Tasting - Clos Palet Vouvray 2014

• Clos Palet Vouvray 2014
• Chenin Blanc
• Vouvray (Loire Valley)
• France
• 2014
• $11.95
• www.mtouton.com tasting notes - Color: Light yellow in color with tints of green. Nose: Floral notes on the nose (acacia flower), with aromas of fresh almonds. Palate: Well balanced between round and crisp on the palate.

My Tasting Notes

Color: Straw hues with some green hints. mostly transparent.

Nose: a bit tight, but mostly floral of white flowers with hints of greenery along with white peaches and honey suckle

Palate:

• Body: 4
• Acidity: 2. lacks acidity
• Alcohol: 3.5
• sugar: 3

The flavors come together really well on the palate despite the tighter nose. I also found this wine to express itself best at a chilled or slightly chilled temperature rather than very chilled. It was a bit sweet in a demi-sec vouvray style, but the bottle only mentions that on the back unlike any other vouvray demi-sec I've ever seen. It has a very round and smooth, mouth filling body of sweet white peaches with a hint of gold apple along with almonds and honey. Though the alcohol was only at 12.5%, this wine had a bit of alcohol burn, which probably is present due to the lack of acidity going up against stronger alcohol and sugar contents. Could have been a bit more balanced but was all in all pretty decent.

Tasting - Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2015

• Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2015
• Gamay
• Beaujealais-Villages
• France
• 2015
• $11.50
• Maison Jadot Website - Strong red purple colour. Fresh red fruits on the nose with a hint of dark cherry. Slightly spicy with a touch of grey pepper, liquorice and a touch of rose flower. The whole wine is very well balanced with a nice acidity and the tannins presence on the finish invites food pairing

My Tasting Notes

Color: violet purple color with magenta, almost pink, rims. Deep color mostly opaque

Nose: very flowery, concentrated fruits and perfumy. Violets and red rose pedals dominate overtop fresh red and dark fruits like red currant, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries with a hint of spices.

• Body: 2
• Acidity: 3.5
• Tannin: 2
• Alcohol: 2.5

Really ripe and fruit forward with delicate flavors, a light body, and lively acidity for some fruity zing. red fruit flavors of fresh strawberries, raspberries, and red plums with dark cherries and hints of red and black peppercorn coming in on the medium-long finish. Some tannins are present in the finish, but very round and light making it a very approachable and easy drinking wine that can also go with some light colored meat, pasta, cheese, or fish dishes. Good stuff and would recommend.

Tasting - Veglio Barbera D'Alba 2014

• Veglio Barbera D'Alba 2014
• Barbera
• Barbera d'Alba
• Italy
• 2014
• $9.99
• Review: With a complex nose, showing smoky dark cherry fruit and a mixture of berry fruits, this smooth and full-bodied wine shows the same complexity on the palate. Veglio Michelino e Figlio's Barbera d'Alba has strong alcohol content and is best served with red meats and strong cheeses.

My Tasting Notes

• Body: 4
• Acidity: 3
• Tannin: 1.5
• Alcohol: 3

This Barbera d'Alba is produced in a new world style from an old world region. It's very fruit forward and focused with a juicy palate full of fresh berries and roundness. Blueberries hit me in the face along with raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry. The finish was medium long and tasted of cherry and blue berries. The lack of tannins makes this wine a very approachable full bodied red. Pretty good.

Tasting - Veglio Nebbiolo d'Alba 2014

• Veglio Nebbiolo d'Alba 2014
• Nebbiolo
• Nebbiolo d'Alba, Piemonte
• Italy
• 2014
• $9.99
• Could not find any professional reviews, not even on their website or wine searcher.

My Tasting Notes

Color: brick red with orange tint on rims, very light and transparent looking

Nose: Dried red cherries, dried rose pedals and charred wood with hints of leather, dry baking spices, and red pepper 

Palate:

• Body: 4
• Tannin: 5
• Acidity: 5
• Alcohol: 2.5

This is a pretty big wine, but it felt thin and lacked a base fruit component, unless this is just how Nebbiolo is in general (never had it before). The fruit is very dry, like dried red cherries and strawberries, with a hint of dry raspberries. However, the front of your mouth instantly is dominated by very sharp, grippy tannins and flavors of dried baking spices and red pepper for a spicy dried sour cherry finish with a leathery or sort of earthy undertone. There is only 13% alcohol attempting to balance the powerful acids and tannins in this wine, so I feel like it could have been more balanced. However, there are some complex aromas, and the tannins were silenced by a juicy steak with rice. However, the acidity still remained a bit too powerful for my liking. 

Tasting - François Mikulski Bourgogne 2013

• François Mikulski Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2013
• Pinot Noir
• Bourgogne
• France
• 2013
• An exceptionally fresh and pretty nose offers up notes of both red and dark pinot fruit that is laced with earth and floral hints. The delicious middle weight flavors possess good mid-palate density and plenty of energy that continues onto the slightly austere and saline finish that is ever-so-slightly edgy. - BURGHOUND.com

My Tasting Notes

Color: Violet hue but light, clear, and transparent with larger clear rims

Nose: delicate nose of red strawberries, raspberries, and pink flowers with a hint of dried herbs and spice on top of faint earthiness

Palate:

• Body: 2
• Acidity: 3.5
• Tannin: 1.5
• Alcohol: 1.5

Supple red fruits of strawberries, dried strawberries, and raspberries next to dried herbs and spice. Very lively acidity with lower tannin for delicate flavors and a long finish of dried red berries. Very well balanced and elegant. Ready to drink right now, but could age for up to 3 more years to bring out more earthy flavors. 

Tasting - Côtes de Tablas Blanc

• Côtes de Tablas Blanc 2015
• 26% Viognier, 25% Grenache Blanc, 25% Marsanne, 24% Roussanne
• Adelaide district, California
• USA
• 2015
• $30
• Wine Enthusiast - This blend of 26% Viognier, 25% Grenache Blanc, 25% Marsanne and 24% Roussanne manages to be both lush and light, showing candied melon, clover honey, pretty green pear and lime-butter on the nose. The palate offers Gala apples and fresh lemon zest, yet retains and intriguingly savory quality throughout the sip. 91.

My Tasting Notes

Color: Straw gold and mostly opaque

Nose: Fresh stone fruit, green pear, peaches, hints of apples with fresh white flowers and citrus, and almond butter.

Palate:

• Body: 3.5
• Acidity: 3.5 - very nice and smooth
• Alcohol: 2.5

Really smooth and had a savory roundness. malolactic and barrel aging brings out smooth almond butter and a lush body. hints of apricot, peach, green pear, with apple hints on the finish. Undertones of roasted nuts and creaminess. Very good.

Tasting - Côtes de Tablas 2012

• Côtes de Tablas
• 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Counoise, 5% Mourvèdre
• Paso Robles, California
• USA
• 2012
• $35
• Steven Tanzer Reivew - Deep ruby. Cassis, licorice and bitter chocolate aromas, along with a hint of candied flowers. Densely packed but energetic, with dark fruit and licorice flavors complicated by a touch of rose. Very smooth and gently sweet, showing very good clarity on a broad, subtly tannic finish with repeating licorice and floral notes. 91-92.

My Tasting Notes

Color: Deep ruby half transparent and bright. rims with brick hint

Nose: Staw berries, dried spices and fig, raspberry jam, violets, hint of wet stones and grass, bold gamey fat (bacon fat?)

Palate:

• body: 4
• acidity: 4
• tannin: 3.75
• alcohol: 4.5

At first the wine was okay, but after 30 minutes of decanting the oxygen opened up the bottle and really made the game and riper fruit flavors come out. Great big and round body with soft and smooth tannins and ripe acidity balanced by high alcohol for a big and complex, but very smooth wine. Heavy game notes, steak juice, dried figs, black pepper spice, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and a touch of black currant. This bottle was great.

Tasting - Tom Gore Cabernet Sauvignon California 2013

• Tom Gore Cabernet Sauvignon, California, 2013
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2013
• California
• USA
• $13.00
• Critic Reviews from Wine Searcher:
• http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-424446-2013-tom-gore-vineyards-cabernet-sauvignon-california-usa

My Tasting Notes

Color: dark violet mostly opaque. Slight brick red and burgundy hints, brick red rim.

Nose: Raspberry, blackberry, hint of plum, smoke, tobacco leaf, toast, definitely oaked

Palate:

• Body: 4
• Acidity: 3.75
• Alcohol: 3.5
• Tannin: 3

Really nice roundness and ripeness, takes up entire mouth in balance. Very toasty and smokey like you can taste the charred barrels, but it didn't overpower the fruit. Along with oaky aromas I could taste red cherries, raspberries, blackberries, toast, light baking spices like pink pepper but not herbal spices, a hint of red and black plum along with the typical roasted green pepper taste. This was surprisingly balanced and was a good easy drinking wine.

I had this with pan roasted chicken on top of white rice in a cream of mushroom sauce and it turned out great. I figured with the strong umami taste and feel of cream of mushroom that the dish had to go with a red wine, and it would probably have to have softened acidity, some malolactic, and oak or earthy aromas that belong in a similar category to that of mushroom aromas. It ended up pairing very nicely, but I could have asked for maybe a slightly lighter bodied wine for a perfect match. 

All in all this is a good wine.