The rewards and frustrations of home winemaking

Tag archive: brunello

“Hotel Del Coronado” Winexpert 2008 Limited Edition Brunello Tasting Note

My “Hotel Del Coronado” Winexpert 2008 limited release Brunello is coming up on 3 years post bottling now. My first reaction to drinking this wine was, WOW! It is definitely at its peak, and is exceptional. Big, bold aromas of blackberry, sage, and light spice. Perfectly integrated flavors of currant, blackberry, and raisins with cedar […]

Brunello 2-year Tasting

I’ve been excited about trying out this Limited Edition wine again, hopefully it’s almost ready.  I decanted very briefly before first taste; it’s still very foamy.  Not much “soapiness” on the nose, mostly light, bright fruits with hint of spice. Very clear garnet in color.  Good oak on the tongue giving slightly buttery mouthfeel, with […]

Italian Brunello 6 Month Tasting

Nose of raspberry and cherry, with hint of the soapiness. Still foamy. Tasting very young. Sour cherry and oak. More integrated and tasty, but not ready yet.

Italian Brunello 2-Month(ish) Tasting

Almost 2 month tasting of the brunello. A LOT of oak in the nose, with a weird fruity off-smell. Not outrageously tasty, not quite integrated. Needs to sit. Will decant and taste again.

Bottling Sauvignon Blanc and Italian Brunello

To keep the cellar fully stocked, we *really* some sauvignon blanc.  This kit was touted as a quick-drinker, and I’ve been really happy with the lower-end white kits.  I bulk aged this wine an extra month (out of laziness and lack of time to bottle). I did have to filter this one, the low-end whites […]

Time for Limited Editions!

I have discovered that the wine kit companies make special limited edition wines every year that are supposed to be “exceptional quality.”  I’ve been pretty impressed with the quality so far, so these should be really exciting!  Here’s what I got: Pacific Quartet:  A blend of very cool whites from the Pacific, including Vidal from […]