Kitchen Sink Moscato

Kitchen Sink Moscato is not what we expected from a Moscato.  It was crisp and buttery and smooth and not too sugary, more like a late harvest Riesling.  We liked it.  This is one wine I would not dump down the kitchen sink, but rather enjoy it far from the kitchen sink.

Varietal:  Moscato

Producer/Importer:  Kitchen Sink  

Region: California

Vintage:

Price:

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): light

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): earthy

Taste (acidity, balance, body): buttery, crisp golden apple,

Comparisons: Almost like a late harvest Riesling.

Overall rating (1-10): 9

Date consumed: February 9, 2012

Comments:

Red Rock Winery’s Reserve Winemaker's Blend

Red Rock Winery’s Reserve Winemaker's Blend is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah. Grapes were selected of highest quality fruit from the state's top throughout California's premier appellations, more than half of the grapes from Sonoma County.

The Petite Syrah is a small grape with a high skin to juice ratio, giving the wine a deeper purple inky hue.  It also contributes the aromas and flavors of big ripe berries. All three grapes combined give this wine a nice balance with a full mouth feel that finishes with a hint of vanilla and spice.

Varietal:  Winemaker’s blend:  Merlot/Cabinet Sauvignon/Petite Syrah

Producer/Importer:  Red Rock       

Region: California

Vintage: 2009

Price: $9.99

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): deep dark purple red

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): Big bowl of ripe berries and cherries

Taste (acidity, balance, body): Strawberry jam and cherries, slight vanilla and spice at the finish.

Bottle presentation: Label displays a stack of rocks (one being red) that hikers often use to mark trails or locations.

Label description: “Our Winemaker's Blend exhibits concentrated aromas of dark berry jam and boysenberry, offering a plush mouth feel with flavors of blackberry, light brown spice and vanilla. “

Comparisons: Very close to the Apothic Red, although we like the Apothic Red a little better.

Overall rating (1-10): 9

Date consumed: January 11, 2012

Comments: 13.8% abv

Trapiche Malbec 2009

According to the local liquor distributor Trapiche Malbec is currently the number one selling Malbec in the US.  The grapes are grown on sandy soils high on the Mendoza River in the east region of Mendoza.  The wine was aged in French and American oak barrels. 

While it wasn’t a bad wine, it just wasn’t what we expected for a Malbec.  Typically I think of a Malbec as a medium bodied, fruity, smoother, mellow wine.  This one was a little sharp with the loads of peppery spice. If you can ignore the peppery mid-tone you might be able to taste the plum hiding in the background. Some nice toasted oak flavors are mixed in, but again you have to get past the pepper.  It did finish nicely with a full blackcherry aftertaste. 

Cheese did improve the palate of the wine quite a bit mellowing it out and upping the rating. This one should be accompanied by food, but not chocolate.  Chocolate gave this wine an awful sour effect.

I wish I would have had my aerator, maybe aerating would have helped smooth some of the sting.  Or maybe in a few more years this wine will age into what can be described as a quality Malbec.  For now it is just too harsh.

Varietal:  Malbec

Producer/Importer:  Trapiche          

Region: Mendoza Argentina

Vintage: 2009

Price: $8.95

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): ruby red with violet hues

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): peppery & earthy, a little timid

Taste (acidity, balance, body): Strong peppery middle, plum in the midtones if you can ignore the spice, toasted oak flavors mixed in. It finishes full bodies with very black cherry aftertaste

Bottle presentation:

Winemakers Notes: “A rich, red-colored wine with violet hues, redolent of plums and cherries. Round in the mouth with a touch of truffle and vanilla. Food pairings: The ideal wine for grilled meat. It also combines very well with pasta, mild to spicy cuisine and semi-hard cheeses such as Gouda, Edam or Gruyere.”

Comparisons:

Overall rating (1-10): 7

Date consumed: January 11, 2012

Comments:  Number one selling Malbec in the US.  Cheese mellowed the spiciness.  NO chocolate! 13.5% abv

446 Chardonnay

446 Chardonnay, a member of the Noble Vines collection, is named for the type of vine (4) and the block in which that vine is planted (46). These particular vines were brought over from Burgundy, France and re-established in Monterey, California, hence “born in France-raised in America”.

I think this is my favorite Chardonnay. Chardonnay like Riesling can have a wide variety of characteristics from sweet to dry, from light to fruity, crisp, clean, smooth, buttery, oaky, toasty.  Chardonnay 446 has just the right blend of characteristics for my palate. It is light to start, golden apples, and a little bit of sweet-maybe pineapples. Its midtone is medium bodied with a hint of that typical toasted vanilla and pear spice so many Chardonnays have.  All rounded out with a nice smooth buttery finish.

Varietal:  Chardonnay

Producer/Importer:  446 by Nobel Vines   

Region: Montery/California

Vintage: 2010

Price: $11.99

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): light golden

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): typical chardonnay

Taste (acidity, balance, body): light to start, golden apples and pineapple, spiced pear and toasted vanilla middle and a smooth buttery finish

Bottle presentation: Simple silver label with red and black print.  Also has a QR code (those funny codes that are popping up all over) which will take you to their website.

Label description: “Born in France-raised in America. Not all vines are created equal. Nobel Vines 446 Chardonnay celebrates the most coveted vine stock of Burgundy, France.  Vine type 4 is grown to perfection on 46 at our San Bernabe vineyard in cool-climate Monterey. Prized for its complexity and flavor, this single vineyard chardonnay offers a modern expression of the classic French style:  the silky mouth feel is balanced by fresh citrus and delectable tropical and pineapple notes.  Enjoy with grilled fish, chicken or pasta with creamy sauces. 13.5% abv.  Vinted and bottled by Noble Vines, Manteca, CA.”

Comparisons: Buttery finish like the Kendall-jackson, but more complex.  I think if you like K-J Chardonnay you’ll flip for 446.

Overall rating (1-10): 9.5

Date consumed: January 11, 2012

Little Black Dress 2010 Riesling

Every girl needs a Little Black Dress to make their wardrobe complete, which means we also need a Little Black Dress wine to complete our wine stock.  And as an added bonus, by choosing Little Black Dress wines you are also supporting two charities that should resonate with every woman:  Dress for Success and Clothes Off Our Back Foundation.

The Little Black Dress 2010 Riesling is a clean crisp and medium-sweet wine that pairs well with just about anything from cheeses to fruits to spicy asian cuisine. The flavors and aromas include peaches, pineapple and apple being the most apparent with a hint of citrus and a honey finish. The fruit acid balances this wine beautifully and finishes smooth.

Varietal:  Riesling     

Producer/Importer:  Little Black Dress      

Region: 2010

Vintage: California

Price: $10.99

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): light golden

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): sweet, crisp, clean

Taste (acidity, balance, body): little bubbly, has a nice smooth finish with a buttery feel. Peaches, golden apples, pineapples, honey flavors

Bottle presentation:

Label description: “With hints of pear and apricot flavors, Little Black Dress Riesling is a medium-sweet varietal ideal for any dressed up, or dressed down occasion.”

Comparisons: Similar to the Snoqualmie but less intense in flavor

Overall rating (1-10): 8.9
Date consumed: January 11, 2012

Comments: 11.5% abv, 87 rating by Wine Enthusiast

Menage a’ trios Moscato

Menage a’ trios Moscato is not at all the typical sugary moscato we had expected.  It has a full feel  in the mouth with more intense flavors of peaches and green/golden apples.  There is a bit of honey flavored finish.  This Moscato actually tastes more like a sweet or late harvest Riesling than a Moscato.  Although it is not what we expected we still enjoyed it.

Varietal:  Moscato

Producer/Importer:  Menage a’ trios by Folie a' Deux Winery 

Region: California      

Vintage: 2010

Price: $10

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): light golden straw

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): crisp sweet green apples

Taste (acidity, balance, body): more like a sweet Riesling than a moscato. Peaches, golden apples, and honey

Bottle presentation:

Label descrition: “Good things come in threes.  Our Moscato mingles wines from three different growing areas, each crafted by a different winemaker.  With delightful lip-smacking flavors- creamy peach, ripe, juicy melon, and rich, golden honey-our Moscato is proof positive that three is always much more fun than one.”

Comparisons: Very similar to the Wollersheim’s White Riesling or a late harvest Riesling

Overall rating (1-10): 8

Date consumed: January 11, 2012

Comments: 12% abv

Wine kit: Australian Red Blend

Occasionally someone from the group will bring in a bottle of wine they made. It’s always a treat to see what can be done by the amateur here in Duluth/Superior.  With the kits available these days it’s easy to make a great high end wine at little cost, between $5-8 per bottle.  Of course you make 30 bottles in a batch so you better like the wine you make, plan to give it as gifts, or go in with a couple of friends.  I recommend the later and look forward to my first winemaking event with friends later this month.

The wine we sampled was an Australian Cabernet/Merlot/Shiraz made from RJ Spagnols Cru Select 6 week kit.  This kit was 2007 and 2008 Winemaker International Award Winner and proved to be pretty darn good.  This dark black cherry colored wine had a full sweet berry jam aroma. At first the tannins hit the mouth a little too boldly with an overwhelming spiciness. But once drank with cheese this wine became my night’s favorite.  The spiciness was reduced allowing for a nice balance with the fruitiness of the wine.  It finished soft and smooth like a Merlot. 

The winemaker used a magnetic system to speed the aging process along.  Whether this really works is to be debated and the chemist in me is pretty skeptical, but for what its worth I will tell you what I found searching the topic: The device consists of a magnetic coaster like base and a ring magnet for the neck of the bottle.  One places an open bottle on the device for some time around 30 minutes. The claim is the magnetic field ionizes the tannin molecules, causing them to lose hydrogen and form chains, as it would when naturally aged by oxidation. The majority of reviews by Sommeliers who have participated in or conducted blind taste tests say there is no noticeable difference between magnetically treated and untreated wines.  I would be interested to see someone do a chemical analysis of magnetically treated and untreated wines to show if indeed the treated wines are more oxidized….Until then the mystery remains.

Varietal: Cabernet/Merlot/Shiraz

Producer/Importer:  RJ Spagnols Cru Select- 6 week kits made at Wine Creations Duluth, MN

Region: Australia

Vintage: 2011

Price:

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): Dark black cherry coloring

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): Berry jam

Taste (acidity, balance, body): Merlot finish, Mid-bodies wine, with moderate oaky flavors.

Bottle presentation: NA

Wine kit description: “A classic New World blend made popular by the recent trend of success of Australia’s leading wineries. A well-balanced aroma of leather and black pepper gives way to intense jammy flavors of blackberries. The length of spicy flavor from the Cabernet, sweet berry fruit of the Shiraz and softening effects of the Merlot results in a tightly structured, well-balanced wine. Ruby red in color, this hearty wine has an elegant and long finish.” http://www.rjspagnols.com

Comparisons:

Overall rating (1-10): 8.5

Date consumed: December 14, 2011

Comments: magnetized to speed aging

Great with cheese!

Oak 5 Body 5 Sweetness 0