Sunday, July 2, 2017

Chateau La Vieille Cure, 2004

Price: $30-40
AOC: Fronsac, Bordeaux
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc


Color: Opaque, dark purple, little orange at the rim
Aroma: It definitely needs time to aerate~Sweet! a "medium to full body" aroma, not an elegant, light bodied, and penetrating aroma like pinot, but a typical aroma from matured merlot. stewed red fruit jam, seductive, very good
Palate: 13 years of aging, flavor is concentrated and bold, matured, medium to full body, medium+, fine tannin (still shows some potential for cellaring for few more years, but totally fine to drink now) , tea leaf, earthy, sweet stewed red fruit dominant, a typical, matured right bank Bordeaux, irresistible for me, can't beat the value for the price. (needs time to aerate).  



Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Vina Real, Crianza, 2012

Price: $10-20
AOC: Crianza, Rioja, Spain
Variety: 90% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, Mazuela y Graciano


Color: Ruby and orange hue
Aroma: medium intensity but has a penetrating red fruit aroma, good!
Palate: medium- body, clear ripe red fruit and juicy acidity, tannin is little, there is some perception of alcohol so sometimes taste very little bitterness, the best part of this wine is the sweet vanilla oak which combines very well with the light body and acidity and makes the wine balanced. A good quality crianza. 


Saturday, March 4, 2017

Chateau Puygueraud, 2012

Price: $10-20
AOC: Francs - Côtes-de-Bordeaux, Bordeaux
Variety: 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec


Color: Dark ruby, a little deep violet
Aroma: pretty opened already right after opening, red fruit and vanilla, sense some alcohol, intensity is not particularly high
Palate: can taste firm red fruit and a little black fruit right after opening, however the sweetness faded pretty quickly, so do not decant this wine for too long (<30 mins), even just enjoy it from the pour without decanting is fine. Firm and clear acidity, some tobacco, some vanilla from oak and on the palate it somehow shows a buttery feeling which I am not a fan of, feel like this wine has too much oak in it, medium+ body,  little and fine tannin, and still can sense the alcohol, feel like 2012 is not a powerful vintage, the 14% alcohol and oak is too much for this wine. It needs more fruit and sweetness to balance the wine. Have tasted the 2009 vintage before which is much more enjoyable. 
Second day tasting: Half bottle of the wine was stored in the fridge with vacuvin pump, surprisingly on the second day, the wine becomes round and soft, the buttery mouth feeling is gone, tannin shows up and can taste red fruit from Merlot! There is even some fragrant(perfume) shows up in the aroma, starting to feel confused regarding how long to decant the wine.


Friday, February 24, 2017

Chateau Loirac, 2010

Price: $20-30
AOC: Cru Bourgeois, Medoc, Bordeaux
Variety: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot


Color: Dark violet
Aroma: quite nice actually, tobacco, wood, black fruit, some flower, some perfume and some vanilla from oak
Palate: medium+ body, tannin is integrated and fine (not too much tannin left), savory but can taste firm black fruit, tobacco, a touch of mineral, can sense cab perfume and flower while tasting, a little bit big (structure) and bold, fruitness concentration is medium+, very clear and standard characteristics of cab from left bank Bordeaux, a good introduction wine. quite enjoyable for the price range! ps: Aroma is a little bit more impressive than the palate.