Wine Tasting At WineSteals

Well, they call it a tasting but on Sunday afternoons it is more "getting snockered with wine" since they have a $10 for 6 tastes but what they don't always tell you is that on Sunday they change over their by-the-glass offering and to move last week's product the "taste" gets to be rather large in the glass. Most of them I stopped myself at about one-third of the pour just as not to (1) get drunk and (2) dull my taste buds so I can fairly access the other wines. From the vat-o-bottles my love and I selected the following:

Qupe 2007 Marsanne: Qupe makes great Rhone wines. This is the first white wine of theirs I have tasted and it was good. As typical with this Marsanne has a little Roussanne blended in producing a nice citrusy/honey nose, good fruit and a definite minerality on the tongue and finish that is quite nice. Enough acidity to make it crisp and moderately lower in alcohol made this a delightful opener.

Macon Uge 2007:Macon, Burgundy, so if it's white it's Chardonnay (amazing how many people there seemed confused by this). Macon will always hold a special place for me because it was the place where being American got me out of a traffic ticket (long story). Nice Chardonnay, full of fruit and hints of citronella and toast on the nose. Crisp acidity, some minerality in the finish.

Martin Alfaro 2006 Pinot Noir: Medium ruby color, aromas of red raspberries and cherries and a hint of spice. Good acidity, felt the tannins a little harsh but my partner seemed not to thing so. Overall good Pinot Noir.

Tres Ojos 2006 Old Vines, Garnacha, Calatayud: Definitely made to be a crowd pleaser. Not complex but a delighful, fruit-forward wine. Medium bodied, dark chocolate, cherries, pepper and spice on the nose, good fruit, balanced acidity and tannins leading to a medium-length finish. Well worth seeking out if you want to try a Spanish Grenache.

Montebuena 2006 Rioja: Got a strange look from the lady pouring when I said "I like Tempranillo", not sure if she disagreed with my assessment of that varietal or was confused because I gave the varietal rather than the winery (or region) name. Either way, a nice example of Tempranillo that is still affordable. Deep, ruby-red in color with a fruity bouquet laced with vanilla and spice. Smooth and fruity on the tongue with good tannin/acid balance.

Chateau du Claray Muscadet Savre et Maine sur Lie: Yeah, a white after reds, so sue me. This was a pleasant, not overly serious Loire wine made from the Melon-de-Bourgogne grape. Light, almost effervescent, with lemon leading the way to a nice, minerally finish. Probably should have had it first but heck, this is WineSteals so who noticed? LOL

Wines reviewed in 2009: 139