An initial burst of brine leads onto warming toffee apples and hazelnuts. This is followed by dates, chocolate orange and spiced tea cake.
The Arran Single Malt 14 YO Isle of Arran, Scotland
Tag Archives: Tasting notes
Springbank 10 YO Campbeltown, Scotland
Matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, it is well balanced from the first sip through to a full, rich finish with hints of vanilla & malt.
Antinori Santa Cristina Toscano Rosso 2013, Italy
Ruby red in colour with purple hues, the nose shows intense notes of red fruit, of cherries, blueberries, and black currants. The palate is well-balanced and complex, with sweet tannins and the ripe red fruit notes flavors linger on the finish.
Myra Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, India
This deep red wine has come of age in fine oak barrels. Crafted with hand-selected grapes, it is medium-bodied and infused with rich currant flavours. It is best paired with simple flavours, lamb, tandoori preparations and mildly-spiced curries.
York Chenin Blanc 2014, India
The semi-dry Chenin Blanc is a blend of Chenin fermented in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels. It has unique aromas of fresh tropical fruits like guava, apricot and pineapple. The oak aged component of this wine gives it good structure and complexity with very balanced acids.
Yellow Tail Pink Bubbles NV, Australia
This sparkling rose has an appealing bouquet of wild strawberries, red cherries and sweet spice. The palate is full with cherries, tropical fruit flavours and sweet face. Fresh spritzy and crackling with vitality.
Indian Wine Consumers Choice Awards- Silver Medal Winners Tasting Notes
Charosa Resrve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012: Dark ruby red with complex aromas of ripe fruits, black olive, vanilla, eucalyptus, chocolate with a hint of sweet spice. On the palate this wine is rich and soft, expressing ripe fruits like plum and raspberry.
Chateau d’Ori Chardonnay 2012: Fresh and pleasant with a distinct nose of pineapple and citrus fruit, this excellent Chardonnay distinguishes itself with a memorable finish. The wine pairs equally well with poultry and paneer, fish and vegetables.
Fratelli Sette 2011: A great fusion of powerful Cabernet Sauvignon, roundness and richness of Cabernet Franc teamed with the fine, elegant floral notes of Sangiovese. The pleasant and refined notes of wood are well merged with the wine, adding a balanced vanilla flavour, silky tannins and a vibrant finish.
Grover Vijay Amritraj Reserve Collection Red 2013: Fragrant perfumed aromas with elegant lingering dark fruits, spice, pepper. blackberry jam and violets. Well-balanced tannins.
Myra Reserve Shiraz 2013: Its medium-bodied palate has a soft finesse-filled tannin structure. Its gentle oak and vanilla nose and palate makes it a perfect complement for grilled meats and seafood and medium-spicy Indian food.
Nine Hills Chenin Blanc 2014: This medium dry, medium bodied wine is crisp and refreshing. It has light floral and fruity aromas with flavours of tropical fruits like peach, banana and pineapple.
Nine Hills Shiraz Rose 2013: Medium dry, this wine is crisp and refreshing. It is light to medium bodied with aromas and flavours of cherry and strawberry.
Reveilo Merlot 2014: An intense ruby colored, medium bodied wine with mouth filling flavours of ripe plums, black cherries and cassis complimented with spicy characters. Soft tannins and balanced acidity provide a remarkable structure to this wine.
Reveilo Late Harvest Chenin Blanc 2013: The aromas from the overripe grapes are purely of raisin grapes, dry figs, honey and dry fruits like almonds and nuts. On the palate, the sweetness is perfectly balanced with acidity, resulting in a very pleasant velvety taste.
Reveilo Syrah 2014: Strong aromas of pepper, smoke and red berry fruits, which follow through on the palate, with notes of spice and flintstone. Soft complex tannins give this medium bodied wine a good finish.
Reveilo Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: An extremely powerful bouquet of aromas with notes of black fruit and green pepper. The tannins are sweet and smooth giving the wine a long and persistent finish. The wine has an appealing mouth feel and is nicely structured.
Reveilo Sangiovese 2014: An intense, ruby coloured wine with aromas of raspberry, cherry and spice. The palate is soft and fruity with finely textured tannins and well balanced acidity giving the wine a rounded and lingering taste.
Reveilo Grillo 2013: The wine greets you with a bouquet of citrus, lemon, orange and grapefruit. It is a medium bodied wine with crisp acidity and a long mineral after taste.
Sula Dindori Reserve Viognier 2014: Grown on the distinctive red soil of our Dindori estate, the reserve Viognier is showing exotic apricot and lychee aromas followed by a lengthy mineral presence and fresh acidity on the palate.
Sula Brut Rose NV: A sophisticated, perfectly balanced bottle-fermented Rose sparkling wine. A blend of Chenin Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir grapes, this salmon pink palate-pleaser packs a million tiny bubbles in every celebratory sip.
Sula Brut NV: A blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Sultana and Pinot Noir, this celebratory sparkling wine, made in the true methode champenoise style, is a creamy, complex nectar that goes down like a dream.
Sula Satori Merlot Malbec NV: A medium-bodied Merlot-Malbec blend with hints of black cherries and ripe red fruit. Well structured and smooth on the palate. “Satori” is a Zen term meaning “sudden enlightenment”.
Sula Sauvignon Balnc 2014: Herbaceous, crisp and dry, with hints of green pepper and a touch of spice at the finish, this wine is well balanced with good acidity.
York Sparkling Cuvee Brut NV: On the nose along with perfumed characters of lemons there are secondary characters of cheese and butterscotch. The 12 months less ageing gives it complex characters of cookies, cheese and cream on the palate.
Indian Wine Consumers Choice Awards- Bronze Medal Winners Tasting Notes
Charosa Selections Sauvignon Blanc 2014– Bright straw yellow. Lively intense flavors of tropical fruits with gooseberry and orange flavors on mid palate. The palate is broad, balanced and quite rich with tropical fruit and a grassy mineral freshness.
Charosa Selections Shiraz 2013– Ruby red, bright, fresh dark fruits on the nose with some vivid raspberry, strawberry, cherry, vanilla and toasty aroma notes. The mid palate expresses ripe red fruit and mature tannins. Great spicy finish with a hint of oak.
Grover Art Collection Cabernet Shiraz 2014– Intense notes of blackcurrant and blackberry with nuances of Mediterranean herbs and black pepper. The palate is concentrated showing ripe, elegant dark berry fruit with great intensity and weight, complemented by soft, fine grain tannins. Great structure with a powerful and persistent finish.
Grover Art Collection Rose 2014– Intense bouquet of berries and sherry with a fruity, light bodied, smooth palate. Pairs well with mildly spiced preparations of fish and poultry.
Myra Cabernet Sauvignon 2012– This medium to full bodied, fruity wine is marked by supple tannins and a good finish. While excellent on its own, it also pairs very well with creamy pastas or Indian gravy dishes and hard cheese.
Sula Chenin Blanc 2014– A semi-dry, refreshingly light wine bursting with pineapple and stone fruit. Food pairing makes for a delightful aperitif and ideal with food that has a hint of sugar and spice.
Zampa Soiree Brut 2012– The aromas reveal floral, fresh lemon with hints of toasted bread and white fruit such as pear. The palate is light and creamy, clean, lemon and crisp. It has fine beads and a persistent mousse with a dry finish in classic brut style.
Article by Nikhil Agarwal for Restaurant Week India Magazine
Folks I’m going to keep this simple. Wine isn’t rocket science, in fact nothing is rocket science except of course rocket science itself.
To begin your path to vinous discovery you must taste in order to choose wines effectively. Sounds like fun? It is. Feel free; take a sip from the glass of the fellow on the next table if you must. The more you taste the better. Build a memory bank of wine flavours. The more you taste the more you will understand the differences between grape varieties, regions and most importantly the style of wine that you like and don’t like.
To make it easy some restaurant wine lists have the tasting notes of the wine mentioned below the wine, if it sounds appealing to you, go for it. Don’t be afraid to ask your server for some advise, this however I must caution you only works in select places, like the ones I consult for example. The tasting note on the back of a bottle will give you a lot of information as well incase your buying from a retail store.
Sure you’ll pick a few duds in the process but it will only make you enjoy the good ones more and I predict if you give yourself enough time you’ll be picking winners every time, making you the pride of your family and joy of your town.
Wine and food when paired correctly is a match made in heaven. But don’t get too wrapped up in the technicality of it all, just have fun with it. Keep in mind the weight, texture and flavours including sweetness and acidity of the food and find a wine with characteristics that matches them or in some cases you could also try contrasting them.
Experiment, you’ll get it in no time. In fact, because there are just so many styles of wine you could find a style of wine for pretty much any kind of food out there.
Ever tried a Vada Pao with that deadly red masala with a Chardonnay aged in American oak? No ? Well neither have I but it could be fun to try!
Indian wine can offer more value than an imported counter part but all in all it’s still relatively expensive to drink wine in India. It’s expensive because the duties on wine are very high, some of the highest in the world. Expensive because of high margins applied by hotels and restaurants and ridiculous demands from retail outlets. Also sometimes because importers and producers think they can charge a higher value and get away with it. Last but not least the truestest reason for high prices is because there is more demand than the producers and importers of wine in India can supply……..well not really but even Sommeliers have dreams !
Nikhil Agarwal- Sommelier and Director at All Things Nice – www.allthingnice.in
Charosa Wineries
I had visited Charosa winery a couple of years ago in July 2011 (when the winery wasn’t completely ready) on an invitation from Milind Pandit, their National Sales & Marketing Head. I was blown away with the size of their operation and knew immediately that when they launched they would create a stir.
I remember the weekend I was there they were rolling in brand new barrels that had just arrived the same day. You could feel their excitement and passion for what they were doing.
Situated in the Dindori Taluka of Nasik, Charosa has its own vineyards and also sources fruit from contracted farmers that they supervise closely. The winery is state of the art and its location is absolutely stunning; you can climb to the top of that hill in the picture and take in a 360-degree view of the surroundings. Not open to visitors just yet but it is going to be a great place to spend the weekend once they have their hospitality infrastructure in place.
The current portfolio launched in late 2013 includes a New Zealand style Sauvignon Blanc that is absolutely stunning and one of India’s best. A classy crisp Viognier made in an oxidative style, which I really enjoyed, a Shiraz that has spent some time in oak and a Reserve Tempranillo, which is brilliant. The Tempranillo grape variety has proven itself to thrive in Indian climatic conditions and we will see a lot more wineries launching their versions using this variety soon. They also have a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that didn’t impress as much as the others but I think the next vintage will be much better. What I really like about Charosa is that they are making efforts to be different. For example they haven’t included a Chenin Blanc in their portfolio, a gutsy move that I respect. All wines are bottled in screw cap, which in India makes complete sense.
My only grouse is that they too have become part of this new trend for wineries in India to price one or two of their wines at around the Rs 1500 and above mark, a trend I don’t support.
Charosa is a great example of the level of wine quality India can produce when we put in the right effort and investment. Milind and the team have set high standards right from the get-go and we look forward to seeing what else this winery will offer in the future.
Tasting Notes: (Provided by Charosa Wineries)
Charosa Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: Dark ruby red with complex aromas of ripe fruits, black olive, vanilla, eucalyptus, chocolate, with hint of sweet spice. On palate wine is rich and soft, expressing ripe fruits like plum, raspberry. Full bodied this wine finishes with well balanced tannins. MRP Rs.1500/-
Charosa Vineyards Reserve Tempranillo: Dark Ruby-red in color, the nose is filled with rich coconut, vanilla, chocolate & raspberry aromas. Medium-bodied with excellent concentration of warm red fruit flavors like raspberry, strawberry & plum are distinctly ripe and fleshy. Round and soft finish is an endless display of well balanced wine. MRP Rs.1500/-
Charosa Vineyards Selections Shiraz: Ruby red , bright, fresh dark fruits on the nose with some vivid raspberry, strawberry, cherry, vanilla and toasty aroma notes. The mid palate expresses ripe red fruit and mature tannins. Great spicy finish with a hint of oak. MRP Rs.800/-
Charosa Vineyards Selections Sauvignon Blanc: Bright straw yellow. Lively intense flavors of tropical fruits with gooseberry and orange flavors on mid palate The palate is broad, balanced and quite rich with tropical fruit and a grassy mineral freshness. MRP Rs.750/-
Charosa Vineyards Selections Viognier: Bright straw yellow. Very rich, fruity floral nose, luscious edge displaying sweet spices like cinnamon and delicate apricot aromas. On the palate this is full, and soft silky texture imparted by short ageing in new French oak barrel. MRP Rs.750/-
By Nikhil Agarwal