Special Edition - Marchesi Alfieri, La Tota, Barbera d'Asti, 2011 (Italy)

October 11th, 2014

Marchesi Alfieri, La Tota, Barbera d'Asti DOCG, Piedmont, Italy - 2011

• $25.50
• Color: Intense Ruby
• Served with Lasagna, soup and a cheese platter

He says :           5.0 stars

• Wonderfully balanced and complex
• Start is very earthy, with a hint of cherry and fruit, and the end is just ethereal, in a positive way
• Long finish is really wonderful
• Light body when served chilled, it has enough bite and a great bite
• Best wine so far

Whites - Sauvignon Blanc #3 - Domaine De Ladoucette 2010 (France)

Part A - White wines

Section 4 - Sauvignon Blanc

November 5th, 2014

Domaine De Ladoucette AOC Pouilly-Fumé, Vallée de la Loire, France - 2010

• $31.75
• Color: "average" yellow like honey, touch of green
• Served with an assortment of sushi

He says :           4.25 stars

• Smell reminds me of hay, of herbs with a slight floral side, a hint of citrus and cat piss
• Soft start, then explodes in mouth with a quite long finish
• Start is more mineral, slightly sweeter than Cloudy Bay, explosion is citrusy
• Very complex and interesting, balanced
• Slight taste of butter and almonds, especially in aftertaste, very subtle, more of a feeling
• Start is more soft and smooth than Cloudy Bay, comparable quality maybe a tad less pleasant

She says :           4.25 stars

• Complex and interesting
• This wine is smooth, slightly sweet in the beginning
• Smells fresh and acidic, wet grass / hay
• Finish is long and acidic, very complex, multi flavored
• Litchi, lemon, almonds (lime)
 

 

 

 

Whites - Sauvignon Blanc #2 - Cloudy Bay 2013 (New Zealand)

Part A - White wines

Section 4 - Sauvignon Blanc

October 28th, 2014

Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand - 2013

• $32
• Color: almost transparent, yellow / green, touch of pink
• Served with lasagna and a plate of cheese (Reflet de Portneuf and St-Honoré)

He says :           4.5 stars

• Smell reminds me of hay, of herbs, a slight hint of citrus and cat piss (grapefruit)
• Nice astringency, excellent balance
• Taste of pear, citrus (clementines, grapefruit)
• After taste is a bit floral and herbal
• Taste is a little bit similar to champagne, acidic, feels a little bit sparkly/ bubbly, limestone/mineral
• Super fresh taste, not dry
• Starts off softly, then explodes in your mouth (citrus taste)
• Finish is very long
• Excellent wine, I don't really love herbal tastes but otherwise it's excellent

She says :           3 stars

• Smells acidic and fresh
• Apples, citrus, fresh pears
• Fresh in mouth, pleasant at first but then, the finish is too acidic for my taste

Whites - Sauvignon Blanc #1 - Robert Mondavi Winery 2012 (U.S.A.)

Part A - White wines

Section 4 - Sauvignon Blanc

October 19th, 2014

Robert Mondavi Winery, Fumé Blanc, Napa Valley, California, U.S.A. - 2012

• $25.20
• Color: light and pale yellow
• Served with cream of leak, and bell peppers stuffed with rice, beef and veggies

He says :           3.75 stars

• Slight cat piss odor
• Very dry and astringent
• Very thirst quenching, then very astringent, then very dry
• Dryness stays in the mouth long as opposed to the taste which is very short
• The thirst quenching side has a light fruitiness with hints of raisin, sweet apple, a bit of pear but not a sweet taste overall
• Crisp and refreshing at first, then dry with mineral notes
• The astringent side reminds me of citrus and green apple
• Overall, a decent table wine which is not overly complex but alright : good for the garden in the summer

She says :           3.25 stars

• Smells like cat piss
• Very dry but not astringent
• Smooth and round
• Lemon zest
• Very acidic citrus notes
• Like an unripe fruit (apple / pear)
• Not sweet at all

Whites - Pinot Gris #3 - Jermann 2012 (Italy)

Part A - White wines

Section 3 - Pinot Gris

October 10th, 2014

Jermann, Pinot Grigio, Venezia-Giulia, Italy - 2012

• $33.00
• Color: Clear yellow, transparent with a hint of pink
• Served with potage st-germain w/ braised pork flank, he had moules frites, she had bavette sauce échalottes, mashed potatoes w/ gouda, and green beans at Restaurant Wellington.

He says :           4.25 stars

• Starts off with a buttery taste, then goes more acidic - long lasting taste
• Very balanced, no particular flavor stands out, just well intertwined, pleasant flavors
• Start is sooo smooth, finish a little too astringent, citrusy
• 2nd favorite white so far, behind Chablis
• mineral feeling, particularly when cold

She says :           3.75 stars

• Notes of butter
• Pleasant, smooth, mellow in the beginning
• Sour, bitter, astringent finish
• Well-balanced, light
• Reminds me of the freshness of celeri or cucumber

Whites - Pinot Gris #2 - Preiss-Zimmer, Réserve Personelle 2012 (France)

Part A - White wines

Section 3 - Pinot Gris

August 31st, 2014

Preiss-Zimmer, Réserve Personelle, AOC Alsace, France - 2012

• $23.45
• Color: Golden robe, nearly pear color 
• Served with chicken brochettes, with a honey ginger sauce, as well as a sprouted bean / napa cabbage salad, and a fish sesame dressing sauce 

He says :           3.25 stars

• Sweet taste, with acidic finish - little Riesling feeling 
• Tastes like pears, ripe raisins, cantaloupe and melon 
• Astringent finish, just enough
• Very average, nothing complex, no finish
• OK balance, not too round or light

She says :           3.75 stars

• Very sweet, a little clear 
• Tastes like pears, peaches and ripe blackberries 
• Astringent finish
• A little too light for my taste

 

 

Whites - Pinot Gris #1 - King Estate 2012 (U.S.A.)

Part A - White wines

Section 3 - Pinot Gris

August 24th, 2014

King Estate, Signature Collection - 2012

• Lorane Valley, Oregon
• $22.90
• Color: Very pale robe; same color as Prum - watery yellow
• Served with: Appetizer platter - Cheese (Pecorino, goat, aged cheddar, migneron), porc and duck rillettes, and a blueberry and peach salad 

He says :           3.75 stars

• Very refreshing, dry, acidic, very light body
• Citrus taste; peaches, lemon and green apples
• Slight floral feel
• Very astringent, even a little too much
• Very balanced feel; contrary to round, with a fine texture that is slightly greassy
• A hint of grapefruit, with some mineral notes (chalk) when not cold
• Alright, could have stronger taste and have a longer taste in mouth

She says :           3.0 stars

• Very nuanced smell 
• Very dry and acidic wine, even astringent - a bit too much for me
• Tastes like lemon zest, floral also - more some than fruity Gout de zeste de citron, assez floral

Whites - Riesling #3 - Joh. Jos. Prum - Wehlener Sonnenhur 2008 (Germany)

Part A - White wines

Section 2 - Riesling

August 15th, 2014

Joh. Jos. Prum - Wehlener Sonnenhur 2008

• Mosel, Germany
• Riesling, Pradikatswein
• Kabinett, Demi-Sec
• $ 37.50
• Color: Extremely light yellow, touch of green
• Served with: Sloppy Joes, with corn on the cob, and marbled brownies for dessert

He says :           3.5 stars

• Very Sweet - More than the others, with pronounced Riesling flavor
• Has a mineral layer, which is very fresh and interesting under the Riesling layer
• Riesling layer reminds me of peaches and strawberries
• Light body and round (due to Kabinett level of ripeness)
• Little bit of hay smell
• Lives up to super transparent, pear color reputation of the vineyard
• Very focused, clear, same strong taste throughout
• Taste in mouth lasts long, no bad aaftertaste like no. 2 or cheap asti comparison like no. 1
• Wine for true Riesling lovers - I didn't like it due to sweetness but you can tell the quality is there (more than other two), and they don't lie about sweetness

She says :           3.75 stars

• Not pleasant to the nose: vinegar odor, hard boiled eggs, tar
• Very nice taste: Sweet hints of sweet fruits, golden raisins, apple juice and butter 
• Fresh and light, nearly sparkling

 

Whites - Riesling #2 - Domaine Bott-Geyl 2010 (France)

Part A - White wines

Section 2 - Riesling

August 8th, 2014

Domaine Bott-Geyl - 2010

• Grafenreben-Lieu-Dit, Alsace, France
• Riesling
• $29.50
• Yellow, apple juice like color  
• Served with broccolli, cauliflower and ham gratin

He says :           2.5 stars

• At the end, we taste blueberries and blackberries 
• Very typical "Riesling" taste
• For a 3/10 on the dry/sweet scale, its very very sweet, slightly sweet indeed but the label was misleading 
• Taste: Sweet apples, peaches. Apricots at the start, but taste is modified throughout the tasting
• Fresh taste that lasts long enough in mouth, but not complex enough
• Weird aftertastes mitigates finish; more apparent when not really cold
• Less interesting than Eroica
• I did not appreciate, too sweet for me, misleading label

She says :           3.0 stars

• Very sweet and soft: Tastes like ripe fruits - raisins, peaches and cider (sweet appleas)
• Very sweet finish: Small fruits like blackberries
• Too sweet for me
• Smells like vanilla and alcohol
• Slight vinegar feeling at the front of the tongue

Whites - Riesling #1 - Eroica 2012 (U.S.A.)

Part A - White wines

Section 2 - Riesling

July 25th, 2014

Eroica - 2012

• Columbia Valley, Washington
• Château Ste. Michelle,  Ernst Loosen
• Riesling
• $31.00

He says :           3.0 stars

• Very acidic, but balanced with sweet tang, reminiscent of asti
• Very fruity; peach, strawberry and apricot taste 
• Fresh but with a medium body
• Has a bit of fizz to it, little sparkly
• Complexity comes from fizz
• Finish is a little acidic, fresh and long lasting
• Pleasant, but too similar to asti for me
• Interesting, nothing more

She says :           4.25 stars

• Smells like exotic fruits: starfruit, pears and peaches
• Very fruity: lime, apple and grapefruit taste
• Sweet and pleasant
• Mineral

Whites - Chardonnay #3 - Domaine Louis Moreau 2011 (France)

Part A - White wines

Section 1 - Chardonnay

July 20th, 2014

Domaine Louis Moreau - 2011

• Certified vineyard - Chablis 1er cru
• Vaulignot, Bourgogne
• $30.25
• Color: Very pale yellow/blond, a little green 
• Served with : Apéro with foie gras and arancinis

He says :           4.75 stars

• Very smooth start, with a light mineral taste
• Taste becomes very pronounced after 5 seconds; strong citrus and acid taste, perfectly balanced
• Citrus : Reminds me of oranges and limes
• Taste at the start: almonds, honey, figs and minerality 
• Very fine to the nose, becomes stronger in the mouth 
• Nearly a champagne without bubbles
• After the citrus, finish is slightly buttery 
• Could be slightly stronger in taste, as its very delicate
• Nearly perfect, no discernible defects, summum for me in terms of white wine 

She says:           3.75 stars

• Nice golden robe 
• Mellow start
• Fig & almond scents 
• Very acidic finale 

Whites - Chardonnay #2 - D'Arenberg The Olive Grove 2012 (Australia)

Part A - White wines

Section 1 - Chardonnay

July 12, 2014

D’Arenberg The Olive Grove - 2012

• McLaren vale, Adelaide Hills, Australia
• Chardonnay
• $19.90
• Very light yellow, pale robe
• Served with : Whole wheat spaghetti in an olive oil sauce with diced tomatoes, garlic salt and chili powder.  Pecorino siciliano DOP as dessert

He says:           4.25 stars

• Much more acidic, crisp, fresher than Matanzas Creek, like biting-into-a-granny-smith-apple feeling
• Slight oak, buttery feeling at end, didn’t overpower wine
• Peaches (mid), citrus &green apple aromas (start), then oak/butter
• Great balance, tastes stays long in mouth
• For the price, great buy
• Middle strength body, a bit fruity, a bit acidic

She says:           3.5 stars

• It makes me feel like olives
• Acidity is much more present than in Matanzas Creek
• Crisp feeling, long finish
• Fruit notes: apple, citrus, peach