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Saké Tasting, Kanpai! – Episode 88

May 16, 2013 in Videos

In this episode we taste and compare a couple of saké’s even though we know very little about the drink.  If you haven’t tried a lot of saké, or the only experience you’ve had has been with the cheap warm carafe’s of the stuff, you should really take another look at what is available.

I also wanted to give you some post video notes on our experience with these sakés as they were unbelievable.  After filming, we heated the sakés up and tried them again.  The differences were incredible.  Heated, the Drunken Whale was much smoother than cold, and the bite that we mentioned related to the alcohol was non-existent.  On the other hand, the Wondering Poet saw an equally dramatic difference for the worse.  There was a huge alcohol spike to it on the finish and really no favorable tasting profile. We were all shocked by how differently both sakés fared with the temperature change.

Kanpai! Let’s drink some Saké

Saké

 

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2012 L’Ecole Chenin Blanc – Episode 87

May 9, 2013 in Videos

In this weeks episode I taste the 2012 L’Ecole Chenin Blanc.  When I saw this wine had been released I had to get my hands on it and get it to video as soon as possible.  The Stanley Cup of Wine mentioned in the video can be found here, so click it and get your picks in, because free wine is free wine.

2012 L’Ecole Chenin Blanc Wine Notes

L'Ecole Chenin Blanc

L’Ecole No. 41 Chenin Blanc
$19.99

 

Sight: Straw yellow.  Almost clear when looking down through the glass.

Nose: Fruits of peach and apricot, with a nice strong mineral sense on the nose.  Also notes of honey and “Froot Loops” makes this a great wine to stick your schnoz into.

Palate: Minerality shines through on this wine along with the honey, peaches, and a little bit of that Froot Loops sense that was on the nose.  The wine has a nice amount of fruit sweetness that really carries through on the finish.   This makes it a delicious wine that you will be able to enjoy with food or all by itself on a warm Spring/Summer afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Locations I-1 Is Out – Episode 86

May 2, 2013 in Videos

I knew the Locations I-1 wine was coming soon, so when I heard that my local wine shop, Vintages Wine and Spirits, had received Dave Phinney’s newest entry into his “Locations” series, I made sure to immediately secure a bottle.  If you enjoyed the E-1 or F-1 wines you won’t be disappointed with this one either.

The Locations I-1 Wine

locations i-1

Locations I-1
$19.99

 

Sight: Ruby/Garnett in color with a decent amount of glass staining.  Barely translucent.

Nose: Very “Italian” on the nose, notes of cherries, cranberries, raspberries, there is some oak and a smokiness that I couldn’t quite wrap my head around.  Some underlying forest floor kinda smell sneaks in there as well.

Palate:  The fruit really comes through in the beginning with notes of raspberry and cherries, and the acidity is through the roof high on this one.  The tannins are really smooth, but you definitely know they are there.  There is a good sense of oak in this wine and a nice long finish that shows a little bit of that smokiness I experienced on the nose.

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Tasting Falanghina – Episode 85

April 25, 2013 in Videos

In this episode I taste the Falanghina grape variety from the Cantina Del Taburno winery.  The Falanghina grape comes from Campania in Central Italy, just east of Naples.  If you haven’t tried this grape before it is one of those that you should, with nice minerality and acidity, the citrus and apple flavors will pair well with any number of lighter foods.

The Falanghina Wine

Falanghina

Cantina del Taburno
Falanghina
< $15

 

Sight: Slightly darker than straw yellow

Nose: A highly aromatic wine that brings white flowers, lemons, green apple, almonds, and a nice minerality.

Palate: Good minerality and acidity throughout. The minerality and lemon really come through on the palate with this wine, and on the finish the green apple shines through for a long-lasting finish.  This wine would pair well with any kind of salad or lighter fish dish.

Score it – 88 points, and you can enjoy this one by itself or with food.

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Rosé, Malbec, and Monsters – Episode 84

April 18, 2013 in Videos

This week I taste a rosé, and a Malbec a couple of different ways.  After a couple of failed recording attempts the third recording finally worked out, of course, sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do, you just can’t escape the dreaded oak monster.

The Malbec

malbec

Norton Reserva
$16.99

Sight: Purple with a bright pink rim

Nose: Blueberry, black pepper, chalkiness, forest floor, oh yeah, and OAK

Palate: Pretty well-balanced between the tannins and acidity, some notes of blueberry, forest floor, and some dark cherry.  But for my palate the overall profile that comes through is the oak that the wine aged in. Some of you would really enjoy this wine, but it’s just not the style of wine I gravitate too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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