2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net






2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot
#nb-35-11


Anytime you can get a quality bottle of wine for around ten dollars, you know you are going to have a successful dinner even if you are not the world's greatest cook. Just get a bottle of the 2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot, and throw a couple of steaks on the grill, and you are in business.

"The Grand Estates Merlot holds center court in the vast Columbia Crest portfolio. This new release, which has received extra bottle age, is seamless, smoky, supple and seductive. Exotic sandalwood and Asian spices weave from the nose into the palate, wrapped around broad black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors. A darker streak of black olive and licorice runs into a finish replete with tannins that are tight and hint at stem." 88 Points - The Wine Enthusiast

We have enjoyed many vintages of the Grand Estates Merlot in the past, and the 2007 ranks right up there with some of the best from years gone by. The wine has an excellent nose with aromas of cherry and dark berries assaulting your senses. The flavors abound with the same cherry and blackberry flavors, coupled with subtle hints of oak which lead into a clean and lingering finish. This Merlot is actually a blend containing small amounts of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon to balance out its complex taste. The alcohol content is 13.5%.

This a good sturdy bottle of wine which will make an able companion to almost any grilled meat, or spicy sauced meat or pasta dish. If you love sipping red wine, this would be a favorite to be enjoyed with a hearty Vermont white cheddar cheese. Norm's score is 91.

Price: $11 to $15
Score: 91

Norm

Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:
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WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

2009 d'Arenberg The Stump Jump Red

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net






2009 d' Arenberg The Stump Jump Red
#nb-34-11


Making wine since 1927, the d' Arenberg Winery near McLaren Vale, Australia, has not only grown some pretty good grapes, they have grown themselves a pretty good reputation for making good wines as well. The 2009 The Stump Jump Red is a blend of 42% Grenache, 33% Shiraz and 25% Mourvedre and has the finesse of wines costing two or three times as much!

The wine opens with the aromas of red berries and plums, which become quite heady the longer the wine remains in the glass. The flavors suggest the plums plus blackberries, and a slight peppery undertone, supplied, no doubt, from the Shiraz. The wine has a firm grasp of your senses which lingers on into a smooth and mild finish of tannin and toasty oak, which serve to clean the palate and require closer examination in the next sip.

This is a wonderful bottle of wine, for not a lot of money, and is delightful with almost any grilled meat or spicy dish. The Stump Jump Red would be a perfect companion for venison stew with fresh warm sourdough bread. If the Fall weather gets you out to your grill, then take a bottle of The Stump Jump with you to consume while you are cooking. That is, of course, if you have another bottle available for the dinner. Norm's score is 89.

Price: $10 to $14
Score: 89

Norm

Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:
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WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

2010 Kris Pinot Grigio

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net






2010 Kris Pinot Grigio
#nb-33-11


A bouquet of flowers burst upon your senses like magnolias and gardenias on a hot southern night. The warm aromas of this Pinot Grigio descend to your taste buds with a blanket of rich fruit, suggesting peaches and melon. The 2010 Kris Pinot Grigio is full of flavor and creates a pleasant assault on your taste buds which continues on into a delightful clean finish, with faint memories of flowers and fruit.

Kris is a secondary label for the wines of Franz Haas, whose family-run estate has been producing wine from Italy since 1880. The Kris is 100% Pinot Grigio, and is made from grapes grown in the Delle Venezie, near Friuli, Italy. These grapes were harvested in September of 2010, and were fermented in stainless steel tanks to produce an un-altered Pinot Grigio taste which is clean and crisp. This wine will be best drunk in the next eighteen months. The alcohol content is 12.5%.

We enjoyed this delightful Pinot Grigio with a lemon-pepper roasted chicken, accompanied by fresh yellow crook-neck squash and baked potato. This wine would also be excellent with Pasta Alfredo, or a mild seafood dish like broiled flounder, with white clam sauce. This is also a top candidate for a "back porch sipper". Norm's score is 90.

Price: $12 to $15
Score: 90

Norm

Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:
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WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

2009 Frescobaldi Remole Toscana

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net






2009 Frescobaldi Remole Toscana
#nb-32-11


Tuscany, Italy conjures up visions of sun-bathed rolling hills covered with grape vines, and smothered with romance. This area of Italy has been producing wine for more than 2000 years, and the Marchesi de' Frescobaldi has been making wine in Tuscany for more than 700 of those years. The 2009 Remole Toscana is a fine example of these wonderful wines, and is in the value priced category. This is a blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and comes in at 12.5% alcohol.

The Remole is a pretty ruby red in color, with a nose of cassis and blackberry. The flavors swirl in the glass with hints of blackberry, currant, and cherry, which sail into a clean, yet lingering finish. This is an easy drinking wine which is still young, and opens up considerably in the glass, so breathing it for a half hour before drinking would be suggested.

We enjoyed this Tuscan Blend with a big plate of spaghetti marinara with meat, and a green garden salad. This wine would pair well with almost any pasta dish, and would be a good substitute for Chianti. It would also be perfect with Chicken Caccciatore. Norm's score is 87.

Price: $10 to $12
Score: 87


Norm


Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:
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WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

2010 Big House Unchained "Naked" Chardonnay

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net






2010 Big House Unchained "Naked" Chardonnay
#nb-30-11


The weather forecast said hot and humid for the next three days, and the Chardonnay Queen said, "might as well be, that's the way its been for the last three months." The "dog days" are upon us and have been for it seems, forever. Because of the heat, we have been eating a lot of salads for dinner, which are better than hot meals these days.

Last night we had a chilled seafood salad and a bottle of 2010 Big House Unchained "Naked" Chardonnay. This is a 100% Chardonnay which was fermented in stainless steel tanks with no oak, and no malolactic fermentation. It showcases the fruit, and is clean and refreshing, and a good companion for cold salad on a hot night.

The aroma is fresh and fruity, as is the taste of the wine, with tropical fruit overtones. The finish is crisp with a hint of citrus and literally fades away into the heat of the night. The alcohol content is 13%. I would not choose this wine for a heavy dinner like lobster and drawn butter, but it goes well with lighter fare such as our chilled salad. Norm's score is 84.

Price: $9 to $12
Score: 84

Norm

Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:
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WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

2010 Bodegas Callia Alta Malbec

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net






2010 Bodegas Callia Alta Malbec
#nb-28-11


Over the last five or six years, I have sampled some pretty nice Malbec wines from Chile, but last night we tried a Malbec from Argentina, and liked it quite a lot. It was the 2010 Bodegas Callia Alta Malbec from the Tulum Valley in Argentina.

Malbec is one of the original Bordeaux grapes from France and has a history of being blended with other grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, to add an earthy backbone to some of the great Chateau wines. The grape seems to thrive in the mountains and valleys below the equator and is becoming a single variety wine of some stature on its own.

This wine hails from the province of San Juan where the Tulum Valley is located. The climate is moderate with low rainfall, and rich soil which produces grapes with intense juicy flavors. The Callia Malbec opens with a fragrant aroma of plums and currants which transition into big flavors of plum and currant, with undertones of cherry. The wine feels good in your mouth with long legs of glycerin, leading to a lingering finish suggesting a slight vanilla oak presence. The alcohol level is 13.5%

I had sampled a previous vintage of Callia a couple of years ago, but had not found it to be as outstanding as this 2010 vintage. We enjoyed this bottle of wine with braised beef tips in a rich brown mushroom gravey, and found it to be delightful. It would pair well with most any grilled meat or spicy sauced pasta dish. Norm's score is 89.


Price: $9 to $12
Score: 89


Norm

Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:
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cumminghome.com
pineisland-eagle.com
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WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity

2009 Danzante Pinot Grigio

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net






2009 Danzante Pinot Grigio
#nb-28-11


My wife Mary (the "Chardonnay Queen") and I, have several wines which we call "house favorites". These are wines which we have enjoyed over several years, and several vintages, and are consistent winners for taste and value. Our house favorite Pinot Grigio is Danzante, whether for light fare meals, or just back porch sipping.

The 2009 Danzante Pinot Grigio comes from grapes grown in the northeastern region of Italy know as Le Venezie. The climate is a little cool in the summer and produces some of the best Pinot Grigio in the world. This Danzante is a light yellow in color with an aroma of flowers and citrus. The flavors are typical of Pinot Grigio with pronounced swirls of pineapple, mixed with citrus and tropical fruit. The alcohol level is 12%.

As I said before this wine pairs well with light fare from seafood to Santa Fe chicken salad. We enjoy it often as a before dinner glass of wine, or as an evening refresher with a bowl of grapes. Its clean crisp finish is perfect for these hot summer evenings. Norm's score is 87.


Price: $7 to $10
Score: 87

Norm

Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/

Norm's Tasting Notes available online at either:
dawsontimes.com
cumminghome.com
pineisland-eagle.com
thecherokeeconnection.com







WINE - God's proof of his love for humanity