Week 5 Wine Tasting

Alright, more time, more wine! This week is a little different, because all of the wines weren't tasted at the same place or time, so it's a little more varied. Let's see what, if anything, I learned this week!

Wine #1: Sivas Sonoma

Sivas-Sonoma, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County, California, 2009, $14.95

Smell: It was a little fruity, but in a heavier way. It was like if those little candied fruits you get in a fruit cake were heated on a stove and reduced. It had a concentrated smell.

Taste: I was excited, because I could actually taste a whole bunch of different things in this wine! Some of them were more distinct than others, but there were definitely a lot of flavors. It was buttery but still fruity and sweet. There was a hint of chocolate and then a spicy, peppery finish. Granted, this could be a lot of nonsense, especially compared to the actual review, but that's what I got from it.

Established Review: "Fruit driven, with a nice combination of blackberry, red currant, and a background of dark chocolate and cocoa...On the palate, dark chocolate-covered cherry flavors meet hints of mocha, and the dark fruit profile carries all the way through the lively mid-palate...the mixture of French and American oak aging lends light touches of vanilla and cinnamon to this wine's background complexity." Vintage Cellar

Wine #2: Innocent Bystander

Innocent Bystander, Moscato, Victoria, Australia, 2011, $15.95

Smell: Very fruity, melon scent. Also, a bit floral, like jasmine or roses.

Taste: Strong green apple flavor. It's bright with a tang, and sweet, but not too sweet. Pink and bubbly(but still smooth,) light and fun, it says party to me!

Established Review: "Scents of rose and fresh wild strawberries lend this pink, slightly fizzy wine its brisk perfume. Lightly sweet, it is balanced by chalk-like minerality." Wine & Spirits via wine.com

Wine #3: Bella Sera

Bella Sera, Merlot, Sicily, Italy, 2009, $10

Smell: It's a bit buttery/creamy, but still fruity. It has some plum, cherry, and a hint of strawberry. Nothing too harsh, very nice.

Taste: It had a warm taste, if that makes any sense. It wasn't an alcoholic burn, just a warm feel/flavor. It had a tart, cherry flavor, and it was very smooth and velvety. I had this with a dinner of steak and potatoes, and the wine and food went very well together.

Established Review: "The wine delivers ripe red and black fruit flavor, delivering a rich mouthfeel and sweet tannins with a lingering fruit finish." Marketview Liquor via Snooth.com

Wine #4: Cantina Villafranca

Cantina Villafranca, Malvasia and Trebbiano, Frascati, Italy, 2010, $7.95

Smell: Citrus-y smell, very light.

Taste: Buttery and smooth. I think I got a hint of cheese, but that seems odd, so I'm not sure about that...

Established Review: "Intense yellow color with greenish reflections. Characteristic persistent fresh and fruity aromas." Winemaker's notes

Wine #5: Morro Bay White Oaks Estates

Morro Bay White Oak Estates, Chardonnay, California, 2009, $5.95

Smell: It smelled heavily of raisins, with a little bit of oak and spice. Almost like toast made from raisin bread.

Taste: This one tasted very oak-y to me, and was tangy at the end. Not really sure how I feel about this. I will have to try more wines with different levels of oak to see what I can deal with and what I can't.

Established Review: "Vanilla cream soda nose with a slice of fresh cut pineapple. Full body, tropical fruit, spice and pleasing vanilla oak note linger in the finish. Sweet flavor on the palate is from sur-lie aging the wine on the primary yeast lees for 7months." Vintage Cellar