tasting wine
On Greg’s palate this is an 89 pointer from one of my favorite regions of Spain – Jumilla. This has a deep red color and the aromas incite tart red raspberries and earth. On the palate it is acidic, which I love, and tannic with earthy red fruits just like the nose. There are very subtle hints of licorice and plums. I wish I had more of the $15 wine I got from Wine Library.
I tasted the 2004 La Millière Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Rhone Valley. A complex wine with aromas of red currant and strawberry with some peat. The flavors of red fruits comes through right away with red cherries on the mid palate. This wine has a nice focussed acidity that goes well with the fruit. Rated 92 pts by Steve Tanzer and I agree with that.
This wine is 50% syrah and 50% merlot. The nose is big with black fruits and hints of fennel and anise. On the palate it is a little thin with a very short finish. It has a nice acidity that attacks the palate in a pleasant way. Flavors of black cherries, blackberries and brambleberries hit you right up front. A nice 87 point effort for only $5 !!! Watch more.
I tasted this vouvray recently and thought highly of it. I love the zesty pineapple that comes through on the nose and on the palate. I was very impressed with the super long finish on this wine. I have to say this was significantly diminished when I tasted the wine chilled. I adore this wine when it is close to room temperature. The mouth feel was smooth and satiny. I would give it 89 points. You can see more in the video.
I ordered this 2005 Bordeaux from Wine Library way back in January as a presale. It was supposed to come in some time last June but it didn’t arrive until just yesterday. I’ve been dying to taste it. Some of the tasting notes on cellartracker for this wine are mixed. One guy even gives it 74 points because it has tannins! Not sure what to think of that review. Well, tonight I opened a bottle and I’ll give you my opinion.
2005 Chateau Marjosse
Color: Deep, deep inky purple color. Looks young and will probably taste young.
Nose: Dark blackberries and black raspberries hit the nose. There is almost a sweet smell that reminds me of chocolate and coconut. It has some earthy notes with alot of complexity going on there.
Palate: Solid firm tannins that are gripping! It is definitely too young to drink and I can understand why people turn off to this. The tannins overwhelm the palate. However, this wine is full of vegetables mingling with those dark fruits. It has a nice balance of acidity. The alcohol is a little out of balance providing for a hotness that exacerbates the tannins. The earthy peaty fruit fills your mouth, though, with big robust flavor that lasts for days on the palate. I think there is a lot there and can’t wait to taste this 5-10 years from now.
This wine has a lot of potential to evolve into something quite nice. It could, however, fall flat after aging if the fruit doesn’t stand up to the high 14% alcohol. I can see this wine pairing very well with mushrooms and truffles. I should mention that I just popped the cork and tasted this one. I’ll give it some time in the decanter and see if it improves. Given it’s potential, I would probably give this one 90 points. That may change in a few years. Time will tell.