This week’s selection:
Winery: Monte Antico
Varietal: Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
Price Paid: $11.99
Vintage: 2006
Area: Tuscany, Italy
Alcohol: 12.5%
Purchased: Colasanti’s Market
Overall: I hated this wine the first night. All I could taste was the bracing acidity and could not get past it. It confirmed my suspicion that with Wine Spectator you have to be over the top to get attention. (WS #61 on the top 100 wines list.) I picked it up 3 days after being opened and thought this has mellowed a bit and I can taste the sangiovese (the grape of Chianti) and enjoyed it. By the fourth night it was even easier drink and I enjoyed another glass.
This is one of the reasons it is good to let a wine sit for at least a day if you do not like it the first day. I would not recommend this wine but it was reasonably good by the third or fourth day. Too much work for an $11.99 bottle of wine.
Please let me know your thoughts if you try this wine.
Reviews
Critical Acclaim:
Just so you folks know that I am not alone in my opinion, I went on Snooth and these were two of the first 3 regular people reviews
First User Review on Snooth: I picked this bottle up at Costco and have to say that I rarely pour out a bottle of wine, but couldn't stand this bottle. It has a wonderful jammy bouquet, but has no body. There was very little taste and it imparted a bitter, almost sour taste on the back of my tongue.
I put it in the decanter and tried it again today, but nothing seemed to help. After looking at the other reviews here I'll try it again as people seemed to like it, and will change my review if on 2nd taste my opinion changes.
Third User Review on Snooth: Rating 86 Although the nose is long and complex the excessive fruit acid makes this wine unbalanced. the underlying structure is very good. I considered this not to be a bargain !!
• Tags:
• too much acid
Wine Spectator: WS 90pts. - #61 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009 - According to James Suckling on his WineSpectator.com blog: I came across an incredible value in my office in Tuscany today. Tasting a range of wines from $10 to $25 with Neil and Maria Empson of Empson & Co., I found some excellent wines. But what was the most impressive for the money was the Monte Antico 2006. Its suggested retail is $11, and it could sell for less (like here). And it is in the market now. Granted, I have not tasted it blind yet. But it’s in the very good to outstanding range. The wine is 75 percent Sangiovese, 15 percent Merlot and 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. It is made from 25-year-old vines minimum, mostly from Pisa, Maremma and Chianti Classico areas. Of course, the quality of the 2006 vintage in Tuscany shined through on this wine. This is a superb Sangiovese year. The aromatic quality of Sangiovese is mind-blowing for most wines from Tuscany. The 2006 Monte Antico has beautiful plums, berries and fresh acidity. Fantastico! And for $11!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Top 5 Wines of The Past 26 Weeks
Wonderful Pinot Noir:
Winery: Oyster Bay
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Price Paid: $18.99
Vintage: 2006
Area: New Zealand, Marlborough
Alcohol: 13%
Overall: Absolutely delightful Pinot Noir, this is the second bottle I have had.
Top White Wine
Winery: Pewsey Vale
Varietal: Riesling
Price Paid: $13.41
Vintage: 2008
Area: Eden Valley, Australia
Alcohol: 12.5%
Purchased: Sam’s Club
Overall: OK, we are on a roll. Like last week, this once again is a very good inexpensive wine that I would buy by the case. This is a dry Riesling with just a touch of sweetness and the right amount of acidity to balance it out. I do like dry wines...
Best Bargain and a Personal Favorite:
Winery: Venta Morales
Varietal: Tempranillo
Price Paid: $7.99
Vintage: 2008
Area: La Mancha (largest wine growing region in the world)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Overall: A Great Buy, I bought half a case. Perfect summertime wine!
Best Inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon
Winery: Sacred Stone Cask #5, Pietra Santa Winery
Varietal: Meritage
Price Paid: $8.79, list $10.99
Vintage: Best bet 2005, no year listed but called Cask #05
Area: Across California, Winery located in Hollister, CA
Alcohol: 14.6%
Purchased: Bella Vino
Overall: Unbelievable bottle of wine for this price. Good fruit and even a hint of spice and herb at the end. It was good the second day with Sunday roast beef dinner. It tastes like a real red wine and not some insipid concoction as is often the case at this price point. This is perhaps the best quaffing wine I have had. Great everyday drinker, great for a party, great for a cookout, neighbors… The blend supposedly changes year to year based on the best grapes they find available.
My Vote For Top Wine Over the 26 Weeks
Winery: Bodegas Juan Gil
Varietal: Monastrell
Price Paid: $12.00
Vintage: 2007
Area: Jumilla, Spain
Alcohol: 15%
Purchased: By a Friend
Overall: A delicious wine made from a different varietal, dark fruit, spicy, a bit of herb and high alcohol that in spite of the alcohol went down very easily. Very balanced as the winemaker states.
Winery: Oyster Bay
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Price Paid: $18.99
Vintage: 2006
Area: New Zealand, Marlborough
Alcohol: 13%
Overall: Absolutely delightful Pinot Noir, this is the second bottle I have had.
Top White Wine
Winery: Pewsey Vale
Varietal: Riesling
Price Paid: $13.41
Vintage: 2008
Area: Eden Valley, Australia
Alcohol: 12.5%
Purchased: Sam’s Club
Overall: OK, we are on a roll. Like last week, this once again is a very good inexpensive wine that I would buy by the case. This is a dry Riesling with just a touch of sweetness and the right amount of acidity to balance it out. I do like dry wines...
Best Bargain and a Personal Favorite:
Winery: Venta Morales
Varietal: Tempranillo
Price Paid: $7.99
Vintage: 2008
Area: La Mancha (largest wine growing region in the world)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Overall: A Great Buy, I bought half a case. Perfect summertime wine!
Best Inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon
Winery: Sacred Stone Cask #5, Pietra Santa Winery
Varietal: Meritage
Price Paid: $8.79, list $10.99
Vintage: Best bet 2005, no year listed but called Cask #05
Area: Across California, Winery located in Hollister, CA
Alcohol: 14.6%
Purchased: Bella Vino
Overall: Unbelievable bottle of wine for this price. Good fruit and even a hint of spice and herb at the end. It was good the second day with Sunday roast beef dinner. It tastes like a real red wine and not some insipid concoction as is often the case at this price point. This is perhaps the best quaffing wine I have had. Great everyday drinker, great for a party, great for a cookout, neighbors… The blend supposedly changes year to year based on the best grapes they find available.
My Vote For Top Wine Over the 26 Weeks
Winery: Bodegas Juan Gil
Varietal: Monastrell
Price Paid: $12.00
Vintage: 2007
Area: Jumilla, Spain
Alcohol: 15%
Purchased: By a Friend
Overall: A delicious wine made from a different varietal, dark fruit, spicy, a bit of herb and high alcohol that in spite of the alcohol went down very easily. Very balanced as the winemaker states.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Pewsey Vale 2008 Riesling
This week’s selection:
Winery: Pewsey Vale
Varietal: Riesling
Price Paid: $13.41
Vintage: 2008
Area: Eden Valley, Australia
Alcohol: 12.5%
Purchased: Sam’s Club
Overall: OK, we are on a roll. Like last week, this once again is a very good inexpensive wine that I would buy a case of. There have been probably only 4 out of the 25 so far that I would even think of buying a case of. This is a dry Riesling (if you like sweet Riesling this is not it and you may not like it) with just a touch of sweetness and the right amount of acidity. Rieslings are very versatile with food from seafood to pork.
Reviews
Winemaker's Notes:
The 2008 Pewsey Vale Riesling is a rich and intensely flavored wine. Classic fruit aromas of talcum, lemons and limes, with a hint of overlaying dried herb are present, along with a palate showing great length and depth with limes, and a hint of tropical fruit. The wine finishes with a soft but fresh natural acidity which balances the flavour intensity, and will reward with medium to long-term cellaring.
Critical Acclaim:
"The 2008 Dry Riesling is light straw-colored with an alluring bouquet of honeysuckle, citrus, and apple. Medium-bodied with crisp, ripe, succulent fruit and buttressing acidity, this dry, tasty effort will evolve for 3-4 years and provide pleasure through 2018."
90 Points
The Wine Advocate
"Strong color; a powerful, complex bouquet leads into a palate bursting with lime juice fruit; has thrust and length. "
94 Points
James Halliday
Wine Star (Australian Reviews)
One of the many lovely Rieslings from this vintage, ripened in the cool January and February, and picked before the March heat. Strong green tinges foretell a powerful, complex bouquet leading into a palate bursting with regional lime juice fruit; has great vibrancy, thrust and length. From Eden Valley, SA Drink now-2015 with gazpacho 94 points, $17.95, S, 12.5° alc Halliday’s Top 100 – The Weekend Australian November 8-9, 2008
Lively lime and lemon juice aromas, pristine and focussed, abundant florals and ripe lime citrus. The palate's a ball of fresh minerals and fine lemon/lime citrus flavours, pushing deep, long and flavoursome on a piercing acid line. 96 points; Nick Stock, WBM100 (Aus), December 2008
There is so much going for Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling. Here are just some of the descriptors that we brainstormed in less than a second. World-class, historic, stylish, reliable, classis, racy, exciting, gripping, pure, beautiful, age-worthy but immediately enjoyable, bargain-priced . . . we could go on. The 2008 adds finesse, very fine, ethereal, delicate and exceedingly long and minerally to this list of notes, making this our favourable release in a decade. Matthew Jukes & Tyson Stelzer, Taste: Food & Wine 2009 (Aus), October 2008
Rich yet bracing with minerality, citrus, unripe pineapple flavours and an elegance that works as an aperitif and at the table. Steve Spurrier, Decanter Magazine (UK), August 2008
Winery: Pewsey Vale
Varietal: Riesling
Price Paid: $13.41
Vintage: 2008
Area: Eden Valley, Australia
Alcohol: 12.5%
Purchased: Sam’s Club
Overall: OK, we are on a roll. Like last week, this once again is a very good inexpensive wine that I would buy a case of. There have been probably only 4 out of the 25 so far that I would even think of buying a case of. This is a dry Riesling (if you like sweet Riesling this is not it and you may not like it) with just a touch of sweetness and the right amount of acidity. Rieslings are very versatile with food from seafood to pork.
Reviews
Winemaker's Notes:
The 2008 Pewsey Vale Riesling is a rich and intensely flavored wine. Classic fruit aromas of talcum, lemons and limes, with a hint of overlaying dried herb are present, along with a palate showing great length and depth with limes, and a hint of tropical fruit. The wine finishes with a soft but fresh natural acidity which balances the flavour intensity, and will reward with medium to long-term cellaring.
Critical Acclaim:
"The 2008 Dry Riesling is light straw-colored with an alluring bouquet of honeysuckle, citrus, and apple. Medium-bodied with crisp, ripe, succulent fruit and buttressing acidity, this dry, tasty effort will evolve for 3-4 years and provide pleasure through 2018."
90 Points
The Wine Advocate
"Strong color; a powerful, complex bouquet leads into a palate bursting with lime juice fruit; has thrust and length. "
94 Points
James Halliday
Wine Star (Australian Reviews)
One of the many lovely Rieslings from this vintage, ripened in the cool January and February, and picked before the March heat. Strong green tinges foretell a powerful, complex bouquet leading into a palate bursting with regional lime juice fruit; has great vibrancy, thrust and length. From Eden Valley, SA Drink now-2015 with gazpacho 94 points, $17.95, S, 12.5° alc Halliday’s Top 100 – The Weekend Australian November 8-9, 2008
Lively lime and lemon juice aromas, pristine and focussed, abundant florals and ripe lime citrus. The palate's a ball of fresh minerals and fine lemon/lime citrus flavours, pushing deep, long and flavoursome on a piercing acid line. 96 points; Nick Stock, WBM100 (Aus), December 2008
There is so much going for Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling. Here are just some of the descriptors that we brainstormed in less than a second. World-class, historic, stylish, reliable, classis, racy, exciting, gripping, pure, beautiful, age-worthy but immediately enjoyable, bargain-priced . . . we could go on. The 2008 adds finesse, very fine, ethereal, delicate and exceedingly long and minerally to this list of notes, making this our favourable release in a decade. Matthew Jukes & Tyson Stelzer, Taste: Food & Wine 2009 (Aus), October 2008
Rich yet bracing with minerality, citrus, unripe pineapple flavours and an elegance that works as an aperitif and at the table. Steve Spurrier, Decanter Magazine (UK), August 2008
Monday, March 1, 2010
Bodegas Juan Gil 2007
This week’s selection:
Winery: Bodegas Juan Gil
Varietal: Monastrell
Price Paid: $13.00 to $17.00
Vintage: 2007
Area: Jumilla, Spain
Alcohol: 15%
Purchased: By a Friend
Overall: A delicious wine made from a different varietal, dark fruit, spicy, a bit of herb and high alcohol that in spite of the alcohol went down very easily. Very balanced as the winemaker states. It went beautifully with the Pork Saltimbocca recipe below that was incredibly simple to make.
Pork Saltimbocca (courtesy of the latest Williams-Sonoma Catalog)
See under favorite links...
• 4 Boneless Pork Loin Chops 1 inch thick
• Fresh Sage Leaves
• 8 slices of Prosciutto
• Balsalmic Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper
Salt and Pepper chops, then lay 2 sage leaves on top of each chop and wrap with 2 slices of prosciutto. Brush with olive oil and grill approximately 6 minutes on each side but until internal temperature registers 140 degrees. Cover loosely with foil and let sit for 10 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve, it is simple and delicious.
Reviews
Winemaker's notes:
We selected the Monastrell grapes for this wine from 40-year old parcels in our estate vineyards. Here shallow, chalky soils on a bed of limestone and rock, combined with an arid climate, produce the low yields (1,8 ton per acre) required for wine of this complexity. After harvesting, the deep purple grapes are whole-cluster macerated "sur lie" for 25 days, and then pressed and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.
It has a very dark cherry color with purple tones. In the nose it has powerful aromas of red berries, toasted and smoked notes from their aging in the oak barriques.
It has good structure with ripe and sweet tannins. In the mouth it is very long, and with a perfect balance between fruit, alcohol and the oak tones, which make it very pleasant and easy to drink.
Pair with meat, stewed meat, stewed vegetable, mushroom, poultry, sauces fish, smoked seafood, blue and cured cheese, red meat, roast and baked meat (lamb, pig, ox).
Critical Acclaim:
"Opaque purple. Blueberry, boysenberry and smoky Indian spices on the nose, with a sexy floral quality coming on with air. Juicy, sweet dark berry flavors are framed by velvety tannins and enlivened by zesty minerality. Gains depth and fleshiness with air, finishing on a strong boysenberry note, with excellent sappy persistence. This is delicious right now."
90 Points
International Wine Cellar
Winery: Bodegas Juan Gil
Varietal: Monastrell
Price Paid: $13.00 to $17.00
Vintage: 2007
Area: Jumilla, Spain
Alcohol: 15%
Purchased: By a Friend
Overall: A delicious wine made from a different varietal, dark fruit, spicy, a bit of herb and high alcohol that in spite of the alcohol went down very easily. Very balanced as the winemaker states. It went beautifully with the Pork Saltimbocca recipe below that was incredibly simple to make.
Pork Saltimbocca (courtesy of the latest Williams-Sonoma Catalog)
See under favorite links...
• 4 Boneless Pork Loin Chops 1 inch thick
• Fresh Sage Leaves
• 8 slices of Prosciutto
• Balsalmic Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper
Salt and Pepper chops, then lay 2 sage leaves on top of each chop and wrap with 2 slices of prosciutto. Brush with olive oil and grill approximately 6 minutes on each side but until internal temperature registers 140 degrees. Cover loosely with foil and let sit for 10 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve, it is simple and delicious.
Reviews
Winemaker's notes:
We selected the Monastrell grapes for this wine from 40-year old parcels in our estate vineyards. Here shallow, chalky soils on a bed of limestone and rock, combined with an arid climate, produce the low yields (1,8 ton per acre) required for wine of this complexity. After harvesting, the deep purple grapes are whole-cluster macerated "sur lie" for 25 days, and then pressed and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.
It has a very dark cherry color with purple tones. In the nose it has powerful aromas of red berries, toasted and smoked notes from their aging in the oak barriques.
It has good structure with ripe and sweet tannins. In the mouth it is very long, and with a perfect balance between fruit, alcohol and the oak tones, which make it very pleasant and easy to drink.
Pair with meat, stewed meat, stewed vegetable, mushroom, poultry, sauces fish, smoked seafood, blue and cured cheese, red meat, roast and baked meat (lamb, pig, ox).
Critical Acclaim:
"Opaque purple. Blueberry, boysenberry and smoky Indian spices on the nose, with a sexy floral quality coming on with air. Juicy, sweet dark berry flavors are framed by velvety tannins and enlivened by zesty minerality. Gains depth and fleshiness with air, finishing on a strong boysenberry note, with excellent sappy persistence. This is delicious right now."
90 Points
International Wine Cellar
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