Mooned

-Concord
-Lebanon, Kentucky (Whitemoon Winery)
-2012 (I'm actually unsure about this, 90% most likely)
-$10-$15 per bottle (Can't remember exact)
-No Review Yet (VERY new winery)

So over Spring Break I visited a winery that was only 6 weeks old! Sure enough they had tastings, and this one stood out in an interesting way so I'm including it. While the wine's color was a soft smooth clear red, it certainly was not the kind of red I was expecting. The nose was so sweet it was as if I opened up a jar of Smuckers, which was obviously a very jammy smell. Other than perhaps moscato, this was no doubt the sweetest, jammiest, and juiciest wine I have ever had. There was no heat, no taste of alcohol of any kind, and I was struck with the taste of pure grape juice. Searching for any more complexity was difficult, and it was perhaps a bit too sweet for me, but once this wine gets out more I highly recommend it to anyone with a sweet tooth who has a craving for grape jam. As a side note, the owner was totally awesome!

Primo Amore

-Moscato
-Puglia, Italy
-NV
-$7.95 per bottle
-No Review Found (Though it seems to be all the rage with most shoppers)

Like most moscato, you can be assured that you're going to get that good ol' fashioned muscat grape sweetness. The color was extremely pale yellow. Nothing much else to it. The nose hinted of sweet lemons and with a little bit of honey in there. Sure enough when I took that first sip there was surge of sweet honey with literally no heat from the alcohol. There wasn't much complexity on the finish however, nor did I truly expect to get much after so much sweetness. In the end, if you're looking for a nice shot of sweetness, you can find it here.

Kalbarri Shiraz

-Shiraz/Syrah
-Australia
-2011
-$6.99 per bottle
-87 Points: Wine Spectator

Back Home in Lynchburg I bought this one with my mother in an attempt to get her into some reds, feeling that an Australian Red might be a good way to go. The Kalbarri Shiraz has a nice deep but not dark red color. It smelled a lot like cranberries on the first sniffy sniff, and some other fruits which my primitive nose always has a hard time picking up. It tasted however almost like plums, and while it had that tannic structure it wasn't too dry. There was little complexity in it and overall I wasn't extremely impressed, but it was still enjoyable.  For fun however, I did decant it for a day and when i came back to it it was MUCH more jammy than before. Much more preferable after the decanting as I liked the fruitiness.

Nopa Vinho

-Vinho Verde
-Portgual, (Casa do Vale Winery)
-NV
-$10.72 per bottle
-No Review Found

I had this one actually quite awhile back at a tasting, but haven't yet posted anything about it until now. This may actually have been my first Portuguese wine! The color was a very light yellow, more on the clear side, and it had a nice creamy and citrus smell to do it on my first whiff. Like most whites that I have had, this one was very crisp and slightly acidic. Unlike some though I didn't get much sweetness on this one, and the aftertaste made it out to be quite flabby as there was little complexity. Overall it didn't blow me away, but it's definitely something that's easy for a quick drink.

Sycamore Lane Cabernet Sauvignon

-Cabernet Sauvignon
-California
-2010
-$10 per bottle, purchased at $5.50 for a glass at Bonefish Grille
-89 Points: Winelegacy

I ordered this bad boy with a meal I had at Bonefish this past Spring Break. It had a beautiful deep red color and was slightly peppery and toasty on the nose. Right on the first sip I could DEFINTELY taste some strong wood flavor in there, perhaps oak maybe? There was a little fruitiness in there but the toasty woody part took away from that. In terms of dryness I'd say this was just about as dry as you'd expect any Cabernet Sauvignon to be, which for my taste was not too much but not too little. If you've ever been to Bonefish and tried their Bang Bang Shrimp it's outstanding, and drinking the wine with this definitely mellowed out the tannic structure and helped make it seem a little more fruity. All in all this was a pretty good wine and a pretty nice price, definitely try it with some seafood.

Rex Goliath Merlot

-Merlot
-California
-NV
-$6 per bottle
-No Critic Review Found

Just like I said, I got to try two of these in the same evening! This one however had a chance to go with some food, but I'll get to that in a minute. All in all right off the bat I can tell you that this was pretty much your standard Merlot. It had a nice red/purple color that was deep and a very thick and heavy fruity smell. The taste was not as thick and full bodied as my nose had led me to believe, and the tannin levels made it very bitey. Don't look for complexity here, but it's a nice little red wine to have with some pasta. Speaking of which, I had this with a nice shrimp pasta dish that my friend and his girlfriend had made for us. Definitely complemented the tannins, and made the wine very enjoyable! Then again I just love having red wines with my pasta.

Rex Goliath Pinot Grigio

-Pinot Grigio
-California
-NV
-$6 per bottle
-No Critic Review Found

I got a hold of this wine as well as another Rex Goliath (which is located above) at a friend's place for dinner. I didn't drink this one during dinner but rather beforehand. The color was extremely light, almost white even. A scent of pears and bubblegum (I know right?) hit me hard on the nose, which was good but very different. Like many whites it was very crisp and refreshing, and I definitely enjoyed it chilled. The heat was low, the acid was low, but all in all it was still a bit bland and I couldn't taste much as it really seemed watered down. I wouldn't go out of my way to find this wine, but I still enjoyed it with my friends nonetheless!

Dom Vincent Paris Saint Joseph

-Syrah
-Saint Joseph Region (Rhone Valley, France)
-2008
-$24.95 per bottle
-90-92 points: Stephen Tanzer

Easily my favorite of the entire tasting that I went to on the 2nd of March at the Vintage Cellar. The color was a moderate reddish purple, and it had STRONG hints of cherries and spices on the nose. I would also place this in the category of very full bodied and thick wines, even a but jammy. At the same time it was low on the acid and not very dry at the same time. Definitely try this one if you ever come across it as it is a treat!

Domaine de Massiac Minervois Sentinelle de Massiac

-Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre (Red Southern Rhone Blend)
-Western Languedoc, France
-2010
-$12 average per bottle
-No Critic Review Found

Yes, the name on this one is quite a mouthful, and then again to a degree so is this wine! It has a very deep red color that you always seem to find in most red wines. The blend used here is an interesting mix to me, and honestly a good one at that. A strong whiff of cranberries struck me on the nose and it was followed by a not very acidic but very dry taste. The finish however was surprisingly sweet, and left me wanting another taste. As my taste buds still are getting used to picking out flavors I had a very difficult time trying to pick out other flavors, but believe me when I say it was very complex. Highly recommend!

Gerard Boulay Sancerre Chavignol

-Sauvignon Blanc
-Loire Valley, France
-2010
-$27.95 per bottle
- 88 Points: Cellar Tracker

I've recently been going to the tastings offered at the Vintage Cellar on Saturdays and I must admit the changes in the wines offered on those days are substantial. Far more often I am finding wines that have much more complexity than those on the Thursday tastings. But before I get ahead of myself here are my thoughts on this Sauvignon Blanc!

This wine has a VERY light color to the point of little to no yellowness in it and seemed almost clear. I got a lot of citrus on the nose which was very nice and went well with the bitey taste I got on the first sip. Sure enough I tasted a bit of orange in there as well, however I will also admit there was a little too much heat in this one in terms of alcohol that didn't complement the orange. Despite this it was still pretty good, and I'd recommend it to those who like a little citrus on their pallet!