(14-18) Vintage Cellar Wine Tasting #3

For the record, the guy that was pouring wine last week(2/12) was a chump. He must have thought I was about to enter the priesthood or something with the portions he was giving. So it was tough to get a gauge on some of these.

If you want it done right...




Santa Luz Sauvignon Blanc 2013

Another Chilean white. I'm told Chile has really come onto the wine scene in the past decade, because no one wants llamas as their chief export. Or maybe that's Peru...

Smell: Apricot/orange. Notice a pattern? This means I need to open up the smell/taste palate a bit.

Taste: pear, with a good balance between bitter and sweet. Easy to drink.

Verdict: 3/5












Riebeek Chenin Blanc 2014

Speaking of the wine scene, South Africa is the place to watch now, with vineyards shooting up over there. They've successfully grown agave over there too, a plant previously native to Mexico. What is it used to make? Tequila, the beverage only George Clooney can down without making a face.

Smell: apple, and some other fruits I don't eat enough of to recognize.

Taste: Can taste the fruits in the mid palate, near the mid-back of the tongue. Needed more time w/ this.

Verdict:  ???










San Elias Carmenere 2014

Looks like a really dark bottle, right? This dark color comes from the skin of the grapes, not the juice (which is clear). The process of deriving this color is called maceration or skin contact, in which the tannins/colors are leached from the grape skins into the fruit juice. The longer you let purple/red grapes do this, the darker the color. So for white wines, we barely macerate, if at all.

Smell: Cherry. That's all I got.

Taste:  Like a chocolate bar with cherries inside. Damn Chile, you fine.

Verdict: 3.75/5









Ilurce Tempranillo 2008

Spain wasn't gonna sit this one out. Spain and its European counterparts were early producers of "old world" wines, which were meant to be paired with food. "New world" wines, like those in California, can be more standalone. No colonists dancing for gold required.

Smell: the alcohol is strong with this one. tough to smell.

Taste: dark plums, and licorice. Richer than Donald Trump's toupee guy. This didn't sit well with me as a novice.

Verdict: 2/5








Coastal Vines White Zinfandel 2013

Why is it pink? Because the skins of the Zinfandel grape produce very different colors based on how long they're under skin contact, from snow white to blood red. In this case, we call it "white" because the pinkish grapes used were in skin contact for just a short time.

Smell: strawberry/cherry. Very easy on the nose.

Taste: very balanced between tangy and not too tangy. I didn't wince when I drank it, so that's a good sign, right?

Verdict: 4/5