A Wine A Week

2008 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:03:00 +0000

Now this pretty picture just makes me mad because I spent all day raking up those damn leaves in my back yard. At least it was hot enough to wear shorts. Happy Fall, I suppose.

The Anakena is more of a spring/summer wine, as are most Sauvignon Blancs, but this one is worth breaking the rules. Coming in at the $8 mark at Total Wine, it's a heck of a value. Sweeter notes of gooseberry, grassy tones, and light citrus. The Anakena is a bit thicker than expected as well. When it warms up, there is a slight "tinge" in the finish that is the only reminder that this is an inexpensive wine.

Great value, 7.5 out of 10 rating. Grab it if you see it.

Trivento Torrontes White Wine 2008

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:09:00 +0000

Tart. Citrus. Lemon. Limestone. Heartburn.

A bit "alcoholly" with a big sip and was not very good when it lost it's chill. This may be the first white I've had from the Mendoza region of Argentina which is typically known for it's Malbecs. This wine hails from the Trivento Bodegas Y Vinedos vineyard.

I'm sticking with the Argentinian reds as this was a bit acidy for me. 3.5/10 rating. $11 at Total Wine.

Francis Coppola 2007 Diamond Claret Wine

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:40:00 +0000

For those who know the four P's of Marketing, this wine covers 3 of the 4 well:

Price: $13, not too steep
Promotion: With the black and gold, the design is top-notch. Plus, the gold thread is unique and certainly makes it stand out.
Place: Costco, known to have great value on quality wines
Product: yeah...the wine could have been better

3 out of 4 ain't half bad ;). I'll give it 5.5/10.

"Claret" isn't some new grape, it's just a fancy way of saying it's made in the traditional Bordeaux style. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc.

Once I opened the bottle, the aromas filled the room - very strong, especially with the oak/vanilla scents. The dryness came out on the second night, which helped it along. Coppola's Director's Cut Zinfandel blows this out of the water, spend a few extra bucks (stocked at Trader Joe's).

Step Rd Beacon Hill 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:57:00 +0000

The Step Rd Cabernet was a surprisingly good pick up from Total Wine for $10. I'll give it a strong 6.5 out of 10. Definitely drinks like ~$14 wine...not blowing my socks off, but beats out the normal $10 bottle of vino.

Dark berries with tannins biting nicely on the finish. Cola flavors as well with oak. Could be a bit dryer, but not complaining. A great weeknight wine.

Mark West Pinot Noir 2007 Wine

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:56:00 +0000

Save $7 and have a Luden's Wild Cherry cough drop instead. Excuse me Mr. West, let me be serious and just say this Pinot Noir is VERY cherry and sweet. Vanilla on the finish. It mellowed out after a few hours of being open and is much improved on the second night.

On a more positive note, I would like to thank Mr. West and this bottle for giving me the liquid patience to get through an Ikea dresser assembly that is currently going on its second night. Definitely the most intense Ikea product I've put together, I'm thankful for having booze by my side.

$7 from Costco and I would not purchase this again. 3/10 rating. Like the price but it's simply cherry sugar water.

Castano 2007 Monastrell Yecla

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:10:00 +0000

This Spanish red wine is light and sweet with a rocky, twang of a finish. It's $8-9 online, but I picked it up for $11 at Total Wine (apparently overpriced there). Very juicy, very plum, very sweet.

I can't say I've ever tasted the Monastrell grape, it's certainly interesting and unlike any wine I've had. Worth the novelty just to try something new (for under $10). Spain, keepin' it real cheap. 6/10 rating, avoid if you are into the dry wines.

Dona Paula Estate 2008 Malbec

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:50:00 +0000

About 60 minutes after opening this bottle of wine, I was blindsided by a cold that knocked me out of commission for 2 nights. On night three, I'm trying to sniffle through this slightly turned bottle of wine, but am not having much luck activating my overly Day-Quilled tastebuds.

I should have reviewed this Malbec the first night rather than stumble through this post, but c'est la vie. Although I don't remeber the tasting details, it was average at best. I'll give it a 4/10, but don't take this review as gospel due to the circumstances. $11 at Costco.

Earth Wise 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:44:00 +0000

With the recycled looking label and a name like "Earth Wise", this one caters to the ex-hippie baby boomers while meeting the price standards of the green college students. It's a bit of a shocker to see the Harris Teeter logo on the back of the label though. This was priced at $6.99 and found at the grocery store who's logo it bears.

Besides a chuckle at the grocery store logo, the back label also describes the wine with probably every wine descriptor possible:

Soft & fruity, this Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of blackberries and
cherries. Deep garnet in color, this wine has flavors of black cherries,
raspberries, and vanilla accented with lightly tosasted oak.

Can't miss there. It was the vanilla and oak that stood out nicely for me. Pretty happy with this green red wine for the price. 4.5/10 rating (+5 for being green - it ain't easy). Basically, you get what you pay for.

Mud House 2008 Sauvignon Blanc

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:16:00 +0000

$17 at Sam's Wine. I believe this one was on their Top 100 Wines of 2008 list as it's a good one. I haven't met many Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough, NZ that I haven't enjoyed. In fact, I need to stop wasting my time with Sauvignon Blancs from the US. If you do some price shopping online, it can be found for around $10-14, which would put this in the best inexpensive wines group. I'm convinced Sam's is overpriced, especially on their Top 100 wines.

I'd like to say thanks to Mud House for the handy guide on the back which has three sections: Nose, Palate, & Food Match. That's right, a cheat sheet on the label - brilliant! Zippy and tart lime flavors stand out, but it starts out very smooth. Worked out well with the Fresh Market crab cakes.

Markham Vineyards 2005 Merlot

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:34:00 +0000

Very dark berries and quite spicy for a Merlot. Definitely a nice surprise in both. Great with red meat but I don't recommend it with seafood - the crab cakes we had on night one didn't bring out the full potential of this wine. The smoky-ness rivaled that of the cabernet we also had open. the cola flavors in the finish are also notable, but it leaves your mouth a bit gummy.

Good but not great. 5.5/10 rating for this mid-$20's bottle of wine.

Oak Leaf Vineyards Shiraz

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:19:00 +0000

This wine is worth triple it's price! (...which would be $9.) My expectations were quite low when I picked up this cheap bottle of wine at Wal-Mart for $2.95. After letting it breathe for about 30 minutes, this turns into an excellent weekday pizza wine. It's day two and the wine is still surprisingly fine (unlike three-buck-chuck, the one-day wonder).

It's a bit tart in the finish, but has nice flavors throughout and the plum stands out. I wouldn't try to pass this off as a more expensive wine - at best, it drinks like a $9 wine, as I mentioned. Heck of a value and great to have on hand when you just need a drink on a Tuesday. Primarily a strong rating for value, this exceeded my expectations and gets a 6/10 rating. I'll be picking up a few bottles next time I visit for those rough weeknights.

Jip Jip Rocks 2007 Shiraz

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:44:00 +0000

Fitting this picture was taken on our back deck as it suited our Fajita-Que nicely. For the layperson, a Fajita-Que is a spicy alternative to burgers and brats on the grill. Tonight I finished the bottle and it worked well with blackened salmon. In other words, a great cheap wine for spicy food. I highly recomend this for pleasing the masses at your next BBQ (fajita or burger!)

I found this shiraz on the "Highly Rated Wines for Under $15" table at Total wines coming in just under the max at $14.99. The Jip Jip Rocks are a real location in remote southern Australia on the Limestone Coast.

Lifted spice and ripe mulberry/blackberry aromas are complimented with chocolate, cedar and cinnamon on the nose. Well integrated oak tannin provides flavors of clove and supple texture which supports the rich plum, blackberry and mocha. The overall structure is supple and generous with fine-grained tannin on the finish enveloped with ripe fruit overtones.
90 pts - Wine Advocate (Feb. 09)

They said it best. I'll only add that the Jip Jip Shiraz has a nice sweet jammy finish. 8/10 rating.

Courtney Benham 2006 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:22:00 +0000

I was quite excited when I received this bottle as a gift and saw the relationship to Stag's Leap. With Stag grapes and a name this long, it must be great, right? Unfortunately my expectations were too high as this turned out to be a very average wine. It wasn't bad, I just think you can do better. It's also great to note that my wife was finally able to enjoy a small glass now that she's in the 2nd trimester of her pregnancy (boy due around xmas).

The dark purple color was the first thing I noticed as I poured two glasses Floral on the nose and a bit tart on the tounge. The licorice flavor really stood out to me (as I'm not a fan of black licorice and question the sanity of those who are). Dark cherries and blackberries also chimed in for a nice rounded mouthful of flavors. Pepper, tannins, and mild-dryness on the finish.

If I was to guess the price based on flavor, I'd put it around $14...and would have been pretty satisfied. Upon a bit of Internet research, it actually price out closer to $30...which leaves us with an unimpressed 4/10 rating for this overpriced wine.

Oak Ridge 2005 Gnarled Vines Zinfandel

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 01:09:00 +0000

Hailing from Lodi, California, this wine of the week was found at Total Wine on their "High Rated Wines for Under $15" table. At $7.99, this is one of the least expensive zinfandels I've reviewed.

It's too sweet and sugary for my zin-loving palate. Also, it's doesn't have the big, bold flavors I expect in a good zinfandel. Total Wine: take this off the table, as it's no longer high rated: 3.5/10 rating. Good news in the price, bad news in the taste. We'll see if it opens up more on night two.

Fetzer Pinot Noir - 2007

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:01:00 +0000

Expensive communion wine. Basically a $9.99 bottle of grape fruit juice. Very sweet. Major vineyard producing for the masses, I suppose. Picked this up at the local grocery store (Harris Teeter) on an endcap. 2/10 rating as I'll probably drink it...I save the 1's for the wines that go down the drain immediately.

My apologies for missing the weekly wine review last week...busy with the BBQ and beers. Tough to drink wine while boating/grilling/in pools/etc. Just sayin'. Wine in a can? I'd review it.

Update: this wine got worse by the hour. Hardly drinkable on day two and down the drain on day three. Knock 'er down to 1/10 rating. Avoid it.

2006 Bodegas Osborne Solaz

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:05:00 +0000

One complaint on this well-price wine, the finish coats your entire mouth and doesn't leave. It's the kind of gummy coating that is typical for a wine in this range (so i've learned). The end result is you'll continue to drink to avoid that coat and end up killing the bottle in no time. I'm drinking alone (for the next 9+ months as the wife is expecting) so hope I don't finish this bottle tonight.

On to the good. It's $6 at Costco and a good cheap wine. 5.5/10 rating, so above average and you can't beat the price. Don't let my rant above deter you...just serve with food and you'll be fine. Very bold & spicy with some nice oak undertones. 80% tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon makes for a good strong mix. Worth trying...interested in your opinions...

2004 Skyhawk Red Talon

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:46:00 +0000

Smooth & smokey. Tanins and floral on the nose and a bit on the palate. The dry finish with a touch of vanilla rounds out this red wine nicely. While marked "Red Wine" with no mention of the grapes used, cabernet jumps out while it took a bit of internet research to turn up the sangiovese and syrah as the final components to this red blend. Of the others partaking in the wine, many positive comments and ratings in the 8-9/10 range. One suggestion is that the Skyhawk would be best with a strong cheese rather than with food.

This wine was purchased from Sam's Wine in Chicago back in the late winter and was on their Top 100 Wines of 2008 list. Since movers don't move alcohol, it made the drive from Chicago to Charlotte in the Great Move of 2009. Just yesterday, this wine once again boarded the SUV for a road trip to the Wrightsville Beach, where we are enjoying it after a long day in the water avoiding the 94 degree heat. $15, 8.5/10 rating.

2006 Liberty School Chardonnay

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:20:00 +0000

Hailing from the brown hills of the Central Coast (Paso Robles), CA, this grocery store purchase left me with a smile. $9.99 at the Harris Teeter; a quick pick up from an end cap display. Surprisingly a high 7/10 rating - an excellent purchase of an inexpensive chardonnay.

Bright and apple-y. Some pear and possibly pinnapple. Very close to the Sauvignon Blanc family with it's tropical, fruit forward flavors, but the finish is sweet and vibrant (not dry). A bit of oak on the finish as well. A great summer wine, espeically for the Memorial Day or 4th of July weekend with a name like Liberty.

2007 Snap Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:33:00 +0000

Well, I expected worse. $6.99 endcap at the local grocery (Harris Teeter) screamed 'buy me without thinking much about it'. Well, I looked at the bright colors, cool picture, and sweet name and did just that. While I can't say this was amazing, it wasn't bad. 4.5/10 rating. I'd put this in the class with three buck chuck - a decent week night wine for cheap.

It's a bit jammy with slight oak and tannins typical for a cab. Not enough 'goodness' to make me want a second glass. My wife commented it has a very strong scent as she caught the whif from across the couch.

Oakwood Hollow 2006 Lodi Zinfandel

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:38:00 +0000

Oh la la - this was a great wine of the week! Great oaky flavor...I guess I should have expected that based on the name. Spicy vanilla robust finish. Per the label, this wine was "specially selected by the talented staff at Sam's Wine & Spirits", so I guess you won't find this one at your local grocery store. It was on their top 100 wines of 2008 list.

I'll rank this a strong 7.5, but have to knock it down a half point and keep it off of my top tier list due to it's limited availability. If you are prone to buying wine from websites, this one is truly worth the shipping costs. For the record, I've still never bought wine over the 'net - but am still looking for an excuse to buy the negroamaro I had in Seattle.

Paul Jaboulet Aine 2006 Parallele 45

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Sat, 23 May 2009 01:05:00 +0000

Avoid licking envelopes while sipping this wine. This Cotes du Rhone was helping me get through some bill paying, and I couldn't think of a worse combo that what I tasted.

60% grenache & 40% Syrah; these grapes grew around the 45th parallel, hence the name. Very dry, very berry. Not many discerning flavors to speak of. 2/10 rating. $9.99 at Costco. Leave it there.

Muirwood 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Sat, 16 May 2009 02:20:00 +0000

I'm enjoying this glass of celebration after purchasing my first mower, washer/dryer, and much much more today at Lowe's (thank you, 10% off coupon!). I'm a new homeowner now (I moved to NC, BTW), which I finding comes with much more responsibility than living in our city apartment in Chicago - like yard work. At least there is room for a wine fridge in the new place ;)

Total Wine is the local wine "warehouse" (nothing compared to Sam's in Chicago though). I picked up this bottle for $13 and am pretty happy with it; 7/10 rating. This was ready to drink immediately after opening, no need to wait around. The bold oak flavors made the Muirwood a quick favorite. The berries flavors are full and somewhat sweet. The tannins were quite muted, which made this a good sipping wine that didn't require a meal with it. An easy-drinking crowd pleaser.

Montoya 2006 Zinfandel

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:56:00 +0000

Hailing from Paso Robles, CA, the Montoya Zinfandel did not meet my expectations. Not that it was a bad wine, it was much lighter than I expected. It still had those spicy tannins on the finish, but the start was much lighter, similar to a pinot noir. There were some slightly sour cherry and cranberry flavors in there as well. I think the Montoya Zin needs a nice spicy meal to bring out the full experience of this wine.

I was drawn to this wine as a bottle had been previously gifted to me by a Mr. & Mrs. Montoya (no relation to vineyard), who thought it was pretty cool to tote around bottles of wine with their last name (all the Campbell name gets me is scotch). She was a college friend and he was my manager from an internship and first job. They met when I hired Nikki to work for me (er, us). Awkward for a bit there. They are still happily married after meeting 10 years ago and have two kids. The relationship worked because it fit the formula: half your age plus 7 is the youngest you can date. Well done Mr. Montoya.

I give this wine a 6/10. Above average, but no socks were blown off. Cheers to my first purchase from Total Wine in NC - $13.

Portrait 2005 Reserve Pinot Noir

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Sat, 02 May 2009 00:33:00 +0000

The perfect time of year for this inexpensive pinot noir. It's light, full of spring fruits, and fun. She's on the sweeter side with strawberry being the major takeaway. You don't need a steak or big meal - just open it up on the porch after 20-30 min in the fridge. The Portrait is from South Eastern Australia and made Sam's Wine Top 100 wines of 2008. At only $15, I'll rate this a strong 7 out of 10. I'm quite happy as this is the first wine I'm reviewing from my new state of North Carolina.

2003 Tormaresca Salento Masseria Maime Negroamaro

noreply@blogger.com (CJeffCampbell) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:18:00 +0000

This is the wine to beat this year. Luckily, someone with a fine palate selected this wine for us at a rehearsal dinner when we were in Seattle for a wedding. The group definitely took down a good case of this wine and everyone was commenting on how great it was. Dinner at Osteria la Spiga was also excellent.

Although quite tacky, I secretly looked the delicious bottle up on a menu and it was only $42! Excellent price for this gem. After taking this phone shot, I looked it up online and found it for around $28/bottle. If I had the coin, I'd scoop up a half dozen or so asap. The Maime Negroamaro may just be the first wine I buy online. 10/10 rating - Buy, buy, buy!!!