2017 Cascina Praié Rossese Riviera Ligure di Ponente Stundaio, Italy, Liguria, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

Made from the Rossese grap in Liguria Italy near the town of Cervo.  Light ruby in color.  The nose has dusty cherries.  On the palate, good acidity.  Fresh cherry fruit.  Slight salinity.  Long finish.  This will work with a wide variety of foods and is probably better at the table than as a cocktail.  It retails for $24.  An unusual wine that is a bit different and worth trying.  

2016 Bodegas Cobertizo Mencía Joven, Spain, Bierzo, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
85
Grade: 
A-

This is 100% Mencia from the Bierzo region in Northwest Spain.  It is a young wine and meant to be consumed in the first few years.  Ruby in color.  The nose has black cherries and some raspberries.  On the palate, there are some tannins.  Black cherry and cherry fruit.  Some underlying earthiness.  Good acidity.  This wine is really all about the fresh fruit though.  Easy to drink and delicious.  Some depth.  Good finish.  This will work on its own or with a wide variety of foods.  

2016 Bodegas Canopy Castillo de Belarfonso, Spain, Méntrida, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

This is a Garnacha from near the city of Toledo in Spain.  Ruby in color.  The nose has some cherries with an herbal quality and some anise.  On the palate, this is light bodied with good acidity.  Some tannins though give it a bit of extra weight.  Cherries and slight bitter cherries on the nose with just a bit of earthiness.  Good finish.  This should be very food friendly for a wide range of foods.  Drinking well now and should be for 5 years.  

2017 Biurko Gorri Rioja Joven, Spain, Rioja, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
87
Grade: 
B

Ruby in color.  The nose is dusty with cherries.  On the palate, this has cherries turning to bitter cherry on the finish.  No tannins.  Easy to drink.  Nothing complex here, but for 12 bucks, this is a food friendly wine that will work for a variety of foods that are not too light or heavy.  Great for parties or cookouts.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

2013 Venture Chardonnay, USA, California, Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Grade: 

Light green/gold in color.  The nose has a fair amount of oak still showing but the fruit is a bit faded.  The palate is consistent with the nose.  It seems like this was probably a bit better a few years ago and probably needs to be drunk sooner than later.  For those who like oak drive California Chardonnay, this retails for $30.

NV CLE Urban Winery Lake Erie Riesling, USA, Wine Review

Score: 
78
Grade: 
C+

This is from a wine bar in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.  They buy juice from around the country and make a wide variety of fun and sometimes very good wines.  This is a sweet Riesling from Finger Lakes, NY grapes.  Light green/gold in color.  On the nose this is ok.  Some citrus and slight minerals.  On the palate, this is quite viscous.  It is very sweet, cloying and lacking much acid.  This will appeal to the Blue Nun lover.  If that is what people like to drink, that is fine, but know that this is the type of wine that some will like and some will dislike.  

NV CLE Urban Winery Footlights Sauvignon Blanc, USA, Wine Review

Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

This winery buys juice around the country and then makes the wine in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.  This version was 2017 juice but the wines are not labelled with a vintage.  There is a wide range of quality and styles in these wines and some of them a very nice.  All of them are fun.  This one is made from California Sauvignon Blanc juice and is a tribute to the Playhouse Square are in downtown Cleveland.  Light golden in color.  It has nice grapefruit on the nose.  On the palate, there is good acidity with some grapefruit notes.  A bit short on the finish.  Will work with a wide variety of li

2016 Artemis Karamolegos Assyrtiko Terra Nera, Greece, Santorini, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

100% Assyrtiko grapes.  Light golden in color.  The nose has slight lemons with a bit or herbals notes and minerals.  On the palate, these are also present along with some pears.  There is a lot of depth here and it seems like it might develop with some air.  Enough but not a lot of acidity.  Lemony finish.  This should work great with sea food or lighter fare.  $28 per bottle retail, it is worth trying one to see where it goes.  It seems young now and like a couple of years would have some upside.  

2016 Silva Daskalaki Emphasis White, Greece, Crete, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

This is a blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Plyto.  Light gold in color with green swirls.  The nose is interesting with a Sweet-Tart candy quality with green and orange flavors.  On the palate, the notes become more identifiable as citrus with lemon and lime.  Dry with good acidity.  It is full bodied with a lovely texture.  This drinks bigger than the sum of its parts and has a nice finish.  Works well on its own but would would well with lighter foods.  It retails for $25 which seems fairly priced both for the uniqueness and the quality.  Nice looking packaging.  

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