Geography of Wine

  Name: Domaine De Chevalier Pessac-Leognan Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon  Region: Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux Country: France  Year: 2017 Price: $80 Expert Review: Wine Enthusiast gave it a 96/100 and said, "The wine is dense, with concentrated spice plus rich white and kiwi fruits. Acidity is prominent, giving the wine impressive fruitiness and aging potential as suggested by the texture and wood flavors. Drink this beautifully ripe wine from 2022." Wine Folly: pg 88-89 - Cabernet Sauvignon, I get the high tannic content as well as flavors of black fruits like cherries and blackberries as well as tobacco, leather and smokiness. I didn't so much get bay leaf or mint. I did decant for 60+ minutes and served the wine roughly room temp. pg 222 - Bordeaux, I do get the smoke, and black currant.  My review : I thought this wine was simply excellent. Powerful Bordeaux with a mouthful of tannins, spice, and dark fruits. Hits the pallet like a truck but yet has a beautiful...

 Sunday, March 31 2024 Name: Philippe Pacalet Monthelie 1er Cru Clos Gauthey  Variety: 100% Chardonnay  Region: Monthelie AOC, Burgundy Country: France  Price: $86 Expert Review: 100% Chardonnay, 14 alcohol) A very nice nose comes out of the glass here, complex, multi-layered, lots of flowers, super floral, herbs, honey, tea, stone, rain-soaked street. Straightforward, clear and pure on the palate, what a delicacy, the 14% is not intrusive, no, it has freshness and elegance. Long finish. A hit. Wine Folly: pg 96-97 Chardonnay - I get the vanilla, butter,  honeysuckle, and hints of flint. I didn't get any yellow apple or pineapple. I served it cold and didn't decant it. pg 224  Burgundy Chardonnay, I definitely got the richer oak flavors as well.  My review: I thought this wine was absolutely fantastic, paired with some parrano cheese and crackers. I saw this wine on the Quebec episode of Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown and knew I had to have it. N...

  Name: Woodbridge California Chardonnay  Variety: Verdejo, Muscat, Viognier, Chardonnay, Colombard (%'s unknown) Region: Lodi, California  Country: USA  Year: Unknown  Price: $5 (500 ml) Winery Review: Woodbridge Chardonnay displays aromas of tropical fruit with a hint of cinnamon and maple, leading to a rich, toasty finish. This vibrant, medium-bodied Chardonnay is lovely to pair with appetizers, including grilled summer vegetables and fresh fruits. Enjoy this convenient on-the-go and resealable box wine anytime anywhere. Best served slightly chilled. Wine Folly: pg 96 Chardonnay - I get the yellow apple and tropical fruits like starfruit and pineapple, plus some vanilla afternotes. I served it cold and didn't decant it.  pg 294 - Central Coast, CA Chardonnay - I get the toasted almond, and hints of mango.  My review: This is apparently my grandmas favorite wine in the whole world, so you know I had to give it a try. I thought, for a boxed win...

  Name: Ogio Prosecco  Variety: 100% Glera Region: Veneto, Northern Italy  Country: Italy  Year: Not listed  Price: $6 (250ml bottle) Winery review: Toast life the Italian way! Ogio wines capture the Italian ideal of unequivocal good taste. Ogio Prosecco comes from the D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllate) region of Italy, meaning it has distinctive features of superior quality. This Italian sparkling white wine presents delicate aromas of pear and melon and crisp flavors of pear, peach, apple, and citrus. It is crisp, clean, and a lovely fountain of bubbles. It’s the perfect wine for any and all celebrations, big or small. Pairs perfectly with sushi or a seafood feast. This bottle size is the perfect single serving size. Treat yourself to a little dolce vita today! Wine Folly: pg 155 Prosecco - I got flavors of pear and green apple. In accordance with Wine Folly I drank it ice cold and didn't decant it. My review: I enjoy light citrusy, ice ...

  For my birthday dinner I decided to have a little bbq with my roommates and some of our other friends. We grilled some ribeyes, fried some crab cakes, and made a caesar salad and some fries to accompany them.  To accompany the ribeye I chose a 2020 Alto Moncayo Veraton, which is a Grenache. Per pg. 61 in Wine Folly I chose a med/full-bodied red wine. I thought it paired very well. The high-intensity and dryness of the Grenache paired well with the smokineses and fatiness of the ribeye. The higher alcohol content (14.5%) also paired well with the steak, as the warm mouthfeel was complemented by the char of the steak. To accompany the crabcake I chose a Henri Bourgeois Sancerre d'antan 2019, which is a Sauvignon Blanc. Per pg 60 and 61 in Wine Folly I chose a light-bodied white wine to pair with the buttery shellfish flavors of the crabcake. The citrus/grapefruit, buttery, minerally, sharp flavors of the Sancerre completed the            ...

Sunday March 17. 2024 Name: Castell D'Encus Taleia  Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc  Region: Costers del Segre, Catalunya  Country: Spain Year: 2018  Price: ~$45 Winery review: The arome is clean, with a certain shyness and elegance. It presents notes of freshly mown straw, fresh and slightly moist. Entry with nerve and some glycerin in palate. Wine Folly: pg 165-166 Sauvignon Blanc - I get minerals, lime, lemon, pear, and green apple. My review: My absolute all time favorite wine. Delicious as always. Crisp, clean, sharp, minearlity with hints of citrus and apple. It's fantastic. It's like the best still champagne in the world. Aged in vats in the sides of mountains in Costers del Segres. 11/10.

 Friday March 15th, 2024 Name: Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Variety: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot Region: Pessac-Leognan Country: France Year: 2018 Price: $130 - $200   Winery review : This wine has a dark red, almost black colour. The nose is redolent of fresh fruit (raspberries, cherries, strawberries)and,after swirling in the glass, more complex notes of spice, dried herbs, fennel, and as light floral nuance. The wine is                                                                                     straight forward and well-balanced on the palate, with good                               ...

 Sunday, March 3, 2024 Name: Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino Variety: 100% Sangiovese Region: Brunello di Monalcino, Tuscany Country: Italy Year: 2016 Price: About $70-$85 Expert Review: Bohemian and noble in the primary profile dispensing notes of geraniums, red prunes, salted caramel, iodine and marjoram. In the background the ‘pisto Napoletano’ gives a spicy richness alternating between cinnamon and nutmeg. Medium bodied, lightly extracted soft tannins and a finale of pleasant closing. Better from 2021. Wine Folly: pg 162 -163, this wine is a Brunello di Monalcino meaning that is has been aged for 2 years in oak, and 3 additional years after that. I get the spiciness, red fruits, and plum.  My Review: I decided to open this bottle to celebrate spring break and my trip to Anguilla tomorrow. Absolute stunner of a wine. I decanted it for about 30 minutes before trying it and it was fantastic. Earthy notes, with hints of red fruit and tobacco. Notes of sp...

 Sunday, March 3rd, 2012 Name: Castello Banfi Bell'Agio Chianti Variety: 100% Sangiovese  Region: Toscana, Italy  Country: Italy  Year: 2022 Price: $13 Winery Review: Castello Banfi Bell'Agio Chianti has a fresh and floral aroma with hints of ripe berries and plums and just a touch of oak. Bursting with fresh raspberries, the firm tannins and good balancing acidity round out this wine that has a lot of flavor in it. There is some cuisine that pairs well with this delicious wine. Wine Folly: pg 162 Sangiovese/Chianti I get the notes of black fruit like plum, and decent acidity. Also, just a note of spiciness.  My Review: My mom was making beef borguignon  with this wine so it had already been open for a while, I thought for the price it was decent. Very average wine in my opinion, but that matches the cost. Definitely some hints of spiciness and a slightly rougher finish, perhaps reflecting the quality. Decent tanins and acidity. Hints of black frui...