Phantom - Bogle Family Vineyards

 Hello everyone! Hope y'all are doing great and enjoying the warmer weather. Hopefully it gets warmer and less windy out here at Virginia Tech. 

This time I tasted a wine that my family really enjoys called Phantom, vintage 2020, and a proprietary red by the Bogle Family Vineyards. 

This wine is primarily made of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah grapes from the California wine making region of Bogle Family Vineyards in Clarksburg, California, in the Sacramento River Delta region. A red blend that typically costs around $18 from the supermarket but that is a lovely wine.

In a glass, the wine looks medium bodied with high viscosity. It smelled of cherry, pepper, and a light note of vanilla. These are some expected flavors of the grapes used in this blend (147, 189, "Wine Folly"). The taste was jammy and reminded me of wild berries like blueberries and a small amount of plum. With a vanilla aftertaste that stuck around. Throughout the taste it did coated and dried my mouth so I think it does have a high tannin feel with light acidity.

Jon Rogers of the Honest Wine Reviews gave this vintage the following review: "As suggested by the bottle, this wine is ruby in color.  While it is fairly dark, some light was able to shine through. The wine exhibited average legs, with a slow to medium fall rate. I had to get up pretty close to the glass to notice the aroma. The aroma was enjoyable with notes of ripe plum, caramel and spice. There was a noticeable sting of alcohol when I gave the wine a good sniff. Bogle Phantom alcohol content 14.9% by volume, per the bottle. Phantom’s taste was congruent with its aroma. I noted flavors of juicy plum and berries, subtle caramel and smooth yet peppery clove like spices. The flavors all worked together in an elegant fashion, with just the slightest hint of bitterness. This wine is pretty dry, leaving a noticeable grip from the tannins all over the palate. The wine’s finish was long and lasting.  It seemed to linger behind the lips. The finish was a nice balance between the wine’s flavors and tannins" (https://www.honestwinereviews.com/bogle-phantom-wine-review).

 Thank you and have a great week y'all!

Zinfandel - Bogle

 Hello everyone! This past week, I was able to try a Zinfandel from the Bogle Family Vineyards. 

This wine was $12 at the Blacksburg Kroger and smelled of raspberry upfront with hints of black cherry and vanilla (189, "Wine Folly"). Visually, this wine had medium legs and a medium viscosity with a wonderful color. 

This wine is made from zinfandel grapes grown by the Bogle Family Vineyards in Clarksburg, California, in the Sacramento River Delta region. I cannot say the exact region these zinfandel grapes originated from but the Bogle Family Vineyards also sources grapes from other regions like Lodi and Amador for their Old Vine Zinfandel, like this one.

A fruitful blast that was very jammy in the first sip of this delicious wine. I tasted a blast of cherry and raspberry notes. The finish was pleasant and tasted of oak or tobacco (189, "Wine Folly"). The light dryness and jucyness of the wine was incredibly enjoyable. A minor but necessary flavor of vanilla and pepper was noticeable through the later tastings of the wine (189, "Wine Folly").

 Highly recommend this wine, especially with Gouda cheese and crackers, delicious combination (60, "Wine Folly").

 The Wine Enthusiast stated that this wine have a rating of 91 meaning it is "Excellent" and that they "Highly Recommend" (https://www.wineenthusiast.com/buying-guide/bogle-2022-old-vine-zinfandel-california/?srsltid=AfmBOoo0VAC4MrtD6-ZM0l7NVnWEvEOMjt1lqmR4eCqcwPVWD7IE6t2H). The went on to say that this "old vine Zinfandel is rich with aromas of spiced raspberry, strawberry, orange pekoe black tea, clove and vanilla on the nose. The mouthfeel is sumptuous with juicy tannins, aromas from the nose repeat on the palate as the delicious flavors in this wine. The finish is long and dry."

Thank you and have a great week!

Riesling - B. Lovely

 Hello again everyone! I had a wonderful game night with friends last night filled with Mexican Dominoes (fun game, highly recommend) and Catan. During this very fun occasion we tried a bottle of 2023 vintage Riesling from Washington State.

This wine was produced by B. Lovely from Columbia Valley, WA. This wine is made of Riesling grape variety and was $10.99. This wine had a clear with yellow tinge coloring to it that looked refreshing and inviting. The smells of the wine included mineral-like, lime, flower aroma, and had hints of honey (158, "Wine Folly"). The flavors I gathered from tasting this wine was honey in the middle with tingly aftertaste. There was a very distant tartness from the green apple. The wine was light in body with a medium-heavy acidity. Not very much alcohol and did not coat my mouth due to its low dryness and tannin content (158, "Wine Folly").

Out of 413 ratings on "Vivino" the wine was given a 3.7 star rating out of 5 (https://www.vivino.com/US/en/b-lovely-riesling-washington/w/5550555?srsltid=AfmBOooW_nKY0qkhSK54C7Xx-tj-3hNNLkFu3Lmkk7FgpR4mCyJcjAa9). The "Wine Enthusiast" gave this wine the following description witha rating of 85, meaning it is suitable for every day consumption: "The aromas are quite subdued for the variety, with notes of jasmine and peach struggling to get to the surface. It drinks medium sweet with a slight bitter note on the finish" (https://www.wineenthusiast.com/?s=B.%20Lovely&search_type=ratings).

Thank you everyone and have a great rest of your week!
 

Prosecco D.O.C. Brut - Valdo, Marca Oro

 Hello everyone! In this edition of weekly wine tastings! I tried a Prosecco D.O.C. Brut named Marca Oro and produced by the Valdo Spumanit in Valdobbiadene, Italy. 

 

This wine was $15.99 from your local Kroger here in Blacksburg, VA. The grapes of this wine come from the slopes of the Venetian Prealps, south of the Dolomite Alps. The primary grape is Glera with 10% of the make-up containing Pinot Noir grapes. I could not tell what vintage this wine was.

The perlage was light an consistent when poured into my glass with a light mousse leading to a nice fizzle into a great looking glass of wine. The color was lightly golden with a high looking viscosity based on the slow legs on the inside of the glass. Smelling my glass I sensed light hints of lemon or some kind of citrus which was quite refreshing and inviting. As I tasted the carbonation exploded in my mouth but left a dry feeling as well. The back-end consisted of a tartness while the main flavor was light citrus, lemon, in each sip. I think this wine would taste lovely with a lemon pastry dessert or spicy food, however, I did not try any food with this beverage (155, "Wine Folly").

A critic from "Clicks and Corks" reviewed this wine giving the following conclusion: "

In the flute...color was an intense straw yellow with golden hints; the bubbles in its perlage were numerous, average in size and long-lasting. On the nose...intense, moderately complex and fine, and especially it was immediately captivating as it seemed to merge the fresh and fruity primary aromas that are typical of the semi-aromatic Glera grapes with the more complex, secondary aromas deriving from the double fermentation process and aging on the lees that are instead typical of a Classic Method sparkling wine. So, its kaleidoscopic bouquet offered aromas of Granny Smith apples, herbs (mint), apricot, and hints of minerals (graphite, chalk) and yeast. In the mouth...dry, with medium ABV and moderately smooth; it was acidic and tasty. It was medium-bodied and balanced, with intense and fine mouth flavors of minerals, brine, lime, Granny Smith apples and mint. It had a medium finish and its evolutionary state was mature (i.e., ready to be enjoyed now)" (https://clicksandcorks.com/2013/08/12/wine-review-valdo-prosecco-brut-metodo-classico-numero-10-2009-doc/).

I personally could not pick out the complex flavors or scents of what was a part of this critics experience. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this sparkling wine and would highly recommend enjoying during a celebration with family and/or friends. Thank you everyone and see ya next time!

Ruffino - Chianti

 Hey everyone again!

 Today I tried the Chianti by Ruffino vintage 2022. This wine is from the Chianti region of Italy and is primarily produced from Sangiovese wine. The other grapes in this vintage include Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I wish I had tried this wine with a slice of margarita pizza in hand because that would have been even more delicious! This wine was $12.99 from Kroger. 

This scents from the wine I get upfront fruitful scents that remind me of cherry. Also, I get scents of nutty or floral I can't tell exactly which is what I'm smelling. The flavors I taste is a bite in the back end with light dryness in my mouth. I taste a nutty flavor upfront that is almost hazelnut. Within Wine Folly I couldn't find any descriptions of the Chianti, however, this wine reminds me of an Avengers team-up between a Sangiovese and Merlot.

The Wine.com reviewed this wine and described this vintage in the following way: "Ruby red. Ruffino Chianti is an approachable, easy-drinking wine that has predominantly fruity and floral aromatics, with hints of spice and hazelnut. On the palate, Chianti is soft with a medium body and nice balance, displaying pleasantly fruity characteristics.

Pair this Chianti with a variety of traditional Italian dishes such as ravioli, margherita pizza, and beef carpaccio. It will be simply perfect. Its brightness and acidity also makes it a great companion for international favorites such as the classic hamburger" (https://www.wine.com/product/ruffino-chianti-2022/1517348). 

Thank you everyone and have a great week! Definitely try this wine! I'll be having more of it later this week with a homemade pizza in hand!

Beau Chene - Pinot Noir

 Hello everyone! Here for another tasting!

 

This wine is a Pinot Noir by Beau Chene from Languedoc, France vintage 2021. This wine was $15.99 from the Black Hen where I had dinner with friends. I found the smells I got from this wine were of dark cherry up front with hints or raspberry in the back end of. 

Weirdly, I was also smelling fresh scents of spice with undertones of chocolate as well. The flavor was lightly acidic and not very dry. This profile paired deliciously with the pork chop dish I was enjoying along with it (61, "Wine Folly"). The flavors on its own that I tasted included spicy and mineral-like flavors. The back end was tannin filled even if not so high in the tannin flavor. In between there were some dark fruit flavor, like cherry (150, "Wine Folly"). 

The Wagshal's website reviewed the wine and stated what it tastes like as follows: "Juicy and with notes of black cherry and red plum mixed with black pepper spice. Perfect for burgers, BBQ and charcuterie" (https://orders.wagshals.com/products/beau-chene-pinot-noir-750-ml?srsltid=AfmBOop6emyxrA4nsqOFWO6ESqLitEWpcDYj6LYaqYmsUs7dS17mekPr).

Thank you everyone!

Bug Juice - Rinaldi Moscato d'Asti

 

Hello Everyone! This week I tasted the Bug Juice Moscato d'Asti by Rinaldi winery. This wine is made of the Moscato grape variety from the Piedmont region of Italy, vintage 2009. This vintage is quite old which could be seen in the color of the wine and smell. The color wasn't brown but it wasn't the typical shade of white that I associate with Moscato variety wines (26, "Wine Folly"). The smell included smells of metal and syrup. The flavor profile was thick and honey like and strangely syrupy. The wine felt viscous and thick with low acidity and not dry. 

I believe this wine was perhaps a little over aged or exposed to sunlight such that the wine oxidized. However, the Spirits & Spice website describes this wine as having the following characteristics: "Straw-yellow color. The bouquet is delicate and intense with aromas of fruit (apple, peach) and spices (sage). The palate is sweet and smooth with lingering aromatic persistence. A refreshing and pleasant wine, perfect for brunch, picnics or poolside" (https://spiritsandspice.com/products/rinaldi-moscato-di-asti-aka-bug-juice?srsltid=AfmBOoobkWq-yo32UIgZQ1r3sMHIAv2ySpT097RcFywah7FtUGr6tdAj). 

Moreover, the Wine Enthusiast gave this review of the wine: "Despite its strange name, Bug Juice is a soft, plush, sweet Moscato with musky notes of soapy flower and scented candle. It shows beautiful elegance and careful craftsmanship" (https://www.wineenthusiast.com/buying-guide/rinaldi-2010-bug-juice-muscat-moscato-moscato-dasti/?srsltid=AfmBOopVgTOsAvkWr2I0pOXbFCxqraMkof0_Z_cpeeWGrkMNDyar_hfu). With a rating of 87, meaning it is "Very good...Often good value; well recommended" by their standards (https://www.wineenthusiast.com/buying-guide/rinaldi-2010-bug-juice-muscat-moscato-moscato-dasti/?srsltid=AfmBOopVgTOsAvkWr2I0pOXbFCxqraMkof0_Z_cpeeWGrkMNDyar_hfu).

 Thank you and have a great rest of your weekend everyone!