Thursday Tasting Notes

2006 “the Other” Red by Pierano Estate $14
Lodi, CA 13.8% abv
Black raspberry, vanilla and clove aromas lead currant and hints of menthol and tobacco leaves. Medium bodied in the mouth, and made in a fruit-forward style, this wine is nicely balanced in alcohol (an exception to the norm in wines from the hot Lodi appellation). Brambleberry and plum flavors lead to blueberries and vanilla at the mid-palate. Medium finish of dark fruit flavors and citrus tinged acids. This wine is food friendly, and would be a good trade up for anyone who is a fan of Folie a Deux’s Ménage a Trios Red. Try with Kansas City or Memphis barbecue, grilled burgers or rotisserie chicken.

NV Fall Creek Vineyards Chenin Blanc $6
Texas, USA 10.8% abv
Nice nose, with pineapple, guava and gooseberry fruit over citrus highlights. Just slightly more than off-dry in the mouth, there are a lot of reasons to like this everyday wine: the candied pineapple and tropical fruit are nice by themselves, and are kept vibrant with a nicely balanced acidity. But try pairing this wine with roasted or General Tso’s chicken, or grilled white fish and tomatillo salsa and it’ll come alive- the musky fruit flavors will feel bolder in your mouth, and the undercurrents of candied ginger, honey and floral notes will come into sharper focus. A solid value white wine.

2003 Travis Peak Select Cabernet Sauvignon $20
Texas Hill Plains, USA 12.5% abv
Oaky spices (clove, allspice and vanilla) and blueberry aromas over red plum and currant notes- has developed a nice complexity in the bottle over the past couple of years. Oak and tannins are up front of the palate, with a slight bitterness that dissipates as the wine opens up in the glass. Red plum and blueberry flavors come through from the nose with juicy acidity. Spice notes in the middle, heading to flavors of sun-warmed blackberries on the mid-long finish. Again, I think the winery is pricing themselves just over their quality range- this is solidly in the $15 range, but $20 is a stretch. Made by Flat Creek Estate and from what I have found out so far, the difference between the Travis Peak and Flat Creek labels (which look very similar) is that the Flat Creek wines are all from estate grown fruit and the Travis Peak wines come from purchased grapes.

2005 Masi Tupungato “Passo Doble” Malbec/Corvina $24
Mendoza, Argentina 13.5% abv
Opens with aromas of concentrated elderberries, currants and dark cherries with bittersweet chocolate and forest soil at the edges. There are some blackberries in the nose too, with oaky vanilla, clove and pepper. Chewy cherry fruit to begin in the mouth, with berry, fennel and oaky spice flavors through the middle. Good acidity levels to hold up the fruit without being too forward. Needs some decanting to showcase its full potential- but be careful not to let it breathe too long or raisin-like aromas will appear (from the corvina grapes that were partially dried before fermentation). Will pair well with steaks and game meats. Finishes with red plum flavors, berry extract and pepper spice.