zufrieden's Wines Subscribe to this Feed

zufrieden's Review:

The wine is deep, dense and opaquely red in color. There are layers of forward, moderately mouth-puckering tannins with decent enough pH balance to suggest structure and aging potential. Coffee, blueberry, cigar, raspberry chocolate and wet clay earth predominate on the nose with good merlot varietal flavors lingering for a medium finish. A decent wine with at least 5 years of aging potential. Very good value from this St-Emilion satellite region.

zufrieden's Review:

Church and State Wines located in Brentwood Bay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia sources most of its grapes from the Okaganan Valley as in the case of Saddle Ridge. This 100% Syrah was bottle-aged by the writer for 2 years in reasonable cellaring conditions. The results, as they say, were better than expected. The wine is dark and brooding with havana cigar and plum predominating on the nose. With well-integrated oak and tannin, the wine is perfect for immediate consumption. Leather, white pepper and dessicated black fruit flavors caress the palate followed by a medium to long finish. Excellenct balance.Compares favorably with a Crozes-Hermitage from a good purveyor and vintage. Well dbne!

zufrieden's Review:

This Mendoza Bodega never impressed me much in the past, but this nunber is a clear winner. We have a deep, dense and powerful wine dominated by the plummy, blackcurrant flavors of the 3 principal cepages used in the blend. The Malbec lends some nice rusticity without detracting from the overall sense of quality. Oak is also well integrated, and the wine might even improve with another year or two in the bottle.Excellent red for roast beef, barbecue or sitting by the fire on a cool autumn evening. Recommended!

zufrieden's Review:

The color of subtle yellow tinted glass, this Prosecco has good mousse with a soft, near-neutral flavor upon entry. This is followed by subtle flecks of cotton candy and grape phosphate with just enough astringency to clarify those confection-like overtones. It is quite dry for the typical fare one sees in St. Mark's Square in mid-summer but good value and quality notwithstanding.

zufrieden's Review:

Extolled in equal measure by Toronto wine journalist Beppi Crosariol and Vancouver wine reviewer Anthony Gismondi, this Pinot Noir is a local masterwork. It shows typical leather and stewed fruit on the nose followed by a satisfying, lengthy finish and flavors of dark chocolate, strawberry preserve and sugared confit. Very impressive and worthy of further bottle-aging. Akin to a top-shelf New Zealand wine, this Pinot is perhaps the best ever from British Columbia.

zufrieden's Review:

Typical Sonoma (Northern California) nose of wild meadow flowers in June with a whiff of oak and spice. Nice, transparent yellow-green hue associated with a young chardonnay. The entry is clean, with toasty oak barrique, ginger and allspice followed by a clean, medium finish. A well-crafted, satisfying draft if a bit hot. Recommended for any summer patio offering - especially with seafood appetizers.

zufrieden's Review:

The 2006 Haut-Bergey is a suave wine of great purity with typical cassis, Virginia cigarette ash and lead pencil on mid-palate. Gorgeous blood-red color with excellent glycerol-like viscosity. Very approachable with soft tannins although capable of several years of prudent cellaring. The wine may open up a bit in 2-3 years. You might consider buying a case of this one.

zufrieden's Review:

A somewhat closed nose with typical berry cordial scent that breaks through nicely once this dark, luscious liquid caresses the tongue. There are puckering tannins, but these are gentle and approachable now - with obvious potential for 5-6 years of bottle aging. Not as powerful and dense as the 2005 (to be expected), but a beautifully crafted, balanced and delicious wine. This well-regarded property just never seems to let you down. In my opinion, this wine is better than many 4th and 5th Growths of this vintage.

zufrieden's Review:

This wine has surprising heft and is slightly backward. Deep blackberry and coffee notes electrify the olfactory bulbs but streaks of astringency may detract from overall drinking pleasure. Still, there is good structure and balance and this suggests a long life. Hold until 2012 or later. This edition has the classified growth quality sometimes absent in prior vintages.

zufrieden's Review:

Almost opaque cherry-black in colour. There is cracked pepper, red currant and menthol - eucalyptus on the nose. The entry is warm and viscous; tannins are soft and supple. Rusticity is apparent, but in acceptable - even charming doses. Syrah and Carmenere seem to dominate the taste profile and offer a medium, satisfying finish. Ready to drink now, but capable of 2-3 more years in the cellar - if you can stand the wait. Excellent value!