Wines - A Critical Review ****** Terre Sauvage 1988 France ****** Chateau Bonnet 1996 France bluish, a bit cloudy fresh, spicy, sweet soft, slightly sour, full-bodied ***** La source de Vignelaure 1991 France rich, dark, transparent strong, slightly sour full-bodied ***** Marques de Arienzo 1996 Spain dark, transparent, brown sour soft ***** Millcreek Merlot 1996? Macedonia dark purple pungent soft, slightly bitter ***** Yellow Label 1995 Australia dark fruity red mild, sweetish soft, slightly bubbly and sweet ***** La Bouverie 1994 France dark red mild, fruity very soft ***** Nipozzano 1996 Italy dark fruity red mild, slightly sour soft, mild, slightly sour **** Montecillo Viña Cumbrero 1996 Spain very dark red strong sour/bitter soft, strong, sour, a bit sweet **** Claret Bordeaux 1995? France dark red strong, a bit stale mild, fresh **** Castillo Montroy Reserva 1994 France dark, slightly blue mild soft, mildish **** La Cuvée Euromillesia 1993 France transparent, darkish mild, slightly sour slightly bitter, sweet aftertaste **** Castillo de Molina 1997 Chile dark, almost opaque a bit stale, sweet, sour strong, sour, bitter **** Paternina Banda Azul 1997 Spain transparent, juicy strongish, sour strong, sour, a bit bitter&sweet **** Viña Albali 1989 Spain dark, fruity, transparent pungent mild, sweetish **** Canaletto Salento 1998 Italy transparent, juicy soft, slightly sour soft, a bit bitter **** Rioja Bordón 1996 Spain light, transparent soft, sweet, sour mild, soft **** Mandrielle 1996 Italy dark, a bit bubbly strong, sweet soft, slightly bitter and sour **** Pata Negra Gran Reserva 1991 Spain very dark, transparent mild, sweet, sour soft, mild **** Finca La Linda 1995 Argentina very dark red bitter soft, strong, slightly floury **** Sangre de Toro 1995 Spain dark, bluish strong, slightly sour strong, slightly sweet **** Bergerac Rouge 1995? France rich, dark red slightly sour soft, mildish **** Chateau Reynier 1995 France dark, a bit cloudy fresh, slightly pungent soft, slightly sour and bitter **** Viña Zara 1996 Spain transparent, darkish pungent, sour strong, soft, sour, bitter **** Gabbia d'Oro 1998 Italy transparent, bluish red strong sweetish, sourish, bitterish **** René Barbier 1994 Spain light, transparent strong, fresh strong, slightly bitter **** René Barbier 1997 Spain dark red strong strong, slightly sour **** Isla Negra Bonarda 1998 Argentina dark red almost non-existent soft, mild **** Marqués del Puerto 1997 Spain transparent, darkish mld, sour, bitterish softish, sour, bitter **** Oriachovitza 1993 Bulgaria dark red mild, slightly pungent slightly bitter, sweet aftertaste **** Tocornal 1996 Chile dark, a bit cloudy strong, a bit pungent soft, slightly sour **** Vin de Crete 1996 Greece dark bluish red strong, fresh, bitterish slightly bitter and sweet **** Viña Eguia 1997 Spain dark, transparent strong sour strong, softish, bitterish, floury **** Santa Rita Reserva 1994 Chile dark red fresh, slightly pungent soft, slightly floury **** La Vieille Eglise 1995 France dark red mild, slightly sour soft, sweetish, floury **** Peñascal 1996? Spain dark red soft, sweet soft **** Santa Carolina 1998 Chile very dark, bluish red mild, slightly sour soft, mild **** Citra 1998 Italy dark bluish red pungent, sour, fresh bitter, sour *** Viña Rustica 1998 Spain light, berryish colour sour, slightly bitter softish, a bit bitter *** Manoir d'Olivier 1992 France bright, darkish red fresh, sweet soft, mild *** Gato Negro 1995 Chile dark, bluish red slightly sour stale *** Siglo 1996 Spain brightish, transparent sour, mildly sweet strong, sour *** Aldea 1994 Spain light, fresh strong, slightly sour mild, slightly bitter *** Ederra 1996 Spain transparent, darkish slightly sour slightly sour *** Marquisat 1996? France fruity, transparent mild, slightly sweet bitter, fruity, sweet aftertaste *** Baron de Ley Reserva 1994 Spain darkish, transparent mild, sweet, sour mild, soft, sourish, a bit floury *** Carta Vieja 1998 Chile dark a bit stale, sweet, sour bitter, slightly floury *** Sunrise 1998 Chile dark strong, sour, sweet very sweet, slightly bitter *** Lancellotta dell'Emilia 1998 Italy bright, dark red pungent, sour, bitter strong, bitter *** Monasterio 1996? Spain fresh, transparent slightly pungent sweet, sour *** Belle Ville 1997? France dark, bluish red mild, slightly sour mild, slightly bitter *** Doña Isabella 1996 Spain transparent mild, slightly sour soft, bitter aftertaste *** Las Campanas 1995 Spain red mild, slightly sour strong, slightly bitter *** Raimat 1996 Spain dark, bluish red strong, slightly sour soft, seriously sour *** Castillo San Simón 1996 Spain light, transparent fresh mild, fruity *** Castel del Monte 1996? Italy light, a bit cloudy fresh, strong soft, slightly sour *** Santa Emiliana 1995 Chile dark, bluish red strong, fresh, bitterish strong, slightly sweet *** Beaujolais Village Tastebon 1994 France fresh, transparent fresh mild, fruity, slightly sour *** Glorioso 1995 Spain dark, almost opaque strong, slightly sour mild, smooth *** Castell del Diablo 1994? Chile rich, dark red mild, strange mild *** Soñorio de los Llanos 1999? Spain darkish, transparent sour strong, sour, a bit floury *** Santa Cecilia 1998 Chile transparent, darkish sweet, slightly sour sweet, sour, very bubbly *** Cune 1997 Spain lightish, berryish sour sour, slightly pungent *** Otoñal 1998 Spain very transparent darkish mild, sweet mild, soft, slightly bitter ** Portapalo Rosso di Sicilia 1996? Italy dark red mild mild, slightly sour, bubbly ** Don Sancho 1996? Spain dark, bluish red mild, slightly sour very mild, soft, sweet aftertaste ** Douro 1995 Portugal dark red, transparent bitter, sweet very mild, slightly bitter
Due to public pressure I had to make this web version of my notes on wines.
I list here wines with some description of them. I shall add new ones as I
have tried them. All wines are red because I just happen to prefer them over
white ones. Look for explanatory notes after the table.
I have made these notes since 1996 and add from 15 to 25 new wines to the list
annually. The only thing I marked down somewhere previous to this list was
that 'Terre Sauvage' is an excellent wine. Therefore its characteristics are
not mentioned.
Grade
Name
Vintage
Country
Colour
Odour
Flavour
Explanatory notes:
Grades: This is a rough grading and variation within a grade group may
be vast. The grading was given based on one occasion of experimentation and
always in connection with a dinner. Therefore the meal and situation may have
distorted the grading of some wines. General explanations are given below.
Vintage: In some occasions the year when the wine was bottled is not
printed on the label. Then I have assumed it was from the previous year and
marked a question mark after the year.
Colour, Odour, and Flavour: I have deliberately avoided all those fancy
and pompous words that so called wine experts use. My aim was to use basic
words to relay the sensation to the readers so that most of them understand
what I mean. For the flavours I used only the four basic flavours that one can
taste: sweet, bitter, sour, and salty (my dictionary claims there is a
connection between salty and pungent flavours).
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Created by Rami T. F. Rekola