Hahn Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling

Name: Hahn Piesporter Michelsbery Riesling

Variety: Riesling

Region: Piesport

Country: Germany

Price: $9.95

Year: N/A.

Shop Review: This wine's light, airy mouthfeel belies its sweetness and intensity of flavor. Honeyed pineapple aromas; similar flavors on the palate, adding gentle citrus notes toward the long, sweet finish.

My Review: The nose on this was really strange to me. I picked up a strong pineapple smell but then I smelt burnt matches. It almost smelled like the gross smell of burning hair. The taste was better and it was definitely sweet, a quality I enjoy in wine. It tasted more like tangerines and white grape Motts juice.

I did not try this with food.

Tasting Tres Ojos Garnacha Calatayud

Name: Tres Ojos Garnacha Calatayud

Variety: 85% Garnacha, 15% Tempranillo

Region: Calatayud

Country: Spain

Price: $6.95

Year: 2012

Shop Review: 88 points- Robert Parker. "The 2012 Tres Ojos Garnacha contains 15% tempranillo (I wonder why) and unoaked cuvee of 200, 000 bottles that matures in vat for at least sevent months before bottling. What I tasted was a very honest, fresh and fruit driven red with aromas of cherries, garrigue and thyme with a medium-bodied palate, some weight and tannins that would do better with food. This is a red that sells for a song."

My Review: This wine was a bit funky to me but maybe my nose was just off. To me it smelled a bit skunky, but not in a way where I thought it had gone bad. To me it also was a bit muddy with some black currant smell. To me it tasted a lot better then it smelled! It was dry on the mid palate with a taste of rock and maybe a super sour blackberry.

I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting Torre Castillo Cosecha Monastrell

Name: Torre Castillo Cosecha Monastrell

Variety: Monastrell

Region: Jumilla

Country: Spain

Price: $7.95

Year: 2011

Shop Review: 89 points- Stephen Tanzer. 100% Monastrell, aged in American oak for four months. Bright ruby. Powerful, spicy aromas of dark berry preserves and lavender. Fleshy and round on the palate, offering spicy blackberry and blueberry flavors and gaining sweetness with air. Finishes smooth, long and slightly warm.

My Review: This wine's nose reminded me of a Merlot. It had a bit of a leathery smell along with dark chocolate and cherries. On the taste, it was very dry and intense on my palate, which was a nit of a turn off. I could really feel the alcohol in it and it overwhelmed me, making me think it would be a lot better with food. The only fruit flavors I could taste was a bit of blackberry and plum.

I did not try this with food but definitely would try it with a nice steak!

Tasting Chateau Suau Bordeaux Rose

Name: Chateau Suau Bordeaux Rose

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Bordeaux

Country: France

Price: $18

Year: 2013

Shop Review: 88 points- Stephen Tanzer. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Light, lurid pink. Tangerine, raspberry and white pepper on the fragrant nose. Juicy and focused in the mouth, offering zesty red berry flavors with a refreshingly bitter edge. Closes clean and tight, with lingering spiciness and a touch of organ zest.

My Review: This wine had an initially floral smell, like dried roses or dried lilies. On a second smell I could pick up more of a raspberry smell. The taste was more watered down than I thought and it tasted a bit like sour cherry. It wasn't very fruity but the one fruit I could pick up other than cherry was a bit of guava, or just a generally sour fruit.

I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting Terre di Poggio Laude Percorino

Name: Terre di Poggio Laude Percorino

Variety: Pecorino

Region: Terre di Chieti

Country: Italy

Price: $8.95

Year: 2013

Shop Review: Bright and savory, this floral scented Pecorino offers juicy tropical fruit and lemon drop sensations accented by notes of mint and thyme. The ripe fruit is balanced by brisk acidity that leaves the palate feeling cleansed and refreshed.

My Review: This wine had small hints of chocolate to me and smelled a bit like a light liquor, like vodka. On second smell, it was a bit like an overripe kiwi fruit. The taste was a bit dry on my palate and it tasted a bit like apples, maybe like a Macintosh apple.

I did not pair this with food and probably wouldn't.

Tasting Peter Mertes Riesling Platinum

Name: Peter Mertes Riesling Platinum

Variety: Riesling

Region: Rheinhessen

Country: Germany

Price: $8.95

Year: 2013

Shop Review: This quality Riesling is crisp, clean and easy drinking. Floral and fruity aromas suggest sweet melon and honey with enough acidity to ensure a beautifully balanced and versatile wine.

My Review: On the initial whiff, this wine had a floral bouquet, almost a bit like dried fruit or dried roses. There was a bit of apricot smell, but the dried typed that my grandma loves to eat, and there was also a peach undertone. When I tasted it I was instantly hit with how dry it was but it I didn't overwhelm my palate like a lot of dry wines do. I think the taste was less like peaches and more like pears, along with a bit of a semi-bitter apple taste. I really enjoyed this wine.

I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting Charles Thomas Cotes du Rhone

Name: Charles Thomas Cotes du Rhone

Variety: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre.

Region: Rhone

Country: France

Price: $8.95

Year: 2013

Shop Review: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre. 56 Ha grown organically since March 2009 (in conversion). Part of the vineyard is plowed with horses. Average age of the vines : 30 years old. Clear ruby wine with overtones of red berry fruits. Round and supple with smooth aftertaste. A good all round red wine for meat courses, poultry and light cheeses. Best drunk now while fresh with good keeping up to 4 years.

My Review: This wine was a bit confusing but interesting. The smell was of dark cherries and maybe some black currant or black raspberry's. It also had a bit of green leaf smell as well. The taste reminded me a bit of a dry Spanish wine and the tannins were also a bit harsh. I think the wine tasted like sour cherries and a bit like red warhead candy. I could taste a bit of a green pepper or general pepper taste in the finish.

I did not have this wine with any food.

Tasting Terre di Poggio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Laude

Name: Terre di Poggio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Laude

Variety: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Laude

Region: Abruzzo

Country: Italy

Price: $8.95

Year: 2012

Shop Review: This opens with dark aromas of leather, tobacco, cured meat, plum and prune. It shows soft tannins and loads of dark fruit on the finish.

My Review: This wine to me would be 100% better with food. When trying it without food, it was not something I would ever drink alone. It smelled heavily of tobacco and cured meat, kind of smelling like a hang out between a big group of guys in their "man cave". The only semi sweet smell I could get would be a bit of blackberry, which isn't even that sweet of a smell. On the taste, it was quite tannic and bold and I could taste more of a leathery/tobacco taste than any type of grape or fruit. While it wasn't a horrible wine, I think that for a newbie like me it was too bold and harsh.

I would like to drink this wine with a steak!

Tasting Sean Minor Pinot Noir Rose Vin Gris

Name: Sean Minor Pinot Noir Rose Vin Gris

Variety: Pinot Gris

Region: Carneros, Cali

Country: USA

Price: $20

Year: 2013

Shop Review:

The Vin Gris is a bright and vibrant salmon color with cherry, strawberry, cranberry and ripe watermelon aromas on the nose.  On entry, the wine displays bright strawberry flavors. Throughout the mid-palate and finish, raspberry and cherry fruit characters are balanced with spicy and crisp acidity that linger creating a refreshing and lengthy finish.  My Review:  This wine was right up my alley, since I am a lover of sweets! I liked the light rose color and could really feel the summer ripe strawberrys and a tinge of watermelon and a sour cranberry smell. The taste was the perfect mix between an acidic white grape juice with strawberry and raspberry flavors. It wasn't Moscato like but it was crisp. I did not try this with food but would like to offset it with something salty, like a salmon or spicy mexican food perhaps.

Tasting Grande Resereve des Bastides Gaillac

Name: Grande Resereve des Bastides Gaillac

Variety: 50% Loin de i'Oeil, 30% Mauzac, and 20% Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Gaillac

Country: France

Price: $9.95

Year: 2013

Shop Review: A crisp and fruity blend featuring 20% of the herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc, 50% creamy Loin de l’Oeil and notes of fresh apple and crisp pear, plus a touch of herb from the 30% Mauzac. It has a bright feel, with a hint of mineral on the finish.

My Review: This white almost reminded me more of a sparkling wine or a champagne. It smelled like granny smith apples and a bit like sour guava fruit. The taste was more like crisp pears, and kind of reminded me of that sparkling pear juice you could get from the store around New Year's. I couldn't taste mineral per say but the finish tasted a bit like wet rock.

I did not pair this with food but would like to try it with some light cheese and cured meat appetizers!