Week 4 Wine Tasting

Alrighty, week #4! Once again, we decided to go to the Vintage Cellar for a tasting, and once again, we walked away with more wine but less money. (Though with the awesome prices, I think the wine gained outweighed the money lost!) So to begin, we have...


Wine #1: Leese-Fitch

Leese-Fitch, Sauvignon Blanc, California, 2010, $10.95

Smell: Light, dry, and fresh. Kind of reminds me of a riverbed. In a good, refreshing, earthy, clean way, though. Not a fish poop and mud kind of way.

Taste: Clean and tart, slightly acidic.

Established Review: "Dry, crisply acidic and clean, with complex citrus, flower and mineral flavors." Wine Enthusiast

Wine #2: Allamand

Allamand, Saint Jeannet, Mendoza, Argentina, 2011, $11.95

Smell: Light, with a hint of freshly cut grass.

Taste: Very smooth, very light. I also thought I tasted a slightly bread-y flavor, but that seemed rather odd, so I kind of second guessed myself. But, I suppose it doesn't hurt to add to the wine blog.

Established Review: "Made very naturally from organically farmed grapes with almost nothing added later, wild yeast fermentation and no oak." Vintage Cellar

Wine #3: Frisk

Frisk, Riesling, Alpine Valley, Australia, 2011, $11.95

Smell: Light, floral, honeysuckle, and jasmine. Smells delicious!!!

Taste: Floral and slightly sweet, but also tart and with a little kick. Also, a few bubbles in there! Very tasty and fun. One of these guys definitely made his way home with me!

Established Review: "A pleasing level of prickly spritz lifting the ample fruity flavors...loads of tropical fruit and jasmine aromas, off-dry fruity flavors...and a sweet/tart finish." Vintage Cellar

Wine #4: Cuilleras

Cuilleras, Grenache, Rhone Valley, France, 2010, $11.95

Smell: Plum hit me first, but then other fruits, specifically berries, came through.

Taste: Light at first, then very peppery. It had a smokey aftertaste.

Established Review: "A wine with great lively acidity which gives it great freshness. You'll taste lots of black cherry and currant fruit with some notes of licorice and minerals." Vintage Cellar


Wine #5: Antano

Antano, Crianza, Rioja, Spain, 2008, $8.95

Smell: This smell surprised me, because usually with red wines, I have a difficult time smelling anything floral, but that was the first smell that hit me. It was also a little fruity. It smelled warm, if that it possible.

Taste: There was some spice and it was a bit peppery, with just a little heat. There was also something tart, like a black cherry.

Established Review: "Loads of fresh, spicy black cherry and hints of vanilla and toast combine with fresh acidity in a medium-bodied, textbook crianza that is perfect for a nicely balanced, delicious house red." Vintage Cellar

I think I'm slowly developing my palate. It will probably take a lifetime of improvements, but I feel like I can already taste, smell, and talk about wine in a more intelligent way. Although, I may have taken a step back with the first description of the day by including the words "fish poop"...oh well, it's a learning process!