Poggio il Castellare, Brunello di Montalcino, 2010

AOC: Brunello di Montalcino, Montalcino, Tuscany

Variety: Sangiovese Grosso

Color: Ruby and surprisingly with a little orange at the rim.  

Aroma: Intense red fruit with a little black tea leaf and spice(?), very good aroma right after opening. 

Palate: Powerful, almost full body, a lot of leather palate (black fruit dominant), didn't get much red fruit after 3 hours of decanting. Sometimes feel a little bit austere (tannin is somehow edgy).  

Chateau Grand Village, 2009

(based on memory)

The same owner as Chateau Lafleur. The same techniques making wine and managing vineyard are applied here.

AOC: Bordeaux Superieur, Bordeaux

Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Aroma: powerful, can tell the wine is from a very good vintage, clear earthy and licorice(?) aroma

Palate: both earthy and fruity, very clear licorice(?) palate. Although the fruitness and acidity is there, the wine is a little too thick for me, it is more on the earthy side. A quality wine but not a favorite one.   

Napa Tour - Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Sarget de Gruaud Larose, 2009

AOC: second wine of Chateau Gruaud Larose, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux 

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Color: Ruby

Aroma: there is some creamy and meaty nose upon opening, can easily tell the wine is from a powerful vintage, classic black currant, cedar wood, some perfume and tobacco show up after decanting, strong aroma

Palate: a classic bordeaux left bank, more on the elegant side, medium thickness with round tannin, taste black currant, cedar wood and a little tobacco, a little juicy acidity, a little red fruit, feel like Cab dominant, easy drinking style

          

Lopez de Haro, Reserva, 2005

AOC: Reserva, Rioja, Spain
Variety: 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano, 5% Garnacha

Aroma: not particularly impressive right after opening, after proper decanting, clear vanilla from american oak, sour cherry from tempranillo show up, red fruit aroma.

Palate: the first impression makes me think of a new world syrah, very little black pepper, clear vanilla, not much sour cherry palate which you would usually get from Tempranillo. After decanting, some sour cherry shows up, medium + body and thickness, savory, clear acidity, clear vanilla, tannin is more than expected, not a classic Tempranillo.