Delas 2002 Les Launes Crozes Hermitage Syrah - Wine Review
June 4, 2008
I went to a wine tasting last night and came across a Delas 2002 Les Launes Crozes Hermitage Syrah. This wine was very unique I have to say for a syrah wine. The impression I received at first was light and fruity followed by a bit of tart kick when tasted on the middle of the palate. The finish of this wine was like pepper with a touch of olive hovering around afterwards. Again… I have to say that this was unique. Never quite had a syrah with a combination of this kind of lightness coupled with pepper. Possibly since it was vintage 2002, maybe it should have been consumed sooner… But still, would I the Wine Virgin complain about free wine?
Notes on the Vinters website has about this wine:
The color is a deep garnet red. The nose is essentially fruity, with strong aromas of cassis and plums, a touch of violets and is an ample, well-rounded wine.
Wine Region: Crozes Hermitage
Type of Wine: Red
Grape Type: Syrah
Country Where Produced: France
Cost to You: $20 +
Rating: 3 out of 5
Renwood 2000 Old Vine Zinfandel - Wine Review
June 3, 2008
I recently picked up a Renwood 2000 Old Vine Zinfandel and last night I had my way with it, all of it. Gone. I have to say it was pretty good. It definitely has an intense taste of what can be described as a rich dark chocolate along with dark cherry. This wine has nice slick almost velvety feel in the mouth and combined with a lush tinge of an alcoholic aroma makes the wine burst with flavor. After you are content with a couple glasses, the finish of the wine lasts for a good while hints of dark cherry and blackberry linger in your mouth. Definitely one of the better ones I have had in my time and if you are lucky enough to come across a bottle, I recommend you pick it up. Cheers!!
Notes on the Vinters website has about this wine:
I did some searching online and because this was an older bottle, I was not able to find any specific notes for this vintage. However, the Renwood Old Vine Zinfandels are noted for have a bouquet that consists of cranberry, allspice, nutmeg and blackberry. Also, The flavor has been described as a ripe berry fruit followed by a mix of holiday spices while finishing with chalky tannins and vanilla bean from the oak that it is aged in.
Wine Region: Amador County
Type of Wine: Red
Grape Type: Zinfandel
Country Where Produced: U.S. - California
Cost to You: $20
Rating: 4 out of 5
Wine Storage Tips - The Right Way
May 22, 2008
Any wine storage tips? I bought a case of what hopefully will turn in a great batch and I want to make sure my investment is safe. Do you know what I could do for proper wine preservation? Thanks a whole lot! - Dana in Meridian, MS
Here are wine storage tips for all the lovers of wine who are keen on keeping a few bottles around for that special moment. Follow these easy guidelines for wine preservation and it won’t let you down.
Now, make sure you store your wine horizontally. Allow the wine lay on it’s on side which lets the cork keep in moisture while at the same time serves a dual purpose of letting the sediment to settle down at the bottom of the bottle.
For wine preservation, its absolutely important to keep your wine out of direct sunlight. If a bottle is exposed to light, the end result could lead to a loss of the aromas and flavors. As for other wine storage tips, one of the key things to understand about wine is that you need to keep the temperature in between 55 to 65ºF. If the temperature of the wine fluctuates or if it is stored at a higher temperature, the wine will age much faster.
Wide fluctuations in temperature will make the cork to expand and contract. This will let air into the bottle and the wine will become oxidized under these conditions. Another thing to keep in mind is the proper humidity levels. For wine preservation, having too high a level of humidity can lead to the over all deterioration of the wine labels whereas a low level of humidity can make the cork shrink which again will oxidize the wine or even worse lead to a condition called corked wine.
So there you go, easy huh? If you follow these simple wine storage tips you can make sure that your investment is kept safe and secure so when you are ready to enjoy that perfect bottle you aren’t faced with any surprises. Cheers!!
Wine Tasting Techniques
May 20, 2008
Share some wine tasting techniques with me please, I’m having trouble being able to really pick out the certain flavors of a wine. Much thanks Wine Virgin!! - Stacy in Summerville, SC
Wine tasting techniques? Never quite heard it put that way before Stacy but I will definitely show you some very simple wine tasting advice to develop your taste buds so you can enjoy all the flavors and aroma that wine can offer. First off, don’t be too worried in the beginning if you are having trouble developing your ability to taste. Some wines can have very subtle characteristics that the typical wine virgin might not be aware of.
Something that you can do for starters is go read my post real quick on how to cleanse your palate. This puts your nose and tongue at neutral place to start off at. When you are about to taste wine, always make sure you do this simple process first before you continue. Now have a notebook ready as well so you can jot down some wine tasting notes for refernce in the future to help you better discern between the all different types of wine. Here are 3 simple wine tasting tips to help you get your feet wet.
Really look at your wine. Sounds simple enough huh? Fill the bottom of your glass with wine and hold it up to the light. Take into account the color of it and if it appears clear or cloudy. Every wine will have a variation in its tint and slowly you will be able to tell the difference in similar wines based of their color.
Take a whiff. Seriously, the majority of our taste really comes through the nose and in order to taste a wine properly you really have to smell it first. Now hold the glass by it’s stem and swirl the wine around. This helps to release the flavor of it. Swirling the wine will actually fill the glass with the wine’s aroma. Now after you have finished swirling the wine, take another smell.
After this, you should be able to note a difference. How does the wine smell to you after doing this? Do this a few times and see if you can notice any changes. Now heres the fun part, take a small sip and taste it. Swish the wine around gently in your mouth. If aren’t really able to pick up those subtle flavors, don’t fret. This first taste prepares your mouth for the full pleasure of the wine.
After you’ve prepared your mouth, take your time with the second taste and allow yourself to begin to savor the wine. Again, swish it wash around in your mouth so you can enjoy the full flavor of it and here are some more wine tasting tips.
You need to inhale the scent through your nose as you continue to take sips. This allows you to get an idea of all the different flavors after you have become familiar with this process and have begun to compare different wines. With practice you will develop the ability to pick out wines from the wine tasting advice given above and with enough time you’ll get to enjoy the rich complexities of any bottle that you desire. Cheers!!
Wine Tasting Notes
April 23, 2008
Wine Virgin, I’m very new to all this but I want to know what wine tasting notes are and what’s the purpose behind them? - Pam in Salem, OR
The reason why wine tasting notes are taken to begin with is so that a person who attends a wine tasting event can comment on the particular style and flavor of a wine. There is a vernacular all it’s own that is based around wine tasting terms and here is a brief overview of what I mean.
Wine tasting notes are categorized into 3 separate events. When utilizing these agreed upon perceptions, a rough guide can be made that will communicate the characteristics of a particular wine.
- Color - Clarity of the wine when the contents are viewed in light
- Smell - Known as the “wine nose“. Also, another helpful tool to pinpoint the smell is with something called a
wine aroma wheel
- Taste - How it is perceived in by the “mouth” or “palate”, followed by the “finish”
After years of being a lover of wine, I have found that my wine tasting notes create something similar to an index. From this I’m able to have reference a wine that reminds me of previous bottle that I have enjoyed before. Also, taking these types of notes can really help you refine your senses and leads to an overall richer experience because you are able to pinpoint all of those subtle flavors and aromas. Cheers!!
Wine Varietal Chart
March 20, 2008
Hello Wine Virgin, would there be anyway possible that you could provide me with a quick wine varietal chart with different wine types listed? I would really appreciate it. Thank you Wine Virgin!! - Charla in Big Lake, AK
I have to say that I am impressed that you truly want to get to know your wines, so just for you Charla, I went and found this wine varietal chart so you can learn exactly what you need to pinpoint those hidden flavors. Cheers!!
|
White Wines |
Aromas and Flavors |
Body |
|
Sparkling Wine |
Apple, pear, yeast |
Medium |
|
Sauvignon |
Herbaceous, |
Light |
|
Chardonnay |
Pear, |
Medium |
|
Viognier |
Floral, |
Medium |
|
Pinot |
Crisp, |
Light |
|
Pinot |
Pear, |
Medium |
|
Chenin |
Peaches, |
Light |
|
Gewurztraminer |
Lychee |
Medium |
|
Riesling |
Apple, |
Light |
|
Red
|
Aromas and Flavors |
Body |
|
Pinot |
Strawberry, |
Light |
|
Merlot |
Blackberry, |
Medium |
|
Zinfandel |
Berries, |
Medium |
|
Cabernet |
Blueberries, |
Heavy |
|
Syrah |
peppery, |
Medium |
|
Blackberry, |
Heavy |
|
|
Sangiovese |
Cherry, |
Light |
|
Raspberry, casis, herbacious |
Medium |
|
|
Barbera |
Berries |
Medium |
Refrigerate Red Wine Safe?
March 14, 2008
Can you refrigerate red wine? - Gary in Omaha, NB
Yes you can Gary and it’s even best to refrigerate red wine before you begin drinking it. To really enjoy your bottle, most red wines should be at served close to room temperature 55 to 65ºF which translates to about 30 minutes in the fridge. The caveat is that the red wines that are high in tannins and full bodied reds need warmer temperatures that help to soften these tannins and develop the flavor and aromas.
But again, lighter bodied reds are enjoyed better at slightly lower temperatures. You see, the slightly colder temperature slows the evaporation of alcohol, improving the it overall and making the wine smoother. Don’t over chill red wine as this will make the tannins in the wine taste rough and bitter.
The quickest way to chill red wine is in an ice bath. Now if you aren’t quite up to the task of being a complete lush one night and just can’t finish that opened red wine. It’s perfectly fine to refrigerate red wine after opening for a couple of days and this will give you a bit more time to drink it.
The worst thing a fledgling wino such as yourself could do is waste a bottle of wine. So keep that in mind and do not disappoint the Wine Virgin with such sacrilege!! I just might have to get the whip.
Ullage
March 13, 2008
I was wanting to know if the ullage of a wine can be used to indicate quality? - Gwen in Waterville, ME
When you are looking at a bottle and deciding if it is something that you are wanting to invest in. The ullage of a bottle will tell you about the condition of the contents. As a rule the larger the ullage, the more space for oxygen within the bottle which can hasten the aging process. This term refers to the unfilled air space at the top of a bottle of wine, which in this case is essential to allow for the expansion of the wine as the temperature changes.
During the wine fermentation process, the wine breathes through the cork and this adds complexity to the aromas and flavor of the wine. But if the fill levels are lower than what is normally expected for the wine’s age, it can lead to the decrease in the value of the bottle. Now, for a wine up to 20 years of age, it’s ullage level should be in the neck. As for wines 20 to 40 years old, anything below top shoulder should be viewed in caution.
Here is a quick reference guide when you are checking out a bottle of your favorite wine.
Mid neck: A mid neck fill tells if a wine that has been kept well.
Base neck: A lot of bottles are filled to the base neck level. For older wines this level indicates exceptional storage conditions.
Top shoulder: A wine which is over 10 years old with a top shoulder fill should be considered acceptable. Older wines will only have a top shoulder fill if they have been stored well.
Mid shoulder: A mid shoulder fill is not unusual for wines over 50 years old, but it may suggest that the wine has not been stored in the best of conditions.
Low shoulder: A low shoulder fill level suggests that the wine has been held in poor storage conditions and is usually not considered to be drinkable.
Below shoulder: This is not seen very often and can indicate that the ullage has dropped below the shoulder into the main section of the bottle with a very high chance that the wine is not drinkable.
Gwen, you are now armed with the right knowledge to judge whether or not you should pick up that curious bottle of wine and take it home with you. Cheers!!
Wine Aroma Wheel
March 12, 2008
Will you please tell me what a wine aroma wheel is and possibly where I can get one? Thank you! - Fiona in Tuscon, AZ
The wine scientists at the University of California at Davis many years ago developed this tool as an aid to wine virgins and experts as well. They then organized and categorized these smells and left out all that was not perfectly clear. From there they ended up with a list of 12 major categories of wine smells, subdivided into 29 subcategories and in 94 specific terms. This makes it much easier to arrive at a standardized format for classifying this information.
The wheel is an incredibly useful tool to learn about wines and enhance one’s ability to describe the complexity of wine flavor. The wide variety of wine that this world has to offer allows for thousands of scents in an almost infinite combination. It’s called an aroma wheel because it is a circular table, with relatively similar smells placed close together around its circumference. The wine aroma wheel is made of three tiers. This provides very general terms located in the center which then proceeds to the most specific terms in the outer tier.
These terms are not the only ones that can be used to describe wines but are those that you will most often find. Whether you are a beginner or a wine connoisseur, the use of the wheel during wine tasting will facilitate the description of the flavors you perceive. More importantly, you will be able to recognize and remember specific details about wines and will develop confidence in your ability by practicing with the aroma wheel if a wine really worth your time and expense.
Fiona, look online for to order a proper wine aroma wheel or you might be able to find one that you can download to check it out and get an idea of the various aromas and flavors. Cheers!!
Gout de Terroir
March 11, 2008
Hi Wine Virgin, can you explain what gout de terroir means? Thanks. - Ellen in Douglas, GA
The gout de terroir roughly translates into the taste of the earth. Some believe that it is possible for the soil in which the vine grew was able to impart certain earthy flavors to the wine itself, giving it very unique characteristics. However, there is no hard scientific evidence that the soil can transmit the taste of the soil up through the roots, through the vine and into the grapes.
People seem to have this strange ability to make an association between what they see in a vineyard and what they taste in the wine. Yet even though the dirt that the vine grows in cannot transmit a certain flavor or aroma one may consider that the reason for saying that a particular wine has gout de terroir of a mineral or earthy tone is due to the entire wine making process itself.
Take into account the specific micro-climate that some grapes are grown in along with particular weather variations. You also have to consider how long the grapes were allowed to ripen before they were picked. These simple variables among many others have as much to do with the finished product as anything. Most people seem to stop at the thought that a wine takes on a definite character only during the wine fermentation process.
If you follow this thought process back even further, you will begin to see why the French made the claim that the gout de terroir had its say in the over all aroma and taste of a wine. Ellen, if you sit down and perhaps notice the tint of what you might think of as earthy or even chalky, realize that you are tasting a little bit of everything that went into making that glass in front of you. Cheers!!