Deceptive Chameleon Wines

recently consumed

Wine: La Vieille Ferme Rosé 2005, Trentadue Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

tasting notes

Both of these wines were two nighters (sipped one night, finished the other), and both insulted me the first night, and then improved but yet failed to wow me the second night.

Let’s start with the rosé. Highly rated by Wine Specator, described as a “fruit bomb“, cheap and easy to find… I was excited. Beautiful delicious pink color. The color was so candy-enticing that I imagined the first sip would be like a sugary bubblegum slushie. Perhaps that influenced my taste a little, because I swear I detected a hint of bubblegum, but mostly a whole lot of mineral and metal. The second night with the tilapia, it seemed to fair better, but still my overall consensus was bland bland bland. I’d occasionally get a mouthful that would resonate with a light cherry aftertaste that warmed my tongue. However, it was infrequently and nearly impossible to replicate. Sad for my first true rosé. I really wanted to be wowed. For $7, not bad, but I won’t be buying again.

Next is the far more expensive Cabernet Sauvignon. Complete opposite color… an intimidatingly evil black ooze that will only bear its dark cherry color when placed up to the light. I tasted it at Wine Styles and experienced a berry explosion in my mouth that I never once replicated upon taking home. The first night it tasted so sour, stinging, and desertly dry that I suspected a tainted wine. I let it open for a few hours, and then corked it for the night. The second night it was surprisingly better, smooth, rich, but still a little odd. We drank it with a steak which worked in its favor. However, for every deceptively rich swallow there was a just as frequent dry as a desert sip. Sometimes as delicious as a Karly Buck’s 10 Point Zin, sometimes crappier than Shaw… overall too dangerous a crap shoot for a $20 wine.

Tom and I bought our most expensive wine this weekend. A $55 Burgundy from 1997: Aloxe Corton Tollot-Beaut. Let’s hope it much more impressive than these two disappointments.

suggested pairings

• Rosé: baked tilapia stuffed with shrimp pilaf
• Cabernet: peppered steak and a healthy dose of au jus

technorati tags: rosé, french wine, cabernet sauvignon