chateau ferrande graves 2003

well...
this will not be the lengthiest of reviews.
this bordeaux had quite possibly the loveliest bouquet.
my nose was in heaven, my mouth anxious...
the glass was full of juicy, luscious berries with an elegant floral hint.

the taste was quite different.
it started fruity, earthy, leathery, but had a very dry middle.
i believe it would have benefited greatly from some airing...
to me, this wine lacked a smoothe balance, it wasnt a bad wine.
but, i believe there are better.
it is, in my opinion, hard to go wrong with a bordeaux, what i did learn from this tasting night was as far as this selection went, there were no "bad" bordeauxs, just "better".

should you need a good red for a smokey, meaty or strong cheese occasion, grab a bordeaux.

2003 Castle Vineyards Pinot Noir 'Durell Vineyards'

The other night I had a friend over to watch some "NCAA March Madness" action. So since I did not have any beer, I opened a bottle of '2003 Castle Vineyards Pinot Noir Los Carneros' the grapes for this wine are from the Durell Vineyards. On the nose it was sweet berries and black peppers. As you take your first taste of the wine you have all the berries flavors upfront, strawberry and cherry particularly strong. As you start to drink it, the taste changes to dark chocolate and spices. The tannins are soft but clearly present and they are offsetting the acidity of the wine. Nice finish.

I bought this wine as part of a wine.woot offering for $14 .



marius rating: 91

Castle Syrah 2002

this wine needs decanting. it doesnt not drink well out of the bottle. enjoyable, hints of cherry, berries, full bodied and smoothe. Many reviewers are finding this syrah off or hot, i think they should have let it sit a little longer. i wasnt expecting much and would definitely drink again, would definitely buy again, i was pleasantly surprised by this wine. -shannon