Fleur du CapPinotage 11'

Naked Wine Review 135

Wine: Pinotage

Producer: Fleur du Cap 

Vintage: 11'

Region: South Africa>Western Cape>Stellenbosch

Price: 11.00

Date tasted: 12/10/13

Place tasted: I had been riding my blue magic carpet ($54 at Sports Authority) through galaxies gathering up energy and channeling it back to the Earth; she who belongs to no man. Even the ones who try to claim her power will be consumed by her in the end. This thought comforted me. How grounded and grateful I felt for the turning of the great wheel. A place to be born, and a place to rest. A place to sing, dance, and sip wine in the in between times. 

May holiday blessings twinkle in delight, and fill you with joy through the longest night. 

Cin Cin!

Served with: Marinated country style pork ribs. Would be great with grilled or roasted lamb, beef, pork, or game. It's a powerful wine and meets well with challenging spicy foods and strong heady cheeses or dark chocolate. 

Appearance: The blood and life force of the great Dionysus himself flows into the color and character of this wine. Black with deep garnet and purple secrets revealed only when held to light. 

On the snoot: Powerful snoot of dense herb and tar with black fatted fruit and fancy rubber band snaps. 

Taste: Blackberry compote with strong tobacco smoke and leather spanked vanilla beans. Very dry yet weighted with character and layers of delightful and varied tastes, like oak soaked trolls toes(for example). Zippy triangular tannins perform enchantingly throughout and follow through a long intensely satisfying finish.

Balance: She has the body of a majestic mountain with slow exotic naked legs flowing down from it. Not too sweet; not too hot; not too acid; lots of tannin. She's perfectly proportioned with great structure.

Comments: It's a rich and earthy contribution to what good Pinotage should be. I loved it so much I went and bought another bottle as soon as the first one was gone….and I never do that. 

Rating: 4 smitten tipsys

'O' WinesRed Wine 10'

Naked Wine Review 134

Wine: Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah

Producer: 'O' Wines

Vintage: 10'

Region: Washington>Columbia Valley

Price: 15.00

Date tasted: 12/1/13

Place tasted: I was wandering around outside late at night, or was it early in the morning? Lights were twisting behind a lost mountain in the distance where aliens howled like confused wolves at the silver crescent moon. I decided to go inside where I was safe that I might take comfort in wine, cheese and candlelight. Welcome to December.

Served with: Baked fennel with Gorgonzola. It's a hearty wine and would be good with grilled steak, lamb roasts, venison, strong cheeses, and herby red sauces.

Appearance: Dense garnet that when held to the light reveals a rusty neon halo.

On the snoot: She has a beautiful exotic nose; herby with sweet cherries and black currents muddled in a muscular punch to the snoot. 

Taste: Rich and full of character with ripe red cherry and cassis. Chiming notes of cracked pepper, cocoa, and cedar harmonize and blend with a plethora of warm toasted tannins following through a lengthy luscious finish. 

Balance: Well balanced showing meaty beautiful legs. Dry yet mellow with lots of tannin. She's fairly hot so let her breathe a while before imbibing. 

Comments: Another beautiful creation from Washington State. She's a great wine with great purpose. 

From the back of the bottle: "Your purchase helps O Wines provide scholarships to low income young women so they can meet their highest potential through education."  

Rating: 4 staggering tipsys