Tasting - Ruta 22 Malbec

Name: Ruta 22 Malbec

Variety: Malbec

Region: Patagonia

Country: Argentina

Price: $7.95

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: Stout and dense from the beginning, with blackberry and violet aromas. Despite being a bold and dark Malbec, this is fresh and composed, with sweet blackberry and cassis flavors. Good on the finish, with candied fruit and caramel sweetness.

My Review: This was the wine of the day that I was looking forward too.  A nice Malbec from Argentina.  The smell had some nice hints of red cherry that was enjoyable.  The taste was much sweeter than I was expecting.  It was similar to a candied cherry but not like a maraschino cherry (yuck!).  It was slight tannins and the finish was very light.  Overall, it was good but quite a light drink for a Malbec.  Definitely drink it with chicken or salmon and it would definitely be a hit.

Tasting - Château Serres Sainte Lucie Corbières

Name: Château Serres Sainte Lucie Corbières

Variety: GSM

Region: Corbières

Country: France

Price: $4.95

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: Superb dark garnet color with a few reflections of dark orange. Intense nose of ripe fruits, spices, and roasted coffee. The palate is rounded and full, with silky matured tannins and hints of vanilla. This wine is rich and powerful with layers of tannins.

My Review: Finally we got into the reds for the day.  This one is a pretty standard wine from France with a GSM blend.  The smell was interesting in that it smelled like flower pollen.  You know when you get a bouquet for something special and you stick your nose right into the flowers and you get the pollen on your nose, that’s what it smelled like.  It also has a spice component but a spice that is normally associated with a sweet dish like cinnamon or cardamom.  The smell was very intriguing.  The taste was a nice full body with nice tannins on the finish.  The spice was very nice addition to the taste because it wasn’t over powering or bitty.  But in the end, it was good but not my favorite.

Tasting - Cresta Azul

Name: Cresta Azul

Variety: Moscatel, Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo

Region: North Coast

Country: Spain

Year: NV

Price: $5.95

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: Peach, orange cream and vanilla flavors mingle in this softly bubbly white. Off-dry, but with crisp acidity and a clean finish.

My Review: this is the third of the three rose’s we were tasting today.  And this was the first one of the bunch that actually smelled sweet! It had hints of peaches to the nose after you got through the sweetness.  The taste from there was very simple.  It was balanced with the acidity in it but it was pretty one dimensional.  Overall, I enjoyed it but I think a taste was enough.

Tasting - Veleta Tempranillo Rosado

Name: Veleta Tempranillo Rosado

Variety: Tempranillo

Region: Granada

Country: Spain

Year: 2010

Price: $3.95

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: Fresh in flavor and crisp in texture, this dry rosé offers berry, tart cherry and light herbal flavors, with firm acidity and a clean finish. Focused and juicy.

My Review: The second rose on the wine tasting today but this one we know is a Tempranillo so was definitely excited about it.  The smell was very light and almost undetectable for anything in it.  I finally got some cherry hints after swirling it for a while but overall just very light.  The taste was very surprising based on the smell!  It was a light flavor but it was kind of complex in the taste.  It started off light but as you let it sit on your tongue it grew in flavor.  It was like it was tempting you to try more of it just so you can figure out what is hiding behind the lightness.  I would say that this rose was the most enjoyable of the bunch because it was closer to a red wine that either a rose or white wine.

Tasting - Veleta Brut Vino Espumoso Rosado

Name: Veleta Brut Vino Espumoso Rosado

Variety: Tempranillo (think?)

Region: South Central

Country: Spain

Year: NV

Price: $3.95

Shop/wine critic/Winery Review: Rosésalmon with copper reflections. Slow rising fine bubble that forms "lace" and "rosary". In the nose is complex and elegant with red fruit, citric, exotic, fresh flowers, and notes of dry fruits and dry flowers. Fresh, gentle, and alive. Perfectly integrated "perlage" with serious and subtle flavors of dry fruits, pomegranate and lemonade. Long lasting scent of flowers and herbs.

My Review: The first of many rose wines on the day.  First thing I noticed was that it wasn’t really a rose as it was a brown color.  Very odd and looked like someone mixed in some pulverized wood into it!  The smell was even weirder (just like that word).  It almost smelled like someone put a copper wine under my nose and I was sniffing that.  And then as I smelled it more it starting to smell like I drove by a dead skunk in the middle of the night.  (There are always dead skunks in my town so it’s a pretty common smell).  The taste didn’t really improve this wine either.  It was very light but it was very floral with some herby hints to it.  It was just a very odd wine that I was not enjoying.  A good wine to taste just for fun but wouldn’t suggest actually drinking it.