Tasting #9 - 2021 Josh Zinfandel

 

Name: Josh

Variety: Zinfandel

Region: Lodi, California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $12.99

Review: From the bottle: "Smoky and complex with notes of blackberries, clove and vanilla."

My Take: This was one of the best wines I have tasted in all my experiences so far this class! I paired this wine with a 3-cheese pizza that I made and the pairing elevated this wine to a whole new level. This wine was very acidic, but when I paired it with the pizza food other underlying flavors emerged like its vanilla and blackberry hints. This contrasts slightly with the descriptions given in WINE FOLLY Page 189, which estimates zinfandel wines to be less sweet and instead possess fuller body and more tannins. The alcohol per volume was indeed higher for this wine, coming in at 15%. Overall, a great wine I'd definitely recommend!

Tasting #8 - 2021 Color Block Chardonnay

 Name: Color Block

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Valle Central

Country: Chile

Year: 2021

Price: $5.99

Review: From the bottle: "Has rich flavors of pear, tropical fruits, and hints of cinnamon - a nicely balanced wine that's perfect with creamy pasta dishes, roast chicken or pan-seared salmon."

My Take: Overall, the flavors of this chardonnay wine seemed more muted to me. This is the first chardonnay I've tried, - I drank it chilled of course- but I had difficulty picking out anything more than pear and other fruitiness in the flavors. The flavors appeared to be pretty level throughout the drinking experience. There isn't much depth to the flavor of this wine, but I still enjoyed it. In harmony with Page 96 of WINE FOLLY, this chardonnay does boast tropical fruits as one of its primary flavors. I'd definitely say that comes across the palate in a favorable way. However, I didn't detect any cinnamon notes at all. Perhaps my palate still needs to grow!

Tasting #7 - 2020 Bell'agio Chianti

 

Name: Bell'agio

Variety: Sangiovese (Chianti style)

Region: Montalcino

Country: Italy

Year: 2020

Price: $12.99

Review: Schaefer's.com reviews this wine by describing it as "a vibrant, ruby-red wine with a full bouquet reminiscent of violets, and is ideal with veal, Italian dishes and cheeses. Color: Ruby-red with purple hues. Bouquet: Full and reminiscent of violets. Taste: Dry and smooth with zesty notes of cherry and berry fruit. Ideal with veal, pastas, and cheeses."

My Take: This medium-bodied wine procured strong cherry tastes and was relatively smooth. The smoothness of this wine is in contrast to the general trend of sangiovese wines being more acidic. In line with WINE FOLLY Page 162, this sangiovese varietal wine is very tannic. After pausing for a few moments to consider my words for this review, the dry-puckering sensation in my mouth grew in intensity and I started to notice what it really means for a wine to be high in tannins. This is a very solid red wine, and I enjoyed the straw-covered body, or fiasco, as its affectionately termed in Italy! I drank this by itself, but would love to pair it with a nice steak sometime soon.

Tasting #6 - 2021 California Dream Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: California Dream

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Lodi, California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $4.99

Review: From the bottle: Contains "rich cherry flavors, hints of toasty vanilla, and a smooth finish."

My Take: Before looking at anything the bottle stated about this wine, after tasting it I determined it to be very, very dry and high in tannins. I detected subtle notes of cherry and vanilla, but the strength of the flavors in this wine were very subdued relative to other wines I've tasted recently, I swirled and sniffed a ton, but couldn't draw out too many flavors. This lines up somewhat well with WINE FOLLY's descriptions on Page 88. Cabernet Sauvignon's are typically high in tannins and body. However, this wine did not seem to possess much body to me. I enjoyed it, but would probably look elsewhere for my red wine of choice.

Tasting #5 - Castello Del Poggio Moscato

 

Name: Castello Del Poggio

Variety: Moscato

Region: Lombardy

Country: Italy

Year: 2020

Price: $15.99

Review: Wilfred Wong of Wine.com gave this wine an 89, and he wrote, "The Castello del Poggio Moscato is fresh, pleasant, and easy. Tasting notes: This wine offers appealing aromas and flavors of ripe apples and flowers. Serve it with light desserts or just by itself. 

My Take: It was a very sweet wine! Detected notes of honey and orange. WINE FOLLY Page 138 agrees with my take and notes that Muscat wines are typically very sweet and light, with relatively little body. It was interesting drinking this wine on a cold day this winter. It tasted delicious, but I would definitely prefer this wine in the Summer months! I drank it chilled and that was definitely the right way to go.

Tasting #4 - 2019 Bricco Dei Tati Piemonte Barbera

 

Name: Bricco Dei Tati Piemonte

Variety: Barbera

Region: Piemonte

Country: Italy

Year: 2019

Price: $5.99

Review: city-vino.com rated this Bricco Dei Tati as a 3.5/5, noting it as having a "bouquet of black cherries and a bit of spice on the palate. Light tannins, medium acidity and medium finish."

My Take: This wine indeed tasted more acidic to me than other red wines. According to Page 79 of WINE FOLLY, this Barbera is very acidic, and I noticed levels of tart cherry. It was cool to see that most Barbera wines, of which this wine's variety is 100% barbera grape, come from the Piedmont region of Italy where this same wine is from!

Tasting #3 - 2021 Meiomi Pinot Noir

 

Name: Meiomi

Variety: Pinot Noir

Region: Acampo, California (coastal)

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $19.99

Review: One reviewer on honestwinereviews.com  noted the following: "the fresh pour had some more sweetness to it. I also discovered a bit of jammy fruit I hadn't noticed the first time I tasted it." 

My Take: After swirling and sniffing this coastal pinot noir for a short while, I took my first sip and was greeted by a symphony of flavors. My inchoate palate detected notes of cherry among the many flavors, which is in accord with Page 150 of WINE FOLLY, which highlights cherry as a common pinot noir flavor. This wine possessed a lot of depth; more than I've experienced in wines I've drank before. I also sniffed and tasted notes of vanilla. A wonderful red wine!!