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Vintage: 2007
Price Range: $15
Producer: Bodega Esmeralda
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Recommended By: N/A
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 9/12/2009
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 9/15/2009
Dinner: Scallop & Vegi Pasta
Appearance: Brilliant yellow-gold; full-bodied
Nose: Rich floral scent; hint of olive juice
Taste: Earthy, feels salty like a dirty martini; at first, there seemed to be no fruit taste, but there seemed to be a little hint of grapefruit
Finish: Hot burn, but hints of creaminess; slightly salty with a hint of fruit
Overall Impression: To be honest, I was a little thrown off by this Chardonnay. I think maybe it's because it tastes more to me like a mixed drink than a white wine. It's a little harsh than what I expected. So, if you are looking for one potent white wine, this one is your match. I must say that the bottle is absolutely interesting and I think that's how they suck you into buying this one.
Overall Rating: 86/100
Overall Value: **.5 / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2008
Price Range: $12
Producer: Don Miguel Gascon
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Malbec
Recommended By: N/A
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 5/30/2009
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 6/30/2009
Appearance: Deep, dark purple; opaque and medium-bodied
Nose: Black berries, white pepper, spices, little cinnamon & mocha, cherry
Taste: Bold taste of black berry & cherry; slightly dry
Finish: Lasting taste of bitter mocha
Overall Impression: The aroma of this Malbec is much more enticing than its taste, yet it still has a great, juicy bold flavor of fruit.
Overall Rating: 90/100
Overall Value: ***.5 / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2006
Price Range: $20
Producer: Luigi Bosca
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Bonarda
Recommended By: WineStyles
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 3/2/2009
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 6/2/2009
Appearance: Deep, dark purple; full-bodied
Nose: Slightly hot with hints of cherry and roses
Taste: Juicy cherry taste with hints of rose and violets
Finish: Slightly dry and lingers; strange aftertaste
Overall Impression: This Bonarda has a bold fruit and flower taste. The finish is strange though. I think it may be due to the floral taste or maybe the skins of the grapes were tart.
Overall Rating: 87/100
Overall Value: *** / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2008
Price Range: $12-20
Producer: Bodega's Colores Del Sol
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Malbec
Recommended By: WineClub
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 1/5/2009
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 4/20/2009
Dinner: Grilled Chicken Salad
Appearance: Deep, brilliant cherry red; medium-bodied
Nose: Sweet and fruity; blackberry with a hint of vanilla
Taste: Oakey and chocolaty; fruity blackberry with a bold kick
Finish: Lingers and then smoothes
Overall Impression: I have found another awesome Malbec that I would love to have again! I bet it would be better with red meat and even as a good stand alone wine. It was delicious with a great bold and fruity taste! I wouldn't use an aerator on this wine though. It makes it too tart.
Overall Rating: 95/100
Overall Value: ****.5 / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2007
Price Range: $15 (Gift)
Producer: Angel Paulucci/La Posta Vineyard
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Malbec
Recommended By: Birthday Gift from Amanda Bell
Place & Date Purchased: Chicago, IL - 2/24/2009
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 4/13/2009
Dinner: Apart Inc. 4-Cheese + Pepperoni Pizza
Appearance: Deep dark purple; full-bodied
Nose: Blackberry and raspberry scent
Taste: Light sweetness with berries; bold kick
Finish: Smooth with a warm finish
Overall Impression: I have a feeling that this would be a great summer Malbec. This Malbec had delicious variations with the berries, the smoothness and the boldness.
Overall Rating: 92/100
Overall Value: **** / 5 Stars
Vintage: ????
Price Range: $12
Producer: Valentin Bianchi
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Rose Wine
Recommended By: N/A
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 02/07/2009
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 02/17/2009
Appearance: Brilliant rose red; medium-bodied; light bubbles
Nose: Light & fruity with citrus undertones
Taste: Lots of sweet; sugary taste; strawberries
Finish: Lingers slightly with citrus
Overall Impression: This Rose would make a great dessert wine. I think it would be perfect with a slice of plain cheesecake.
Overall Rating: 89/100
Overall Value: *** / 5 Stars
Happy Valentine's Day and Happy 100th Winography.
My friend, Josh Handley, threw in a couple of bucks to get me this wine as the 100th. I think it was only appropriate to drink it on Valentine's Day. Thanks, Josh. Now that I'm actually at a hundred wines and I've spent over a thousand dollars, maybe I should cut back. Yeah, right.
Vintage: 2006
Price Range: $17 (Gift)
Producer: Vino Del Sol
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Bonarda
Recommended By: The gentleman working in the store.
Place & Date Purchased: In Fine Spirits, Chicago, IL - 02/13/2009 - Gift from Josh Handley.
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 02/14/2009
Dinner: Steak fajitas
Appearance: Deep dark purple, almost black; full-bodied
Nose: Blackberries & raspberries; There is a slight jam scent; slight vanilla and nutmeg
Taste: Blackberries and spices
Finish: Cherries and sweetness, but not too acidic
Overall Impression: Josh, we picked a good one! This paired well with the spicy steak fajitas. I'm sure it would pair well with any red meat. The first sip is bold, but the finish is completely mellow. It's the exact way I like a wine to be. The blackberries were full and had the right amount of sweetness in the end. I think this would be the perfect wine to bring for a dinner party. I would definitely get it again!
Overall Rating: 97/100
Overall Value: ****.5 / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2006
Price Range: $20
Producer: Luigi Bosca
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Chardonnay Semillon
Recommended By: WineStyles
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 12/14/2007
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 01/06/2009
Appearance: Brilliant gold and very bubbly
Nose: Apple sweet scent, but still has the hint of chalk
Taste: Sweet and fruity. Not very acidic.
Finish: Fades away. It's does not linger at all, very clean
Overall Impression: For an extra brut, it was not very acidic and has a good fruity taste. I'm not a huge fan of champagne, but this was delicious.
Overall Rating: 91/100
Overall Value: *** / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2006
Price Range: $12
Producer: St. Lucas Winery
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Torrontes
Recommended By: N/A
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 12/05/2008
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 12/05/2008
Appearance: Medium-full bodied; slightly bubbly; pale straw
Nose: Pineapple and glazed peaches; sweet scent
Taste: There is a bit of a bite at first with a good acidity and then it gets creamy
Finish: Floral and lingers
Overall Impression: This Torrontes has great flavors. This would be the perfect summer wine! I could also see using it in cooking. It's sweet and good. I can't wait to try this one out next summer.
Overall Rating: 92/100
Overall Value: **** / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2006
Price Range: $15
Producer: Mendoza Estate
Region & Country: La Consulta, Argentina
Grape Variety: Malbec
Recommended By: N/A - First visit to the store.
Place & Date Purchased: In Fine Spirits, Chicago, IL - 09/18/2008
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 12/03/2008
Dinner: Indian food - Chicken Marsala and boy, was it good!
Appearance: Dark garnet red; Full bodied
Nose: Mixed berries; little spice scent also
Taste: Bold, fruity, clean and juicy
Finish: Citrus sweet; lingers
Overall Impression: This was another great Malbec, and if you haven't noticed by now, I love Malbecs. It balanced well with the food, but it can surely survive without the food. It had a wonderful, full fruit flavor!
Overall Rating: 92/100
Overall Value: **** / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2006
Price Range: $10
Producer: St. Lucas Winery
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Malbec
Recommended By: N/A
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 10/08/2008
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 10/21/2008
Dinner: Steak w/ portobello mushrooms and salad
Appearance: Brown-raspberry red, low-medium, clear
Nose: Long lasting, berry, bold and powerful
Taste: Berries, chocolate, rich and full flavor
Finish: A little dry but not very acidic; taste lingers a little
Overall Impression: This is a great Malbec. I have had better, but for this price you can't go wrong. It was bold and delicious. I liked it with food, but I'm sure it could stand alone.
Overall Rating: 90/100
Overall Value: **** / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2004
Price Range: $20
Producer: Cicchitti Winery
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Malbec
Recommended By: Wine Club
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 06/10/2008
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 07/02/2008
Appearance: Black cherry red
Nose: Smells fruity and warm
Taste: Bold & full bodied
Finish: Smooth; Warmth lingers
Overall Impression: Bold & delicious! Great dinner wine! This is another great wine that you should bring to a party or give as a gift to impress.
Overall Rating: 94/100
Overall Value: ***.5 / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2005
Price Range: $9
Producer: Prestige Wine Group
Region & Country: San Rafael, Argentina
Grape Variety: Malbec
Recommended By: N/A
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 05/15/2008
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 05/20/2008
Appearance: Glossy purple-red
Nose: Sweet and warm
Taste: Juicy; soft flavor
Finish: The fruit flavor lingers.
Overall Impression: This had an average taste, but it was good. It was also a great deal
Overall Rating: 88/100
Overall Value: ***.5 / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2007
Price Range: $15
Producer: Valentin Bianchi
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Malbec
Recommended By: WineStyles
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 03/18/2008
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 03/22/2008
Appearance: Dark, raspberry red
Nose: Hot; the scent is very powerful and not very pleasant
Taste: Spicy, very acidic and dry
Finish: Warm, and then it fades
Overall Impression: I don't think this wine was worth the price. I did not really care for it.
Overall Rating: 70/100
Overall Value: ** / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2002
Price Range: $14
Producer: Bodegas Salentein
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Merlot
Recommended By: N/A
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 12/16/2007
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 01/28/2008
Appearance: Nice, deep garnet
Nose: Sweet hot with a scent of oak and herbs
Taste: Dry; oak flavor
Finish: The dryness lingers
Overall Impression: I find this to be a good dinner wine.
Overall Rating: 93/100
Overall Value: **** / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2004
Price Range: $20
Producer: Luigi Bosca
Region & Country: Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Variety: Malbec
Recommended By: Wine Club
Place & Date Purchased: WineStyles, Evanston, IL - 12/14/2007
Place & Date Tasted: Home - 01/23/2008
Appearance: Deep Cherise red
Nose: Fruity, yet hot
Taste: Very spicy; acidic and peppery
Finish: Warm aftertaste
Overall Impression: I really did enjoy the spice and the warmth of it. I liked the boldness.
Overall Rating: 88/100
Overall Value: ***.5 / 5 Stars
Vintage: 2007
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