Flynn’s on Maxwell Wine Tasting 3/13/14

Finally I am getting around to posting about the wine tasting I went to last March! I know. I know. I am so behind. I must say my excuse is that I read too many books when I should be composing these posts.

When I finally focused, I composed all my notes from the wine tasting.

I tried 4 wines

Plume Bleue – France – Grenache and Syrah blend
To me, it tasted earthy and made me think of oak. At the same time, it was fresh with a mild, soft flavor. The fruity hints that I could detect smelled like blueberries. I think this is a nice summer red wine.

TintoNegro Malbec – Mendozza Argentina
The speaker said that the grapes were grown in a cold climate and that was attributed to the deep color. To me, the wine scent had hints of currant or berry. When I tasted it, I think it is dry at first with a smoother finish. I am not a fan of malbecs in general, but this was one of the better ones that I have tasted. I would buy this for people who liked malbec wines.

Truth Red Blend (Axios & Worthy) – Napa
The speaker said this wine had mild tannins (whatever that means). I could not get a distinctive smell like I did with the first two. I did think this was a mild flavored wine with fruity hints coming forward on the taste buds without being overly sweet. It was also very smooth to me. Another note (having nothing to do with the actual flavor of the wine) I loved this wine label design. Very MC Esher-esce. From the label alone I would probably have bought the wine without having tasted it.

Petalos Bierzo – Mencia grape Spain
The speaker said that this wine made the Top 100 list in the Wine Enthusiast in 2010 and received 92 points in 2011 (whatever that means). Maybe my taste buds are not as refined as the sommeliers of Wine Enthusiast, but I thought it smelled heavy. I had thoughts of earthy in a peat moss kind of way. It was so dry that I felt it in my teeth. If you are like me and like lighter, sweet wines, do not get this one. Your taste buds will wonder what they did to displease you. If you like strong, heavy, dry wines, then this is definitely for you.

Of all the wines I tried this night, Plume Bleue was my favorite. It was light and fruity. It did not have any of the heaviness that I usually associate with red wine.