Author: Daniel

Bucaco

Tinto Reservado

Beiras, Portugal

2009 – 13.5%

Touriga Nacional & Baga

I hadn’t intended to do a write up about this wine because it’s pretty impossible to find in the States, but the picture was too good not to show off.  I purchased this bottle while I was abroad in London, and I’d been looking forward to opening it for a while.  A birthday party for my brother and guests was the perfect occasion.  It’s a shame it’s so difficult to find here because boy this is some good wine. 

This is hotel wine.  That’s right. Alexandre de Almeida Hotels – the largest hotel chain in Portugal – produces this wine.  It’s specifically bottled for their Palace Hotel do Bussaco, which unless you’re staying there, have fun trying to find it for a reasonable price.  Most of my Portuguese wine tastings have included wines from the Douro Valley, which knocks them out of the park.  However, these grapes are from the Doa wine region of Portugal.  And I must say, as I’ve started exploring the wines of the world, Portugal is producing some of the best table wines I’ve tasted – especially if you like big full-bodied reds.

In the words of one Marty Hird, “this wine reminds me of the hedge rows along the country roads of Hampshire, where the rabbits chase one another during mating season.”  I mean I’ve never been to Hampshire, nor have I witnessed rabbits during mating season, but hey!  That sounds like an apt description to me!  He’s a man of few words but when he talks you know he isn’t fudging the truth.  I can only try to imagine how memories of the lush green country side and the beautifully landscaped hedge rows paired with this wine brought him back to his childhood…. Not to mention the local rabbit population looking for love.

This wine definitely goes with mature cheeses and heavy meat dishes.  While I was drinking it, I wanted to pair it with was some BBQ pork chops on a cool summer evening.  If you’re ever staying at an Alexandre de Almeida hotel and you see this bottle, go ahead and purchase it with your dinner.  It will leave you completely satisfied… unlike the rabbits who never caught up to their mate.

Taste – 8 out of 10

Recommend – 9 out of 10

Price – 6 out of 10

Complexity – 6 out of 10

Smell – 6 out of 10

Overall – 35 out of 50

Ken Wright Cellars

Pinot Noir

Carlton, Oregon

2015 – 13.5%

Pinot Noir

Dry – 2.5 out of 5

Acid – 4 out of 5

$20

Let me paint an image of my time with Ken Wright’s Pinot Noir…  It was the first “outside kind of dinner” – evening, book in hand, bowl of pasta and a bottle of Willamette’s best.  Living in the suburbs has some perks compared to my time in the city.  I can walk out my front door, drop my toes in the grass, enjoy a nice barbeque on the patio, and listen to the sounds of chirping birds instead of honking horns.  On this particular evening I was entertained by my neighbor’s 10-year-old chasing squirrels in his front yard.  It seems the youth of today bait squirrels with kale chips instead of the sweets I was used to.  The wine and pasta were fantastic in and of itself, but I stayed for the show.  Just an observation, there are way too many squirrels and way too many unathletic youths.

Now back to the wine.  In the glass, Ken Wrights Pinot Noir has a classic, beautiful ruby color to it with hints of raspberry, oak, and earthy characteristics.  On the nose It was light – absolutely perfect for those cool spring evenings. 

On the tongue, the gentle texture of the wine followed through throughout my tasting experience.  I’m usually not the biggest fan of acidic wines especially on their follow through, but because of how light this wine was it was an excellent complement to its finish. 

This is the kind of wine you pair with pasta.  I may have not been having fettuccine alfredo but the next time you cook some up, pair it with Ken Wright’s Pinot Noir.  You will certainly not be disappointed. 

Willamette Valley is at the top of my list for the next vacation because of the wines they’re producing.  If you want a budget friendly pinot you can’t go wrong with Ken Wright.  Of course, you can spend more for pinot’s that challenge even the best burgundies.  However, if you’re looking for a light pinot that will want you filling up another glass and asking for a second bottle, look no further than this gem.

Value – Casual Night/ Impressing Company

Overall – 7.3

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Bodegas Volver

Single Vineyard

La Mancha, Spain

2016 – 15%

Tempranillo

Dry – 3.8 out of 5

Acid – 4 out of 5

$20

Winter may be coming in the land of Game of Thrones, but it has slowly been loosening its grip on the Northeast.  So, I thought this would be the perfect time to crack open a full-bodied wine.  It may be Spring, but it doesn’t quite feel like it yet. 

My expectations were high for this bottle, especially since it’s produced by the same winemaker as my number 8 in my top 10.  Unfortunately, it did not live up to the standard set by Volver with their Tarim Hill.

I knew before cracking open this particular wine not to expect it to rise to the level of Tarim Hill, but I wasn’t expecting to completely dislike it.  On first glance it’s a beautiful looking wine.  As well as looking good in the glass, it had a very aromatic nose to it.  It has a very robust smell, with hints of dark fruits, chocolate, and spice.  I was completely expecting the nose to translate to the tongue, but it left me wanting less of it.

On the tongue, I was really struck with how acidic it was more than anything else.  It was too much for my liking and had massive characteristics of smoke and oak.  Despite giving this wine plenty of time to breathe both in the bottle and in the glass, it never seemed to open up nicely.  Though certainly a very full-bodied tannic wine; I was hoping for its tannins to be a bit smoother, but I was quickly let down.

In all honesty it pained me to find ways to write about this wine.  I was struggling to come up with characteristics of this wine that would translate a picture of the beauty wine can present.  This wine gave me none of that, it mostly left me with a “meh” feeling.  That this producer can make such knock outs as Tarim Hill but miss the target with their single vineyard, is a testament to the difficulty of winemaking.

Value – One Time Buy

Overall – 4.8 out of 10

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Bodega Chacra

Barda

Patagonia, Argentina

2017 – 13%

Pinot Noir

Acid – 2

Dry – 3.5

$20

This was a first for me.  I’ve had very few South American wines before and have disliked each one of them with a passion.  However, this being a Patagonian wine, I didn’t even know what to expect.  But oh, was I intrigued.  The picture I have of Patagonia is of the mountainous land, snow-capped cliffs, massive grasslands, and the driest of deserts.  This was however, a beautiful view in its own regard.  Not your typical Patagonia view but just as stunning.

In Patagonia, Chacra is considered a special piece of land destined to pomology and thought to have a vital energy center with the ability to connect the universe.  Well this pinot connected me to what Chacra’s founder Piero Incisa Della Rocchetta has perfected in Patagonia.  This wine does what many wines don’t succeed at.  Being able to transmit you through the growth of the wine.  In a sense, you’re tasting each part of the winemaking process.  And that complexity is what truly makes Barda stand out in an Argentinian sea of Malbecs.

In the glass, Barda has a dark ruby slightly purplish color to it.  On the nose, this wine has some interesting characteristics.  My initial sensation from this wine is of freshly tilled, wet soil.  As the wine opened up in the glass I started to get hints of cinnamon, orange peel, oak, and vanilla.  Woods and earth were definitely the most common scents that I experienced throughout the tasting.

However, on the tongue this wine turned into a completely different animal.  I was first struck by just how smooth and “plush” this wine felt in my mouth.  You could say it felt velvety with lingering flavors of strawberry.  Its finish was where its tannins really came through along with a touch of vanilla.  During my tasting, Barda was felt most in the very back of my throat.

Barda would definitely pair well with a few different dishes or foods.  It fits a broad spectrum of palates, from penne vodka to beautifully grilled venison steak.  Funny enough, what I was craving while enjoying Barda was a slice of margherita pizza.

What I’m left with most after drinking this wine is how I’d like to buy another bottle and cellar it.  I feel that this wine would do well to sit and develop more structure and complexity to it.  Cellaring this wine will give it a chance to mature which in turn will make its tannins more present.  While it’s fresh as a young wine, I will absolutely buy a few more to throw in the cellar.

Value – Impressing Company

Overall – 7.5

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