Tasting- "Rosemount Estate Moscato"

Rosemount Estate
Moscato
Australia
2012
$12 --> $3.95

Winery Review: "Clear, medium-lemon yellow in appearance; lovely citrus and honeysuckle aromas with lemon, honeysuckle, apple and ripe yellow plum flavours. Serve chilled with angel food cake or fresh fruit and mild cheeses."

My Review: Moscato, and other extremely sweet wines, are wines I am just not very into. Luckily, this wine was a bit more acidic and toned down in the honeysuckle scent than most others I have tried, with a slightly sweet apple flavor as well, but it was still too sweet for my taste. I could see this pairing well with a light and sweet dessert as the review suggests but I always prefer a rich red paired with a chocolate dessert over the light and sweet ones. In my opinion, this was a very well done Moscato (especially at the reduced price) but I would still pass as this is just not a wine that appeals to my tastes. I would (and did!) definitely recommend this wine to my friends who do enjoy sweet wines. 

This wine was tasted without food.

Tasting- "Garnacha de Fuego"

Garnacha de Fuego
Old Vine Grenache
$8.95
Aragon, Spain

Winery Review: 92 Points Wine Advocate "The Garnacha de Fuego, a 100% Grenache cuvee, was aged in both stainless steel and neutral French oak. There are 10,000 cases for the United States. This amazing wine boasts a dark ruby/purple color along with a sweet kiss of jammy black cherries intertwined with crushed rock notes that give the wine an undeniable minerality. As it hits the palate, a full-bodied, voluptuous texture takes hold and the flavor profile moves towards blacker fruits (ripe raspberries and black currants) intermixed with camphor and forest floor. This full bodied, rich, glycerin-filled effort should drink well for 4-5 years, perhaps longer."

My review: This was a very complex ruby red wine. On the nose it was jammy and smokey with a peppery spice and earthiness, very typical of the Spanish garnachas I have tasted. The obvious fruits I smelled were black currant and cherries. This wine was very full bodied and rich which would pair very well with many of my favorite hearty dishes. Although I enjoyed this wine, I thought a 92 was a bit high of a rating but I would still purchase this wine considering the low price point.

This wine was tasted without food.

Tasting- "Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico"

Librandi Ciro
Variety: Rosso Classico
Italy
$14 - $7.95

Winery Review: "Don’t let the pale garnet color fool you: this is a substantial wine. Aromas of red fruits and spice complement undertones of cranberries, wild berries, and plums. On the palate, ripe tannins and good body make for an incredibly rich, yet easygoing red wine. Pair this wine with sausage, spicy curry sauces, hot soppressata, and tandoori chicken."

My Review: This wine had a light rust color. It had lots of bright red fruits, particularly plums, and lots of spice on the nose. I thought this wine was a refreshing and would be a good red wine to just sip on with friends without food.

This wine was tasted without food.

Tasting- "Angove Viognier"

Angove
Viognier
Australia
2009
$15 - $5.95

Winery Review: "Bright light straw in colour with some green hues, this wine has a lush ripe tropical fruit aroma. This is a fuller bodied white which fills the mouth with heady flavours of apricot, peach and citrus. Angove Nine Vines Viognier is perfect for today's relaxed life-style and is the ideal accompaniment to grilled prawns with chilli and garlic or roast pork."


My Review: This wine was very clean, crisp, and refreshing. This wine had flavors of apricot, peach, and citrus as the winery review suggested. I could see myself sipping on this wine at a summer family gathering while munching on hors d'oeuvres or with a light lunch/light early dinner in the sun.

This wine was tasted without food.

Tasting' "Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blank"

Yealands Estate
Sauvignon Blank
New Zealand
2008
$21 - $7.95

Winery Review: "This aromatic wine shows lifted flavours of blackcurrant with underlying notes of wet stone and thyme. The palate is elegant yet full with sufficient weight and texture, balanced by a flinty minerality. This wine is a fantastic match with foods such as cheese salad, poultry dishes and a wide range of seafood dishes including freshly shucked natural oysters, prawns, green lip mussels and creamy scallops."


My Review: This wine had wet stone, earthiness/thyme, and some weak perfume notes as well as an extremely funky smell I was unable to identify. I kept smelling the wine to try to figure out what that funkiness was and smelled an oytster/seafood smell but was unable to completely nail what it was. This wine was decent but whatever that one smell was made this wine a pass for me. Perhaps this wine would be better suited to pair with food rather than sip alone.

This wine was tasted without food.

Tasting- "Heinz Eifel Shine Riesling"

Heinz Eifel Shine
Riesling
$9.95
Germany

Winery review: "This drier-styled Riesling is bright, fruity and floral with crisp acidity and clean flavors of apple, pear and peach that compliment its stony minerality and earthy complexity. It serves well as an aperitif and matches a wide variety of foods, like lighter salad dishes, shellfish, cream sauces and also anything with a touch of spice."

My review: The nose on this wine was a floral and mineral peach, pear, and apple with a hint of honey with the same flavors on the mid-palate. This is was a very interesting and complex wine considering the slightly earthy components mixed with the floral. I would purchase this wine in the future. Despite being a dryer German style wine, it was still a bit sweeter than I prefer to pair with savory dishes but I do like the suggestion of serving it as an aperitif depending on what else is being served and would enjoy this with a lighter dessert that was not very sweet.

This wine was tasted without food. 

Tasting- "Atlas Cumbres Cabernet Sauvignon"

Atlas Cumbres
Cabernet Sauvignon
$15 → $6.95
Argentina

Winery review: "Intense red color with violet highlights, with clean, fresh and complex aromas of berries, plums, figs and pepper. Strong personality is in perfect balance with a medium body and pleasant tannins. Ideal for: red meats, cheeses and strong sauces."

My review: This was definitely, in my opinion, the strongest wine from the tasting. It was a jammy red wine with a hint of toasted oak and spice. I have had wines produced by this vineyard before and every wine I have tasted so far has been solid--this wine is no exception. This Cabernet is typical of the strong Argentinian wines I enjoy. I would sip on this wine or pair it with red meats and sauces as the review above suggests. 

This wine was tasted without food.