Tasting-Chateau Suau Bordeaux Rose

Name: Chateau Suau Bordeaux Rose
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: Not listed

Manufacturer Review: Very aromatic wine, strawberry and raspberry nose. Fresh, fruity and well balanced on the palate.

My Review: The rose color, again, drew me in from the start. The aroma was a mixture of flowery and citrus-ey. After tasting it, it seemed somewhat spicy and floral. The wine was also a good balance between dry and more wet. While it wasn't my favorite, I did enjoy it. 

Tasting-Le Petit Pays D'OC Cinsault

Name: Le Petit Balthazar, Cinsault Pays D'oc
Variety: Cinsaut
Region: Languedoc-Roussilon
Country: France
Year: 2014
Price: $8.95

Manufacturer Review: The Le Petit Balthazar wines are innovative in that they are of great quality, low in alcohol and a great price. With low alcohol comes a lower calorie count, 87 calories per glass, which is approximately 20% less than an average glass of wine. The lower alcohol has been achieved naturally without any technical intervention.

My Review: This rose colored wine smelled flowery, almost like roses. The pleasant smell combined with the nice color made me anxious to taste this wine. The taste wasn't anything super distinct to me but it was smooth and calm. I enjoyed the wine. 

Tasting-Nugan Estate

Name: Nugan Estate Third Generation Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Not listed
Country: Australia
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95

Manufacturer Review:  To retain the delicate natural aromas and flavours, select parcels of fruit were crushed and lightly pressed prior to clarification and cool fermentation. Regular lees stirring helped to add texture and finesse to the wine that was fermented and matured on medium toast in addition to receiving French oak treatment. 

My Review: The aroma on this wine was very intriguing because it smelled like butter. There were also toasty elements to it which can probably be allotted to the fact that it is an oaked wine. The taste was very airy and smooth. It was interesting that I enjoyed the taste of this wine more than the higher priced, non-oaked wine. 

Tasting-Macon-Peronne "Le Clou"

Name: Dom de la Condemine Macon-Peronne "Le Clou"
Variety: Chardonnay 
Region: Burgundy
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: $7.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Made from 100% Chardonnay. Sustainable agriculture: very low use of chemicals.  Their philosophy is to produce a wine in the traditional style of Mâcon, with minimal intervention and not use of Oak.  The soils is made of Clay and Limestone (Argilo-Calcaire) and the parcels are located right next to Viré Clessé Appelatio.  A light golden hue, floral aromas. Intense, clean and fresh on the palate. Citrus notes, bold acidity. Excellent match to seafood with butter or cream sauces or rich blue cheeses.

My Review: The aroma was quite fruity but I couldn't determine which fruits specifically. The taste was more dry and gave me a sense of acid-type tastes. There were hints of sour grape fruit on the taste of this wine. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but it wasn't terrible. 

Tasting-Tarima Blanco

Name: Tarima Blanco
Variety: 70% Mereseguera, 20% Viura, 10% Moscatel
Region: Alicante
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Light yellow.  Perfumed aromas of Meyer lemon, melon and white flowers show good clarity and a hint of ginger.  Juicy, open-knit citrus fruit and peach flavors are firmed by a zesty mineral quality and a touch of white pepper.  The melon note repeats on the clinging but slightly warm finish.

My Review: The smell of this soft white wine was fruity. More specifically, it reminded me of tree fruits such as pears and apples. It had a slight tang to the taste, but was overall very good and light. This wine was enjoyable and was easy to drink. I would drink this wine again! 

Tasting-Jam Jar Sweet White

Name: Jam Jar Sweet White
Variety: Moscato
Region: Western Cape
Country: South Africa
Year: 2014
Price: $8.95

Vintage Cellar Review: This charming, easy-drinking Moscato offers flavors of peach, apricot, lychee and orange blossom. A lively jolt of acidity keeps it fresh and fruity. Fancy enough for a special occasion toast, yet sweet-natured enough to enjoy every day, our bright and cheerful sweet wines are sure to capture your heart.

My Review: The color of this white wine was rather light. I was very intrigued by the smell and wasn't sure quite how to explain it. Essentially it smelled exotic and grassy-almost like what I would imagine a safari to smell like. This was probably the most distinct nose I can recall from the wines I've tasted. The taste was very sweet and light, almost airy. I enjoyed this wine and would drink it again! 

Tasting-Rare Red

Name: Rare Red 
Variety: Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, Petite Verdot, Merlot
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: Not listed
Price: $9.95

Vintage Cellar Review: A multi-vintage blend of Zinfandel, Petite Verdot, Petite Syrah, and Merlot that is full-bodied and fruit forward with a spicy and complex finish. This wine has been partially barrel aged for eight months in American and French oak.

My Review: This wine was perplexing because it was an unknown mixture of several various grape varieties. The guy pouring the wines described it as a "guessing game" wine which made me very interested to see what it was like. This wine was also very dark red and smelled like berries. There was also a slight chemical aspect to the nose. The taste was extremely dry and I had a hard time finishing it.