Wine Tasting- Michel Fonne

 

Name: Michel Fonne Alsace

Varietal: Pinot Blanc

Country: Alsace

Vintage: 2018

Price: $16

Critic Review: Some earthiness surrounds shy pear notes on the nose of this wine. The palate still carries a yeasty funk and presents a pithy, earthy core with little fruit. The finish is dry and clean.  -Anne Krebiehl MW

Wine Folly: pg. 148 It stated that this was a mutated pinot noir which is really cool! I was not able to get the notes of pears or peaches. It was said to primarily be from Germany but this one was from France.

My Review: Bleh!! I was not a fan of this wine at all. It had a strong sulfur smell that took me aback and made be regret opening it. The taste was sweeter but seemed off and kind of had a fizz to it. This was my first pinot blanc that I had tried and I really hope that they do not have the same tasting experience as this one... 

I did not pair it with any food!

Wine Tasting- Schmitt Söhne

 

Name: Schmitt Söhne 

Varietal: Riesling

Country: Germany

Vintage: 2021

Price: $10

Critic Review: This wine delivers crisp green apple, honeysuckle and citrus flavors, balanced by notes of bright minerality. -Schmitt Söhne Winery

Wine Folly: pg. 158 I was able to get the notes of the apple and this riesling was more on the dry side. I was not able to detect the petroleum and found that description to be quite odd. pg. 159 for German rieslings they are said to have notes of beeswax, which is something that I did not find but thought was something interesting that I hope to pick up on in future tastings of this grape! 

My Review: Good! I found this wine to have a really strong apple and pear aroma with the taste of pear coming through. It was nice and creamy and sat heavy on the tongue. Overall, I thought this good value wine had a lot to offer and I now have a strong interest in this type of varietal!!

I did not pair it with any food!

Wine Tasting- JCB Unity

 

Name: JCB Unity

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country: Sonoma, California 

Vintage: 2019

Price: $10

Critic Review: The 2019 Unity is a blend of premier valley floor fruit from St. Helena and Rutherford. A deep purple-black color with a dynamic bouquet of stewed plums, melted chocolate, licorice, and crème de cassis. This is a medium-bodied, palate-pleasing wine with red berry fruit flavors layered with nuances of cedar and a touch of mocha. The palate is densely packed with tightly wound layers and the finish has stunning length and depth.  -JCB Website

Wine Folly: pg. 88 I easily found the cherry and spice notes but not so much of the black currant. pg. 89 From California it's said to have notes of pencil lead and mint, which is quite interesting and I did not find it in this wine but will try to look out for it in the future!

My Review: Good!! This cab sav was a full deep red with all of the characteristics of a classic cabernet. I found blackberries and cherries in the aromas and I picked up some fruity and spice in the taste. I could not quite nail down the exact spice, but it was not too strong. I thought this a good wine and in the future I definitely need to pair it with some cheese or red meat to see how that changes the complexity of the wine! 

I did not pair it with any food!

Wine Tasting- Outlander

 

Name: Outlander Meritage

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec

Country: Paso Robles, California 

Vintage: 2020

Price: $8

Critic Review: Lush aromas of black cherry, vanilla, kola nut and blackberry fudge pack lots of action into this bottling. The palate confirms the complexity, with blueberry and black cherry backed by pipe tobacco, dried marjoram and a pencil lead-driven structure. -Wine Enthusiast 

Wine Folly: pg. 88, 125, 131, 146 All of these grapes have the notes of cherry and plum which I was able to pick up on right away. I was also able to pick up on the vanilla notes that the Malbec contributed. The Petit Verdot was said to be a popular grape found in blends. 

My Review: Good!! This meritage from Aldi was a solid wine for the price it was and I would definitely see myself purchasing it again! From the aromas I was able to get notes of blueberry, cherry, and vanilla. For the taste I really got berry and plum. The wine was warm from the alcohol, which was at 14.5% and it had a long finish to it. I think this wine would go great with meals, specifically some big red meats and I hope to try that combo in the future!!

I did not pair with any food! 

Wine Dinner!

 

The gang makes dinner! This week my girlfriend, Sydney and good friend JT (both who are taking the course) made a rib dinner to pair with some wines! This was a great time and being able to make some yummy food and drink good wine was an absolute blast!! 

Wine 1 

Name: Lapis Luna

Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage: 2021

Price: $14

Region: North Coast, CA

Label Description: Tropical fruits, white peach, and ripe pineapple perfume the nose. Juicy acidity, refreshing, with crisp citrus and stone fruit flavors finishing with delicious length. 

Notes on wine alone: I thought the sav blanc had a nice aroma with notes of pear, apple, and a sense of crispiness. For the tasting notes I found it to be warm, dry, and quite acidic. The acidity really came through but I was also able to pick up on the fruity flavors.  

Wine 2

Name: Chloe 

Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 

Vintage: 2018

Price: $13

Region: Montery, CA

Label Description: Our Chloe Cabernet Sauvignon is a bold, sophisticated wine with luscious flavors of black cherry, ripe plum and dark chocolate, followed by delicate notes of roasted coffee and cinnamon bark. This well-balanced wine has a full-bodied mouthfeel and sturdy tannic structure that leads to a long, lingering finish.

Notes on wine alone: This big red had some strong berry aromas and I found notes of cherry when sniffing. For the tasting I found notes of blackberry along with the cherry flavors. It was very warm but really was not as heavy as I thought this cab sav would be. 

Wine 3

Name: Willm Alsace Crémant

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir 

Vintage: NV

Price: $18

Region: Crémant d'Alsace 

Label Description: An Alsace Crémant that presents a lovely golden color, delicate bubbles and a nose of apples and fresh grapes. Long and fresh, the finish provides a rare feeling of elegance and harmony.

Notes on wine alone: I found that the wine had a fruity aroma with some notes of citrus. I was nice and light with a good fizz on the tongue. It was quite dry but was refreshing. 

Course 1

We started our dinner with a toasted pecan and almond spring mix with apples salad. The dressing was a thyme apple vinaigrette. 

It was not my favorite out of all of the courses but it was a nice appetizer for what was to come!

Course 2

Our main course were pork ribs! I will only describe the ribs when pairing with the wine but we also had baked potatoes as a side. 

The ribs were quite yummy and were cooked in an unconventional way. We were starting dinner at a later time so I did not want to cook them for 3+ hours so instead I chose to air fry the ribs!! I know some rib smoking experts would want my head on a stake but I thought they turned out alright!

Course 3

For our dessert course we had mini brownie muffin bites along with vanilla ice cream. 

It was quite delicious and a perfect treat to finish off the dinner meal!!

We heated up the little brownies which was a great decision!

Wine 1 with Course 1

The salad paired well with the sauvignon blanc and I thought that by pairing it with the salad the wine tasted better. The acidity of the wine was cut back from the salad, especially when eating the pecans and almonds from the salad. The dressing became a bit more creamy when tried with the wine, which I thought improved the taste. From the pecans specifically I was able to get more of the fruity flavors out of the wine than from tasting it alone. Overall this pairing went really well and made me enjoy the salad more!

Wine 2 with Course 2 

When going into this I thought that the ribs needed to be complemented with something that was also heavy and rich, which is why we went with the cabernet sauvignon. The ribs and wine honestly did not have as much of an interaction than I thought they would. I do not think that the wine was able to fulling cut through the heaviness of the ribs, however, I think the ribs did accentuate the tannins found in the wine. It was a 2018 vintage so it may have lost some of its young loudness, but the tannins were still very much there during the entire tasting. 

Wine 3 with Course 3

For our final pairing we went with some bubbly! We were at the Vintage Cellar trying to think of what we want for our dessert wine and came up with this interesting Crémant. When with the ice cream I found the bubbles in the wine to become more noticeable and prominent on the tongue. The wine really did not impact the taste of the ice cream or brownies but the dessert definitely had an impact on the wine. I thought that the brownie specifically kind of mellowed the notes of the wine a bit and made it a little harder to tell what the notes were. I thought the two paired pretty well but perhaps a dark port wine could impact the taste of the ice cream/brownies. 

This was an absolute blast and I can't wait to do another wine-dinner pairing in the future!!

 

Wine Tasting- Educated Guess

 

Name: Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country: Napa County, California 

Vintage: 2020

Price: $25

Critic Review: Delicious black currant and blueberry flavors form a focused core of fruit in this well-balanced, moderately tannic wine. It has a good grippy texture, good concentration and the structure to age. Best from 2025–2035. -Jim Gordon

Wine Folly: pg. 88 I was able to get the cherry right away from the aroma but could not find the cedar or the graphite. pg. 89 From Napa County it is said to have a mineral character and for the fruits it has those cherry and blackberry notes. 

My Review: Yum!! I was able to get the dark cherry notes from the wine and a really fruity aroma. I kind of got a sweet taste to it initially which is different for a cab sav. Overall I thought it had a well balance and and medium finish to it. 

 

I did not pair it with any food!

p.s. enjoying the wine while watching the Oscars!!

Wine Tasting- Solisticio

 

Name: Solisticio Red Wine

Varietal: 50% Garnacha Tinta, 50% Tempranillo

Country: Spain

Vintage: NV

Price: $19

Critic Review: Wonderfully aromatic and deeply intense, the harmony between the more delicate Garnacha and the bolder Tempranillo is immediately apparent. Black cherry, plum, tobacco, and dried fig jump out of the glass and follow through into the juicy palate. The Garnacha gives the wine a more delicate mouthfeel, while the Tempranillo provides classic rustic tannins and bright acidity. - Winemaker notes

Wine Folly: pg. 117 I could really get the plum from the garnacha. pg. 118 From Spain the grape is said to have strong notes of clove and I thought this wine did has spices. pg. 175 It said that it pairs really well with meats, which I did not do but will certainly try next time!

My Review: Meh... Right off the bat I was hit with a really spicy smell and some notes of licorice. I detected notes of plum and cinnamon when I tasted it. The finish was odd to me, somewhat warm and lasting but also did not stay and sort of washed out. Overall I was not the biggest fan of this wine. 

I did not pair it with any food!

Wine Tasting- Cederberg

Name: Cederberg South Africa Bukettraube

Varietal: 100% Bukettraube 

Region: Clanwilliam

Country: South Africa

Vintage: 2022

Price: $18

Critic Review: A rare, aromatic wine showing loads of floral honey and dried apricot notes. Semi-sweet on the palate showing balance and finesse. Perfect for spicy foods. Bukettraube is a cross of Silvaner and Schiava Grossa! - Yiannis Wine Shop

Wine Folly: The book did not have a section about this grape!

My Review: Pretty good! I think that it is very cool to be drinking a wine made from a "rare" grape. I have not had this type before and was not sure what to expect. It was sweet with a light fizz on the tongue and had a nice crisp finish. It was very well balanced and I found notes of grass and citrus.  Overall I enjoyed this wine very much and would definitely try it again!

I did not pair it with any food!