Author: Daniel

Colossal

Reserva

Lisbon, Portugal

2015 – 14%

Touriga Nacional – 30% Syrah – 30% Tinta Touriga Nacional – 30% Alicante Boushet – 10%

Acid – 2.8 out of 5

Dry – 3.8 out of 5

$9!

This shit right here!  This shit right here!  Let me just start this off with, “this is a BULK BUY immediately!”  If that were a value, my goodness this would be ordered case on case on case.  This bad boy costs $9 and oh man is it good.  You know these Portuguese have nailed down Port but who knew they could throw out budget friendly bangers too!  Don’t get it wrong I’ll splurge from time to time on a wine – but I’d drink this bottle of pure poetry any day of the week.  As much as I want to stop the blog right here.  I’ll get more into detail about Reserva.

In the glass the wine has a beautiful garnet color.  On first sniff, I’m delighted by the fresh raspberry smell, hints of spice, and oak subtleties.  This wine is quite refreshing to smell.  It’s like when you’ve had your windows closed all winter and that first warm spring day rolls up.  You open all your windows and let the smells of crisp, fresh spring air hit you right in the nostrils!  It warms up your soul and gets you excited for the birds to start chirping and the flowers to start budding!

On the tongue this is a very robust wine.  If you’re a full-bodied kind of wino, this is your go to.  There is no mistaking the Touriga Nacional and its rustic characteristics.  There is a hint of acidity that you first get in the back “roof of your mouth” but is really brought together with it’s phenomenal finish.  It leaves this lingering wonderfully pleasant taste after you have sipped it.  The tannins let you know they’re present at the finish, and the wine also has a nice smoky follow through.

As much as this wine pairs perfectly with a heavy winter meal what I look forward to most with this wine is drinking it around a campfire with some delicious grilled meat.  This isn’t just a wine that needs to be paired; I’d also drink this wine any night of the week by itself.  All in all, this is table wine done right, plain and simple…

Value – BULK BUY!  Casual night or Impressing Company

Overall – 7.7 out of 10

Get it delivered to your door here!

Find near you here!

Bodegas Virgen de la Sierra

Old Garnacha Vines (OGV)

Calatayud, Spain

2015 – 14%

Grenache

Acid – 3.7 out of 5

Dry – 4.5 out of 5

$15

For this review we head to the region of Calatayud Spain.  Spain is another one of those countries that I have yet to visit but is high on my list.  This wine is made up of one of my favorite Grapes, Grenache.  Or as it’s called in Spain, “Garnacha.”  Grenache is most famously grown in France, but the grape itself most likely originated in Spain due to its tolerance of hot and arid climates.  Grenache is easily paired with a lot of foods because of it’s medium bodied texture, fruit forward hints, and soft tannins.  It’s also widely appreciated for its ability to drink while it’s young.  Now enough about young grapes… lets get down to the business end.

In the glass, this wine has a very deep red color, almost blood red.  On the nose this wine brings forward scents of plum, dark chocolate, and spice.  It becomes very robust as you let it breath in the glass and it is very fruit forward.  As Grenache’s tend to have a higher alcohol level, you can certainly smell the alcohol coming from inside the glass.

On the tongue, I’m first struck by how dry this wine is.  You certainly feel it from first taste to last.  The acidity level is there as well, which at times is not the most pleasant.  This wine was very robust throughout the tasting experience and would do well paired with food.  I certainly would not drink this wine by itself.  Its finish follows through with soft tannins while the wine is felt most in the roof of my mouth.  Overall, I think this is an entry-level Grenache that may do well by aging a few years.  However, it is right for the price and for my evening it paired well with some roasted chicken, kale, and potatoes. 

Funny thing, I did start to like it the more I drank of it.  But I’m going to attribute that to the fact I was hammered when I was done drinking it!  Cheers.

Value – One time buy

Overall – 4.5 out of 10

Click here to find near you!

Loveblock

Pinot Noir

Central Ontago, New Zealand

2015 – 14%

Acid – 2.7 out of 5

Dry – 3.6 out of 5

            I couldn’t think of a better occasion to crack open this bottle than Valentines Day.  Yes, this wine just so happens to be in my personal top ten (#7 as a matter of fact) and it’s there for good reason.  I’ve enjoyed this wine two times before and unfortunately did not have the opportunity to review it.  I was looking forward to my next time so I could really capture in writing how this wine exemplifies the beauty of the grape.

Yes, it’s Valentines Day so excuse me while I get a little romantic about this baby.  Wine has the magical ability to not only tell you about its place of origin but to transport you there.  Wine can transmit a sense of place, culture, people, and time.  You can feel the love and devotion that’s put into a beautifully sculpted bottle of wine.  What other product can you truly enjoy that may have been developed over a hundred years ago?  Today, you can open up a bottle of Madeira or vintage port produced more than a century ago that is not only drinkable but also delicious.  But, I digress.  Back to my Loveblock. 

Even though I’ve never been to New Zealand, this wine brings me to a tall mountain range overlooking lush green scenery.  The smells of blossoming flowers followed through with the cool salt air of the Tasman Sea.  When I think of New Zealand, more often than not, I think of scenes in Lord of the Rings… especially the small hobbit homes covered in wild grow and buzzing with beautiful wildlife.  Those thoughts make me want to light up my corn cob pipe, pour myself a tall glass of Loveblock, and enjoy the landscape.

            In the glass, Loveblock has a very light ruby color to it.  On the nose, I’m struck by just how beautiful this wine smells.  It’s followed through with hints of moss, rose pedals, black cherry, and strawberry. 

            Now to the good part; the drinking of this gem.  For such a light colored wine, it sure does have the tasting characteristics of a medium bodied bold wine.  Its tannins are present throughout the experience.  From first sip your senses are brought to the spice and tobacco notes, with the finish coming through in a well-balanced fashion. 

What’s fantastic about this wine is how well it follows through throughout your tasting experience.  From first sip to last, you get a sense of just how crisp this wine is and the dedication that was put into the process of creating this wine.  Other Pinots that I’ve tasted have been fruity from nose to tongue.  This one however was fruity on the nose but remained earthy and complex throughout the whole tasting process, which honestly was a very pleasant experience.  I hope you find the time to enjoy this wine just as much as I did.

Value – Top Tier

Taste – 4

Overall – 4

Click Here for Loveblock near you!

Decugnano dei Barbi

Villa Barbi

Umbria Rosso

Cabernet Sauvignon 34% / Sangiovese 33% / Merlot 33%

2016 – 14% – $17

Acid – 1 out of 5

Dry – 4 out of 5

            For this review we’re heading back to my hand gesturing home land of Italia.  This time we’ll be in the region of Umbria, a region that unfortunately I have yet to visit.  And if this wine is any indication of what Umbria has to offer, I’ll be there on my next flight!  If this Umbria Rosso is representative of the wine that the region produces I will be bulking up on its wines immediately.

            In the glass, Villa Barbi has a beautiful ruby color with hints of dark fruits, tobacco, and oak.  On the nose as this wine opened up it turned to a more earthy smell – in a pleasant way – reminiscent of a warm summer morning when the dew is out in all its glory.

            As I drank this wine at times it felt like I was drinking a light carbonated wine.  And as unappealing as that may sound, it was fantastic.  In Italian, it would be described as “frizzante.”  This wine is super dry but not in a mouth smacking kind of way.  While very dry it’s an easy drinking wine with little to no acidity and is felt most on the back of your tongue.  I’m usually a fan of wines you feel more in the back of your throat but this was very enjoyable. 

            It just so happens that Umbria is well known in Italy for producing some of the countries best truffles.  And funny as it may sound, the more I drank this wine the more I wanted it paired with a dish of pasta with black truffles.  However, for my meal it did pair well with skirt steak.  Once again, this wine is terrific and easy to sit back and relax with. 

Value – Casual Night or Impressing Company

Taste – 3 out of 5

Overall – 3 out of 5           

Ornellaia

Le Volte

Toscana Italy

Merlot 67% / Cabernet Sauvignon 20% / Sangiovese 13%

2015 – 14.5% – $27

Acid – 3 out of 5

Dry – 4.3 out of 5

            If I could visit one country over and over again it would be Italy.  Italy has some of the most beautiful landscapes, foods, and wines.  My favorite thing about it is the ability to visit a different city, climate, or atmosphere each time you go.  It has so much to offer, from medieval towns to gorgeous coastlines, to trendy modern cities.  One of those regions to hold a special place in my heart is Tuscany.  Tuscany is not only known for its outrageous countryside, renaissance art and architecture, but some of the best wines in the world including the Brunello di Montalcino- my personal favorite. 

            Tuscany may be most well known for producing something called “Super Tuscan” wines.  Super Tuscans are full bodied, big, and rich.  And Ornellaia, Le Volte falls right into the Super Tuscan category.  Through the glass Le Volte has a very deep garnet color.  On the nose there are hints of tobacco, dark fruits, licorice, and spice.  There is no mistaking where this wine was produced. 

Smelling this wine brings back memories of being 10-years old sitting around the family table at a holiday get together (before the pasta fagioli worked its way through my grandfather).  Sitting there watching my uncles and cousins drinking jugs of table wine playing all kinds of card games.  The rooms filled with antipasto, bocconcini, calamari, ham, turkey, bowls on bowls of meat sauced pasta, and most importantly Neapolitan dialect that no proper Italian would understand.

            On first sip you can tell just how dry this wine is.  It gives you a mouth smacking bite.  Yes, it is quite bold like most Tuscans, but it’s not too overbearing.  As the wine continues to breathe you begin to feel it most in the back of your throat.  What this wine lacks in strong tannins it makes up in complexity on your palate.  There is no doubting that this is an old school rustic wine.  This is the kind of wine you only drink with food such as tomato based pastas and heavy protein meals.  It’s perfect to bring to that BYOB red sauce joint you’ve been meaning to check out.

            This is a fun wine and for under $30 it can’t be beat especially if you want to enjoy what Tuscany has to offer.  What I’m left with after finishing this wine are thoughts of the settings in which I’d want to drink it again.  I want to throw four bottles of Le Volte into a jug, invite my oldest relatives over, and make some pasta.  We’d sit around the table finishing the jug while playing Scopa until someone gets upset, curses in Italian (the classic – che cazzo e¢ freddo che fa¢), and flips the table… but only after every last drop of Le Volte is gone.

Value – Casual Night

Taste – 3 out of 5

Overall – 2.5 out of 5

Insurgente

Tinto

Dao Portugal

Touriga Nacional / Alfrocheiro Preto

2015 – 14% – $18

Acid – 1.8 out of 5

Dry – 2.7 out of 5

            A little over two years ago I had the privilege of visiting Portugal.  I fell in love with the structure and complexity of the wines that I experienced.  From the Ports of Douro to the Touriga’s of Dao.  Each one provided a new tasting note that exemplified how one small but geographically diverse country can produce such extreme differences in wine.  Some of my favorites were the wines that went along with the medieval, rich, sea forward cuisines of the Portuguese.   I’m still holding onto two Tinto’s from the Douro that miraculously made the voyage back unharmed.

            For this review we’re hitting the mountainous Dao region and let’s just say Dan’s disappointed.  We’ll also be joined by Dan’s parents for this write up…. But let’s take their thoughts with a grain of salt.  My father could drink a jug of Carlo Rossi and say it was the greatest thing ever and my mother could down a bottle of wine like it was water…  But hey, wine runs deep in these Fierro’s.  Miguele’s appreciation for this wine increased as his cheeks got rosier (he’s a man of few words – but he did spill his potatoes explaining how good this wine made him feel).  Diana was pretty much on board with what is to come in the remainder of this review…

But enough about the hue of my father’s face.  An assault on the senses, this wine surely lives up to its name.  Like most insurgents, it looks intimidating but can’t actually shoot straight.

            Insurgente has a bold dark purple look to it and in all honesty looks fantastic in the glass.  On the nose you catch strong dark fruit scents, most powerful being cherry and plum.  This wine leaves you with subtle but refreshing hints of dark chocolate.  Once again, on the nose this wine is very pleasant but that’s where my enjoyment of this wine ends.

            If you’re looking for a fruit forward wine with a bit of a tannic bite, this wine is perfect for you!  Other than that it’s a bit basic in my opinion.  It is what it is from first taste to last.  Really doesn’t leave you longing for more.  It’s there, you’re drinking it, so you might as well finish it.  But, no second bottle of this one please.  To be fair, it is a wine that’s well put together.  It is fruit forward with a bit of structure to it.  Not really my bag, but if you love fruit forward wines that are pretty easy to drink go buy a bottle of Insurgente Tinto.  I will not be!

Value – One Time Buy

Taste – 2 out of 5

Value – 2 out of 5

Domaine Edmond Cornu & Fills

Vieille Vignes

Ladoix France

Burgundy (Pinot Noir)

2013 – 13% – $30

Acid – 2.8 out of 5

Dry – 3.5 out of 5

My first wine blog!  Oh man!  I hope that if you happened to stumble across this you’ll get some enjoyment out of my excitement for wine.  The idea of starting a wine blog has always been in the back of my mind.  I just hadn’t found the inspiration to get the wheels moving, until the un-corking of this wine.  It’s a bottle I’ve had for a few months and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.  Now onto the important stuff….

Upon initial pour, the pale ruby color of this Pinot Noir is the first thing that strikes me.  It has the common color characteristics as most wines of its type.  On the nose I’m reminded of strawberry and raspberry but am mostly overcome by the wonderful freshness of this wine.  It has a strong fruity smell to it followed through with hints of nutmeg.

On the tongue, its freshness is the initial characteristic that hits me.  Funny as it sounds, I’m reminded of a beautiful spring day.  The flowers are blooming and the birds are a chirping!  From the start I knew this would be a phenomenal wine and after tasting it, my hunch is confirmed.  This wine is a bit silky right over the tongue and leaves a nice acidic bite in the back top half of the throat.  I’m a big fan of wines that have a long finish to them and develop a bit of depth to them as you let them open up in the glass, which this one does superbly.

This wine would pair well with light protein or game meals and pasta dishes low on acidity.  I would also drink this wine without food any day of the week.  What I’m most impressed with this wine is how well it opened up throughout my tasting process, along with just how fresh it was to smell and drink. 

Value – Impressing Company

Taste – 4 out of 5

Overall – 3.5 out of 5

So there’s my first wine blog, hope you enjoyed!