Wine Tasting - Vintage Cellar March 21

 Name: Cortenova Pinot Grigio

Vintage: 2012

Region: Italy

Price: $7.95

Tasting Notes: Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections. Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots, and bananas. Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste. Pairs well with seafood dishes, risottos with scampi, spaghetti with clams, sole in white wine. Perfect also as an aperitif.

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine! It had a crisp, floral and fruity smell with a very smooth taste. It didn’t dry out the mouth and it wasn’t too acidic. It had a fresh, fruity taste with a slight nut aftertaste. I will definitely buy this wine at some point!

Name: Maipe Malbec Rosé

Vintage: 2011
Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Price: $7.95

Tasting Notes: Intense pink color with violet hints. Fresh red fruit bouquet, strawberry and cherry flavors, balanced acidity, dry and lingering finish. Excellent with tuna or green salad, pasta, spicy Asian dishes.

My Review: This was the best rosé I have had so far (although I haven’t tried too many). The smell had a nice strawberry scent, but the smells were not very overpowering.  Neither was the taste – it all balanced very well, so I couldn’t pull out any specific flavors (but it wasn’t a bad thing). Overall, it was a nice clean wine.  

Name: Tinto Figaro

Vintage: 2009
Region: Calatayud, Spain

Price: $6.95

Tasting Notes: Figaro is 100% Garnacha, made from a selection of the best grapes grown in the oldest vineyards. While not truly an “oaked wine”, a short stay in oak barrels provides a nice spicy flavor boost. Bright violet. Dark berry and cherry aromas show a jammy aspect. Supple and gently sweet, with good lift to its black raspberry and boysenberry flavors. Smooth and broad on the finish, leaving behind a hint of spiciness. 

My Review: This wine had a very pretty color – not to dark, yet not bright red either. The aromas were mainly berry flavored, with a matching taste. There was also a definitely spice component and the wine was slightly dry towards the end. I am not a spicy flavor fan, but this wine was not bad.  

(No picture could be found for this wine)

Name: Domaine de Grange de Payan

Vintage: 2011
Region: Cotes du Rhone, France

Price: $8.95

Tasting Notes: Intensely spice and precise, with lively red very flavors and a hint of black pepper. The Grenache, which makes up the majority of the wine, is deeper and more powerful, offering cherry and black raspberry qualities lifted by zesty minerality.

My Review: The color of the wine was very red. I thought I wasn’t going to like the wine very much based on the aromas – there was definitely some spice, a little berry, and a slight floral smell. However, the taste was much better – I could sort of pick out the cherry and raspberry. It was slightly acidic and had a spicy aftertaste, but it was pretty good overall.

Name: Potluck Sweet Malbec

Vintage: 2010
Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Price: $7.95

Tasting Notes: Deep red brilliant with violet hints. Complex, fruity, and predominant red fruits. Easy to drink, round with persistent sweetness, very well balanced with sweet tannins.

My Review: Another Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. The smell was definitely sweet and the taste was as well, but I thought the aftertaste was dry. I don’t really agree with the description given for this wine, and I enjoyed the Malbec Rosé much more.