OK. God knows that Korta is one of my favorite low-priced vineyards, delivering the goods with a decent amount of alcohol. It's the same vineyard that made me fall in love with Petit Verdot.
Now, I am not a huge merlot fan. I never have been. That doesn't mean I'm willing to write off a grape entirely, though, especially since it's from Korta.
The legs on this glass are insane. There are millions of them, coming from nowhere. The nose is tight, so tight that I can't smell anything other than sour and alcohol. And boy, is there alcohol - to the tune of 14.5%.
This wine is a little disappointing on the palate. I don't taste anything until mid-palate, which is bitter. On the finish, I get that burning artificial sweeteners taste, much like I get on the petit verdot. So to me, that's how it's disappointing; it doesn't taste like merlot, it tastes like PV.
Well, I adore Korta, so I can't trash this wine. And, for a PV-lover like myself, it is pretty tasty. I'm just sad that Korta couldn't let the true flavor of merlot shine through.
Cheers!
Kate
Monday, May 30, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
2007 Cline Sonoma County Syrah, $9.99
OK. I am a huge fan of Cline Vineyard's Cashmere (more to come on that) as well as a fan of their viognier (www.kmwinediary.blogspot.com). So I am interested to see how this syrah stacks up.
Again, as I've explained before in my other blog, I am not the biggest fan of syrah when it's called syrah. I like it better when it's called shiraz. No matter. As long as it brings the goods, you can call it whatever you want.
The back of the label states that there are "black cherry fruit spiced with black pepper aromas." Mmm, yummy. I smell alcohol & black pepper right off the bat, but I only get a faint whiff of the black cherries at the tail end of the nose. Hmm, that 13.5% alcohol content must be blocking it out. Oh well, I'll take that 13.5% any day over a strong nose. This wine is very dark and grapey in the glass, with long legs that form immediately.
The first thing I taste are the tannins in this grape. Once you've tasted enough grapes, believe me, you can pick them out blind-folded. It tastes like syrah tannins at first, followed by rubbing alcohol on the mid-palate, with cherries & black pepper on the finish. I have to admit, this is a pretty complex wine at this price point, one that I would definitely recommend & buy again.
I've noticed that there are plenty of good red wines under $10, but the white wines at the same price point tend to be lacking (see: Las Valles 2009 Viura - Chardonnay). I'm not sure what that's about, but I do know that I'll try anything once, and if it warrants a re-buy, I'll buy it again. This wine definitely falls into the buy-it-again category. I love Cline Vineyard & I'm happy to support and promote anything they put out. Much like Pacific Rim, it's one of my go-to vineyards. Check out www.clinecellars.com for more info.
Cheers!
Kate
Again, as I've explained before in my other blog, I am not the biggest fan of syrah when it's called syrah. I like it better when it's called shiraz. No matter. As long as it brings the goods, you can call it whatever you want.
The back of the label states that there are "black cherry fruit spiced with black pepper aromas." Mmm, yummy. I smell alcohol & black pepper right off the bat, but I only get a faint whiff of the black cherries at the tail end of the nose. Hmm, that 13.5% alcohol content must be blocking it out. Oh well, I'll take that 13.5% any day over a strong nose. This wine is very dark and grapey in the glass, with long legs that form immediately.
The first thing I taste are the tannins in this grape. Once you've tasted enough grapes, believe me, you can pick them out blind-folded. It tastes like syrah tannins at first, followed by rubbing alcohol on the mid-palate, with cherries & black pepper on the finish. I have to admit, this is a pretty complex wine at this price point, one that I would definitely recommend & buy again.
I've noticed that there are plenty of good red wines under $10, but the white wines at the same price point tend to be lacking (see: Las Valles 2009 Viura - Chardonnay). I'm not sure what that's about, but I do know that I'll try anything once, and if it warrants a re-buy, I'll buy it again. This wine definitely falls into the buy-it-again category. I love Cline Vineyard & I'm happy to support and promote anything they put out. Much like Pacific Rim, it's one of my go-to vineyards. Check out www.clinecellars.com for more info.
Cheers!
Kate
Friday, May 13, 2011
Trialta Tempranillo 2006, $8.99
OK. I heart tempranillo. I heart it. It’s not only delicious (as a general rule, of course), but it also tends to be price-friendly. And from Spain. How lucky can a girl get? That’s like hitting the holy trinity.
The back of this bottle is especially enticing. I love the fact that this bottle pretty much spells out everything you should be seeing, smelling, tasting. For example, it says, “AROMA: Revealing ripe fruit and toasty notes of the wood, balsamic hints with memories of tobacco and licorice.” Then, right underneath, it says, “TASTE: Elegant and full-bodied with moderate acidity and velvety tannins that make it easy to drink.” Way to spell it all out. But I suppose I should say that my favorite part is where is says it’s got a 13.5% alcohol content. That’s pretty nice, coming from a wine under ten bucks.
In the glass, it actually looks like this wine might be spoiled. There’s a musty brown component in the red color that makes it look like it’s been uncorked and sitting out for more than a couple of days. Chubby little legs for down the side of the glass after ten seconds, showing the heft to the body of this wine. On the nose, I smell cedar wood & tobacco on the tail end, tightly wound in with the scent of the alcohol. I have to say, I’m pretty impressed by the complex nose of this tempranillo.
The first thing I think after taking a sip of this wine is, “This could use a decanter.”
This wine, more than anything, tastes very young on my palate. The tannins are a little harsh, but they are velvety. There’s a little underripe strawberry component on the mid-palate, sprinkled with a touch - just a touch - of white pepper. And, in my mouth, this wine is thin & smooth, totally masking its heavy body.
I have to say, this wine taste like it costs way more than $8.99. In fact, I think it would hold its own if it were stacked up against other wines in the $10 - $15 range. I would totally recommend buying a couple of bottles for a party or for a birthday/holiday gift. Keep it in the back of your minds.
Cheers!
Kate
The back of this bottle is especially enticing. I love the fact that this bottle pretty much spells out everything you should be seeing, smelling, tasting. For example, it says, “AROMA: Revealing ripe fruit and toasty notes of the wood, balsamic hints with memories of tobacco and licorice.” Then, right underneath, it says, “TASTE: Elegant and full-bodied with moderate acidity and velvety tannins that make it easy to drink.” Way to spell it all out. But I suppose I should say that my favorite part is where is says it’s got a 13.5% alcohol content. That’s pretty nice, coming from a wine under ten bucks.
In the glass, it actually looks like this wine might be spoiled. There’s a musty brown component in the red color that makes it look like it’s been uncorked and sitting out for more than a couple of days. Chubby little legs for down the side of the glass after ten seconds, showing the heft to the body of this wine. On the nose, I smell cedar wood & tobacco on the tail end, tightly wound in with the scent of the alcohol. I have to say, I’m pretty impressed by the complex nose of this tempranillo.
The first thing I think after taking a sip of this wine is, “This could use a decanter.”
This wine, more than anything, tastes very young on my palate. The tannins are a little harsh, but they are velvety. There’s a little underripe strawberry component on the mid-palate, sprinkled with a touch - just a touch - of white pepper. And, in my mouth, this wine is thin & smooth, totally masking its heavy body.
I have to say, this wine taste like it costs way more than $8.99. In fact, I think it would hold its own if it were stacked up against other wines in the $10 - $15 range. I would totally recommend buying a couple of bottles for a party or for a birthday/holiday gift. Keep it in the back of your minds.
Cheers!
Kate
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