Tasting Morada Sangria

Name Morada
Variety Sangria
Region --
Country Spain
Year --
Price $4.95 (1L)

Critic's Review A traditional Spanish drink made with red wine and citrus extracts. Garnet color and fresh on the palate. Serve well chilled, on its own or with lemonade and slices of fruit like peach, banana or apple.

My Thoughts This Sangria is fruity and sweet! It was rich in fruity aromas of peach, banana, apple and raspberries. It also had a spicy component. On the palate, it's more of the same. Fruity and sweet! A vanilla component could be detected on the mid palate with a leafy quality. The wine finished fruity and smooth. Sangria is not my thing.

This wine was not paired with any food.

Tasting Cortenova Primitivo

Name Cortenova
Variety Primitivo (Zinfandel)
Region --
Country Italy
Year 2010
Price $7.95

Critic's Review Dark, ruby-red color with violet highlights. Intense and fragrant bouquet with a rich array of red and black fruit aromas and flavors. Harmonious and velvety on the palate. Great balance and structure. Excellent with grilled or roasted meats, game and cheeses.

My Thoughts This Pinot Noir was super dark red in color with purple hues. It had a gorgeous deep color, almost black. On the nose, it was slightly spicy with notes of dark red and black fruits mixed with black pepper. This wine was dry and smokey on the palate with notes of dark red fruit. It had a silky but dry finish.

This wine was not paired with any food.

Tasting Canyon Road Pinot Noir

Name Canyon Road
Variety Pinot Noir
Region California
Country United States
Year 2010
Price $6.95

Critic's Review This Pinot Noir expresses tantalizing flavors of ripe cherry and wild raspberry, and finishes with brown, vanilla spices and a smooth finish.

My Thoughts This wine is strong on the nose with pepper and dark red fruits. It smelled of spicy black cherries. On the palate, it was much more sweet and fruity than peppery. Subtle hints of spices came through on the mid palate and it finished smooth with notes of vanilla.

This wine was not paired with any food.

Tasting Oak Vineyards Chardonnay

Name Oak Vineyards
Variety Chardonnay
Region California
Country United States
Year 2010
Price $5.95 (750mL) $10.95 (1.5L)

Critic's Review This light straw-colored Oak Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay expresses smokey aromatics with nuances of apple and lemon zest that continue onto the palate where they flourish into citrus, orange blossom, and smoked oak flavors until meeting a crisp, medium finish.

My Thoughts This Chardonnay is heavy with oak both on the nose and mid palate. It was smokey on the notes with hints of burnt leather. On the palate, there was a citrus aspect. Lime and pear and apple flavors were masked by an oaky component. This wine finished light with subtle floral notes.

This wine was not paired with any food.

Tasting Poysdorfer Saurussel Gruner Veltliner

Name Poysdorfer Saurussel
Variety Gruner Veltliner
Region --
Country Austria
Year 2010
Price $7.95

Critic's Review Crisp lime flavors, white pepper and lentils, followed by a mouthful of mineral notes and gooseberry. A long lingering finish. A great accompaniment to any Asian or fresh seafood dishes.

My Thoughts On the nose, this wine was fresh. It had a clean aspect to it with notes of citrus. More citrus was heavy on the mid palate. It was smooth and easy to drink but had a heavy finish with notes of minerals.

This wine was not paired with any food.

Tasting Opera Prima Sweet White

Name Opera Prima Sweet White
Variety Sweet White
Region --
Country Spain
Year 2010
Price $5.95

Critic's Review Flowery and sweet smelling, then round and fairly smooth in the mouth. The flavor package of tropical fruits galore is pleasant and shouldn't offend anyone. Finishes clean and easy. A mango boat of flavor.

My Thoughts This wine was sweet, sweet, sweet! It smelled sweet, tasted sweet, finished sweet. There was heavy tropical and citrus notes on the nose with apple blossoms and jasmine leaves. The flavors were intensely tropical. And there was a cleanness to this wine. Like fresh linen? It finished tropical with subtle notes of a cotton blossom hand sanitizer.

This wine was not paired with any food.

Tasting Senda 66 Tempranillo

Name Senda 66 Tempranillo
Variety Tempranillo
Region --
Country Chile
Year 2008
Price $8.95

Critic's Review 90 Points, Robert Parker. "The 2008 Senda 66 spent 8 months in new French oak. Purple/black in color, it sports a fragrant nose of spice box, lavender, blueberry, and blackberry. Smooth-textured, layered, and remarkably rich on the palate for its humble price, this lengthy effort will drink nicely over the next 5-6 years."

My Thoughts The lush, deep, dark purple-black color of this wine was gorgeous. Flecks of deep blue hues glistened around the edges. Aromas of spice and dark berry fruits (black and blue berries) on the nose mixed with a floral quality. On the palate, this wine was smooth. Complex. It unfolded first with blueberry coated with cracked pepper, then a hot, red fruit quality with spices on the finish. I  very much enjoyed the layers and complexity of this wine.

This wine was not paired with any food.