Tasting - Gran Crucero Ltd.

Name: Gran Crucero Ltd.

Variety: 50% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carmenere

Country: Curico Valley, Chile

Year: 2008

Price: $25.95

Vintage Cellar Review: 50% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon  and 15% Carmenere.  Deep ruby. Wild aromas of cassis, dark chocolate, smoky herbs and earth, along with a touch of incense.  Then supple and pliant, offereing juicy red currant and bitter cherry, smoke and licorice flavors.  The sappy finish lingers with a good authority and echoes with smokey notes. 

My Review: This wine had a smoky scent on the nose.  When initially tasting this wine, the flavors of dark chocolate stood out.  After the inital tste, the earthy taste lingered.  This wine had a fuller body than the other red wines tasted.  There was little burn upon swallowing this wine. 

Tasting - Crucero Syrah Reserve

Name: Crucero Syrah Reserve

Variety: Syrah

Country: Curico Valley, Chile

Year: 2007

Price: $13.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Syrah, the legendary grape of the Northern Rhone AOC's of Cotie Rotie, Hermatige, and Cornas delivers ample flavor for a reasonable price.  This Reserve Syrah is aged in French oak for 6 months. The wine exhibits ripe black fruit flavors and a touch of white pepper.  This medium bodied red wine will age well for 3-5 years.  Serve with red meat, game and stews.

My Review: The nose on this wine smelled like grape juice.  There were definite flavors of dark fruit.  The wine seemed light for a red wine.  There was little after taste or burn.

Tasting - Crucero Merlot Reserve

Name: Crucero Merlot Reserve

Variety: Merlot

Country: Curico Valley, Chile

Year: 2011

Price: $13.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Aged in 50% oak barrels (American and French) for 10 months. A red ruby color, complex  aromas with hints of black fruits, confiture and some spicy aromas in perfect harmony with the wood.  The palate displays juicy and soft tannins that makes the wine very easy to drink.  A long and persistent finish. Pairs well with chicken, game, pasta.

My Review: This wine smelled like black licorice.  The initial taste of the wine was sweet, followed by a spicy after taste.  There was very little burn of alcohol, which made the wine easier to drink than some of the others tasted.   

Tasting - Crucero Chardonnay

Name: Crucero Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Country: Curico Valley, Chile

Year: 2009

Price: $19.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Attractive yellow color with some green tones.  Its intense varietal character evokes ripe citrus fruits, with floral and honeyed tones along with well integrated wood.  In the mouth it is rich, round and fruity with some creamy notes.  

My Review: This wine smelled like citrus fruits.  There was also a slightly sweet taste.  Overall the wine had a light, balanced body.  I really liked this wine, it was definitely my favorite of the tasting, and at a great price.  A box the size of 4 bottles for around $20.

Tasting - Crucero Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Crucero Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Country: Curico Valley, Chile

Year: 2011

Price: $9.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Sauvignon Blanc is the fabled grape of both Bordeaux Blanc and the Loire Valley (Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume).  This varietal exhibits aromas of musk melon, pine, and grass.  The finish is zezty and citrus-like, and goes very well with chicken and seafood.

My Review: The wine smelled like alcohol, almost like nail polish remover.  There was a zesty, lemon initial taste, followed by a slight burn while drinking the wine.  The wine seemed light in body.  Overall, ok tasting, not a favorite.

Tasting - Glop Priorat

Name: Glop Priorat

Variety: Priorat

Country: Spain

Year: 2010

Price: $20.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Glop is a customer favorite in out retail store and it has a very memorable name which means "sip" of "gulp" in Catalan.  Glop is an inky red wine from Priorat with deep plum and blackberry flavors perfect for pairing with grilled chorizo or lberico pork.

My Review: This wine smelled like dark fruit.  After tasting the wine, the dark fruit was still there, blackberry stood out.  The wine was smooth and there seemed to be little alcohol. 

Tasting - Zentas Malbec

Name: Zentas Malbec

Variety: Malbec

Country: Mendoza

Year: 2011

Price: $8.95

Vintage Cellar Review: This Malbec presents a nice deep red color.  The nose offers intense and ripe aromas of red fruits, such as dark cherries, plums and raspberry.  On the palate it is fresh and fruity with soft tannins and a nice finish.  Pleasant and easy to drink.

My Review: This wine had a floral and black cherry scent.  When tasting the wine, there was a full flavor.  The wine tasted like dark fruit and had light tannins.  There was also a taste of vanilla and an aftertaste of coffee and mocha.

Tasting - Ch. Mas Neuf Rhone Blanc

Name: Chateau Mas Neuf Rhone Paradox Blanc

Variety: 65% Grenache Blanc 35% Roussanne

Country: United States

Year: 2010

Price: $11.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Brilliant yellow colour. The up-front nose uninhibitedly reveals fresh fruit aromas (yellow peaches) that combine with hints of white flowers.  The palate develops fully with a fresh, tonic finish.

My Review: The first scent of this wine was of strong alcohol.  There was also a smell of peaches.  The wine had a floral and fresh peach taste.  There was a slight after burn when swallowing this wine.

Tasting - Old Coach Road Chardonnay

Name: Old Road Coach Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay (50% oaked, 50% unoaked)

Country: Nelson, New Zealand

Year: 2009

Price: $14.95

Vintage Cellar Review: This is a delightfully satisfying wine full of ripe chardonnay fruit characters intertwined with smooth, supple, spicy oak.  The palate is full and textured, with clear definition and long lasting flavours.

My Review: This wine smelled floral.  When tasting the wine it tasted floral as well, there were also tastes of dark fruits.  The after taste of this wine contained the oaky flavor from the barrel.  The body of this wine was fuller than that of the Sauvignon Blanc tasted before it. 

Tasting - Old Coach Road Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Old Coach Road Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Country: Nelson, New Zealand

Year: 2011

Price: $14.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Fresh lively and intense varietal fruit with delicious passion fruit flavors in the mouth.  Old Coach Road Sauvignon Blanc Wine is nicely integrated and has a long lingering finish.

My Review: Upon first analysis of this wine, it seemed to smell sour, and like citrus fruit.  This wine was light and freash.  I tasted green apple and citrus fruit.  I liked this wine the best out of the ones sampled at this tasting

Tasting - Cooper Vineyards Noche

Name: Cooper Vineyards Noche

Variety: Merlot

Country: United States

Year: 2002

Price: $17.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Noche Chocolate-Norton Ice Wine with essence of Chocolate - a fabulous nightcap and a great for the holidays.

My Review: This wine was extremely sweet.  It smelled like dark chocolate.  I would personally only be able to drink a small amount of a wine this sweet and rich.

Tasting - Chocolate Box Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Chocolate Box Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country: Australia

Year: 2008

Price: $16.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Offering generous aromas of blackberries, cassis and a faint hint of chocolate, Chocolate Box Cabernet Sauvignon is a big wine with smooth tannins, spices and cigar box flavors on the palate.

My Review: This wine smelled like dark fruit or berries, but only a faint scent.  The flavor was somewhat sweet but not an overpowering sweet flavor.  Even though the wine was called chocolate box, it did not taste like chocolate candy to me.  There was very little burn after swallowing the wine.

Tasting - Les Traverses de Fontanes Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Les Traverses de Fontanes Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Country: France

Year: 2009

Price: $20-->$9.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Being rebellious seems to come naturally to a man of such innate talent, and the elegance of his wines are proof enough in a region where bigger is often considered better.  Make no mistake, raw terroir and spicy garrigue abound in these wines, with rich, juicy fruit and silky tannins.

My Review: This wine had a strong spice smell.  The spice came out very strong in the scent, but did not come out in the taste.  There was a taste of fruit, maybe black cherry.  There was also a strong afterburn from the alcohol.  I did not like this wine. 

Tasting - Oveja Negra Chardonnay Viogner Reserva

Name: Oveja Negra Chardonnay Viognier Reserva

Variety: 82% Chardonnay, 18% Viognier

Country: Maule Valley, Chile

Year: 2011

Price: $9.95

Vintage Cellar Review: An aromatic wine that offers tropical fruits such as passion fruit and bananas, balanced by a light touch of apricot, citrus, and a hint of green apple.  

My Review: This wine was not stored in an oak barrel, therefore there was no woody flavor.  The nose on this wine was of tropical fruit.  It was a light tasting wine, and did not have an after taste.  I didn't taste much of anything in this wine.  

Tasting - Saint-Meyland Brut Rose

Name: Tiki Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Country: New Zealand

Year: 2011

Price: $11.95

Vintage Cellar Review: A powerful nose of peach, citrus and passionfruit aromas complexed with some sweaty notes.  Pungent and powerful aromatics-sweet citrus, meyer lemon and grapefruit, juiced green apple then a tropical note of pineapple core and passion fruit.  Intense with excellent mouth feel and texture leading to a long lingering finish enhanced by vibrant acidity. Finishing dry, with a firm acidity this is well balanced by a touch of residual sugar and a solid fruit core that reflects the aromatics. 

My review: I really liked this wine.  When first smelling the wine there was a strong fruity aroma, with a powerful green apple scent.  The wine had no burn at the end and a clean finish.  This wine was a little sweet, but not too sweat like a dessert wine would be.