Bit of a tasting note dump between the Maryland trip and Vancouver Pride, since I am not drinking for a week in a simultaneous effort to recover from Vancouver Pride antics and to prepare my liver for the Wine Bloggers Conference in New York. Huzzah. I am surprisingly doing well so far, and I have stepped into the world of non-alcoholic beer.
(I’ve failed miserably.)
There’s not really a common thread here, except for maybe the general Old World?
I’ve also found out that my travel buddy had to cancel her attendance to both the Wine Bloggers Conference and our pre-conference trip to NYC due to a health issue, so I’m semi-alone in NYC (semi- because I’m meeting up with some Vancouver friends still) and I’m a little scared but also super excited. It’ll be fun.
Viña Vedra 2013 Rías Baixas (Rías Baixas, Spain) $23
Val do Salnés subregion. Peachy fairy lights, chalk, and oyster shells. Saline and tangy white peach and white flowers.
Esprit de Pavie 2009 (Bordeaux, France) $55
65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Plummy and a bit of balsamic earth; leafy with dried flowers. Iron and acid on palate. Softly unforgiving.
Bodegas Roda 2011 “Sela” Rioja (Rioja, Spain) $?
95% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano, 2% Garnacha. Black cherries and vanilla bean. Chalky soft tannins and lots of flavourful charm on the palate, if not slightly warming.
Mönchhof Robert Eymael 2013 Riesling (Mosel, Germany) $32
Not super aromatic but glacial and floral on the nose with beeswax and peach. Finessed and feathery but somehow rich.
Marie-Pierre Manciat Crémant de Bourgogne Brut (Burgundy, France) $45
Lemon zest and earth on the nose, with no shortage of rich savoury bitter salty almond on the palate. Acidity not as high as I expected. Open. Apple flesh and hints of brioche on nose and hints of stony smoke. Lasting mousse. Yes.
Bottero Bianco (Veneto, Italy) $14 (1L)
Delicate pear, green banana, and stones on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied and round with a twinge of cloy on the back palate. Bye.
Bodegas Bonaval Cava (Cava, Spain) $15.5
Apple, yeast, mineral. Simple and maybe a hint watery but good value. Lemon and its zest on the palate with an earthy end. I should stop drinking entire bottles of wine before going out.
Sola Fred 2013 Montsant (Montsant, Spain) $20
90% Cariñena, 10% Garnacha. Can cola be green? Hint of game, but bitter on the palate. I could’ve sworn past vintages were better; perhaps reduction from the move to screwtop or something? I can’t with this
Vereinigten Hospitien 2007 Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese (Mosel, Germany) $49
Brilliant honeyed gold. Is it supposed to be this dark at this age? Oxidized apricots on the nose. Nutty mouthwatering oxidized apricots on the palate. Perhaps some premox from the looks of the cork but hard to tell. Need to retry. (Indeed, confirmed with the wine reps that this was oxidized and I hope to retry!)