Talk-A-Vino

Wow, it is hard to believe that the first month of 2014 is already a history. Well, it truly is, so as usual, it is the time to sum up the best wine experiences (quick reminder – I rate wines on the 10 point scale with pluses and minuses – with rare exceptions, the only wines included in this summary are those with rating 8- or above) of the January 2014. There were quite a few interesting experiences, so not in the any particular order, here we go:

2005 AR Pe Pe Grumello Riserva Buon Consiglio Valtelina Superiore DOCG (13% ABV, 100% Nebbiolo) – beautiful, fragrant, gentle, elegant. The wine for quiet, self-reflecting evening, to be shared only with the closest people. Would do fine for the cosy Valentine’s day evening. 8

NV Tsarine Champagne Cuvée Premium, Reims (12% ABV) – classic and substantial, has its own character as opposed to many universally boring sparklers. A beautiful packaging is definitely a plus… 8

2012 Cecilia Beretta Brut Millesimato Prosecco Superiore Coneglian Valdobbiadene DOCG, Italy (11% ABV) – one of the very best Prosecco I ever tasted. ‘nuf said. 8-

2010 Artemovsk Krim Semi-Sweet Sparkling Wine, Ukraine (12% ABV) – touch of sweetness, nice, refreshing, balanced – definitely an excellent sparkler. 8

2002 Bollinger Ay Rouge La Cote Aux Enfant Coteaux Champenois – beautiful, complex, red fruit on the nose and palate, delicate concentration of flavors, round and polished. Definitely an experience. 8

1994 Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT – beautiful complexity of cherries and leather both on the nose and the palate. Perfectly fresh, with good acidity and excellent balance. Still has many years to go. 9-

1999 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Oakville – a classic with cassis, bell peppers and eucalyptus both on the palate and on the nose, soft tannins, good balance, very enjoyable. 8

1977 Grahams Port – delicious promising nose, wonderful complexity in the glass, with the aged, delicate fruit, figs and dates, with acidity still present. 8+

2009 Tallulah MD1 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (14.1% ABV) – this wine showed glimpses of greatness with clean fruit and cassis overtones, but it definitely needed more time, let’s say, at least 5 years… 8-

2010 Pedralonga doUmia Tinto Rias Baixas DO (12% ABV, blend of Mencía, Caíño and Espadeiro) – beautiful open nose with touch of barnyard and hint of complexity. Lots of herbs on the palate – sage, lavender, dark fruit, very good acidity and perfect balance. Very easy to drink. Besides, it adds two more grape to the collection. 8

2009 Bodega Norton Malbec Reserva, Mendoza (14.5% ABV) – very, very concentrated, mocha and espresso on the palate, dark fruit, good acidity, good balance. 8-

2007 François Cazin Le Petit Chambord Cour-Cheverny AOC (12% ABV, 100% Romorantin) – bright white stone fruit on the nose, citrus (lemon) notes on the palate, medium to full body, zinging acidity. It is getting there, but need another 4-5 years to achieve full beauty and grace. 8-

2008 Eurl Gilles Bonnefoy Rousanne de Madone Rousane sur Volcan (12% ABV) – plump, juicy, round, delicious. 8

The last 3 wines really surprised the inner snob in me. They are all made by the Rosenblum Cellars, and at the price of $9.99 each, I had really low expectations (so far, I didn’t have much luck with low-end wines from Rosenblum).

2012 The Great American Wine Company Chardonnay USA – light, simple, with hint of vanilla and butter, good acidity. Easy to drink. 7+

2012 The Great American Wine Company Red Blend USA (Zinfandel based) – good red fruit on the nose and on the palate, raspberries and blackberries, soft tannins, good acidity, good balance, easy to drink. 7+

2012 The Great American Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon USA  – good dark fruit on the nose with a hint of cassis, more dark fruit on the palate together with dark chocolate, good acidity, good balance. 7+

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That concludes the January report. Have you had any of this wines? Care to share your thoughts? Cheers!