Hi there! Today we look at a 2013 carmenere from Chile, which I picked up at Costco for $18.
This can be quick, folks. Although Marques de Casa Concha has a very nice aroma and is full bodied, with excellent mouth feel and a good balance of dark red/dark purple fruit vs. gentle spiciness, it is…. a little sour.
Because of that sour kick, I don’t recommend this one. Maybe next year!
Hi there people! Hope life is going well. I’ve been taking a break from writing wine reviews, but I had to come back and … well it sounds bad, but I had to warn you against buying this particular cabernet. I tried Carnivor cabernet at Costco because it was $9 or $10 and they said other stores sell it for $15. As it turns out, Read the rest of this entry »
Today we compare two 2012 pinot noirs from Sonoma County, California: La Crema Sonoma Coast ($19 at Total Wine and Costco, but usually in the low $20s) and Decoy Sonoma County ($22).
Decoy first impression: a beautifully sweet aroma, a delicious cherry-rhubarb pie taste, what could go wrong? Read the rest of this entry »
Today we pit the 2010 Wild Haven reserve merlot from Horse Heaven Hills in Washington State ($13) against the BV Napa Valley 2011 merlot ($16).
Whew. These merlots were not easy to taste. Both had unripe green vegetable flavors. Both tasted sour. Both make you feel like you have been really sick for a few weeks and you’re just now Read the rest of this entry »
Today we compare two Italian pinot grigios. They are THE most expensive ‘grigios I could find at Total Wine. Jermann (2011) is $27; Albino Armani Colle Ara “1607” (2012) is $20.
When I first opened these, I thought this shootout was going to be easy because the Albino Armani was much better than the Jermann, and obviously much less expensive. However, as I tasted both wines over a period of two days with various food, it became obvious Read the rest of this entry »
This is the debut of the new Wineguider: all comparison shootouts, all the time.
Today, we compare:
– Decoy, a 2012 merlot from California’s Sonoma County, $19 at Costco
vs.
– Purple, a 2011 malbec from France, $15 at the local wine shop.
Tonight we check out a 2011 cabernet from Napa Valley, California that I bought at Total Wine for $20.
We have noted that most 2011 and 2010 cabernets from the West Coast are not so great. The question is, could Abbeyville reserve buck that trend? Read the rest of this entry »
Hi! Today, in anticipation of The Big Dinner next week, we compare five pinot noirs, all of which I purchased at Total Wine:
Here is how they ranked, based on taste combined with value:
Today we look at a 2010 red from Fleurie, in France’s Burgundy region. I bought it at Total Wine for $22.
This wine is a nice choice for Thanksgiving. It’s not too strong, it has a good balance between light tannins and mild fruitiness (i.e. it’s not bone-dry) and it has flavors of black tea, nutmeg and cranberry, unique compared to American reds. Even with these interesting flavors and some minerality, it’s not a Read the rest of this entry »
Today we examine a 2010 Bordeaux that is 100% merlot. I found it at Total Wine for $25.
Here we have a nice example of a French red – robust, yet restrained. Delicious fruit, yet not sweet. But is the price too high? Read the rest of this entry »
Here’s a 2012 malbec from Mendoza, Argentina available at Total Wine for $20.
Tiza malbec is rich, inky black in your glass, and immediately Read the rest of this entry »
Tonight it’s a 2012 cabernet from California’s Paso Robles area that goes for $20 at Total Wine.
California’s 2012 vintage was supposedly excellent, so I keep picking up their 2012 reds as I find them. As I write this in October 2013, so far I’ve been disappointed. Obviously, the good stuff is still in oak barrels. Read the rest of this entry »
Today we review a 2012 pinot noir from Chile’s Valle De Casablanca. I found it at Total Wine for $18.
Well, this can be short, ladies and gentlemen. I suggest you Read the rest of this entry »
Today it’s a 2012 sauvignon blanc from France’s Sancerre region that goes for about $20.
Ahh, the French. They still won’t tell me what WINE I’m drinking. This being from Sancerre, it’s probably sauvignon blanc.
And it’s good. Far better than the super-tart Cupcake sauvignon blanc from New Zealand. But then again, it’s $20. Cupcake is $8. Read the rest of this entry »
Today we look at a 2011 sauvignon blanc from New Zealand’s Marlborough region which I bought for $25.
Have you ever driven an Audi A6? I have, once. It’s a great car — I mean truly great, in the most grand sense of the word — but in such a calm way. Its greatness kind of creeps up on you, over time. This is what I get from the 2011 Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc. Read the rest of this entry »
This is a quickie review of a malbec from Mendoza, Argentina which sells for about $15.
The 2009 Cruz Alta reserve malbec is a very welcome reprieve from today’s California reds. It tastes real. Fresh. Juicy but deep and dark, and not too sweet. A perfect Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve noticed a funny thing with cabernet this year. That being, I can’t find one that I like. So we set up a shootout and recently tried these 2010-2011 cabernet sauvignons, over a period of two consecutive nights. Listed in no particular order:
Today we look at a 2011 pinot noir from California’s Santa Lucia Highlands (“SLH”) region, which I picked up at Total Wine for $26. List price is $32.
California’s SLH grows mostly pinot noir. On the bright side, these wines are “big, fleshy and mouthfilling,” says the San Francisco Chronicle. But to me, they are too hot (high in alcohol), too fruity and tannic, and often taste burned. An example: the inexplicably expensive Siduri Sierra Mar, reviewed here.
In short: I am biased against SLH pinot.
Morgan‘s “Twelve Clones” pinot is pleasantly spicy. It has 14.3% alcohol, yet isn’t overly hot. Read the rest of this entry »
Today it’s a 2009 red blend from Chile that costs $30 at total wine.
I am not going to dis this wine — at 14.5% alcohol, 45% cabernet sauvignon, 35% syrah and 20% carmenere, it is one big, spicy meat-o-ball. Read the rest of this entry »
Today as we approach Valentine’s Day, we check out a 2011 pinot noir from California that sells at Total Wine for $16.
Menage a Trois. Ahhhh… such a provocative name. And such a history of good value in red Read the rest of this entry »
Today we review a Napa Valley cabernet that sells at Total Wine for $27. It is non-vintage, meaning its grapes come from various years’ harvests. It is 14.8% alcohol.
So — “cult” wines are those rare few captivating bottles – usually red – that make rich winos spend days looking for them, and then fork over seriously big bucks for their heavenly goodness. Does Cult cabernet sauvignon live up to the lofty goal of its name? Read the rest of this entry »
This 2010 red is from Napa Valley’s Stag’s Leap district, one of the Rolls Royce wine areas in California. It cost me $27 but routinely sells for $22-$25.
Nice to drink, with a very pleasing, medium-bodied mouthfeel — Cameron Hughes Lot 404 cab says “friendly” more than Read the rest of this entry »
I drooled all over the 2007 Phantom in my “holy cow” review, right here.
However, the current vintage (2008) has lost that loving feeling. I am sitting here trying to Read the rest of this entry »
ALERT! La Crema 2010 Sonoma Coast pinot noir is delicious — and right now it’s just $16.89 at Costco.
Wow. I’m used to seeing this wine for around $23. Regardless of the price, it is compelling: light, but spicy. It smells Read the rest of this entry »
Today we review a 2010 pinot noir from California’s Monterey County, which I acquired at Total Wine for $16.
This pinot isn’t spectacular but, importantly for a pinot noir, it doesn’t really do anything wrong. It has cola, Read the rest of this entry »
Today we review a 2009 Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon that sells for about $17.
PART I
OK, Avalon’s Napa cabernet is very good, in fact just as good as Kendall Jackson’s legitimately delicious cabernet, at around the same price. Avalon’s true cabernet taste features an oaky snap, dark red fruit, and a hint of cinnamon and chocolate. Yum. Although it won’t change your life, it has plentiful tannins, great mouthfeel, and doesn’t taste funky like some lower priced cabernets.
But what if you could have this wine for only $13 a bottle? Read the rest of this entry »
Today, it’s a comparison of three red zinfandels from Total Wine:
RESULTS:
Kenwood Sonoma: Light, bright, easy, minimal tannins, mildly spicy. It’s not a “fruity” wine, but it has more fruit than the others. A potential crowd-pleaser. However, it’s very neutral, and doesn’t have much aroma.
Ravenswood Sonoma: Powerful. Serious. Abundant mouth-drying tannins. Eucalyptus and a hint of licorice. An interesting wine. A food wine. However, not much aroma, and the flavor is taking a risk, so not everybody will like it.
Rancho Zabaco Dry Creek: Seductive aroma of coffee, rhubarb and cedar. The two extra dollars you spend on this zin get you complexity, serious tannins, and a combination of cinnamon, cocoa and blackberries. I like it a lot, but again, it’s a bit different, so it may not appeal to everyone.
If you factor in the cost, this trio is basically a dead heat. A three-way tie. If forced to rank them, I would say:
1. Rancho Zabaco (duh, it’s the most expensive) (I want more)
2. Kenwood (easy-breezy)
3. Ravenswood (serious and real, takes risks, can’t please everybody)
All three, however, are:
Highly recommended.
Concluding our experience at Bertucci’s Italian Restaurant, today we look at a 2009 cabernet from Paso Robles, California that Bertucci’s sells for $7.50 a glass / $29 a bottle.
Another winner, J. Lohr’s 2009 cab is reasonably priced, even here, and delivers mildly spicy, dark red fruits on your tongue with not-too-much oak (it’s more like Three-and-a-Half Oaks) and restrained sweetness. On the lighter side for a cabernet, it’s still a real, medium-bodied cab.
Somehow, it goes perfectly with Bertucci’s Piccolo Chocolate Budino, a cupcake version of chocolate mousse, with a dark chocolate wrapper instead of the usual enveloping paper. YUM. This combination was sinfully delicious, and even without the dessert, J. Lohr Seven Oaks cabernet at Bertucci’s is:
Recommended.
Continuing with our experience at Bertucci’s Italian Restaurant, today we review a 2010 pinot grigio from California that Bertucci’s sells for $7.50 a glass / $29 a bottle. It was paired with their Cod al Forno main course.
Here’s a pinot grigio that mostly flies under the radar. With such a light aroma that I can’t even describe it, Francis Ford Coppola’s Bianco pinot grigio hits your tongue with crisp grapefruit, tangy lime, and a hint of melon sweetness. That hint of melon makes it more substantial than many other pinot grigios, but might also turn you off if you were expecting a typical, super-light pinot grigio.
It was paired with Bertucci’s Cod al Forno, which is a piping-hot breaded wild Pacific cod baked with marinated tomatoes, and roasted red potatoes. This dish is delicious and is a healthier go-to when you’re hankering for fish & chips. Pairing with Coppola’s pinot grigio was a nice balance, as you would expect the acidity of the white wine to balance the breaded baked fish, but — surprise — the hint of sweetness really made it for me. Coppola’s pinot grigio is:
Recommended.
Continuing with our delicious Italian restaurant samplings, today we review a 2007 merlot from Washington’s Columbia Valley that Bertucci’s sells for $8.25 a glass / $32 a bottle. It was paired with their Garlic & Herb Roasted Mushrooms and Warm Assorted Olives.
OK this wine caused a stir — everyone at our table loved it, almost couldn’t get enough of it. Like most Washington merlots, it’s on the sweet side. But then there’s that leather. Blackberry. Spice. Licorice. And a touch of oak and black pepper. By itself, Chateau Ste Michelle merlot is good but not perfect, with a bit of harshness. But with food, it’s a different and much better story.
Our hosts paired it with a fascinating dish: roasted mushrooms and warm Mediterranean olives. I don’t know where Bertucci’s is sourcing these items, but somebody in that organization deserves a gold medal. Absolutely delicious and original. And, a drop-dead perfect pairing with this merlot. I am jonesing for a repeat of this course!
Recommended.
Continuing our Italian restaurant experience, here’s a 2010 red blend from California that Bertucci’s sells for $7.50 a glass / $29 a bottle. It was paired with their Eggplant Napoleone.
The Coppola Rosso is a blend of zinfandel (33%), syrah (26%), cabernet (25%) and petite sirah (17%). Whoa — look at those grapes. But instead of a serious steak wine, the winery says it is intended as a lighter, sweeter red for casual dining. And that’s what it is. Likely to appeal to younger drinkers, for me it was a little too jammy, with vanilla and a dusty zinfandel zing.
But! Bertucci’s Michael Cropper and Chad Phillips paired it with a lovely modern caprese salad, featuring eggplant roasted in their famous brick oven, plum tomatoes and fresh mozzarella all drizzled with a balsamic glaze incorporating pesto without nuts, for those of you with allergies. The croutons were too crunchy, but no matter — Eggplant Napoleone rocks, and it made the Rosso shine.
I don’t recommend the wine alone, but I do recommend this pairing. This dish would also go very nicely with a pinot noir (Bertucci’s offers the delicious Estancia pinot, which I praised here).
Today, in the first of our reviews from our experience at Bertucci’s Italian Restaurant, we look at a 2010 Sonoma, California chardonnay that Bertucci’s sells for $7.75 a glass / $30 a bottle. It was paired with their Watermelon, Arugula & Feta Salad.
You may already know that I usually dislike California chardonnay. Guess what? I liked this fresh, light and affordable chard — a lot. Rodney Strong has a pretty aroma of lemons, followed by flavors of snappy pineapple, lemon, and a hint of the “standard chardonnay” melony/oaky/buttery thing. Everyone at our table loved it, and I hereby pronounce Rodney Strong an outstanding value.
The Watermelon, Arugula & Feta Salad improved this perception. It combines deliciously sweet chunks of watermelon with fresh mint and a tangy balsamic dressing, which everyone praised for its flavor and restrained application. The touch of feta cheese made this a perfect creamy / sweet / tangy balance to Rodney Strong’s light and tropical chardonnay, which is:
Highly recommended.
This kicks off a series that will review various popular wines that are sold at Bertucci’s. These brick oven-style Italian restaurants on the east coast have a warm, modern atmosphere, open kitchen and a “dim the lights” feeling of class.
Manager Chad Phillips and culinary manager Michael Cropper in Christiana, Delaware treated us to their newest dishes (excellent) and wines (very good or excellent, for the price, with one exception). The evening was gratis, but I returned to buy each wine on its own.
In every case, the food improved the wine experience. In one case, the pairing caused a so-so wine to become downright enjoyable. Read on to learn which.
The pairings:
Today we look at a $15 California red zinfandel from 2009.
Hey! It’s spring of 2012, it’s pretty outside, and you might be in a hurry. So let me break this down quickly for you. The 2009 artezin zinfandel has a cool label, it’s affordable, it smells complex and wonderful, and on your tongue it gives you:
1. high-quality, freshly-ground pepper that may make you sneeze,
2. black licorice, and
3. drum roll…. it’s not too sweet.
Plus at 14.5% alcohol, it will rock your block. I love this wine! It has its own flavor, not that typical California red goulash. THANK you, artezin, from Hess vineyards. You have blessed us with a red that we can take to any party and show people that we are on the “inside track,” while not breaking the bank.
In the realm of $10-20 wines, artezin zinfandel is sophisticated, deep, dark, and delicious. And it is definitely:
Recommended.
You might have noticed my rabid, out-of-control positive review of the 2008 Wheelhouse cabernet, right here.
Now, it appears that Wheelhouse’s distribution has expanded. I just found its bad-2010-Napa-self at a regular ol’ wine store, for $16 (TOTALLY worth it, even though the 2010 is not quite as good as the 2008 was).
If you have found Wheelhouse, let us know with a comment. Cheers!
Hello! Tonight we look at a 2009 Napa Valley, California merlot that costs around $15.
Look out: here’s an addictive light-to-medium-bodied red wine with a fun label that everybody at the party will love. Blackstone merlot’s former winemaker is behind this. I got a free sample from the winery, and then bought another six bottles.
A bit on the sweet side, Cannonball merlot is fun (like your first real cannonball at the pool) and friendly, yet strangely seductive. It smells like a sweet cabernet, and has some cabernet-ish blackcurrant flavors in addition to black cherry, apple, vanilla and cinnamon when it hits your tongue.
The 2009 Cannonball merlot is:
Recommended.
EDIT: I recently took this wine to a blind wine tasting featuring 16 wines from around the world. I didn’t even know if it was included in the 8 wines I tasted.
On a scale of 1 (horrible) to 5 (incredibly great), I rated everything a 1, 2, or 3. Except one wine, which I rated a 4, and wrote “Nice!!” Yes, it was this Cannonball merlot.
Today we check out a 2009 reserve malbec from Argentina. Its price ranges wildly from $10 to $19 online – I found it at Total Wine for $16.
Wow, malbec has really taken off. Not taste-wise, but popularity and price-wise. I’m normally very, very impressed with South American red wines, for their price. At $16, I expected this Mendoza reserve to blow my head off. Instead, it’s “good” — a pleasantly mild aroma, with a taste that is more tart, blackberry-flavored tobacco and black pepper than it is juicy. It’s also a sort of manly wine — aggressive, mouth-drying tannins abound.
Even though Cueva malbec isn’t a value monster, it is plenty good enough at $16 to recommend. And, it has a cool name, to boot.
Recommended.
Today we check out a 2008 pinot noir from New Zealand’s Marlborough area which costs around $26. I got this one as a free sample.
Astrolabe fills a nice niche: it has a cool name, a cool label, and it’s a pinot in the $25-30 price range. Thus, it is perfect to bring to a swanky party, or to deliver as a nice gift. That is, if it’s delicious.
Guess what? Astrolabe pinot is delicious. When I first tried it, I liked it instantly. The aroma is like roses, smoky spices and freshly dug soil — the deep, rich kind that never appears in your own garden without help from Home Depot. In your mouth, Astrolabe is medium-bodied, bright (actually it’s “bright!!”), spicy, minerally, rhubarby, and floral, with a hint of plumb but none of that cherry lozenge sweetness that is so common in California pinot noirs. And it’s not too minerally, as so many New Zealand pinot noirs seem to be.
And yet, while being complex, it also has a clean, almost healthy feel to it, which borders on flat-out awesome and makes me feel like I’m drinking wine from the future, where there is no pollution and everything sparkles with life-giving purity.
The next time you’re off to a classy party, or you want to give a nice gift, or you just want to enjoy a snappy, fresh pinot that will make you live to 100, this one needs serious consideration. Astrolabe pinot is highly:
Recommended.
Today we check out a 2009 cabernet from Washington State’s Columbia Valley, which you can get at Total Wine for $16. It looks like just “Apex,” because the word “ascent” is printed very small.
My first reaction to this Washington cab was . . . drum roll, please . . . no reaction. I couldn’t taste it. Or smell it. I found this to be very strange. However, it had a nice texture.
On day 2, I could sort of taste it. Not too sweet. Not an excess of tannins. Dark in color. Maybe some blackberry. But what are my affirmative comments and opinions about its taste? Still, almost nothing. It’s not bad, but I wouldn’t buy it again at this price. Maybe Total Wine has spoiled the experience for me by asking too much.
Not recommended.
Here’s a $15 non-vintage prosecco from Italy, which I obtained from Costco.
This Ruffino is an extra dry sparkling white wine. The label says that it is creamy and crisp, with hints of peach and golden apples.
I disagree. I say it is massively over-carbonated, and produces loud, extended belching. As for its flavor, I can’t tell, because of the Colorado-rapids rush of foam in my mouth. After various efforts to reduce the carbonation, which your New Years Eve guests will not be able to replicate, I conclude that this is an average, OK-tasting sparkling white wine. Meaning, it tastes roughly like salty apple cider.
Like most sparkling wines and champagnes under $300, this prosecco is:
Not recommended.
Today we review a fine rioja from Spain that costs $15.
Spicy and energetically juicy, I must say that I really liked Cincuenta Se Cumplen Cincuenta Anos Desde Que Victorino Continua Con La Saga De La Familia Eguren En Su 3d Generacion Ugarte rioja the first time I tried it.
Although very dry, and lighter than you expect, Cincuenta Se Cumplen Cincuenta Anos Desde Que Victorino Continua Con La Saga De La Familia Eguren En Su 3d Generacion Ugarte rioja rewards your palate with bright flavors of black raspberry, rhubarb, and tobacco.
In fact I wish that my favorite steakhouse would carry it. Don’t forget to ask your local wine merchant for a bottle of Cincuenta Se Cumplen Cincuenta Anos Desde Que Victorino Continua Con La Saga De La Familia Eguren En Su 3d Generacion Ugarte rioja, at any price under $20, because this bright, dry-yet-friendly elixir from Spain is:
Highly recommended.
Hello! Today we are going to get right to the point. For Thanksgiving, here is what I recommend:
1. Do not buy “Beaujolais Nouveau,” no matter how much your wine store pushes it. It is light, boring, and basically worthless. Ha! THAT should generate some friendly comments. Just to put the cherry on top of my popularity profile, you should also avoid California chardonnay at Thanksgiving. Its flavors are non-complimentary and too dominating. For turkey, cranberries and stuffing, the next 3 wines are where you want to be.
2. Zinfandel. This is THE All-American grape, and yes, it goes very well with turkey. For a very friendly, sweeter version of this very Thanksgiving-ish red wine, buy 99 Vines for $10. Try 1 bottle first, and make sure you like it. For $10 it’s a great value, but it may not be for everybody.
For a more serious, kickass zin, acquire Oak Ridge ancient vine zinfandel, just $12 at Total Wine. This wine is very dark purple, oaky, spicy, with some sweetness way in the background, and basically acts like a wine that costs almost twice as much. For a better, more well-known name, buy Ridge “Three Valleys” zin, for $20. Yes, the Ridge “Three Valleys” is superior, but is it 67% better than Oak Ridge? No. For a serious knockout punch, you can buy any zin by Ridge in the $30-and-up range.
3. Pinot Noir. Buy a bottle of La Crema pinot, the “Monterey” version. I reviewed it here. More light on its feet than a zinfandel. It’s $20. If that’s more than you are used to spending: just trust me. This wine is lovely, spicy, and tastes very organic. It adds a LOT to any Thanksgiving dinner. In my opinion, more important than the zinfandel.
For a bolder, also-excellent pinot, buy Hahn SLH Estate pinot noir from Santa Lucia Highlands, which I reviewed here. It’s around $25, and again, worth every penny.
4. Sparkling pink stuff. If you want your Thanksgiving table to say “FUN!” loud and clear, add a bottle of Martini & Rossi sparkling wine from Italy, reviewed here. On the back, it says “Rosé.” To you and me, it’s pink champagne. And it’s good. Only $15. Definitely not bone-dry, this one’s a crowd pleaser. Don’t bother with snooty impressive champagnes up to $50, because they are mostly terrible.
So, I am recommending 2 reds, and a sparkling rosé if you want a high fun factor.
If you want a white wine, I recommend the super-friendly David Hill “Farmhouse White” blend from Oregon. Around $11. Floral and tropical, this is a brilliant blend of mild sweetness with crisp tartness and acidity. You don’t want your white wine to steal the show at Thanksgiving, and this won’t.
Have a wonderful holiday!
Today it’s a 2009 old vine zinfandel from California’s Lodi area, which costs about $19.
This is a big one!! The label is awesome: a guy with a plunger on his head. It’s pretty hot when first opened, meaning, it smells and tastes of alcohol (it is 14.9% alcohol). It’s also pretty darn spicy. That’s a good thing. More good stuff: the medium-to-full-bodied texture is wonderful, and there is some nice complexity on your tongue that says HEY, this wine is better than a $9.99 special.
In your nose, there is a bit more “rhubarb pie” sweetness than actually greets your taste buds. Meaning, Plungerhead tastes more dry and balanced than it smells.
The problem is, for $19, I just didn’t warm up to the dense, spicy blueberry, rhubarb and eucalyptus flavors, as nicely put together as they are. At $12, this would clearly get a recommendation from your Wineguider. Although this zin with the big impact is obviously high quality, my picky, cranky self has decided that it is:
Not recommended.
Today it’s a 2009 pinot from Oregon that costs $23 at Total Wine.
Argyle pinot noir smells wonderful. Cola, mushroom, rose petals, some fairly hot alcohol AND a kind of warm caramel all invade your sinuses as you bring this to your nose. The problem: the taste, although satisfying, is maybe a little boring for a $23 pinot. It’s definitely not bad, though. Argyle pinot noir is: Soft. Complex, because you get more than one flavor. But it’s not “super” complex. I get cola and spicy rose petals. Interesting. And easy to drink.
This one is hard to judge. In its favor: it tastes good, and is an elegant, warm, medium-bodied pinot from our nation’s very best producer of pinot noir (Oregon). Against it: at this price — which disqualifies this wine as a daily drinker — there are other wines that will offer more of a “wow” experience.
I’ll choose to recommend Argyle, because it really is very good, it does nothing wrong, and it’s modestly priced — among Oregon pinots (which in general are, admittedly, overpriced).
Recommended.
Today we look at a 2006 red blend from Chile that I picked up for $18.
Hey! This wine is a super, duper, killer wine for summer grilling — IF you’re eating inside with the AC on. (Or if it’s not too hot outside.) It boldly delivers to your tonuge a mix of cabernet (36%), syrah (31%), merlot (17%) and carmenere (16%). Think — “dry steak wine… juicy… warm and soft… spicy leather.”
And your thinking would be correct. Dense, warm, spicy, leathery, dark-fruited, with mouth-drying tannins and a slightly musty-basement-funk smell to keep things interesting — this blend has a very natural, real taste. You can really “get” the different dark red and black berry flavors. Unlike cheaper red wines, which can be nondescript and leave you asking, “what does this actually taste like?”
Primus, by Chile’s value machine Veramonte, is interesting, delicious, worth more than $18, and is highly:
Recommended.
Today we review a 2009 zin from Dry Creek Valley in northern Sonoma Valley, California. I got it for $20.
OK this Frei Brothers zin is really good. It has 15% alcohol, so, if you want to wind down after a hard day’s work — WAY down — it will do the job. Spicy, rich and tannic, full of dusty blackberries, and deadly serious, this wine tastes like a real step up from the normal $10 family dinner wines.
The problem is, I’m not excited about paying a full $20 for another bottle. If it were $15 or $16, Frei Brothers reserve zinfandel would receive a committed, definite recommendation. At this price, however, it’s a delicious, happy dreams-inducing, near miss.
Not recommended.
Today we review a 2009 pinot noir from France that costs $15 at Total Wine.
This wine is so French (the word Bourgogne in its name means burgundy), yet, it’s American in a very important way. French: it’s not juicy, jammy, or sweet in any way, it’s light-to-medium bodied, and it’s hard to love, at first. Kind of stand-off-ish. (Fun facts: burgundy is an area in east France, and red burgundy wine is almost all pinot noir.)
American: the label actually says “pinot noir.” French labels almost never give you this useful info, which seems incredible, and makes me want to slap my gloves in their face. So, how does it taste? It’s adult. Louis Chavy Bourgogne pinot noir is dry, spicy, cranberry-ish, and very, very serious.
I love it. It’s the kind of wine I can drink by itself, and finish almost a whole bottle in one sitting, without realizing it. It is not for white wine drinkers, or those who complain that red wines are too bitter, or sour. But if you like exploring, if you like pinot noir, if you find most red wines too sweet, and especially if you love budget burgundy, Louis Chavy Bourgogne pinot noir at $15 is definitely:
Recommended.
Today we check out a 2009 pinot noir from California’s Santa Lucia Highlands area. Price — that’s a mystery, to be revealed below.
Whoo!! Baby, this wine is hot. Actually, it’s slightly chilled, for maximum enjoyment. But Paris Hilton and anybody else with taste buds will tell you, Hahn SLH pinot is hot. Spicy. Bright, fruit-forward, and interesting. Smells like caramel and rhubarb. Tastes like spiced dark raspberries and cola. Medium-bodied and sensual in your mouth. Missing the floral notes of many French and Oregon pinots.
I don’t know the price, because Hahn sent it to me. I’m going to guess. An Oregon pinot like this would be $40, except there are no Oregon pinots like this. Since this is from the up-and-coming Santa Lucia Highlands, I’ll say lower. Even though its taste could easily command $30, I’ll say $23 because Hahn wines seem to be a great value in general.
Google search . . . and the price is: a range from $22 to $30. Averaging the prices I found, this is a $25 wine. So I was close. Whatever price you find, I hereby decree this explosively delicious pinot to be:
Highly recommended.
Today we look at a 2009 pinot noir from California’s Monterey region that costs around $20.
STOP EVERYTHING – this is to announce that Monterey pinot noirs have overtaken the universe and must be bought!! — ahem, I mean, if you’re looking for pinot, and you want to spend $15 – $20. Here’s the deal — Oregon pinot is supposed to be so great. Well, at the $20 price level, Monterey pinot is now COMPLETELY OUTPERFORMING, NAY, EMBARRASSING, Oregon pinot. That’s saying a lot, because Oregon pinot is my favorite thing to drink in the whole world. To be specific, La Crema Monterey for $20 is **Far Superior** to these $20-ish Oregon pinots:
La Crema Monterey smells bright, with aromas of spicy raspberry and medium-bodied flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, red cherries, a little rhubarb and vanilla, and a slight “farm fresh” mushroomy earth. YUMYUMYUMYUM. This Monterey pinot noir is:
Highly recommended.
Today we review a very popular 2008 red blend that’s 85% petite sirah and 15% petit verdot. It’s from California’s Lodi appellation and costs around $18.
This wine is powerful. Which is what you expect if you’re familiar with these grapes with the dainty-sounding names. Petite Petit is very juicy and jammy, yet also has medium-to-large amounts of tannins. Dark purple in your glass, it tastes almost thick. Somebody took “fruit bomb,” and turned it up to 11. If you want a deep, extremely dark blackberry-ish red wine, Petite Petit is your answer.
It also has a fantastic label, something that Michael David winery seems to be very good at.
The problem is that the actual flavor of this wine is almost lost. You’re too busy being overwhelmed by the big juiciness. (And the feeling that your teeth are now purple.) When you find them, the flavors in here aren’t really that delicious, so I would not spend another $18 on it. I prefer this winery’s Incognito, which I reviewed here.
Not recommended.
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