Tasting #10 - HWY 5 Merlot

   

Name: HWY 5

Varietal: Merlot

Region: California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $4.99

Professional Wine Review: Aromas of dark cherries, layered with hints of vanilla and spice. Pairs well with pork roast, pasta with rich tomato sauce, poultry, grilled meats and vegetables. [1]

Wine Folly Review: Hinted at the chameleon of the wine world, it seems that Merlot is one of the most recognizable wines to the everyday individual. Wine Folly states that one may find flavors of cherry, chocolate, plum, bay leaf, and vanilla when enjoying the wine. An extremely bone dry wine, with a medium to full body, medium to high tannins, and medium acidity, Merlot is a perfect intro wine into the world of reds. An easy drink to pair with red meats and other fatty foods. [2]

Personal Wine Review: I am not one to shy away when provided the chance to taste a red wine, especially a Merlot. To my surprise, this wine provided aromas of vanilla extract? and slightly expired? Additionally providing a very sweet smell that was slightly off putting. That being said, the wine tasted great for being another cheap Aldi wine. I sensed flavors of vanilla and some sweetness somehow. The wine was very dry and smooth which was very enjoyable. I would definitely have this wine again, but just like the chardonnay from this week, I would like to have it with some food.

References:

[1] https://www.aldi.us/products/alcohol/red-wine/detail/ps/p/hwy-5-merlot/

[2] https://winefolly.com/grapes/merlot/

Tasting #9 - William Wright Chardonnay

   

Name: William Wright

Varietal: Chardonnay

Region: Monterey Country, California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $6.99

Professional Wine Review: Golden straw color. Aromas and flavors of yellow apple, vanilla cream, apricot butter, and pastry dough with a round, crisp, dry medium body and a tingling, breezy finish conveying notes of yellow apple, buttered popcorn, baking spices, and grapefruit zest with a suggestion of oak flavor. In balance and does all of the things that you expect of a Chardonnay. [1]

Wine Folly Review: Wine Folly proclaims Chardonnay as one of the most popular grapes in the world, and I can see why. Hints of lemon, yellow apple, butter, vanilla, and pineapple accumulate into a very enjoyable experience even for those that may particular not enjoy white wines. Virtually no tannins, dry to the taste, and with a medium body and acidity, Chardonnay is a must have wine in the cellar. Preferably served chilled, but warm chardonnay is also stated to be enjoyable. One could write pages on the flavor profile and the additions that chardonnay brings to your pallet, but this is a moderate and precise intro to the varietal.

Personal Wine Review: As made known in previous wine tastings, I am not a fan of white wines. That being said, this chardonnay may have changed my mind. The wine provided aromas of butter and slight oak. This is concurrent with the wine making process in California. What surprised me the most was the smooth and buttery sense that I felt in my throat when tasting the wine. It was very enjoyable. Not acidic in any regard and very quick to finish. This wine was procured at Aldi at a very small price, which just further proves that price is not a valid unit of measurement of quality. I would have this wine again, possibly next time with some food as this was consumed without any.

References:

[1] https://www.tastings.com/Wine-Review/William-Wright-2021-Chardonnay-Monterey-County-USA-12-18-2023.aspx

[2] https://winefolly.com/grapes/chardonnay/

Wine and Cheese Pairing #1

Grace (Left), Aaron (Middle), and Myself (Right) enjoying the wine and cheese

THE CHEESES

Brie: Brie is one of my most favorite cheeses, it might even be my most favorite cheese. When I was a wee child I would come home and eat a whole quarter or half of a standard wheel of brie. You can imagine my parents were quite taken aback from my fondness of this cheese. I found this specific selection of brie to be quite smooth and strong to the senses in taste around the rind. Sadly, my friends did not like the brie as much as I do, but that's okay. I found no lasting aroma for this brie when I have in the past, but possibly that was some "bad" brie.

Mozzarella: Ah mozzarella! An Italian and household classic. I found this fresh mozzarella to be wet, squishy, and multi texture. It was almost semi sweet and very high in moisture. I like mozzarella, but I do like it dry or melted down. This is another one of my favorite cheeses, but its not quite number one or even two.

Gouda: Just like the two cheeses above, I have had gouda in the past. That being said, it definitely isn't one of my top favorites. There are other cheeses that I would choose in place of gouda. This selection of gouda was stiff and deeper in taste than previous goudas I've had the pleasure of having. The major difference between gouda and the two cheeses presented above is that this gouda was fuller and dark while containing more depth in this lasting effects in my mouth. Overall, the cheese was enjoyable.

Brie (Left), Mozzarella (Middle), and Gouda (Right) ready for consumption

THE WINES AND PAIRNGS

Willm Riesling (Left), Cape Jewel Gewurztraminer (Middle), and Josh Cabernet Sauvignon (Right) ready for tasting

Willm Riesling: I have made it known by now through the wine tasting blogs that I do not particularly enjoy white wines. That being said, I will never shy away at trying new and different wines. Just like the Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc, this Riesling provides a mildly disturbing smell of urine. Giving aromas of pear, floral, and sweet the wine was light in acid, fruity, semi-sweet, and seemed like hay in taste.

Brie: The acidity of the wine was brought down with the consumption of brie. Likewise, the wine complimented the brie by enhancing the overall flavor of the brie. It was as if the original punch of the brie was amplified tenfold. The brie was turned sharp and intense. I did enjoy this combination, and it was the best pairing of the wine.

Mozzarella: The mozzarella had a similar affect on the wine in that it calmed everything down. The flavor of the wine was reduced to a still enjoyable level, but a weird taste did manifest from the cheese. This could be do to my lack of fondness of wet mozzarella, but more experimentation is needed.

Gouda: The gouda did not combine with the wine very well AT ALL. The wine became flat and all flavor in both the wine and cheese were lost. There's not else for me to say because I really did not like this pairing. No.

Cape Jewel Gewurztraminer: This is the first Gewurztraminer that I have ever had, and I honestly did not find it THAT enjoyable. I yet again found that awful urine smell from this wine, but it was a lot stronger this time. Despite the awful aroma, the wine also provided hints of floral, herbal, and soil-based. The soil-based aroma was quite interesting and I wanted to see if that smell transferred or originated somewhere in the taste. When I did taste the wine, the flavor lingered in my mouth longer than I thought it would. It was not acidic, but it had a medicine-like aftertaste. It was high in alcohol when sucking in air to aerate the wine, but then it fades. It was interesting to say the least.

Brie: When I tried the brie with this wine, my initial reaction was that there were two battles that were occurring in my mouth. A very deep and strong battle of two very different equally strong tastes. It was okay, but it's not my favorite pairing.

Mozzarella: The combination of the wine and mozzarella completed neutralized all flavor and taste. There was nothing for me to review or even think about. It was as if I had nothing in my mouth.

Gouda: The gouda I believe performed the best with this wine. This combination provided a calming factor to the pairing. Limiting the bad effects and flavors of both items. This combination created an interesting feeling in my mouth that I was not able to pinpoint. I should also mention that the combination somehow made me burp a few times. Overall, best pairing for this wine. 

Josh Cabernet Sauvignon: It is known that I like my dry wines, and that my favorite varietal is Cabernet Sauvignon. That being said, I don't really know if I liked this wine or not. I'm divided on this. When performing the smell test, I found hints of a jaminess and berry-like aromas. When tasting the wine, the wine hit all of the usual notes: dry, slightly acidic, high in tannins, and a medium body. That being said, I found the wine to be somewhat "expired"? I don't know how this can be since it was sealed and in a pretty well maintained area.

Brie: The effects that the brie has on the wine was very surprising. The brie brought out the acids front and center while also elevating the tannins which arguably makes the wine worse. I know that I have mentioned that I like high tannin wines, but this was BAD.

Mozzarella: The same story of the brie can be said here! The pairing was terrible! It resulted in all of the same effects, and to add to insult the make up of the mozzarella did not help. What I mean by this is that the lattice of the mozzarella allows for the wine to soak into every cave of the cheese which DOES NOT help it AT ALL. BAD BAD BAD. 

Gouda: Now the gouda was the best pairing for this wine! It brought out all of the flavors. Making for an enjoyable and very pleasant time. Everything about this pairing just compliments everything well. Now I did try some salami with the gouda with the wine and... well... it was so bad. I'm assuming the fatness of the salami just did not mix well with the acidic nature of the wine and possibly the high tannins? I'm not sure, but what I am sure of is that gouda was the best pairing for this wine.

The evening's charcuterie board

Tasting #8 - Alamos Malbec

    

Name: Alamos

Varietal: Malbec

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2021

Price: $8.99

Professional Wine Review: Alamos Malbec offers layers of dark cherry and blackberry and a velvety mouthfeel. Aromas of violet intertwine with spice and vanilla, while balanced tannins create a velvety mouthfeel and expansive finish. This Malbec delivers a complex fine red wine that pairs beautifully with a wide range of cuisine and goes beyond the expected. [1]

Wine Folly Review: According to Wine Folly, Malbec is a medium dry but full body wine with a primary flavor base of red plum, blackberry, vanilla, sweet tobacco, and cocoa. With medium tannins and medium-low acidity, Malbec is the perfect wine for individuals that find the harshness of Cabernet Sauvignon or Tannat too extreme for their pallet. Having a deep purple color, this wine does not disappoint in experience of drinking the wine. Originally from France, Malbec is now known as the wine of Argentina. [2]

Personal Wine Review: I have had Alamos Malbec before, but I have never HAD Alamos Malbec in  the sense of this class. I have never deeply analyzed the wine by aroma and taste. The aromas that this wine provided were of heavy berry and slight acidity. When I tasted the wine, I found the wine to be smooth. This was not surprising, but I had not put it to words before. Additionally, I found a mineral and cherry taste to the wine. The finish of the wine was slightly long, but not overpowering in any regard. Very strong beginning, but very short end. Overall, I love this wine and will definitely have it again. No food was consumed with this tasting.

References:

[1] https://www.wine.com/product/alamos-malbec-2021/1076415#closePromoModal

[2] https://winefolly.com/grapes/malbec/

Tasting #7 - Les Darons Languedoc

   

Name: Les Darons

Varietal: Grenache

Region: Languedoc

Country: France

Year: 2021

Price: $19.99

Professional Wine Review: Jeff Carrel is the Languedoc's self-proclaimed "eclectic winemaker," who owns neither a winery nor any vineyards, but crafts some of the best, and most interesting wines in Southern France. We love these wines because you are getting the top winemakers using estate vineyards, crafting authentic reds at the fraction of the price. Even Robert Parker's Wine Advocate says: "If it came from a more prestigious appellation in the southern Rhone, it would go for three times the price." His Les Darons is 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 5% Carignan sourced from estate vineyards at Chateau Arcades, and scored two 90+ ratings from The Wine Advocate and Jeb Dunnuck. He calls the wine "Les Darons," a slang term for father or papa, and as the vineyards at Arcades are 45+ years old, the name seems fitting for this patriarchal wine. Eclectic or not, Carrel makes fabulous wine, and the Les Darons is a smooth, robust, pure expression of the Languedoc. [1]

Wine Folly Review: Wine Folly states that Grenache's most present flavors are stewed strawberry, grilled plum, leather, dried herbs, and blood orange. Grenache is a overall medium wine, medium in dryness, medium in body, and medium in tannins and acidity. Grenache does have a higher ABV then other wines, higher than 15%. Granted, Les Darons Languedoc is an old world wine from France. Therefore, it also has other varietals, varietals such as Syrah and Carignan. Both of these additional varietals add to the flavor profile of the Les Darons Languedoc.

Personal Wine Review: During the initial aroma test, this wine provided smells of earthy, berry, and a sense of richness. The feel of the wine was full as I swirled the glass, giving me a sense that this is about to be a medium to full body wine. Once tasting the wine, I found a semi sweet dryness to it accompanied by a medium body. It tasted slightly spicy but also expired berry? I don't think this was a downside of the wine, but more of a plus. I found the wine to be low in tannins, but I feel that my observations might be led astray due to my fondness of high tannin wines. This wine was not decanted, but left breathing for a couple minutes. Overall, I would have this wine again. No food was consumed with this tasting.

References:

[1] https://www.thewinebuyer.com/wines/Les-Darons-Languedoc-Red-2021-w10630414j

[2] https://winefolly.com/grapes/grenache/

Tasting #5 - Atlantic Wine Project Jardín White

Name: Atlantic Wine Project Jardín White

Varietal: 90% Cayuga White, 10% Aromella

Region: Outer Coastal Plain, New Jersey

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $14.99

Professional Wine Review: Jardín White is made of 90% Cayuga White and 10% Aromella. Cayuga White is a signature grape of the Mid-Atlantic region. Cultivated by seasoned growers, it can produce a serious white with lovely citrus and stone fruit flavors. Aromelia is a newer variety developed on the East Coast which imparts an elegant floral freshness. A small amount of French oak is used for polish on the finish. The sandy, gravel soils of the Outer Coastal Plain play a key role in this wine's balanced acidity and elegant texture. The humid, maritime climate here is well-suited for these grapes as well. Cayuga White is resistant to mold, and is a hybrid grape developed at Cornell University. [1]

Wine Folly Review: In order to fully understand the Wine Folly review of this wine, I looked at the grape that 90% of the wine is made from, Vitis labrusca. It is stated in the Wine Folly website that the vitis labrusca is "best as a sweet wine  with a deep red color, high acidity and aromas like strawberry, fruit-punch, violets and musk". [2] Granted this is a more wide view on the vitis labrusca as Cayuga white is only a variety derived from the grape. Therefore I was only able to find hints of the aforementioned flavors and aromas in the wine.

Personal Wine Review: Like tasting any other wine, a smell test is first performed. This Jardín White gave aromas of floral, earthy, and an additional foul smell. I honestly couldn't put my finger on what this smells like. It reminded me a lot of the Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc that I tasted last week, which was pretty bad. Additionally, the wine was sour and acidic, which did not help in my fondness of the wine. It was a predominantly light wine that tasted like and apple or pear, a blend of a granny smith apple. This wine was not consumed with anything else, and I don't think I would try it again.

References:

[1] https://www.bottleshop.com/products/14334532/atlantic-wine-project-jardin-white-outer-coastal-plain-2021

[2] https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/native-wine-grapes-of-america/

Tasting #6 - Skouras ZOE

   

Name: Skouras ZOE

Varietal: 90% Agiorgitiko, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Peloponnese

Country: Greece

Year: 2021

Price: $12.99

Professional Wine Review: Delightful and fairly light red is vibrant and fresh with juicy red cherry and plum fruits.  This is an easy drinking red that will pair well is a wide variety of foods and can even be served slightly chilled for dinners on warm summer nights. [1]

Wine Folly Review: According to the Wine Folly Website, the primary varietal of this wine, Agiorgitiko, contains the primary flavors of raspberry, blackberry, plum sauce, black pepper, and nutmeg. The website states that the varietal is heavily medium in the taste profile. Not much else is stated for this varietal, as there is a lacking of food pairings associated with this varietal but I would assume that it would pair well with red meat specifically. [2]

Personal Wine Review: Out of the two wines that I tasted this week, this one was my favorite. Having a very obvious dry and somewhat jammy smell, I was very fond of this wine. I found hints of mineral and earthy undertones that were brought out into the light with blackberry. It was overall a mild red that at times had dark and light tones, often shifting back and forth. This wine was not consumed with anything else, and I would have it again. I believe this was my first Greek wine.

References:

[1] https://www.thewinecountry.com/skouras-2021-red-wine-zoe-greece.html

[2] https://winefolly.com/grapes/agiorgitiko/