Valentine treats: Spumante and Chocolate Shoppe

What better for Valentines Day than Champagne and chocolate, Mori Spumante and Chocolate Shoppe wine. Mori Spumante is a sweet bubbly that reminds me much of the Juicy Fruit gum I chewed as a kid. 

Chocolate Shoppe is a chocolate infused red wine.  Unlike Truffle Merlot, which we have tasted in the past, this is a red blend and a little sweeter.  It has bold flavors of chocolate syrup and cherries.  Reminds me a little of a cherry tootsie pop.  Both wines are certain to sweeten your Valentine.

Varietal:  Spumante

Producer/Importer:  Mori    

Region: Italy

Price: $8.99

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): nearly colorless

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): Juicy fruit gum and strawberries

Taste (acidity, balance, body): Juicy fruit gum

Bottle presentation: blue bottle

Comparisons:

Overall rating (1-10): 8.5

Date consumed: April 11, 2012

Comments: Malt beverage

 

Varietal:  Chocolate infused red blend

Producer/Importer:  Chocolate Shoppe      

Price:

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity):

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): Chocolate syrup

Taste (acidity, balance, body): Dark chocolate and sour cherries, like a cherry tootsie pop

Bottle presentation:  Elegant bottle with black label and gold writing

Winemaker’s notes: Inviting aromas of black cherry and dark chocolate entwine and continue on the palate surrounded by hints of cocoa powder. Nuances of red wine and residual sugar linger on the smooth finish.

Sweetening the tongues for centuries, chocolate and red wine has been the most reliable pairing in history. Chocolate Shop takes this pairing to the next level, marrying chocolate flavor with red wine to create a sumptuous drink. We start with a proprietary red blend of the finest vinifera varietals, add a touch of oak and a kiss of sweetness to create the perfect fruit-driven foil for the rich dark chocolate which unfolds in silken layers across the palate.

Comparisons: Similar to Truffle Merlot, although sweeter.

Overall rating (1-10): 8.5

Date consumed: April 11, 2012

Lost Angel Moscato 2010

Lost Angel Moscato from Foley Family Wines seems to be a little lost on what the typical Moscato is all about, but this is not necessarily a bad thing.  Lost Angel offers a heartier Moscato with a little more complexity than what we are use to.  This wine starts out as the sweet desert wine we expect, but with a few citrus (we say lemon, the label says orange) peel twists along the way. We certainly enjoyed this wine selection, but rated it slightly lower because of its diversion from the norm.

Varietal:  Moscato    

Producer/Importer:  Lost Angel     

Region:  California

Vintage: 2010

Price:  $8.00

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): light orange-yellow, golden rod

 Smell (bouquet, aroma):

Taste (acidity, balance, body): sweet, lemon and honey, malt

Bottle presentation:

Label description: At first you might think our Moscato is a total sweetie, but it has enough acidity to keep you on your toes. Full of floral aromas and flavors of orange peel, violets and honey. – Winery

Comparisons:

Overall rating (1-10): 7

Date consumed: April 11, 2012

Comments: 13.5% abv. 76% Muscat, 14% Viognier, 10% Pinot Grigio.  Steel tank fermented.

Wiseman IQ Riesling

Wiseman IQ Riesling is everything a Riesling is expected to be: a well balance of tart apples and citrus, with a delicate sweetness that is not sugary.  It is crisp, clean and refreshing. 

I say Wiseman IQ Riesling is everything a Riesling is expected to be as it fits the Riesling stereotype. Rieslings are often thought to be a “sweet” wine.  In reality Rieslings are quite variable. Rieslings are often high in acidty, low to medium alcohol levels, and flavors range from fruity to flowery to earthy. Many are dry as indicated by the word trocken on German Rieslings. German Rieslings are often marked with a QbA or QmP to indicate a grower's reputation.  Wines without such distinction maybe mass produced.  The more prestigious of wines are given a Pradikat.  There are six levels of Pradikat which range from least ripe to ripest: Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beernauslese (BA) Eiswein, and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA).  The three highest levels of Pradikat are an indication of the amount of sugar at time of harvest, and directly indicate sweetness.  However, one cannot assume the degree of sweetness between the three lower levels.

Varietal: Riesling 

Producer/Importer: Wiseman IQ    

Region: Mosel Germany

Vintage: 2010

Price: $9.99

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): light straw yellow

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): musty earth

Taste (acidity, balance, body): tart, clean, crisp, sweet but not sugary

Overall rating (1-10): 9

Date consumed: March 14, 2012

Comments: 9.8% abv

Risata Il Rosso

Risata Il Rosso is a blend of 70% Brachetto and 30% Malvasia Rosso from the provinces of Asti and Alessandria located in Piedmont, Italy. The grapes are harvested in late September to maximize ripeness and bring forth the sweetness of this wine. The grapes are separated from the skins after a brief 48 hours before finishing the fermentation in pressurized steel tanks.  During the fermentation the grapes warm to 65˚ F, capturing all CO₂ to give the wine a Frizzante style (soft bubbly).

Risata Il Rosso has a rose and strawberry filled aroma.  The berry flavors of the Brachetto balances well with the floral Malvasia Rosso to fill your mouth with a bubbly giggle. Risata Il Rosso is sweet and balances flavor with acidity well.  As the name Risata implies, this is a great wine to share a few laughs with good friends.

Varietal:  il Rosso-Brachetto and Malvasia Rosso

Producer/Importer:  Risata 

Region: Piedmont, Italy

Vintage: none

Price: $9.99

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): Dark rose’

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): sweet strawberries and roses

Taste (acidity, balance, body): sweet raspberries

Bottle presentation: Black bottle with Risata signature vine in red.

Comparisons: Very similar to Rose’ Regal

Overall rating (1-10): 9

Date consumed: March 14, 2012