1. Le Clou ("The Nail")
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Burgundy, France
Year: 2012
Price: $7.95
Critic Review: Reflects the style of Macon with little intervention and no use of oak. Golden hue. Floral aromas. Intense, clean, and fresh on the palate. Citrus notes with bold acidity. Good match for seafood with buttercream sauces or blue cheeses. (Vintage Cellar notes). 5 stars from artisan wine depot.
My Review: I can see why they call this one the nail! It was a nice, crisp Chardonnay, with the acidity piercing sharply up front, and then gradually melting away. Traces of orange blossom and lemon zest on the nose. Basically all citrus on the taste; not much complexity elsewhere that I could detect. It reminded me of sweet tarts candy in that it wasn't really sour, but the finish left your mouth puckering slightly. This is a wine that I believe you would discover more and more subtle flavors as you continued drinking it. I would love to try this wine with shrimp alfredo, or a white pizza.
2. Tarima Blanco ("White Platform")
Variety: 70% Mereseguera, 20% Viura, 10% Moscatel
Region: Alicante, Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
Critic Review: Light yellow color. Aromas of Meyer lemon, melon, and white flowers show good clarity and a hint of ginger. Juicy, open-knit citrus fruit an peach flavors are firmed by a zesty mineral quality and a touch of white pepper. The melon note repeats on the clinging, but slightly warm finish. (Vintage Cellar)
My Review: Red apples, white tea, and something close to cilantro on the nose (which was exciting). This was different from many white wines I've had in that I couldn't detect any citrus or strong acidity in the wine. It was definitely very fruity, but instead of tasting like granny smith apples and citrus, it called to mind flavors of honeydew, red apples, sweet green table grapes.
3. Coreto Tinto ("Red Bandstand")
Variety: From most to least amounts: Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Caladoc, Toriga Nacional, Shiraz, Alicante Bouschet
Region: Portugal
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
Critic review: Despite its light touch, this is fruity and full, with its blackberry note dominating the warm spice and acidity. Soft tannins keep the wine together (Vintage Cellar).
My review: I found it interesting that this wine uses a grape from Alicante, which is where two of the other wines on this list were from.Very fruit-forward wine, with basically every type of berry commonly found in the grocery store in both the smell and the taste. Much more new-world-esque than I expected from Portugal. Hints of clove and cinnamon. A little bit more heat came through than I would normally like. Because of all the different fruit flavors being so bold in this wine, I would probably drink it by itself.
4. Tarima Monastrell
Variety: Monastrell
Region: Alicante, Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $9.95
Critic Review: 90 points from Stephen Tanzer. High-pitched red and dark berry scents show good clarity and pick up a licorice nuance with air. Tangy and focused on the palate, offering juice black raspberry and spice cake. Flavors with an exotic touch of candied violet. Closes spicy and long, with silky tannins building slowly and adding gentle grip (Vintage Cellar notes).
My Review: It was interesting to compare a red and a white from the same winemaker. If I had to pick a favorite between the two, I would pick this one. I say this only because at this stage in my wine drinking education, I prefer varietal wines over blends because I like to see what one grape can do on its own, and it helps me a develop a profile for each grape more easily. This wine definitely reflected the region it's from, with a lot of bold color (violet!) and spiciness. Very big, tannic wine with dark fruit flavors and subtle earthy tones. Very complex; gives you a lot to think about. To further reflect the place it's from, I'd eat (and I say eat because it's that much to take in) it with Spanish food.
5. Bera Asti
Variety: Moscato Bianco
Region:Vineyard spans several acres in Alba and Asti
Year: 2011
Price: $9.95
Critic Review:Wine Searcher says this is among the highest-priced wines in Asti, which reflects a high demand. 90 points from Decanter Magazine. "Soft and plush wine with creamy foam, lemony mousse, and loads of fragrant peach blossom, honey, and sweet almond on the bouquet. Elegant, rich flavors, and vibrant acidity.
My Review: A fun, super sweet wine. Aromas of lilac and lavender with soft fruit. Slightly more complex than a lot of other Moscatos I've had, with subtle flavors of orange blossom honey (of which I have way too many jars of at home), bubblegum, lemon cream, and citrus. Almost tasted like the lemon/raspberry throat lozenges that Halls makes (not menthol tasting at all). I'd drink this by itself and watch a chick flick after dinner.
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