Wine Dinner- Zeppoli's 2/6

Zeppoli's dinner yum!  The food was so good!  Delicious salad, garlic bread, pasta with sausage and peppers, and pasta with feta and olives, it was such a great deal for the price.  My roommate and I had so much fun eating and tasting the wine.  We got to sample from 9 wines and about 5 dishes.

Some of the salad and garlic bread that we were able to enjoy while wine tasting.

What was left of the pasta and crab-cream cheese puffs.

Crucero Sauvignon Blanc (2010)- This Sauvignon Blanc is from the Curico Valley of Chile. 
Zeppoli's Review: Sauvignon Blanc is the fabled grape of both Bordeaux Blanc and the Loire Valley (Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume).  This varietal exhibits aromas of musk melon, pine, and grass.  The finish is zesty and citrus-like, and goes well with chicken and seafood.
My description: This wine had a very floral smell.  There was a hint of heat when tasting the wine.  The wine burned a little bit as it was going down.  However, it was still a light and crisp wine.
Picpoul de Pinet, Coteux Du Languedoc (2010)- This varietal white wine comes from the South of France.
Zeppoli's Review: Citrus and exotic fruit dominate this fresh, crisp, and lively wine from the South of France.  Well-balanced with good acidity.  A perfect match to seafood and shell fish.
My description: I would definitely smell the citrus element that was highlighted in the Zeppoli's review.  I could also sense some hints of berry.  The wine tasted very fruity.  It was a bit drier than the Crucero.  This wine was also crisper than what I had expected.
Manos Negras, Torrontes (2009)- This varietal with 5% Viognier comes from the Tulum Valley in San Juan, Argentina.
Zeppoli's Review: The high altitude desert of the Tulum Valley in San Juan, Agentina provides ideal conditions for this once minor Spanish grape to flourish in unique and exciting ways.  The warm sunny days and cool mountain nights produce wine of light yellow color, withi explosive floral aromas, citrus fruit flavors and a crisp, clean finish.
My description: This wine had a very floral smell.  It was crisp and dry, with minimal alcohol heat.  It seemed like it would pair very well with a summer salad.  As there were hints of honeysuckle in the taste of the wine.
Sombras Del Sol Chardonnay (year not provided)- This Chardonnay comes from Valle Central in Chile.
Zeppoli's review: This refreshing Chardonnay has intense aromas of sweet tropical fruit and notes of vanilla and chestnuts.  A blend of freshness and creaminess, the citrus character comes through along with seet fruit on the palate.
My description: This wine is one of the few wines that does not go through malatic fermentation.  The wine had a fruity smell that reminded me of cherries.  The taste of this wine did not translate those fruity smells.  Instead there was more of an oaky, wooden spoon taste.  This wine did not have much of an alcohol burn that the previous wines had.

 Switching to the red wines!

Allamand Malbec (2010)- This 100% Malbec comes from the Valle de Uco in Argentina. 
Zeppoli's review:  Located at the foot of the Andes range, more than 3,150 ft above sea level, this region produces some of the most refined and elegant Malbecs from Argentina.  Deep purple color, lots of violets in the nose, and natural great acidity, are the typical characteristics of this typical Uco Valley "appellation" Malbec.
My description: I could definitely smell dark fruits like black currants.  The taste of the wine was very smooth, but with a hint of acidity.  I could also sense a bit of spice in the taste of the wine.
 Crucero Carmenere (2010)- This wine comes from Colchagua Valley, Chile.
Zeppoli's review: Herbal, powerful and varietally on the money, with common but well-executed aromas of earth, blackberry and olives.  The palate offers proper weight and intensity, while the flavors of black plum, raspberry and tea are just herbal enough to scream out "Carmenere."  Tasty and consistent from nose to finish.
My description: This wine smells like alcohol.  The taste though was smooth.  There was a combination of all spice and pepper, which was a nice balance.
Maipe Cabernet Sauvignon (2010)- This richly colored Cabernet comes from the Mendoza regio of Argentina.
Zeppoli's review: This Cabernet Sauvignon has an intense ruby red color with aromas and flavors of ripe blackcurrant, red pepper, mint, chocolate and vanilla hints.  The fruit and tannins are perfectly balanced to give a wine of excellent structure making it ideal for grilled meats, game, pasta or pizza.
My description: This wine smelled strongly of tobacco and had some musky undertones.  While tasting this wine I picked up on the blackcurrant flavors as well as some other fruit flavors such as cherries.  I also picked up on some pepper and spices as well.  It was a little dry and was kind of sticky on the palate.
Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon (2009)- This Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Lodi region of California.
Zeppoli's review: Taking Lodi into a whole new level, the finely-tuned '09 Gen 5 Cebernet shows intricate and complex flavors; ripe for sure, yet classy and refined; long finish
My description: I could sense the ripe fruit that was described in the Zeppoli's review.  It was faintly of dark fruit.  It was a rather dry wine, that was a little sticky.  This wine also tasted of fruit like cherries.

Enjoying the wine and delicious food!

 

Surprise dessert that was made for the last wine tasting

Rinaldi Red Dream, Filtrato Dolce (year not provided)- This is a 100% Malvasia Nera grape and this wine comes from the hills of Alto Monferrato.
Zeppoli's review: The wine is ruby red but not too deep, fruity and pleasant.  It's a dessert wine, it is possible to appreciate it at it's best if you serve it chilled.  This frothy and fruity red wine delivers flavors of honeysuckle and black pepper.  Light, fun and exciting; it's great for parties and light fare.
My description: This wine has a very sweet, almost sno-cone-y smell.  There are also hints of berries in the scent of the wine.  This wine is sticky sweet in taste.  There is a little hint of berry in the sweetly fizzed wine.  

Some of the red wines that we sampled throughout the evening.