Can't Stop Wineing

2006 Chateau Chevalier Cabernet Sauvignon, California

2012-08-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

One of the few purchases I’ve made that breaks my budget rule; one could call this a splurge wine seeing as it comes in at $24.99. I don’t feel that this is that much of a splurge. Sure it breaks my rules, but I picked it up when it was on sale for 20 dollars; so I figured it would count. It pours a very dark red with midnight flecks throughout. Wafting from the glass are amazing aromas of spice box, black cherry, blackberry jam, and cedar. The attack is just as amazing as the nose, full of dark berry and stone fruit flavors intermingled with wood smoke, dust and a nice level of chalkiness. The mid-palate is exceeding smooth, with soft tannins that glide over the tongue tempering some of the sour cherry flavors that pop up, and leaving my tongue and gums with a wonderfully clean and tingly sensation from the perfect astringency. The finish is delicate and long, stretching out with flavors and textures of oak/cigar box, anise, white pepper, chocolate covered cherry, cola and dirt; then rallying back with hints of leather, ash and black tea. This is a full bodied wine that comes across just a little lighter in body due to the balance of flavors and textures, especially where tannins and alcohol are concerned. It left my tongue with a black cherry and burnt toast flavor that was actually quite nice.

Even though this is a little bit above my usual price point, I still love this particular Cabernet Sauvignon. It falls into a budget wine if you can get it on sale, if not you should still pick it up for a special occasion or when you have wine-discerning guests coming over. The complexity and overall smooth flavors/textures of this wine make it a truly special bottle. I would rate this a good QPR at 25 dollars, and good-to-great if you can find it under 20 dollars. For a fan of the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal this is definitely a winner and one to add to your list of Cabs to try before you die. Maybe add a bottle to your cellar, you won’t be disappointed.

Chateau Chevalier

2010 Kirkland Signature Series Red Wine, Washington

2012-07-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

My fourth foray into Costco’s Signature Series line of wines that one can only assume are of higher quality, complexity and limited batches. While I loved the Stag’s Leap and Mountain Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignons, I was not a fan of the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon as it was far to fruit forward bordering on sweet. This particular wine is the first of the series that is not solely a Cab Sauv, as it is a red blend featuring Cab Sauv, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot; therefore falling into the Meritage family of red blends. I purchased two bottles of this particular wine right off the bat and popped the first that very same day. It is a very pleasant red blend that is dark purple in the glass, with violet bubbles and a black core. The nose is comprised of succulent, compact blackberry, black currant, molasses and oak notes; floating atop a vanilla, caramel and crème de cassis backbone. The attack is very balanced but focused; featuring black cherry, blackberry, black currant, cream/vanilla and oak. The mid-palate is near perfect, chewy tannins; semi-sweet astringency with perfectly balanced acidity from the alcohol lovely in every sense of the word. The finish is long and complex with blackberry and vanilla, swirling amidst sugared plums and coffee mixed amidst a backdrop of chocolate covered cherry and oak. This wine is a full bodied effort with a lovely aftertaste of blackberry, oak and coffee all flavors that bring me joy that knows no bounds.

Overall, this is definitely one of the better Signature Series wines that I’ve sampled. That being said two other Signature Series wines make the grade with only the Napa Valley Cab Sauv falling short. This isn’t the best of the winners, coming in second, below the Mountain Cuvee but above the Stag’s Leap. It features wonderfully focused and compact fruit and spice flavors that are married in perfection. The saddest part of this wine is it’s price point, coming in at 19 dollars and while this wine is a nicely complex red blend, it might not be as good a QPR as the Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Meritage. I would rate this a good-bordering-on-great QPR, but the Napa Valley Meritage gets the same rating, therefore it might be more cost effective and just plain easier to purchase a bottle of the Meritage. But if you can find this wine, I would definitely recommend purchasing a few bottles; one to drink and one to cellar.

2010 Cameron Hughes Lot 275 Malbec Reserva, Argentina

2012-07-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

This is my last bottle of my online purchase from CHWine.com, and while I’ve enjoyed finding the time to sample a wider variety of the wines available from Cameron Hughes I’ve decided that the wines themselves frequently fall short of my expectations. Again this may be due to my maturing palate but it could also be that their wines just don’t live up to the QPR test. Enough of my sidebar, on to the review.

This is a beautiful glass of wine to look at, dark purple with black flecks and violet tinged bubbles make an enticing picture to be sure. The aromas wafting from the rim of my glass are all fruit; cherry, plum and raspberry with just the slightest hint of vanilla. The attack is fruit as well, but darker; blackberry, black plum and currant pour over the palate in juicy waves leaving behind traces of black cherry-vanilla and oak. The juicy-ness and fruity-ness continues at all levels of this wine; relatively reserved tannins and astringency during the mid-palate are punctuated by sweet and sour cherry and super sweet raisin flavors. Then comes a very long finish featuring loads of plum, raisin and black cherry juicy-ness all supported on a foundation of oak, sage, ash, vanilla and very mild, wet leather. This is a full bodied wine that leaves the palate with an aftertaste of fruit skins and Band-Aids (weird I know but that’s what I taste, that funky plastic flavor of Band-Aids).

Overall, this is one of the few Cameron Hughes winners I’ve sampled recently. It’s a very young, juicy Malbec that’s an absolute pleasure to sip with hamburgers or steaks. Easily stands up to the fruity-er California Cabs or Chilean Merlots, though this has fewer tannins than the former and more tannins than the latter. All in all I found this closer to a Bonarda than either of those wines. I would rate this a good-nearly-great QPR as I believe I paid between 10 and 12 dollars for this particular bottle (though I think it was on sale at the time). Much better than their Lot 239 Chilean Meritage or Lot 248 California Cabernet Sauvignon; if you are a Cameron Hughes enthusiast this is a must try and if you are a Malbec lover than you should check this out. Otherwise this wine gets pretty high marks as a wonderful, fruit forward red wine that is a satisfying glass with food or by itself.

Cameron Hughes Wine

2009 Chateau Liversan Haut-Medoc Bordeaux, France

2012-07-06T19:13:00.001-07:00

By now I am fully on board with the 2009 Bordeaux craze. After sampling several of them, I have figured out that even the most economical Bordeaux is quite satisfying and there are exceptional values to be found between 15 and 20 dollars. This particular bottle is available at my local Costco for 13 dollars among a few other bottles ranging in price from 10 to 20 dollars. This pours dark red into the glass, with a subtle violet rim. It carries aromas of black currant, chocolate, caramel and smoke with delicate nuances of brown sugar and anise. The attack starts with focused black fruit (blackberry and black currant mainly), followed by leather, cocoa and cedar. The mid-palate features chewy tannins, near perfect astringency and some nice acidity that takes the form of semi-sweet, chocolate and caramel dipped cherries. The finish is beautifully long, washing over my palate with flavors of plum, currant, smoke, damp earth, licorice and leather. This is a full-bodied wine that brings a whole lot in the flavor department and leaves an aftertaste of chocolate and black cherry.

Overall, this is yet another great bottle of wine from Bordeaux, France. This particular bottle features 50% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc. The fruit is definitely the best part of this wine; each fruit is represented wonderfully though none of the fruits lean too heavily towards the “sweet” area. This is beautifully complex though not on the same caliber as the Chateau Malrome, but it’s darn close. I give it a soli, good QPR, and would recommend it above most bottles of Cab or Merlot at the same price point. This really is a must buy.

2008 Santa Ema Amplus Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

2012-07-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

Thank God for the wine buyer at my local Costco and their ability to bring in amazingly priced gems like this particular wine. Priced just under 17 dollars, this particular Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon might seem a little overpriced for those of you that frequently purchase South American wines. And that would be a valid point if this wine wasn’t as balanced and complex as it is. I am a huge fan of Chilean Cabs and Carmeneres as well as a big fan of Argentinean Cabs, Bonardas and Malbecs. And while those wines are frequently very inexpensive, they just as frequently display a limited level of complexity even at the 15-20 dollar range. This particular bottle brings out some of the best qualities of the Chilean terroir while limiting its shortcomings.

This pours a lovely deep purple shade with rose shaded bubbles and a black core. The nose is sweet blackberry jam, creamy vanilla, golden butter and just a dash of lean green pepper. And oh, how this sips! Gorgeous black currant and blackberry flavors built on a foundation of vanilla and tar with shimmering walls of pencil lead and green bell pepper. The acidity, astringency and tannins, all perfectly balanced, morph this wine’s sweet-ish fruits into wonderfully semi-sweet/sour flavors. The finish is quietly long; what I mean by that is that it is a rather mellow, balanced finish that lingers quite some time. The flavors present here are green bell pepper, blackberry, currant, raspberry, vanilla, oak, tar, ash and just the smallest notes of black pepper, grass, and forest floor. This is a medium-to-full bodied wine that leaves an aftertaste of blackberry, grass and smoke. What truly sets this above and beyond the majority of Chilean Cabs is the fact that the green bell pepper flavors present in the Amplus are quite reserved and take a backseat to the fruits and other herbaceous notes in this wine. Most sub-15 dollar Chilean Cabs have a tendency to be overwhelmingly bell pepper flavored; limiting the versatility of the wine and my palate feeling abused. This has just the right amount of herbaceous flavors and a surprisingly heavy dose of fruit for a Chilean Cab.

Overall, I’d rate this a great QPR if you hold it up to its South American counterparts. Though you will find a slew of sub-15 dollar Malbecs that outshine this bottle you won’t find many Cabs from anywhere that taste like this does. It features just the right amount of savory characteristics while not overdoing the fruit. I haven’t found a Chilean Cab that is this balanced nor this inexpensive and I’ve sampled quite a few. I would highly recommend this if you enjoy drinking wines from Chile or want a pleasantly refined, yet inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vina Santa Ema

2009 Chateau Malrome Comtesse Adele Bordeaux Superieur, France

2012-07-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

One of the happiest days for me is the day the mailman drops off the Total Wine & More mailer. I quickly rifle through it glancing here and there for particularly stellar sales or intriguing offerings. After my quick glance, I start over with a Sharpie and begin to read through each wine listed, circling those that I plan to purchase over the next month. Many times my circles far outnumber what my budget can handle and I’m forced to pare down my selections, but I keep all of the mailers I receive and put in notes on the wines I’ve tasted. This particular gem was featured in the March/April mailer reduced to $14.99. a 5 dollar savings. I’d read the hype surrounding the 2009 Bordeaux wines, every wine writer worth their stuff is heralding this vintage as a truly superb year. I figured I’d snatch up some bottles, but in the back of my mind I was skeptical. My skepticism was wrong, very wrong. This wine pours dark red in the glass with a purplish-black core and violet bubbles/rim. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, vanilla and spice box waft from the glass leaving my nostrils positively buzzing with wondrous scents. The attack is amazingly smooth, complex and balanced with intense black fruits (black currant, blackberry and cherry), deep smoke and oak, leather, anise and coffee; every flavor mixing effortlessly with the last in subtle harmony. The attack merely folds into the mid-palate, shifting the focus from the flavors to definitive textures; the mid-palate has wonderful, supple tannins that bring just the right amount of astringency and acidity and center on the oak and cherry flavors drawing them out and further into the finish. The finish itself is medium in length, and as said before starts with noticeable oak and cherry notes then adds blackberry, chalk, damp grass, charcoal and savory. All of these flavors blend and balance each other, playing the fruits against the earthy flavors. This is a nice medium to full bodied wine that finishes with just an up-tick of alcohol that isn’t present in the rest of the wine thus leaving an aftertaste of alcohol, chalk and berries.

Overall this is a very nice drinking experience. Superbly complex, varied in flavor but at the same time balanced and exceptionally graceful. At 15 dollars this is a great QPR and an excellent bottle to pick up for your get together with those “snooty wine folk”. I highly recommend this bottle for drinking now and for cellaring. If this is a “temperature test” of the 2009 Bordeaux wines then I can’t wait to drink through a few other bottles I picked. Truly an excellent bottle with loads of potential, a must buy.

2009 The Vac Vacqueyras, France

2012-07-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have been toying with this wine for the better part of 4 months, each time grasping a bottle, setting it in my cart only to go back and set it back on the shelf. But after reading through the spring Total Wine & More mailer, I finally decided to purchase a bottle. Rated 92 points by the International Wine Cellar, this wine features strawberry and cherry aromas with nuances of plum and pepper wafting from the rim of a ruby rimmed, dark purple pour. The wine is quite fruit forward, with notes of plum, blackberry and raspberry and lingering hints of cola and smoke. The mid-palate is nicely acidic, bringing up bright textures and a slight pucker factor with subdued tannins and astringency. In my opinion, this wine shines during the finish; pouring on loads of dark, smoky blackberry, black currant and plum with vanilla, leather, pepper and something akin to flower petals. These flavors swirl together mixing in a dark dance of dark fruit, then savory spices and finishes with wood and smoke characteristics. This is a medium bodied wine with cherry vanilla, oak and rose hips. This is a wonderfully complex wine, though it tries to trick you and make you think it is a nice fruit forward “California” red; in reality, it is a textured French red with earthy characteristics that mask the relatively sweet fruits thus transforming a potentially bland, one dimensional Rhone blend into something elegant, compelling and very satisfying.

Overall, I am not a huge fan of Rhone blends as they tend to be more fruit forward than I like; however this wine balances its sugars with equal helpings of spice and earth. It makes up for its shortcomings by providing a very broad range of flavors that blend nicely together leaving me quite satisfied. I don’t often seek out “sweet” French reds, but this would definitely make my list of must haves for rounding out your wine cellar. A bottle of The Vac will please most discerning wine drinkers that stop by for Coq au Vin, Beef Burgundy or a myriad of other savory dishes. It earns a good QPR and a recommendation from me.

Arnoux & Files Vins des Cotes du Rhone

2009 Cameron Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 248, California

2012-06-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

Another of my impulse buys from chwines.com during their 20% off sale. This piqued my interest due to it being from Anderson Valley an AVA I had yet to sample. I waited for a few months rather than opening it right away and just recently opened it to pair with some grilled meats. This wine pours dark purple in the glass with aromas of cherry, caramel, oak, strawberry jam and just a hint of alcohol wafting up from the rim. I got a little crazy and sampled a small glass without aerating this wine; big mistake. If you purchase this wine make sure you let this wine breathe in a decanter or use an aerating device as it is very tight with lots of tannins and a healthy dose of alcohol flavors/textures. Surprising as it is, this wine didn’t pair very well with the grilled sausages or hamburgers. It lost a lot of flavor with both of those dishes and the only aspects that remained were those of heat, sour red fruit and an alcohol bite. I decided to let this sit overnight in hopes it would improve. The following night I revisited the bottle and found the alcohol bite and heat diminished though the sour fruits persisted. The attack is very streamlined even minimalistic consisting of blackberry, cherry and oak. The tannins rapidly grab the palate bringing quite a dose of astringency and sour fruit flavors. The mid-palate does not last very long, instead giving way to a medium finish with more of the same flavors. Sour cherry, mixed with cola, vanilla, oak and smoke grace a rather tame finish. This is a medium bodied wine that leaves a disappointing aftertaste of wet leaves and cherries.

Overall I was not impressed with this particular wine. It does get better if given the chance to breathe, but not nearly as big an improvement as this wine needs. It has limited flavors and those that do show up don’t really work here. It doesn’t taste bad just very young and limited in spectrum. I think the bottle cost me 11 dollars which isn’t bad, I’ve had quite a few wines that were terrible at that price point and this isn’t terrible. It just doesn’t work for me. It might be the age of the wine or maybe my palate but I can’t recommend this wine. As far as QPR goes, it earns a fair QPR but in all honesty if you are ordering wines over the internet you expect better than fair so I can’t recommend this wine find a CH Cabernet at your local Costco or Sam’s Club but stay away from this one.

Cameron Hughes Wines

2008 Montes Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Carmenere 30%, Chile

2012-06-27T12:44:00.001-07:00

Colored decadence…Deep dark red swirling to black at the center

Aromatically limited…Red plum, pipe tobacco, nail polish

Flavors that fade…I bounce around on pretty much everything Montes has to offer that I’ve sampled. I’ll like one wine but can’t stand the next and the third will be smack dab in the middle. There doesn’t seem to be any consistency in any of their sub-20 dollar bottles. I’m sure the more expensive bottles are amazingly complex, warm and textured, I just wish I could count on their wines to give me some kind of reliability where quality is concerned. This wine is no exception to that rule; except to say that this starts out very inviting but the longer you let it breathe the worse it gets. Wait too long (a few days) and you are left with a wine that doesn’t have anything in common with the wine you sipped upon opening the bottle. Sad to say, but this one doesn’t make the grade. If you drain the bottle before 24 hours goes by then you have a pleasant red wine with an attack personified by plums, grass, tobacco and some smoke. The mid-palate is smooth with tannins that ease in and out while the alcohol just brings a slight tingle to the gums and tongue and the astringency doesn’t really play a factor at all. The finish is long and brings back the plums, but adds dark cherry, blueberry and vanilla to the mix. In all it’s not a bad wine, but nothing spectacular. If you waited a day or two to finish the bottle you will now find the attack is a sickly, sweet mess of sugared plums and candied fruit. The mid-palate is thin, acidic and hot. And the finish is still long, but now shows off unripe berries, sour cherries, backed by plum preserves and a streak of paint thinner. Not a pleasant journey at all.(While I understand letting a bottle sit and get air can adversely effect a wine, a few days in the proper conditions should be possible for a red wine like this.)

Overall, this is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of red wines. You can guzzle it down and have an OK experience with the bottle, but if you wait too long it’s going to make you cringe every time you take a sip. I can’t recommend this wine in the least. It gets a poor QPR at 15 dollars for this bottle I overpaid by 10 bucks and honestly feel ripped off. Even had I finished the bottle that first night I would have felt this wine didn’t live up to its price point. For the money the Montes Alpha is much better. Be glad this is “Limited Selection” because it might just fade out completely and make room for something good on the shelves. Leave this one alone!

Vina Montes

2008 Munoz de Toro Valle Perdido Malbec, Argentina

2012-06-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Such a pleasure...Very dark purple with an exceptionally vibrant ruby rim

Sensual subtleties… Black currant, black cherry, vanilla, cedar chips

Just a tad bit lacking…I have been lucky enough to find this wine (as well as the Munoz de Toro Argie Bonarda) at a local olive mill. I say I’m lucky because this wine is an exceptional glass of Malbec, and for the nice price of 12.99. I haven’t done a lot of research on this except to find out that this is a Durigutti wine and while I wasn’t a big fan of the 2009 Durigutti Malbec; this is a much better pour. Be advised this wine needs time to breathe, even if you use a Vinturi or other wine aerator you need to let this sit out for a few hours preferably overnight. If you give this wine a chance to breathe it is quite a nice experience. The attack is all dark fruit layered one atop the next; cherry, plum, black currant with a smattering of blackberry and blueberry and just a touch of smoky wood underlying those fruit flavors. The mid-palate is just a little bit “weaker” than I’d like. I can feel just the mere hints of alcohol heat, and the tannins are very illusive. There is some nice acidity and some nice sweet-and-sour cherry/cranberry flavors. But overall the mid-palate isn’t what I’d expected in the least. While the mid-palate leaves me wanting, the long finish does not disappoint. Layer upon layer of black fruits (plum, blackberry and currant being predominant) are interspersed with cassis, vanilla, ash, loam, sage and leather; making this one of the more complex Malbec’s I’ve tasted in a while. This is a medium bodied wine with an exceptionally pleasant aftertaste of cherry and chalk that leaves me licking my lips and longing for another glass.

Overall, this is a wonderful wine experience with just a few hiccups along the way. The attack is somewhat one dimensional and the mid-palate is a disappointment but this wine shines in the finish and pours on the depth and character. Due to the beauty of the finish and overall pleasantness of this wine I recommend it and give it a solid, Good QPR. For your money it’s a decent bottle, but if you really just want a great drinking Malbec for the best price than you’d still have to pick up the Kaiken Malbec. This isn’t as cheap as the Kaiken and the Kaiken is a better all around wine in my opinion; but this is pretty darn close.

D U R I G U T T I

2009 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, California

2012-06-17T13:54:00.002-07:00

A gorgeous glass…Dark, ruddy hue fading to pinkish-red at the rim

Stunning scents…Black currant, cedar, loam, compost, syrup

Fantastic flavors…To be quite honest, this was a desperation purchase on a quick trip to my local super market. I wanted something with quality and had heard this wine had particular depth and character for a wine frequently sold in grocery stores. So I placed it in my cart and came home. Then promptly forgot about it as I had placed it in my new wine cellar. After a few months I was rearranging my cellar to organize it by varietal and ran across this particular bottle. Once again my interest was piqued and while my wife sipped on a bottle of Sparkling Wine, I chose to pop the cork on this beauty. And beauty it what this wine is. It’s not a 92 or 93 point wine, but it has defined levels of complexity that you won’t find in many wines sold in the super market, particularly at the 20 dollar mark. Be warned, this wine needs a good day of decanting before you start to sip it; it’s big, bold and very dark in flavor and texture. The attack is full of heavy black fruits blackberry, black currant, roasted black plums and black cherry jam mingling with vanilla and butter all floating atop a foundation of oak, wet leaves and peat moss. The mid-palate has a whole lot of everything; chewy tannins rise in force shoving astringency across the surface of my tongue to battle against alcohol warmth and tingle that flees from acidity and flavors of leather and dust. The mid-palate seems overwhelming and long, when in reality it merely melds right into a long finish that is full of more dark fruits and heavy savory characteristics; the first of these show up in the form of dark cherry with vanilla buttercream layered on top, this melts into a very pungent oak and tobacco taste with just a hint of sour blackberry and finally comes the wet leaves, loam, chalk and compost bringing sensory overload to my palate. This is a full bodied wine with a wonderful aftertaste of wet wood, damp earth and cooked plums.

Overall this is an excellent wine with few failings. Sure it’s not for every palate. It’s a very heavy red wine with lots of tannins and particularly deep/dark flavors. It will assault many red wine drinkers and overwhelm their “softer” palates, but for a Cabernet enthusiast this hits the spot. It’s not overly expensive or immensely complex. It shows flashes of complexity above a 20 dollar wine but provides a lot of even quality. I recommend this and award it with a solid Good QPR. If you are in a hurry at the grocery store grab this bottle, it will pair wonderfully with those steaks, heavy stews or hamburgers.

Beringer Vineyards

2009 Cincuenta Ugarte Rioja, Spain

2012-06-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

I’ve been wondering for quite some time what has been happening to my Total Wine & More mailers. I hadn’t received one since the first of the year and wondered what good deals they were offering. I figured my daughter was probably hiding them from me or they had ended up on the bottom of a stack of junk mail. So it was with great surprise that I found the latest mailer when I was cleaning off my kitchen table of a few days worth of mail. Low and behold, such deals on some great wines. 2009 Bordeauxs under 15 dollars, 92 point Rhone blends for 12 and 90 point rated gem for less than 10 dollars. I have grown to love Tempranillo when it’s done right and that means from Spain, usually from Rioja. This wine fits that bill perfectly. It pours dark into the glass with swirling rubies, garnets and purples that at times edge into midnight black making for a mesmerizing glass to look at. The nose wafts strongly of sugared black plums, blackberry jam, vanilla and licorice with subtler elements of dust and charcoal. The palate itself is elegant and layered; stacking dark fruits (blackberry, currant and cherry) on top of caramel and cocoa in the attack. The mid-palate is wonderfully focused; featuring perfect tannins, crisp acidity in all the right places and beautiful astringency that pull the caramel and cocoa flavors through into the finish. And what a wonderful finish it is; long and luxurious where the fruits mix and mingle with sugars and savory flavors. Chocolate covered cherry and caramel tinged plums, with sweetened coffee and vanilla laced milk leave my tongue feeling as if I’ve gone on a pleasure cruise through a box of designer candies. Underneath these flavors are more pungent tastes of cedar and smoke with hints of ash and dirt, but they all build a wonderful flavor profile that is extremely gratifying. This finishes strong and though it feels heavy it is in fact a medium bodied wine that pairs well with just about any grilled meat, some spicy barbecue, sausages and especially hamburgers.

Overall this wine was phenomenal. I was amazed at the flavor and texture that it produced and just how complex this bottle really was. It paired so well I went through the bottle in three consecutive nights and came back on the fourth night disappointed I hadn’t saved a little for a few slices of pizza. At 10 dollars this is an amazing QPR. Sure it got 90 points from The Wine Advocate, but this one was a surprise to me. I frequently sample 90+ point wines (those that ring up at the register under 25 dollars and there are quite a few); this bottle is right at the top of the list of those wines. Complex, daring, with a depth that is hard to find; it is a truly wonderful wine that will slake your thirst and have you coming back for more. Highly recommended and if you find it purchase more than one because you are either going to want to add it to your cellar or you are going to want to sip it for several weeks!

2007 Valserrano Rioja Crianza, Spain

2012-06-13T11:18:00.002-07:00

Easy on the eyes…Deep ruby red with a rusty rim

Heaven Scent…Strawberry, raspberry, vanilla

Oh the flavors…Again and again I am drawn back to Spanish wines, particularly those featuring Tempranillo grapes (which in reds is the most common varietal). The flavors present in these wines are usually very distinct being fruit forward but not necessarily sweet as they are often tempered by hints of vanilla, cedar and spice box notes. This bottle is definitely a winner. The attack comes on with wonderful strawberry and raspberry fruits, followed closely by leather and vanilla and just a hint of smoke. The mid-palate is very smooth featuring mild tannins, perfect levels of acidity and astringency and just a tad bit of sour cherry flavors. This features a medium finish brimming with red fruit jams (strawberry particularly), blueberry, black pepper, burnt sugar and vanilla. This is a medium bodied wine that leaves an aftertaste of cherry, strawberry and oak/vanilla.

Overall, this is an excellent wine that is perfectly priced for the quality that you get. It easily earns a Great QPR. It isn’t immensely complex but it well balanced with layered fruit flavors and enough complexity to keep my palate engaged. More than anything it is very pleasing and easy drinking. I recommend drinking it with meat dishes but it is very food friendly and would do well with salad, macaroni & cheese and pizza. Truly a wonderful wine and highly recommended.

Valserrano

2008 Francois Lurton Hacienda Araucano Carmenere, Chile

2012-05-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Simple shades…Dark purple that lightens at the rim

Fruit fragrant…Blueberry, boysenberry, cherry vanilla

Two-toned taste…I ventured outside my usual “wine stores” and purchased this bottle at the Whole Foods around the corner from my house. They stock a lot of the same wines that I see at my local grocer, but they have a decent selection of wines I’ve never come across. Most of them are organic wines and I had a quite pleasant conversation with an organic wine drinker that was deciding whether or not to try Syrah for the first time. That’s neither here nor there but it makes for a good story for another post. On to the review. Basically this wine is what I’d call a two-tone wine all the way around. The aromas are of blueberry/boysenberry and cherry vanilla. The attack features two distinct flavors blueberry/blackberry and licorice/tobacco. I’m not saying it tastes bad; it’s just pretty simple. The mid-palate lacks any real astringency, but shows a decent amount of alcohol heat and tingle on my tongue mixed in with some very playful tannins as they bring just a hint of pucker but serve to make the mid-palate and subsequent finish taste of wood/oak/smoke. The finish is medium in length and carries those same berry flavors, mixed now with the wood/oak/smoke and finally just a dollop of chocolate and cinnamon. The wine itself feels heavy in my mouth but it’s really only a medium bodied effort with an aftertaste of oak and apple (I know that sounds weird in a red wine but that’s what’s left on my tongue between sips).

Overall, I think this is just a bit too boring for me. I’d purchased this in hopes of finding yet another intriguing glass of wine from the Carmenere grape, instead I didn’t really find anything that reminded me of what I’ve come to expect from Carmenere. It lacks the signature herbaceous, green bell pepper and black pepper savory-ness of most Carmeneres; instead showing characteristics of a full bodied Malbec. That’s not saying this is a bad wine, merely an average wine and not a clear example of what this grape usually tastes like. It gets an OK QPR, and a weak recommendation from me only if you want to try something new or are bored with your usual Malbec. If that doesn’t describe you, steer clear of this and seek out nearly any Anakena Carmenere or Chateau Los Boldos Carmenere priced over 12 dollars.

Francois Lurton

2009 Cameron Hughes Lot 266 Los Carneros Pinot Noir, California

2012-05-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

Silky shades…Transparent garnet hues with a soft rose rim

Noble nose…earth, compost, black plum, cranberry

Elegant essences…Select Arizona Costco locations are currently receiving shipments of four new Cameron Hughes wines, when I read the email containing this information I just about jumped for joy. I have enjoyed every Cameron Hughes wine that I have tried up until now albeit with differing levels of excitement. To be honest they’ve all been pretty solid, some have been outstanding; therefore I decided I’d pick up two of the new offerings on my next trip to Costco. Surprise, surprise, or maybe not but this wine is definitely an enjoyable glass though it does offer some twists. First off, it pours light-to-medium in color but smells deep, dark and earthy. Then comes the first sip and I’m greeted with wonderfully subtle flavors that dance with equally deep, dark flavors. A perplexing adventure to say the least. First off, the attack is a multilayered journey of stealthy blackberry, plum and strawberry that can seem lost behind a blanket of cloves, oak, leather and wood smoke. These flavors seem reverse from what I’m used to, but they are very satisfying here though they do lead to difficulties when pairing this wine. The mid-palate tingles with alcohol acidity that fades into chewy tannins then shifts the flavors of this wine as the finish sets in. The finish itself is short-to-medium in length and more savory than I’d imagined it to be. I expected the fruit to come out more in the finish, but it takes yet another step back letting the savory, dark flavors move up yet another notch. Sour cranberry and light strawberry are the two fruits that show up in the finish; but they are nearly eclipsed by licorice, leather, wet leaves, potting soil and oak. These “dark” flavors are run through by the lighter fruit flavors in a way that makes this “heavy” finish very pleasant. This is a medium bodied wine with an aftertaste of plums and cherries and a tendency to truly perplex the person drinking.

Overall, this is yet another enjoyable wine from a negociant I have come to trust where quality wine is concerned. Where does this one rate against those I’ve sampled in the past? Closer to the bottom than the top unfortunately. It might be that I’m still not adept at reviewing Pinot Noir, but this wine seemed just a little too robust for me. I expected a lighter glass with strawberry and cherry flavors backed up by hints of vanilla, oak, chocolate and tobacco. I didn’t get that at all. Plus this was a nightmare to pair with food. I failed on three separate occasions, and resorted to finishing the last few glasses without any accoutrements. As for rating this, I believe I paid 13 dollars for this bottle; and I think that may be a little steep. It’s a pretty good wine and still drinkable, but as far as QPR goes this is merely a fair QPR. I’d rather get the Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir at the same price or the Kirkland Signature Carneros Pinot Noir for 3 bucks less. Both of those are equally as enjoyable as this wine but have better quality compared to the price they are offered at. I still recommend this wine, but have to preface that by saying there are better wines out there, especially if you shop at Costco.

Cameron Hughes Wines

2009 Cameron Hughes Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon “Lot 230”, California

2012-04-29T12:20:00.001-07:00

Color carnival…Dark purple with a bright purple rim and a black core

Aroma assembly…Red plum, licorice, coffee, compost

Palate presence…This is a recent addition to my local Costco; priced quite nicely at 14 dollars it is a quite inviting buy. I picked up a bottle at the same time I purchased the Los Carneros Pinot Noir. This emits more complex and inviting aromas and shows colors that are intensely dark in the glass. I immediately assumed that this would be of superb quality but might suffer from youthful tannins and an overabundance of alcohol. Upon the first sip I wasn’t quite far off in my assumptions. The attacks is concentrated dark berries and stone fruit, mingled with coffee grounds, burnt sugar and leather and floating along the top of those flavors a slight texture of creaminess. The mid-palate is relatively young featuring silky yet playful tannins, not a lot of alcohol heat but definitely a tingly, acidic alcohol presence and a slight sour cherry flavor as the mid-palate melts into the finish. The finish itself is medium-long, warm and made up of very dark, heavy flavors; licorice, wet earth, blackberry/cassis jam, black plum skins, chocolate and wood smoke co-mingle throughout the finish dancing in merry couplets and triplets as the finish fades away. This is a full bodied wine with a wonderful aftertaste of grapes and brown sugar.

Overall, this is an excellent wine though at times it can feel a little young. I would still recommend this over most 14 dollar Cabernet Sauvignon and rate this firmly in the good QPR category. With a few extra years of cellaring, I imagine this could reach all the way up to great QPR. I am looking forward to drinking a bottle of this in 5 more years just to see how it ages. I plan on putting a bottle of this away to cellar you should do the same, but only after you enjoy a bottle or three with dinner or all by themselves.

Cameron Hughes Wines

2007 Trivento Amado Sur (72% Malbec, 16% Bonarda, 12% Syrah), Argentina

2012-04-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

Color classification…Ruby red with an even red rim

Aroma arrangement…Black cherry, currant, vanilla, buttered toast

Taste taxonomy…After two unsuccessful trips to Cost Plus, I had almost decided I wouldn’t return for a few moths so they could get in some new offerings. But I was in the neighborhood and dropped in not expecting to find anything that would pique my interest. I’m glad I stopped by since I picked up this Argentinean red blend featuring three of my favorite varietals. I let this wine get some air for a good 30 minutes before I went ahead and tasted it. I recommend at least that long as this wine is rather tight and leans toward flavors that are young and dense. Even after decanting the flavors were very focused and intense with some complexity in how the flavors played across my palate. On the attack this wine brings forth big flavors blackberry, burnt toast, leather and wood smoke; these flavors while intense are also somewhat unbalanced seeming to jump and bounce across my tongue rather than transition smoothly. The mid-palate carries this “sneak attack syndrome” to the next level by pouncing out of nowhere as the attack mellows in flavor. The mid-palate has a lot of heat from the alcohol though not enough to cause any undue harm to this wine’s flavor; it also features some playful, nearly perfect tannins that bring on subtle astringency and a smooth, smoke-like texture to the wine right as the mid-palate melts into the finish. Speaking of the finish, it’s long; very long. It’s also the most balanced part of this wine as the flavors play perfectly with one another. The flavors in the finish are even darker than those in the attack; dark, smoky berries complemented by chocolate mingled with tar and topped with vanilla and oak. This is definitely a full bodied wine; in color, nose and flavor. The aftertaste is somewhat lighter nicely mixing blackberry and brown sugar.

Overall, I enjoyed this wine, but it didn’t stand out like I wanted it too. The predominant flavors are of a rather young, dark Malbec. The Bonarda doesn’t make a very noticeable impact on this wine, though the Syrah probably adds to the already intense smoke/vanilla/oak present in this wine. At 12 dollars a bottle, this is probably priced right where it should be. I can’t see paying much more for this wine, though 12 dollars isn’t a deal here. So this gets a Fair QPR, just average where red blends are concerned. I can’t recommend this with a ton of enthusiasm, it’s an average wine at a relatively average price. If you want to make the call you can find this at your local Cost Plus, just don’t go looking to be “blown away”.

*As an aside, the Wine Spectator awarded the 2009 vintage of this wine 90 points and listed it on their annual “100 Outstanding Values”. Therefore I will be on the lookout for that particular vintage in the hopes that it fares better than the 2007.*

Trivento Wines

2007 Pascual Toso Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Argentina

2012-04-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

Colorific…Garnet red fading to a rust hued rim

Scentuous…Blackberry, boysenberry, mint, vanilla

Taste-osity…While I was out and about in part of the Phoenix Metro area that I normally don’t get to, I decided to stop into a Costco and check out their wine selection. I am glad that I stopped, I found two Argentinean Cabs, and this is the first of those. I highly advise decanting this wine for at least an hour or using a Vinturi. This wine is rather tight and quite tannic until it gets some air; but it opens up nicely once it’s been given a chance to breathe. The attack is very fruit focused with flavors of blackberry, black cherry, black plum and currant with delicate hints of oak, coffee and brown sugar in the background. These flavors while being very dominant are also rather subtle; what I mean by that is that these are very present and easily defined flavors but they are also balanced with one another and very silky on the palate. They effortlessly fade into a nicely muted mid-palate of soft tannins and gentle alcohol acidity; the first leaves the mouth feeling cool and the clean and the second sends soft tingles and heat across the tongue and gums. These textures drift away as a long finish sets in with pleasant black plum and oak flavors followed by tobacco, vanilla and black cherry and finally light tinges of anise and burnt sugar. This wine is a full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon; a true sampling of South American genius when it comes to the magic of winemaking.

Overall, this is why I enjoy South American wines so much. A perfect example of a sub-15 dollar Cabernet Sauvignon that can compete with a 20 dollar bottle. While this isn’t as complex as some wines I’ve sampled at this price, it’s more balanced and very, very smooth. I believe I paid 13 dollars for this bottle and it’s well worth that price. What makes this wine so good is how easily it sips without a pairing of food. Some Cabernet Sauvignons need food to truly make them standout, while this wine shows its quality either with food or without food. Therefore, I give this a great QPR and must recommend you purchase this particular wine immediately. I know that my local supermarket carries the Pascual Toso Cabernet Sauvignon, though not the reserve. I haven’t seen this at Total Wine & More, but it’s possible they do sell this. Either way find this wine, buy it and sit back and sip away at a wonderful bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Pascual Toso

2009 Vecchia Cantina Rosso di Montepulciano, Italy

2012-04-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Elegance in a glass…Dark purple with a ruby rim and an ebony core

Magnificent aromas…Blueberry, mulberry, black cherry, vanilla and coconut

Joyous flavors…This is only the second Montepulciano I’ve tried since starting this blog; the first was a complete disaster this one is at the opposite end of the spectrum. I purchased this as another red wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner, but at the last minute decided not to open this up. A few days ago I finally decided to pop the cork on this, and I was greeted with an absolutely wonderful drinking experience. The attack is silky and smooth with raspberry and semi-sweet cherry fruit flavors that are backed by leather, vanilla and burnt sugar. The mid-palate is nicely acidic with an even astringency and tannins that are smooth and balanced; overall the mid-palate is just a little too short for my tastes and edges into a medium finish. The finish is the most balanced part of this wine as the fruit flavors (cherry, raspberry and red currant) meld seamlessly with tobacco, vanilla, leather, and bittersweet chocolate. The finish is gorgeously smooth and leaves an aftertaste of burnt caramel and semi-sweet cherry.

Overall this wine is a definite winner. I believe I paid 10 dollars for this bottle; at that price this is a great QPR. This wine shows more “oomph” than most Italian reds and can be paired with a wider variety of foods. It held up well to burgers and fries, beef stew and spaghetti. Though it lost a little complexity with the hearty stew. I highly recommend this is you enjoy balanced and smooth red wines or just need something a little more complex than your usual table wine for about the same price. Pick this up by the case if you can, you won’t be disappointed.

Vecchia Cantina

2008 Kirkland Signature Series Mountain Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon, California

2012-03-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

Love the look…Dark purplish red that goes black at the core

Multilayered aromas…Blackberry, vanilla, coconut, anise, baking spices

A glass of heaven…I absolutely love the Kirkland Signature Series Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon; at 18 dollars a bottle it’s almost at the limit of my finances. This bottle is priced one dollar more than the Stag’s Leap, and its well worth that one dollar. While the Stag’s Leap is a complex and textured offering this bottle goes beyond that bottle and shows amazing fruit, spices, wood and other textures that effortlessly transition during the entire time you are sipping this wine. I can’t begin to explain just how wonderful an experience sipping this bottle really is; what I will do is try to review this wine to the best of my abilities…here goes. The attack is focused and layered; starting with black currant, plum and blackberry flavors that fade into creamy vanilla and butter and finally mix in leather, gunpowder and wood shavings. The mid-palate is completely balanced. The tannins perfect and chewy, acidity levels are nice and even, astringency shows up right as I swallow and only touches the back half of my mouth leaving the tip of my tongue still tasting this wine and the alcohol is cool and just barely sends a tingle through my tongue. The finish is medium-long and takes on flavors of black plum, coconut, vanilla, anise and oak with those flavors swirling around a backbone of charcoal and forest floor. This is a full bodied wine that is best at or slightly above room temperature; the aftertaste is beautiful plums and vanilla that linger for minutes on the tongue.

Overall, this is an experience in the amazing! At 19 bucks this is a great wine, and in my opinion outdoes most wines I’ve sipped at the same price point. I can heartily rate this is a great QPR and recommend it without a single hesitation. The focus, complexity and balance of this wine makes it a wondrous drinking experience. I plan on adding a bottle of this to my cellar to sit right alongside the Stag’s Leap that I put there last month. If you enjoy big, bold, focused red wines than this bottle is for you; I promise it won’t let you down.

2007 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

2012-03-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

In the Crayola crate…ruby red with a garnet rim and tinges of black throughout

Pleasant potpourri…Strawberry, oak, compost, damp earth

Taste the textures…I was tempted by this from the first I laid eyes on it at Costco, but I couldn’t bring myself to fork over the 16 dollars when I’d only had average experiences with Montes wines thus far. I stopped by three or four times before I finally broke down and purchased a bottle. Truth be told this wine is a little bit average, but it’s also a little bit complex, and just a tad bit adventurous. It’s something of an enigma because it goes through so many phases it makes it hard to review; but I’ll do my best. The attack is pretty straightforward and powerful; burnt blackberry jam silkiness married to dense dark flavors of leaves, loam and cedar smoke with a backbone of leather and anise. The mid-palate boasts crisp acidity, subtle astringency and moderate alcohol heat. The finish is pronounced and long, pulling in flavors of currant and blackberry mixed with tar, ash and charcoal. This finish seems overwhelming until your second or third sip and then you realize just how complex and wise these flavors are; truly showing off the wines subtle age and intensity without losing the buoyancy and bravado of the attack. Definitely a full bodied wine with evident weight and an aftertaste of wet, sour leather and cherry pips.

Overall this wine can seem “friendlier” on the attack and mid-palate than on the finish; however it is in the finish where you find all the hidden flavors and complex nuances that truly make this wine special. The bold, heavy flavors of tar and ash pull down a rather fruit forward finish; and while they might confuse your palate on the first sip by the third or fourth sip these same flavors are what your palate is drawn to. You begin to look for the dark, heavy edges of this wine and find them in all textures and flavors and throughout the wine. I recommend this wine as a good-almost-great QPR. It needs time to breathe or a Vinturi but given the chance this is a wonderful bottle of wine that defies its price tag, don’t pass this one up.

Vina Montes

2008 Michele Chiarlo Barbera D’Asti Superiore Le Orme, Italy

2012-03-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

Humble hues…Rich, dark red with a garnet-violet rim

Simplistic scents…Berries and cream (specifically raspberry and blueberry), cherry candy

Cheap thrills…I’ve begun to test the waters of unfamiliar wines, this time centering on red wines from Italy. Every three months or so, I get a little bored with the “same ol’ same ol’” and go in search of a new wine. Last time it was Pinot Noir, before that Beaujolais. This time it’s not a particular wine, but a region: Italy. Up until recently my journey into Italian territory had been limited to very inexpensive red blends and grocery store Chianti. Then I went out on a limb on a 20 dollar bottle of Nebbiolo and here I am reviewing a relatively inexpensive Barbera from the same region in Italy, Piedmont. I could write an entire review comparing the two Italian reds but that would be a disservice to both of them; instead I will give this wine the due it so justly deserves. First off this wine is what I would describe as unassuming, rustic even bordering on quaint, but it is a pleasure to drink. There isn’t a whole lot going on; the attack tastes of near-ripe plums and strawberry with just a hint of sour cherry. The mid-palate is very smooth as this is not a tannic wine and that fact shows up in the fact that the focus of the mid-palate is all about subtle alcohol acidity and just a nibble of astringency around the outside edges of my tongue. The segue from mid-palate to finish is seamless and leaves me almost believing this to have a somewhat short finish, which it doesn’t. The finish is medium in length and comes back to flavors of sour cherry, young plum and strawberry, and adds tart raspberry and just a hint of nectarine on top. This is a medium bodied wine that knows just what it’s about and doesn’t try to bring any confusing ideas of grandeur but is pitch perfect just as it is. There is a nice aftertaste of nectarine, plum skins and sharp cheddar (I know that seems weird but after every sip I thought I was chewing just a small bite of sharp Irish cheddar).

Overall, this wine is exactly what it advertises itself to be, a simple but enjoyable Italian red with a small price point. Nine dollars is a bargain for this wine, and that combined with how pleasurable an experience this wine is to drink gets it a solid good QPR from me. I can’t list this as a great QPR only because it really isn’t a great wine, but it doesn’t try to be a great wine all it wants to be is a solid wine that can be enjoyed with food or without. I advise drinking this with pizza or hamburgers though it stood up to a pork roast as well. I highly recommend this wine for just about any occasion especially if you enjoy sweet-sour wines or just about any wine from Italy, this should be right up your alley.

Michele Chiarlo Vini Classici del Piemonte

2008 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon, California

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Easy on the eyes…Intense ruby red nearly black at the core with a crimson rim

Olfactory detections…Black currant, cassis, cigar box, cedar, pipe tobacco

The yum factor…Being a Costco member has never been more pleasant than the last 3 months or so. I’ve been fortunate enough to drink some quite tasty wines and not had to pay through the nose for them. This happens to be one of those wines. I picked this up only because there was a two dollar coupon bringing the total of the wine down to about 11 bucks. Even without the coupon this is in my price range, but I wouldn’t have paid much attention to it had I not already had the coupon. Enough about my shopping habits, on to the review. Decant, decant, decant; unless you absolutely love your red wine to be heavily flavored/scented of wood (cedar, oak and cigar box aromas mainly) then you must decant this wine for at least 24 hours. Even with the aid of a Vinturi this wine was still very wood-y. I absolutely love Cabernets that feature lots of oak and cedar and this one has the perfect amount of those two flavors. Going forward I’m splitting this review into a pre-24 hour and post-24 hour review.

Pre-24 hour – The attack is heavy with a mix of blackberry, cassis, black pepper, cedar, cigar box and tobacco flavors. They are all piled on quite thick and play with my palate just as much as they play with one another. The mid-palate has a decent amount of heat and acidity from the alcohol and the tannins are quite chewy but the level of astringency is less than I’d expect. This is a full bodied wine and the finish is nice and long with mellowed flavors of blackberry, plum, tobacco, vanilla, and licorice with a backbone of wood smoke and cedar.

Post-24 hour – The amount of wood-like scents is much reduced now, though I can still smell cedar and cigar box hints they are not as overpowering as they were previously. The attack shows the same reduction in wood-y flavors now featuring blackberry, vanilla, tobacco, cedar and a lasting buttery flavor that turns into butter-like textures during the mid-palate. The mid-palate itself is far more balanced and mature than formerly; the alcohol is toned down a notch, tannins are still chewy but they don’t seem like they are on the cusp of running amok on my palate, and the astringency is more relevant though not cloying. The finish is still long and this is still a full bodied wine but the flavors on the finish have evolved some as well; licorice comes back strong with blackberry and black plum, then there are some tinges of vanilla and leather and finally a silky layer of smoke, dust, cedar and pencil lead (not pencil shavings just pencil lead).

Overall, this is a two faced wine; the pre-24 hour wine gets a good QPR and the post-24 hour wine gets a great QPR. Yes this wine is just that good. I would gladly pay 20 dollars for this bottle; and the post-24 hour flavors remind me of the Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon I have previously reviewed. It has a balance and depth I’ve rarely come across in a sub-15 dollar bottle of wine. It just tastes of higher quality grapes than I’m used to seeing in anything less than 15 dollars. I’m delighted that I purchased this bottle and saddened that it’s gone, but on my next trip to Costco I’m picking up at least two bottles; one for my cellar and one for drinking. I HIGHLY recommend this wine!

Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery

2008 Bridgman Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington

2012-01-25T07:51:00.000-08:00

Honored hues…Black core fading to dark ruby red and finally a violet tinted rim

Fragrance of familiarity...Black plum, brown sugar, leather

Smooth swallows…I grabbed this from Total Wine’s Featured Cabernet Sauvignon section. I’ve slowly made my way through the sub-20 dollar bottle that they place in this section, but I hadn’t sampled this particular wine yet. As soon as I got it home I poured myself a glass and slowly sipped. First impression: this is a very balanced wine both in flavor and texture. The attack is quite smooth with equal parts sugary fruit (blackberry and black plum) and strong herbaceous flavors (grass, leather and straw). The mid-palate holds firm tannins, evenhanded alcohol heat and tingle and perfect astringency. The finish is long and the least balanced part of this wine as the flavors, fruity and savory, fight for prominence. Neither actually win out, though the fruit comes on first with more plum added to currant and black cherry. The savory flavors hit with cut grass, tobacco, sage and dirt. This is a medium bodied wine that sometimes feels like a full bodied red wine; but in reality it doesn’t have the weight to drive it all the way into full bodied territory. The aftertaste is somewhat oaky but also has hints of plum and bitter fruit skins.

Overall, this is not what I’d expected from a Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon. It has more in common with a well balanced Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit here isn’t as forward, and the lack of spice box flavors left my palate longing for a different wine. What this wine does offer is a nice, smooth Cabernet Sauvignon with a fair price point. This particular bottle only merits a fair QPR even though it’s very balanced, it’s priced about a dollar or two above what I’d really want to pay for this wine. It does much better when paired with grilled red meat, even hamburgers; so if you do pick up this bottle make sure to pair it accordingly.

Precept Wines

2009 La Carraia Umbria Sangiovese, Italy

2011-12-30T11:23:00.000-08:00

Quite the delight…Dark purplish-black core surrounded by ruby red fading to violet at the rim

Two-toned nose…Cherry and vanilla

Why do I feel so wishy-washy…This wine held my attention for the entire first glass. I enjoyed the look, aroma and taste right down to the last drop. Then I waited for a few hours while cooking dinner and sampled my second glass. My attention seemed to wander during this glass. ‘Maybe it’s the food’ I thought to myself. But the next evening I experienced the exact same thing. Finally it dawned on me; this wine is pretty darn good all by itself but takes a backseat when it’s paired with just about any food. Let ‘s talk specifics about the wine itself. It has a very narrow scope of flavors as far as the attack is concerned. Mainly I can taste cherry, some raspberry, and peppers (both black pepper heat and bell pepper zest). The mid-palate is moderately acidic with some pucker factor from both alcohol and tannins and minimal astringency. The finish is medium in length featuring more pepper, savory spices (sage and basil), tobacco and very muted berry/cherry notes. I get a definite “weight” to the wine but it’s really only a medium bodied effort. The aftertaste itself is long and runs mainly to sour cherry and plum pits. It’s a nice effort and shines by itself though it becomes demure when paired with food.

Overall, I write that entire review about how good the wine tastes by itself to say that I actually enjoyed it more when I drank it with a meal. Normally I would want my glass of wine to shine with every sip I took, but this wine did something completely different. While the flavors of the wine itself were somewhat undermined the food itself took on a whole new level of “good”. I liked drinking this by itself because I could taste the wine, but I liked it even better when I paired this with spaghetti because it made the garlic marinara taste so much better. I know it’s an anomaly and I never expect to have this happen again, but this bottle gets a good QPR all the way around but for totally different reasons. I think I paid 10 bucks for this and that’s not bad. I’d recommend this for your table on any night you want an Italian red to go with your Italian dinner. It’s not an amazing wine, but it hits the spot especially with a nice plate of spaghetti.

La Carraia