Two new wines were opened, as well as a surprise, and the results were mixed. One we didn’t like, and I think I know why. The other wine was on a sale rack for $6.99 and is an incredible bargain at that price point, and I do mean incredible. The surprise was good and fun. Here two of them are:
Colle del Sole and a Mini Keg
The third was a bottle of Cupcake Vineyards 2011 Red Velvet lend, and for some reason I forgot to take a picture of it. Here’s one from the Cupcake Vineyards site:
We’ll start with the Cupcake.
Wine: Cupcake Red Velvet Winery Location: California
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: Feb, 2013
Tasting Notes: Immediately this strikes me as a Zinfandel blend, and that is exactly what it is. Throw in some Cabernet, Merlot and Petite Sirah and you’ve still got a Zinfandel blend. Ruby red in color, quite pretty actually and brilliant. There’s cherry on the nose, as well as a little bit of a candied quality. Light bodied it has that fruit juice quality which makes it a good summer sipper, I guess, but also means we won’t be drinking any more of it. I’m just not a fan of this style, and to me, all Zin blends taste the same.
Price Point – $8-$10
Would We Buy It? – Nope. Not a fan of Zin blends and this is no exception.
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Wine: Colle del Sole Rosso Piceno 2007 Winery Location: Italy
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: Feb 2013
Tasting Notes: This is an interesting wine. It was on the sale cart at a local wine shop, not one I usually buy at because the prices tend to be high. But for $6.99 how can you go wrong? It’s a Sangiovese blend from Italy. At opening it was tight and tannic with dark fruit on the nose, as well as some meaty undertones. There was some nice dark fruit on the palate, but it was still restrained. I wasn’t sure right away. Just wait half an hour though. This opens up and smooths out, presenting deep, dark fruits in a full bodied blast with a very long finish. The tannins are still there although they smooth out as well. I think this is really, really good. I looked it up on Cellar Tracker, and it had 2 reviews for a combined 84.5/100. While we don’t give numerical scores, I can tell you that is way too low. I’d give it (if I had to) 91-93. Decant it for half an hour to an hour and it will act like a brunello that’s still got some years. Maybe it’s just personal preference but this to me was an excellent wine. At $6.99 it’s just silly, and the guy at the store said they couldn’t sell it. I’m having trouble really locating anything like it elsewhere so I’ll keep researching this one.
Price Point – $6.99, but that is crazy and irrelevant.
Would We Buy It? – I went back and cleared the sale cart. I’d buy as much as he had, but I already did! Sorry, but I don’t think you’ll be able to find this one.
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And last – a mini keg of Newcastle Brown Ale! We’ll leave the formal tasting notes aside, buy simply say that Newcastle is a great ale and one of our favorites Alex thought the mini-keg was beyond cool. It holds probably 18-20 regular 12 oz beers. Make sure you get it cold before you tap it, and keep a small paper towel wedge under the spout for drippings. Other than that enjoy!
Sometimes nothing beats a cold beer.
A votre sante!
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