7-5-06 Herederas del Marques de Riscal Reserva 2001 Rioja
Rioja berry, cassis and yummy toasty oak vanilla fill the nose of this fun to smell wine. The color is a nice dark purple. Supple berry fruit on the palate with some cassis again making a supportive appearance. Nice acidity biting its way through the palate. Subtle, but present tannins guide this wines way to a nice finish, long and lasting. The finish could have however used a little bit more fruit. Not the most complex of wines, but a great benchmark Rioja in my mind. This is my kind of cheese wine.
7-6-06 KWV Pinotage 2003 14% vol.
This wine has a nice purple color. A nose of perfumed cassis, banana, and a little earth, with a volatile, alcohol/chemical waft out of the glass quite strongly. Red berries are present as well. The tastes follow the nose completely, if not relatively weakly. The finish drops like a rock, but is nice and earthy. “Juicy juicy!” was my comment after the second glass.