Maculan 2010 Brentino, Veneto

Posted by Keith Wallace on May 17, 2013 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

A Veneto wine review

A Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend from Northeastern Italy with a great deal of style. On the nose, classic notes of tobacco and graphite interplay with fresh plum. The texture is velvet and medium bodied with soft and integrated tannins. Vanilla and toasted cinnamon start to open up on the mid-palate with a touch of sweetness. On the finish, burnt cedar and black currants dominate. A very pretty bottle of wine that plays above its price-point.

Gordon Brothers 2008 Merlot, Columbia Valley

Posted by Keith Wallace on Mar 28, 2013 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

Columbia Valley Merlot Review

Back in the day when I sold wines for a living, I was a huge fan of Gordon Brothers. They released their first wines in the early eighties to critical acclaim. The winery hit hard times in the early part of this century and quality fell off noticeably.

With this wine, it’s clear they have righted the ship. Sourced from their estate vineyard, this is an excellent example of why Columbia Valley reds should be on everyone’s radar. The nose is redolent of cigar box, crème de cassis, and figs. The palate is rich and rewarding with bitter chocolate and licorice on the attach and easing into rosemary and bing cherry.

Chateau Carignan 2005 “Prima” Cotes de Bordeaux

Posted by Keith Wallace on Jan 22, 2013 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

When I took a group of my students to Bordeaux, we stayed just a few miles from this Chateau. I did not expect much of this wine when I first tasted it (it is from the unremarkable region of Entre Deux Mers). That expectation was soon put to rest. This is a generous and rich Bordeaux that drinks more like a top shelf Pommerol than it should. It was great to have the legendary Robert Parker confirm this by naming it a “sleeper of the vintage.”

This is rich and opulent style of a right-bank Bordeaux with lush fruit and odles of baking spices on the palate. Silky and lush, this is drinking perfectly right now, but could benefit from short-term aging of 2-3 years.

Director’s Cut: Up and Coming Regions, 2/15/08

Posted by Wine Nut on Sep 18, 2012 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

Back To The Future: Campania
Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina, 2005
Aminea Fiano di Avellino, 2005

East Of Reisling: Austria
Weingut Hofer Gruner Veltliner, 2005, Neiderosterreich
J. Pockl Zweigelt “Monchof”, 2004, Burgenland

Northwest Iberia
Quinta de Ventozelo Cistera da Ribeira, 2003, Douro, Portugal
J. Palacios Bierzo “Petalos”, 2005, Galicia, Spain

Cape of South Africa: Stellenbosch
Bilton Shiraz-Merlot “Matt Black”, 2004
Jardin Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004

Terranoble 2009 Carmenere Gran Reserva

Posted by Mike Madaio on Jul 10, 2012 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

Most folks who came to my table at a recent wine tasting event hadn’t heard of Carmenere, and the majority of them opted for something more familiar. One guy, on the other hand, confidently asked for a glass. “Have you had this before?” I probed, responding to his confidence. “No, never heard of it,” he replied. “That’s why I’m having it.” My kind of guy.

Interesting story, Carmenere. One of the “original six” Bordeaux grapes, it was brought over to Chile in the 1800s, but they thought it was Merlot. It died out in France after the Phylloxera plague, and was thought by many to be extinct until the 1990s, when it was discovered in Chile masquerading as Merlot. Now it’s grown in a few other places, but has found a home in Chile and is on its way towards being embraced as the national grape.

The Merlot confusion makes sense – Carmenere is also rich but velvety, with deep, dark fruit flavors. This particular one has all the makings of a supple, silky, full-bodied new world red, but it also brings some intriguing savory flavors to the table. The arresting aroma develops into a sanguinary, beefy melange, with plenty of dark fruits and touches of mushroom and herbs to boot. On the palate, it’s juicy, featuring ripe to jammy fig, blackberries and just a kiss of warm spice. It finishes with chalky tannins that’ll melt right into grilled meat of some sort or another. Quite a delicious, complex wine for less than 14 bucks in PA – and a great introduction to the grape.