Name: Oak Vinyards
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California (Napa/Sonoma Valley)
Country: United States
Year: 2010
Price: $5.95
Winery review: Quite an interesting Chardonnay, in an era when so many are too sweet and extracted. There's plenty of orange and apricot fruit flavor, but also a brilliant streak of minerality, like a lick of cold steel, and the overall taste is dry. Really easy to like, with lots of complexity to warrant repeated sipping.
My review: This wine was a quite oaky and maybe even skunky on the nose. The taste followed suit with the scent; very oaky, bitter, acidic and dry. I did not enjoy this wine, and I can honestly say the only thing I agree with in the above review is that this wine was dry. Not an enjoyable experience.
I tasted this on its own without food.
Name: OBiKWA
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: ??
Country: South Africa
Year: 2010
Price: $7.95
Winery review: OBiKWA Sauvignon Blanc is the ideal summer wine and smacks of crisp tropical fruit with a smattering of gooseberries and fig. If you're planning a night out with mates - don't forget to bring along a bottle of this yummy potion!
My review: Acidic, tangy, fresh scent on the nose. VERY acidic taste. Also was a bit tangy and sour. I've said this before, but I have the most difficult time picking up on any fruit component in white wine with the exception of the occasional apple or pear. To me this wine was too light and weak-bodied.
I tasted this on its own without food.
Name: Tres Ojos
Variety: Old Vines
Region: ??
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $6.95
Winery review: Bright ruby color. Primary dark berry aromas are simple but offer very good purity and focus. Juicy blackberry and bitter cherry flavors are youthfully tangy, with good back-end acidity adding snap. The clean, brisk finish leaves behind notes of sweet dark berry preserves and cracked pepper.
My review: Wonderful bouquet. Very creamy/buttery on the nose with elements of blackberry. Completely disappointed with this wine's taste. VERY DRY - the driest wine I have tried to date by far. The girl next to me poured out the rest of this wine after taking a sip. Had a smoky, creamy flavor that overall left a bad taste in my mouth. I was really excited about trying this wine after smelling it, but was completely turned off after tasting.
I tasted this on its own without food.
Name: Faraway Farms
Variety: Shiraz
Region: ??
Country: South Africa
Year: 2008
Price: $5.95
Winery review: Fresh, modern style, with lots of plum pudding, sweet chocolate, mocha, blackberry and boysenberry flavors supported by round, sweet tannins and toast.
My review: Similar on the nose to the Tres Ojos Garnacha. Butter popcorn and cigarette smoke on the nose. Not quite as dry as the last one, but still too dry for my taste. Creamy aftertaste with no distinct fruit component. Shiraz (Syrah) is probably my favorite variety, so I was pretty disappointed this one didn't have more of that typical sweet, jammy component to it.
I tasted this on its own without food.
Name: Primo Amore
Variety: Moscato
Region: ??
Country: Italy
Year: ??
Price: $8.95
Winery review: Straw-yellow with golden reflections and a delicate mousse. Fruity and very inviting, with intense scents of peaches and exotic fruit. Fresh and pleasantly sweet with a taste that reveals its varietal characteristic.
My review: Sugary, sweet apple scent to it. Very bubbly and tasted sweet - which was greatly welcomed after the past two overly dry wines. Did not have a fruit component that stood out to me, but overall this wine was very pleasant to taste.
I tasted this on its own without food.
Name: Zonin
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: ??
Country: Italy
Year: 2009
Price: $5.95
Winery review: Pale straw-yellow color with brilliant reflections. Delicately fruity bouquet, with outstanding finesse and marked hints of almond blossom and peaches. Elegant, soft and well-structured fruit on the palate, with remarkable freshness and a clean, persistent aftertaste.
My review: Scent of crisp apple on the nose. Also had a tart/sour component to it. Tasted very crisp, acidic, and balanced. I was unable to detect much of a fruit component in the taste and tend to have this problem with almost all white wines I try.
I tasted this on its own without food.
Name: Estrella
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2010
Price: $5.95
Winery review: Intensely flavored and balanced with layers of vanilla, butter and pear, followed by apple, banana and oak.
My review: I was able to pick up a sour (apple?) gum component on the nose but not much else. Tasted rather bitter and had too much oak for my liking. Very acidic and did not have much of a fruit component to me.
I tasted this on its own without food.
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