Wine Tasting April 18, 2013

This week when I went to the Vintage Cellar, I didn't really get anything out of the wine tasting. However, that was entirely my own fault. They had a great selection, and from what I could tell with the amount that they sold that day, it was well liked. I had a really bad cold/flu this week, so I could barely smell or taste anything. Soooooo take this wine tasting entry with a grain of salt... Here are my tasting notes:

Wilson Daniels Sauvignon Blanc 2010 $7.95 Central Coast, California	Orange blossom and citrus permeate the aromas. Alluring flavors of orange and grapefruit dominate the palate. Bright acidity balances the plush mouthfeel, resulting in a clean finish.
Chandon Sweet Cuvée NV $9.95 California	This wine is an innovative sparkling wine style revealing vibrant stone fruit and floral aromas with rich, luscious mouthfeel. This wine enlivens the senses and sparks spontaneous moments, complementing your passion for a good life.
Ksana Bonarda 2008 $9.95 Mendoza, Argentina	The bouquet is floral and lightly jammy, with berry aromas and a savory note or two. To the uninitiated, this is a great introduction to Bonarda. Finishes solid. Very sweet, berry smell with some rooty undertones. Kind of dry, makes your lips pucker.
Concannon Shiraz 2008 $7.95 Central Coast, California	This is an extremely rich, full-bodied wine with a dark fruit core. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cassis and dark cherry are followed by more berry fruits and chocolate and mocha on the palate.

Wine #1: Wilson Daniels

This wine both smelled and tasted a bit like citrus to me. I picked up some orange and some lemon with the wine. It had a nice acidic bite to it, but it finished very nice and clean. Overall, this was my favorite wine of the bunch.... Not a big surprise since i tend to like white wines best.

Wine #2: Chandon Sweet Cuvee

This wine had a sweet smell, but the taste did not fall in line with the taste. The taste was not sweet, but rather had a bite to it. I think the carbonation that came from the sparkling blush wine factor lended a hand to this bite. It definitely had some floral tones in the taste. I would say that this would be a good porch wine or a good wine to have with appetizers.

Wine #3: Concannon Shiraz

This wine had a smokey berry smell to it, I would say it was a cherry or a blackberry smell. It had an oak taste to it with vanilla flavor, and it also had some berry flavoring. This wine would be great to pair with just chocolates.

Wine #4: Ksana Bonarda

This had a sweet berry smell as well, with hints of strawberry and blackberry. I liked it at first with its sweet flavoring, but towards the end it finished dry and I could really taste the alcohol in it.

Overall, I think my cold ruined my sense of smell and taste and might have skewed my tasting notes a bit. Therefore, I look forward to getting rid of this cold and going back to try some of these wines at a later date.

~Heather