Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting

 

Name: Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Central Valley

Country: Chile

Year: Not labeled

Price: $4.99

Wine Folly: Wine folly says the cabernet sauvignon has a rich flavor and high tannin content. The world's most popular wine is a natural cross between cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc.

Online review: I’m simply floored by the aromas coming from this wine… it’s wonderful, however only moderate in intensity.  Cherry and blackberry make up the fruit, but there is also a nice dusty, herbal quality to this wine that I would describe as tomato leaf, tobacco and leather.  The palate has plenty of fruit flavors, like blackberry, cherry and plum.  I can’t say it extraordinary complexity beyond the fruit on the palate, but it’s still a very enjoyable wine.  The tannins are soft and pleasing.  The bottom line, this is a great wine for the price.  Very enjoyable. (cheapwineratings.com)

My review: It smelled very dark and chocolatey/ a deep berry. It had a slight perfume smell. It tasted woody and had a dark berry taste. It was surprisingly not bitter and slightly sweet. It was very affordable. It tasted very good!

Redvolution Tasting

 

Name: Bota Box RedVolution

Varietal: Red blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: Not labeled

Price: $4.99

Online Review: RedVolution is one of those ideal red blends. They don’t say what’s in it but it’s very smooth and exhibits a subtle smoky quality. The box says cherries and cocoa and I would agree with that claim. I’ve never gotten a headache from RedVolution and even though it’s packs a wallop at 13.5% alcohol, it doesn’t hit me very hard. The perfect end to a 14+ hour day of dealing with stressful idiots and then trying to teach myself to be smart is a delicious and calming glass of RedVolution. (trustthedevilyouknow.com)

Wine Folly: Wine Folly says Cabernet Sauvignon is rich in flavor and has high tannin content. (page 172). It says Zinfandel is fruit forward and jammy. (page 189)

My review: This wine had a woody/cocoa scent. It had a dark berry taste and was sweet like chocolate. It was much sweeter than I thought it was going to be. It was medium-bodied although when you smell it, you would think it's full-bodied. It is different from most red blends I've had before which are usually very fruity. Although it wasn't a wine and cheese pairing, we tried it with white cheddar, and it was very good. It brought out the sweetness of the wine.

Cheese Pairing # 2

Rose Prosecco: The Rose itself had a very floral scent. It tasted very floral and acidic. We paired this with the Feta.

Parmesan: The cheese brought the acidity down of the rose prosecco. The feta was better, but it still wasn't a bad pairing.

Mozzarella: Mozzarella is a very bland cheese, and it didn't change the taste of the wine at all. It tasted like you just drank the wine by itself.

Feta: It was a very good pairing. It brought down the acidity of the wine and made the wine taste more berry than floral. It really compliments the saltiness of the feta.

Sauvignon Blanc: It was very tart. The Sauvignon Blanc tastes like a fruity pear and smells floral. Paired with Mozzarella.

Parmesan: The parmesan makes the wine bland again and takes down the flavor of the wine. It's not a very good pairing.

Mozzarella: This was surprisingly a very good pairing. It really brought out the flavor of the wine, it made the wine taste sharper and more tart.

Feta: The feta made the wine taste sweeter. The pairing didn't blow me away, but it was still good.

Merlot: The Merlot smelled woody and dark cherry. The Merlot was full-bodied and a dark cocoa hint. It was very bitter. We paired this with the Parmesan

Parmesan: This cheese tames the flavor of the wine, and the parmesan overpowers the flavor of the wine. It makes the wine feel heavy.

Mozzarella: This was an awful pairing. The wine ruined the taste of the mozzarella which is surprising because the mozzarella didn't have much taste to begin with. The mozzarella made the wine taste very bitter and acidic. Somehow, this pairing made them both worse. 

Feta: This was a pretty good pairing. The cheese brought down the acidity of the wine with its saltiness. This pairing enhanced the flavor of both the wine and the cheese.

Wine Dinner #2

 

Our 2nd wine dinner! We had Caeser salad, chicken parm, and raspberry sorbet. For our wines we had Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, and Prosecco. 

For our appetizer we had Caesar salad (surprisingly very good for bagged salad at Kroger, highly recommend). We paired our salad with a Pinot Grigio from Bota Box. The Pinot Grigio itself had a very floral acidic aroma. It tasted very fresh and light with hints of apple and pear. It was very good with the salad. It made the wine taste less acidic and much sweeter. It complimented the flavors of the salad and creaminess of the dressing. 

For our entree we had chicken parm and we paired it with a Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir by itself had a blackberry/ cherry smell. It tasted slightly like licorice, rose and had a toasty oak taste with a hint of cocoa. It was medium-bodied and sweeter than I expected. It paired really great with the chicken parm! The meal really balanced the acidity of the wine and made the wine sweeter. The heaviness of the cheese and chicken made the wine very refreshing. Taking a sip of the wine and then a bite of the meal made the tomato sauce sweeter as well. 

For our desert we had raspberry sorbet and Prosecco. The Prosecco itself was very light and had a strong taste of citrus, mostly lemon. It paired really well with the raspberry sorbet. The sorbet took down the acidity of the wine. The wine was very refreshing after the sorbet, and it brought out the raspberry flavor.

Tasting- Sweet Red

Name: Liberty Creek Sweet Red

Variety: Rubired, Concord, Barbera

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: not labeled

Price: $3.59

Winery Review:   A brilliant wine type that captures the flavors and aromas of rich, ripe fruit. Typically characterized by sweet berry notes, it has a soft finish and refreshing mouth feel. (marketviewliquor.com) 

       Wine Folly: Wine folly says that the concord grape is the most planted grape in New York and that it pairs great with a PB&J. (page 102). Wine folly describes Barbera as an everyday red that offers spiced and sour cherry flavors with an aroma of licorice. (page 254). I did not find anything on Rubired.

My Review: I loved this wine! It smelled like candy (licorice). It was very smooth and tasted like a fruit juice. It was sweet and hints of raspberry, cherry and orange. The sweetness is a bit intense at first but goes away the longer it's in your mouth. I will definitely be buying again.

Tasting: Merlot

Name: Liberty Creek Merlot

Variety: Merlot

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: not labeled

Price: $3.59

Winery Review: Modesto, California- Deep ruby red color, unsurpassed smoothness and silky richness. Medium-bodied with a mix of distinctive ripe raspberry and cherry characters, with a smooth finish. (totalwine.com)

       Wine Folly:  Wine Folly says Merlot is loved for its boisterous black cherry flavors, supple tannins and smoky or chocolaty finish. It's often found in Bordeaux blend with Cabernet Franc. (page 131)

My review:  I am not normally a big fan of Merlot's, but this was very good! It was slightly dry with hints of cherry, blackberry and prunes. It has a floral aroma. It was a very good wine for the price!