I'm just trying to start somewhere...and the variables are so many, it is hard to keep track of things, so I decided to start like this. Rankings will likely change in different tries. Lehigh's 3 bottle rule before recommending tries to deal with that, and I think that is a good approach. But, I'm still trying singles, trying to expand my experience base. I make notes as well, regarding what I taste.
Some subjective comments:
- - Most of my Italians are Tuscan Sangiovese's...I've liked many of them. I like the spice. I did try a Piedmont Barbera, and at first it turned me off, but by the time I finished, I decided I would definitely try another. I will branch out.
- - The Spanish Tempranillos are good and drinkable, and I intend to buy more, but they are not as complex as I like.
- - The Argentinians are heavy and jammy...almost too much for me. I had the Ben Marco, and liked it--reminded me of a decent California cabernet--so I decided to try more malbecs. But, I have not liked the others as much, so it has been down hill since the Ben Marco.
- - I have a good NZ Marlborough pinot waiting to try, and an Oregon pinot on the buy list. I've liked some of the French pinot blends I've tasted as well. Still need to dive deeper in to the pinot noirs.
- - Cabernets and Sangioveses are still my favorite...so far. I like some of the Bordeaux and other French blend wines I've tried, but I also hated some. So, I've started to fear spending a lot of money on French wines. California seems a bit more consistent (less likely for me to lose a stack of cash on a randomly bad wine).
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