Friday, December 31, 2010

Kuorio Chardonnay 2006 Grand Reserve

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of origin: Argentina
Wine appellation: Mendoza
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: hint of pear, apple, very light bottleness
Taste: medium body, similar to taste with the dominant apple and pear characteristics in the taste underpinned by hint of citrus flavor, oak invisible, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: fish, chicken dishes
Overall score: 77
Price: CZK 140
Stopper: cork
Ordinary Chard, nothing big. Although Grand Reserve on the label, it most likely have not seen oak in its whole life :)

Vinas del Vero Chardonnay 2004

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Somontano
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Residual sugar: unknown
Acidity: unknown
Color: golden yellow
Bouquet: quite expressive, grilled pineapple, vanilla, toast
Taste: medium body, very nice ripe tropical fruit (mainly pineapple) with nice creamy and buttery tones, at the end pink grapefruit, medium to long finish
Recommended food pairing: matured hard cheese
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 250 in 2007
Stopper: cork
Properly aged and balanced Chardonnay with Fruit in line with the toast and oak and still with liveli acidity and drinkable.

BUČEK FRANTIŠEK Monarch Selection Rulandské šedé 2009 výběr z hroznů

Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Slovácko sub appellation,
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: not expressive, hint of tropical fruit
Taste: medium to full body, orange, slight residual sugar,at the ed slight bitterness, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: fruit salad
Overall score: 80
Price: CZK 350
Stopper: cork
Average PG with slight residual sugar and fuller body, still young in its expression, needs 1 to 2 years aging to settle down.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Znovín Znojmo Ryzlink rýnský 2002 pozdní sběr

We had two bottles of this Riesling with my friend before he left back to other continent. Very very nice. Description fits from the previous tasting here.

Vinařství Košut Aurelius výběr z hroznů 2009

Again this wine was for Christmas before the sweet wine and I found it here in the tastings few days ago. On Xmas I scored it 88 with excellent ripe mango characteristics (I actually was surprised the description from the previous tastings talks the same:))

Palacio de La Vega Chardonnay Fermentado en Barrica 2001

We had this wine for Christmas and it had exactly the same excellent characteristics as described here in September tastings.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Víno Marcinčák Sauvignon 2004 výběr z hroznů

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation, Jevišovka village, Stará hora vineyard
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol content: 13.2%
Residual sugar: n/a
Acidity: n.a
Color: golden yellow
Bouquet: overripe fruit, some herbs, tones of freshly cut pine tree with resin stemming out, aged bottle tones
Taste: medium body, canned grapefruit peel, higher acidity, slightly citric tones, medium finish
Recommended food pairing:
Overall score: 81
Price: CZK 200
Stopper: cork
I think this SB passed over its optimum age although it had residual sugar and acidity given the 2004 vintage it showed slight oxidative character in the nose, less in the taste. I checked it following day and opened very nicely with much more expressive nose than the one when opened.

Vinné Sklepy Lechovice Veltlínské zelené 2003 pozdní sběr

Variety: Gruner Veltliner
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Znojmo sub appellation, Borotice village, U Auerového kříže vineyard
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 11.8%
Residual sugar: n/a
Acidity: n/a
Color: straw yellow, dense viscosity
Bouquet: meadow, wild flowers, dry fruit
Taste: light medium body, spicy, round, green pepper, at the end hint of almonds, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: asparagus
Overall score: 81
Price: CZK ???
Stopper: cork
This wine I found in my cellar when tidying u. I was so surprised when tasted as it shows absolutely zero bottle tones of aging, rather nice round Gruner Veltliner with good acidity and spiciness, not typical for 2003, which was really hot and often the whites lacked adequate acidity.

Moravíno Valtice Grand Cuveé bílé 2003

Variety: Gruner Veltliner, Chardonnay
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation
Vintage: 200š
Alcohol content: 12.7%
Color: golden
Bouquet: ripe canned fruit tones with the dry pineapple and citrus, slight properness and nice bottle tones
Taste: medium body, very round, quite nice acidity, canned pineapple and still slight citric acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: matured sheep cheese
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 180 in 2005
Stopper: cork
Very nice blend from Moravino, which never disappoints. We had about 5 bottles I had left in the course of 4 months, but I realized I have not made a note of this. So I am doing it at least for the last bottle.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Vinařství Petr Skoupil Merlot Barrique 2008 výběr z hroznů

Variety: 100% Merlot.
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Velké Bílovice village, Nová Hora vineyard
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 12.0.0%
Residual sugar: 1.8. g/l
Acidity: 5.6 g/l
Color: deep ruby with strong violet tones
Bouquet: blueberries, blackberries tones, ripe black cherries and ripe black sour cherries tones
Taste: medium body, black cherries, blueberries, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: pates, game food
Overall score: 86
Price: CZK 459
Stopper: cork
I quite like this Merlot apart from completely over the top price. It is very nice fruity and I believe it would age for 2 to 3 years very nicely. Somehow the enjoyment spoils the price, which is quite high and not sure whether properly set.I can get much better dense juicy and jemmy Merlot from New world for this price.

Vinařství Petr Skoupil Dornfelder pozdní sběr 2008

Variety: 100% Dornfelder (Dornfelder is a dark-skinned variety of grape of German origin used for red wine.It was created by August Herold  at the grape breeding institute in Weinsberg in the Württemberg region in 1955. Herold crossed the grape varieties Helfensteiner and Heroldrebe, the latter which bears his name, to create Dornfelder. Helfensteiner (Frühburgunder × Trollinger) and Heroldrebe (Blauer Portugieser × Lemberger [Blaufränkisch]) were both crosses created some decades earlier by Herold.
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Moravský Žižkov village, Slovenské vineyard
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 12.é.0%
Residual sugar: 2.2. g/l
Acidity: 4.6 g/l
Color: darknruby red with violet meniscus
Bouquet: green pepper character of unripe grapes, hint of blackberries (not the forest one, rather the garden variety),
Taste: light to medium body, sour cherries, higher acidity and unripe sour cherries, unsettled tannins, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: BBQ, easy drinking juice
Overall score: 79
Price: CZK 287
Stopper: cork
I do not like unripe and green tones in the wines and this is na striking example of these. although by the variety it should be more fruity it is still quite harh ans unsettled.

Vinařství Petr Skoupil Svatovavřinecké pozdní sběr 2008

Variety: 100% Saint Laurent
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Velké Bílovice village, Nová hora vineyard
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 11.5.0%
Residual sugar: 1.6 g/l
Acidity: 4.7 g/l
Color: light ruby red with orange and watery meniscus
Bouquet: plums, new spices almost to clove with visible acidty in the nose
Taste: medium body, sour cherries, higher acidity and unripe plums, slightly higher tannins than expexted, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: roast beef
Overall score: 78
Price: CZK 275
Stopper: cork
General not exciting but drinkable Svatovavrinecke.

Vinařství Petr Skoupil Zweigeltrebe pozdní sběr 2008

Variety: 100% Zweigeltrebe 
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Velké Bílovice village, Přední hora vineyard
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 12.5.0%
Residual sugar: 2.1 g/l
Acidity: 4.9 g/l
Color: ruby red with violet meniscus
Bouquet: very fruity , sour cherries, black cherries, and hint of blackberries
Taste: medium body, very fruity, cherries, sour cherries, similar to nose resembling a bit of blackberries, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: game pate
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK 275
Stopper: cork
Very different than from the previous wine. This one is more similar to fruity Austrian Zweigelt than the one from Dobra vinice tasted here, which is more complex, but less fruity and possibly less typical of Zweigelt character.

Dobrá Vinice Zweigeltrebe zemské víno 2005

Variety: 100% Zweigeltrebe
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Residual sugar:  1.5 g/l
Acidity: 5.5 g/l
Color: medium garnet red with ruby meniscus
Bouquet:  Taste is dominated by canned cherries underpinned by slight matured wood tones with very slight hint of coffee and vanilla
Taste: medium body, gentle tones of  cherries, round, nicely balanced with vanilla and coffee tones, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: dry salami or jamon serano
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK229
Stopper: cork
I opened the wine yesterday and it opened up so much, I remember it was quite subtle and not visible and now it grew to the extend that it has its presence. For sure Zweigelt with character.

Vinařství Petr Skoupil Rulandské modré Barrique 2009 pozdní sběr

Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Velké Bílovice village, Nová hora vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Residual sugar: 2.1 g/l
Acidity: 4.5 g/l
Color: light garnet tones with bricky meniscus
Bouquet: nice expressive vanilla and cherries tones accompanied by canned strawberries
Taste: medium body, nice cherries and strawberries tones with notable sour cherries acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: similar to previous wine, delicate elaboration of pork would definitely do the job
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK 249
Stopper: plastic cork
A point better (mainly in the nose) than the previous PN from Kosut. This one is slightly lighter towards garnet color and more exprssive in the nose mainly due to its aging in barrique barrels.

Vinařství Košut Rulandské modré pozdní sběr 2009

Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Slovácko sub-appellation, Prušánky village, Úlehle vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Residual sugar:  g/l
Acidity: g/l
Color: light ruby with bricky meniscus
Bouquet: very gentle, ripe cherries, strawberry marmalade
Taste: medium body, preserved fruit mainly strawberries and cherries, nicely round and balanced given its young age, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: pork loin on dry plum sauce
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK152
Stopper: plastic cork
Very nice PN. Definitely worth the price and I would leave it for 2 to 3 years to age and develops more bottle tones.

Vinařství Petr Skoupil Rýnský ryzlink 2009

Variety: 100% Rhine Rieling
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Ratíškovice village, Náklo vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Residual sugar: 18.8 g/l
Acidity: 9.0 g/l
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: very nice toes of lime and linden tree
Taste: medium body, very nice lime and honey taste with nice round body and green apple character, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: difficult to say, to light to tackle anything strong, maybe fruits
Overall score:  86
Price: CZK 245
Stopper: plastic cork
I love Riesling that much I even code named one of my project at work after the variety and it ended up successfully!!. This one is out of all Skoupil's wins from 2009 with residual sugar clearly the best. It has very high acidity and balances the residual sugar nicely, which Rieslings can bear.

Vinařství Petr Skoupil Sauvignon pozdní sběr 2009

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Velké Bílovice village, Nová hora vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 11.5%
Residual sugar: 30.8 g/l
Acidity: 8.7 g/l
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: tones of ripe peach with hint of black currant leaves
Taste: light to medium body, notable sweetness from the  residual sugar very lightly balanced by lime and grapefruit tones, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: difficult to say, to light to tackle anything strong, maybe fruits
Overall score:  80
Price: CZK 250
Stopper: plastic cork
Personally I am not big fan of SB with the residual sugar, especially if they are so young like this one and cannot offer more complexity similar to straw wines or at least selection of berries. This one is just OK, not big fan of it, would not dare to store it as there is something missing in it. Definitely not worth the price

Luis Felipe Edwards Chardonnay Reserva 2009

Variety: Chardonnay
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Colchagua Valley
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Residual sugar: n/a
Acidity: n/a
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: not very expressive, tones of green melon, ripe tropical fruit and hint of vanilla and nuts
Taste: medium  body, pineapple, citrus tones, slightly higher acidity one could expect, at the end o bit of hazelnuts
Recommended food pairing: safran risotto
Overall score: 82
Price: CZK 200
Stopper: cork
Regular oak aged Chardonnay. Not bad not stunning.

Lahofer Tramín červený pozdní sběr 2009

Variety: 100% Gewurtztraminer
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Znojmo sub-appellation, Dobšice village,  U Hájků vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 11.0%
Residual sugar: 43.8 g/l
Acidity: 6.8 g/l
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: very extractive, nice rose petal with spiceness and honey
Taste: light to medium body, honey with hint of orange ginger marmalade, very round and smooth, no bitterness at all, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: goose live pate
Overall score: 87
Price: CZK 180
Stopper: cork
Again very nice Traminer, not as refreshing as the one tasted here, but different more spicy and honey type.

Lahofer Rulandské šedé pozdní sběr 2009

Variety: 100% Pinot Gris
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Znojmo sub-appellation, Dobšice village,  U Hájků vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Residual sugar: 10.8 g/l
Acidity: 6.8 g/l
Color: medium yellow
Bouquet: very extractive, nice orange peel, bread tones and a bit of "straw" tones and earthiness, very complex indeed
Taste: medium body, nice, smooth , round, orange marmelade, slight residual sugar but excellently balanced by quite high lime acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: on its own
Overall score:88
Price: CZK 176
Stopper: cork
This is so nice Pinot Gris and I can imagine it would have excellent aging potential given the residual sugar and very high acidity in it. very nice complex wine. Definitely one of the bests PG tasted this year.

Vinařství Košut Aurelius výběr z hroznů 2009

Variety: 100% Aurelius
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Slovácko sub-appellation, Moravská Nová Ves village, Vinohrady vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Residual sugar: 15.9 g/l
Acidity: 5.0 g/l
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: very nice ripe quince and linden tree flowers with honey undertones
Taste: medium body, round, pleasant with linden tree honey and hint of ripe mango pungent fruit smell, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: foie grass
Overall score: 86
Price: CZK248
Stopper: cork
Excellent Aurelius with overripe tones of honey and a bit of honeysuckle with some spiciness in the taste. yummie wine.

Vinařství Petr Skoupil Veltlínské zelené pozdní sběr 2009

Variety: 100% Gruner Veltliner
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Velké Bílovice village, Zadní hora vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 11.0%
Residual sugar: 20.1g/l
Acidity: 5.9g/l
Color: pale yellow
Bouquet: meadow honey with slight green pepper tones
Taste: medium body, nice citric acidity accompanied by higher residual sugar, lime, citrus fruits, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: fruit salad
Overall score:  80
Price: CZK 200 in 2007
Stopper: cork
Nice GV with residual sugar but still fresh.

Vinařství Petr Skoupil Müller-Thurgau kabinet 2009

Variety: 100%Müller-Thurgau
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Velké Bílovice village, Nová hora vineyard
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol content: 11.0%
Residual sugar: 22.2g/l
Acidity: 6.4g/l
Color: very pale yellow
Bouquet:  not very expressive, white peach
Taste: light body, again main dominant character is white peach with slight hint of grapefruit, higher residual sugar, quite plain, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: fruit salad
Overall score:  77
Price: CZK 200 in 2007
Stopper: cork
Ordinary MT with residual sugar

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Chateau le Logis de Sipian Medoc 2002

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Bordeaux, Medoc
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: medium ruby red
Bouquet: canned cherries sour cherries with the hint of oak
Taste: lighter to medium body, cherries, hint of marmalade, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: dry salami
Overall score: 82
Price: CZK 255 in 2005
Stopper: cork
Regular basic type of Bordeaux, nicely settled and aged, but nothing really big and expressive, rather subtle in the nose and nice dry in the taste.

J.Hofstatter Gewurtztraminer 2006

Variety: 100% Gewurtztraminer
Country of origin: Italy
Wine appellation: Alto Adige
Vintage: 2008 Alcohol content: 14.0%
Residual sugar: g/l
Acidity: g/l
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: rose petal, lychee, ripe green melon, sweet spices
Taste: medium to full body, amazing lychee taste with peach and ans tangerine, slight residual sugar with excellent acidity and absolutely no bitterness (which is quite common for this variety), medium finish
Recommended food pairing: Asian food
Overall score: 88
Price CZK 320
One of the best Gewurtztraminers I tasted recently, I just  regret that I did not opened this one at our competitions of Gewurtztraminerswe did about two months ago this would be the clear winner. We had Thai green curry with this one and it went fantastic! I got it on sale from one importar and when checking the price now i just found this link where they have different vintage for 30 pounds (Wow!!). Check also this video.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Denis d' Argent Syrah 2002

For the detail analytic please refer to previous tasting more than one year ago of the same wine. It is pretty much the same as described there. It is just unbelievable that it is more than one year ago since we tasted the before last bottle. Now this is the lasts and brings the memories for the tastings in Troja in 2005 when we tested it for the first time.

Vinařství Petr Skoupil Rýnský ryzlink 2005

Variety: 100% Rhine Riesling
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Velké Pavlovice sub-appellation, Velké Bílovice village, Přední hora vineyard
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Residual sugar: 20.2g/l
Acidity: 6.4g/l
Color: golden yellow
Bouquet:  Very expressive, dry fruit, dry orange peel and pineapple, almost straw wine type of flavor, honey, hint of bottleness
Taste: medium body, round mouth feel, concentrated flavor of dry fruit, especially orange peel and honey, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: foie grass, or Roquefort cheese
Overall score:  85
Price: CZK 200 in 2007
Stopper: cork
Excellent Riesling with overripe fruit character and nicely aged resembling in the nose strong straw wines, but in the taste there is not as much sugar as it may be expected from the bouquet. It is very concentrated in the  taste with predominant orange and slight apricot tones. Excellent thing is that this is the first bottle of the whole case I discovered in the cellar about a month ago. I remember me and my friend used to have each a case of Rhine Riesling from Skoupil vintage 2003 and it was stunning, at that time it cost us CZK 150. This wine was CZK 200 and now i found the same variety, but newer vintages to be sold for CZK 250. This guy got a bit of fame and priced his wines up, pitty
P.S. the pic is from the web, so this is different vintage

Viu Manent Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: Chile
Wine appellation: Colchagua Valley
Vintage: 2007 
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Residual sugar: n/a
Acidity: n/a
Color: light yellow
Bouquet: nice grassy with pine needles and black currant leaves
Taste: medium to full body, gooseberry canned fruit with citric acidity and white currant, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 180
Stopper: Plastic cork
Very nice Sauvignon blanc, quite fresh and grassy character with nice acidity.