Tasting - Fabre en Provence, Côtes de Provence Rosé

Name: Fabre en Provence, Côtes de Provence Rosé

Variety: Grenache and Cinsault

Region: Côtes de Provence

Country: France

Year: 2021

Price: $16.95

Winery review: Mad Wine review, "A soft wine from this large estate, with a high proportion of Cinsault and Grenache giving red, spicy fruits, and bright acidity. This is a floral wine that's fragrant and ready to drink." https://madwine.com/products/fabre-en-provence-rose-cotes-de-provence

Wine Folly: pg.100 general Cinsault- According to Wine Folly, there should be notes of red fruits like raspberry, red currant, and cherry. The only one I picked up on was a faint raspberry. I did think that the wine smelled and tasted very floral. To me it was more of a rose water instead of violet like the book suggests. 

pg.117 general Grenache- This grape variety also lists a few red fruits such as strawberry, plum, and blood orange; however, I did not get any notes of that in the wine. I tasted and smelled what I thought was an oakiness, but it could have been a slight leather aroma or dried herbs. 

Wine Folly recommends decanting 30 minutes before serving. That might be nice to try, but I am not convinced that it would enhance this rose much.

My Review: This pale salmon colored wine was very refreshing to have in the middle of the day. It was very citrus-y and fresh with a lovely bite to it. I was expecting it to be sweeter, but I was actually pleased that it was dry. If you are looking for a nice wine to sip on a warm day, you can't go wrong with this!

Tasting - Dr Hans VonMuller Riesling Spatlese

 

Name: Dr Hans VonMuller Riesling Spatlese

Variety: 100% Riesling

Region: Mosel Valley

Country: Germany

Year: 2021

Price: $14.95

Winery review: Wine Express review, "Lush Riesling from Germany's famous Mosel Valley. Spatlese means "late picked" and designates a wine made from the ripest grapes. Refreshing citrus, apple and mineral flavors and just the right balance of sweetness and acidity for a rich mouthfeel and a lingering finish." https://www.wineexpress.com/riesling-spatlese-2019-mosel-dr.-hans-von-muller?quantity=1

Wine Folly: pg.158 general Riesling- I got notes of something floral. It definitely could have been jasmine, but I am not entirely sure what that tastes like. The main fruit flavor I picked up on was green apple. I thought the wine tasted citrus-y which according to Wine Folly could be lime. This was a very acidic wine, but I thought it was pretty smooth. Wine Folly says that the sweetness of Riesling can vary a lot. I think it is not particularly sweet or dry. It is a nice balance.

My Review: I really enjoyed this mouth watering white wine! Typically I favor red wines, but this was a very good light white wine. If I tried this wine again, I would like to serve it slightly chilled like Wine Folly suggests. I bet this wine would be even better once it has aged a few years. 

Tasting- Mark West Black Pinot Noir

 

Name: Mark West Black Pinot Noir

Variety: 100% Pinot Noir

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2017

Price: $12

Winery review: Winemaker Notes, "The deepest, darkest, smoothest Pinot in our collection, with notes of black cherries, plums, mocha, vanilla, and caramel. Grilled lamb chops, gourmet flatbread pizza, and pulled pork sandwiches are all solid choices."

Wine Folly: Wine Folly recommends that you decant this wine 30 minutes before serving, which we did not do. When tasting and smelling this wine I did not pick up on cherry, but I did get blackberry. This wine was much dryer than I expected, but it was still very good! Wine Folly also suggests aging this wine to 10 years at least.

My Review: This wine was very good! Pinot Noir is my favorite type of wine. The color of this wine was a dark cherry. The main smell and taste of this wine is blackberry and mocha. I also got notes of vanilla which balanced the dark fruit flavors well. I did not pick up on the plum in the wine, but I easily believe that it was in there. What surprised me the most about this wine was how smooth it was even though it was dry. I would love to try this wine with pork like Wine Folly and the review recommends.

Tasting- Just Bee Chardonnay

 

Name: Just Bee Chardonnay

Variety: 100% Chardonnay

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2020

Price: $15

Winery review: "This Chardonnay is 100% barrel fermented to create a rich wine exhibiting a classic profile." -justbeewine.com

Wine Folly: I do not have my book yet, but I am referencing the the Chardonnay from the Wine Folly website. I could taste the butter and perhaps a little bit of the vanilla. I did not pick up on any apple, starfruit, or pineapple. It was not as dry as the website suggested. The Chardonnay was colder than what Wine Folly recommends, but it was still very good! We did not decant the wine which follows the suggestion of Wine Folly.

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine! It was very fresh and crisp. Usually I expect Chardonnay to be very dry, but this one was slightly sweet. I thought it was also very flowery. In future, I would love to try this wine with some Brie cheese like Wine Folly suggests. This wine might also be better once it is aged a few more years. It is only 2 years old, but Wine Folly recommends drinking Chardonnay once it is at least 5 years old.

Introduction to Carrie's Wine Blog

My name is Caroline Craig, but you can call me Carrie! When it comes to wine, I believe that I have more experience than most people my age. My father has been making wine from kits for many years and now I am making my own. This semester, I am working on a batch of Pinot Noir which will hopefully be very delicious! 

I have experience tasting wine too. When I was 18 years old, I attended my first wine tasting in Italy on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius overlooking Pompeii. It was definitely a memorable first tasting! I remember how quickly they brought all six wines for us to taste. I was not very used to wine yet, so it was a challenge to finish the glass before the next one. After the tasting, we hiked up the volcano in a very good mood! Over the years I have figured out that I prefer fruity red wines the most. My least favorite type of wines is usually dry whites.

One thing I hope to gain from this course is more knowledge on wine tradition and decorum. By the end of the class, I hope to be able to pick up on notes and flavors in wine better than I can now. I would also like to be able to go out and talk about wine with people who are older and more experienced than I am. I look forward to learning lots this semester!