La Ninota Priorat 2005

Preface: Huge break...sorry about that. Here we go again!
Region: Catalogne, Spain
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Merlot, Tempranillo, Carignan
Price: $18

This dark red meritage (pronouced like heritage) from Spain has a nice body and can only be described as "ultra-dry" (ie, it will make you want a glass of water afterwards). The nose is a strange oaky-plumy beast and the wine is full of ripe black fruit (plums and dark berries) with hints of coffee and spice.

Conde de Valdemar Reserva 2004

Preface: So I was lazy this week...here is part 7 of my 11 part series of Spanish wine...
Region: Rioja, Spain
Grapes: Tempranillo
Price: $22

The Conde de Valdemar is a nice full-bodied red with a beautiful ruby red color and notes of raspberry and oak. Would be great with a meal off the grill.

Viña Mayor Reserva 2002

Preface: Part 6 of my 11 part series of Spanish wine...
Region: Ribera del Duero, Spain
Grapes: Primarily Tempranillo
Price: $18

This red was aged for 5 years before being released to the unsuspecting public. Was it worth the wait? Personally, I don't think so. It has a very heavy aroma of tobacco, is incredibly dry and somewhat like leather with the hint of cherries and oak in the background.

Cosme Palacio Y Hermanos Rioja 2004

Preface: Part 5 of my 11 part series of Spanish wine...salud!
Region: Rioja, Spain
Grapes: 100% Tempranillo
Price: $10
Alcohol Level: 13.5%

Another incredibly dry red, this one with an undefinable nose (my collegues and I were thinking possibly the french oak barrel it was aged in coming out very strongly). While the nose is not very appealing, the wine was a nice light red with flavors of spice, coffee, prunes and blueberries.

Barahonda Monastrell 2006

Preface: Part 4 of my 11 part series of Spanish vino...enjoy!
Region: Yecla, Spain
Grapes: 100% Monastrell (Mourvedre)
Price: $12
Alcohol Level: 14.5%

Bone-suckingly dry with loads of tannins. Medium red in color with a spicy nose. I get cherries and licorice out of this wine, but they are hidden behind the bold tang of the tannins. Not to be enjoyed without food, for sure.

Condesa de Leganza Rose 2006

Preface: Part 3 of 11 in my ongoing run through Spain...
Region: Castilla La Mancha, La Mancha, Spain
Grapes: 100% Tempranillo
Price: $12

Intense in every way. Dark pink with a very-berry nose. Raspberries and blueberries fill your mouth with every sip and linger for the finish. Delicious and very refreshing.

Falset Marçà Garnacha Rose 2006

Preface: Part 2 of 11 in my ongoing romp through Spain...
Region: Montsant, Catalonia, Spain
Grapes: 100% Garnacha (Grenache)
Price: $10

Light pink with a nose of sweet cherries. Tastes like cherries, tobacco, and cedar. Not very refreshing, really. Unless you like wood.

Bodegas Algareiro Albariño 2006

Preface: Took a break for the Forth, but that does not mean that I wasn't enjoying some wonderful (and not so wonderful) wines. This is my first installment of eleven wines from Spain that I recently got a chance to taste. All will be short, sweet, to-the-point and possibly incomplete due to time restrictions (I was at a company tasting and they moved far too quickly). Enjoy.
Region: Rías Baixas, Spain
Grapes: Albariño
Price: $10

Yellow-green in color. A very dry white wine that seemed more like a Pinot Grigio or a typical Chardonnay than anything special. A nice amount of citrus, but lots of floral overtones that I found mildly unpleasant. Nicely balanced acidity, though.

Rosemont Hill Of Gold Shiraz 2004

Region: Mudgee, Australia
Grapes: Shiraz (Syrah)
Price: $12
Alcohol Level: 13%

Completely against my expectations. Deep purple in color with a nose of spices. Flavor is very spicy, with a slight sweetness behind it, full of dark fruits. "Oaky" comes to mind. Even with all this, the wine was a lot lighter than I expected it to be. Would be recommended to people who like Pinot Noir.

Carmen Reserve Chardonnay 2006

Region: Valle de Casablanca, Chile
Grapes: Chardonnay
Price: $7
Alcohol Level: 14%

Light amber in color with a sweet nose. This Chardonnay has no oakiness and is very tangy and acidic. I caught flavors of melon, lemon and lime. Citrus flavors linger on the finish.

Diseño Malbec 2006

Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Grapes: Malbec
Price: $9
Alcohol Level: 13.5%

This wine has the aromas of cherries and blueberries. Maybe raspberries as well. The color is a deep red-purple and the flavors are juicy with a hint of spice. Tart and nicely acidic with a very-berry blueberry finish.

Aberlour 16 Year Old Single Malt Scotch

Region: Speyside, Scotland
Finish: Double Cask Matured - Traditional Oak and Sherry casks
Price: $66
Alcohol Level: 43%

How about this as a change of pace? I am not much of a scotch drinker, but this is no ordinary scotch. With a peppery-sweet nose, his Double-Gold winning(1) scotch fills your mouth with spices that range from ginger to cinnamon with a slight sweetness in the background that was like honey and extra-dark chocolate. The finish is rich and smoky and lingers on your tongue for what seems like forever (and that's not a bad thing at all). Every sip warms your bones like nothing I have ever encountered before. Tried "on the rocks" and "neat" and enjoyed both ways. Intense and wonderful.

My two friends and I shared the entire bottle in one evening.

(1) 2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Château du Glana 2003

Region: St-Julien, Bordeaux
Grapes: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc
Price: $20
Alcohol Level: 13%

Here is a real Bordeaux. 2003 was a really good year in Bordeaux and brought about some very nice wines. The Château du Glana is a bright red wine with the aromas of berries and spice. With a sip, you are greeted with a nice mouthful of spices with a background of dark fruits (I sensed blackberry and plum). Light in body with a very blackberry finish.

My opinion, if you want a French wine for your fancy meal, you would not be disappointed by this wine. It would go great with lamb, sausages from the grill and strong cheeses, but does not have the body for a heavy meat like steak.

Auvigue Mâcon-Villages 2006

Preface: This is my chance to clean out a bit of a stockpile I had built up of these things. Call me obsessive...


Region: Mâcon-Villages, Burgundy, France
Grapes: Chardonnay
Price: $17
Alcohol Level: 13%

Chardonnay. The most popular varietal of wine in America. This wine, from the taste, has not seen much oak. If you like a big, woody Chardonnay you need to look elsewhere. This wine is a beautiful pale-gold in color and has a sweet and slightly citrus aroma. Upon taste, you are greeted with a very subtle acidity and a nice fruity (somewhat citrusy) mouthful. The finish can only be described as lemony. Would be great with a seafood meal.

Nothing that really stands out, but a really solid bottle of wine.

Shellback Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Region: East Coast - New Zealand
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
Price: $6
Alcohol Level: 12.5%

This wine is citrus. Like crazy citrus. The scent is very strong (citrus). The flavor is like a hit to the face (with a cornucopia of citrus fruit). I caught the flavors of passion fruit and melon specifically. Very smooth wine with a light acidity.

And its cheap. Like hella cheap. Take this wine to the beach in your cooler. You won't be unhappy. I mean, six bucks? I think you can spare it.

Mouton Cadet (Red) 2005

Preface: I decided to start off with an inexpensive wine to get the ball rolling. While I have been getting more and more into wine over the past year, I have never decided to brave the classic wine, the bourdeaux wines of France. While I have tried a few, this is the true beginning for my journey into "real" French wine.


Region: Bourdeaux (general)
Grapes: 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc
Price: $7

At first glance, this wine has a deep red hue. The coloration shows that this wine will leave you with a major case of wine lips. The wine has a rich aroma of spices with fruit scents in the background that makes for a very pleasant nose. Upon tasting, you are greeted with strong tannins with blackberry and cherry lingering in the background for a smooth finish. This wine has a pleasant tartness to it, and sucks the moisture out of your mouth.

When I bought a $7 Bourdeaux, I suppose I had different expectations. I found this bottle very pleasant after spending about 10 minutes cooling off in the fridge (gotta get it a little closer to that wonderful 65 degrees). This wine will suck the moisture from your mouth, but not to the point where it is unpleasant. It does not specify a region, which I assume means that the grapes just come from wherever. Thankfully 2005 was a great year in Bourdeaux. While I have had wines I have enjoyed much more, for seven bucks, you cannot go wrong with this French table wine. This would go great with a steak or maybe some lasagna, and it won't cost you a fortune should you have company to share it with.

The Beginning Of The Ending!

Welcome to the Untamed Palate. I work in a wine shop and I want to share my love of wine with other people. Here I will try to review at least one wine a week, giving you my thoughts on taste, consistency, scent and anything else that would affect your enjoyment of this wonderful substance. Thank you and enjoy.