This is from one of the early Garagiste (Garage wines) wineries. Inky purple, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is earthy with cassis and a touch of brown sugar. Plush texture. Medium to firm tannins. Long finish. Drinking well and close to maturity. Drink over the next five to eight years. This would work nicely with beef stroganoff.
Purple in color with some ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, tobacco, cherries and dust. Medium to full bodied. Great lush texture. On the palate this is bigger than on the nose. Cassis with some char. Firm tannins. Medium depth. Good finish. i found this to be slow maturing like many 2000's but it is certainly accessible and drinking well at this point. it should go at least another ten years. This would work nicely with Lamb chops.
This is a 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Purple in color, shimmering bright. The nose is dusty with black cherries, cassis, and some char. Full bodied. Soft texture. Medium tannins. On the palate, this is tight but complex. It unwinds slowly. Black cherry fruit with some spice. Good finish. This is drinking well and will work well with many foods. Certainly, it would be nice with Rotisserie Chicken. Drink over the next seven to ten years.
Great showing for this wine. Still, not close to maturity, but certainly no harm drinking now. Purple in color with very slight dark brown hues, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, blueberries, cigar, graphite, and a slight herbal/minty note. Medium tannins. Full bodied. On the palate, cassis with underlying char and minerality. Good acidity. Complex. Long finish. This is delicious and kept improving all night long. It will improve but was fantastic now. Great on its own, this needs big/fatty food now such as Prime Rib. Drink over the next twenty years.
Light golden in color with a nice mousse of medium small bubbles. Clear and bright. The nose has some pears but overall, quite tight. Medium bodied with good acidity. More open on the palate with lemon-lime notes and minerality. Good finish. Overall, it seems to be hiding something, but even with air, it never developed the depth it seems to promise. To be sure, a very nice wine that will work with most foods. It would go well with spicy Hunan food. Drink over the next few years.
This is 100% Chenin Blanc fermented and aged in wood barrels. Golden in color, clear and bright. The nose shows some citrus and spice. A nice oily texture. On the palate, lemons. Crisp. Nice finish. A very nice wine that is drinking well. The oak is not obtrusive and seems to add a bit of weight/texture to the wine. It is lovely on its own and should work well with many foods. It would be a nice pairing with scallops. Drink over the next seven to ten years.
This was oxidized. Apparently, the cork crumbled on removal. Of course, anytime a White Burgundy is oxidized earlier than expected it is worrisome. My friend who opened it said prior bottles had been good.
Ruby in color, mostly opaque and partly bright. The nose has cherries, strawberries, slight black olives and slight black pepper. Medium bodied. Lower acidity. On the palate, black cherries and cherries with a soft texture and light tannins. Easy drinking and approachable. Seems more cooler climate in style. Nice finish. More on the delicate/feminine side of Syrah. Nice on its own, this will work well with foods, but stay away from foods that may overpower it. Pan roasted chicken breast would work well. Drink over the next five to eight years.
The wines of Pegau can reach great heights, but they often have a lot of barnyard notes which are not for everyone. I love them. Purple in color with ruby swirls. Most opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, cigar, cedar and yes, barnyard. Medium bodied. Lower acidity. On the palate, black cherries with some earthiness. Complex. Getting pretty close to peak. Long finish. This is great on its own, but probably better with food. A nice beef stew would be classic but it would work with a bowl of chili, too. Drink over the next five to ten years.
One of my favorite white wines of Italy. This is their basic Soave and while not at the level of the vineyard designated wines, this is still very good and a very good value. It is a blend of 85% Garganega and 15% Trebbiano di Soave. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose has peaches, lots of minerality, salinity, and lemon peel. Medium bodied. Crisp, but with some viscosity. Medium acidity. On the palate, its more about the minerality although there is some peach. Easy. This would work well with Indian cuisine. Drink over the next few years.
