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.