Beronia, Rioja, Tempranillo Elaboracion Especial

At long last I am back with another review.  This one is a dry Rioja from Spain.  

Wine: Beronia Rioja Tempranillo Elaboracion Especial

Location: Spain

Sugar content: 6g/L

Price:$15.95

Vintages number: 426981

Is it possible for a full-bodies wine to have lighter delicate flavours? This is a question I am wrestling with. The LCBO describes this wine as full-bodied and smooth. While it is full-bodied for a wine made with Tempranillo grapes, I would describe it as medium-bodied with light fruity flavours. Strawberry, vanilla and mild tannins.  It is balanced and smooth with a clean finish. It is dry, but not like the Plantaze Vranac, despite only a slight difference in sugar content.  While the Vranac was so dry it felt like the moisture was being sucked out of the back of my throat, the Tempranillo is pleasant and refreshing. I definitely recommend drinking this wine on it's own, unlike the Vranac which is best paired with food.  

Fruity, fresh, balanced, clean, I definitely recommend this wine and hope to have it again soon.

Recommendation:  Uncork

Rating:  8.5 out of 10

Villa Wolf Pinot Noir

Possibly known more for their white wine, we are having a look at the Villa Wolf Pinot Noir from Germany.

Wine: Villa Wolf Pinot Noir
Location: Germany
Sugar content: 6g/L
Price: $14.95
Vintages number: 292971

The Villa Wolf is a medium to light ruby colour with aromas of spice cherry.

Typical of Pinot Noir wines, the flavours are mild. Cherry, cranberry and mild spice.  The flavours are nicely balanced, and the finish is smooth.

Pinot flavours are not bold enough for my palate. That being said, this is a nice wine that I would gladly drink again.

Recommendation: Uncork
Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Alazani Valley Red from Tbilvino

The Alazani Valley red is a blended wine from the Republic of Georgia. It is grown in the Alazani Valley of South-Eastern Georgia. It is a blend of Saperavi grapes, a very dark red grape native to Georgia and Rkatsiteli which means red stem but are actually white grapes. These grapes have apparently been used since 3000 BC but this is difficult to verify.

Wine:  Alazani Valley

Location: Republic of Georgia

Sugar Content:  38g/L

Price:  $14.95

Vintages number: 142109

A deep ruby red, this wine has sweet aromas of spiced plum and berries. This wine is the sweetest we have tried so far weighing in at a whopping 38g/L but is classified as semi-sweet. The flavours are reminiscent of a zinfandel.  The wine is balanced with a clean finish.  The flavours are of strawberry with a finish reminiscent of canned peaches which I assume is the influence of the Rkatsiteli grapes.

The flavours are pleasant but too sweet for my palate. If you enjoy zinfandel then you should give this a try. I chilled this wine in the refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to trying. You might want to chill it longer or you could even serve over ice and enjoy on a hot day with veggies, fruit and light cheeses.

I liked this wine but it is too sweet for me to enjoy on a regular basis. For people who enjoy semi-sweet white wines and zinfandel then I think you might want to give this a try.

Recommendation:  Uncork (For people who enjoy semi-sweet wine)

Rating: 8 out of 10

Solaz

Another Spanish wine.  This time it is the Solaz Tempranillo - Cabernet Sauvignon blend.

Wine:  Solaz Tempranillo-Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Location: Spain

Sugar content: 6g/L

Price: $11.45

Vintages number: 610188

A dark red, this wine  has very mild aromas of sweet berries with floral notes. 

The flavours are also mild. Currant, and stronger tannins than I like with a slightly astringent finish. This is not my favourite wine. The flavours are not unpleasant but not strong enough to make an impact. The finish is not bad, but not great. I have had many wines that are worse but a lot that are better. This wine would be fine with a meal but I wouldn't recommend drinking it on its own.  I won't be buying this wine again.

Recommendation: Cork

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Borsao Tinto Garnacha

We're going back to the future for this one. I tried to review this wine earlier but got a bad bottle.  Fortunately that wasn't a problem this time around.  

The Borsao Tinto Garnacha is a blend of of Garnacha, Tempranillo and Cabernet-Sauvignon grapes grown in the Campo de Borja area of Spain. 

Wine:  Borsao Tinto Garnacha

Location: Spain

Sugar content:  6 g/L

Price: $11.95

Vintages number: 386961

This wine is a deep red colour with floral and spice aromas. It tastes of fresh cherry and raspberry with slight vanilla and spice. It is a medium-bodied wine, smooth with a pleasant finish.

This wine has the fruit flavours I enjoy and is good enough to become a regular. I can't decide if I like this wine better than the Radio Boka so I guess I will have to try both of them again and see if I can decide. 

Bottom line:  I like the Borsao a lot and I will gladly drink it again. 

Recommendation: Uncork

Rating:  8.5 out of 10

LAN Crianza Rioja 2010

The LAN Crianza is a Spanish wine made with Tempranillo grapes.  This fruit is black, native to Spain and known to create full-bodied wines.

This wine was aged in French and American Oak in order to produce a balanced, flavorful wine.

Wine: LAN Crianza Rioja
Location: Spain
Sugar content: 5g/L
Price: $15.95
Vintages number: 166538

This wine is a dark ruby colour.  The odour is a mild spiced plum.  The flavour is much the same although I would describe it as spiced cherry as opposed to the plum bouquet. The flavours are nice but possibly over-powered slightly by the astringency.  This does not linger however and it has a mild, pleasant finish.

While this wine does not contain the full fruit flavours I prefer, and despite the slight astringency, it is a pleasant wine. It will not make my regular rotation but it's not bad.

Recommendation:  Uncork
Rating:  7.5 out of 10

Ezimit Merlot

Our latest tasting is the Ezimit Merlot from Macedonia. In the communist era, Macedonia produced a lot of wine and was responsible for about 67% of wine production in the former Yugoslavia. Post-communism, wine production decreased by about 75%.

Macedonia largely produces red wines (Accounting for 80% of production) and includes numerous varieties including the Vranac, Kratosija, Cabernet and Merlot.  It also has a domestic variety called Stanušina Crna which is relatively unknown outside of Macedonia.

Wine: Ezimit Merlot

Location: Macedonia

Sugar content: 10g/L

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $7.95

Vintages number: 261560

This Macedonian Merlot is a ruby red colour. It has an aroma of currants and slight vanilla. The flavours are mild plum and cherry.  It is smooth and balanced with a nice finish. There is no bitter or unpleasant aftertaste. Although the flavours are mild, this is a very refreshing young wine that is quite enjoyable. At only $7.95 a bottle, it is a wine I expect to enjoy with meals all summer long.  It is probably the best bargain brand I have tried.  I will gladly drink this wine again.

Recommendation:  Uncork

Rating:  8 out of 10