Tasting - Villa da Filicaja Chianti Superiore

Name: Villa da Filicaja Chianti Superiore
Variety: Sangiovese
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2009
Price: $12.95

Winery Review: Chianti Superiore DOCG "Conte Andrea" is the product of first-choice Sangiovese grapes from our best vineyards. It rests for 12 months in barrels of white oak, producing a very special high standard Chianti Superiore wine.

My Review: Pretty plum color. Nice berry and fruit aroma, sweet and pleasant on the nose. Dry with some fruit juice flavors on the tongue. Nice, complex texture, a good wine I'd like to have again!

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Dom de Fenouillet Beaumes de Venise

Name: Dom de Fenouillet Beaumes de Venise
Variety: 50% Syrah, 35% Grenache, and 15% Mourvedre
Region: Rhone
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $23.95

Winery Review: One of the most rare Rhone wines you will encounter. Sourced from the oldest vines of the domaine from a hillside "combe" in the shadow of the Dentelles de Montrmirail and just over the hill from Gigondas. The vineyard is a mix of clay and limestone and harvest levels are low, usually reaching at most 35 hectoliters per hectare. The wine is aged in cement cuves for two years before being bottled unfiltered.

My Review: A very flavorful and nice bouquet! A strong plum and fig smell. Smooth wine, not too dry, nice and fruity tasting. I liked this red and would like to try it with some well-paired food!

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Dom Vincent Dampt Chablis

Name: Dom Vincent Dampt Chablis
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Burgundy
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $21.95

Winery Review: Expresses our Chablis minerality and fruity so characteristic in its name. A wine with good balance and complex from old vines of our plot located between the coast and Vaillons Lechet. A wine for all occasions!

My Review: Clear apple juice color. Bready, yeasty smell. Also some fruit characteristics in the nose. An acidic wine, not too sweet. Apple flavors mixed in with some hints of pear in the taste. A nice Chardonnay!

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Domaine de la Louvetrie Muscadet

Name: Dom de la Louvetrie Muscadet
Variety: Muscadet
Region: Loire Valley
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $15.95

Winery Review: Jo Landron's Muscadet Sevre et Maine is from a beautiful walled vineyard sloping towards the Sevre, with clay, sand and quartz stones over a bedrock of Orthogneiss. The vines average 40 to 50 years of age, the vineyard is certified organic and biodynamic and gives very low yields. Always one of my favorite Muscadets, the 2011 is superb with citrus, pear, and herbal aromas with a bit of smoke and sea-salt. The palate is dense and very long with fabulous acidity. It will provide exhilarating early drinking and will be very interesting in 20 years as well.

My Review: Nice pear juice color, crisp apple and pear bouquet. Smooth and dry with a nice smokey taste. The salty taste also stands out throughout the wine, adding to its complexity. Would be nice to sip outside on a summer day with some light hors d'oeuvres.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting - Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Shiraz

Name: Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Shiraz
Variety: Shiraz
Region: South East
Country: Australia
Year: N/A
Price: $9.95

Vintage Cellar Review: A relatively light, fresh style of sparkling Shiraz, with berries and hints of chocolate picking up just a touch of sweet vanilla on the finish.

My Review: A nice, light sparkling red. Berry nose, fresh and fruity smell. Subtly sweet, I could catch the vanilla in the taste adding more to the flavor. The mid-palate is my favorite part; the wine becomes smooth once the initial effervescence fades. Not bad, but I'd probably like it a little sweeter!

I tried this wine on its own without food.

Tasting - Tres Ojos Garnacha

Name: Tres Ojos Garnacha
Variety: 100% Grenache
Region: Calatayud
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95

Vintage Cellar Review: This wine has a brick red color with a bouquet of red raspberries, spice, and white pepper. The palate is incredibly concentrated and rich. The modern styles of Garnacha in Spain are continuously being perceived worldwide as wines of extraordinarily good quality. This wine is fruity, juicy and shows a great depth, ripe tannins, length but yet with wonderful elegance and lightness. Enjoy with sausages, roasted meats, aged cheeses etc.

My Review: Dark maroon color, berry bouquet. This wine also had kind of a burning leaves smell: outdoorsy and smokey. There was a strong rush of pepper in the taste that stayed in the back of the throat a little. There was also a little fruit taste, not my favorite wine but complex and good for those who like a little more tannin flavor.

I tried this wine on its own without food.

Tasting - Montebuena

Name: Montebuena
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $8.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Ripe cherry and blackcurrant on the nose and in the mouth. Pliant and seamless in texture, with good heft and back-end energy. Finishes smooth and sweet, with fine-grained tannins providing shape and grip. Still on the young side but this wine drinks very well with an hour or so of decanting; it's an excellent value for Rioja.

My Review: Very pretty, dark red color. There were cherry, raspberry, cranberry, and other berry flavors strongly in the nose. Reminded me of the smell of Christmas dinner and dessert. Had some good spices jumping on the tongue. Smooth and smokey feel to it, very nice!

I tried this wine on its own without food.