From the grave yard of 89 point wines

Dhonig, the blogger from 2 days Per Bottle started a group blog entitled The 89 Project. The 89 Project mission statement:

“Wine graveyards are littered with 89-rated bottles, but some just might deserve a chance to come back from the dead. What is the difference between an 89 and a 90 rating for a bottle of wine? Sales. A reasonably priced 90 rating flies off the shelf. An 89 rating for the same dollars just sits and sits. The 89 Project invites wine writers, reviewers, critics and bloggers to cross-post anything they write about any wine getting an 89 rating. Let us give these red-headed step children of the wine world a second chance to shine brightly with success, or splat down into ignominious failure.”

 

I have been delinquent in my posting to the 89 Project so this is my first post.  I usually don’t buy wines for their rating but happened to have this wine at a wine bar the other day.  I used my handy dandy Wine Spectator mobile app on the iPhone and checked the rating of the wine and low and behold it was 89 points.

 

The wine I picked up is the 2005 Esporao Red Reserve from Portugal.  The Esporao winery is located in the Alentejo  (DOC) region of Portugal, 180 Km east of Lisbon, in Reguengos de Monsaraz.  The 2005 Red is comprised of 40% Aragonês , 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Trincadeira. The vineyards for the grapes lie on primarily granit and loamy clay soil and the vines are trained on a Double Guyot style system.  This wine has the added benefit of giving me two new wines to add toward my Wine Century Club list.

 

My Tasting Notes-

 

Nose – Raisin, prune, grilled meat, wood

Taste – Blueberry, pomegranate, strawberry shortcake and raspberry

Mouthfeel – medium body, fairly high acidity and firm tannins

Finish – long length, fuzzy from the tannins and nice red fruit flavors

 

This was a great wine that regardless of rating and I would purchase it again. It was 18.99 from Whole Foods here in Richmond which I think is a good price for the quality of the wine.  We had the wine with a cheesy, veggie, noodley casserole and it paired great, very nice for a chilly fall evening.  In addition to the notes I put above, the nose was slightly reminiscent of a good Port, go figure!

 

Cheers!