A nice Bordeaux with an interesting nose. A slight scent of mint, along with pine wood and berries, the aroma was very nice.
The first swirl was a bit hard to distinct specific flavors, but the finish was long and very smooth. Along with the berries, and wood the second sniff had a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. On to the second swirl... I am still having some difficulty distinguishing the taste, but the balance and texture is very nice.
Overall I really like this wine. I am going to rate this one 4 stars. The Chateau Grand Tayac 2008 Margaux has a nice, long finish. A well balanced wine, which I would categorized as a medium body.
Summary: A really good wine. I could not find another retailer/price for this particular vintage, but seems somewhat on par for the overall quality.
Rating: 4 Stars
Purchase Cost: Y3,900 (Nissin World Delicatessen Groceries)
Other Japanese Retailers: NA
USA Retail Price: $50
Food: Steak, potatoes, and broccoli (went really nicely with the meal)
A Mouton Cadet Bordeaux which is about 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc has a very deep, dark red color. The first smell --cherries with a hint of Robitussin cough syrup. My first swirl had some granulated sugar (so it tasted) which quickly disappeared that was followed by a bitter fruit. Weird. (btw, I decided to eat some saltine crackers, followed by water to see if it was just an anomaly or not.) Second sniff still has the cherry smell, but the alcohol smell is quite strong. Second swirl is still weird. I am still getting this sensation of granulated sugar in the wine. The tannins seem quite strong (tastes like you're eating a bitter grape skin towards the end). Yeah, this one is not flying with me.
Overall, I am not impressed. It's not absolutely terrible, but just didn't work for me. I would say this is a medium body Bordeaux. Maybe it needs to open up more, or perhaps it's just not a good wine. I am going to rate this 1.5 stars (first low rating on this blog).
Summary: Not impressed. Cherry smells, but the taste was bitter and not that interesting.
Rating: 1.5 stars
Purchase Cost: Y1,270 (Costco)
Other Japanese Retailers: Y1,740 (Rakuten website)
USA Retail Price: $11.99
Food: NA
From Sonoma California, this wine has a very unique color. Not as golden as I have seen some Chardonnay's, but it has a very brilliant, light yellow color tone--very nice. The first sniff has a mixture of pears, and some type of tropical fruits. The first whirl is quite nice -- slightly sweet yet has a slight almond taste. Second sniff -- I am still leaning towards pears and some type of tropical fruit which I cannot pinpoint which type of fruit. The second whirl has a slight smokey wood taste; however the sweetness is still present. The finish is very nice, very smooth and mild.
Overall I am going to give this one 3 stars. I purchased this one at Costco for Y1,590. At another retailer here in Tokyo it is about Y2,400. Yet again, Costco scores. I would recommend this wine for a casual summer party.
Summary: Good wine with a nice and unique color. Slightly sweet; however the finish is delicate.
Rating: 3 stars
Purchase Cost: Y1,590 (Costco)
Other Japanese Retailers: Y2,450 (Rakuten website)
USA Retail Price: $12.95
Food: NA
Slightly more expensive than the other wines listed on this blog recently, I must say that I really enjoyed this 2005 Chateau Arnauld Haut-Medoc. I could be wrong, but I think 2005 is a fairly good year for this wine and the price was reasonable. With a hint of pine wood or perhaps cedar, this wine is deep with blackberries/blueberries fragrances (very nice). The first swirl had a medium to full body texture where the berries were definitely present (almost added a sweetness to the wine). The second swirl--spicy? Yes, definitely spicy to me--wow. It almost has a black pepper finish to the wine.
I purchased this one at Kinokuniya International in Omotesando for Y1,850, which seems market price here in Tokyo. I am going to give this one 3.5 stars. Very nice and one which I would recommend to bring to a casual dinner party.
Summary: Full body, very nice color (ruby). Has a kick at the end with some black pepper taste.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Purchase Cost: Y1,850 (Kinokuniya International)
Other Japanese Retailers: Y1,890 (Rakuten website)
USA Retail Price: $12.95
Food: Nabe (Japanese hotpot dish)
Another purchase from Costco Michele Chiarlo 2010 Anniversario Gavi was an interesting Italian white wine. Fragrances of apricot and fresh pear were present. The finish had a slight chestnut flavor; yet the entire body of the wine was fairly dry and crisp.
Overall the 2010 Gavi is easy to drink. I am not that familiar with Italian wines; however Gavi is a white grape I believe from the Piemonte region (Upper NW corner of Italy). I am going to give this one 3 Stars and given the price of Y875 I would recommend this for a good, everyday table wine.
Summary: Crisp white wine with a good balance. Apricot/pears; very fragrant.
Rating: 3 Stars
Purchase Cost: Y875 (Costco)
Other Japanese Retailers: I could not find this particular wine at any other Japanese retailer
USA Retail Price: $12.95
Food: NA
From Central Coast (California) this Robert Mondavi Chardonnay was good. I bought two bottles of this one and I actually enjoyed the first one more than the second one, which I opened tonight. Comparing the two, the first one had a rich buttery flavor with a strong almond finish (I believe is a Chardonnay characteristic).
Tonight it was quite different. The initial aroma reminded me of pineapples; however the taste was not as buttery, nor did it have a strong almond finish like the previous bottle (a bit of lemon/citrus flavor tonight). I decided to let this one open for about 45 minutes to see if it changed at all and the nutty/almond flavor did come out a bit more, but the acidy was still quite strong. Overall, it is still a decent bottle of wine.
I am going to rate tonight's bottle 2.5 stars; however had it been the flavor and texture like the first bottle I think I would give it 3 stars. Costco is the place to buy this one as Rakuten is selling for Y2,200 (huge mark up)!
Summary: Good Chardonnay. Please read the review above as I had two samples of this wine. I enjoyed the first bottle better.
Rating: 2.5 Stars (Second Tasting)
Purchase Cost: Y1,050 (Costco)
Other Japanese Retailers: Y2,205 (Rakuten website)
USA Retail Price: $11.00
Food: Cream pasta
Tucked away in southern Burgundy, I believe this vineyard uses a Chardonnay grape. Overall very pleased with the acidity and flavor (This wine had some similarities to a Sauvignon Blanc). It is dry; however has a hint of cantaloupe or honey dew flavor. After letting the wine open for about 30 minutes the flavor of the wine improved.
Priced at Y980 at Costco, I am going to rate this one with 3 stars. A good value and everyday table wine.
Summary: Good acidity and nice balance. The wine is dry; with some citrus flavors. A hint of cantaloupe aroma.
Rating: 3 Stars
Purchase Cost: Y980 (Costco)
Other Japanese Retailers: Could not find another retailer
USA Retail Price: $16.99
Food: Japanese vegetable Nabe (hot pot)
