White, Red & Rosé Wines of the Americas (Week 6)
Info re: Napa Valley, http://qoo.ly/njw7x#http://bit.ly/2iwg63f
The Wines:
ARGENTINA
2014 Domino del Plata Susana Balbo Crios Torrontes 14.5% abv $14.99
Varietal: Torrontes
Region: Argentina Calchaqui (kal-cho-chee)Valley, Cafayate
2014 Catena Malbec 13.5% abv $24.99
Varietal: Malbec
Region: Argentina, Mendoza
CHILI
2016 Concha Y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Carmenere 13.5% abv $8.99
Varietal: Carmenere
Region: Chili, Concha Y Toro, Santiago
2015 Quintay Q Grand Reserve Pinot Noir 14.5 abv $12.00 (Last Bottle)
Varietal: Pinot Noir
2013 Montgras Antu Cabernet Sauvignon
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon2016 Emiliana Natura Chardonnay Un-Oaked
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Menu
Shrimp salad prepared by Jan
Mole with roasted chicken, avocado and cream cheese. The mole was amazing. I needed the cream cheese to cut the heat. Great dish Dianne.
Cream puffs with custard and chocolate.
ARGENTINA
2014 Domino Del Plata Susana Balbo Crios Torrontes 14.5% abv $14.99
Varietal: Torrontes
Region: Argentina Calchaqui (kal-cho-chee)Valley, Cafayate North west Argentina
My Tasting Notes:
Appearance
Nose
Palate
Assessment of Quality (balance, intensity, length and complexity)
Level of readiness to drink
More Information
An intense fruity, floral perfume, with medium body anbd acidity and flavors of stone fruits and melon. Wines are typically fermented in inert, temperature controlled vessels and released from winery the year of harvest.
Possible floral notes for Torrontes: geranium, white lily.
review from Vancover Magazine
Jasmine scents mingle with exotic citrus, herbal honey, and white peach on the heady nose of this seductive, aromatic white. Bold flavours of lime curd, guava, and orange Creamsicle define the palate, with a long, saline-dry finish. It’s got luscious body, plenty of fruit and structure, and it positively tingles with tangy verve. Susana Balbo made her first torrontés wine in 1982, and has learned along the way that canopy management is the key to avoiding the grape’s natural tendency to bitterness. She sources half the fruit from pergola vineyards in high-altitude Cafayate, and half from Mendoza’s Altamira zone, where calcareous soils ramp up acidic tension. (Look for a striking new label mid-summer for this Argentine standout.) Try it with halibut baked in parchment paper, anointed with a little coconut milk, a few lime leaves, a lemongrass stalk, and drizzle of sesame oil
2014 Catena Zapata Malbec 13.5% abv $24.99
Region: Argentina, Mendoza
My Tasting Notes:
The wine is medium ruby.
The wine is medium intensity and is fully developed. The aromas are of rose, plum, mint, licorice, vanilla.
The wine is dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium(+) tannin, medium body. It has medium(+) flavor intensity and medium finish. The flavor is of mint, black pepper and charred wood and dried blackberry.
The quality is good.
Drink now not suitable for aging.
More Information
Mendoza is responsible for 70% of Argentina's wine production
Malbec typically ripens midway through the growing season and produces small, intensely colored grapes. As it is so sensitive to its growing environment, the level of ripeness has a considerable effect on the structure of the eventual wine. Broadly speaking, French Malbec tends to be more meaty, rustic and tannic, while examples from Argentina seem to be uniformly rich, ripe, jammy and juicy.
Malbec's floral note options: Geranium, Violet
Exactly what is expected of benchmark Malbec, if without the layers and distinction that come with Catena's higher-end examples. Blackberry, vanilla, violet, and a bit of spice and bitter herbs on the finish. If you have a choice of value-driven Malbecs, pick this one
The Catena Malbec presents a deep violet color with purple reflections. This microclimate blend of four unique vineyards offers intense aroma, soft texture and concentrated flavor. Deep aromas of ripe red and dark fruits are joined by delicate violet and lavender notes, with traces of vanilla and mocha. A rich, concentrated mouthfeel is highlighted by flavors of blueberries and blackberries with a touch of leather and cinnamon. The wine has well-integrated tannins, bright acidity and a flinty minerality that provides exceptional length to the finish.
CHILI
2016 Concha Y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Carmenere 13.5% abv $8.99
Varietal: Carmenere
Region: Chili, Central Valley Region. Maipo Valley, Concha Y Toro, Santiago
Side Note: This was a tasty inexpensive Carmenere. I later tasted a2012 Terra Noble Gran Reserva D.O. Maule Valley Carmenere, 13.5% abv $19.99. It was even better, richer, still red fruit but with leather and a little mint. (Maule Valley and Curico Valley are at the southern end of the Central Valley region. It is a little cooler than Curico so the wines have a little more acidity.)
My Tasting Notes:
The wine is medium ruby.
The wine is medium intensity and is fully developed. The aromas are of violet, black currants, vanilla, mint and licorice. The wine is fully developed.
The wine is dry, with medium acidity, medium tannin, medium alcohol and medium body. It has medium flavor intensity and medium flavor. The flavors are of plum, coffee, mint and black pepper
The wine is very good.
Drink now, not suitable for aging.
The wine is medium intensity and is fully developed. The aromas are of violet, black currants, vanilla, mint and licorice. The wine is fully developed.
The wine is dry, with medium acidity, medium tannin, medium alcohol and medium body. It has medium flavor intensity and medium flavor. The flavors are of plum, coffee, mint and black pepper
The wine is very good.
Drink now, not suitable for aging.
More Information
Maipo Valley is a sub region in the heartland of the Chilean wine industry. Completely surrounded by mountains and very little coastal influence. The premium sites are located in the Andean foothills cooled by descending air lending elegance and structure. The region is known for Cabernet Sauvignon, minty flavor
Maipo Valley is a sub region in the heartland of the Chilean wine industry. Completely surrounded by mountains and very little coastal influence. The premium sites are located in the Andean foothills cooled by descending air lending elegance and structure. The region is known for Cabernet Sauvignon, minty flavor
Wine Library video 3 wines are reviewed.
Ever had a "craft beer" that tastes like your neighbor made it in his garage? This is the wine equivalent. It disappoints, even at this price point. It pours a beautiful dark purple transitioning to ruby at the rim. That's the best attribute. The nose is somewhat muted; alcohol is the dominant aroma. On the palate, the wine is flimsy on the fruit and tannin side but tastes alcoholic. Acid is medium plus. So, acid is high (unripe fruit?) and alcohol is high (ripe fruit?). Disjointed and unbalanced.
I actually liked this red wine. Medium bodied Cab that has nice taste profile of juicy dark berries, pepper, cocoa, and light tannins.
A juicy Cabernet Sauvignon with nice highlighted red berry and plum. Fine tannins complete a nice, long finish. Have this with high-protein meals like burgers and steaks.
2016 Emiliana Natura Chardonnay Un-Oaked
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Chili. Rapel Valley
Supposedly unoaked but I could taste some oak. A medium bodied Chardonnay with round mouthfeel and tropical flavors of lychee, pineapple, and grapefruit to go along with nice minerality
Anyway, back to the vino! It’s just what you expect from a steel-fermented and aged Chardonnay: some citrus tingle in the nose and on the palate, maybe a whiff of a sprig of herb, and a generous dose of tropical fruit with zero sweetness. This is definitely a crisp wine, but unlike other white varieties (Sauv Blanc, I’m looking at you) at this price, it’s not crass or so huge that it competes with food. It’s usually $12, but I picked up a few bottles for $9 a pop earlier this week.
I actually liked this red wine. Medium bodied Cab that has nice taste profile of juicy dark berries, pepper, cocoa, and light tannins.
A juicy Cabernet Sauvignon with nice highlighted red berry and plum. Fine tannins complete a nice, long finish. Have this with high-protein meals like burgers and steaks.
2016 Emiliana Natura Chardonnay Un-Oaked
Varietal: Chardonnay
My Tasting Notes:
Appearance
Nose
Palate
Assessment of Quality (balance, intensity, length and complexity)
Level of readiness to drink
More Information
Natura offers this surprisingly lean Chilean un-oaked Chardonnay. Perhaps a little more body than Chablis, but certainly less lush than most domestic versions of this versatile grape. Lime sorbet, yellow apple, underripe pineapple, and a pinch fresh green herbs. Silky on entry, it glides along, held aloft by bright grapefruit-pith tinged acidity. Lovely and fresh—a nice value, organically farmed grapes are an added perk. 13.6% ABV | SampleSupposedly unoaked but I could taste some oak. A medium bodied Chardonnay with round mouthfeel and tropical flavors of lychee, pineapple, and grapefruit to go along with nice minerality
Anyway, back to the vino! It’s just what you expect from a steel-fermented and aged Chardonnay: some citrus tingle in the nose and on the palate, maybe a whiff of a sprig of herb, and a generous dose of tropical fruit with zero sweetness. This is definitely a crisp wine, but unlike other white varieties (Sauv Blanc, I’m looking at you) at this price, it’s not crass or so huge that it competes with food. It’s usually $12, but I picked up a few bottles for $9 a pop earlier this week.
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