wine Shop in Reading. It is a very smooth and clean tasting chilled sake. Would be a good introduction for someone to the world of chilled sakes. Horin Gekkeikan Junmai Daiginjo (Rich) Gekkeikan makes other sakes and most of them I do not like. Their cheapest brand is sold in most liquor/wines stores and is not recommended for anyone. But, with the Horin ($28), they excel! First, the sake is presented well in an interesting shaped bottle with a resuable cork. It also comes in a black box with kanji upon it. Thus, it would make a nice gift. The sake is superb! It is a very high quality drink, smooth, with a nice taste of rice and other flavors. A sake that would be appreciated by any sake aficionado. Trader Joe's Sake (Rich) A good Junmai Ginjo sake can easily run $25+. But, I have found a very inexpensive sake that actually is very tasty. Trader Joe's sells its own brand of sake, a Junmai Ginjo sake in a 720ml bottle. The label states it is Medium Dry, soft and smooth. It was produced and bottled by Oimatsu Shuzo Co., Ltd. in Hita, Oita, Japan. It comes in a cool-looking blue bottle. And it sells for an amazing $9.99. This sake has a define smell of rice on the nose, and is smooth on the palate with a fairly long finish. There is also alot of flavor on the tongue, all of it pleasant. It is intended to be served slightly chilled, not warmed. For the price, this is a fantastic value, a definite Drink/Buy. For the price, it is also worth buying if you want to taste chilled sake for the first time. Yuki No Bosha limited edition Junmai Ginjo (Rich) This sake (whose named translates as “Cabin in the Snow"), because of its rice polishing rate, should qualify as a Dai Ginjo (the highest ranking) yet the brewery released it as only a Ginjo. They do sell 3 different Daiginjos. This was an intriguing sake, with a sweeter taste than many, though the sweetness was more subtle rather than in your face. There are also numerous fruit flavors on the palate, such as peach and banana. It is a very smooth and soft sake, with no harshness at all. I very much enjoyed this sake, and even at $36, I would Drink & Buy this. I do have several other bottles stored away so look forward to more happy sake drinking. Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo (Rich) This was a superb sake, very smooth and refreshing. One of the better sakes I have had. But, it is a bit pricey at $26 for a 300 ml bottle.