Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Uruguay - Ariano, Muscat Ottonel 2005

Name: Ariano Muscat Ottonel
Country: Uruguay, Canelones Province
Notes: This grape is a member of the muscat grape variety. Originally from France it was first cultivated in the Alsace region of the Loire valley. This is commonly a dessert wine due to its perfume aromas.
Grape(s): Muscat Ottonel
Vintage: 2005
Colour: Dark gold colour – sort of like the colour of 22 Karat gold. Mummy said it looked like beer which it does actually.
Smell: The first scents were the flloral aromas, sort of like a bouquet of young roses. Very typical of the Muscat family. Smelling more deeply you could pick up the mild aroma of a fruit cocktail…a mixture of tropical fruit flavours.
Taste: Off Dry and acidic with prounounced grapefruit/citrus base at the same time you did think you were drinking roses!!! This had a short length to it.
Conclusion: An acceptable wine
WINEDEX: 6 out of 10 for Muscat grape but 8 out of 10 for Uruguay
Final comments: This was my very first Uruguay wine I had EVER had. I was really looking forward to opening this and see what the Uruguayans had to offer considering their neighbouring countries offered excellent wine. Comparing it to other Muscat wine I gave this 6 out of 10 because I am not keen on the floral aromas and tastes. I love roses but not in my mouth. However, it was a nice wine and I can see why it works well as a dessert variety. I commented that this was an off dry taste but I think really it heads towards being more medium in flavour. It is quite deceptive and it does confuse you….you can think about it one way and then you sip it again and it gives you something else to play with. However, given that this was a Uruguayan wine I was impressed. I would buy this again….and try others. It was surprisingly good. I want to try another Uruguayan wine and compare it to chile and argentina….its going to be good.

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