Either due to the strong breeze of Châtelaillon-Plage, where I tasted this wine, or as a result of the fact that my son got a small sip before me and left some potato chips flavour on the glass, I had some problems distinguishing the aroma of this Chardonnay. I therefore cannot tell which ones of the typical scents of this well-known grape was predominant: if it was the tropical side of banana, melon, pineapple and guava, the stonefruits côté of peach, nectarine and apricot, or the omnipresent citrus and apple aroma.
Continue reading “Château Nine Peaks Chardonnay Reserve 2015”
So far my 152 posts on wine have focused on my tasting experience of single bottles. This time I want to write about the visit I had at Clos de l’Obac. A winery officially named Costers del Siurana and located in Gratallops, in the heart of the Priorat DOQ. Continue reading “Clos de l’Obac”
From the first sight this Portuguese wine gives the impression of being opulent. The deep purple color certainly contributes to this impression. In reality, on the nose the aroma is elegant, with violet, bergamot, blueberry and some mint. In the mouth the wine is still very young, although already enjoyable thanks to the pleasantly integrated tannins, which influence mainly the drying aftertaste. 
The colour is deep ruby. On the nose light notes of cherry, but with a background that doesn’t feel right. In the mouth more present, although a bit rustic, with good acidity and a drying finish that last for a while. Usually, wines tend to be richer on the nose than in the mouth. Interestingly, in this case it is the opposite.
This white wine presents itself with a medium gold colour and a perfumed nose, characterised by tropical fruits like mango and ananas, sweet spices such as cinnamon and ginger, and rose petals. Once in the mouth, the wine gives a velvety sensation of opulence. Despite the low acidy, the mouth is left salivating and the pleasantly sweet aftertaste linger for quite a while. 
This wine displays a purple-ruby colour. On the nose it is vinous, with a predominance of cherries accompanied by some roses and herbs. In the mouth it shows a medium body, a good acidity and firm tannins. It finish with a pleasant mild bitterness and drying sensation.
On the nose vanilla ice cream with sour cherries. The tannins are firm and leave you with a dry mouth. The lingering aftertaste is pleasantly bitter, an interesting contrast to the smooth fruity aroma.
On the nose nutty flavours, with notes of lemon and melon, accompanied by some smoky sensations. Almost oily mouthfeel, balanced by minerality more than acidity. Once swollen, at first not much. It gets better with successive sips, but nothing special, beside the pleasant mineral mouthfeel. 
Light, Pinot like, but cloudy, color. Grapey aroma, with some disturbing barnyard. In the mouth light bodied and not very pleasant.
This St Nicolas de Bourgueil AOP, one of the only few Appelations of the Loire Valley producing mainly red wines, has the typical characteristics of a Cabernet Franc.