Sam's Wine Blog

   Name: Simonet Brut Sparkling Wine Variety: Sparkling Chardonney Country or Origin: France Region of Origin: Alsace Price: $13.00 Wine Folly: Page 96 of wine folly says that sparkling chardonnays should have notes of yellow apple, star fruit, pineapple, butter and vanilla. It should have medium-low sweetness and medium high alcohol along with a medium-low body. My Review: I was a big fan of this sparkling chardonnay it is very good and one of my favorite wines we had. The bubbles add a nice texture and the high tannins and crisp flavors makes me feel like I'm sitting under a tree in the summer eating a tart green apple. Wine review online: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay Assemblage 70% 2018, 30% reserve wine (perpetual reserve back to 2005) Village/vineyard Verzenay Grand Cru, Verzy Grand Cru, Sillery Grand Cru Elevage 80% stainless steel tanks, 20% barrique Ageing sur latte for 30 months

  Name: Governor's Wine Variety: Riesling Country or Origin: USA Region of Origin: Jamestown Virginia Price: $12.00 Wine Folly: Page 158 Riesling should have notes of lime, green apple, Beeswax, Jasmine, and Petroleum. It should have a lot of sweetness, Medium low alcohol content, very high acidity, My Review: This was my first time ever having a Riesling and it was not my favorite because I do not like sweet wines and this wine was very sweet. I did notice sour notes and citrus notes but the smell of the wine was not great. I thought it was cool that I could still get those notes while it was so sweet because most sweet wines I have had the sweetness overpowers Wine review online: White is a semi dry Riesling with a lot of bright fruit and multiple layers. On the nose there are the tropical fruits such as pineapple, passion fruit, star fruit followed by blueberry, strawberry, plum and a touch of lemon that adds a pleasant brightness to the wine.

  Name: Juggernaut 2021 Variety: Cebernet Sauvignon Country or Origin: California Region of Origin: California Price: $13.00 Wine Folly: Page 88 of Wine Folly Cabernet Sauvignons should have notes of Black Cherry, Black Currant, Cedar, Baking Spices, and graphite. They should be full bodied with high tannins and low sweetness. A medium low acidity and medium high alcohol content. They are grown pretty much everywhere with a majority being grown in Chile, USA, and France. My Review: After trying a lot of wines throughout this course I think that Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite wine. This one however is not, this wine is way too sweet for me and it cuts into the tannin flavor I enjoy from a full bodied cabernet sauvignon. The smell is very sweet and gives earthy mushroom smells off the nose Wine review online: James Suckling  said Blackberries and blueberries, graphite, iodine, sweet spices and dried blue flowers. Bright, juicy and generous on the palate with tight, smooth ta...

  Name: Tentake Hawke in the Heavens 2022 Variety: Sake Country or Origin: Japan Region of Origin: Prefecture Price: $21.00 Wine Folly: Nothing on Sake on Wine folly so I did some research of my own and what is on the bottle. Sake is a Rice wine that is primarily made in Japan but more recently California has joined in producing some sakes. The grade of this Sake is Tokubetsu Junmai which means special pure which is only given to high-quality Sakes. This sake should have a profile that includes pistachio ice cream and truffle flavor. It is more full bodied and heavy on the umami flavor. My Review: Looking at this it has a light yellow co lor This was my first time ever having a Sake and I did not what to expect when I was trying it but I thought it was good. Off the nose I get strong umami scents and get an earthy mushroom flavor. When I tasted it I got little to no tannins and definitely the least amount tannins when compared to any red or white I have had. For flavors I got a mu...

  Name: Momo Kawa Variety: Sake Country or Origin: Japan Region of Origin: Prefecture Price: $16.95 Wine Folly: Nothing on Sake on Wine folly so I did some research of my own and what is on the bottle. Sake is a Rice wine that is primarily made in Japan but more recently California has joined in producing some sakes. The grade of this Sake is Junmai Ginjo premium sake in which each grain of rice is polished 58%. This sake should be paired with asian dishes pasta and seafood. My Review: Looking at this it has a  slight light yellow tint but mostly clear. Off the nose I do not get much but it smells like rice vinegar slightly. It has a very slight tannin profile. For flavors I did get a slight umami flavor and some floral notes and notes of melon, specifically honeydew. But overall I was not a fan of this sake and I liked the other sake a lot more. Wine review online: Smooth and clean, not a lot of flavor but good cold. I agree with this review a lot it was was smooth but not ...

  Wine 1: Berringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 Wine 2: Josh Butter Chardonnay Central Coast 2021 Wine 3: Kinker Brick Zinfandel 2019 For our dinner we paired these lovely wines with a reverse seared Australlian grassfed tomahawk ribeye, pan roasted potatoes, and pan roasted asparagus. The food was delicious and the wine made it even better. I started with Cabernet Sauvignon as I paired it with the steak. The richness of the steak was perfectly paired with the heavy body Cabernet Sauvignon. The fattiness from the steak was cut well by the richness and tannins of the Cabernet Sauvignon. When paired with the steak noticed notes of blackberry and plum from the wine. When I paired it with the Asparagus however it was not the best pairing. It left a sour taste in my mouth after I paired it but not a nice lemony soureness an unpleasant one. The potatoes were good with the it however because they were seasoned with some red pepper flakes that brought out some great flavors from...