Ryan's Wine Blog

Les Volets Pays d'Oc Pinot Noir 2021 $17        The winefeed describes this wine as   a stunn ing 100% Pinot Noir from Pays d’Oc, France. The warm daily sunshine and cool evenings help grow delicious, ripe grapes to form such a well balanced wine. If you like a good juicy and jammy red, this one is perfect for you. You can drink this one by itself or pair it with food, whatever you like!     At first whiff I was taken aback by this wine as it was kind of aggressive on the nose, I would have to guess it was due to the fact that it was a higher ABV wine at 13% than what I had been drinking before, but after getting past that it wasn't so bad. It was pretty oaky smell-wise, with a bit of plum sneaking in there as well. It was definitely on the lighter side, aligning with one of the styles of Pinot Noir outlined in Wine Folly (pg. 100-101), for the taste, but other than that it was pretty bland and I didn't get much of the flavors that were described by th...

Lone Birch Riesling Yakima Valley 2022 $11      Wine Enthusiast describes this Riesling as   a stunning Riesling value, with wonderful aromas of nectarines, rose water, orange sorbet and a hint of clove. It has sweet red-grapefruit and strawberry flavors, with a touch of residual sugar. The wine's bold acidity qualifies as life affirming. Great stuff.      I would have to agree with Wine Enthusiast's review on the value of this Riesling. I very much enjoyed it, and for $11 I enjoyed it even more. It had a very crisp scent, and I got a lot of apple on the nose, and it was also a decently floral aroma. This was a pretty light-bodied wine that was decently sweet but then seemed a touch acidic on the finish. The flavor that stood out the most to me was the apple, which is listed on Wine Folly as one of the dominant flavors for a Riesling (pg. 88-89). Like I mentioned earlier, I thoroughly enjoyed drinking this wine and I'll definitely buy it again.

  Grenache Calatayud 2021 $14.69     Big Nose Full Body describes this wine as yet another incredible Spanish value from high altitude, old-vines in continental Aragon. Concentrated berries and a stony minerality combine with expressive acidity for well balanced, if not boozy, drinkability. Dry-farmed, hand harvested, and organically grown. Pairings: Grilled pork, rabbit ragu, Iberico ham.       Initially sniffing this wine, it definitely had a kick to it and smelled pretty spicy. Definitely strong on the nose which was a little bit intimidating. But getting into the taste, it was semi-sweet and got notes of cranberry or maybe some strawberry, and a little bit of oak which aligned with Wine Folly's description of Grenache (pg. 112-113). While it was sweet it also had some tannins to it which was nice, and it was fairly light. Out of the red wines we have drank throughout the semester, this was high on the list for me. And for the price, I wou...

  Sauvignon Blanc $10.48 2020 Western Cape South Africa      Timeless Wines describes La Motte as follows. This wine was made from grapes originating from vineyards in several areas of the Cape Winelands — Franschhoek (25%), Stellenbosch (50%) and the Cape South Coast (25%). Light straw in color with hint of green. Lots of fresh winter melon and gooseberry with distinctive lime aromas very typical to La Motte Sauvignon Blanc. Silky and soft on the pallet with a fruity green apple aftertaste. Lower acidity than the average year but well in balance with a lower residual sugar.  With its natural acidity and acute texture, the La Motte Sauvignon Blanc pairs beautifully with seafood, light pastas and spicy Chinese and Thai dishes. This white wine also goes extremely well with acute seasonings, and salty eats such as pre-dinner canapés. A natural partner to goat’s cheese. On its own, a refreshing aperitif white wine.     Taking an initial whiff of this wine ...

 Finca Bacara Time Waits for No One Mouvedre/Montrasell Spain 2021 $16.80      Wine.com describes this wine as " Deep garnet with violet rim. Powerful and intense ripe fruit aroma with hints of wood. Reminiscence of spicy and smoky notes that enhance the taste of Monastrell. Well-balanced and round tannins. Ripe black fruit notes are perfectly balanced with lightly toasted aromas. A long finish with a juicy acidity is working together harmoniously.  The perfect wine for a barbecue. Ideal to be paired with pasta, rice, braised beef, and lamb. Unrivaled with charcuterie and cheese board."     I actually quite liked this wine as well. It definitely had a smell of alcohol which was interesting, I couldn't really point out a smell outside of that. This wine was definitely fuller-bodied with a pretty high tannic structure, which is outlined as the most prominent characteristic of this grape in Wine Folly (pg. 140-141). I also got a hint of blackberry when si...

  Il Forte Cortese Gavi, Italy $17.85 Bowlerwine.com describes this wine as " 100% Cortese. The grapes used in this classic example of Gavi grew in the shadow of “Il Forte,” the iconic fortress that towers over the region’s namesake village. Cool temperature fermentation for 20 days, aging in steel through the winter months.  Bright, balanced, aromatic, fruity wine. Floral aromas, with delicate scents of lemon, green apple, honey; notes of almonds in the finish." Right off the bat, I knew that I was going to enjoy this wine. It had a nice caramel kind of scent on the nose which I actually enjoyed. With that being said I thought it was going to be very sweet and more along the lines of a desert-ish wine but it really wasn't overwhelmingly sweet. I couldn't find anything in my Wine Folly book for this varietal but it reminded me of the Riesling I drank a couple weeks ago since it was light, crisp, had strong fruity flavors aligning mostly with pear, but almost getting t...