Wednesday, November 26, 2008

BRONZY INCA - CHARDONNAY

Vintage: 2006
Price Range: $20
Producer: Clos La Chance Winery
Region & Country: San Martin, California, USA
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Recommended By: Wine Club

Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 11/02/2008
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 11/26/2008

Appearance: Brilliant; straw gold; full-bodied
Nose: Sweet, green apple; slight hint of cut grass
Taste: Sweet, clean, buttery and slightly acidic
Finish: Sweet, lingers slightly and slightly bitter
Overall Impression: For a Chardonnay, I've definitely had better and for a better price. It was extremely sweet to the point where it started to be a little too tart for me. I felt it was just average. It was also a little sugary and did not taste natural at all.

Overall Rating: 79/100
Overall Value: **.75 / 5 Stars

AXIS - PINOT NOIR

Vintage: 2006
Price Range: $20
Producer: Axis Vintners
Region & Country: Sonoma, California, USA
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Recommended By: Wine Club

Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 09/07/2008
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 11/26/2008
Dinner: Steak and vegetables. May I point out that it was the best steak I have had in about a year.

Appearance: Brilliant; shiny pale red, light bodied and transparent
Nose: Strawberry, raspberry and nutmeg
Taste: Nothing like the smell; spicy and bold; lingers a little
Finish: The fruit taste comes after the spices leave
Overall Impression: Delicious! This went perfect with the food also. This Pinot Noir was light but had a great, bold fruity taste.

Overall Rating: 93/100
Overall Value: **** / 5 Stars

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

TRICK - RED TABLE WINE

Vintage: 2005
Price Range: $8
Producer: Chateau Diana Winery
Region & Country: Healdsburg, California, USA
Grape Variety: Red Table Wine
Recommended By: Tasting

Place & Date Purchased: World Market, Evanston, IL - 10/26/2008
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 11/11/2008

Appearance: Medium-bodied; opaque, deep red
Nose: Powerful, sweet scent, some spices and berries
Taste: Juicy, sweet, blackberry taste
Finish: Smooth with slight acidity
Overall Impression: You want to know what the trick of this wine is? It's so much better aerated! Actually, this wine was surprisingly good for the price and for being a seasonal wine. I would definitely bring it to my next Halloween Party.

Overall Rating
: 89/100
Overall Value: ****.5 / 5 Stars

Sunday, November 9, 2008

GNARLED VINE - CHARDONNAY

Vintage: 2005
Price Range: $12
Producer: Oak Ridge Winery
Region & Country: Lodi, California, USA
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Recommended By: Wine Tasting

Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 10/11/2008
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 11/09/2008
Dinner: Pepperoni pizza from this fancy place called Pizza Hut

Appearance: Brilliant, full bodied; Pale gold
Nose: Greet apple; soft scent
Taste:
Light, sweet, apple - crisp and clean
Finish: Creamy, not acidic, doesn't linger long
Overall Impression: This Chardonnay was very nice. It was light and flavorful. It would probably be great with light food. Gnarled Vine is a great clean and crisp wine.

Overall Rating: 89/100
Overall Value: **** / 5 Stars

Friday, November 7, 2008

ESTANCIA - MERLOT

Vintage: 2005
Price Range: $15
Producer: Estancia Estates
Region & Country: Sonoma, California, USA
Grape Variety: Merlot
Recommended By: Andre LaSalle

Place & Date Purchased: Dominick's Grocery, Chicago, IL - 10/26/2008
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 11/07/2008
Dinner: Various cheeses

Appearance: Brilliant ruby red; Light bodied
Nose: Spicy scent; deep cherry; powerful
Taste: Bold, slightly spicy, a little sweet, cherry
Finish: Doesn't linger much; very low acidity
Overall Impression: This Merlot has a lot of flavor. I think it's much better without food or paired with a better food than just cheese. It's a great casual type of wine and delicious.

Overall Rating: 91/100
Overall Value: **** / 5 Stars