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. 

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.

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. 

La Parde De Haut-Bailly, 2010

Price: $30-40
AOC: Pessac-Leognan, Graves, Bordeaux

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Second Wine of Chateau Haut-Bailly

Color: Dark Ruby, very little orange at the rim

Aroma: Black Currant, tobacco, can smell alcohol (never use a burgundy glass for a full body wine!), black fruit aroma came out after decanting(good intensity)

Palate: Clear black currant, some tobacco and tea leaf, very little mineral, tannin is moderate and fine, body is high, medium+ thickness, acidity is there, with slightly sweet finish. Fruitness concentration is not particular high, feel a little big although it is a second wine. Not the type I like.

Chateau Grand Corbin-Despagne, 2004

AOC: Grand Cru Classes, Sanit-Emilion, Bordeaux
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Color: Ruby, very little amber color at the rim, early maturing
Aroma: The part I enjoy most, some merlot perfume, a little mineral feel, sweet red fruit, a little wood and smoke, Aroma is good, medium intensity
Palate: pretty standard Bordeaux, need decanting, definitely not a big structure wine,  a little red fruit sweetness(concentrated fruitness), wood, a little mineral feel , a little acidity, a little bit dry, medium+ tannin, medium+ body, elegant side, not my favorite, not a big wine but an easy drinking one. A wine more enjoyable smelling than tasting.