Sunday, January 27, 2019

Tasting - Daniel Chotard Sancerre Rose

Name: Daniel Chotard Sancerre Rose
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Sancerre
Country: France
Year: 2017
Price: $33

Winery Review: "Open and exuberant on the nose with lashings of strawberries and cream, it is all creamy red berries on the palate, with a hint of Pinot Noir spice and a fresh, clean finish. The wine is quite concentrated and rich this year because of the small Pinot Noir harvest, but it still possesses an impressive freshness and precision.

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine and thought it was refreshing and fruity. I could pick up on hints of strawberry, and it was aromatic. Very light and was extremely good on its own. Would definitely have this again, and I would definitely try to pair this with food next.

With/without food: I tasted this on its own without food.

Tasting - San Felice Chianti Classico Riserva

Name: San Felice II Grigio Chianti Riserva
Variety: Sangiovesi
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $35

Winery Review: "The 2015 Chianti Classico Riserva Nozzole is a dark and fruit-forward wine with a beautiful profile of ripe, succulent cherry fruit. You taste the bright sunshine and softness of this cheerful Tuscan red. This is the kind of wine that immediately puts you in a good mood (also thanks to that low price tag). The fruit is ripened to that perfect point of softness, maintaining structure and acidity all the same. This is one of the best values of the vintage."
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 pts

My Review: Surprisingly not bad at all considering I'm not the biggest fan of deep red wines! It had a very short, but refreshing after taste with a hint of cherry. I was extremely surprised with how smooth, soft and earthy this wine was.

With/without food: I tasted this on its own without food.

Tasting - Kenwood Russian River Pinot Noir

Name: Russian River Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Sonoma County, California
Country: USA
Year: 2015
Price: $33

Winery Review: "Medium color. Aromas of raspberry, sour cherry, plum, and violet with a crisp, dry medium-to-full body and an appealing, medium-long, sour watermelon candy, and black tea finish with well-integrated tannins and a suggestion of oak flavor. A rich, full-bodied, lingering Pinot Noir." - Tastings, 88 pts


My Review: Not too bad, extremely full and heavy in taste. I could taste dark/red berries (quite surprisingly fruity), tart, and it was acidic. It wasn't one of my favorites at the tasting, but I was surprised that I enjoyed the after taste more so than drinking it.

With/without food: I tasted this on its own without food.

Tasting - Josh Chardonnay Reserve

Name: Josh Chardonnay Reserve
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: North Coast, California
Country: USA
Year: 2016
Price: $22

Winery Review: "Fleshy and lush in baked apple, pear and fig, this wine has a balanced backbone of acidity that gives it a freshness around the fruit. It seriously overdelivers on price." - Wine Enthusiast , 88 pts

My Review: Not bad, I could smell hints of honey and apple and it had a sweetness to it that surprised me based on the fact that I typically find Chardonnay to be more on the dry side. It was smooth and refreshing and the aftertaste didn't last for long. Would definitely try this again.

With/without food: I tasted this on its own without food.

Tasting - Domaine de Mus Roussanne Vermentino

Name: Domaine de Mus Roussanne Vermentino
Variety: 85% Roussanne, 15% Vermentino
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
Country: France
Year: 2017
Price: $15

Winery Review: "The blend is 85-15 in favor of Roussanne, so it's not surprise that that variety's pear and pineapple fruit dominates the 2017 Pays d'Oc Roussanne Vermentino. It's medium-bodied and honeyed without being heavy, rich or cloying, and it represents a terrific value. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Interim end of September, September 2018), 88 pts

My Review: Pretty good, very aromatic and I could smell hints of citrus fruits like orange. It was surprisingly light and refreshing, as well as the after taste. It was smooth and wasn't overwhelming, I completely agree with the review above. I would drink this again, and especially would like to try pairing it with food.

With/without food: I tasted this on its own without food.

Friday, January 25, 2019

My Experience with Wine

I've never been a huge wine person, but I know that partly has to do with the fact that I simply don't have much knowledge under my belt about wine to appreciate it the way I want to. What I do know is that I enjoy having a glass of Prosecco (which may be my favorite) or Moscato once in awhile. Oddly enough, my family are huge red wine people (they specifically love Chianti Classico Reserva), but I am still eager to find a part of me that will hopefully enjoy a glass of red wine with them opposed to just a couple sips.

My family likes to order a bottle of red wine to enjoy with their dinner entrees at restaurants, and I really would only have a couple sips at most since I'm not a big wine drinker. With my family being huge fans of wine, they'd sometimes find a bottle that they really enjoy and I was always so baffled because I wasn't tasting the wine the same way they were, or enjoying it the way I feel like I should.  I never really understood what it was like to enjoy food with a glass of wine like they did considering wine was never my go-to beverage.

Studying abroad last semester in Europe was an extraordinary experience, and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to Tuscany and have my first full wine tasting in a place that, more than definitely, knew exactly what they were talking about. Before this trip, I never understood why people enjoyed having a glass of red wine or a dry white wine since those weren't my favorites. From this experience of being abroad, I was able to learn how to open up my taste buds and try numerous types of wines which opened up a whole new world of flavors that I didn't even know existed. This trip is what ultimately gave me an impetus to want to learn more about wine (the flavors, the sensory experience that comes with the tastings, etc.), and I knew I wanted to learn more than just surface level information, which is what led me to take this class!