Tasting- Sonnenband Moscato Magnum

Name: Sonnenband Moscato Magnum

Variety: Moscato

Country: Spain

Region: Spain

Year: N/A

Price: $9.95

Wine Shop Review: This wine is intricate with the delicate perfumes of white flower blossoms, profound tropical fruit sweetness, and energized by citrus nectars.

My Review: I have never been much of Moscato person, typically because they seem to be too sweet for me. On the nose, it had a very strong flower smell, like daffodils and other white flowers. When I tasted it though, it had high sugar content with strong honey flavor. I also got orange and strawberry flavors. As with most other Moscato’s this was way too sweet for me.

I did not taste this wine with food.

Tasting- Neu Direction Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Neu Direction Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country: Argentina

Region: Mendoza

Year: 2010

Price: $7.95

Wine Shop Review: This Cabernet Sauvignon shows very good purity of fruit and skillful winemaking. This wine is full of blackfruit aromas, depth and style. The palate pushes ripe plum and berry fruit along with chocolate, and the finish is chewy and correct in terms of tannins and structure.

My Review: This wine was completely different than the last one that I tried, and was much better. It had nice dark color wits dark fruit smells. I think I also got a small hint of dark chocolate on my second smell. Upon tasting it, I definitely tasted plums and blackberry. This too had a lot of tannins and a big finish, but left extremely desirable flavors on my palate. This was a very good red wine.

I did not taste this wine with food.

Tasting- Champteloup Pinot Noir

Name: Champteloup Pinot Noir

Variety: Pinot Noir

Country: France

Region: Loire

Year: 2011

Price: $7.95

Wine Shop Review: In the heart of France’s Loire River Valley lies the Touraine wine region. Although it produces vast amounts of well-priced, fresh, mostly white wines, lovely reds like this are broadening Touraine’s appeal. This wine may seem familiar to you. It is a sibling of the Touraine Sauvignon Blanc we’ve offered for years. Serge de Bucy employs a light touch in his winemaking, using no wood and doing as little as possible to preserve freshness. Bright cherry and strawberry fruits are followed by a soft, smooth palate.

My Review: The first thing I noticed was the color of the wine upon its pour. It was very dark and had nice legs. It had a very familiar smell of dark fruit, but also somewhat like a campfire. When I tasted it, I got the exact same thing. It filled my mouth with smoke, as if getting attacked by a fire’s smoke at a campsite. Though I have never been a smoker, this is exactly what I would imagine smoking a cigarette would be like. It was also very high in its tannin levels, leaving my mouth dry with that flavor for a long time. This wine was disgusting. I will be sure to avoid anything like this in the future.

I did not taste this wine with food.

Tasting- Baumann Gentil Classiq

Name: Baumann Gentil Classiq

Variety: Blend of Riesling (majority), Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris

Country: France

Region: Alsace

Year: 2012

Price: $9.95

Wine Shop Review: A delicious and fresh blend of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris. Light aromas of fresh fruit and delicate white flowers start your journey, followed by crisp flavors of stone and citrus fruit. A well balanced acidity on the dry finish ends this French blend beautifully.

My Review: This wine was unlike most of what I have had in the past. It was a very experimental mix of grapes, and absolutely had a completely different taste than any other wine that I had. First, the wine was slightly closed upon my first smell. I got a slight honey smell, with the main thing that I recognized being fruit loops, as if you just opened a new box. I thought that the wine had good body, as it did a good job filling my mouth. I got a pineapple taste on the finish which was very refreshing and it left me wanting more. I would be more than willing to taste similar wines to this in the future.

I did not taste this wine with food.

Tasting- Fattori Runcaris Soave

Name: Fattori Runcaris Soave

Variety: 100% Garanega

Country: Italy

Region: Soave

Year: 2010

Price: $7.95

Wine Expert Review: From the local Italian word for “to work the soil,” Runcaris represents an easy, fresh expression of Soave Classico with lingering aromas of citrus, yellow rose, honey, jasmine and dried herbs

86 Points – Wine Enthusiast

My Review: This was a completely new grape for me that I have never tasted. On the nose, the wine was extremely crisp and flowery. I definitely got white flowers and a citrusy smell. Upon tasting, I got the flavors of range and lemon with slight flowery smells. I also thought this wine was slightly dry, especially after swallowing the wine. It was a good first experience with the Garanega grape.

I did not taste this wine with food.

Tasting- Cordon Negro Brut

Name: Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut

Variety: 35% Macabeo, 25% Xarel-lo, and 40% Parellada

Country: Spain

Region: Catalonia

Year: 2013

Price: $9.99

Wine Expert Review: "Freixenet's signature Cava is consistent and pure as usual, with aromas of white fruit and white pepper and an overall freshness on the nose. It feels crisp and focused, with a foamy palate that brings apple, lime, peach and spice flavors. The finish is smooth."
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine, October 2012  87 points

My Review: The last thing for this week that I tried was a sparkling wine out of Spain. I mainly picked it out because it was different than all of the ones around it, because it had a black bottle. This had a very fruity smell. I got everything from apple to lime. When I opened it, I also thought is smelled somewhat like ginger ale. I also got the ginger ale taste when I first tasted it. It also had the nice fruit come through. I enjoyed this sparkling wine and I think I would go back to it for celebrations.

I did not taste this wine with food.