Antonio Sanguineti 2008: Review

Nessun Dorma

A Supertuscan

Blend: 50% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot, Syrah 20%

13.5% abv

Toscana, Italy

Appearance: deep purple with a ruby rim.

Aroma: light dark cherries with a little herbal note

Flavors: nice fruit forward notes of dark cherry, blueberry, black raspberry jam. There is a soft mossy earth note and a hint of herbs.  Now and then I get a dusting of a cinnamon feel. 

As the wine opens up the earthy note changes from mossy to an easygoing rich soil feel.

Mouthfeel: a smooth leather texture with lingering dark berries and dark fruits on the palate.  A light dry feel on the aftertaste.

My Strength Rating: 4  - tannins and acidity are low and the flavors are tasty.

To the Point: a tasty wine to sit back and relax with friends or enemies.  This should make you friends then. 

Robert Mondavi 2009 Meritage: Review

Private Selection

13.5% abv

Blend: 41% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon,

11% Petit Verdot, 10% Malbec, 3% Cab. Franc

Vinted & Bottled by: Robert Mondavi

Woodbridge, California, USA

mprivateselection.com

$10.00 a bottle

I bought this bottle at the fundraiser for Waggin’ Tails Dog Rescue

Appearance: deep purple with a nice purple edge

Aroma: mixed dark berries with a slight spice

Flavors: spice is right up front, touch of black pepper, hint of blackberry with a dose of boysenberry, there is a slight watery edge that hits the palate.   Once the wine opens a bit there is just a touch of mocha and a hint of coffee and I am going to add a note of Michigan Cherry.

Mouthfeel: smooth; dark berries dance on the tongue; feels a bit thin at first but fills in a little if you get it to breath. 

My Strength Rating: 4.5 – I was going to do a 4 but, the lingering berry notes said 4.5. 

To the Point: a nice medium bodied Meritage.  Not the most complex wine, a bit thin at first and then fills in a little as it breathes.  For $10.00 a bottle it is a good party wine or a good introductory wine for the newbie.

Hannah Nicole 2009 Viognier: Review

Contra Costa County

14.7% abv
$10.00 a bottle

Blend: 90% Viognier, 10% Sauvignon Blanc

Hannah Nicole Vineyards, Inc

Brentwood, California, USA

Hnvwines.com

Here is what they have to say on the bottle. “Our 2009 Viognier is 100% Stainless Steel Fermented, retaining the fresh clean aromas of Fuji Apple, pear and honeydew melon, that draw you into the crisp subtlety of pink grapefruit, and a kiss of honey on the finish.”

Appearance: wow, as close to water clear as one can get without being so.  Just a faint touch of straw.  A refreshingly beautiful look.

Aroma: fresh apple, slight twist of citrus, crisp

Flavors: apple, honeydew, touch of peach, apricot, pear, hint of floral, touch of honey, a dose of mineral rock water, and the pink grapefruit is what I get on the finish.  It has a splash of red and pink grapefruit that awakens the back of the palate.   

Mouthfeel: fresh and crisp on the deliver.  Citrusy and dry on the back of the palate and these notes linger on the tongue. 

My Strength Rating: 4 - because of the lingering dry notes

I like!

Front Porch Merlot 2007: Review

Napa Valley

C & T Cellars

Blend: Mostly Merlot with a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon

“…wine to celebrate the simple pleasures in life…”

Appearance: garnet in color with ruby highlights.

Aroma: very aromatic, sweet cherries, berries, and spice.

Flavors: fruit forward and following the nose.  Reminds me of a mulberry or elderberry jam.  Don’t decant. 

Mouthfeel: smooth, lingering sweet berry patch, relaxing, I could sip this all night.

My Strength Rating: 3 – very tasty light bodied red.

To the Point: A perfect summertime red wine whether you are on the front porch or back.  I am on my back porch of my summer place and I may have to fight off a few hummingbirds for this tasty wine.

St. Francis 2005 Old Vines Zinfandel: Review

Pagani Vineyard Sonoma Valley

14.8% abv

St. Francis Winery

Santa Rosa, California, USA

Stfranciswinery.com

$55.00 at a restaurant / around $28 online

Appearance: an attractive deep purple

Aroma: nice mix of red and dark berries on the nose with a hint of spice box.

Flavors: Oh, a good cinnamon and nutmeg pie spice greets my palate.  A smooth dark cherry and mulberry likeness and a slight toasted vanilla oak note mixes with a creamy 60% like dark chocolate.  Very tasty. 

Mouthfeel: silky smooth as the wine glides across the tongue with a pleasing cherry-berry aftertaste.

My Strength Rating: 4.5

I think if you can find this wine for around $25 it is a good buy

Meiomi Pinot Noir 2008 Belle Glos: Review

The grapes to make this Pinot came from three different vineyards Sonoma County 65%, Monterey County 20%, and Santa Barbara County 15%.  It is said that the Santa Barbara grapes add to the spice-filled aromas; Sonoma adds to the bright berry flavors; and Monterey has the rich texture to give it some substance. 

13.9% abv – why not 14 – I feel cheated

Belle Glos Wines

Rutherford, California, USA

Meiomiwines.com

My Strength Rating: 3 – truly velvety smooth

Appearance: a rich ruby color

Aroma: red fruits, reminds me of the red raspberries I had for breakfast this morning. Overall, a pleasing aroma to this wine.    

Flavors: If you want to know what the term ‘fruit forward’ means – try this wine, for it is fruit forward.  Notes of; sweet strawberry, red currant, tasty raspberry to name a few.  

Mouthfeel: I really like the mouthfeel of this wine.  Creamy was my first word that came to mind.  Then, velvety smooth came to mind.  The mouthfeel on this Pinot Noir is a great experience. 

Here are the wine notes from their web site – I can’t wait to see how I did.

“Deep garnet color. Luxurious and dynamic aromas of ripe strawberry, bright cherry and faint notes of spicy oak and vanilla. The complexity of the palate smoothly layers rich red currant notes and baking spice flavors with light smoke, earth and leather. A balanced, velvety texture and supple tannins carry the wine through to a lingering, succulent finish.”

They call it deep garnet and I think it is a medium ruby at best

Triple Overtime 2006 Merlot: Review

Napa Valley

Igor Larionov Select Wines

St. Helena, California, USA

Iltripleovertime.com

Blend: 77% Merlot, 14% Cab Sauvignon, and 9% Franc.

14.6% abv

$20.00 a bottle

Appearance: rich ruby body

Aroma: a wonderful spicebox nose

Flavors: the spice follows the nose, dark and red currants, and plum. 

The second glass displays some more character.  I would recommend opening this bottle and letting it breathe for 15 or 20 minutes (decant) before serving just to get those flavors involved. 

The spice, currants, and plum are still present but, the earthy tones open up to a mushroom and mossy style.  There is also a smooth sweet mocha note in the mix.  

Mouthfeel: smooth, elegant, macho like finish with sweet dark cherry.  The acidity and tannins are low. 

My Strength Rating: 4.5 – This wine just glides across my tongue.  The weight is light and the flavors are plentiful.

To the Point: above average Merlot.  If you like smooth and medium bodied Merlot's this should work for you.  I would buy the Hattrick Reserve Merlot before this one. 

The Hattrick 2005 Reserve Merlot: Review

Igor Larionov Select Wines

Stags Leap District

Napa Valley

14.5% abv

$45.00

On the back of the bottle, “The Merlot with a splash of Cabernet Franc Exhibits a deep ruby – garnet color as well as dense, smoky black cherry flavors, medium to full body, soft tannins and plump finish.”

Iltripleovertime.com

Appearance: deep ruby it is

Aroma: smoky, dark berries, touch of oak

Flavors: earthy notes of rich soil and minerals, toasted oak, tobacco, black currants, I am not thinking of black cherry (sweet) it is more like a Michigan cherry (tart) especially on the finish,

Mouthfeel: smooth in delivery, a slight tartness on the back of the palate, a dry oaky note and dark berry like lingering note

My Strength Rating: 7  a very good medium-full bodied red wine.

Visit CigarPostings for the cigar pairing with this wine

The cork reads, “Hockey is my life – wine is my passion”

Pirineos Mesache Tinto 2005: Review

13.5% abv

50% Old Vine Garnacha, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, and 10% Parraleta which is a rare grape from Somontano, Spain. 

Only $22.00 from a restaurant

Appearance: deep black cherry color

Aroma: there is a strong ‘old’ musty nose that is bothersome, some dark berries behind that musty smell.

Flavors: yep, the musty smell carries over to the main flavor.  The cork did not look bad but, this has that cork musty old wet wood note.  There are some berry notes mixed in here but, nothing special here. 

Buy: Nope, much better out there.

Sanson Bacobama: Review

Red/White Blend

No Vintage

12% abv

Sanson Estate Winery

Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada

Sansonestatewinery.com

$14.00 Canadian

My Strength Rating: 3

This is a blend of Baco Noir and a touch of white wine (probably Vidal). 

Okay, I have to admit I do not have much hope for this wine.  Like its name sake it is probably all style (nice label) and no substance.  If you believe in Obama’s substance then, if you are in debt, come on over and buy as many cases of this wine as possible.  According to the President if you are in debt you can spend your way out of it.  Great idea! 

Now, I do have some hope for this wine.  I did try it at the Sanson Winery and it was okay.  My Obama loving sister thought it was very good. 

This red/white blend has a nice purple color and a light very-berry aroma.  To me this wine has a nice black raspberry taste, a light plum, there seems to be a little strawberry swirling around, a light mouthfeel, and a bit of dark berries lingering on the back of the palate. 

I have to admit this – I liked this wine.  While, I did rate this on my strength scale as a 3 it is not thin or watery. 

At first I could not figure out the flavor then, it hit me that I have tasted this before.  So, I went to the cellar and opened up a jar of black raspberry jelly that I bought from a local farmer in Port Austin Michigan and tasted the jelly.  Yep, that tastes like the flavor I was trying to figure out – black raspberry. 

Funny thing … I called my sister and asked her if she opened her bottle yet and she had … and she did not like it. 

The one thing you will notice about this bottle is that it does not have the VQA distinction.  VQA stands for Vinters Quality Alliance.  This is an organization for Ontario Wineries that meet quality standards for their wine.  One of the standards is that the grapes are grown in Ontario.  Sanson Estate grew these grapes at their vineyard in Ontario.  But, the organization probably does not recognize the blend of a red and white grape or they just did not have it's birth certificate for those grapes.  So, Sanson Estate says, this is their wine to ‘recognize change.’  Just like Obama said during his campaign, “Change.”  Well, Sanson Estate and the American’s found out that things just stay the same.

Sanson barncat 2006: Review

13.5% abv

Sanson Estate Winery

Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada

Sansonestatewinery.com

Blend of: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir

Appearance: rich ruby

Aroma: light berry mix and spice

Flavors: red and black berry mix, tart red berries, some white pepper mustiness

Mouthfeel: light lingering berry notes, fairly light in body

My Strength Rating: 4

This was okay overall.  I think I prefer the Sanson Bird Dog Red.

CEV Signature 2002 Merlot: Review

13% abv

100% Merlot

Fermentation: 14 days on skins

Aging: 26 months in New European oak barrels

Colio Estate Vineyards

Harrow, Ontario, Canada

$59.45 Canadian

Coliowines.com

Appearance: deep deep purple body with rich ruby highlights, almost black looking from the side.  As I look closer at the highlights I see some light browning in color.  This wine might be starting to show its age.  It is 9 years old now. 

Aroma: Oak, smoke, faint berry notes

Flavors: a solid oaky style is front and center to me.  Tobacco leaf, dried cranberries, tart cherry, and dried brown spice on the back of the palate

Mouthfeel: a dry 85% dark chocolate like finish and aftertaste.  The aftertaste is very dry and a glass of water would be perfect with this merlot.  The wine has a smooth leathery feel.

This is my kind of Merlot

Viewpointe Focal Pointe 2002: Review

Cabernet Franc

14.2% abv

Viewpointe Estate Winery

Harrow, Ontario, Canada

Viewpointewinery.com

$15.00 Canadian – On Sale ½ off

My Strength Rating: 5.5

I tasted this wine at their winery and I thought it was just okay for a Cab. Franc.  But, half off of 30 = 15 bucks … let’s give it a try. 

When I opened the bottle the condition of the cork had me a little concerned.  One quarter of the cork looks dry.  The bottom portion looks like the wine seeped into the cork.  Is this bottle ‘corked?’ 

I take a little whiff from the bottle and it seems okay.  After pouring a little into a glass the aroma is not of a ‘corked’ wine.  The taste seems good at this point. 

Appearance: garnet body with some ruby highlights.

Aroma: dark berry profile, reminisces of currant, blackberry, cherry, and a touch of smoke

Flavors: earthy style, mineral soil likeness, touch of tobacco, hint of dark chocolate (90% type), dark berries, firm blackberries, toasted oak on the back

Mouthfeel: dry dark chocolate bite, earthy notes cover the teeth and gums, tart berries, still smooth in its delivery

Detroit Red Wing Red 2007 Merlot: Review

North Coast

13.8% abv

Cellared and Bottled by:

Wine World Estates

St. Helena and Napa, California, USA

Alright, I do not have much hope for this wine.  It seems gimmicky to me but, let’s give it a good review and see.  Plus, this is game 4 of the first round tonight.  What a good way to watch the game.  Go WINGS!

Appearance: rich ruby color

Aroma: currant, berry, and a hint of alcohol spice

Flavors: dark berry like, black cherry, hint of green peppercorn spice on the finish.

Mouthfeel: light, smooth in its delivery, touch thin, linger berry note

My Strength Rating: 4 and I could see 3.5.  The aroma is light, the flavors are smooth and mellow.  There is not much in texture or long lingering notes. 

Gimmicky?  No.  It’s not a bad wine.  A good restaurant wine to go with pizza, sandwiches and the like.  Good wine to serve at a party.  Maybe a Stanley Cup Party!!!

Visit CigarPostings to see what cigar paired well with this wine