James' Wine Blog

   Name:  Monte Guelfo Chianti Classico Variety:  90% Sangiovese and 10% Colorino Region:  Chianti Country:  Italy Year:  2021 Price:  18.99 Winery review:   The bouquet is broad , with hints of red fruit perfectly integrated with the mineral notes that make the tasting vibrant. The taste is full and intense and is characterized by an excellent balance between sweetness and structure. Its nose is fruity with delicate spicy notes. The tannic and smooth texture is striking on the palate, ending in a savory and lively finish. Wine Folly: Pg. 162 on Sangiovese says that it tastes like cherry, roasted tomato, sweet balsamic, oregano, and espresso. To be honest sweet balsamic is an interesting flavor that I actually think I got. It also says it is one of the few wines that will not get lost when paired with tomato sauce, so I am very curious to try that. My review:  This wine was really good. Although with this, I could see how and why yo...

Name:  Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec 2021 Variety:  Malbec Region:  Mendoza Country:  Argentina Year:  2021 Price:  13.99 Winery review:   91 rating, ripe plums, cooked cherries, and cocoa on the nose. Enjoy with cheeses, red meats and Argentinean Asado. Wine Folly: pg . 125 says it taste like red plum, blackberry, vanilla, sweet tobacco, and cocoa. I think I definitely tasted the fruit like blackberry and red plum. I also might have tasted a little bit of vanilla, but it was oaked, so I'm thinking that it was from that. I did not taste cocoa or sweet tobacco. My review:  This wine tasted super jammy to me. I actually really liked this wine and I think a decent Malbec might be my favorite type of wine now. Sometimes Cabernet Sauvignon is a little too bold for me and Pinot Noir is not enough, but I felt like this was right in between the two. I had this wine with prosciutto and mozzarella just because that's what I was eating. Really interesting to see ...

  Name:  STE Chateau Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley Variety:  Riesling Region:  Columbia Valley Country:  USA Year:  2022 Price:  10.99 Winery review:   Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling 2022 is a sophisticated and refined dry style Riesling that perfectly balances the richness of fruit character with a crisp and refreshing finish. Every bottle of this exquisite wine is carefully crafted by the winemaker who hand-selects only the finest lots of Riesling grapes to ensure exceptional quality and taste. Wine Folly:  Pg. 158 on Riesling says that there are flavors of lime, green apple, beeswax, jasmine, and petroleum. I taste fruit flavors, but it tastes much sweeter to me than green apple. I also do not understand the petroleum flavor at all to be honest.  My review:  This wine was honestly a lot sweeter than I expected however I did like it. I think I have to say some fruity flavors with this one because it was pretty sweet but not re...

  Name:  French Fizz Le Blanc Variety:  French Muscat Region:  Southern France Country:  France Year:  2021 Price:  6.99 Winery review:   French Fizz sparkling wines come to us from France. A crisp blend of a variety of grapes from the South of France, Le Blanc is a blend of French Muscat grapes boasting vibrant floral notes and a touch of white peach, finishing citrusy & crisp on the palate. The not-too-sweet, not-too-dry nature of this wine make it a swell companion to cool summer salads, and an ideal partner for your next summer cheese board; the swing-top closure allows you to tote the bottle to parties and picnics with ease, ensuring your bubbly stays… well, bubbly, until the last drop. Wine Folly: Pg. 138 says that this wine has orange, lemon, honeysuckle, and pear. I feel like I could have tasted orange and lemon because of the citrus and maybe a little bit of pear, but I was thinking more peach. My review:  I am usually not a bubb...

  Name:  Hedgeline Vineyards Oregon Pinot Noir Variety:  Pinot Noir Region:  Oregon Country:  USA Year:  2001 Price:  12 Winery review:  A tribute to a diverse landscape of lush mountainous highlands and arid desert lowlands, the vines of the Pacific Northwest are unique in character and nature. This esteemed Pinot Noir shows a touch of almond on the nose, accented by aromas of Northwest  cone berries, embellished by a smooth, velvety texture with a deep mid-palate and rich  finish. Wine Folly:  Pg. 150 Pinot Noir: It says that there are tastes of red fruit like cherry and raspberry. I feel like I could taste a bit of raspberry, but not the cherry. It also says mushroom which would be earthy, but I taste more mold. It also says there are spice flavors which I do not taste either. It says it should be decanted for 30 minutes which I did not do, but I should try. My review:  Tasting this wine totally made me unders...

  Name:  Maniña Sauvignon Blanc Valle Central Variety:  Sauvignon Blanc Region:  Valle Central Country:  Chile Year:  2021 Price:  $7 Winery review:  Get caught up in the reverie of Maniña, light in style and abundant with pineapple, mango and grapefruit flavors. It will forever hold a place in your cellar. Wine Folly:  Pg. 165 Sauvignon Blanc: I did my own review first, cut this page says that grapefruit could be some of the grapefruit flavor which I could definitely see. However it does say there is white peach like I was think. I think the wine could have been colder though. I did not leave it in the fridge before trying it. My review:  Definitely a citrusy flavor with this one. Maybe pineapple or lemon and definitely a fruity flavor of peach as well. Slight alcohol burn and definitely a bit drier. I tried this with some bread and and herb cheese that I was eating for dinner.

  Name:  Château Chauvet Variety:  Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon Region:  Bordeaux Country:  France Year:  2020 Price:  15.95 Winery review:  Blackberries, plums and some vanilla and coffee on the nose. This is nicely defined on the  palate, showing juicy and fine-grained tannins and a nice, creamy finish. Good length here. An overachiever for Bordeaux Superior.  Wine Folly:  Pg. 83 on Bordeaux Blends suggests that you get black currant, black cherry, graphite, chocolate, and dried herb flavors. I think I can taste hints of graphite and chocolate in there. I did not let it decant for the suggested hour plus, but would be interesting to try out next time.  My review:  Really good! Started drinking this wine at the same time I was watching one of the movies on the Bordeaux region, so it was super interesting to be drinking a wine from the same place as the movie. I got some flavors that the ...

Name:  Sotomonte verdejo Variety:  Verdejo 100% Region:  Castilla and León Country:  Spain Year:  2021 Price:  12.95 Winery review:  A delightful white from 100% Verdejo grapes, harvested in the Castilla y León region in Spain. Sotomonte Verdejo is a  crispy, dry white packed with aromatic grapefruit, guava and nectarine fruit character Wine Folly:  Wine Folly pg. 181 on Verdejo grapes: definitely tasted a lot of grapefruit and white peach like this page suggests. Maybe even a little more of a sour citrus flavor too like the lime it suggests. Also tasted a bit of bitterness. My review:  Really good! Definitely a drier white and pretty fruity. I taste a lot of citrus for sure. I was almost thinking lemon at first but then the grapefruit flavor really started to kick in too.