July Wines

October 26, 2019

Richard Moore

Wine of the Month

The last two vintages of Opolo's Syrah have been outstanding and one that I stock up on. I think it is one of the best price performance wines available.

Opolo 2016 Syrah ($22.40 Opolo Wine Club)

The 2015 vintage has been my favorite Syrah and this vintage is also really good. I need to do a taste off between the two vintages to select a favorite. Julie loved this vintage also. Medium dark in the glass. Smokey dark fruit aroma with no sting. In the mouth this wine just dances. Smokey dark fruit, a little playful tartness. Medium dryness with a touch of tannins. Long finish that coats your tongue. A bit of velvety mouthfeel. Forest floor dustiness and dark chocolate. A slight bit of floral spice. Repeat buy, yes. Wine notes: “On the nose bursts the smell of soil and leaves after an intense rain amidst wandering chimney smoke. Dark fruit and berries lead to a finish of dark chocolate covered candied orange peel.” Close.

Delas Cotes du Rhone St. Esprit Rouge 2017 (10.99 wine.com)

We liked the 2016 vintage and the 2017 seems to be a notch better. This is a quality wine for a very reasonable price. Medium dark in the glass. Nice on the nose, grape and ripe plum. No sting. Fruit forward to start, a bit velvety. Becomes dry with a dusty chocolate finish. Finish is dry and long with some light spice. Repeat buy, yes. Wine notes: “The Saint-Esprit’s deep color has a dark, plum-like hue. The nose is classic Syrah, with berry fruit, violet and licorice. It has a full, rounded palate with delicate tannins, making it a unique wine in the Côtes-du-Rhône appellation. Saint-Esprit pairs well with Provençale-style cuisine, stuffed tomatoes and eggplant, mixed grills and barbecue. Blend: 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache.” Not sure about licorice on the nose, but the rest is good.

La Sonriente 2017 Garnacha ($6.99 Trader Joe’s)

6.98 trader Joe's. Seems a bit light, flowery and dry. Aroma is dried black fruit, with a bit of a string. Light bodied in the mouth with some light jam of blackberry/raspberry. The finish is dry but there is not a lot of body, and the finish is medium-short. Repeat buy, for the price not a bad wine but not one I would seek out as I would like more body.

Opolo 2016 Fusion (25.20 Opolo Wine Club)

Wow another nice wine from Opolo. This is more playful and restrained than most of their in your face reds. Medium dark in the glass, sting on the nose and a nondescript aroma. Raspberry and grapey fruits, jam and a velvety mouthfeel to start. Becomes mouth drying in a long finish with some pepper spice. All elements continue into the finish coming in and out. A great wine to drink by itself. Repeat buy, yes Wine Notes: “Simultaneously showcasing the muscular attributes of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah comes a multilayered wine with equal parts aggression and balance. Spicy yet earthy. Meaty yet minty. Fruity yet savory” Seems to be about it for this nice wine.

Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec 2017 (10.99 wine.com)

Ripe Bing cherry fruit on the nose, no sting. Medium dark in the glass. Bing cherry and raspberry fruit. A bit of spice, cola, velvet mouth feel. Medium dry finish. Seems there is a bit of many different things in this wine, but nothing really stands out. Repeat buy, no. Wine notes: “Beautiful reddish-purple color. Aromas of crushed blueberries, cherries and blackberries. In the mouth, sweet red fruit flavors are in perfect balance with a subtle oakiness and a core of perfectly ripe berries. The palate is fresh and balanced.” Note really in agreement, quite a disappointing wine as it seems to have high ratings from many reviewers.

Chinon 2014 Donatien Bahuaud Les Boires ($18.99 WTSO)

Medium dark in the glass and is lighter than I would expect from a Cabernet Franc.. Fruity aroma with floral spice. Very light and refined for a Cabernet Franc. Fruity in the mouth with a ginger spice. Lightly oaked finish. Not a particularly dry finish. I was really surprised that this was a Cabernet Franc wine as it is much lighter than I would expect. Wine notes: “100% Cabernet Franc. Colour: deep purple. Nose: well ripe red fruit with spicy notes. Palate: refined, with velvety and soft tannins.” I would agree. Repeat buy? I would be tempted as this is a really nice and refined wine that can age for another 5 years.

Until next month, happy tasting and drinking.

Ratings:

Wow, knock my socks off good. A wine to stock up on.

A very good wine, also a wine to stock up on.

A good average wine that is very drinkable, one that I might buy

again.

An okay wine, one I can drink but would not run out to buy any of.

Not worth really drinking, most likely poured out.

keywords: Wine,Wine Tasting, Wine Reviews

description: New wine tasting notes for July of 2019