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spryte · Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:36 am Post subject:

Ok.. tonight we'll be trying out Funky Llama (again, cuz I liked the bottle) and whatever Malbec our friends bring over.

I picked up an assortment of snackies to go with them.
Cheeses - Dutch DaVinci (one of my FAVES) an Amish blue cheese, smoked gouda
Summer Beef Stick and a Pepperoni Stick
Stone ground mustard
baguette & sesame bread sticks
French Gherkins (there are little pearl onions mixed in!)
Red grapes and a couple of pomegranates

Ericka is bringing her homemade tomato preserves (that I have been dying to try!)
Hummus
Crackers

Oh... and I picked up some Dark Chocolate (70%)
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BobtheDude · Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:38 am Post subject:

Sounds like fun Spryte! Maybe next time I grab a bottle I will see if my brother wants to get in on it, he is pretty good with food pairings...
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Babette · Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject:

Spryte that sounds like a really fun time! I think I'm going to do that next time.. Invite folks over and ask them to bring a bottle and we'll rate them. Smile

So cool! I wonder what the next bottle will be!

kathyk · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:31 am Post subject:

Here's one I found at Vino 100. I met Mr. Lorca there a few years ago for a tasting. Very handsome latin man.. Wink

What I remember most about the tasting was that he does not like to age his wines in Oak, but rather stainless steel. He prefers to let the grape flavors shine without the Oak's interference. Many of his wines are unoaked (especially the whites) However, this wine is Oaked.
Sorry I can't upload a picture, I have one..just no means right now to get to it. As soon as I do, I will.

Wine: Lorca Fantasia, Malbec 2007, $16
Vista Flores Vineyards, Mendoza, Argentina, 14%
Imported by Bottled Poetry Imports, Dallas, TX
www.mauriciolorca.com

From the bottle:
Fantasia, a great idea that makes sense, Malbec. Grapes from Vista Flores, Valle de Uco, Medoza, 3445 feet above sea level. 2 bottles per plant, 30% sees Oak, 70% is pure fruit, intense colors. Very expressive with typical fruit, smooth and elegant.

Review:
This was very good. I wish I could say what food we paired it with, but my father and I pretty much downed the bottle before dinner. The color is beautiful, a purply red...smell very fruity. Tastes somewhat fruity and musky. On the dry side. Good Legs. No wierd aftertaste. That's a biggy for me, I can't stand wine that has a gross aftertaste.
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spryte · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 7:26 am Post subject:

Ok..... we invited Ericka & Drew, our wine drinking friends and included the Quara from last week... so I'm adding it to this review, since they tried it for the first time Friday night. For cheeses we had Dutch DaVinci, Smoked Gouda, Amish Blue with baguette slices. There was a summer sausage & pepperoni sticks, red grapes, pomegranate, red pepper hummus & pita chips, sesame bread sticks, Ericka's homemade green tomato preserves, dark chocolate, stone ground mustard, French gherkins, and garlic herb dipping oil.

Name: QUARA
Price: $8.99
Year: 2007
PHOTO of bottle:

Short intro from the wine maker about the wine: Deep purple in color with rich berry and plum flavors. Good structure, balanced acidity and a long velvety finish define it's character.
Review:
Ok... reviewing our notes... there isn't much to add about this wine. It has a strong alcohol taste...
it's ummm... thicker... when you swirl it, it sticks to the glass more.
Ericka: full bodied
Ok... like I said... not much more about this one.... on to the next!

I picked this one too... again, because I liked the label.

Funky Llama
Price: $6.99
Year: 2007
PHOTO of bottle:

Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
The Llama is an icon of the high Andes, roaming the snow-covered peaks between the pampas and the sky. Grown at 4000ft in the shadow of these great mountains, our wines are a clear expression of the purity of our land: Bright, Fresh & Flavorful.
**nothing about how it should taste, smell or look!** I might need to rethink picking by the labels I like!
Review:
Color - dark red not purply
smells like berries
WAY mellower than the Quara
Can't really pick out any flavors (even though it smells like berries)
Not as many tannins
Drier than Quara
Drew: Good table wine
Spryte: I could drink this if there's nothing else to drink, including water

And the next Drew picked this out:
Bodega - Septima
Price: $11.99
Year: 2007
PHOTO of bottle:

Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
Tasting Notes: Dark red color with violet reflections. Intense aroma of sweet fruits such as plums, blackberries and quince preserve with hints of herbs and green pasture. Pleasant on the palate with soft tannins and toasts, oak and vanilla nuances. Good balance and persistence.

Aging: The wine ages in French and American oak casks where it will acquire the aroma of the wood, which together with it's own will create a more harmonic, complex and expressive wine. Six months in oak casks and six months in the bottle.

Review:
Deep purple red color
Intense mold smell but not moldy... oak??
Almost bleu cheese smell (the blue cheese was not close by)
spicy smell
Ericka: reminds me of bourbon... it's the oak!!!
Spryte: kinda pickles my tongue
Tried with dark chocolate... NO yuck for me!! YES YUM for Ericka!!

Order of preference from best to least favorite:
Ericka: Septima, Quara, Funky Llama
Drew: Sepitma, Funky Llama, Quara
Jon: Funky Llama, Quara, Septima
Marguerite (aka Spryte): Funky Llama, Septima, Quara

Ericka: I think I'm not a malbec fan.

The Funkly Llama was nice mixed with 7up over ice - totally drinkable then!! =)

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~Marguerite
Keepin' it green!

Spryte's Place Blog

ImStuffed · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:30 am Post subject:

wow...great review...and what a spread!!! Smile

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CulinaryAlchemist · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:37 am Post subject:

Yeah! I gotta agree with Danielle on that... Way nice... Smile

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cwiech · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:38 am Post subject:

I like the "mixed with 7-up" idea... that would help me along with some of the drier wines. And I agree, the Funky Llama label was very cool. Very Happy

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Carol · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:50 pm Post subject:

Nice Spryte, both the review and the table.
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Babette · Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:40 am Post subject:

Spryte.. that was awesome! Smile

I wonder what next month's wine will be... ?