The Wines of May 2021

Another month and we are getting to go places with less masking. Get vaccinated if you haven't.

So, I killed off my over 20 year old bottle of Weller's Bourbon. Then I find out, that Weller's is now an "allocated" item at my liquor store - they only get a few bottles per month. How about that, I was hip before it became hip. I settled for a bottle of Buffalo Trace - they now own Weller's.

Now to the wines

2019 Chateau Guichot Famille Petite Vignobles, Bordeaux, France

You know the wine is not well known when you only find things about the White and Rose they produce. It was an adequate wine, some red fruits, a little acid to be food worthy, no real tannins or aftertaste. What you expect for a $10 Bordeaux

2018 Montes de Leza Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain

100% Tempranillo, this is the first wine of the Lozano family produced in its own winery located in the north of Spain. Each bunch of grapes has been carefully selected during the harvest.

It presents a very elegant nose to new wood and pleasant fresh notes of red fruits. The aging in new barrels makes this wine very balanced and shows very well integrated into the whole. The entrance in the mouth is wide and round. In addition it has good structure, Acidity friendly. The end is persistent that leaves us a memory of red fruit.

A pretty decent little Tempranillo from Rioja. Decent body, nice fruit flavors with a little touch of fruit on the end. Worth the $10 it cost, should pick up some more for “Week night” wines.

2019 Centine Paradiso Sant’ Adrea Nero di Troia, Puglia, Italy

Cantine Paradiso, Nero di Troia has varietal red berry fruits which dominate the nose. The palate offers balanced structure, good persistence and a nice twist of acidity.

Tasting characteristics : a ruby ​​red wine with purple reflections. Varietal red berry fruits dominate the nose. The palate offers balanced structure, good persistence and a nice twist of acidity

Food pairing : a wine to drink through the meal and a fine partner for vegetable or white meat-based preparations. Equally delicious when enjoyed on its own

This was a very good bottle of wine – nice fruits in the nose and mouth, good body and acidity to make it a real good food wine. Priced under $12, well worth getting a few.

2017 Waterdog Red Vinho, Portugal

Loving, loyal and intelligent, Portuguese Waterdogs are a treasured breed originally from the southern coast of Portugal – near where our winery originates. Waterdog red wine, a blend of Castelão, Trincadeira and Touriga Nacional grape varieties, have a fruity palate with notes of red berries and a touch of wood. Aged for 6 months on French and American Oak. Enjoy it with BBQ, roasts and pasta dishes.

Wine Enthusiast: 90 Points

This is a new wine from this producer, a blend of three grapes that is designed to be drunk young. In that, the wine succeeds, with its fine tannins cushioned by layers of black fruits and balanced acidity. Drink the wine now.

Another unusual grape blend, but very tasty. Good fruits ,both red and black with some vanilla, acidity for food and a touch a dryness on the finish. Screw cap available for around $12, really nice when grilling.

2018 Domaine de Ju Red wine, Ventoux, France

Raspberry and strawberry preserves are dusted with crushed earth and tea leaves in this big, juicy blend of Grenache (60%), Syrah (35%) and Carignan (5%). Vinified without oak, it's firmly focused on rich, fleshy red fruit flavors but there's an undertone of sweet spice that lends a sexy kick. Best enjoyed young. 89 Points WE

Lying just east of the Rhône, the beautiful vine clad Ventoux region is dominated by the giant Mont Ventoux. It's a region prized for its fresh, red fruit and spice character wines. Like this Gold medal winning Grenache based red from Domaine de Ju.

A bright tasting wine with an undertow of spice that made it very good. Red fruits dominate the nose and palate making it a good food and sipping wine. Another $11 bottle that I would drink again and again.

2020 Ver Sacrum “Geisha de Jade” White Blend, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine is a blend of 40% Marsanne and 60% Roussanne all from a single vineyard in the Los Chacayes IG in the Uco Valley. The nose jumps out of the glass with notes of orange peel, apricot, candied peach, and tangerine all woven together with white flowers, lavender, and a touch of coriander. The palate shows good acidity to match the full bodied character and the wine finishes with notes of honeydew melon and just a hint of flor. Rockstar juice in a bottle!

 

You just don’t see white Rhone varietals growing in South America, but here it is. Very refreshing -  like a Chardonnay that went on a diet and bulked up. A short finish, but dry – very interesting wine. Available around $17 or so.

2019 CVNE Vina Real Rosado, Rioja, Spain

 Attractive salmon pink in color with a rose pink rim. This is an aromatic wine, the nose revealing floral aromas along with peach, apricot and background notes of strawberry and citrus. Delicious balanced, palate, rounded with a lightly acidic aftertaste and a long, fruit-driven finish. An elegant wine which can be enjoyed at any time, with food or without.

RP90Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2019 Viña Real Rosado is a clarete produced with white and red grapes: 70% Viura and 30% Tempranillo and Garnacha. At 12.5% alcohol and with good freshness, it was produced in a light and approachable style and bottled early to preserve the primary character. This almost has more character of a white wine than a rosé, obviously very pale and with great freshness. It's balanced with moderate ripeness and a dry and serious palate with a long, dry and chalky finish that I like very much. Rating : 90+

 

Good fruit flavors in this Rose, even though it is a pale pink. I noted the freshness and balance; the finish was dry. Very drinkable and only around $12.

2018 Ver Sacrum GSM, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

13% alcohol. Bush vines. 70% Garnacha, 15% Monastrell, 15% Syrah, planted 2012. The grapes are co-fermented. First of all they have 8 days semi-carbonic maceration, then they are pressed to a 3000 litre unlined concrete egg for fermentation to complete for 20 days off skins, then the wine spends 8 months in old oak. There’s a bit of reduction on the nose, which shows bright berry fruits. The palate is juicy, light and bright with a vibrancy to it, as well as compact cherry and plum fruit. It’s a really pretty, drinkable wine with perhaps some latent seriousness under the currently quite simple fruit. The freshness, carbonic character and purity are all lovely. On day two it has shed the reduction and it’s silky and delicious. 93/100

G.S.M. is an Australian term for a southern Rhône Valley-style blend of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre. Argentina is better known for malbec, of course, but Ver Sacrum chose to focus on other grapes in its high-altitude vineyard in the Uco Valley of Mendoza. This bottle is 70 percent grenache, with 15 percent each of mourvèdre and syrah. It’s intense and juicy, yet well-balanced and precise, full of red fruit and herbal flavors. - Eric Asimov of The New York Times

This wine is a little lighter than most GSM’s, but had good fruit in the nose and on the palate. A moderate finish with integrated tannins, a real nice food wine and sipper. Only priced at $16 or so.

2016 Feudi di San Gregorio ‘Rubrato’ Aglianico, Irpinia, Italy

An intense ruby red color, this Aglianico displays aromas of wild berries, licorice and herb. It's well-balanced with savory notes of balsamic, and pairs well with hard cheeses, eggplant parmigiana or hearty beef stew.

JS94James Suckling

Great fresh-plum and herbal character on the expressive nose leads into an aglianico that manages to be concentrated with no trace of opulence. Fresh, without being overly tart, at the long, dry and mineral finish. Drink or hold.

 

I noted the dark and red fruits, herbs and spice on the palate. The tannins were fairly light, but brought some body to the wine. Nice moderate finish – good with food, also. Priced around $25.

2016 Bodega Ordonez ‘Vatan’ Tinta de Toro, Toro, Spain

Showing even better than when I tasted it last year, the 2016 Vatan (100% Tinta de Toro) is still a baby and sports a deep purple color as well as blockbuster notes of blackcurrants, melted licorice, violets, ground pepper, and earth. It starts out tight and backward on the palate but slowly opens with air. It’s full-bodied, opulent, and powerful, yet still stays light on its feet, balanced, and lively. It still needs another 2-3 years and is going to evolve for 15-20 years or more.

COMMENTARY: The 2016 Bodegas Ordoñez Vatan does an excellent job of combining power and style. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings enticing black fruit aromas and flavors upfront and center. Pair it with the first cut of a prime rib, if you can get it away from your dining partner.

This wine had a great fruit nose, then flavors were like a blockbuster. Heavy red fruits and big tannins, with a very long finish. This wine needs at least a few years in the cellar to tame down – it is a massive wine. Priced from $35-40, this is a beast that needs to calm down and would hold for years.

I hope you all are safe and well. Keep popping those corks and I’ll meet you out behind the grapevines.