Tasting - Leese Fitch Pinot Noir

Name: Leese-Fitch Pinot Noir
Variety: 82% Pinot Noir, 10% Barbera, 5% Valdigue, 3% Zinfandel
Region: Multiple
State: California
Country: USA
Year: 2016
Price: $12

Winery Review: Balanced with just the right amount of acidity and fruit, this Pinot Noir boasts alluring aromas of crushed pomegranate, fresh cherry, graham cracker and thyme. Flavors on the palate showcase sweetened cranberry, tart raspberry, vanilla cream and hints of blood orange. The finish is intriguing and complex with herbal notes framed by nutmeg and vanilla.

My Review: This was a pretty characteristic Pinot Noir with a light body and mild tannins. The aromas were fruity with notes of strawberry, raspberry, and possibly pomegranate. There was a cherry flavor when tasting with hints of vanilla and chocolate in the finish. It was slightly acidic but was balanced well against the fruity flavor. I really enjoyed this and would certainly try it again. I also didn't have any food with it.

Tasting - Veuve Clicquot Champagne

Name: Veuve Yellow Label Brut Champagne
Variety: 50-55% Pinot Noir, 15-25% Meunier, 28-33% Chardonnay
Region: Champagne
Country: France
Year: I couldn't find this on the bottle :(
Price: $60

Winery Review: "Tasted blind. Pale straw gold. Light, complex nose. Good savour. Some smokiness. Really neat and tight. Lots of potential. Some appley acidity and really clean on the end. Very complex on the end. Full of vitality."

My Review: This champagne was opened for my roommates birthday and I was lucky enough to have a taste. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough glasses for everyone so some of us ended up drinking out of regular ole drinking glasses. That bubbles just didn't look as good from it, but they were still oh so pretty. I'm not usually a fan of sparkling wines, but this one was good. It had a fair amount of acidity and was on the drier side. The taste did have apples in it which was slightly hidden behind the acidity. It's a nice wine to have for a celebration, but I wouldn't call it a classic drinking wine even though it was very good.

Tasting - Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 7% Petite Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Region: Napa
State: California
Country: USA
Year: 2017
Price: $25

Options

Winery Review: "What can we say about our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon? It’s sumptuous, lush, and full-bodied with flavors of juicy blackberry and cherry fruit, creamy milk chocolate, and dusty notes all tied together with a toasty oak finish that in a word is...lingering. Educated Guess fills all the requirements that a serious cabernet lover is looking for while remaining fun, approachable, and food-friendly!

My Review: Although this was not my first drink of a Cabernet Sauvignon, it was my first time actually tasting and appreciating it. Before I would shy away from the tannins and boy did this have tannins. It was easily the most tannic wine that I've had in these few weeks, however, I actually like the taste. There was either a blueberry or raspberry flavor that balanced out the tannins. For the body, it seemed slightly light, and it did have a good finish. Maybe it's time I dived into more Cab Savs.

Tasting - Matchbook Tempranillo

Name: Matchbook
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Dunnigan Hills
State: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $15.19

Winery Review:
"This is a substantial wine with a spicy, lightly herbal aroma and lots of fruit flavors that spread across the palate. It is medium to full-bodied, has a smooth texture and a good dose of raspberry-like acidity that keeps it fresh."

My Review:
I really liked this New World Tempranillo, but I don't have anything to base it off of yet. It was definitely different than most of the other reds I had tasted, but it was similar to the Malbec, in my opinion. It had a light body with a "5 second finish", which is probably on the shorter side, but my comparisons aren't quite there yet. Raspberry and spice flavors were throughout and present in the finish. I thought it was balanced pretty well, but had a little bit of extra acidity. Next I look forward to a Tempranillo from Rioja, hopefully.

Tasting - Cavit Pinot Grigio

Name: Cavit
Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: Delle Venezie
Country: Italy
Year: 2017
Price: $7 (Half bottle)

Winery Review:
"Straw color. Fruity aromas and flavors of peach in cream and spiced melon with a supple, crisp, fruity light-to-medium body and a breezy finish with notes of almond skin with fine, crunchy, fruit tannins and no oak flavor. A crisp and easy pinot grigio that is sure to please."

My Review:
This was a very refreshing wine due to it's light body and high sugar content. It had a distinct pear flavor, but it was very light. I would say that it has a medium finish with a good acid/sugar balance. Because it was so light and refreshing, I could see it being very good on a hot day. However, for a night in I might not reach for this bottle. It would definitely be better in certain situations.
I didn't have it with any food.

Tasting - Valdivieso Cabernet Franc

Name: Valdivieso
Variety: 100% Cabernet Franc
Region: Valle Sagrada Familia
Country: Chile
Year: 2013
Price: $25

Winery Review:
"Leafy, herbal aromas of eucalyptus, olive and juniper are big players on the nose of this firmly balanced Cabernet Franc. Spicy, herbal berry flavors are fully oaked and chocolaty. On the finish, this is blackened and tannic, with fleshy black-fruit leftovers and a dusting of oaky cocoa. Drink through 2023."

My Review:
I liked the Cabernet Franc and it was slightly surprising to me when I first tasted it. The wine had a much lighter body and tannins than I thought there would be. However, it still had a good balance between the tannins and the sugar content. Flavor-wise, it had a blackberry flavor and had a small bit of oak flavor. It was slightly spicy with a medium finish that stayed on the tongue with the spices. I had a burger with it, and while it didn't pair poorly with it, it wasn't a game changing experience.

Tasting - Areyna Malbec

Name: Areyna
Variety: 100% Malbec
Region: Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2017
Price: $17

Winery Review:
"Aromas of raspberries and ripe red fruits. The mouth feel shows good concentration and structure, with a soft texture and sweet, round tannins. The wine has a long, lingering finish with fresh, lively acidity."


My Review:

This was a really good Malbec that I had two nights this week. On the first night, I didn't take notes but I remember saying out loud that it was very good and I loved it. On the second night, my nose was a little bit stuffed up so it was harder to get the flavors right. It was very fruit heavy with an emphasis on berries and maybe blackberry. At first taste it had some sugar but then became more dry. The finish was long and was generally smooth without any spiciness or sharpness. I didn't have it with any food, but I would definitely have it again, but maybe with a clear nose.