Cellarmasters International Red Wine of The Year 2018
Through the Cellarmasters Wine Reservations, an online wine club, you can order this year’s International Red Wine of the Year 2018 Finalists 6-pack.
This 6-pack is delivered to your door and includes; brown paper bags and blind tasting guides so you can hold your very own blind wine tasting party at home. It’s a really fun concept and lets you choose, which wine you think should be crowned the winner.
Thanks to Cellarmasters, they sent me over a sample pack to give a test run. Here is what I thought of the wines. The winner will be announced by Cellarmasters in November 2018.
Find out more about Cellarmasters and other places you can buy wine online in Australia here.
Chateau Moulin de la Faye 2016 Bordeaux (France)
I love a bit of blind tasting! It takes all preconceptions out the window and leaves it up to your senses to call the shots.
Recently I partnered with Cellarmasters to try out the International Wine of the Year 2018 Finalists mixed pack. This is part of their ‘Wine Reservations’ subscription packs.
With the help of the tasting notes in the complimentary Blind Tasting Guide in the pack and my prior knowledge of Bordeaux wines, I was able to pick this Moulin de la Faye 2016 Bordeaux straight away.
I found it a deep scarlet red with a magenta tinge in the glass. The nose is rather farmy and savoury with blackberry fruits, coffee beans and spice. While in the mouth it has smooth fruit flavours, tannins that mellowed with decanting and a hint of black olives. A rich and very enjoyable Bordeaux.
More details on the 6-pack can be found here.
All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #winesample #tcweekdaywine
Miluna 2015 Sangiovese (Italy)
Will this Miluna 2015 Sangiovese from Abruzzo in Italy be crowned the Cellarmasters International Red Wine of the Year?
Well, we’ll have to wait until November to find that out. But the good news is that you can order this bottle alongside the other 5 finalists through the Cellarmasters Wine Reservations subscriptions. The 6-pack also comes with brown paper bags and tasting books so you can have your very own blind tasting party.
I managed to pick this one blind. Here are my notes on it:
Cherry red colour with plums, cherries, vanilla and spice on the nose. Red juicy berries come through on the palate with balanced drying tannins and a decent length finish. Very yummy.
All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #winesample #tcweekdaywine
Quinta Vista 2015 Tinto (Portugal)
Next up in the Cellarmasters ‘International Red Wine of the Year Finalists’ 6-pack is this Quinta Vista 2015 Tinto from Lisbon in Portugal. It’s made from a blend of Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Castelão and Syrah grapes.
I found it a very deep mauve-raspberry colour with soft red & black fruits and oak on the nose. Lovely cranberry acidity comes through on the palate and the taste lingers in the mouth well after you swallow. After pulling it out of the paper bag (we tasted it blind alongside the other finalists) on the label it says it goes well with everything from cheese and meat to BBQ and Asian dishes. I could imagine it’d be a very good friendly ‘vinho’ (that’s Portuguese for wine!).
All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #winesample #tcweekdaywine
Santoro 2017 Primitivo (Italy)
Fun fact: Primitivo and Zinfandel are the same grape variety. They’re both clones of the Croatian grape Crljenak.
This Primitivo is from the Puglia region in southern Italy which is known for producing a lot of wine made from Primitivo.
True to it’s nature, this Santoro 2017 Primitivo is a deep, only plum flesh red with mixed berry jam and freshness on the nose. In the mouth it’s incredibly juicy and full of flavour. It’s richness and intensity deserves to be partnered up with a nice cut of beef or venison in my opinion.
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All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #winesample #tcweekdaywine
Chatelain Ramel Grande 2016 Cuvee Minervois (France)
This Châtelain Ramel 2016 Grand Cuvée from the Minervois appellation in the Languedoc region in the South of France is part of the Cellarmasters International Red Wine Of The Year Finalists 6-pack. The pack comes with brown paper bags and tasting guides so you can DIY your own blind tasting.
I’m pleased to report I picked this one correctly blind. It’s made from 80% Carignan, 10% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre grapes.
I found it a deep red colour in the glass with black fruits, violets and a touch of minerality on the nose. In the mouth it’s full of juicy black fruits, cherries, liquorice and drying tannins. Big and bold!
All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #winesample #tcweekdaywine
Salo 2015 Garnacha Tempranillo (Spain)
Perhaps this Saló 2015 Garnacha & Tempranillo blend from Spain will be named the Cellarmasters International Red Wine of the Year..
I guess we’ll find out in November.
Cellarmasters suggest matching it with Patatas Bravas – a quintessential Spanish tapas dish made up of potatoes in a spicy tomato and a garlic aioli sauce. YUM!
This Spanish red has a lovely deep red hue in the glass with fresh red cherries, plum notes and a sprinkling of spice on the nose. In the mouth, it’s rather juicy and robust with great structure and flavour.
All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #winesample #tcweekdaywine
