The only wine white wine from Mattebella that did not seem to be filtered was their 2012 Femiglia Chardonnay. There seemed to be a little evidence of sediment in the glass.

Bottom Row 2nd from the Left 2012 Famiglia Chardonnay

Like most of their wines the 2012 Femiglia Chardonnay was aged in oak for half of its aging process so you could smell the oak when you nose the wine and taste it on the palate. Unlike the other wines the 2012 Famiglia Chardonnay had an aroma of honeysuckle. The tannin’s were light. There was an unexpected taste of apples on my plate that was not foreseen from me nosing the wine. I would pare this wine with a dish that contained sweet potatoes.

One of the wines that I found to be interesting was 2012 Reserve Chardonnay from Mattebella. It had a totally different aroma from the 2013 Reserve Chardonnay.

Bottom Row 3rd from the Left 2012 Reserve Chardonnay

The 2012 Reserve Chardonnay had a greenish straw color. Similarly to the 2013 Reserve there was no rim variation. What I enjoyed about the 2012 Reserve Chardonnay was the smell of the vanilla and warm oak. The aroma of the wine was more appealing to me than the actual taste to me. Unlike the 2013 Reserve Chardonnay, the 2012 Reserve Chardonnay was only aged in oak half of its aging process, the first half was spent in a steel container. I would pare this wine with a black bean burger.

The second Rosé, 2014 Sparkling Rosé was a bit more enjoyable then the first.

Right 2014 Sparkling Rosé

It was also fruit foreword however it was sparking which helped to mask the dryness of the wine. It tasted a bit sweeter than the 2014 Rosé which I enjoyed.  This wine was a dull raspberry color and showed a medium evidence of gas. Although it had a raspberry color the Rosé was still transparent. On the palate you could taste strawberries and it was also present in the smell of the Rosé as well. I would pair this Rosé with a pasta dish with vegetables.

I expected to enjoy Mattebella’s Rosés more then I actually did. Although both wines were fruit foreword they were not sweet as I would have expected.

Left 2014 Rosé

The 2014 Rosé had an obvious cranberry presence with a hint of oak. I enjoyed the face that there was low acidity however the wine was too dry for my liking. The Rosé was a light golden straw color and had no rim variation or evidence of gas. I would pair this Rosé with a light pastry like a chiffon pie. Something that is both sweet and light.

My least favorite of the wines that I tasted at Mattebella Vineyard was their 2013 Reserve Chardonnay.

Top Row 3rd from the Left 2013 Reserve Chardonnay

This wine was aged completely in oak and you could both taste and smell the it. The oak gave the wine a light honey color. Along with the oak there was also a light floral sent on the nose which did not present itself on the palate. Although the Reserve was fruit foreword and had a clean taste the oak seemed to over power everything to me. This wine did not taste balanced. If I had to pare this with something I would pare it with a dessert that is very sweet, like a triple chocolate cake with a raspberry sorbet. I think that the sweetness of the chocolate and sorbet will balance out the flavor of the oak.

The second of the Chardonnays that I tried was their 2013 Famiglia Chardonnay.

Bottom Row 1st from the Left 2013 Famiglia Chardonnay

It was clean on the nose and palate and fruit foreword with a hint of oak due to the fact that it was partially aged in oak barrels.The wine had low acidity and medium tannin’s. I enjoyed this wine, but not as much as I did the 2013 Steel Chardonnay due to the fact that the Famiglia had higher levels of tannin’s. That was to to be expected because half of the wines aging process was done in oak. I would assume that this wine would pare perfectly with a piece of pork chop on a bed of arugula.

The third wine I enjoyed this semester was from the Colchagua Valley in Chile. This 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon was produced by Camartina was dirty on the palate with a strong oak flavor and very low levels of sweetness. The appearance of the wine was plum colored with a dull low intensity. I chose to enjoy this wine with a piece of cake from Magnolia bakery. The thick sweet icing helped cut through the wines tannin perfectly.

Villa Pozzi Nero d’ Avola – Italy Sicily

Color: Deep ruby color with hints of blues

Clarity: opiate

Intensity: Dark

Brightness: Dark – barely can see the light through the glass

Rim variation: None

Evidence of gas: None

Sediment: None

Viscosity: Medium

Nose: Clean smelling, intense fruits, blueberries, blackberries, figs,  worn leather

Taste: Daises, Strong vanilla, figs, and blackberries

Sweetness level: low

Acidity: Medium

Dry on the mouth

Full body

Well balance

Finishes with a vanilla flavor

Food Paring: Roasted lamb or beef

 Bogle Vineyards 2013 – Merlot, Clarksburg California

Color: Blueberry blue, with hints a dark purples

Clarity: opiate

Intensity: Dark

Brightness:  Medium

Rim variation: None

Evidence of gas: None

Sediment: None

Viscosity: None

Nose: Ripe blueberries, raspberries, plums, rosemary, thyme, basil

Taste: Sweet cherries, toasty vanilla, cream

Sweetness level: Medium

Acidity:  Low

Sweet tasting

Full body

Well balance

Finishes hot chocolate smooth

Food Paring: Pork chops with apple sauce

Haras De Pirque 2013 – Carmenere

Color: Violet

Clarity: opiate

Intensity: Dark

Brightness:  Low

Rim variation: None

Evidence of gas: None

Sediment: None

Viscosity: Low

Nose: Tabacco, cinnamon, pepper, all spice

Taste: Cinnamon warmth, chocolate

Sweetness level: Low

Acidity: Low

Well balance

Finishes on the mouth as if you bite into a piece of fruit with the taste of fresh juice

Food Paring: Pizza, barbecue ribs

Gnarly Head 2013 – Chardonnay California

Color: Hay yellow with golden tones

Clarity: clear

Intensity: Low

Brightness: Medium

Rim variation: None

Evidence of gas: None

Sediment: None

Viscosity: Low to none

Nose: Fresh lemons, Honey drew melon, oak

Taste: Crisp fresh apples, vanilla, lemons

Sweetness level: low

Acidity: High

Medium body

Well balance

Finishes with the taste of eating a caramel apple

Food Paring: Spaghetti carbonara

Heritage Curvee Rouge Outer Coastal Plain – Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Chambourcin, Merlot, Grenache, Syrah

Color: Deep red with orange hints

Clarity: opiate

Intensity: Dark

Brightness:

Rim variation: None

Evidence of gas: None

Sediment: None

Viscosity: Medium

Nose: roasted nuts, coffee beans, and  melted dark chocolate

Taste: Roasted nuts, fresh coffee, and dark chocolate

Sweetness level: Dry but has a sweet aftertaste

Acidity: Low

Surprise sweet taste

Medium Body

Finishes with a mocha flavor with strong hints a coffee and the sweet taste of cream

Food Paring: Meatloaf

Clos bu Val 2013 – Pinot Noir Napa Valley

Color: Garnet ruby

Clarity: Bright

Intensity: High

Brightness: High

Rim variation: None

Evidence of gas: None

Sediment: None

Viscosity: None

Nose: Raspberry, red cherry, currant, and plum

Taste: Red apples, cinnamon, all spice, cherries

Sweetness level: Dry

Acidity: Medium

Well rounded mouth feel

Well balance

Finishes with leaving your mouth dry

Food Paring: Lasagna

Joseph Phepls – Freestone vineyard

Color:  Cranberry red

Clarity: Low

Intensity: Dark

Brightness: Low

Rim variation: None

Evidence of gas: None

Sediment: None

Viscosity: Medium

Nose: Red cherry and raspberry, pepper, rose, and thyme

Taste: Red plum, currants and cranberries

Sweetness level:  Low

Acidity: Medium

Well balance

Finishes with a vanilla flavor with cream

Food Paring: Pan roasted chicken with cranberries

Christian Moreau Pere and Fils Cablis

Color: Pale yellow with tints of green

Clarity: Clear

Intensity:  Medium

Brightness:  Low

Rim variation: Low  

Evidence of gas: None

Sediment: Low

Viscosity: None

Nose: Green apples

Taste:  Green apples, mineral acid taste, pears and white flowers

Sweetness level: Low

Acidity: Medium

Well balance

Finishes with a tart taste

Food Paring: Barley Risotto

Morey Saint Denis 2011

Color:  Burgundy red

Clarity: Pale

Intensity:  Low

Brightness: Medium

Rim variation: None

Evidence of gas: None

Sediment: None

Viscosity: None

Nose: Raspberries, Strawberries, cherries, flower stems

Taste: Raspberries, cherries, flowers

Sweetness level: Low

Acidity: Medium

Full body

Well balance

Finishes will a clean tasting feel

Food Paring: Grilled lamb with mushrooms

Federalist Visionary Zinfandel

Color: Dark deep rose red

Clarity: opiate

Intensity: Dark

Brightness: Dark – barely can see the light through the glass

Rim variation: Low

Evidence of gas: Low

Sediment: None

Viscosity: Low

Nose: Blackberry jam, black cherry and cacao

Taste: Black cherry, plum and dark blackberries, blueberries, figs

Sweetness level: Medium

Acidity: Medium high

Well balance with dryness

Finishes with a dark chocolate taste

Food Paring: Barbecue

What makes Madeira, Marsala, Port, Sherry and other fortified wine unique? Think about (and answer) the questions that guide us in determining what makes a wine taste as it does:

Grape variety, climate, vinification practices, viticultural practices, location and the luck of the year. Compare what you find in your text book to what is conveyed about Madeira: http://winefolly.com/review/what-is-madeira-wine/, Marsala: http://winefolly.com/review/marsala-wine/ Porto: http://winefolly.com/review/what-is-port-wine/  and Sherry: http://winefolly.com/review/dry-sherry-wine-guide/