Tasting - Blanc de Costis

Name: Blanc de Costis

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc 70%, Semillon 30%

Vintage: 2020

Price: $12.99

Winery Review: "Refreshing and elegant, a consistently great value in white Bordeaux that is a perfect pair with lighter foods." (gtwineproject.com)

Wine Folly: The wine folly book had honeydew, gooseberry, peach, grapefruit, and passion fruit for the sauvignon blanc. A lot of these I do not recognize the flavors of, but I picked up on some of the peach and the grapefruit. 

My Review: This wine felt cidary and crisp, with a good appley flavor. Would make for a good summer wine. It was refreshing, caused a little bit of tingling on the tongue, and there were a few flavors that I cannot quite describe. Perhaps a little bit of gasoline, since there was something a little odd in the taste. Overall, not a bad wine. 

Tasting - Italia Roscato

 Name: Italia Roscato

Variety: Teroldego, Lagrein, and Croatina

Country: Italy

Region: Lombardy

Vintage: 2021

Price: $12

Winery Review: "Northern Italy provides a spectacular backdrop for Roscato, a violet-hued red with aromatic notes of cherry, blackberry and red raspberry. A touch of sweetness and bright acidity underlies the appeal of this charming wine." (empirewine.com)

Wine Folly: Wine folly had plum and raspberry as a couple of flavors that I recognized. The sweet red berry flavors came out pretty well. The teroldego grapes also give blackberry flavors which I noticed. 

My Review: This is a wine I enjoyed drinking. It was sweet, had a good mouthfeel, a little bit of acidity on the tongue at the first taste. There were some light tannins, but not a whole lot. Did not pick up any real vanilla like a lot of the other red wines I have had. Got some black tea and raspberry flavors though, as well as some other dark berries. The fruity component came through, and I could also detect a little in the way of floral notes. A good sweet wine that I could enjoy drinking. 

Tasting - Sterling Merlot

 Name: Sterling Merlot

Variety: 100% Merlot

Country: U.S.

Region: Napa Valley

Vintage: 2021

Price: $11

Winery Review: "The Sterling Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot is a vivid ruby-red color in the glass with aromas of blackberry fruit, plum and ripe black cherry. The appealing bouquet leads to a mouthcoating, rich palate where additional red and black fruit flavors mingle with notes of graphite and dried spice. The viscous mouthfeel of the wine is plush and the ripe tannins are refined and polished. The Napa Valley Merlot is well-balanced and elegant, offering true varietal characteristics and a sleek, flavorful finish." (wine.com)

Wine Folly: The book had plum, cherry, vanilla, and chocolate for some of the main flavors for merlot. I got the vanilla easily, some of the red berry which I assume was plum and cherry, and a little bit of the chocolate. 

My Review: I got some taste of soy sauce, the red berry came through nicely, and this wine was not too strong. It was kind of tannic, with some vanilla, and a smooth finish. I picked up some herby flavors and this wine gave a good mouthfeel. It was quite jammy with some spice. That mouthfeel is what has really set this one apart from the others. Overall not bad, I enjoyed this one. 

Tasting - Tilia Merlot

 Name: Tilia Merlot

Variety: 100% Merlot

Country: Argentina

Region: Mendoza

Vintage: 2021

Price: $12

Winery Review: "The nose offers aromas of juicy black cherries and black plums with hints of sweet spice and vanilla. On the palate the wine is soft and elegant with black cherry and plum flavors and fine, supple tannins" (wine.com)

Wine Folly: The book had cherry, plum, chocolate, and vanilla for the main flavors. I picked up the cherry, vanilla, and a little bit of the chocolate. 

My Review: I could easily taste the red berry, which I assume was the cherry. I'm not sure what plum tastes like, but this wine had a rich color and flavor. It had a chocolaty aftertaste and it was quite jammy and smooth. It coated the mouth and lingered for a while. As with most of the red wines, it had a strong vanilla scent, and overall this wine was pretty enjoyable. Not my favorite of all time, but it was a good wine. 

Wine Dinner 2

 For this wine dinner, it felt like the wines paired quite well with the foods. Part of it was that the food tasted quite good, but I think the pairings worked pretty well also. Below is a picture of part of the group. 

For the first course, we had a salad with nuts, parmesan, peppers, and balsamic vinaigrette paired with a red storyteller zinfandel. 

Name: Storyteller Zinfandel 2020 

Variety: Zinfandel 

Country: USA  

Region: Sonoma County, California  

Vintage: 2020 

Price: $14 

Winery Review: This California Zinfandel delivers aromas of blackberry dark cherry, and savory spices give way to milk chocolate and sweet caramel notes. Robust mixed berry flavors are complemented by lush and soft tannins. A medium-bodied wine, every sip lingers on the palette thanks to a spicy finish. (kroger.com)

Wine Folly: The book described blackberry, strawberry, and cinnamon which I could pick up on a little bit. I could not distinguish between the berry flavors, and I knew I could taste some form of spice in there with the cinnamon. 

My Review: The wine had a neat red berry and vanilla flavor combination that was good. This wine was not too dry, had a little in the way of tannins, and was overall a good wine on its own. When consumed with the salad though, both emphasized each other's flavors, not necessarily when eaten together, but more so when I had had one and then the other. The zinfandel added a fruity spiciness to the salad, and it helped bring out the flavors of the nuts and parmesan in between bites, as well as the peppers. Ended with a spicy finish, that left a good taste in the palate. 

For the second course, we had a lemon and herb roasted chicken dish with some potatoes, paired with a La Crema Chardonnay. 

Name: La Crema Monterey Chardonnay 2021  

Variety: Chardonnay 

Country: USA

  

Region: Monterey, California  

Vintage: 2021 

Price: $16 

Winery Review: "The nose is all lemons and creamy yogurt. It’s a very welcoming waft. The palate is soft, calm and deep with the acidity in the background making sure your sips are refreshing. Cracking through that refreshment is the soft weight of a creamy mouthfeel. This is a wine you buy a case of and have on hand to sip with friends and raise eyebrows." (vinepair.com)

Wine Folly: The book had yellow apple, vanilla, butter, starfruit, and pineapple as the main flavors. I could pick up the apple and vanilla quite easily. I picked up a little bit of citrusy fruit as well. 

My Review: By itself, this wine tasted a like some of the other white wines we had had, with apple type flavors. The vanilla was a little new for this one though. I enjoyed the apple and vanilla pairing of flavors, with hints of a citrus fruit thrown in. The lemon roasted chicken tasted herby and was quite heavy, so it paired well with this light and fruity wine. It added a buttery component to the chicken and potatoes which was quite good, and brought out some of the flavors of both. Taken with the food, it lost that sharp edge that it had and made the experience of both better. 

For the final course, we had lemon bars paired with a Josh prosecco. 

Name: Josh Cellars Prosecco   

Variety: Prosecco 

Country: Italy 

Region: Northeastern Italy   

Vintage: Not visible

Price: $15 

Winery Review: "Italy- The wine has refreshing acidity and a touch of sweetness from the ripe fruit. It has aromas of pear, green apples and citrus and light the effervescence provides a vibrant and crisp taste." (totalwine.com)

Wine Folly: The book had green apple, pear, cream, lager, and honeydew as some of the main flavors. I could easily pick up on the tart green apple flavor. Had a hard time picking up on any others, although pear does not surprise me either. 

My Review: This wine was very acidic, had a strong tart green apple flavor which was a little strong on its own. Overall pretty light though, and it was just the acidity which was hard to get past. When paired with the food, eaten at the same time it felt like the flavors of both just got dulled. The lemon flavors in the lemon bars got weaker, as well as some of the fruity component of the wine. Thankfully, the acid feeling decreased when taken together. Again though, this showed a case of two things, when taken separately, they emphasized the other's flavors through contrast. The lemon was stronger after having a sip of wine and the apple was stronger after having a bite of lemon bar. 

This was an enjoyable experience, and I would do it again. 

Tasting - Barboursville Cabernet Franc

 Name: Barboursville Cabernet Franc

Variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

Country:  United States

Region: Virginia

Vintage: 2020

Price: $28

Winery Review: "Virginia - Dark garnet core, brilliant clarity in the glass. Intense, effusively luscious flavors of ripe red berries with caramelized notes of fig, cherry, and plum, elegantly woven together in barrel. Long-finishing with a remarkably soft palate." - totalwine.com

Wine Folly: The cabernet franc on page 86 had raspberry, strawberry, and bell pepper. I picked up the vanilla that seems typical, as well as some of the dark berry like raspberry. I could not differentiate strawberry though, and I did not recognize any bell pepper. 

My Review: This wine was not very strong in any one flavor area. It was kind of dry, tasted of dark berry, smelled like vanilla, not a whole lot that seemed to separate it from any of the other red wines we have had. After our wine dinner, it feels like this one in particular would be much better with food to pair with the dryness. Not my favorite, but not one I disliked in particular either. 

Tasting - Michael Shaps Viognier

 Name: Michael Shaps Viognier

Variety: 95% Viognier, 5% Riesling

Country: USA

Region: Virginia

Vintage: 2021

Price:  $30

Winery Review: "Michael has been producing this trademark style Viognier for over twenty years. Viognier can sometimes be known for very low acidity, but the use of 100% stainless steel as well as the addition of the riesling helps keep this wine bright and refreshing. The cooler fermentation temperature also keeps a focus on the tropical fruit notes like white peach, banana, and pineapple. The result is a more food-friendly Viognier that retains the classically strong aromatics and full body but with firm acidity to balance the structure of the wine." - Virginia Wine Works

Wine Folly: The general Viognier had apple, tangerine, peach, mango, and rose. I could definitely taste the fruity part, particularly the apple with a little bit of the tangerine and mango. Did not pick up the floral part though. 

My Review: The best way to describe the flavor of this wine was a tart fruity flavor. It was acidic, which I could feel at the front of the mouth, had a long finish, and tasted strongly of fruit. Overall I enjoyed this one. I have been enjoying the white wines more than the red wines, but I will say I still enjoyed the sweet wines we had the most.