Tasting Girlan St. Magdalener 2010

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This is another wine I brought from Italy to some friends, and I'm posting my impressions even before they've tried the wine! Sorry guys, but I couldn't wait to try this one: after so many unexpected events they eventually arrived!

This wine is made from Schiava grapes, a reference in South Tyrol viticulture, and it charms by its freshness and bright ruby red colour. It's lightly tannic, low in acidity and slightly alcoholic - 12,5%. With delicacy, comes aromas of red berries on the nose, intense strawberries, and a hint of cherry, gooseberry and floral, and a discreet persistence. It goes divinely with cold meats and smooth cheeses.

Aged in barrels of cement, it's ideal for the end of summer / beginning of autumn season. Made to be consumed fresh, could be served between 14ºC and 16ºC.

So if you are not feeling like Summer anymore - definitely not here in Ireland! - you can keep it until next year, but it would pleasure you equally if you drink it now!

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Tasting CR&F Aguardente Velha Reserva

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Another one from my trip to Portugal. Almost impossible, on holidays, don't give yourself some treating! After those marvellous diners, divine wines and lovely desserts, the only things you need is a good expresso and a taste of a digestif! As I like to go beyond the standards, I surprisingly found this CR&F in a little restaurant in Lagoa. After having one at that night, I had to buy a bottle and do a proper tasting...

This Reserva brandy is made by Carvalho, Ribeiro & Ferreira (CR&F), in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, the same place were Porto wines are produced. The first thing that comes to your attention is the bottle, a unique design and semi-handmade production which gives its own distinctive identity.

Very clear ob the appearance and showing a beautiful medium-amber colour, after allowing the alcohol aerate a little bit, the clean aromas of nuts, almonds, nectarines are quite pronounced. In the palate it reiterates the nuts, opening to hazelnuts and a medicine-like taste which could recall liquorice and juniper, in a very dry sensation, medium body and length.

A very good brandy aged for years in national oak barrels, it has soft flavours and rich and complex aromas. A well balanced and potent brandy!

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Tasting Reserva Lagoa 2009

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This full-bodied Portuguese wine from PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) Lagoa, stands out for its price - a mere 2.20 euros! I bought it in Adega Única, where the Crato Preto, Aragonês and Castelão grapes are vinified, and then the wine produced and bottled. It is medium ruby in colour and it has pronounced aromas of black fruit and olives. Althought it is already quite mature, its tannins suggest that the wine could age a bit more. Drink it now or in the next year.

On the palate, medicinal and mushrooms notes. There's no much fruit, it's true, but it's still a little of blueberry, blackberry, and sometimes blackcurrants. A wine of particular characteristic, which left me somewhere between the deception and the curiosity. I've opted by the curiosity.

Its high acidity allows strong dishes matching, with intense sauces. I snacked a Wicklow Blue, one of many Irish delicacies, and the wine improved a lot in the palate!

As I said, a curious wine ...

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About Parker's rating points

Robert Parker

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Robert Parker's rating system employs a 50-100 point scale (Parker Points®), which is utilized only to enhance and complement the tasting notes, which is the primary meaning of expressing the tastings.

Robert Parker is arguably the world's most influential wine critic. His bi-monthly newsletter "The Wine Advocate" was first published in 1978, and now has a profound effect on both prices and market demand for fine wines around the world. Robert Parker's influence on fine wine prices cannot be overstated. Historically, the wines that Robert Parker scores highest, particularly those awarded more than 90 points, tend to be the wines that show the biggest increase in value.

How it works:
Each wine is given an initial 50 points. General colour and appearance can merit up to 5 points. Aroma and bouquet are worth up to 15 points. Flavour and finish account for up to 20 points. Finally, the overall quality level or potential for further evolution and improvement-aging merit up to 10 points.

Many Bordeaux producers now wait for Parker's ratings before setting the release price of their wines. Many wines are now produced in styles specifically designed to win 'Parker points', as well. Is the capital overtaking the art of wine producers?

The Parker rating explained:
96-100:
An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its variety. Wines of this calibre are worth a special effort to find, purchase, and consume.

90-95:
An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines.

80-89:
A barely above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavour as well as character with no noticeable flaws.

70-79:
An average wine with little distinction except that it is a soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine.

60-69:
A below average wine containing noticeable deficiencies, such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavour, or possibly dirty aromas or flavours.

50-59:
A wine deemed to be unacceptable.

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Tasting Llebre 2009

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I brought this wine from Spain recently, and offered it to some friends. The feedback was positive... No surprise, as it got a respectable 90 points Parker! So I decided to taste it.

Llebre is produced by Tomás Cusiné, which is located on the northern side of the Sierra de La Llena, part of the Sierra del Montsant. Its vineyards are situated at an altitude between 700 and 740 metres; the soils are limestone and the lands have gravel on the surface with clayey subsoil. Costers Del Sagres is a DO (Denominación de Origen) area.

Llebre 2009 is made from Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Carignan and Syrah grapes, it was aged in French oak for 3 months before bottled, which brings toasty notes to the palate, and subtle oak to the nose.

The nose also is plenty of aromas of red fruits, and in the mouth it's silky and fresh, with soft tannins and good acidity, plenty of red fruit jam, spices, and a discrete oak.

A very good wine, which I enjoyed which I enjoyed with a wine-peppered sauced steak... Fantastique!

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A different glass for each wine

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My father would say this is very haughty, but it is true: the shape of a wine glass can alter the wine aroma - or bouquet - of the wine.

In general, every wine glass will have a slightly different shape, depending upon the type of wine that particular glass is to be used for. The glass must be colourless and very thin as to not alter the taste of the wine. So, forget about that fancy decorated glass your aunt gave you... it might be gorgeous but it's not for wines!

There are many types of wine glasses. A wine glass can hold 125 ml, 250 ml or 350 ml. It is important to notice that a glass of wine should never be totally full. When pouring the wine you should allow some space to wine to breathe, with circular movements to aerate and reveal the subtlety of the bouquet, without being too wide to allow some blending of the flavours.

All good wine glasses are shaped in a way that will direct the wine to the part of your mouth where its flavor will be most appreciated. The glass also needs to be thin, and finally, the shape must be adapted according to the alcohol’s traits. Yes, almost a different glass for each type of wine!

The bowls of the most of the wine glasses will be tapered upward with a slightly narrower opening at the top than at the bottom, which helps to capture and distribute the wine's aroma in the glass towards your mouth and nose.

In all types of wine glasses the bowl must be large enough to swirl your wine, opening it up to more air and allowing its aromas to be released. Swirling your wine is not just for the connoisseur or the haughty, it really does serve a very important purpose!

So, far beyond the usual red, white, sweet and champagne, there are many other specifics glasses which claim to make the wine smell and taste better. You just have to give them a try and prove by yourself!

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A Blog about Wines

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A blog to tell stories about wines! Stories contained in every single bottle, that are revealed when you taste a glass. And you may just want to drink the wine without bothering to any story, and that's fine, but for those who are passionate about the wine, is almost impossible to have a glass without noticing what's beyond it!

I got into wines a few years ago, when I start reading about wines. I was curious about the different countries, so many grapes, etc. When I moved to Europe, I was travelling extensively around wine producer countries, and I took the opportunity to slake my curiosity, and this have given me a fair idea on the places, the people and the stories behind what goes into the bottle. I was developing a natural knowledge for the wines already, and then this year I decided to go seriously into it and enrolled myself on a WSET course.

Although I have a lot to learn yet, the course has opened myself to broader tastes and experiences with wines, which I intend to continue next year!

Because of my interest in wines my friends usually ask me "what makes a good wine", but this is a question I just cannot answer! Apart from the technicality of the structure, acidity, tannins, etc, a good wine is the one you happily buy and enjoy drinking! The technicality can help a bit, and even suggest some food pairing, but in the end, your pleasure is the most important thing when looking for a good wine! I'll be writing about my personal taste, based on the knowledge I'm still acquiring, and I hope you enjoy it, and hopefully we can learn a little bit more together...

Salute!

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