Tasting- Opera Prima Sweet White

Name:  Opera Prima

Variety:  Sweet White

Region:  La Mancha

Country:  Spain

Year:  2010

Price:   $5.95

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 Review:  This wine had a sweet citrus smell, but there was also a distinct cleaner smell with it too.  It was not overly sweet to taste, which was good, but nothing amazing about it either.  It had sweet, tropical fruit, mango flavors, but still that hint of cleaner with it. 

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Senda 66

Name: Senda 66

Variety:  Tempranillo

Region:  La Mancha

Country:  Spain

Year:  2008

Price:  $8.95

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 Review:  This wine was a pretty blueberry color.  It had a berry, spice smell (haha- berry sp(n)ice).  It had a distinct blueberry taste, which was very interesting, in addition to the spice.  It was smooth, but hot on the back of my tongue, which was an unusual are for me to feel the heat. 

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Sierra Cruz Carmenere

Name:  Sierra Cruz

Variety:  Carmenere

Region:  Maule Valley

Country:  Chile

Year:  2009

Price:  $6.95

Review:  As a member of the cabernet sauvignon family, carmenere (pronounced car-men-yare) originated in Bordeaux as one of the grapes permitted for use in the red blends of that storied region. Chilean winemakers have embraced it and several wineries in that country produce it as a single varietal. The ’09 Sierra Cruz is a very pleasant, soft, medium bodied wine that has fresh cabernet-like aromas and flavors of spice, dark fruit and black pepper. It is a great value and also would be a nice match with marinated and grilled skirt or flank steak.

My Review:  This wine hard a nice dark color and a plum smell with some spice and a little tobacco.  It was semi dry tasting and fairly smooth but spicy.  Unfortunately, the more I sipped, the less I liked this wine.  There was an overpowering black pepper taste that would not go away, and took tasting two more wines to get rid of. 

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Lost Vineyards Chardonnay

Name:  Lost Vineyards

Variety:  Chardonnay

Region:  Northwest Corner         

Country: Argentina

Year:  NonVintage

Price:  $3.95

Review:  Pale golden color. Perfumed peach, pineapple, and nougat aromas. Round and soft with a fruity-yet-dry medium body. Tangy apple skin and lemon zest notes lift the fruit nicely on the finish.

My Review:  This wine’s smell was hard to describe because it was very subtle.  There were some peach smells, but overall not really the typical aroma I associate with chardonnay.  It had a bitter acidic taste, and was sour with a lemony flavor. 

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Sierra Cruz Sauvignon Blanc

Name:  Sierra Cruz

Variety:  Sauvignon Blanc

Region:  Maule Valley

Country:  Chile

Year:  2011

Price:  $6.95

Review:  This Chilean Sauvignon Blanc just oozes with bright citrus flavors and a nose of herbs and grass. Stylistically, it is a cross between the herbal, grassy wines so prevalent in Sonoma County and the riper, more fruit forward products of New Zealand. Match it with pasta sauced with arugula, pine nuts, mushrooms and parmesan.

My Review:  This wine smelled had a good smell of apples, mangos and other fruits.  It had an acidic, lemongrass taste.  It wasn’t very sweet either, considering the smell.  Interesting. 

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Cantina di Casteggio

Name:  Cantina di Casteggio

Variety:  Moscato

Region:  Provincia di Pavia

Country:  Italy

Year:  2011

Price:   $7.95

Review:  Bright, light golden color. Very aromatic nose of ripe apricots, sage, honey and a slight minerality. Medium bodied, sweet and fruity with flavors of apricots and tangerine. Well balanced acidity and medium finish with layers of sweet and citrus fruit.

My Review:  I love moscato!  This one was as delicious as last week’s, but it was still my favorite of this week’s tasting.  It had a green apple, apricot smell.  The taste was similar to the smell with a nice fiz. 

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Monttebuena

Name: Montebuena

Variety:  Tempranillo

Region:  Rioja

Country:  Spain

Year:  2007

Price:  $6.95

Review:  100% Tempranillo. Dark red. Spicy red berries and cherry on the nose, with hints of cracked pepper and dried rose. Crisp and dry on the palate, with spicy redcurrant and cherry flavors, light tannins and a fresh, energetic finish. An excellent value, and surprisingly elegant for this price point.

My Review:  This wine did not smell like a lot- mostly just dry with a little spice.  It had an over powering ground pepper taste with some other unidentified spices mixed in.  It might have been interesting if the pepper was not so overpowering.  My least favorite of the day’s tasting.

I tried this wine without food.