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Wine Reviews

HomeWine Reviews (Page 8)

By 0European Wines, Sparkling Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  Time for more bubbles! This one post a day challenge I set myself is going swimmingly. Or maybe all the wine just makes it seem like it is!  Riesling is possibly my favorite grape. Riesling bubbles?! Forget about it.  Advent day 16 Von Winning Riesling Extra Brut Sekt From the Deidesheim area of the Pfalz, the organic grapes for this non-vintage wine came from chalky, loess-clay soils and red sandstone. The wine, a traditional method, rested for some 24-28 months on the lees before disgorging. Lightly golden with excited bubbles bursting with aromas of warm citrus, golden apple, brioche, and crushed gravel. Bone dry with a creamy mousse and searing acidity. Gotta love

By 1Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  This particular wine is another review long in coming. I opened it last winter for Open That Bottle night. I bought this when I visited Barbare to interview the owner for my book. That must have been six years ago now? Barbare wines are generally fairly easy to access, but these premiere varietal wines less so which is why I'd been holding onto it.  Worth. The. Wait! Advent day 15 Barbare Premiere Mourvedre, 2012 This 100% Mourvedre aged for 36 months in French oak. Knowing that it would be tight out of the bottle, I opened it, decanted it, then went to Saturday evening Mass before coming home to make dinner and

By 0European Wines, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  Today's Advent wine takes us on a journey to Greece! I don't think I've done a Greek wine yet, how unusual of me. Most definitely time to rectify that. And, because I love an unusual grape, I'm getting two for the price of one post today! Advent day 13 Gonidakis Potamisios, 2021 Gonidakis Family Vineyards is one of Greece's many island wineries. Not from the famous Santorini, but one of the often overlooked Cycladic islands, Kynthos. Owner Kostas Gonidakis focuses on Cycladic grape varieties, several of which seem to be exclusive to his vineyards. Almost certainly I got this from Greece and Grapes, my favorite wine shopping website in Greece. Since I've

By 1Turkish Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  To begin, I must admit that I'm cheating a little on this one. I actually opened this wine ages ago but never got around to posting about it. Kastro Tireli's first, and for a long time only white wine was a Viognier-Narince blend. In the spring of 2022, the winery released a two new wines, a Narince Reserve  and this Viognier Reserve as varietal wines. [caption id="attachment_19742" align="alignright" width="333"] Even Dr Watson was curious![/caption] Advent day 12 Kastro Tireli Viognier Reserve, 2018 Warm lemon color on the pour. Aromas of pear compote sprinkled with brown spice and a dash of vanilla cream floated out from the glass. Pure silk texture glided over the

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  My love of Ma'Adra's Pinot Noir and Carbonic Maceration Öküzgözü (one of the only Öküzgözü wines I like), I have document well and thoroughly. Most of their other wines I explored in my early Turkish wine days and haven't revisited. Until now. Advent day 11 Ma'Adra Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2018 Sigh. Ma'Adra went with the heavy format bottle for this one. Heavy bottles does not mean quality wine, people. I don't harp on about the environment but, come on. This one is easy. The wine filling the unnecessarily heavy bottle, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 24 months in French Bordeaux barrels.  Deep, opaque ruby color that was initially very tight in

By 0American Wines, Sparkling Wine, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  How have I been doing this for over a week and I'm only just now getting to a bottle of bubbles?! This was well worth the wait though. A bizarrely well-travelled wine that went from New York state to Seattle then finally to me in Istanbul. I've had a still Dr. Konstantine Frank in the past, but never bubbles before now.  Advent day 10 Dr. Konstantine Frank Brut, 2013 A traditional method sparkling wine blending traditional Champagne grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. The wine was disgorged in October 2018, meaning it spent an impressive (more or less) five years on the lees then another close to five bottle ageing.  Pale

By 0Red Wine, Turkish Wine, Wine Reviews

  Week one of Advent challenge has been met and I'm still going strong! I bounced around the globe during the first week so decided to open week two back at home. Although "home" is a little bit of a stretch when the wine comes from the opposite end of the country to Istanbul. Advent day 9 Midin Miras (red), 2021 Midin's Miras red wine blends together mostly Öküzgözü and Boğazkere with small additions of the regional grapes Gavdoni and Raşegurnık aged for 10 months in oak.  Opaque purple-ruby in the glass with bramble fruit compote, cedar, forest spices, and vanilla aromas. Medium tannins and high alcohol (14.5%) gave the palate a fulsome

By 0European Wines, White Wine, Wine Reviews

  I've had this wine for about a year and finally pulled it out. A gift from Austria from a friend who knows of my love for all the Muscats of the world. With no indication on the label to give me any idea as to its sweetness level, I really had no idea what to expect.  But, sweet or dry, I thought something as aromatic as Gelber Muskateller (more well-known as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) would do well with Indian food. I made a feast using recipes from my friend Kay's Punjab cookbook and crossed my fingers. Advent Day 8 Winzerhof Kridlo Sierndorfer Schatz Gelber Muskateller, 2019 When I opened the