Tasting- Crane Lake Riesling

Name: Crane Lake Riesling

Variety: Riesling

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Price: $5.95

Expert Review: The trademark German red grape varietal Dornfelder has a lovely purity of soft red berry fruit. Integrated soft tannins combined with forward fruit flavors make for a perfectly balanced everyday sipping wine. Great with grilled red meat, sausage and chicken. Best served slightly chilled.

My Review: This was a full yellow color. The aroma smelled like rotten fruit that retained some sweetness which also came through in the aroma. The mid palate was asparagus and citrus with hints of lemon zest. This was medium bodied but too sweet for my liking.

Food: This wine was tasted with no food due to tasting it at the Vintage Cellar.

Tasting- Crane Lake Shiraz

Name: Crane Lake Shiraz

Variety: Shiraz

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Price: $5.95

Expert Review: Beautiful ruby appearance, with blackberry and pepper notes. Tannins and fruit marry well for a soft finish. This wine pairs well with sharp cheddar cheese and hazelnuts. Also try it along with roast lamb at Easter time, veal marsala, or grilled salmon.

My Review: This was a dark red color and had a strong bacteria like aroma. The smell was leathery and moldy. It reminded me of rotting fruit and horse saddles. IT was hot in the mid palate but balanced out into the end and was very smooth. The taste was weak after a strong aroma and the primary flavor was cherry.

Food: This wine was tasted with no food due to tasting it at the Vintage Cellar.

Tasting- Georges Duboeuf Nouveau

Name: Georges Duboeuf Nouveau

Variety: Gamay

Region: Beaujolais

Country: France

Year: 2015

Price: $12 Sale: $5.95

Expert Review: George Duboeuf is THE king of Beaujolais.  His wines are full of pop, charm and great flavor and his Beaujolais Nouveau is no exception.  A cornucopia of expressive fruit wrapped in an almost-bubblegum-like frame; it is the flagship Nouveau.

My Review: This was a deep red, nearly purple colored wine. The aroma was musty with hints of soil and freshly turned earth. In the mid palate, this was dry with black cherry and currant as the primary flavors. The after taste highlighted the bitterness of the wine but overall a decent wine.

Food: This wine was tasted with no food due to tasting it at the Vintage Cellar.