Tasting - Moscata Vineyards Unánime Gran Vino Tinto

Name: Moscata Vineyards Unánime Gran Vino Tinto
Variety: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec, and 15% Cabernet Franc
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2015
Price: $25

Winery Review: Unánime has an intense cherry-red colour, elegant aromas of black chocolate and tobacco, along with a touch of black pepper notes. Well structured, round tannins that blend nicely with its fresh and juicy acidity.

My Review: There’s black fruit on the nose specifically blackberry and black currant. There are also lingering oak and vanilla notes. Raspberry and blackberry dominate the taste with black currant following. It is similarly oaky. It finished hot and tannic. This is a very solid wine which could’ve used more breathing. The hot quality was overpowering when drank immediately. Definitely needed to mellow out more.

Tasting - Radius Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Name: Radius Reserve Cabernet Savignon 2018

Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Washington

Country: USA

Year: 2018

Price: $18

Winery Review: Expertly crafted, this full-bodied Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon opens with aromas of red berry and black cherry, leading to distinct flavors of cassis, vanilla, and toasted oak and finishing long with velvety tannins.

My Review: The nose is berry forward with hints of cherry, blackberry, and generally black fruit. There is a slight note of vanilla as well. The palate is very similar with more black fruit coming through specifically black cherry, blackberry, and black currant. It is oaky and hot with a long finish. Solid wine that could benefit from some decanting.

Tasting - Mauro Sebaste Prapò Barolo

Name: Mauro Sebaste Prapò Barolo

Variety: 100% Nebbiolo

Region: Piedmont 

Country: Italy

Year: 2012

Price: $50

Winery Review: Ethereal nose and aromas of withered roses fail to suppress a slight fragrance of underbrush, which makes it extremely well-balanced and rounded. Austere and impressive. With its excellent tannicity, it can have a very lengthy cellar life: 20/25 years. This Barolo reflects the most typical style of the wine's virtuosity and aristocracy.

My Review: The nose has hints of cherry and black currant. I also get earthiness with leather and shoe polish. The taste is quite harsh. It’s vinegary. This wine has turned which is incredibly unfortunate. I’m including this entry because it is such a high quality wine and deserves more but also as a lesson to myself to better my aging techniques. I had held this bottle for about 4 years but didn’t properly climatize it. Well you live and you learn.

Tasting - Artie Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Artie Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region:
Country: Australia
Year: 2019
Price: $6

Winery Review: Fruity and spicy with hints of bramble, cherry and blackcurrants with spices.

My Review: It has quite the fruit forward nose with notes of cherry and raspberry and currant. There’s a hint of vanilla on the end. The taste is very fruity with red fruit notes such as currant and cherry. It is slightly acidic with a medium body and a long finish. It is a fine wine for the price point. Could be better but for the price point it could be a lot worse.

Tasting - 90 Plus Cellars Old Vine Malbec

Name: 90 Plus Cellars Old Vine Malbec
Variety: 100% Malbec

Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2018
Price: $12.50

Winery Review: Deep ruby-purple in color, this wine boasts exquisite aromas of blackberries, blueberries, plum and spice. It is well balanced with ample structure and mild tannins. Dark cherry and hints of wood smoke emerge on the finish to leave an elegant and lasting impression.

My Review: A lot of red fruit is present on the nose specifically cherry, raspberry, and plum. I also get some licorice, leather, and oak. More cherry is present on the palate with blackberry and dark fruit. There’s some vanilla on the end and slight oakiness. It has a long finish and is generally pleasant drinker.

Tasting - Ménage à Trois Gold Chardonnay

Name: Ménage à Trois Gold Chardonnay
Variety: 96% Chardonnay, 3% Viognier, and 1% Verdelho

Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2016
Price: $10

Winery Review: How would you like to be indulged in extravagant pleasures, an abundance of riches, and luxurious opulence like never before? Welcome to the world of Ménage à Trois Gold. Here you’re treated like the empress (or emperor) you are, and the pleasure is always all yours. Let us spoil you with a wealth of ripe tropical fruit flavors, which mingle endlessly, selfishly, with grand French vanilla and hints of deluxe sweet spice, before climaxing into a smooth, buttery finish. Ménage à Trois Gold is blissfully decadent, and you know you’re worth it.

My Review: This wine smelled of all tropical fruits. Pineapple, lychee, and some coconut I noticed most. The taste was silky smooth and mellow. More tropical fruit came through. Mostly pineapple hit the palate with some butter and a hint of vanilla on the end. This wine is solid and well-rounded and inoffensive. It’s not bad but not the best chardonnay I’ve had.

Tasting - Prince Michel Cabernet Franc

Name: Prince Michel Cabernet Franc
Variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $15

Winery Review: Rich fruit flavors of dark cherry complement the subtle hints of roasted coffee bean and black pepper.  Less tannic than most reds, this is a wine with broad appeal.

My Review: This has the typical Cab Franc profile. Cherry, green and black peppers, and spice dance on the nose with some woodiness. More cherry and spiciness come through on the palate followed up with some raspberry. It has a long finish with some more red fruits, tobacco, and oakiness making an appearance. It has a nice medium body and is a solid wine. Not a bad Cab Franc.

Tasting - Château Smith Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan

Name: Château Smith Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan
Variety: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot

Region: Pessac-Léognan
Country: France
Year: 2015
Price: $89

Winery Review: The currants and blackberries on the nose are very impressive with wet-earth and lavender undertones. Full body and super-integrated tannins that melt into the wine. The quality of the tannins is incredible with fantastic length and mouthfeel. So much concentration and balance at the same time. Such beauty. From biodynamic grapes. This is the greatest wine ever from here. Drink in 2022.

My Review: Wow! What an amazing wine! Dark fruit is very prominent on the nose with notes of black cherry and shoe leather. Following that are hints of slight blueberry and slight vanilla. Blueberry and cherry are present on palate followed by leather, tobacco, and some oak. The wine is very smooth and has a long finish. Such a fantastically crafted wine through and through.

Tasting - Sterling Vintner's Collection Meritage

Name: Sterling Vintner’s Collection Meritage
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc

Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2016
Price: $12.50

Winery Review: The Sterling Vintner’s Collection Meritage is a fine blend of some of California’s most intriguing red varietals including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The wine opens with an inviting and vivid nose of freshly picked raspberries, cranberry, cherry and melted milk chocolate. The wine is juicy on the palate where the nose rings true with flavors of mixed berry fruit, mocha and subtle toasted spice. The well-integrated oak influence offers a pleasing warm vanilla note and leads to a long-lasting, seamless finish with balanced acidity.

My Review: The classic Meritage nose is present with notes of green pepper, black pepper, and cherry. This is followed by hints of cassis and some more red fruit. The taste is sort of spicy with more cherry and red fruit present. Hints of tobacco is also present. It is a medium body wine with a long finish. It is quite a good wine and I am quite the fan of the Meritage blend.

Tasting - Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay

Name: Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay
Variety: 100% Chardonnay

Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2017
Price: $17

Winery Review: This wine interlaces a light buttery-oak nuance with vibrant, appealing fruit flavors. It's medium weight yet fresh, with a smooth, well-balanced palate that displays a harmonized mix of savory oak and citrus nuances.

My Review: The nose is of spring. It is quite floral with some tropical fruit notes. Honeysuckle with melon and pineapple are predominant. More tropical fruit comes through on the palate. I get hints of pineapple and mango. There’s also some vanilla and a slight honey taste present. It is silky and smooth and has a long finish. A very nice Chardonnay and one that I will return to.