I apologize for the dearth of posting this week. It was my last week at my job, and I was a bit busy and, honestly, somewhat emotionally overwhelmed. Plus, I had to clear out my desk and space. Who knew it was possible to accumulate so much stuff in three years?
I got ready for the week by pouring at the Sherlock's wine tasting last Saturday. The wines:
2006 Dona Paula Chardonnay Estate (Argentina): It's a Chardonnay, but I liked it, especially the tropical fruit flavors. It was a bit smoky/oaky when first opened, with more burnt toast than the promised "pleasant toast bread notes," but it got better once it opened with more floral notes coming through the nose.
Rating: Very Good
2007 Nieto Chardonnay (Argentina): This one got more toasted oak after opening, with light fruit and vanilla. I liked it better at first.
Rating: Good to Very Good
2007 La Puerta Chardonnay (Argentina): Peachy! I liked this one the best of the three.
Rating: Very Good
2006 Veramonte Pinot Noir (Chile): The bottle we poured last week wasn't nearly as good as the one we'd brought home in the month's wine club and had finished the night before. There was something weird about it, although it wasn't corked. Others who had tasted the wine before agreed
2005 Dona Paula Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentina): Okay, I've got to quote the tasting notes we were given for this one:
"Sexy, smoky, high-toned aromas of cassis, black plum, spice cake, loam, and espresso..."
The nose got a wow, and the wine is very good with lots of ripe fruit and a nice finish with "very broad, supple tannins and lovely persistence."
"Very broad" + "sexy" = wine that loves its curves, with good reason.
Rating: Very good/excellent
2005 Veramonte Primus (Chile): A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carmenere, this wine has a somewhat herbal nose and is all black cherry and spice. It loves steak.
Rating: Very Good
It wouldn't be a Sherlock's tasting without a couple of surprise wines at the end (no beer this week, thank goodness!). No ice wine this time, but Warner did sneak a Spanish blend in there, thus transforming the tasting into "Wines that speak Spanish."
Bonus wines:
2004 Casa de la Ermita Crianza (Spain): Oh, this wine had the potential to be so good with its blend of 40% Monastrell, 25% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Petit Verdot! Alas, I was disappointed, at least after it opened up. At first, it had a nose with a bit of cherry tea and smoke, and it tasted with cherries, herbs, and a lingering butter finish. After it had been open a while, all it had left was cherry tea. Maybe it just couldn't stand up to the big reds we were pouring it with. Admittedly, I did engage in quality control throughout the afternoon, so perhaps the problem was with me, not the wine.
Rating: Good to Very Good
2007 Layer Cake Malbec (Mendoza): Women, me included, are drawn to this wine because of the lovely chocolate cake on the label. It definitely rounded out the tasting nicely with its dark fruit nose and smooth, lingering finish. We may have to pull this one out to finish up our Labor Day barbecue meal.
I had other adventures last weekend and throughout the week and will work on catching up and having even more fun during my two-week break between jobs. Have a great Labor Day weekend, and drink responsibly!
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