Maryhill winery 2008 Pinot Gris sponsored wine review by billy

Nose: gentle cantaloupe melon with citrus flower notes and a nutmeg core.
Palate: soft mouth feel with a velvety spread across the tongue and honeyed notes at the front with acids at the back that are unpresuming.
Finish: long and honeyed with more citrus and spice.
Overall: Delightful, soft and supple.  This washington state white wine was sent to us to review from the good folks at Maryhill winery.  This pinot gris wine comes from Mary hill winery in glendale washington. We had this with a delightful meal where it was paired with a cold asparagus and red grapefruit salad with rosemary spiked creme fraische.  It complemented this early course very well.

Sean Minor Four Bears 2008 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Sponsored Wine Review by Billy

Nose: rich and full of dried raspberry and cedar with tobacco notes.
Palate: Warm and full and fruity in the mouth with soft tannins and gentle acid core that make this very accessible and pleasant
Finish: gentle finish with cedar notes and cherry.
Overall:Thanks to the team from the Sean Minor Winery who have sent The Wine Cask Blog samples for review. You can find Sean Minor wines at your local wine shop (or ask the store manager about them). This wine will run $15-$20. If you find it for $12 or less pick up 2 bottles!

This is a wonderful Christmas wine because of its accessibility and its character. Guests will like it for the fruitiness and how easy drinking it is. The wine lover in your life will like how it combines woody character with soft tannins and full feel.

Raise a Glass to Sean Minor 2008 Napa Cab!

Casal Garcia Rose 2008 Sponsored Wine Review by Billy

Nose:strawberry on the nose
Palate:slightly sprtizy
Finish:short
Overall:The bubbles are the best part of this wine. The rest of it should be left in the bottle. While it is pretty to look at and the bubbles make it an inexpensive festive wine, the rest of it is unremarkable. Still, it is good to know what is good and what is not this holiday season.

Special thanks to Sar Perlman of Portugal Wines for making this sample available to us at the Wine Cask Blog for review! This is an inexpensive ($9 or so) wine from Portugal - the Vinhos Verdes ("green wine") Region in the north of Portugal.Special thanks to Sar Perlman of Portugal Wines for making this sample available to us at the Wine Cask Blog for review! This is an inexpensive wine from Portugal - the Vinhos Verdes ("green wine") Region in the north of Portugal.

Maryhill Winery 2008 Columbia Valley Viognier Sponsored Wine Review by Billy

Nose: Daisy blossom, dry hay and cantaloupe aromas backed by a spicy warmth.
Palate: firm and tight on the palate with a soft nectarine-y core.
Finish: nice body on the finish that keeps it long with very nice raw almond and some more nectarine tones and some warmth in the back.
Overall: Online this white Washington wine will retail between $11 and $15 which is quite reasonable for this quality white. Thanks to the folks at Duo PR and to Maryhill Winery for providing us at The Wine Cask Blog with samples for review (Thanks Caitlin!). The acid core maintains a pleasing crispness that is a nice alternative to the typical summer whites of Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling. The finish is incredibly long for a white which sets it apart.

Raise a Glass!

Maryhill Wihemaker's White 2008 sponsored wine review by Billy

Nose:minerals, nutmeg and rhubarb against a citrussy acidic backdrop.
Palate:Slight sprtiz on the tongue is fun. Ginger flavors. Soft and smooth at the front of the palate are sparkled with the spritz and give way to some sharper acids at the back.
Finish:Tropical citrus and pineapple on the finish.
Overall: This wine was provided to The Wine Cask Blog by Maryhill winery free of charge for a review. Online this wine runs $12-15. In the glass this Maryhill Winery Winemaker's White 2008 is the palest yellow - almost white. According to the label it is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Viognier grapes. This wine is a varietal adventure with each grape lending its own unique expression to the wine. To start with a minerally nose and move to a gingery palate that has some sparkle and standup backbone to a tropical finish is a joy. I served this with olives, aged gouda and cheddar cheeses, fresh berries and a butter-sage pasta. Delightful.

Rocca Sveva Soave Classico 2008 sponsored wine review by Billy

Nose: peach, lavender, minerals and oil
Palate: smooth on the tongue with a nice acidity at the back of the palate for structure.
Finish: pleasing, tree-nut flour texture at the sides of the mouth at the finish yield a pleasing diversion from other summer whites.
Overall This wine was sent for free to The Wine Cask Blog to review by the Soave Consorzio. It will typically run anywhere from $12-18. This really is a delightful summer wine. Made of 100% Garganega it is a pleasant change from your typical summer time Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay. It is a nice and easily drinkable combination of flowers (I thought lavender) and mineraliness and fruit. It has a good structure that keeps it easy drinking but can stand up to buttery foods. If you are looking for something new, inexpensive and summery, pick up a bottle of the Rocca sveva Soave Classico from 2008 and Raise a Glass!

a Lita Schwoaz 2008 Sponsored Wine Review by Billy

Nose:warm nutmeg spice, buttercream and flowers
Palate:smooth and even with a firm acid core that makes it stand up to butter and cream centric dishes.
Finish: grass and hay with some creamy end notes.
Overall: The Wine Cask Blog was sent this wine free for review. I have seen it listing for about 13 USD.The Austrian Wine Marketing board supplied the wine. This is a nice warm weather wine that has a good crispness from the acids but is not so sharp as to be cutting. This creates a fullness in the mouth that pairs well with summer snacks.

Raise a glass to wine from Austria!

Pfaffl Haidviertel Vineyards 2008 Gruner Veltliner Sponsored Wine Review

Nose: stony, nutmeg hints with a flowery hard peach/pear fruit foundation.

Palate: fairly sharp acids on the palate wrapped around a grassy core. Sharpness decreases notably when not held in the mouth yielding instead a crispness that invites regular sipping.

Finish: acidic and tight at the back with lime and more stony notes.

Overall: The Brand Action Team of The Austrian Wine Marketing Board sent us this wine free of charge to review. Pale yellow in the glass. This is a good summer wine for enjoying outside. Not as flowery or citrussy as other Gruner Veltliners but spry. Goes well with hard cheeses.

Sean Minor Four Bears 2008 Napa Valley Pinot Noir sponsored wine review by Billy

Nose: old decaying grass (typical of most Pinot Noirs) and warm strawberry pulp. Some teasing mulling spice just hints that it might be there
Palate:tight acid core around which is wound a light strawberry charge and some minerally or metalic characteristics.
Finish: Light and easy going.
Overall: This wine was received free of charge by The Wine Cask Blog in exchange for a review. Online this wine retails for about $15. Overall this is a delightfully light and easy-going pinot noir. It is light and full of strawberry which makes it a great choice for afternoons and lighter fare meals. It also has a subtle side that is fun for the wine expert in your life.

Raise a Glass!

Lois Gruner Veltliner 2008 Sponsored Wine Review by Billy

Nose: floral citrus and dry apple cider on the nose
Palate: very slight spritzig (small bubbles in a non-bubbly wine) in the mouth and quite dry. Crisp and tart. FUN!
Finish: dandilion and grapefruit on the finish
Overall: a fun and character-ful white that is easy going and pairs well with lots of meals. The Wine Cask Blog received this wine free of charge in exchange for a review. The Lois Gruner Veltliner 2008 runs for 10-14 dollars. If you want an easy going, fruit and citrus white wine you can raise a glass of this Austrian wine.

Tempra Tantrum 2008 Tempranillo Cabernet Wine Review by Billy

Nose: grapey, and maraschino cherry from the Tempranillo grape and some white pepper and cedar spiciness from the cabernet
Palate: slight spritzig. Overwhelming bitter acids and unbalanced blanching tannins make this actually unpleasant.
Finish: limp, harsh.
Overall: To quote Monty Python, "this is not a wine for drinking, this is a wine for laying down and avoiding". I paid about $9 for this bottle and wish I had that money back.

4 Bears 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County Sponsored Wine Review by Billy

This wine was provided to The Wine Cask Blog free of charge in exchange for a review.
Nose:Floral with tropical fruit hints in a soft layer underneath the initial smell. Pineapple.
Palate: Very soft acids make for a Weak structure and flacid mouth feel. However, a good flavor composition remains. Evenly balanced topical fruit notes.
Finish: Lingering tropical fruit and floral flavors with peach and mango notes in the back.
Overall: Very pale yellow in the glass for a soft glow. This wine has a very nice flavor makeup and an elegant nose. My only complaint is the lack of acids that would make this a great wine. Great to serve as an aperitif with cheeses and nuts. Avoid serving this with a main fish or butter/cream pasta course as there is not enough structure to cut through the oils. While we did not pay for this bottle, I have seen it online in the $7-$15 range. It is a fair price for this wine.

Layer Cake 2008 Shiraz Wine Review by Billy

Nose:jammy blackberry and plum with some spice and loam
Palate: Limp and flabby in the mouth
Finish: weak finish

Overall: I paid about 17 for this and an unsatisfied. For a South Australian Shiraz at that price point it should have a bigger mouth feel instead of being like a cold wet noodle. The big fruit forward nose is heavy on the fruit and too light on the spice that should accompany a big shiraz.

If you see this in the bargain wine rack, maybe think about buying it, otherwise pass it by.

Either way, raise a glass!

2008 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau wine review by Billy

Nose: candied cherry and lush red fruit
Palate:chewy tannins
Finish: candied fruit comes back

Overall: a nice and pleasant Beaujolais Nouveau this year. The best of the bunch I had tasted this year. Nice in the late afternoon before dinner as a cocktail. Unpresuming but enchanting.

Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais Nouveau Primeur 2008 wine review by Billy

Nose: very fruity nose of cherry cola and macerated day old strawberries
Palate: light feel with strong acid structure and some tannins
Finish: short and a bit metallic

Hooray for Beaujolais Nouveau day! The Primeur 2008 Beaujolais Nouveau from Drouhin this year is a solid table wine that is easy to drink and easy going. It meets expectations without letting down. Shows good character. I paid $16 for the bottle.

2008 Bloggies - Please Nominate Us

It's time again for the 2008 Web Blog Awards. PB, NW, and I at The Wine Cask Blog would love your nomination in the best Food Blog category.

To nominate us, simply go HERE, scroll down about half way and fill out the form with our name and URL. Or copy and paste this to help:
Nominee:
The Wine Cask Blog

URL:

http://winecask.blogspot.com

Since you have to nominate 3 blogs within a category, we also suggest taking a look at the Wine Blog Roll to the right and down for other great Food Blog Nominee candidates.

We nominated LENNDEVOURS and Drinks are on Me.
Thanks, and as always,
Raise a Glass!

Happy New Year: Moet & Chandon White Star Champagne review by Billy

Happy 2008 from PB, NW, and Billy here at the Wine Cask Blog. We are wishing you all the best.

To ring in the new year here, PB and I celebrated with a toast of Moet & Chandon White Star Champagne. This ran me about $40 and it is generally regarded as good Champagne. While sparkling wines abound (we had a $16 Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut sparkling white earlier this evening and it was nice), there is nothing like the sparkling wines from Champagne, France. There are many affordably priced ones generally available and many higher end ones available as well.

Here is what I thought of the Moet & Chandon White Star

Nose: soft flowery citrus, a touch of hazelnut.
Palate: brilliant tiny bubbles. Dry but not devastatingly so, eminently drinkable. Structured and evenly charactered.
Finish: soft and lovely

Overall, what sets this Champagne apart from other sparkling wines is its elegance. It is soft, not harsh, even, not overpowering, subtle, not walloping over the head.

However you do it, Raise a Glass to the new year!
Cheers!