Wine Review: Leese-Fitch's 2012 Pinot Noir

Leese-Fitch 2012 Pinot Noir is a medium body wine that works well for nearly all occasions. Light aroma with ruby red color. It is a dry and sweet taste with little acidity or tannin aftertaste that hangs for about 8 seconds. It is easy to notice the dark cherries, plumb, and strawberries within the wine.  It is also possible to discern just a touch of vanilla.

Pinot Noir is a difficult grape to grow and requires special care. Grown in northern California’s cool coastal land the sweetness is unmatched. It is a versatile wine that pairs well with most other foods ranging from sauces to poultry. Most people consider it as a step up between white and red wine.

According to the website the brand can be described as, “The wines of Leese-Fitch celebrate the restoration of the Leese-Fitch building located in the Sonoma Square. Built in 1836, this historical landmark in Sonoma Plaza was named after Jacob Leese and Henry Fitch, brothers-in-law to General Mariano Vallejo, the founder of the town of Sonoma.”  You may learn more about the company HERE.

This wine is a keeper.

Wine Review: Rex Goliath-Lots of Value for a Little Chicken Scratch

Are you seeking a wine that is good for sports night sipping that can cater to a variety of tastes? You may want to pull together a few dollars and buy HRM Rex Goliath 47 Pound Rooster Merlot. Some of the words that might describe Rex Goliath’s Merlot dark, ripe, smooth, plumb, cedar, and cherry. Very little back of the tongue tannin aftertaste but still maintains mouth-filling flavor. It is a medium-bodied wine from California.  One of the best wine values I have come across for under $5.00.

According to WineSearcher.com Rex 47 Pound Rooster is the 1152st most popular wine on their site. Various other reviews rank the wine 3.5-4 out of 5 stars. This means that most of the customers found the wine to be of quality value and a discount price. Comments such as “great taste”, “smooth”, and “candy” are common.

My personal impression is that the wine is great for casual drinking. It is likely to cater to a very broad range of non-serious wine drinkers. Low tannin and acidity help make the wine comfortable to the average crowd. By no means is it a high quality wine but it tastes just fine for the price. Some love it, some call it flat, but I am somewhere in the middle.

In case you are wondering whom that big bird is on the bottle it is Rex Goliath the world’s largest rooster. People came to Texas’s fairs to see and hold the large rooster. The label is part of its vintage artwork and circus banner. The wine’s label is designed to honor the animal by providing a strong option for everyday chicken pairing.

http://www.rexgoliath.com

Silver Medal

2013 Critics Challenge
2013 Long Beach Grand Cru
2013 World Value Wine Challenge

Best Buy, 89 Points

2013 World Value Wine Challenge

88 Points

2013 Ultimate Wine Challenge

Wine Review: Graham’s 10 Tawny Port-Just a Touch of Portugal

If you are looking for a sweet wine that is so smooth it feels like silk on your taste buds and satin sheets on your bed you might want to sip a glass of Graham’s 10 Tawny Porto. At an affordable price of $23, it provides a great taste and the feel of luxury without having to pay heavy for it. The wine pours a smooth golden brown color when held to the light. The taste is nutty and dry with high alcohol content.  It does not take much to put a smile on your face.

Graham’s 10 is a 10-year old brandy fortified wine was stored in oak casts on the Douro River in Portugal. If it were designated as a 20, 30, or 40 it would mean the wine has been seasoned for a corresponding amount of years.  The longer the port wine has been stored the smoother the taste and higher the quality.  Of course quality doesn’t come free and one should expect the price to rise as well.

Tawny Port wine is often severed as a dessert wine after a meal. It is sweet, dry, and full of flavor. Such wines have higher alcohol content and can be quiet powerful in their spirit allocations. Generally, such wines are expensive due to the amount of years they have been kept in storage. This cellar time raises both its value and its taste.  The wine may equally be used as a toasting and sipping wine for long drawn out conversations.

W & J Graham’s was formed in the 1820’s from two Scottish families in Portugal. Since that time, the family vineyards have grown in both stature and quality. The Graham family had other interests in England and India making their empire wide and powerful. The families were seen as one of the “merchant princes of Great Britain”. Today the company maintains an important historical connection to the past. 

Port is a fortified wine that takes its unique genre from the town of Oporto in Portugal. Prior to this non-fortified wines became a major export after the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal in 1143. The Treaty of Windsor in 1386 offered an ever large wine trading partnership between Portugal and England. Merchants moved to England and set up shipping establishments that created greater opportunities for maximum exports.

A trading conflict between England and France further pushed the development of Portuguese wine. Accordingly, in 1667 Louis XIV of France banned products from England. Not to be outdone the English retaliated by banning wines from France. The merchants from Portugal were so busy they ran short of supply and started to water down their products. 

Wine traveling such large distances needed to be fortified to maintain its taste. Merchants began to add a little brandy to each bottle just before shipping. Through this, they found that by fortifying their wines during the fermentation process it made the wines taste both sweater and more fresh.  The process not only created long bottles for storage like the ones you use today but also allowed for such wines to be stored longer. 

Blog Ranking: 4.6/5

Price: $24

http://www.grahams-port.com/

Wine Review: Cabernet Sauvignon by Kirkland

You wouldn’t think of solid wine coming from a department store. However, Costco wine is known for their quality. Bottles often range from $10 to over $100 depending on their quality, brand and strength. Kirkland’s Cabernet Sauvignon is a Californian wine that is great for the table. The label indicates, “Kirkland Signature California Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Cabernet Sauvignon with vibrant, juicy flavors of black currant with broad, red fruit notes that linger on the palate and are surrounded by hints of spice and sweet smoke with graceful finish of cherry and mochas.” 

Kirkland Cabernet Sauvignon is actually bottled and cellared at DC Flynt. They import wine from a number of countries and provide education on wine selections. Apparently, Kirkland has a contract to purchase the wine under its label. DC Flynt is known for its strong selections and large quantities of sales. They are located in sunny Modesto California.

Cabernet Sauvignon is an international wine that can be produced in a variety of environments. Grapes are generally hardy and resistant to rot and frost which make them perfect for easy growing and development. The grape had considerable mystery surrounding it. Dr. Carole Meredith completed DNA testing and found that the grape was passed in the 17^th century as a hybrid to Cabernet franc and Sauvignon. 

The label is accurate in terms of its fruity content and zippy taste. The wine is a good choice for everyday dinner. It would also be a strong choice for groupings or social gatherings under a budget. This wine has a refreshing taste even if the label turns you off. Originally, knowledge of this wine came through a Christmas social gathering and would continue to be a bought product at $13 for 1.5L. Yet with its deep flavor it is worth trying out at least once.