Tasting Protocolo 2015

Name: Protocolo
Variety: 50% Airen, 50% Macabeo
Region: Tierra de la Castilla
Country: Spain
Year: 2015
Price: $6.95 Winery review:  The 2015 Protocolo Blanco is a blend of 50% Airen (the most commonly planted white grape in the world) and 50% Macabeo, also known as Viura. It is crisp, light, with hints of grapefruit and white currant. It is relatively dry, clean, and just about everything one would expect of a wine at this price point, only better.
My review: Smelled overly acidic but the tasting was surprising. Certainly some acid but some odd sweetness in the back of the mouth too. Some sparkling taste but no bubbles. Carbon taste and refreshing. Would be really good chilled.
 
I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting Rubus Colombard, Ugni Blanc

Name: Rubus Colombard
Variety: Gros Manseng
Region: Southwest
Country: France
Year: NV
Price: $7.95
Winery review: Fresh, clean and lively with intense exotic fruit aromas. Crisp, clean and zesty in the mouth, it offers delicate flavors of citrus fruit and grapefruit, and a long lingering finish.  
My review: Smelled sweet and floral. Tangy and sweet with some lingering acid. Good balance with some sugar to finish off. Hints of citrus, specifically tangerine and lime.
 
I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting Baron de Lajoyosa Gran Reserva 2005

Name:Baron de Lajoyosa
Variety: 50% Grenache, 30% Tempranillo, 10% Carinena, 10% Cabernet
Region:Cainena
Country: Spain
Year: 2005

Price: $9.95
Winery review:  #8 World Wine Writers, Best Wines in the World

It is a wine of beautiful appearance, color dress mature and well covered with light shades of cherry development. Its primary aromas of ripe red berry fruits. The palate expands exceptionally ripe and round: warm and fleshy, long, proud finish.

My review: Smoky with some cherry notes and a nice sweetness upon first drinking. Some tannin and interesting light texture. Jammy with lots of black and purple fruit. Perhaps, plum. Clove and nutmeg with other baking spices. Quite nice!
 
I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Name: Castle Rock
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Country:USA
Year: 2012

Price: $8.95 Winery review:  85- Wine Enthusiast. This wine offers aromas of herbs, black cherry and spice, showing a bit of heat. The dark-fruit flavors have good intensity, with dry, astringent tannins backing them up.

My review: Jammy with a good punch from the tannins without it being overbearing. Not too sweet but some residual sugar helps sweeten it up. Some fruit with blackberry, plum, cherry, and even some licorice. 
 
I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting Cantina di Casteggio

Name: Cantina di Casteggio

Variety: Croatina 80% and Uva Rara 20%
Region: Lombardy
Country: Italy
Year: NV

Price: $7.95 Winery review:  SANGUE DI GIUDA (Judah's blood) name of the wine because of it's deep ruby red color, with purple hues just like blood! The Judah's part of the story is a bit trickier... part local folklore – (i.e. legend) goes something like this: After Judah’s betrayal and hanging, Jesus forgave him and allowed Judah to come back on earth, specifically in the area of Oltrepo’ by the town of Broni. When the local farmers recognized him, they wanted to kill him, but they spared him when he helped to heal their vines that had been affected by a disease. In return, they named the grape after him. Another explanation is that this wine is a "traitor" because it is so delicious that you can get tempted without much effort. Regardless of what you like to believe, this wine is just incredibly delicious!
My review: This one was a lot of fun. Not a sparkling wine exactly, but there was certainly something that gave it some spark. It tasted like sparkling grape juice but better! Hits the tongue kind of like poprocks- strawberry poprocks. Some red berry tastes with lychee and blueberry. Really cool!
 
I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting Oxford Landing Shiraz

Name: Oxford Landing Shiraz

Variety: Shiraz
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2014

Price: $9.99
Winery review:  For such a competitively priced offering, this delivers a lot of complexity. Dried herbs, anise, chocolate and coffee notes add nuance to the raspberry fruit. It's medium bodied and supple, with a lush, lingering finish. Drink now–2020.
My review: I really liked this one. Earthy and grassy with some black fruit. Jammy and oaky with some blackberry perhaps. Certainly many baking spices like nutmeg. Good body and a well balanced wine. 
 
I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting Aveleda Praia

Name: Aveleda Praia

Variety: Blend
Region: Vinho Verde
Country: Portugal
Price: $8.95
Winery review: 

It's rare to find a Vinho Verde – the famously light and refreshing "green" white wine of Portugal – that isn't delightful, but this is one of the best of the breed. And there's no better time to quaff these wines than in the spring and summer. This version is lightly effervescent, with a lively acidity that wakes up the palate. It combines lime and peach flavors with a whiff of sea breeze. Somehow it manages to be both ethereal and penetrating.

My review: Woah. This one was pretty acidic. Acidic and citrusy yet also pretty clean to the pallet. The chill lightens up the acid and lets so light fruit revel itself. Really lemony and limey with a metallic aftertaste. Sort of like ethanol. 
 
I tasted this on its own with no food.