Tasting - Picket Fence Chardonnay

Name: Picket Fence Chardonnay
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Russian River Valley, California
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $14.95

Winery Review: Citrus blossom, hints of ripe stone fruit, creme brulee, and a bright balanced acidity. I imagine this rich Chardonnay paired with a lobster risotto garnished with slivers of citrus peel, thyme and white pepper. Or a simple roast chicken, coated with herbes de Provence, sea salt and a light dusting of freshly grated nutmeg instead of black pepper.

My Review: This wine had a buttery and citrus aroma. However, despite a buttery aroma, it was fairly light in flavor with a smooth start and a light acidic finish. While it had the aroma of an oaked Chardonnay, it did not taste like one.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Casablanca Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2013
Price: $12.95

Winery Review: Gorgeous notes, pungent and complex with layers of aromas that transfer into the palate. Notes of gooseberry, key lime and herbs and jalapeno pepper hints give way to grapefruit and more tropical fruit richness, followed up with a touch of minerality. The palate gushes with pink grapefruit, gauva and a sweet, tart interplay that is fresh and vibrant. This has exceptional length and for the price this is a screamer. It is reported that Casa de Bosque makes one of Casablanca's best Sauvignon Blanc and supplies Sauvignon Blanc grapes to some well known wineries with big names who know this to be true. Exceptional value, this wine has great purity and vibrancy that gushes with crisp fruit, with a finish you could keep time with.

My Review: This wine had a very unique aroma. There were smells of grapefruit, herb, grass and basil. After tasting, there was an interesting jalepeno pepper flavor. It wasn't spicy but it had a peppery taste. It was also very smooth with little acidity which made it easy to drink.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Alvaro Domecq Cream Sherry

Name:Alvaro Domecq Cream Sherry
Variety: 100% Palomino
Region: Jerez
Country: Spain
Year: N/A
Price: $15.95

Winery Review: The soleras at Alvaro Domecq date back to 1800, when Antonio Maria de Aranda started a bodega in Jerez. His son, Fermin Aranda, a famous medical doctor, inherited the business which subsequently became "Fermin Aranda". Fermin, in turn, passed the bodega on to his daughter, Pilar Aranda, who inherited the business in 1946. She was a very successful Almacenista, holding her own in a man's world and producing outstanding wines and vinegars. Almacenistas (from "almancenar", which means to store) are very rare now, but in former times were a major part of the sherry trade. They aged wines in their cellars and then sold them on to the shipping bodegas. In those days, Fermin Aranda tended to sell their wines to Gonzalez Byass.

My Review:This fortified wine had a very strong butterscotch and honey aroma. After tasting, there were strong flavors of butterscotch and some flavors of wood varnisha and nuts. While smooth, it was a very strong flavor that I did not like.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Plungerhead Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Foxglove Paso Robles Zinfandel
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Region: Lodi, California
Country: United States
Year: 2011
Price: $14.95

Winery Review: We made a very refined Cabernet Sauvignon with great fruit, tannin and acid balance. Not one element dominates the rest as this wine truly shows harmony. To the blend, we added Merlot for softness and finesse and a little Petit Verdot for color and round tannins. The result is a classic glass of Lodi Cab that will pair well with foods on a white tablecloth setting of a dining room or on a blanket in a park toasting the sunset.

My Review: This wine was extremely oaky and smoky on the aroma. The oak was overwhelming and took over the flavors in the wine. It finished very tannic and I found it to be unbalanced.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Foxglove Paso Robles Zinfandel

Name: Foxglove Paso Robles Zinfandel
Variety: 100% Zinfandel
Region: Paso Robles, California
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $15.95

Winery Review: Superb, with loads of character, the 2012 Zinfandel delivers beautiful bramble, potpourri and spice-driven aromatics, medium-bodied richness and real depth and class; the fact that it sells for a song is just icing on the cake.

My Review: This wine had a very unique smell. It had a rotten fruit and vegetable smell that was very strong. After tasting, it had a lot of pepper flavor and seemed like a hot wine with an acidic finish.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Patty Green Lia's Vineyard Pinot Noir

Name:Patty Green Lia's Vineyard Pinot Noir
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Willamette Valley
Country: Oregon
Year: 2012
Price: $37.95

Winery Review: One of the best value Oregon Pinot Noirs for 15 years, fresh and mouthwatering with sweet black berry/cherry fruit flavors and Patty's trademark full-bodied style. There's a bit of very appealing field herbs and earth in the mix and a smooth silky finish. It's ready to drink but is so well balanced I'd treat it like a higher priced wine and cellar it for 5-15 years. By all accounts one of the top 3 vintages in Oregon's production history.

My Review: This wine had a very woody and spice based aroma. On tasting, it was vegetal with little fruit flavors. It also had a tannic finish that was slightly bitter.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Moulin de Gassac Rose

Name: Moulin de Gassac Rose
Variety:40% Grenache, 40% Carignan, 20% Syrah
Region: Languedoc
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $10.95

Winery Review: A delightful salmon-pink wine is produced using the traditional saignee process. After macerating on the skins for approximately 10 hours, the juice is then pumped off and fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. Aromatics of strawberries and crushed red fruit leap from the glass. In the mouth, it is fresh with excellent acidity, some mineral components and good length. Very food friendly. It is a great companion to just about anything you want to throw at it.

My Review: This wine had nice berry aromas of strawberry and raspberry. After tasting, the flavor was overpowered by tannins and a dry acidic finish. I did not really like this wine.

I did not have this wine with food.