| Chalk Hill Estate Winery Chardonnay |  | mhuss | 2/1/2010 3:31:28 PM |
| I've probably said this a number of times in my reviews, but I'll say it again; I'm not a huge Chardonnay fan. But this offering from Chalk Hill is delicious! This white wine pours a very light green color, with lots of dry grape tones in the nose. The body is smooth, but a little heavy on the palate. I don't mind the heavy body though; it's actually a welcomed characteristic of this wine. I think it adds a lot of depth and character. The nose is full of light but dry grapes, with an acidic and yeasty tone. The body is fairly dry with notes of oak, vanilla, apples, a subtle tone of caramel and a slight hint of butterscotch. The finish is a little on the dry side, with a more pronounced flavor of butterscotch, along with more oak and some hints of alcohol. This can be a very dangerous wine. Because it's so complex and delicious, you can consume an entire bottle entirely on your own, exploring the nuisances and delicate flavors. My neighbors brought this over for us on Christmas Eve as a gift for hosting a party. I finally got around to opening the bottle. Now I truely realize the gift they bestowed upon us! |
| Manatawny Creek Winery Sparkling Raspberry |  | mhuss | 2/1/2010 2:55:09 PM |
| This is the 'champagne' of choice for my wife and I when we are celebrating a special occausion. This sparking wine pours a light pink color with tons of bubbles and carbonation. The nose if full of raspberries and light grapes. The body is extremely lively and feels like Pop-Rocks in my mouth. The wine just explodes when a sip (or huge gulp) is taken. The raspberry flavor is obviously present, along with some yeastiness, earth and light grapes. The finish is quite sweet and extremely enjoyable. A bottle of this sparking wine does not last long around my house whenever we have it on hand! |
| Manatawny Creek Winery Cherry |  | mhuss | 2/1/2010 2:50:45 PM |
| Manatawny's Cherry is way too sweet for me. My wife, on the other hand, loves this. But then again, she's more into the sweeter and really fruiter wines available. And if you're up for that, then alright. But unfortunately I'm not. This wine pours an almost pink color, and looks really great. But the flavor is too sweet and the body is really overwelming. I do like the cherry flavor, but it's simply a little too over the top for me. |
| Manatawny Creek Winery Winter Warmth |  | mhuss | 2/1/2010 2:44:59 PM |
| This is one of my favorite wines from Manatawny! In my opinion (and shoot me for this if you want), this is best served warm. I think more of the flavors come out when this wine is warmed up. It pours a dark red color with a light brownish hue. The aroma is fascinating, with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and a bit of clover. At first, this wine seems a little dry, with all those spices present in the body of flavors. But then a bit of fruity sweetness comes through toward the finish. This wine is definitely made for the holiday season. |
| Imagery Sonoma Valley Artist Collection |  | NES Tek | 1/28/2010 7:54:07 AM |
| What a great wine! One thing to metnion, this was not decanted much, but we used a Vinturi aerator to help. First off, the look of this wine is totally eye catching. It was dark, slightly think. The 14.8% alcohol was a bit noticeable. When smelling the wine my nose was overcome with the rich smell of dark berries. There was a subtle oak aroma there. Definitely had some heat on the nose as well. I should also mention that there was a little funk there as well. Almost like a little bit of sweaty gym sock, but not in a bad way. I actually liked it as it helped cut through the fruit a bit. Now, after a sip & swish I got great flavors of cherry, blackberry, and some plum. Great mouth feel to it. Full bodied with a nice, small amount of tannins. The flavor was long lasting and completely coated the mouth. I enjoyed this wine very much. Only problem is, I wish I had more! |
| Chateau Renaissance Seyval Blanc |  | Anthony | 1/27/2010 12:54:08 AM |
One of my favorite wines of the Finger Lakes region, it's too bad not many producers are growing the Seyval grapes. It has such a great unique flavor.
This offering from Chateau Rennaissance is absolutely delicious.
With sweet herbal and citrus notes on the nose, it's a bit reminiscient of a semi-dry riesling --- until you sip it. This wine has such great character and complexity. It charms you with a buttery sweetness behind a facade of herbal, almost grassy, flavors, and with hints of lime and grapefruit and a floral finish.
If you ever have the chance to try this, don't pass it up! You'll be rewarded. |
| Domaine Chandon étoile Tête de Cuvée |  | NES Tek | 1/26/2010 7:30:19 PM |
| This wine was very different from most sparkling wines that I've had. I had a taste of this last time I was at the winery. It was amazing! Rich, creamy flavors. Some toast. I only had a small taste, but can't wait for more! |
| Imagery Sonoma Valley Artist Collection |  | akira | 1/25/2010 4:25:26 PM |
| The color on this wine was excellent and looked great in the decanter. I drank this one with very little decanter time, but we used a Venturi wine aerator as well. The smell was nice and oaky with dark berries and a bite from the alcohol (14.8%). The flavors were of sweet cherry and blackberry. Excellent wine with low tanins, but a very full bodied feel. The berry flavors really coat the palette nicely and stick with you. Definitely something I would like to have again. |
| Domaine Chandon La Riviere Russian River Valley Pinot Noir |  | akira | 1/24/2010 9:10:04 PM |
| This wine has a very nice ruby color. The aroma is of raspberry and other dark berries. There is also a solid bite of alcohol. This makes sense since the alcohol level is on the higher side at 14.9%. The flavors are of dark cherry and blueberry. These flavors really coat the palette and linger on the tongue. Overall, this is a great wine, but I've marked it down due to the high alcohol and the bite from it. |
| Peju Napa Valley |  | NES Tek | 1/3/2010 10:07:19 PM |
This wine has a surprisingly beautiful dark color. The nose has a spicy plum and dark berry smell. There's also a little heat and funk there too. Maybe a hint of raisin.
Taste has a lite peppery flavor with good dark berry. It has some good acidity which I enjoy. The taste is very jammy! I feel like I could almost take this wine and spread it on some toast.
There's also almost a black tea taste to it. The finish just continues to evolve and is long lasting.
I really enjoy this wine! I remember loving it when it first came out. Now that it's rested a while it has really developed into a beautiful wine!
I feel 4 stars isn't enough, but can't go up to 4.5. Maybe after some time I might change my mind. Overall though, this wine was a great buy! Peju rarely let's me down! |
| Woot Cellars Woot Cellars Reboot_ 2001 Brut |  | Anthony | 1/1/2010 11:21:05 PM |
Great champagne-style sparkler.
Nice and dry, not to tart, and perfect carbonation. Served well-chilled in a champagne flute, provided a great 'fizz' and a light citrus bouquet. Flavors were nice and light as well. Very nice - as I prefer champagnes not exceedingly dry but without a heavy or fruity flavor. |
| Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino |  | qman22 | 12/26/2009 2:28:56 PM |
| I purchased this wine for $35 and it was an excellent bargain. This is a smooth and velvety brunello with a balanced taste. It tasted more well aged that it was. Recommended! |
| Paul Autard Chateauneuf-du-Pape |  | qman22 | 12/26/2009 2:16:50 PM |
| I received this bottle as a Christmas gift and decided to enjoy it that day. This is a very dark wine that comes in a beautiful bottle. The taste is complex with hints of berries and a smokey dry finish. I would like to try one with more age. |
| Woot Cellars 2008 Woot Cellars Adequate Gift |  | Anthony | 12/11/2009 8:12:58 AM |
Initial impressions: 1. This wine is young 2. Needs to aerate!! 3.Initial pour provides a nice deep red color, and a whiff of alcohol.
After getting some air, this wine is giving me a mildly oaky bouquet with blueberry and cherry to it, also almost a hint of peat as well as some caramel. Tasting tells me that this wine would do great with some decanting, but still provides great dark fruit flavors - cherry and blueberry, and some bright cranberry notes; long finish not overpowered by the smoky, oak profile. Very nice.
3.5 stars but will certainly improve age. |
| Dr. Konstantin Frank Finger Lakes Dry |  | Anthony | 12/2/2009 2:55:54 AM |
One of the best Rieslings out of the Finger Lakes (and there are tons).
Great bright citrus flavors, some mineral-like notes, grapefruit predominates; a light floral and citrus aroma. Long finish, with a bit of that riesling "diesel fuel" taste on the palate.
Absolutely love it! And the 2007 is the best for me. |