Wine Tasting - Garnacha de Fuego

Garnacha de Fuego 2012

Price: $20

Varietal: 100% Aragon Grenache

Vintage: 2012

Region: Aragon, Spain

Type: Red

Alcohol: 14.5%

Winemaker Notes:

The best vineyards of Aragon are situated high on the hillsides, 3000 feet above sea level, where, despite the poor gravelly soil, the old gnarled vines produce the finest grapes possible in this arid, desolate region.  Only the ripest clusters are chosen, thus producing a wine of considerable depth and finesse.  The wine exudes intense aromas of sweet cherries and dark plums with an exotic spicy finish reminiscent of white pepper.

My Review:

The nose was soft notes of light cherry, pepper, stone and minerals, and was sour.  After tasting, the finish was reminiscent of hot peppers and left my mouth hot and spicy.  It was fairly hollow with no real mid-pallet.  Initially, the first taste was of plums, cherry, and vanilla.  This was a very hot wine where the high alcohol content was noticeable and definitely detracted from the wine.

Wine Tasting - Leese-Fitch Pinot Noir

Leese-Fitch Pinot Noir 2012

Price: $12

Varietal: 80% Pinot Noir, 10% Barbera, 8% Grenache, 2% Moscato

Vintage: 2012

Region: Sonoma, California

Type: Red

Alcohol: 13.5%

Winemaker Notes:

Dark garnet in color, the 2012 Pinot Noir smells of ripe fruit from the orchard, sweet plum, raspberry cobbler, bing cherry, with vanilla whipped cream and just a hint of apricot.  The flavors start ripe with cherry preserves, summer plum, fresh strawberry pie, brioche, and finishes with hints of earthy notes, portabella mushroom, clove spice, and dried cranberry.

My Notes:

I was expecting the wine to be much darker but it was a very nice shade of burgundy with plenty of color.  The nose was sweet and very fruity and I could smell notes of raspberry, blackberry, and cherry.  The flavor was also much sweeter than I was expecting and overwhelmingly of fruit.  There was a hint of earthiness, possibly mushrooms, but primarily berry flavors came through.

Wine Tasting - Lyeth Pinot Noir

This Pinot Noir was much better than I expected.  I bought it along with the Josephine Dubois Pinot Noir to compare the differences between "Old World" and "New World" and I fully expected to enjoy the French wine more.  This wine had a higher original price and I was able to get it on sale so maybe I enjoyed it more because I felt like I got a great deal, or maybe the wine itself really was better.  The nose had scents of wood, tree bark, moss, and grassy fields.  It had a sweet start but a hot finish.  The strongest tastes to me were of walnut with a slightly acidic mid-pallet that reminded me of nail polish remover and finished with a strong buttery flavor.  A very enjoyable wine and one I hope to see at this price point again.

Wine Tasting - Josephine Dubois Pinot Noir 2010

This French Pinot Noir had an earthy nose with definite notes of mushroom.  The taste was sweet although a bit watered down.  It started with a taste of strawberries, followed by lemon, and finished with an oaky/woody flavor.  I was really looking forward to trying a good French Pinot Noir and this one was only mediocre in my opinion, but that's probably what I get for trying to get "Burgundy on a budget".

Dinner - At Home (Cooking with Mom and Dad)

First Course

Briar Creek 2010 Chardonnay served with Dutch Gouda, Supreme Brie, and Goat's Milk Gouda

Wine description:

Brair Creek Chardonnay 2010, Napa Valley California

Imagine a warm and sunny day complete with fresh melon and crisp apples.  This is where Briar Creek Chardonnay will take you with each and every fruit filled sip.  This full bodied yet light tasting wine breathes a breath of fresh air straight from California where it's grown and carefully made.

The Chardonnay had a very citrus and light nose and a very light body as well.  It had an overwhelming oaky flavor from the beginning which is the "oak monster" I've heard Gary V. mention in his videos and it was just as unpleasant as he makes it sound.  The notes of citrus barely came through.

The dutch gouda started soft and creamy with sharper flavors coming through later.  It reminded me of homemade mac and cheese.  It definitely helped cut through the oak extremely well, making the wine taste very watered down.

The goat's milk gouda was sour and very creamy with a tangy aftertaste.  The wine reduced the tanginess a lot and many more of the fruit flavors were able to come out in the wine.  It made the cheese much more mild and palatable.

The brie was triple creamed and milky in flavor with a slightly sour aftertaste.  It made the wine very buttery and delicious.  In fact, I think the flavor of the wine disappeared and it is the brie that was enhanced and made more buttery by the wine.

Second Course:

Les Piliers Syrah 2009 served with medium-rare ribeye steak and mixed buttered vegetables

Wine description:

Lis Piliers Syrah 2009, Rhone Valley, France

Although this cuvée is 100% Syrah, it’s remarkably well behaved, without any reductive or animale scents. Instead, it delivers ripe cherry and vanilla aromas, some creaminess on the palate and a long, elegant finish that ends savory not sweet. Drink now–2016.

For the Syrah, the nose was very strong with vanilla and pepper that burned in my nostrils.  It tasted of almonds and butter initially with pepper and plums coming through the mid-pallet and finishing with a strong cherry and pepper finish.

The wine enhanced the meat and the steak made the wine taste more bold.  Without any seasoning or sauce on the steak, the wine added a lot of complex flavors and spice as well as enhanced the butteriness.  The taste of vanilla really came through stronger after a bite of steak as well.  The wine was not sweet, but didn't taste overly dry.  There weren't an overwhelming amount of tannins, which I was expecting.  Overall, I really enjoyed the wine, and it was fantastic with this dinner.





Third Course

Tawny Port served with Chocolate Ganache Torte

Wine description:

Offley Tawny Porto, Portugal

Offley Tawny is an elegant Porto, a tawny wine with a classic style, with both maturity and freshness, created for the satisfaction of the many that enjoy this style by Offley, the prestigious brand that combines modernity with almost three centuries of experience.

The nose of the Port was straight liquor. Literally all I could smell was the brandy but the taste was extremely sweet. The cake was moist and chocolaty. It was not too sweet and very rich. The Port gave a very strong taste of raspberries with the cake and they blended very well together. The port would be too strong or sweet to drink on its own, but was outstanding when paired with the intense chocolate of the cake. It was able to cut through the richness and add an additional layer of velvet mouth feel and sweetness.

Wine Tasting - Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Type: White Wine

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

Year: 2012

Region: Northern Sonoma, California

Country: USA

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $13.95

Winemaker Notes:

Light, crisp, and highly aromatic, the warmer climate Alexander Valley fruit gives this wine ripe pear and melon character, while the ocean cooled Russian River Valley fruit offers citrus, mineral, and traditional herbaceous qualities. Together, the two valleys make a classic Northern Sonoma sauvignon blanc that is fresh, lively, and will drink beautifully over the next 1 to 2 years.

My Review:

I was surprised at the color of this wine and how clear it was.  You can see in the picture that it practically looks like water in the glass.  The nose was immediately and intensely tropical.  There were also strong notes of melon followed by citrus with a smooth, pleasant transition between the two.  The first taste of the wine yielded lemons and melons with a little tartness and high acid from the lemon along with sweet melon flavor.  It had a very light body but very sour on the back end.  The flavor of lemon intensified from beginning to end while the melon quickly disappeared.  It was a decent wine in my opinion but not one of my favorites.