Mascaro Cava Brut Sparkling Wine: Review

12% abv
Product of Spain
$15.00 at The Fine Wine Source

This sparkling wine has some fresh fruit and a spicy note to tingle the nose. There is fresh apple and pear on the taste and plenty of effervescence to enjoy any celebration. This is a tasty sparkling wine. 

5 Vegas Miami Double Nickle: Review

Wrapper: Corojo Nicaraguan
Fillers: Nicaraguan ligero long-fillers
Size: 5.5 x 50 box press Double Nickel
My Strength Rating: 8

This cigar is spicy on the opening and throughout the smoking experience. This cigar has a solid black pepper profile. There is a good mixture of moss, mushroom, and hardwood earthy notes. This is what I expect out of a ligero tobacco filled cigar. The texture is coarse from the bold black pepper notes and the smoking experience if fairly intense. This was a good ligero filled cigar.

I am glad I have a few more of these cigars for this will have to be paired with a good stout or porter.

Korbel California Champagne Brut: Review

12 % abv
F. Korbel & Bros. Inc.
Guerneville, California, USA
Sonoma County
$14.00

I have always liked the Korbel’s Brut Champagne for the under $20.00 selection. I like its dry yet crisp texture and there is a good supply of bubbles. Let’s take a look.

A nice bright straw color with some fine bubbles. The overall bouquet is light with a dash of spice. The texture is crisp and the mouthfeel is dry – wow, I could remember! Have not lost it yet! The flavor is like spiced pears and I get a slight peppery feel. There is a fresh citrus twang on the palate. I think I’ll call it pink peppercorn to cover the sweetness in the taste.

While, the effervescence is firm on the start, it does fade when I get to the bottom of the glass. Even though the bubbles take a dive the taste is still interesting enough to finish the last sip or two.

If I was faced with the Barefoot or the Korbel Choice - I would go with the Korbel. The Barefoot was one dimensional: tart apple.  The Korbel had an overall better taste: a zip of citrus, spiced pear, and pink peppercorn.  It also had a better 'last' sip when the bubbles all ran dry.

Read: Korbel Sweet Cuvee Review

Barefoot Bubbly: Review

Brut Cuvee
Sparkling Chardonnay
$12.49 at Kroger Grocery Store

Nothing special on the nose and I mean nothing. The taste is tart green apple, which I like, but it ends there. Overall, there is a fizzy feel on the texture.

When I poured the first glass it was really bubbly looking and the effervescence was good. By the time I got to the mid-point in the glass it was just fizzy. By the bottom of the glass it seemed a little flat and boring. Let’s try a second glass – research is tough.

The second glass started off with a firm fizzy style and by the second sip it was just fizzy and it was downhill from there.

A very simple bubbly that would be good for those who don’t know the difference between a 10 dollar bottle or a 50dy bucker. This would be good to mix with orange juice, strawberry, pomegranate juice, or other mixers.

I just mixed it with a 100% cranberry juice concentrate. That was okay. The nose seemed tart and musty. The taste was still tart.

Now, let’s give the 100% Pomegranate juice concentrate a try. The sweet pomegranate comes through as a good mixer. The tart apple is now an undertone and the sweet pomegranate adds some needed flavor.  If I was ever going to buy this bubbly again (I won't) I'd mix it with Pomegranate juice concentrate. 

Lucente 2007: Wine Review

La Vite Lucente Toscana
Lucewines.com
Montalcino,Italia
50% Merlot, 35% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon

I purchased this bottle at the restaurant I go to regularly. It was suggested to me over a year ago and I have purchased it several times since. I really like this bottle and at $50.00 (restaurant price) it better be tasty.

The color is a pretty purple with ruby edges around the rim. Nice berries and a hint of cocoa-coffee greet the nose. The dark berries are present along with a plum taste to smooth things out. The cocoa-coffee note carries over to the taste. All the flavors are smooth just like the texture. The body is a solid medium style.

Terra Andina Reserva 2007 Carmenere: Wine Review

For me it has a nice black cherry and dark berry taste without the bite of a blackberry. There is a solid spice presence without being peppery. Definitely dry on the palate and comes across chewy and meaty. That means this wine has some body. This is yummy. The wine just coats the mouth with its grapey goodness.

This is a must buy.

Pairing this wine up with a cigar should be easy. One thing I don’t want to do is go too full bodied. I don’t want too strong of spice and pepper from the cigar. I want to work with the fruit profile of the wine. I am going to select a Por Larranaga Maduro Cigar. This cigar is mild to mild-medium in body.

This is a good pairing. The cigar lets me enjoy the full grapiness of the wine and the wine actually helps this cigar out some. The Por Larranaga Maduro is a good break from the bold and fuller bodied smokes but, it can be a little uneventful. The wine seems to transfer some of it flavors to the cigar.

Calluna Vineyards 2008 Red Wine: Review

Calluna Vineyards
Santa Rosa, California, USA
$29.00 at The Fine Wine Source

I am going to have to ask an expert in the wine industry but, I believe that a winery has to pay for the name ‘Meritage.” And, that brings up the point that so many bottles today have the name ‘Red Wine’ on the bottle instead of ‘Meritage.’ Is it the sign of the economy? These bottles are usually from 2007 or 2008. Maybe it is just me or maybe wineries are not paying for the name Meritage.

Any who, Calluna Vineyards Cuvee has a great ‘blend’ here: 44% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cab Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot. The five classic grapes used in a Bordeaux and could use the name Meritage.

Aroma:
Some nice ruby highlights shine through this plum colored body. The nose is soft earth and soft dark berry with a hint of smokiness. Nothing special on the nose but, it is only a 2008 bottle it may mature into something good.

Personally, I like these blends when they have four or five of the grapes involved and when they have a higher percentage of Cab Franc in the blend. This is just my personal preference but, I like the earthiness and the tart red fruits that a Franc grape brings to the game. I like to see 20% or more of Franc in the blend and especially when there is a higher percentage of Merlot in the mix like this wine. Just a personal thing.

Body:
The first thing I notice when drinking the first glass is the texture of this wine. It is medium-mild, smooth, with an almost crisp like feel. There is a nice lingering aftertaste that helps to maintain that medium body profile. The acidity seems low to moderate as well with the tannins.

This coming summer when you attend your local farmers markets you will have to look for some currants to buy. This past summer I found a vendor who had some and this was a good experience to taste some fresh red and black currants.

Taste:
Speaking of currants, this wine has a nice black currant profile. There is a soft red raspberry note, some mossy earth, a little tobacco, an undertone of oak, and a little watery edge on the palate. I cannot think of the last time I noticed a watery edge on a good red wine but, here it is.

I personally think this wine is just showing its immaturity. From what I taste here today I am thinking that it will be really good in 2013.

And with that thought, I just sold myself on a few bottles to put in the 2013 section of the cellar.

Next Day Tasting:
The black currants are a little fuller, the earthiness is a little thicker, and I don’t notice that watery edge today.

Wow, four days after opening:
Smelled safe.  Quick sip - not bad, ok, I'll ty another sip - uhm, it is better tasting today than the other days.  I have one glass left in this bottle I guess i'll finish it.  I thought this was going on the plants outside - I don't remember the last time I had a bottle make it past two days. 


I still think this is a wine you buy today to keep for a couple of years.

Tex Mex Tilapia

Tex Mex Tilapia

This is one colorful dish

I cooked up some Bamboo Rice to make the bed that the fish will sit upon. Bamboo Rice is a light green color as you can see in the picture and has a white rice taste.

I place the tilapia fish in a baking dish and pour some Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies on top of the fish.

When there were 2 minutes left on the fish I crumble up some purple corn chips on top of the Diced Tomatoes and turn on the broiler to toast up the chips. This makes a very attractive dish to serve.

Fess Parker 2007 Viognier Santa Barbara County

Viognier is pronounced: Vee-on-yay

Fess Parker Winery
Santa Maria, California, USA
14.9% abv
$24.00 a bottle
Fessparker.com

On the bottle notes: ‘Our full-bodied Viognier exhibits flavors of honeydew, white peach, mango and light butter, finishes with citrus and mineral notes.’

This is a fuller bodied white. Their description is as close as it gets. I really enjoyed this white wine and I am looking forward to drinking some more. Rumor is that the 08 is not as good as the 07. When I find it I’ll try it and let you know

Wine Enthusiast gives it a 93 rating.

I have had 5 different wines from the Fess Parker Winery and I have been more than satisfied with each one.

Click on the wine to view the posting
Fess Parker Pinot Noir 07
Chardonnay 08
Syrah 05 SBC
Syrah 04 Rodney’s Vineyard

Want to learn more about this grape visit – enjoyingviognier.com

Please leave a comment.

Justin 2007 Obtuse: Review

This is an American style port wine.

18%abv
375ml bottle
$17.00 a bottle
Justin Vineyards and Winery
Paso Robles, California, USA
JustinWine.com
I have never had this wine from Justin before so, when I saw this bottle I had to have it of course. This dark ruby colored port wine is attractive. Not only is it attractive but, smells good and taste wonderful. I think it is a date.

First Day - First 2 ounces
The aroma is cherry like with other berries and a touch of chocolate.
The dark 70% like chocolate taste with the ripe cherries and dark berry notes make this a luscious treat.

A few days later - another 2 ounces
Oh boy, this is even better. Yes, you can open this port wine and you have up to six months till you have to consume it (stored under proper conditions). The aroma still has the cherry-berry like nose but, I think the chocolate note is richer and there is a pleasing sent of alcohol spice on the nose as well.

The taste is much better. There is definitely a tawny port character to the taste now. There is a terrific nutty and cherry-chocolate like taste. I like the development of the nutty characteristic.

I think when I open another bottle of the Obtuse I will open it a day ahead of time.

Must buy.

Villa Antinori 2006: Wine Review

13.5% abv
Tuscany, Italy
Sangiovese 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Merlot 15%, Syrah 5%
12 months in oak casks – then 8 months in the bottle
My Strength Rating: 3.5

Nice red berries on the nose. Followed by a smooth delivery of red berry, blueberry, and a soft mossy and mushroom like note. This is a very good ‘mild to medium’ bodied wine to be enjoyed with lighter fare like veal or creamy pastas. A mild or mild to medium bodied cigar would be nice with this wine.

Justin Isosceles 2006: Wine Review

Justin Vineyards and Winery
15% abv
86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Merlot – (unfiltered).
Justinwine.com
Sug. Retail: $62.00
6 months barrel aged before blending and then an additional 16 – 18 months oak barrel aging.

After opening you may need to take your pinky finger and wipe the sediment out of the top of the bottle. This bottle has loads of sediment and this is a good thing because it is an unfiltered wine. If it was a filtered wine then I may have a problem. See the sediment pictures at the bottom of this post.

Appearance: deep purple
Aroma: a variety of notes abound, currants, dark cherry, dark berry and fruit along with mocha and a nice smoky note.

Taste: This is yummy and why it is one of my favorite Justin wines. Not only is this a very good bold wine but, it has a soft side that gives it some elegance. Dark cherry, red and black currants, a soft blackberry note, an undertone of tasty vanilla-mocha with a touch of sweet caramel. Oh, that is it I am going to grab a piece of dark chocolate covered caramel. Okay, this is wonderful ... a piece of Kilwin’s dark caramel and a glass of Isosceles. Either take small bites off the piece of caramel or put the whole damn thing in your mouth and either way savor it with each sip of wine. Back to the wine notes. There is a pleasing charred oak and earthiness that brings this all together for one fabulous wine.

Mouthfeel: as I stated above, it has a bold style with a soft side that comes across in an elegant way.

sediment is a good thing here

Oh boy do I love this wine.

Buy, buy, buy.

This wine will age up to 2025 according to justinwine.com. And, I have 4 bottles left that I plan to store till 2016. Wow, this tasted so good it is going to be hard to keep my hands and cork screw off them bottles.

 
 
 

sediment from the bottle

Triple Overtime 2005 Cabernet Franc and La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 6 Maduro

The Wine
Triple Overtime 2005 Cabernet Franc

14.5% abv
Iltripleovertime.com
Napa Valley, California, USA
Igor Larionov Select Wines
My Strength Rating: 4.5

Igor Larionov is a former Detroit Red Wing hockey player and being from the Detroit area as well as a hockey fan I just had to buy this bottle. As it states on the bottle about Igor, “…being the oldest player in NHL history to score a triple overtime goal in the Stanley Cup Finals on the way to winning his 3rd Stanley Cup Championship.” Oh, how great that moment was and how great it was to see him skating for the Red Wings. I did not make it to the Fine Wine Source when Igor visited (about a year ago) and signed bottles of his wines but, Jim Lufty got me a few bottles of his fine wine with Igor’s signatures.

Here is the description from the bottle, “…bouquet of cedar, spice and black fruits. In the mouth there is an abundance of sweet cherry, blackberry and vanilla…”

On the opening of the bottle there is plenty of sediment on the cork and within the neck of the bottle. Oh, this is good stuff.

Based on the first glass; to me I get the spice and black fruits and berries on the nose along with a sweet vanilla-cherry note. I am not picking up the vanilla on the taste but, the sweet cherry and blackberry along with black currant fills the palate. A pretty straight forward wine. The tannins and acidity are moderate making it approachable for most palates. The mouthfeel is smooth overall.

Decanted second glass; the black fruits are a little richer and there is a little more earthiness on the nose while the sweet vanilla-cherry notes become more of an undertone.

Now, this is what I like about Cab Franc wines - the earthy style is showing up. While, the earthy notes are showing up it still is smooth in texture. The sweet cherry, blackberry, and black currants are still on board for a very tasty wine.

The medium body of this wine and its smooth texture will give it some good range for pairing with food and cigars. This is a nice Cabernet Franc.

The Cigar
La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 6 Maduro
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Filler: Mexican, Dominican, Brazilian, and Nicaraguan
Size: 5-7/8” x 60
My Strength Rating: 6

This is one smooth and rich tasting cigar. I have always enjoyed the Serie R line-up from La Gloria. The key to a tasty cigar with the maduro is to get a jet black stick and not the ruddy blackish-brown stick. Back when I use to buy these by the box I would have the tobacconist open the box up before I would purchase the box to make sure I was buying the jet black ones.

Now, this is not a complex cigar. Just like the Triple Overtime wine this cigar is pretty straight forward. This cigar has a very rich and tasty earthy-coffee style. The earthiness is like the rich soil that the plants are grown in. The coffee is a rich and thick Espresso style. On the second half of the smoke there is a green peppery spice that builds to add some character. The earthy style becomes thicker as you near the end of the cigar.

I think the earthy style of this cigar will go well with the wines cherry and blackberry taste.

The Pairing
I would like to sit back with Igor and enjoy this pairing. The earthy profiles are working with each other for a good medium bodied experience. The moderate spice and espresso like notes of the cigar are nice with the berries from the wine. This is a good pairing to just sit back and enjoy.

Justin Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Justin Vineyards and Winery
Paso Robles, California, USA
Visit their web site for tasting notes
JUSTINwine.com

I was out to dinner and I saw the Justin Cab 2008 on the wine list and I had to give it a try. Justin has to be one of my favorite Cabernets and well, favorite wineries.

This Cabernet was aged in oak barrels for 17 months.

The nose has a nice berry aroma that leans toward the red berries.

The taste is very nice but, not complex. The red notes are at play: red cherries and red currant. The texture comes across velvety smooth. While it comes across as a pretty simple wine it will be interesting to see how it ages. I think I’ll be buying some pretty soon and I’ll wait till the end of 2011 to see how it is aging.

CEV Merlot 2005 by: Colio Estate Vineyards: Wine Review

12.7% abv
Colio Estate Vineyards
Harrow, Ontario, Canada
coliowines.com

Colio Winery started back in 1980 off the north shores of Lake Erie. I discovered this winery about 7 or 8 years ago. They have wine for every palate; from the newbie to the experienced wine drinker. If you are in driving distance of this winery it would be worth a day trip to visit and pick up a few bottles. With the December holidays coming up I’ll be visiting to pick up some Lily’s Sparkling Wine.

Back to The Wine

Here are the tasting notes from their web site: coliowines.com
Colour: Dark garnet
Bouquet: Chocolate, blueberry and dark toast…
Taste: Chocolate, white pepper and ripe blueberries with a longstanding fruit finish

This is one deep color and that should be a good thing. To me the lighter the color on a Merlot wine usually means less body, less texture, and just less everything. Okay, I am giving my attitude away toward Merlot wines. Yes, it’s true that Merlot wines were made to get Americans to drink more wine. But, that is old stuff. Today, you can find some good quality Merlot wines. So, I digress.

Back to The Wine Again

If I didn’t already know that this was a Merlot – I would not guess it was a Merlot. The deep rich color and the nose is so Cabernet like. There are some dark berries on the nose. I know they have blueberry listed but I get a black current note as well. This is followed by a nice smoky style, a touch of spice, and a hint of white pepper.

The taste is just yummy. Blackberry, blueberry, black currant along with a good dark chocolate presence (80% like), and a solid earthy profile. To me there is a nice blackberry tart bite that mingles with a good earthy-soil note to make for an almost chewy mouthfeel. This wine does coat the palate and for a Merlot it comes across thick. I really like this wine. The aftertaste is long, with the berries and earthy notes just covering the tongue, for a lasting impression. The white pepper and spice is nice on the back of the palate.

This Merlot may not be for the average or occasional wine drinker. This Merlot has some structure, body, strength, texture, and power. No wonder it has won a Gold Medal at the Great Lakes Wine Judging and a Silver Medal at the Ontario Wine Awards: both in 2009.

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Horse Play Rollicking Red 2005: Wine Review

The blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 44%, Merlot 39%, Syrah 17%
Three of the grapes of Meritage Red Wine
13.8% abv
Vinted and bottled by: Horse Play
Santa Rosa, California, USA
Horseplaywines.com

I picked this bottle up at the local grocery store for only $7.50 a bottle – half off its regular price. I only bought one bottle and got home and tasted it and then went back to buy the remaining bottles. This is a tasty red wine. The aroma has a rich dark berry nose. The taste will not disappoint you. The blackberry and currants are flavorful. The red cherry and plum notes help to balance the lush texture of this wine. The mossy earth, tobacco, and delicate spice undertones help to bring this flavorful wine together.

This is what they have to say on their web site:

“Our debut 2005 vintage was produced from choice grapes grown in Sonoma County and the Central Coast regions of Paso Robles and San Benito County. The outstanding 2005 growing season fostered intense, concentrated flavors in our grapes, greatly enhancing the quality of this robust, yet graceful red, which gained further complexity from five months’ aging in French and American oak.”

Pick up a bottle of this wine if you find it.

Fess Parker 2007 Pinot Noir: Wine Review

Santa Barbara County
fessparker.com
Visit their web site and buy yourself a raccoon skin cap

This is one tasty wine with notes of bing cherry, raspberry, pomegranate?, and just plain loads of berries. This would be fun to wine to play the game, “what berry am I tasting?”

There is just the right touch of mocha, just a touch.

The aroma is just super special.

This is a terrific Pinot Noir. Pick up a bottle and give it a try.