Tasting - Sonnenband Moscato Magnum

• Name: Sonnenband Moscato Magnum
• Variety: Moscato
• Region: ?
• Country: Spain
• Year: ?
• Price: $20, $9.95 sale
• Vintage Cellar Review:  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  This wine is intricate with the delicate perfumes of white flower blossoms, profound tropical fruit sweetness, and energized by citrus nectars. 
• My Review: I got a very floral, citrusy smell from this Spanish moscato. The taste of this wine was mostly fruity and sweet with some citrus, and I didn't really get enough acidity from this wine to fully appreciate it. This moscato definitely pales in comparison to the moscato from the previous tasting that I attended, and I think that fact might have some effect on my view of this wine.

Tasting - Neu Direction Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

• Name: Neu Direction Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
• Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
• Region: Mendoza
• Country: Argentina
• Year: 2010
• Price: $15, $7.95 sale
• Vintage Cellar Review:  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  This Cabernet Sauvignon shows very good purity of fruit and skillful winemaking. This wine is full of black- fruit aromas, depth and style. The palate pushes ripe plum and berry fruit along with chocolate, and the finish is chewy and correct in terms of tannins and
  structure. 
• My Review: I really enjoyed this Cabernet Sauvignon! I was able to detect some black cherry, and blackberry smells. I found this dark fruit scent very pleasing, and as I have had not previously had any wines with these scents, I was pleasantly surprised by them. I thought this wine had pretty good complexity, as the taste was immensely tannic, big, and dry. This was my favorite wine from this tasting by a long shot, and has turned me on to trying more cabernet sauvignons.

Tasting - Champteloup Pinot Noir 2011

• Name: Champteloup Pinot Noir 2011
• Variety: Pinot Noir
• Region: Loire Valley
• Country: France
• Year: 2011
• Price: $15, $7.95 sale
• Vintage Cellar Review:  
  In the heart of France’s Loire River Valley lies the Touraine wine region. Although it produces vast amounts of well-priced, fresh, mostly white wines, lovely reds like this are broadening Touraine’s appeal. This wine may seem familiar to you. It is a sibling of the Touraine Sauvignon Blanc we’ve offered for years. Serge de Bucy employs a light touch in his winemaking, using no wood and doing as little as possible to preserve freshness. Bright cherry and strawberry fruits are followed by a soft, smooth palate. 
• My Review: This wine smelled of cherry and fruit. The taste was overall bitter and dry, with some fruity elements. I found that this wine had very little complexity, and just seemed to be a very weak wine all in all. I was not a fan of this Pinot Noir at all.

Tasting - Baumann Gentil Classiq 2012

• Name: Baumann Gentil Classiq 2012
• Variety: Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris
• Region: Alsace
• Country: France
• Year: 2012
• Price: $17, $9.95 sale
• Vintage Cellar Review:  
  
  

  A delicious and fresh blend of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris. Light aromas of fresh fruit and delicate white flowers start your journey, followed by crisp flavors of stone and citrus fruit. A well balanced acidity on the dry finish ends this French blend beautifully. 
• My Review: This wine provided some very floral scents. Overall, I was not overly impressed by the nose of this wine. However, the taste was very pleasing. This wine was very smooth, and did not have a very acidic taste to it, which I did not regard as a negative. The wine was very dry, which I liked. All in all, a pretty solid white wine at a reasonable price.

Tasting - Fattori Runcaris Soave 2010

• Name: Fattori Runcaris Soave 2010
• Variety: Garganega
• Region: Soave
• Country: Italy
• Year: 2010
• Price: $15, $7.95 sale
• Vintage Cellar Review:  
  86 Points – Wine Enthusiast
  From the local Italian word for “to work the soil,” Runcaris represents an easy, fresh expression of Soave Classico with lingering aromas of citrus, yellow rose, honey, jasmine and dried herbs. 
• My Review: I sensed a very green apple scent from this white wine. Overall, the smell was my favorite part of this wine, as the taste was fairly average. The taste of this wine was pretty tangy, and citrusy, which are not the exact tastes that I would seek out in a wine. This was certainly not my favorite white wine, but I wouldn't be against exploring it further.

Tasting - Angove Zibibbo Sparkling Moscato

• Name: Angove Zibibbo Sparkling Moscato
• Variety: Moscato
• Region: South Australia
• Country: Australia
• Year: ?
• Price: $15, $7.95 sale
• Vintage Cellar Review:  This is a tasty and generous Moscato  that opens with plush aromas of honey, peach syrup, white flower and fragrant exotic fruit. There’s a nice sensation of fullness and creaminess in the mouth that is backed by the foamy effervescence of this sparkling dessert wine.
• My Review: Wow! This wine blew me away. This wine smelled sweet and melon-y, with a hint of honey. The taste of this sparkling white wine was phenomenal. It tasted of very sweet melon, with some creamy texture. This was far and away my favorite wine from this tasting, and my new goto sparkling/dessert wine!

Tasting - Fetzer Malbec 2011

• Name: Fetzer Malbec 2011
• Variety: Malbec
• Region: Mendoza
• Country: Argentina
• Year: 2011
• Price: $15, $7.95 sale
• Vintage Cellar Review:  Delicious Malbec is 100% from Mendoza, Argentina. It has a vibrant red color with violet tones. Subtle and delicious aromas with an intense mixture of red fruits, plum and cherry jam. On the palate it’s juicy and has intense wood-like tannins that make it a rustic, yet versatile wine. Long finish.
• My Review: This wine produced a floral, fruity and berry aroma, that was very pleasing. The taste was very sweet, fruity and smooth, and provided a very impressive finish. I preferred this out of the two red wines that this tasting provided, and I would definitely be interested in exploring this wine more, as the taste was great.

Tasting - Tres Ojos Garnacha 2011

• Name: Tres Ojos Garnacha 2011
• Variety: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre
• Region: Calatayud
• Country: Spain
• Year: 2011
• Price: $6.95
• Vintage Cellar Review:  "This semi-opaque ruby, custom cuvée of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre is made specifically for Fran Kysela. It exhibits very fresh, ripe dark red fruit with very good palate weight and depth and ends with rich fruit notes. Made from organically grown grapes. Incredible value!"
  - I-WineReview (December 2013), 90 pts.
• My Review: This dark red wine blend had an overwhelmingly fruity scent to it. Tasting this wine yielded an acidic, strong, fruity flavor with a nice finish. This is a wine that I would definitely be interested in trying in larger quantities, as it seems to provide some great depth for a low price!

Tasting - Norton Sauvignon Blanc 2012

• Name: Norton Sauvignon Blanc 2012
• Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
• Region: Mendoza
• Country: Argentina
• Year: 2012
• Price: $12.00, $5.95 sale

• Vintage Cellar Review:  Aromas of pithy citrus and pineapple are decent but unrefined, while flavors of tangerine and pineapple are tropical, zesty and what they are. This is nothing more than a fresh, simple, citrusy white to sip on the patio.
• My Review: This wine presented a fruity/citrusy scent. I thought the taste of this wine was very tangy, with heavy fruit tones. This wine was slightly stronger than the Chenin Blanc, but overall very similar. A fairly solid white wine, for a very reasonable sale price.

Tasting - The Royal Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2012

• Name: The Royal Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2012
• Variety: Chenin Blanc
• Region: South Africa
• Country: South Africa
• Year: 2012
• Price: $7.95
• Vintage Cellar Review: 
  90 Points – Robert Parker
  "One of the greatest buys I have tasted this year is this under $10, 100% Chenin Blanc from the Western Cape. A super flowery-scented nose includes notions of ripe honeydew melons and pears. This medium-weight, fresh, fruity, crisp, dry, textbook Chenin Blanc will provide immense pleasure over the next 12 months."
• My Review: This wine yielded a floral scent, with tones of citrus and grape. I found this wine to taste very smooth, tangy/fruity, and dry. Overall, I though this was a solid wine, although it was difficult to differentiate this wine from the Sauvignon Blanc at this tasting.