tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62874266503820959472013-06-19T22:04:08.918-05:00Thumbing my nose at bottles over $20Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.comBlogger713125TheReverseWineSnobhttp://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with PlusmoSubscribe with The Free DictionarySubscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with Live.comSubscribe with Excite MIXSubscribe with WebwagSubscribe with Podcast ReadySubscribe with WikioSubscribe with Daily RotationThumbing my nose at bottle over $20! Thanks for subscribing :)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-21155242758762369132013-06-19T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-19T08:00:00.474-05:002013-06-19T08:00:00.474-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/sorelle-winery-bella-e-rosa-2012.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sorelle Winery Bella e Rosa 2012 - More Than Your Typical Rose" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Pume5Zz0bw/UcEW5s4PR8I/AAAAAAAAHzs/Q6ur-o7Mr-Y/s320/2012-Sorelle-Winery-Bella-e-Rosa.JPG" title="Sorelle Winery Bella e Rosa 2012 - More Than Your Typical Rose" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loco For Lodi Wine #6. </td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 50% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Sangiovese" title="See All Wines With This Label">Sangiovese</a> and 50% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Barbera" title="See All Wines With This Label">Barbera</a> from Lodi, California.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $16 and available at that price. 200 cases produced. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"Located in the Central Valley of California, "The Dodge House" property began as fishing grounds for the Miwok indians as far back as 1776. It sits on a stream called "Calaveras" meaning "place of skulls." It is here on this historical site that Jonathan Holt Dodge built a home in 1866 and soon after planted a successful vineyard of imported wine and table grapes. The vineyard was planted in collaboration with George West, founder of one of the first wineries in San Joaquin county.<br /> <br /> The Scott Family would like to honor the Dodge Family and their contribution to the county by preserving the home and its history.<br /> <br /> 14.0% Alcohol"</blockquote>While Lodi may be best known for its <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/klinker-brick-old-vine-zinfandel.html" title="Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - A Classic Lodi Zin">Zinfandel</a>, we've already seen this is no one-trick pony with the first wine in this series, the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/uvaggio-vermentino-loco-for-lodi.html" title="Uvaggio Vermentino 2011 - Loco for Lodi">Uvaggio Vermentino</a>. Today Lodi shows a bit more of its range with a delightful Rosé featuring a blend of Barbera and Sangiovese -- a combination I have not had in a rosé before. <br /> <br /> The <b>2012 Sorelle Winery Bella e Rosa</b> begins with pleasant aromas of strawberry, cranberry and watermelon. While the aroma is nice, it's fairly typical for a rosé; however, the comparison to a typical rosé ends with your initial taste of this wine. The first thing to stand out is the simply wonderful smooth and thick texture. Then there's the combination of delicious fruit flavors like strawberry, watermelon jolly rancher and nectarine combined with just the right amount of honeyed sweetness. Finally come zesty, mineral soaked citrus notes to close the wine out. Just a lovely wine -- the combination of grapes and the delightful texture vault this one far beyond your standard rosé.<br /> <br /> <b>Wines in the Loco for Lodi Series:</b><br /> <ul><li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/uvaggio-vermentino-loco-for-lodi.html">Uvaggio Vermentino 2011 - Loco for Lodi</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/michael-david-winery-petite-petit.html">Michael David Winery Petite Petit 2010 - Just Plain Fun To Drink</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/klinker-brick-old-vine-zinfandel.html">Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - A Classic Lodi Zin</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/macchia-amorous-sangiovese.html">Macchia Amorous Sangiovese 2011 - Lovely!</a> </b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/ravenswood-lodi-old-vine-zinfandel.html">Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - Super Ripe and Rich</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/sorelle-winery-bella-e-rosa-2012.html">Sorelle Winery Bella e Rosa 2012 - More Than Your Typical Rosé</a> </b></li> <li>More to come!</li> </ul><br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Sorelle+Winery+Bella+e+Rosa/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 9</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 5</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 8.0</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130619", "title" : "2012 Sorelle Winery Bella e Rosa", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/sorelle-winery-bella-e-rosa-2012.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=MudQdJtfCxY:zk6RVD0DUKE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=MudQdJtfCxY:zk6RVD0DUKE:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=MudQdJtfCxY:zk6RVD0DUKE:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=MudQdJtfCxY:zk6RVD0DUKE:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=MudQdJtfCxY:zk6RVD0DUKE:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/MudQdJtfCxY" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/sorelle-winery-bella-e-rosa-2012.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-82619984891078940262013-06-18T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-18T08:00:00.664-05:002013-06-18T08:00:00.664-05:00<b>Bulk Buy! </b><br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/punto-y-coma-garnacha-2009.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Punto y Coma Garnacha 2009 - The Calatayud Strikes Again!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7n3nRyv1O9s/Ub_W-VnrGII/AAAAAAAAHy0/k6R6GjNsZEI/s320/2009-Punto-y-Coma-Garnacha.JPG" title="Punto y Coma Garnacha 2009 - The Calatayud Strikes Again!" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Humbling wine more than twice its price. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Garnacha" title="See All Wines With This Label">Garnacha</a> from Calatayud, Spain.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>Purchased for $9. Imported by Monsieur Touton Selection, Ltd.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"The ancient Garnacha vines which grow in the highest slopes of our region, produce very low yields. This grapes are little treasures housing all the secrets and features of our region. Aged in french oak barrels for 9 months, Punto y Coma is a soft and intense wine brimming with ripe fruit and leaving a long and nice finish.<br /> <br /> 14.0% Alcohol"</blockquote>If you've read <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> for any length of time then you know that we go gaga over Spanish Garnacha from the Calatayud. Uniformly excellent and oh so cheap, these wines probably represent that greatest value in wine right now. We've had a whole string of Bulk Buys on wines from this area, like the <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/altovinum-evodia-old-vines-garnacha.html">Altovinum Evodia Old Vines Garnacha 2011 - Money</a></b> and the <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/crazy-for-calatayud-bodegas-filon-garnacha.html">Bodegas Filon Garnacha 2011 - Crazy For The Calatayud</a></b> and today's selection thankfully falls upon those same lines.<br /> <br /> The <b>2009 Punto y Coma Old Vine Garnacha by Castillo de Maluenda</b> is a bit shy on the nose when first poured but opens fairly quickly with a little time in the glass. The primary aromas are black cherry, plums, raisins, a little spice and a hint of black pepper -- very nice. This full-bodied wine tastes simply delicious with lots of rich and sweet fruit, wonderful spice, and a great mouthfeel. A little licorice and some mineral notes come out near the finish, which is dry and features more sweet fruit and spice that lingers in the mouth for quite a long time. Yum! Another amazing deal on a Spanish Garnacha under $10 that'll humble wines more than twice its price. The Calatayud strikes again!<br /> <br /> <b><i>Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/punto-y-coma-garnacha-vinas-viejas-wine-750ml.html" target="blank" title="Buy This Wine Online From Our Featured Sponsor">Marketview Liquor</a> or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Punto+Y+Coma+Garnacha/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 9</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 8</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 8.8</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bulk Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130618", "title" : "2009 Punto y Coma Garnacha", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/punto-y-coma-garnacha-2009.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/sponsor-post.html" title="Advertise or Sponsor a Post on The Reverse Wine Snob">Advertise</a> on <b>The Reverse Wine Snob!</b><br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=1AoiSgmNkSI:TwsYYzzxbzI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=1AoiSgmNkSI:TwsYYzzxbzI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=1AoiSgmNkSI:TwsYYzzxbzI:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=1AoiSgmNkSI:TwsYYzzxbzI:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=1AoiSgmNkSI:TwsYYzzxbzI:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/1AoiSgmNkSI" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/punto-y-coma-garnacha-2009.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-24243691517280503592013-06-17T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-17T08:00:01.259-05:002013-06-17T08:00:01.259-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/bodegas-cuevas-jimenez-ferratus-a0-2011.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bodegas Cuevas Jimenez Ferratus A0 2011 - Seriously Fun" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G4RKRODmmoo/Ub57rktEwjI/AAAAAAAAHyk/AbZwO4Y8Cag/s320/2011-Bodegas-Cuevas-Jimenez-Ferratus-A0.JPG" title="Bodegas Cuevas Jimenez Ferratus A0 2011 - Seriously Fun" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Want a big, serious wine? You want Ribera Del Duero. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Tempranillo" title="See All Wines With This Label">Tempranillo</a> from Ribera Del Duero, Spain.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>Available for around $18. Imported by The Enye Group. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"Grape Variety: 100% Tempranillo<br /> <br /> Aging: 5 months in French-oak barrels<br /> <br /> Bottled without cold setting.<br /> <br /> 14.0% Alcohol"</blockquote>As a fan of big, dry, serious red wines Ribera Del Duero in Spain is one of my favorite spots. Whenever I get a chance to try wines from this are, I jump at it and I have yet to be disappointed. You may remember our article on this area from a few weeks ago, <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/04/reveling-in-the-wine-of-ribera-del-duero.html">Reveling in the Wine of Ribera Del Duero Plus 3 Top Value Picks From This Region</a></b> where we covered a trio of fantastic under $20 wines. Today we've got another great one for you.<br /> <br /> The <b>2011 Bodegas Cuevas Jimenez Ferratus A0</b> begins with aromas of ripe fruit, plums, spice, violets, a little smoked meat and vanilla. A simply wonderful and complex bouquet. The wine tastes wonderful as well, with lots of rich fruit and a nice dry, chalky mouthfeel. This tastes like a much older wine to me -- it's hard to believe it is a 2011 vintage. Like most wines from Ribera Del Duero, one sip tells you that it is a serious wine, but it's also quite fun to drink with lots of different layers that you discover as you drink it. It ends nice and dry with good length. This one may be a bit hard to find, but I heartily recommend seeking it out!<br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Bodegas+Cuevas+Jimenez+Ferratus+A0/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 9</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 3</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.5</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130617", "title" : "2011 Bodegas Cuevas Jimenez Ferratus A0", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/bodegas-cuevas-jimenez-ferratus-a0-2011.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=XUWOY88Z2Do:Big8jRPGa3g:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=XUWOY88Z2Do:Big8jRPGa3g:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=XUWOY88Z2Do:Big8jRPGa3g:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=XUWOY88Z2Do:Big8jRPGa3g:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=XUWOY88Z2Do:Big8jRPGa3g:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/XUWOY88Z2Do" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/bodegas-cuevas-jimenez-ferratus-a0-2011.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-3903811466652994552013-06-15T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-15T11:59:30.556-05:002013-06-15T11:59:30.556-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/toscano-vineyards-artigiani-red-wines.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Red Wines - Four Fine Italians" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GX_TGnBeox4/UbvemoH1IwI/AAAAAAAAHyM/lhC3SxFUFjg/s320/Toscano-Vineyards-Artigiani-Red-Wines.JPG" title="Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Red Wines - Four Fine Italians" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chianti (pictured), Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Nero d'Avola and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, all well under $20. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <a name='more'></a>You may remember Toscano Vineyards from the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/04/toscano-vineyards-artigiani-brunello-di-montalcino.html" title="Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Brunello di Montalcino 2007 - A Seriously Good Splurge">Brunello</a> we covered as a Saturday Splurge a few weeks ago. Today we have four more of their red wines, all well under $20. These wines are available in the U.S. thanks to Chuck Hollis, who imports these wines made by Giuseppe Sala. Chuck didn't start out as an importer, in fact, he admittedly didn't know a ton about wine, but he knew enough that when he tasted these wines on vacation in Italy that they needed to brought over to this country. And so that's exactly what he did, and we, for one, are glad for it!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1hKSXn-T_Ns/UbvekvL-yOI/AAAAAAAAHxw/_nOHujYUY04/s1600/2010-Toscano-Vineyards-Artigiani-Chianti.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2010 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Chianti" border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1hKSXn-T_Ns/UbvekvL-yOI/AAAAAAAAHxw/_nOHujYUY04/s200/2010-Toscano-Vineyards-Artigiani-Chianti.JPG" title="2010 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Chianti" width="130" /></a>First up is the <b> 2010 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Chianti</b> a blend of 80% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Sangiovese" title="See All Wines With This Label">Sangiovese</a> and 20% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Canaiolo" title="See All Wines With This Label">Canaiolo</a>. It has an SRP of $15 and is available for $13. 50,000 cases produced, 12.4% alcohol. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> The <b>2010 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Chianti</b> begins with a pleasant aroma of lots of red fruit. The wine tastes nice and savory with rich red berry fruit, some good spice and a touch of smoke. A bit oaky at first, but that dissipates with a little air. It ends nice and spicy with a medium-length finish.<br /> <br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Toscano+Vineyards+Artigiani+Chianti/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 8</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 6</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.5</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><hr /><br /> <br /> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ckR3vrJ6Ev8/UbvelBNKZRI/AAAAAAAAHx8/2gGR3H2LFo8/s1600/2011-Toscano-Vineyards-Artigiani-Montepulciano-dAbruzzo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2011 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Montepulciano d'Abruzzo" border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ckR3vrJ6Ev8/UbvelBNKZRI/AAAAAAAAHx8/2gGR3H2LFo8/s200/2011-Toscano-Vineyards-Artigiani-Montepulciano-dAbruzzo.JPG" title="2011 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Montepulciano d'Abruzzo" width="133" /></a>Next is the <b>2011 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Montepulciano d'Abruzzo</b> which is 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Montepulciano" title="See All Wines With This Label">Montepulciano</a>. It has an SRP of $14 and is available for $12. 50,000 cases produced, 13% alcohol. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> The <b>2011 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Montepulciano d'Abruzzo</b> begins with a nice, strong aroma featuring lots of bright fruit and some earthy notes. Just like the Chianti this one needs a bit of air to show its best. Tasting the medium-bodied wine reveals lots of red cherry and other fresh red fruits, soft and dry tannins and earthy notes that carry through to the finish that also features some tart fruit. <br /> <br /> <b><i>Order this wine from VinoShipper <a href="https://www.vinoshipper.com/wines/toscano_vineyards/montepulciano_d_abruzzo_5,093" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 7</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 7</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.0</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><hr /><br /> <br /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LQOLw9qmXM/UbvekXbi0NI/AAAAAAAAHxs/RD8ycs9Xnhc/s1600/2008-Toscano-Vineyards-Artigiani-Nero-dAvola.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2008 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Nero d'Avola" border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LQOLw9qmXM/UbvekXbi0NI/AAAAAAAAHxs/RD8ycs9Xnhc/s200/2008-Toscano-Vineyards-Artigiani-Nero-dAvola.JPG" title="2008 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Nero d'Avola" width="133" /></a>The <b>2008 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Nero d'Avola</b> is 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Nero%20d'Avola" title="See All Wines With This Label">Nero d'Avola</a>. It has an SRP of $17 and is available for $15. 30,000 cases produced, 14% alcohol. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> The <b>2008 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Nero d'Avola</b> begins with a very aromatic and very nice nose of lots of black raspberry, spice, and maybe even a little smoke. The wine tastes very smooth and is full of rich red fruit that turns tart on the finish and nicely integrated spice. This variety often makes a great pizza wine and this one is no exception. It ends with good length and lingering tart berry notes.<br /> <br /> <br /> <b><i>Order this wine from VinoShipper <a href="https://www.vinoshipper.com/wines/toscano_vineyards/nero_d_avola_5,094" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 8</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 4</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.0</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><hr /><br /> <br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LEdFmp6U_X0/UbvekzO7UuI/AAAAAAAAHx4/LX7KOQNX8Wc/s1600/2008-Toscano-Vineyards-Artigiani-Vino-Nobile-di-Montepulciano.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2008 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano" border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LEdFmp6U_X0/UbvekzO7UuI/AAAAAAAAHx4/LX7KOQNX8Wc/s200/2008-Toscano-Vineyards-Artigiani-Vino-Nobile-di-Montepulciano.JPG" title="2008 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano" width="124" /></a>Lastly we have what on taste alone is my favorite of the bunch, the <b>2008 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano</b>. This wine is a blend of 80% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Sangiovese" title="See All Wines With This Label">Sangiovese</a>, 10% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Colorino" title="See All Wines With This Label">Colorino</a> and 10% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Canaiolo" title="See All Wines With This Label">Canaiolo</a> it has an SRP of $18 and is available for $16. 30,000 cases produced, 13.5% alcohol. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> The <b>2008 Toscano Vineyards Artigiani Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano</b> begins with a pleasant aroma of blackberry, plum and spice. Like many of the others, the wine tastes a little oaky at first and needs some air. However, once it opens up this is a big, serious wine featuring wonderful dark fruit, a lush mouthfeel and dry, chalky tannins. It ends dry with good length and some lingering caramel notes. Excellent!<br /> <br /> <b><i>Order this wine from VinoShipper <a href="https://www.vinoshipper.com/wines/toscano_vineyards/vino_nobile_di_montepulciano_5,098" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 8</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 4</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.0</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><hr /><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Xhu6B1si8FY:N0jCyD_37LM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Xhu6B1si8FY:N0jCyD_37LM:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Xhu6B1si8FY:N0jCyD_37LM:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Xhu6B1si8FY:N0jCyD_37LM:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=Xhu6B1si8FY:N0jCyD_37LM:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/Xhu6B1si8FY" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/toscano-vineyards-artigiani-red-wines.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-13848839793113125932013-06-14T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-14T08:37:16.201-05:002013-06-14T08:37:16.201-05:00<b>Bulk Buy!</b><br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/domaine-du-tariquet-classic-cotes-de-gascogne.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Domaine du Tariquet Classic Cotes de Gascogne 2011 - A Classic Summertime Sipper" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nXTOxyuHy30/Ubp-UUyY2-I/AAAAAAAAHxc/W2AqhB1DSn4/s320/2011-Domaine-du-Tariquet-Classic-Cotes-de-Gascogne.JPG" title="Domaine du Tariquet Classic Cotes de Gascogne 2011 - A Classic Summertime Sipper" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>You're only $8 away from refreshment. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 45% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Ugni%20Blanc" title="See All Wines With This Label">Ugni Blanc</a>, 35% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Colombard" title="See All Wines With This Label">Colombard</a>, 10% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Sauvignon%20Blanc" title="See All Wines With This Label">Sauvignon</a> and 10% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Gros%20Manseng" title="See All Wines With This Label">Gros Manseng</a> from Gascony, France.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $11 and available widely for $8. Imported by Robert Kacher Selections. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"Serve chilled. A very refreshing wine to be enjoyed at any time as an aperitif, with charcuterie, fish and shellfish...Magnificent intensity for a dry fruity wine with floral and citrus aromas and a lovely touch of exotic fruit.<br /> <br /> 11.5% Alcohol"</blockquote>Today we have another <b>Reverse Wine Snob Certified Summertime Sipper™</b>*. Summertime sippers come in many different shapes and sizes, but they hold one thing in common - they are perfect for relaxing on the patio at the end of hot and sunny day. Some of the others we've highlighted recently include:<br /> <ul><li><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/crios-torrontes-and-rose-of-malbec.html">Crios Torrontes and Rose of Malbec - More Scrumptious Summertime Sippers</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/albarino-made-for-summertime-sipping.html">Albarino - Made For Summertime Sipping on the Patio</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/top-10-white-wines-under-20-dollars.html">Top 10 White Wines Under $20 - Summer 2013 Edition</a></li> </ul>The <b>2011 Domaine du Tariquet Classic Cotes de Gascogne</b> begins with aromas of light tropical fruit, tangerine and other citrus, some floral notes and a touch of grass. The wine tastes refreshing and crisp and features lots of rich and tart citrus and tropical fruit. It also has a very nice almost oily yet still lively mouthfeel. At the end mineral notes underneath the tart fruit bleed into the medium-long finish. A really great wine for only $8, a <b>Reverse Wine Snob Certified Summertime Sipper™</b>* and a Bulk Buy!<br /> <span style="font-size: x-small;">* Trade Mark pending ;) </span><br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Domaine+du+Tariquet+Classic+Cotes+de+Gascogne/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 8</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 9</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 8.3</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bulk Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130614", "title" : "2011 Domaine du Tariquet Classic Cotes de Gascogne", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/domaine-du-tariquet-classic-cotes-de-gascogne.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Yyc9eanT4Ok:lrALBx6Jxvc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Yyc9eanT4Ok:lrALBx6Jxvc:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Yyc9eanT4Ok:lrALBx6Jxvc:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Yyc9eanT4Ok:lrALBx6Jxvc:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=Yyc9eanT4Ok:lrALBx6Jxvc:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/Yyc9eanT4Ok" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/domaine-du-tariquet-classic-cotes-de-gascogne.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-51750265172985869612013-06-13T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-19T14:25:30.841-05:002013-06-19T14:25:30.841-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/ravenswood-lodi-old-vine-zinfandel.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - Super Ripe and Rich" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dw4nFQv0azU/Ubkv9qqOV2I/AAAAAAAAHww/FBRYGJfYnAk/s320/2010-Ravenswood-Lodi-Old-Vine-Zinfandel.JPG" title="Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - Super Ripe and Rich" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Loco for Lodi Wine #5. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 77% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Zinfandel" title="See All Wines With This Label">Zinfandel</a> and 23% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Petite%20Sirah" title="See All Wines With This Label">Petite Sirah</a> from Lodi, California.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $13 and available for as low as $10. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"For over 30 years, wine connoisseurs have trusted Ravenswood to deliver bold, classically crafted wines of exceptional quality and soul. Our Lodi wine showcases one of the finest wine-growing regions in California. This intense Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel, made from low-yielding vines, bursts with concentrated sweet plum, blueberry and spice flavors.<br /> <br /> 14.9% Alcohol"</blockquote>Next up in our <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/uvaggio-vermentino-loco-for-lodi.html" title="Uvaggio Vermentino 2011 - Loco for Lodi">Loco for Lodi</a> series we go back to Lodi's bread and butter - an Old Vine Zinfandel. And today we selected one from the large, but always reliable producer Ravenswood. We recently covered their <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/12/ravenswood-napa-valley-old-vine-zinfandel.html" title="Ravenswood Napa Valley Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - Bold Without Being Bombastic. BULK BUY!">Napa Valley Old Vine Zinfandel</a> which is a few dollars more than today's and we loved it. Let's see how the Lodi version stacks up!<br /> <br /> The <b>2010 Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel</b> begins with pleasant aromas of black cherry, cola, a little licorice and cedar. The wine tastes super ripe and rich -- I absolutely love it! There's plenty of dark fruit like black cherry, plum and blackberry combined with a big load of spice and a hint of cocoa. The medium-long finish made me pucker a bit. An excellent example of the type of big, rich Zinfandel that is so popular right now.<br /> <br /> <b>Wines in the Loco for Lodi Series:</b><br /> <ul><li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/uvaggio-vermentino-loco-for-lodi.html">Uvaggio Vermentino 2011 - Loco for Lodi</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/michael-david-winery-petite-petit.html">Michael David Winery Petite Petit 2010 - Just Plain Fun To Drink</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/klinker-brick-old-vine-zinfandel.html">Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - A Classic Lodi Zin</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/macchia-amorous-sangiovese.html">Macchia Amorous Sangiovese 2011 - Lovely!</a> </b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/ravenswood-lodi-old-vine-zinfandel.html">Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - Super Ripe and Rich</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/sorelle-winery-bella-e-rosa-2012.html">Sorelle Winery Bella e Rosa 2012 - More Than Your Typical Rosé</a> </b></li> <li>More to come!</li> </ul><br /> <b><i>Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/ravenswood-lodi-zinfandel-wine-750ml.html" target="blank" title="Buy This Wine Online From Our Featured Sponsor">Marketview Liquor</a> or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Ravenswood+Lodi+Old+Vine+Zinfandel/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 8</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 8</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 8.0</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130613", "title" : "2010 Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/ravenswood-lodi-old-vine-zinfandel.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/sponsor-post.html" title="Advertise or Sponsor a Post on The Reverse Wine Snob">Advertise</a> on <b>The Reverse Wine Snob!</b><br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=3cnfivI3BZE:EpGeUkaodIg:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=3cnfivI3BZE:EpGeUkaodIg:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=3cnfivI3BZE:EpGeUkaodIg:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=3cnfivI3BZE:EpGeUkaodIg:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=3cnfivI3BZE:EpGeUkaodIg:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/3cnfivI3BZE" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/ravenswood-lodi-old-vine-zinfandel.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-38960051845707156002013-06-12T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-12T08:00:11.010-05:002013-06-12T08:00:11.010-05:00<b>Bulk Buy! </b><br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/dourosa-douro-red-wine.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="douRosa Douro Red Wine 2010 - The Douro Delivers Again" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oq93ElY1soM/Ubfij-3UNdI/AAAAAAAAHwY/0n7THurHaf4/s320/63510001110_label.jpg" title="douRosa Douro Red Wine 2010 - The Douro Delivers Again" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Another seriously good (and affordable) red wine from Portugal. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 35% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Touriga%20Nacional" title="See All Wines With This Label">Touriga Nacional</a>, 35% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Touriga%20Franca" title="See All Wines With This Label">Touriga Franca</a> and 30% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Tinta%20Roriz" title="See All Wines With This Label">Tinta Roriz</a> (Tempranillo) from the Douro, Portugal.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $16 and available for as low as $14. 1,250 cases produced. Imported by Winesellers Ltd. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the winery:<br /> <blockquote>"The terroir in the Douro is still largely unexplored and by making wines with balance, harmony and equilibrium from our vineyards, we try to enable the grapes to express themselves in the bottle. The La Rosa style is to make well defined wines without too much extraction, tannin or oak. Wines that are rich and full bodied whilst being fresh and lively with a good acidity.<br /> <br /> The douROSA Red 2010 is similar in style to previous years. The wine has plenty of cherry and cassis fruit flavors on the nose, cedar and spice on the palate. There is a good brightness and freshness to the wine despite the hot summer. The wine is perfect to drink with many different types of meals as it has a good equilibrium in tannins and acidity. Drink now or within the next five years.<br /> <br /> 13.5% Alcohol"</blockquote>Today's wine is the third we've tried from the excellent line-up of Quinta de la Rosa table wines. We were first impressed with this label's white counterpart, the <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/12/quinta-de-la-rosa-dourosa-douro-white-wine-2011.html">douRosa Douro White Wine 2011 - The Douro Delivers Much More Than Port</a></b>. We then sampled and absolutely fell in love with the wine that is a step up from today's red, the <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/01/quinta-de-la-rosa-douro-red.html">Quinta De La Rosa Douro Red 2009 - Perfection From Portugal (And It's Not Port)</a></b>. And with that we come to today's "entry-level" red from Quinta de la Rosa.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RcV1bAIMGxw/UbfijxFCUQI/AAAAAAAAHwc/3DONBHC7cUw/s1600/63510001110_bottle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2010 Quinta de la Rosa douRosa Douro Red Wine" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RcV1bAIMGxw/UbfijxFCUQI/AAAAAAAAHwc/3DONBHC7cUw/s320/63510001110_bottle.jpg" title="2010 Quinta de la Rosa douRosa Douro Red Wine" /></a>The <b>2010 Quinta de la Rosa douRosa Douro Red Wine</b> begins with a very pleasant aroma of black cherry and spice with a hint of cinnamon and menthol. The wine tastes of rich and juicy tart fruit and good spice and has really nice balance. A really enjoyable wine to drink and with great acidity it should do very well with lots of different foods. It ends with very good length -- the tart fruit flavors continue in the mouth for a long time. This may be an "entry-level" wine from Quinta de la Rosa but it tastes anything but!<br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/douRosa+Douro+Red+Wine/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 9</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 6</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 8.3</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bulk Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130612", "title" : "2010 douRosa Douro Red Wine ", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/dourosa-douro-red-wine.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=RkoAu31uQnE:Vh6fw-r4uno:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=RkoAu31uQnE:Vh6fw-r4uno:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=RkoAu31uQnE:Vh6fw-r4uno:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=RkoAu31uQnE:Vh6fw-r4uno:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=RkoAu31uQnE:Vh6fw-r4uno:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/RkoAu31uQnE" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/dourosa-douro-red-wine.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-20605563623169368182013-06-11T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-11T11:20:44.452-05:002013-06-11T11:20:44.452-05:00<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/gerard-bertrand-grand-terroir-tautavel.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Gerard Bertrand Grand Terroir Tautavel 2007 - The Ugly Duckling That Turns Into A Swan" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LEh2jcXZSUE/UbaPTyUZ-XI/AAAAAAAAHwI/aSTJt8azGac/s320/2007-Gerard-Bertrand-Grand-Terroir-Tautavel.JPG" title="Gerard Bertrand Grand Terroir Tautavel 2007 - The Ugly Duckling That Turns Into A Swan" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>What an evolution! </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 50% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Grenache" title="See All Wines With This Label">Grenache</a>, 35% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Syrah" title="See All Wines With This Label">Syrah</a> and 15% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Carignan" title="See All Wines With This Label">Carignan</a> from Cotes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel, Languedoc-Roussillon, France.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $19 and purchased for $14.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"An acknowledged ambassador of the Mediterranean lifestyle and owner of some of the region’s finest estates. Gerard Bertrand is convinced of the uniqueness and high quality of its different terroirs classified as AOC's.<br /> <br /> The most ancient presence of mankind in Europe was in the amazingly beautiful and preserved landscapes of the Tautavel Appellation in the south of France. Wines have been made there since ancient times and their style is truly unique.<br /> <br /> Beautiful red color. Elegant notes of fresh fruit (blackcurrant, blackberries) and soft spices. Aromas of wild herbs and leather. Full-bodied, with soft and round tanins. Long finish. Best served at 60F with roasted peppers, pork and Italian meats.<br /> <br /> 14.0% Alcohol"</blockquote>I have to admit that this wine really threw me for a loop. You'll often hear me recommend letting a wine breathe before drinking it, as many times this helps the wine to open up, but rarely if ever have I tried a wine that was almost undrinkable upon first opening that then transformed as much as this wine did in just a couple hours. And when I say undrinkable, I mean it...it smelled and tasted bad. I came very close to pouring it right down the drain, but as is my normal custom, I poured a glass and let it sit for awhile. When I returned I was shocked to find this ugly duckling had become a beautiful bottle of wine!<br /> <br /> After a couple hours to breathe, the <b>2007 Gerard Bertrand Grand Terroir Tautavel</b> presents a very nice aroma of ripe, dark fruit, licorice and a little dark chocolate. Tasting the wine reveals lots of rich fruit with a spicy backbone that extends all the way into the finish. Black cherry, black raspberry and blueberry make up the fruit, but there's also some nice licorice and dried herbs. Fine tannins and a dry, long finish of tart fruit and lingering coffee notes round this one out. The ugly duckling turns into a swan!<br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Gerard+Bertrand+Grand+Terroir+Tautavel/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 8</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 6</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.5</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130611", "title" : "2007 Gerard Bertrand Grand Terroir Tautavel", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/gerard-bertrand-grand-terroir-tautavel.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=lUjy7x3Bw8M:NQcfcMpFOvs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=lUjy7x3Bw8M:NQcfcMpFOvs:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=lUjy7x3Bw8M:NQcfcMpFOvs:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=lUjy7x3Bw8M:NQcfcMpFOvs:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=lUjy7x3Bw8M:NQcfcMpFOvs:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/lUjy7x3Bw8M" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/gerard-bertrand-grand-terroir-tautavel.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-18729834471959952882013-06-10T08:58:00.000-05:002013-06-18T12:48:32.322-05:002013-06-18T12:48:32.322-05:00<b>This deal is now expired! <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=TheReverseWineSnob&amp;loc=en_US">SUBSCRIBE to our daily email</a> to get The Reverse Wine Snob in your inbox and catch our next promotion! </b><br /> <br /> If you're reading <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> then I know you appreciate cheap wine. And to help you get that wine even cheaper, today we've got a special promotion highlighting the huge "Great &amp; Under $8" selection from our favorite sponsor -- <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" target="blank">Marketview Liquor</a>!<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/great-and-under-8-dollars-Marketview.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Great and Under $8 Plus A Special Shipping Offer From Marketview Liquor" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HHssRBCaIHw/UaywCjAaekI/AAAAAAAAHsk/nIEDRdiVJFs/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Great and Under $8 Plus A Special Shipping Offer From Marketview Liquor" /></a></div><br /> So just what is "Great and Under $8"? I'll let Marketview explain:<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a><blockquote class="tr_bq">Almost ten years ago Marketview Liquor began our “Great &amp; Under $8” campaign, with the belief that you don’t need to pay a lot of money to drink great wine. The aim of the promotion was to provide our customers with a selection of fantastic and inexpensive wines with at least an 85 Point rating from a major wine reviewer.<br /> <br /> The idea has always been to both guide our customers through our enormous selection of wine, and to introduce them to types of wines they may not have tried otherwise.<br /> <br /> Our Great &amp; Under $8 selection has become one of our most popular departments, and we tirelessly work to keep it fresh, updated, and exciting. Try a “Great &amp; Under $8” wine from Marketview Liquor!</blockquote>So to give you a little incentive to try out the Great &amp; Under $8 selection we've got a special promotion today exclusively for readers of <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b>:<br /> <br /> <center><div style="border: 1px solid black; height: 40px; width: 560px;"><b><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" target="blank">60% off Case Shipping (Mix &amp; Match) at Marketview Liquor! Enter code rws13 at check-out. Expires Midnight 6/17 (EST)</a></b>.</div></center><br /> To help you get started below you will find four of my favorite $8 and under wines. In addition you'll find four more from the super knowledgeable staff at Marketview Liquor. You're not limited to just these wines however, <b>this promo is good on the entire store</b>. Also, many wines offer an additional 10% case discount so you can increase your savings even more. (The case discount is mix &amp; match as well, so you don't have to order 12 of a single wine to get it -- as long as all 12 wines you order have the discount, you'll still qualify.)<br /> <br /> <b><u>Reverse Wine Snob $8 &amp; Under Favorites:</u></b><br /> <br /> <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/altovinum-evodia-old-vines-garnacha.html">Altovinum Evodia Old Vines Garnacha 2011 - Money.</a></b><br /> This wine is a perennial Bulk Buy and always drinks like a lot more than $8!<br /> Get it at <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/evodia-old-vine-garnacha-wine-750ml.html" target="blank">Marketview</a>. <br /> <br /> <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/01/indaba-chenin-blanc-2011-steal-at-7.html">2011 Indaba Chenin Blanc - A Steal!</a></b><br /> A crisp and clean white that is currently #4 on our <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/top-10-white-wines-under-20-dollars.html">Summer Top 10 White Wines Under $20</a> list. Also a Bulk Buy rated wine. <br /> Get it at <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/indaba-chardonnay-wine-750ml.html" target="blank">Marketview</a>. <br /> <br /> <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/crazy-for-calatayud-bodegas-filon-garnacha.html">Bodegas Filon Garnacha 2011 - Crazy For The Calatayud</a>.</b><br /> Another Spanish Garnacha from the Calatayud, and another Bulk Buy! It's hard to believe this wine can be had for only $8.<br /> Get it at <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/filon-garnacha-wine-750ml.html" target="blank">Marketview</a>. <br /> <br /> <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/04/magnificent-wine-company-house-red-wine.html">Magnificent Wine Company House Red Wine 2010 - Truth</a>.</b><br /> Take this Bulk Buy at its word and make it your new house red, you won't be disappointed!<br /> Get it at <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/house-wine-red-wine-750ml.html" target="blank">Marketview</a>.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="blank"><img alt="Great and Under $8 Plus A Special Shipping Offer From Marketview Liquor" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_UwYaKwfQPw/UbXdYWbOX3I/AAAAAAAAHvY/bNvlZyI8h_w/s320/ML_60off_125x300.jpg" title="Great and Under $8 Plus A Special Shipping Offer From Marketview Liquor" /></a></div><br /> <br /> <b><u>Marketview Liquor $8 &amp; Under Favorites:</u></b><br /> <br /> <b><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/urban-uco-torrontes-wine-750ml.html" target="blank">Urban Uco Torrontes 2011</a> - $6.99</b> <br /> A Mendoza Torrontes with a 91 point rating from the Wine Advocate.<br /> <br /> <b><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/tilia-merlot-wine-750ml.html" target="blank">Tilia Merlot 2011</a> - $7.99</b> <br /> Another 91 pointer from the Wine Advocate!<br /> <br /> <b><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/excelsior-cabernet-sauvignon-wine-750ml.html" target="blank">Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon 2011</a> - $6.99</b> <br /> An always reliable Cabernet from South Africa.<br /> [We reviewed the previous vintage of this here at <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> and found it <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/06/excelsior-cabernet-sauvignon-2010.html">thoroughly enjoyable</a>!]<br /> <br /> <b><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/dreamfish-cabernet-sauvignon-wine-750ml.html" target="blank">Dreamfish Cabernet Sauvignon 2011</a> - $4.99</b> <br /> A rich, full-bodied and easy drinking Cab from Romania for less than $5!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="blank"><img alt="Marketview Liquor, a featured sponsor of The Reverse Wine Snob!" border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-stTL2hXWcm8/UC0UYvGvdhI/AAAAAAAAENc/yew8GL2k7W4/s200/31231_100518726663190_7480875_n.jpg" title="Marketview Liquor, a featured sponsor of The Reverse Wine Snob!" width="162" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>This post sponsored by Marketview Liquor.</b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/sponsor-post.html" title="Advertise or Sponsor a Post on The Reverse Wine Snob">Advertise</a> on <b>The Reverse Wine Snob!</b><br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=3RyiMD8SN4s:5st7E8SQJZo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=3RyiMD8SN4s:5st7E8SQJZo:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=3RyiMD8SN4s:5st7E8SQJZo:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=3RyiMD8SN4s:5st7E8SQJZo:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=3RyiMD8SN4s:5st7E8SQJZo:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/3RyiMD8SN4s" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/great-and-under-8-dollars-Marketview.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-12765269128931729622013-06-08T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-08T08:00:07.647-05:002013-06-08T08:00:07.647-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/luca-laborde-double-select-syrah.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Luca Laborde Double Select Syrah 2010 - Doubly Good" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wsedmJTnKsc/UbKkkYgWNYI/AAAAAAAAHug/dpQ97Eal-Lw/s320/2010-Luca-Laborde-Double-Select-Syrah.JPG" title="Luca Laborde Double Select Syrah 2010 - Doubly Good" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Add Argentina to the list of countries that do Syrah proud! </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Syrah" title="See All Wines With This Label">Syrah</a> from Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $25 and available for as low as $19.99. 2,000 cases imported by Vine Connections. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the winery:<br /> <blockquote>"Beautiful deep purple color, tilting the glass the shallows are a soft rose. The nose is like walking into a gentlemen’s poker parlor: aromas of cigar, leather, and smoked meat fill the nose with hints of toasty oak, forest floor and baking spice. Rich, lush, and mouthfilling on the palate. Well structured tannins support big fruit flavors of blackberry jam, black spiced cherries, ground black pepper and just a hint of rhubarb. Nice, long, lingering finish. L3—lush, long and loveable. Pairs well with grilled or smoked meats such as beef, pork, and lamb, and dishes prepared with mild cheeses or wild mushrooms.<br /> <br /> 14.0% Alcohol"</blockquote>Syrah is one of my very favorite varieties of wine (as evidenced by yesterday's <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/andrew-murray-vineyards-tous-les-jours-syrah.html" title="Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous Les Jours Syrah 2011 - Another Home Run">Bulk Buy</a>) and part of the reason why is that it has such a wide range of expressions. We all know that regions like <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/01/bonny-doon-vineyard-le-pousseur-syrah.html" title="Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Pousseur Syrah 2009 - One Serious Syrah!">California</a>, <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/02/rotie-cellars-northern-blend-2010.html" title="Rotie Cellars Northern Blend 2010 - Dense and Delicious!">Washington</a>, France, and <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/12/shoofly-shiraz-2010-sweet-and-spicy.html" title="Shoofly Shiraz 2010 - Sweet and Spicy">Australia</a> (just to name a few) can produce very different, yet still world class Syrah. The question I had was whether the Malbec capital of the world could compete on this same level. The answer to that question? Read on... <br /> <br /> First, a note about the name of today's wine, "Laborde Double Select". Luis Laborde was a viticulturist who planted the vineyard in the Uco Valley where these grapes were grown. Double Select refers the process he used. Over 50 years ago Laborde selected the best Syrah vines (not clones) he could find from the Rhone Valley in France and then planted them in a research vineyard in Mendoza. He then tracked their quality and picked the vines that did best to plant in his vineyard in the Uco Valley. It was believed that planting a vineyard this way (double mass selection) allowed for subtle variation between the vines, rather than producing an entire vineyard from a clone of one single vine. Whether or not that is true is a matter of great debate among oenologists and viticulturists, and we'll leave that to them. Of more pressing concern to us is just how this wine tastes!<br /> <br /> The <b>2010 Luca Laborde Double Select Syrah</b> begins with a fantastic aroma of blackberry, leather, smoked meat and spice. Tasting this smooth, lush and savory wine reveals lots of blackberry jam which quickly gives way to coffee, chocolate, oaky spice and mineral notes. Fantastic now, although it is still a bit oaky so give it some time to breathe or cellar it for a few years and watch it develop even more. On the finish more savory blackberry fruit is followed by lingering smoky tobacco notes. Can Argentina produce world class Syrah? Absolutely -- add Argentina to the list of countries that do Syrah proud!<br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Luca+Laborde+Double+Select+Syrah/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 9</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 1</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.0</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130608", "title" : "2010 Luca Laborde Double Select Syrah", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/luca-laborde-double-select-syrah.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> <b>Don't Miss A Recommended Buy! <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=TheReverseWineSnob&amp;loc=en_US">Subscribe to our daily email</a> to get The Reverse Wine Snob in your inbox! </b><br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=I2GHhoIS250:ZA6C1LQjCTk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=I2GHhoIS250:ZA6C1LQjCTk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=I2GHhoIS250:ZA6C1LQjCTk:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=I2GHhoIS250:ZA6C1LQjCTk:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=I2GHhoIS250:ZA6C1LQjCTk:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/I2GHhoIS250" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/luca-laborde-double-select-syrah.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-45231525098342113852013-06-07T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-07T08:47:08.343-05:002013-06-07T08:47:08.343-05:00<b>Bulk Buy!</b><br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/andrew-murray-vineyards-tous-les-jours-syrah.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous Les Jours Syrah 2011 - Another Home Run" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_NHPRgjVrM/UbFKD10brMI/AAAAAAAAHt8/jLUpD0vbk8U/s320/2011-Andrew-Murray-Vineyards-Tous-Les-Jours-Syrah.JPG" title="Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous Les Jours Syrah 2011 - Another Home Run" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>One of the best wines under $20 that we've ever tasted. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Syrah" title="See All Wines With This Label">Syrah</a> from Santa Ynez, California.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $16 and available for as low as $13. Sample submitted for review but I have also purchased this wine.<br /> <br /> From the winemaker:<br /> <blockquote>"The 2011 vintage is remarkably dark and full-bodied, and yet it has such gentle tannins. It is truly a pleasure to drink, especially at the price. Lots of fruit and spices here...no need to wax poetic about this one as it tastes just plain yummy.<br /> <br /> We feel the wine makes an ideal "House Wine" the wine you open just for the heck of it, or just to pour a single glass, the rest to be enjoyed later. And at this price, why not? However, we do not skimp on the winemaking for this wine. We start with great grapes from Paso Robles and the Santa Ynez Valley and use the different climates to create a wine that is both fruity and spicy at the same time. I use my experiences with both New World and Old World style winemaking to make the most drinkable Syrah imaginable.<br /> <br /> 14.5% Alcohol"</blockquote>We've <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2011/09/2007-andrew-murray-vineyards-syrah-tous.html" title="2007 Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous Les Jours Syrah - C'est Très Vrai!">long</a>, <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2011/09/2008-andre-murray-vineyards-syrah-tours.html" title="Andre Murray Vineyards Tours Les Jours Syrah 2008 - For Everyday People">long</a>, <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/04/andrew-murray-vineyards-tous-les-jours.html" title="Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous Les Jours Syrah 2009 - A Simply Stunning Bulk Buy!">long</a> been fans of Andrew Murray Vineyards and the always affordable Tous Les Jours Syrah in particular, loving several vintages of this wine all the way back to the 2007. We loved them so much that the wine has made multiple appearances on our <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/03/top-10-red-wines-under-20-dollars.html" title="Top 10 Red Wines Under $20 - Spring 2013 Edition">Top Red Wines Under $20</a> list and it even had a long run in the #1 spot. We've reviewed many other AMV wines as well, most recently the 2011 vintage of the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/andrew-murray-vineyards-esperance.html" title="Andrew Murray Vineyards Esperance 2011 - Making The Excellent Seem Easy">Esperance</a> which we also adored; however, it's always been the Tous Les Jours that really falls into our sweet spot being both 100% Syrah and typically available for less than $15. <br /> <br /> This is also the first vintage of this wine to be almost completely sourced (95%) from Santa Ynez Valley, with the other 5% coming from Paso Robles. In the past this wine has always carried the Central Coast designation, but now that the wine is completely sourced closer to home, it gets the Santa Ynez Valley AVA. This is certainly sounds like a good sign for the quality of the wine, but let's give it a taste!<br /> <br /> The <b>2011 Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous Les Jours Syrah</b> begins with intoxicatingly deep aromas of dark fruit, violets, pepper, mint and oak. Tasting the wine reveals juicy blackberry and plum interlaced with wonderful peppery spice, fantastic acidity, and savory dried herbs. A bit of earthiness comes out on the long, dry and very satisfying finish that also features more of that wonderful peppery spice.<br /> <br /> Another home run for the Tous Les Jours and a wine that will no doubt find a spot on our next <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/03/top-10-red-wines-under-20-dollars.html" title="Top 10 Red Wines Under $20 - Spring 2013 Edition">Top Red Wines Under $20</a> list! What is perhaps most encouraging to me is that as production of this wine has increased (3,900 cases in 2011 versus only 2,200 cases for the 2009 vintage) the quality has not wavered. This also means that the wine appears to be more widely available now than it has ever been -- a quick look on <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Andrew+Murray+Vineyards+Tous+Les+Jours+Syrah/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">wine-searcher</a> shows that it can be found at numerous outlets including our featured sponsor <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/andrew-murray-tous-les-jours-syrah-wine-750ml.html" target="blank" title="Buy This Wine Online From Our Featured Sponsor">Marketview Liquor</a>!<br /> <br /> <b><i>Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/andrew-murray-tous-les-jours-syrah-wine-750ml.html" target="blank" title="Buy This Wine Online From Our Featured Sponsor">Marketview Liquor</a> or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Andrew+Murray+Vineyards+Tous+Les+Jours+Syrah/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 10</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 6</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 9.0</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bulk Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130607", "title" : "2011 Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous Les Jours Syrah", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/andrew-murray-vineyards-tous-les-jours-syrah.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=9rU3eRl1RAg:0vpkWPeniHc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=9rU3eRl1RAg:0vpkWPeniHc:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=9rU3eRl1RAg:0vpkWPeniHc:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=9rU3eRl1RAg:0vpkWPeniHc:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=9rU3eRl1RAg:0vpkWPeniHc:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/9rU3eRl1RAg" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/andrew-murray-vineyards-tous-les-jours-syrah.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-83086430600615670382013-06-06T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-06T08:45:59.341-05:002013-06-06T08:45:59.341-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/giordano-wines-italian-favorites-on-budget.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Giordano Wines - Italian Favorites On A Budget" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OmG7vDmXDTs/Ua_7WFIpLjI/AAAAAAAAHts/mNk9LMbYiKw/s320/Giordano-Wines.JPG" title="Giordano Wines - Italian Favorites On A Budget" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Barolo for under $40? Nebbiolo d'Alba for well under $20? Too good to be true? </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> Giordano Wines is one of Italy's largest wineries, making wine from most of the regions in the country. All in all they produce over 2,000,000 cases per year. The company is unique in that they have used a direct to consumer model throughout Europe, selling directly to their customers and cutting out the middleman.<br /> <br /> Giordano is now bringing that model to the U.S., where it is allowed -- don't get me started on the inane shipping laws and ridiculous three-tier system in our country, again cutting out the middleman and selling direct to the consumer which in theory means lower prices for you. This is something we can no doubt support here at <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b>.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>Currently Giordano Wines ships to FL, NJ, VA, TX, CA and IL and they are actively adding states. They also have a pretty compelling <a href="http://www.theitalianwineclub.com/" target="blank">wine club offer</a> if you're lucky enough to be in one of those states. (15 wines for $70 with shipping, including 2 bottles of the Nebbiolo reviewed below.) Of course this all sounds great but in reality it really hinges on the quality of the wine. Let's check out the three wines they sent me (of the 30 or so they offer) and see how they do! <br /> <br /> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LOgCcHph718/Ua_7UrKDDcI/AAAAAAAAHtY/5kK9yD80KNg/s1600/2012-Giordano-Puglia-Sangiovese-Apuliae-Collection.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2012 Giordano Puglia Sangiovese Apuliae Collection" border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LOgCcHph718/Ua_7UrKDDcI/AAAAAAAAHtY/5kK9yD80KNg/s200/2012-Giordano-Puglia-Sangiovese-Apuliae-Collection.JPG" title="2012 Giordano Puglia Sangiovese Apuliae Collection" width="133" /></a>First up is the <b>2012 Giordano Puglia Sangiovese "Apuliae Collection"</b>, a 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Sangiovese" title="See All Wines With This Label">Sangiovese</a> from Apulia, Italy with an SRP of $9.49. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"This wine comes only from the Sangiovese grapes, which found in Puglia a favorable ground and climate to enhance their characteristics. The scrupulous process of wine-making at the Giordano cellars of Torricella led to this intense red wine, with strong notes of violet and a dry, harmonious taste. Enjoy this wine throughout the meal and particularly with salami, first dishes and white meat. Serve at 18-20C.<br /> <br /> 12.5% Alcohol"</blockquote>The <b>2012 Giordano Puglia Sangiovese "Apuliae Collection"</b> begins with a nice aroma of red berry fruit and spice. Tasting this medium-bodied, pleasant, straightforward wine reveals simple, rich red berry fruit and soft tannins. It ends dry with the fruit lingering in the mouth for a good time. A nice Sangiovese for the price that would pair well with pasta. It also held up great on day two.<br /> <br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 7</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 8</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.3</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><hr /><br /> <br /> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NptsR-WTfRc/Ua_7URSd2ZI/AAAAAAAAHtc/hbEMi1pvKUg/s1600/2010-Giordano-Nebbiolo-d-Alba-Maestri-Italiani.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2010 Giordano Nebbiolo d'Alba Maestri Italiani" border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NptsR-WTfRc/Ua_7URSd2ZI/AAAAAAAAHtc/hbEMi1pvKUg/s200/2010-Giordano-Nebbiolo-d-Alba-Maestri-Italiani.JPG" title="2010 Giordano Nebbiolo d'Alba Maestri Italiani" width="111" /></a>Next up is the <b>2010 Giordano Nebbiolo d'Alba Maestri Italiani</b>, a 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Nebbiolo" title="See All Wines With This Label">Nebbiolo</a> from Langhe, Italy with an SRP of $16.99. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"I carefully followed this wine, from the grapes to the wood ageing and bottling at last. Colour: soft, ruby red. Bouquet: intense and persistent reminding ripe fruit hints and vanilla notes. Taste: clear, well balanced, harmonious, of great character. Food matchings: preferably with tasty courses, game, red meat and ripe cheeses. Open 2 hours before drinking and serve at 20C. - Andrea Morra, Enologo.<br /> <br /> 13.5% Alcohol"</blockquote>The <b>2010 Giordano Nebbiolo d'Alba Maestri Italiani</b> opens up into a nicely aromatic nose of black cherry and other ripe, dark fruit, dried herbs and spice with a little time in the glass. The wine tastes very nice, with sweet, concentrated fruit and lots of spice. The flavors include black cherry again, blackberry, cola and a little licorice that comes out on the finish, which also features firm dry tannins and good length.<br /> <br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 9</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 4</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.8</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><hr /><br /> <br /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UHwC6I53wbs/Ua_7UM3gLGI/AAAAAAAAHtU/-mjNpgvVun0/s1600/2007-Giordano-Barolo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2007 Giordano Barolo" border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UHwC6I53wbs/Ua_7UM3gLGI/AAAAAAAAHtU/-mjNpgvVun0/s200/2007-Giordano-Barolo.JPG" title="2007 Giordano Barolo" width="124" /></a>Lastly, we have the wine geeks delight - Barolo. The <b>2007 Giordano Barolo</b> is 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Nebbiolo" title="See All Wines With This Label">Nebbiolo</a> from Piedmont, Italy and has an SRP of $38.99. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"The Nebbiolo grapes grown on the Piemonte hills, in the Barolo wine district, give this distinctive Docg wine. According to tradition, it ages patiently in oak casks, for at least 36 months. Garnet red, complex, bouquet, medium bodied, elegant tannins, with a long bitter cherry finish. Serve at 18-20C with meat stews, roasted meat, game, matured cheese.<br /> <br /> 14.0% Alcohol"</blockquote>The <b>2007 Giordano Barolo</b> begins with a very nice aroma of dark fruit and spice along with a little vanilla. The wine tastes of rich red and black fruit with loads of spice that lasts all the way to the finish. This is a very drinkable wine, that while perhaps not super complex (for Barolo), is really delicious. It ends with more spice and fruit on the finish that continues for a long time. Not bad for a sub $40 Barolo!<br /> <br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Saturday%20Splurge" title="See All The Saturday Splurge Wines"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Saturday Splurge</span></a></h3></div><hr /><br /> <br /> I can't speak for the other 25+ wines they offer, but these three were all quite good!<br /> <br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=qxCWZdh8KQI:IJCpuuSu6Gc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=qxCWZdh8KQI:IJCpuuSu6Gc:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=qxCWZdh8KQI:IJCpuuSu6Gc:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=qxCWZdh8KQI:IJCpuuSu6Gc:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=qxCWZdh8KQI:IJCpuuSu6Gc:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/qxCWZdh8KQI" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/giordano-wines-italian-favorites-on-budget.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-31630489996142287802013-06-05T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-05T14:36:04.140-05:002013-06-05T14:36:04.140-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/kim-crawford-marlborough-pinot-noir.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kim Crawford Marlborough Pinot Noir 2010 - An Earthy, Spicy Pinot Noir From New Zealand" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M7c22DtcsFQ/Ua6m7EXB6yI/AAAAAAAAHtE/0L93ozFk-yQ/s320/2010-Kim-Crawford-Marlborough-Pinot-Noir.JPG" title="Kim Crawford Marlborough Pinot Noir 2010 - An Earthy, Spicy Pinot Noir From New Zealand" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pinot Noir under $20 is a tough nut to crack, but this is a fine example. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Pinot%20Noir" title="See All Wines With This Label">Pinot Noir</a> from Marlborough, New Zealand.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $19 and purchased for $12. (This one has been spotted at Costco as well.)<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"The grapes for this wine are from selected vineyards in Marlborough. The wine was classically handled and aged in a mixture of oak barrels and tank for seven months. A nice combination of red fruits and dark cherries on the palate, underscored with a hint of oak and firm silky tannins. Enjoy as an accompaniment to most red meats or all by itself.<br /> <br /> 14.0% Alcohol"</blockquote>The <b>2010 Kim Crawford Marlborough Pinot Noir</b> begins with an earthy, oaky, spicy aroma featuring red berry and red cherry fruit. The earthiness continues when tasting and is joined by nice fresh fruit and lots of spice. There's also a silky smooth mouthfeel and good acidity. The primary flavors include black cherry, cranberry, dried herbs, a little pepper and lots of spice that flows into the long finish and resolves into lingering notes of dried herbs. A very nice wine just be sure to let it breathe as it gets exponentially better with a few hours of air. <br /> <br /> <b><i>Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/kim-crawford-marlborough-pinot-noir-wine-750ml.html" target="blank" title="Buy This Wine Online From Our Featured Sponsor">Marketview Liquor</a> or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Kim+Crawford+Marlborough+Pinot+Noir/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 8</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 7</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.8</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130605", "title" : "2010 Kim Crawford Marlborough Pinot Noir", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/kim-crawford-marlborough-pinot-noir.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> <b>Don't Miss A Recommended Buy! <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=TheReverseWineSnob&amp;loc=en_US">Subscribe to our daily email</a> to get The Reverse Wine Snob in your inbox! </b><br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=GibnDRLVtII:0-hYhaqD3H4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=GibnDRLVtII:0-hYhaqD3H4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=GibnDRLVtII:0-hYhaqD3H4:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=GibnDRLVtII:0-hYhaqD3H4:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=GibnDRLVtII:0-hYhaqD3H4:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/GibnDRLVtII" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/kim-crawford-marlborough-pinot-noir.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-84761722069387488882013-06-04T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-19T14:25:43.119-05:002013-06-19T14:25:43.119-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/macchia-amorous-sangiovese.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Macchia Amorous Sangiovese 2011 - Lovely!" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VNCu_JXFbTk/Ua1cepkO0fI/AAAAAAAAHs0/zYrV58lWENk/s320/2011-Macchia-Amorous-Sangiovese.JPG" title="Macchia Amorous Sangiovese 2011 - Lovely!" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Loco for Lodi Wine #4. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Sangiovese" title="See All Wines With This Label">Sangiovese</a> from Lodi, California.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $22 and available for as low as $19. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"Sangiovese is the grape varietal responsible for all great Italian Chianti wines. The exceptional balance of the Lodi grapes in this bottle will enjoy an Amorous relationship with just about any food pairing. It, quite simply, goes with everything, especially pastas!<br /> <br /> 15.5% Alcohol"</blockquote>As we've already seen in this series, Lodi is a hotbed for Italian varietals. If you remember, we started out our series with a <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/uvaggio-vermentino-loco-for-lodi.html" title="Uvaggio Vermentino 2011 - Loco for Lodi">Vermentino</a> and today we have a Sangiovese. Sangiovese is one of the Italian grapes that has had some good success in California (unlike Nebbiolo) so I was excited to give this one a try. Let's find out how the wine tastes!<br /> <br /> The <b>2011 Macchia Amorous Sangiovese</b> smells lovely, lovely, lovely! Raisins, plums, sweet oak and spice combine to create an almost Port like aroma that will sweep you off your feet. Tasting this full-bodied wine reveals lots of ripe, rich berry fruit and sweet oak. There might be a tad too much oak at first, but give the wine some time to breathe and that dissipates. The wine also has great balance, and I would have never guessed it was 15.5% alcohol. It ends dry with good length. Very enjoyable!<br /> <br /> <b>Wines in the Loco for Lodi Series:</b><br /> <ul><li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/uvaggio-vermentino-loco-for-lodi.html">Uvaggio Vermentino 2011 - Loco for Lodi</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/michael-david-winery-petite-petit.html">Michael David Winery Petite Petit 2010 - Just Plain Fun To Drink</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/klinker-brick-old-vine-zinfandel.html">Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - A Classic Lodi Zin</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/macchia-amorous-sangiovese.html">Macchia Amorous Sangiovese 2011 - Lovely!</a> </b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/ravenswood-lodi-old-vine-zinfandel.html">Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - Super Ripe and Rich</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/sorelle-winery-bella-e-rosa-2012.html">Sorelle Winery Bella e Rosa 2012 - More Than Your Typical Rosé</a> </b></li> <li>More to come!</li> </ul><br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Macchia+Amorous+Sangiovese/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 9</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 2</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.3</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130604", "title" : "2011 Macchia Amorous Sangiovese", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/macchia-amorous-sangiovese.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/sponsor-post.html" title="Advertise or Sponsor a Post on The Reverse Wine Snob">Advertise</a> on <b>The Reverse Wine Snob!</b><br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=CVGzmY3oe7Q:Tm6YUO2HsN0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=CVGzmY3oe7Q:Tm6YUO2HsN0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=CVGzmY3oe7Q:Tm6YUO2HsN0:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=CVGzmY3oe7Q:Tm6YUO2HsN0:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=CVGzmY3oe7Q:Tm6YUO2HsN0:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/CVGzmY3oe7Q" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/macchia-amorous-sangiovese.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-28909780809844548752013-06-03T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-03T10:07:41.826-05:002013-06-03T10:07:41.826-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/joel-gott-alakai-red-wine.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Joel Gott Alakai 2010 - I Like It" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59PdoKhphA0/UawJAByA3eI/AAAAAAAAHsU/vy3pI2OP60E/s320/2010-Joel-Gott-Alakai-Red-Wine.JPG" title="Joel Gott Alakai 2010 - I Like It" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>With so much great, cheap Grenache coming out of Spain, can California compete? </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 77% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Grenache" title="See All Wines With This Label">Grenache</a>, 17% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Syrah" title="See All Wines With This Label">Syrah</a>, 4% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Mourv%C3%A8dre" title="See All Wines With This Label">Mourvèdre</a> and 1% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Petite%20Sirah" title="See All Wines With This Label">Petite Sirah</a> from Monterey, California.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $18 and available for as low as $15. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"Alakai, a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah is dark and structured, but with finesse and elegance. Wild cherry flavors are balanced by rich black fruit and accented with spicy notes of cinnamon and white pepper. Petite Sirah and Mourvedre add backbone to this Grenache-focused blend. Splash decant and enjoy.<br /> <br /> 14.4% Alcohol"</blockquote>Today's wine from Joel Gott, named after his wife's dog when he met her, is a Rhone-style blend dominated by Grenache (also known as Garnacha in Spain). And while it may be inexpensive for a Rhone wine, the big question for me was whether this California wine could compete with so much <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/crazy-for-calatayud-bodegas-filon-garnacha.html" title="Crazy For The Calatayud - Bodegas Filon Garnacha 2011 Plus Five More Favorites Under $12">great</a>, <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/altovinum-evodia-old-vines-garnacha.html" title="Altovinum Evodia Old Vines Garnacha 2011 - Money">cheap</a> Garnacha coming out of Spain. As it turns out, this wine does quite admirably.<br /> <br /> The <b>2010 Joel Gott Alakai Red Wine</b> begins with abundant aromas of dark fruit, baking spice, anise and licorice. Tasting the wine reveals lots of nice rich fruit and a smooth texture. There is a great spicy streak carrying through the wine and some earthy notes that come out near the end. Speaking of the finish, the abundant fruit gives way to licorice, spice and the aforementioned earthy notes which last in the mouth for quite a long time.<br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Joel+Gott+Alakai+red+wine/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 8</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 5</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.3</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130603", "title" : "2010 Joel Gott Alakai", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/joel-gott-alakai-red-wine.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Vhe5o6Bbjs0:7IUDhT5aMu4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Vhe5o6Bbjs0:7IUDhT5aMu4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Vhe5o6Bbjs0:7IUDhT5aMu4:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Vhe5o6Bbjs0:7IUDhT5aMu4:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=Vhe5o6Bbjs0:7IUDhT5aMu4:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/Vhe5o6Bbjs0" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/joel-gott-alakai-red-wine.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-90954777361478531502013-06-01T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-01T08:00:00.277-05:002013-06-01T08:00:00.277-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/podere-salicutti-rosso-di-montalcino.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Podere Salicutti Rosso di Montalcino 2006 - Baby Brother Comes Up Big" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5cgWK7_lRs0/UalsT_WRhqI/AAAAAAAAHsE/AUsgyzZCTmU/s320/2006-Podere-Salicutti-Rosso-di-Montalcino.JPG" title="Podere Salicutti Rosso di Montalcino 2006 - Baby Brother Comes Up Big" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A Baby Brunello for Reverse Wine Snobs. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Sangiovese" title="See All Wines With This Label">Sangiovese</a> from Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $37 and available for around $25, and occasionally for as low as $19.99, which is the price I paid for this bottle. (While technically that means this wine meets our $20 limit, since that price is uncommon we'll cover it here as a Saturday Splurge.) 441 cases produced, imported by Winebow.<br /> <br /> From the winery:<br /> <blockquote>"Made from 100% Sangiovese, estate grown in the Teatro and Sorgente vineyards, at an average altitude of 1,400-1,500 feet above sea level. The grapes are harvested at the end of September and the wine is aged in large, 500 liter French oak tonneaux for 12 months.<br /> <br /> This Rosso is deep ruby red in color and offers complex aromas of ripe berries and spice. Full-bodied, lush, and beautifully structured, it more resembles a baby Brunello rather than a traditional Rosso di Montalcino.<br /> <br /> 14.5% Alcohol"</blockquote><a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-rosso+di+montalcino?referring_site=RWS" target="blank">Rosso di Montalcino</a>, the so-called Baby Brunello, is grown in the exact same area as Brunello di Montalcino but is made from younger vines and requires much less ageing (both in oak and in the bottle). Importantly for us these wines are also typically less than half the cost of their renowned big brother.<br /> <br /> Both are full-bodied wines made from 100% Sangiovese, but Rosso di Montalcino tends to be a fresher, more approachable wine that can be enjoyed right away...sounds perfect for Reverse Wine Snobs! Of course, even at half the cost of Brunello di Montalcino most of these wines are out of our price range so we had to stretch a bit today to include this one.<br /> <br /> The <b>2006 Podere Salicutti Rosso di Montalcino</b> begins with a really lovely aroma of ripe dark berry fruit, a little licorice and cola and a hint of smoked meat and leather. The wine tastes lush with lots of juicy blackberry, a little spice and some nice oaky undertones. Firm tannins lead into the dry and even a bit chewy finish. Very nice...way to go baby brother!<br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Podere+Salicutti+Rosso+di+Montalcino/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Saturday%20Splurge" title="See All The Saturday Splurge Wines"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Saturday Splurge</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130601", "title" : "2006 Podere Salicutti Rosso di Montalcino", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/podere-salicutti-rosso-di-montalcino.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=UvGC50G-Y_4:A756tvO8lgA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=UvGC50G-Y_4:A756tvO8lgA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=UvGC50G-Y_4:A756tvO8lgA:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=UvGC50G-Y_4:A756tvO8lgA:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=UvGC50G-Y_4:A756tvO8lgA:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/UvGC50G-Y_4" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/podere-salicutti-rosso-di-montalcino.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-75415756495195716172013-05-31T08:00:00.000-05:002013-05-31T08:47:38.558-05:002013-05-31T08:47:38.558-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/charles-charles-rose.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Charles &amp; Charles Rosé 2012 - Everything You Want In A Rosé" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jAn_32-cSUU/UagadbIgoDI/AAAAAAAAHr0/v0yG83wB2TY/s320/2012-Charles-Charles-Rose.JPG" title="Charles &amp; Charles Rosé 2012 - Everything You Want In A Rosé" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Refreshing, savory and food flexible. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 81% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Syrah" title="See All Wines With This Label">Syrah</a>, 16% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Mourv%C3%A8dre" title="See All Wines With This Label">Mourvèdre</a>, 2% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Cinsault" title="See All Wines With This Label">Cinsault</a> and 1% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Grenache" title="See All Wines With This Label">Grenache</a> from Columbia Valley, Washington.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $13 and available for as low as $10. 20,100 cases made. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"A collaboration founded in 2008 between Food &amp; Wine Magazine 2009 Winemaker of the year, Charles Smith (K Vintners, Charles Smith Wines) and Charles Bieler (Three Thieves, BIELER Pere et Files, Gothan Project). We produce just two wines a vintage, a rosé, and a red blend.<br /> <br /> 12.9% Alcohol"</blockquote>I love rosé and while I will gladly drink it all year round, there's really no better time than the summer. As a result I was quite glad to see this wine show up. Perhaps even more exciting is where this wine comes from -- Charles Smith and Charles Bieler, two winemakers with strong reputations for making excellent inexpensive wines.<br /> <br /> Charles Smith is behind the excellent House Wines (<a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/04/magnificent-wine-company-house-red-wine.html" title="Magnificent Wine Company House Red Wine 2010 - Truth. Bulk Buy!">Magnificent Wine Company House Red Wine 2010 - Truth</a>) among many others, while you'll most likely recognize Charles Bieler from his Three Thieves line of "The Show" wines (<a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/12/the-show-garnacha-2010-no-circus-clowns-needed.html" title="The Show Garnacha 2010 - No Circus Clowns Needed, This is One Smooth Ride!">The Show Garnacha 2010 - No Circus Clowns Needed</a>). Put these two together and what do you get? A virtual lock for the next update of our <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/06/five-favorites-refreshing-rose.html" title="Five Favorites - Refreshing Rosé! Five Refreshing Rosé Wines Under $20">Refreshing Rosé Wines Under $20</a> list.<br /> <br /> The <b>2012 Charles &amp; Charles Rosé</b> begins with a very inviting aroma of strawberry, watermelon, citrus and a little minerality. The wine tastes lively, fruity and salty in the mouth with savory tart strawberry, citrus and melon flavors and perhaps just the slightest bit of effervescence. It also has great acidity which will helps make it a wonderful and flexible food wine. It ends with good length and lingering melon notes. This wine has everything you want in a rosé -- it's refreshing, savory and food flexible. Bring on summer!<br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Charles+and+Charles+Ros%C3%A9+columbia+valley/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 8</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 8</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 8.0</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130531", "title" : "2012 Charles & Charles Rosé", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/charles-charles-rose.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/sponsor-post.html" title="Advertise or Sponsor a Post on The Reverse Wine Snob">Advertise</a> on <b>The Reverse Wine Snob!</b><br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Is941Ejw5Xk:G35EtBb6_Jo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Is941Ejw5Xk:G35EtBb6_Jo:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Is941Ejw5Xk:G35EtBb6_Jo:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=Is941Ejw5Xk:G35EtBb6_Jo:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=Is941Ejw5Xk:G35EtBb6_Jo:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/Is941Ejw5Xk" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/charles-charles-rose.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-6382115887066860292013-05-30T08:00:00.000-05:002013-05-30T08:00:00.035-05:002013-05-30T08:00:00.035-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/zolo-bonarda-2011-move-over-malbec.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Zolo Bonarda 2011 - Move Over Malbec" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DUO4HTwsnWw/Uaa3A_lOJcI/AAAAAAAAHrk/Fg2_psN8Om4/s320/2011-Zolo-Bonarda.JPG" title="Zolo Bonarda 2011 - Move Over Malbec" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Give Bonarda a chance. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Bonarda" title="See All Wines With This Label">Bonarda</a> from Ugarteche, Mendoza, Argentina.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $12 and available for as low as $8 and widely for $10. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"Mendoza's second most planted varietal and a fun grape to discover. This wine has a very deep purple color with typical Bonarda aromas of raspberries and fruit jam. In the mouth it has sweet tannins with toasty barrel notes. Aged 8 months in oak.<br /> <br /> 13.8% Alcohol"</blockquote>Bonarda is the second most planted red grape in Argentina yet it is rarely seen here in the U.S. where the Argentina section of most wine stores is dominated by Malbec (with perhaps a little Torrontés thrown in for good measure). Don't get me wrong, <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Malbec" title="See all our recommended Malbecs">I love Malbec</a> as much as anyone, but I would gladly give up a little of that shelf space to Bonarda. Why? Because it tastes good!<br /> <br /> Today's wine is the second we've sampled from Zolo, the other being a <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/08/zolo-malbec-2011-seriously-good-stuff.html" title="Zolo Malbec 2011 - Seriously Good Stuff">seriously good Malbec</a> (of course). Let's see how this Bonarda measures up...<br /> <br /> The <b>2011 Zolo Bonarda</b> needs a little air to really open up. When it does it presents a really excellent aroma of bright red berries plus a little sweet spice and vanilla. Tasting the wine reveals nice jammy fruit, a bit on the smoky side, with some mildly oaky spice and vanilla notes. Soft tannins help to make this wine easy to drink. The oaky spice notes continue into the medium-long finish. Tasty.<br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Zolo+Bonarda/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 7</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 8</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.3</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130530", "title" : "2011 Zolo Bonarda", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/zolo-bonarda-2011-move-over-malbec.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=7f4orbdW6GQ:nUL2ITVwirM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=7f4orbdW6GQ:nUL2ITVwirM:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=7f4orbdW6GQ:nUL2ITVwirM:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=7f4orbdW6GQ:nUL2ITVwirM:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=7f4orbdW6GQ:nUL2ITVwirM:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/7f4orbdW6GQ" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/zolo-bonarda-2011-move-over-malbec.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-31665324618980710872013-05-29T08:00:00.000-05:002013-06-19T14:25:54.821-05:002013-06-19T14:25:54.821-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/klinker-brick-old-vine-zinfandel.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - A Classic Lodi Zin" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lHHqYLT3cAc/UaV3btfTTMI/AAAAAAAAHrU/39G1D9oRT88/s320/2010-Klinker-Brick-Old-Vine-Zinfandel.JPG" title="Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - A Classic Lodi Zin" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Loco for Lodi Wine #3. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Zinfandel" title="See All Wines With This Label">Zinfandel</a> from Lodi, California.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $19 and available for as low as $14. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the winery:<br /> <blockquote>"The 2010 vintage in Lodi was extraordinary with a long, cool growing season yielding beautiful, evenly ripened fruit. With aromas of black cherry, cedar shavings, vanilla and spice, this wine offers rich, supple flavors of cherries and plum, perfect balance and a long, smooth, lingering finish. Nutmeg, cardamom and pepper enhance an exotic nose but bright, dark fruits enhance a superb mouth filling experience. Our winemaker thinks this may be the vintage of the century!<br /> <br /> 15.8% Alcohol"</blockquote>So what exactly is a Classic Lodi Zin, you might ask? I'd describe it as a value-priced, big, rich, spicy, high alcohol Zinfandel from old vines (85 years old in the case of this wine). As we've discussed in the first couple installments of this series (<a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/uvaggio-vermentino-loco-for-lodi.html" title="Uvaggio Vermentino 2011 - Loco for Lodi">here</a> and <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/michael-david-winery-petite-petit.html" title="Michael David Winery Petite Petit 2010 - Just Plain Fun To Drink">here</a>), Lodi is a great value region for all types of wine. However, when I had the opportunity to ask a couple of winemakers from the area which variety offered the very best value compared to other regions, the quick reply came back as Zinfandel. And the Klinker Brick was offered up as the "Quintessential Lodi Zin". <br /> <br /> The <b>2010 Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel</b> begins with a very pleasant aroma of black raspberry and other dark fruits, mint, and spice. Tasting the wine reveals remarkably little heat considering the 15.8% alcohol. The wine is smooth and soft with lots of rich dark fruit and spice. It's frankly quite fun to drink with lots of rich flavors, vanilla and caramel. Some oaky notes flow into the long finish. Very nice!<br /> <br /> <b>Wines in the Loco for Lodi Series:</b><br /> <ul><li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/uvaggio-vermentino-loco-for-lodi.html">Uvaggio Vermentino 2011 - Loco for Lodi</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/michael-david-winery-petite-petit.html">Michael David Winery Petite Petit 2010 - Just Plain Fun To Drink</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/klinker-brick-old-vine-zinfandel.html">Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - A Classic Lodi Zin</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/macchia-amorous-sangiovese.html">Macchia Amorous Sangiovese 2011 - Lovely!</a> </b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/ravenswood-lodi-old-vine-zinfandel.html">Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 - Super Ripe and Rich</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/06/sorelle-winery-bella-e-rosa-2012.html">Sorelle Winery Bella e Rosa 2012 - More Than Your Typical Rosé</a> </b></li> <li>More to come!</li> </ul><br /> <b><i>Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/klinker-brick-old-vine-zinfandel-wine-750ml.html" target="blank" title="Buy This Wine Online From Our Featured Sponsor">Marketview Liquor</a> or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Klinker+Brick+Old+Vine+Zinfandel/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 8</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 6</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.5</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130529", "title" : "2010 Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/klinker-brick-old-vine-zinfandel.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> <b>Don't Miss A Recommended Buy! <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=TheReverseWineSnob&amp;loc=en_US">Subscribe to our daily email</a> to get The Reverse Wine Snob in your inbox! </b><br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=iwMgKJa0d3w:Nuyu6lvxi5M:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=iwMgKJa0d3w:Nuyu6lvxi5M:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=iwMgKJa0d3w:Nuyu6lvxi5M:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=iwMgKJa0d3w:Nuyu6lvxi5M:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=iwMgKJa0d3w:Nuyu6lvxi5M:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/iwMgKJa0d3w" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/klinker-brick-old-vine-zinfandel.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-87260756775441270502013-05-28T08:00:00.000-05:002013-05-28T08:00:02.004-05:002013-05-28T08:00:02.004-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/woodbridge-by-robert-mondavi-sweet-red-and-white.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Sweet Red and Sweet White - Fruit Cocktails In A Bottle" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IRRvm3F40jY/UaQOJQ7QJPI/AAAAAAAAHq8/fTFxYzWoBCY/s320/2011-Woodbridge-by-Robert-Mondavi-Sweet-Red-And-Sweet-White.JPG" title="Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Sweet Red and Sweet White - Fruit Cocktails In A Bottle" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Simple, sweet and fruity wines for around $5. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> It took me awhile to muster up the courage to try these two wines from the budget Woodbridge line of Robert Mondavi. I've certainly enjoyed many of their wines <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2011/09/2009-woodbridge-cabernetmerlot-by.html" title="2009 Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Cabernet/Merlot - Easy-Going and Adaptable">in the past</a> so that wasn't the problem, but any wine labeled "Sweet" that only costs around $5 makes all kind of warning flags go off in my head. Sweet in this instance usually means that is is unbearably so, often bordering on tooth numbing, syrupy slop that shouldn't even be called wine. But alas, I was rather pleasantly surprised by these two, read on to find out more.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a><br /> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fLqrUbeU44U/UaQOIHrMswI/AAAAAAAAHq0/C5s2HhJbJd8/s1600/2011-Woodbridge-Sweet-Red.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2011 Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Sweet Red" border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fLqrUbeU44U/UaQOIHrMswI/AAAAAAAAHq0/C5s2HhJbJd8/s200/2011-Woodbridge-Sweet-Red.JPG" title="2011 Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Sweet Red" width="133" /></a>First up is the <b>2011 Woodbridge Sweet Red</b>, a blend of Syrah, Merlot, small amounts of other red varieties and a mix of white grapes from California. This wine has an $7 and is available for as low as $4-$5, but widely for around $6. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"Our Sweet Red showcases flavors of ripe, juicy red berries with a delicate sweetness that is luscious and fruity. Our Sweet Red is food-friendly, delightful for sipping, and can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature.<br /> <br /> 11.7% Alcohol"</blockquote>The <b>2011 Woodbridge Sweet Red</b> begins with aromas of cherry, black cherry and strawberry. The wine tastes simple and sweet but it's not cloying. The primary flavors are strawberry and other red berries including a good dose of cranberry. The finish is relatively short but the wine is refreshing and easy to drink. It won't blow your socks off, but it's pretty good for the low, low price. It would also be very good for Sangria. Best consumed slightly chilled.<br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Woodbridge+Sweet+Red/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 6</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 10</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.0</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><hr /><br /> <br /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GWtGgdXsSaI/UaQOKcsc1aI/AAAAAAAAHrE/tcMz-u78rfg/s1600/2011-Woodbridge-Sweet-White.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2011 Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Sweet White" border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GWtGgdXsSaI/UaQOKcsc1aI/AAAAAAAAHrE/tcMz-u78rfg/s200/2011-Woodbridge-Sweet-White.JPG" title="2011 Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Sweet White" width="128" /></a>Next up is the <b>2011 Woodbridge Sweet White</b>, a blend of Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Viognier and Verdelho from California. This wine has an SRP of $8 but like the Sweet Red is available widely for around $6 and as low as $4-$5. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"Our Sweet White showcases floral aromas with flavors of ripe citrus and tropical fruit and a finish that is delicately sweet and refreshing, making it food-friendly and delightful for sipping. <br /> <br /> 11.6% Alcohol"</blockquote>The <b>2011 Woodbridge Sweet White</b> begins with pleasant aromas of grapefruit and other citrus along with some nice floral notes. The wine tastes of lots of peach, green apple, pear, tangerine and other fresh fruits. Again, it's definitely sweet but not cloying; simple, but refreshing. The finish is on the short side, but it's crisp so it works. <br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Woodbridge+Sweet+White/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 6</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 10</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.0</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><hr /><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/sponsor-post.html" title="Advertise or Sponsor a Post on The Reverse Wine Snob">Advertise</a> on <b>The Reverse Wine Snob!</b><br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=FLh_0nKyGnw:83prBV7_G7Q:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=FLh_0nKyGnw:83prBV7_G7Q:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=FLh_0nKyGnw:83prBV7_G7Q:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=FLh_0nKyGnw:83prBV7_G7Q:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=FLh_0nKyGnw:83prBV7_G7Q:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/FLh_0nKyGnw" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/woodbridge-by-robert-mondavi-sweet-red-and-white.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-11819376631499465302013-05-27T08:00:00.001-05:002013-05-27T19:40:35.565-05:002013-05-27T19:40:35.565-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/sebastopol-oaks-russian-river-pinot-noir.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sebastopol Oaks Russian River Pinot Noir 2010 - A Delicious and Food Flexible Find" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ceyOjgzHsbg/UaAu_6MFx4I/AAAAAAAAHqk/hSKkNtXiNV4/s320/2010-Sebastopol-Oaks-Russian-River-Valley-Pinot-Noir.JPG" title="Sebastopol Oaks Russian River Pinot Noir 2010 - A Delicious and Food Flexible Find" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Russian River Valley Pinot Noir for under $20! </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Pinot%20Noir" title="See All Wines With This Label">Pinot Noir</a> from the Russian River Valley, California.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $26 and available for as low as $19.99.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"Sebastopol, California flanked by artisan vineyards, is where we call home. Looking for unique wines from premium growing regions.<br /> <br /> 13.9% Alcohol"</blockquote>Russian River Valley (RRV) Pinot Noir is a tough nut to crack for under $20. The Russian River Valley, which is a small section of Sonoma County, accounts for 20% of the total Pinot Noir plantings in the entire state of California simply because the conditions in this area are so good for growing this grape. It's also why it's hard to find examples under $20 -- wines from this region demand a premium.<br /> <br /> We've covered a couple RRV Pinot Noirs in the past, but only one was under $20, the <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/09/ninety-plus-90-cellars-lot-56-russian-river-valley-pinot-noir.html">Ninety Plus (90+) Cellars Reserve Lot 56 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2008 - Eminently Drinkable</a></b>. The other RRV Pinot Noir we've covered was as a Saturday Splurge:&nbsp;<b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/03/echelon-collection-russian-river-valley.html">Echelon Collection Series Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2010 - A Flavorful And Spicy Saturday Splurge</a></b>. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, not only is RRV Pinot Noir under $20 a bit of a rarity, but today's wine is also hard to find. Luckily it is available nationally <a href="http://www.lot18.com/offer/ee052acef914ffbd96072c4fd2574790/user/700469" title="New sign-ups get $10 off their first order.">here</a> for $19.99 a bottle, which is where I bought mine. (New sign-ups can also get $10 off their first order by using that link, which helps to offset the shipping cost.)<br /> <br /> The <b>2010 Sebastopol Oaks Russian River Pinot Noir</b> begins with an excellent aroma of maraschino cherries, cedar and spice. The wine tastes smooth and juicy with a little kick of spice near the end. The cherry flavors from the nose continue when tasting along with some other tart berry fruit, lots of black tea and a hint of red licorice. This wine has soft tannins which help to make it very easy to drink. A very food flexible and delicious wine that is even better on day two! <br /> <br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 9</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 1</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.0</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130527", "title" : "2010 Sebastopol Oaks Russian River Pinot Noir", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/sebastopol-oaks-russian-river-pinot-noir.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=tXGJPe7RK-I:_XCAIaUfMFI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=tXGJPe7RK-I:_XCAIaUfMFI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=tXGJPe7RK-I:_XCAIaUfMFI:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=tXGJPe7RK-I:_XCAIaUfMFI:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=tXGJPe7RK-I:_XCAIaUfMFI:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/tXGJPe7RK-I" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/sebastopol-oaks-russian-river-pinot-noir.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-60861182718107090782013-05-25T08:00:00.000-05:002013-05-25T08:00:00.028-05:002013-05-25T08:00:00.028-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/san-polo-mezzopane-sant-antimo.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="San Polo Mezzopane Sant Antimo 2005 - One Spicy Character" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_3lQSrc-ZME/UaArehgbubI/AAAAAAAAHqU/sS_QUwr9Ok8/s320/2005-San-Polo-Mezzopane-Sant-Antimo.JPG" title="San Polo Mezzopane Sant Antimo 2005 - One Spicy Character" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A lush, complex and delicious wine. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 65% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Merlot" title="See All Wines With This Label">Merlot</a> and 35% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Sangiovese" title="See All Wines With This Label">Sangiovese</a> from Sant'Antimo, Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $35. I purchased this bottle for $19.99 as part of a special deal but the low price is normally closer to $24 so we'll cover this one as a Saturday Splurge. 833 cases produced. Imported by Winebow.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"In ancient times food was very scarce in the area surrounding San Polo. Often a meal consisted of only bread, but enchanted by the breathtaking view the perennially hungry local farmers in the valley where they coined the phrase, "This panorama is worth Mezzopane". Meaning the view was so beautiful it was worth half of a meal, or half of a loaf of bread. San Polo's vineyards are surrounded by a gentle valley protected by Mount Amiata that stretches to the Romanesque Abbey of SantAntimo.<br /> <br /> We dedicate our Mezzopane, a wine made from 65% Merlot and 35% Sangiovese, to this unique place which evokes a sense of wonder and fulfillment in all those who visit.<br /> <br /> 13.7% Alcohol"</blockquote>The <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-sant'antimo?referring_site=RWS">Sant'Antimo DOC</a> lies in the Montalcino region in Tuscany and covers a similar area as the iconic Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. In fact, today's wine comes from just outside the Brunello production zone. It is also notable in that it is a very similar blend to another favorite Italian wine from this region, the <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/03/luce-della-vite-lucente-2009-silky.html">Luce Della Vite Lucente 2009 - A Silky Smooth Saturday Splurge</a></b>, which can also often be found for right around $20. Let's see if the Mezzopane tastes as good as the Lucente!<br /> <br /> The <b>2005 San Polo Mezzopane Sant'Antimo Toscana</b> begins with a very nice nose of dark fruit and spice. A little more time in the glass reveals more complexity in the form of floral, dried herb and olive notes. The wine tastes lush, rich and delicious with a wonderful spicy character. It has a full mouthfeel with loads of rich and juicy dark fruit and very good acidity. The finish is dry and long with some nice savory dried herb and olive notes lingering at the end. We found the wine to be just as good on day two. This 2005 vintage is really drinking wonderfully right now, pair it with some rustic Italian food and watch your taste buds go wild. <br /> <br /> <b><i>See a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/San+Polo+Mezzopane+SantAntimo/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Saturday%20Splurge" title="See All The Saturday Splurge Wines"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Saturday Splurge</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130525", "title" : "2005 San Polo Mezzopane Sant Antimo", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/san-polo-mezzopane-sant-antimo.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=g9mCBWzUM8c:OCUF9ERcm6k:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=g9mCBWzUM8c:OCUF9ERcm6k:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=g9mCBWzUM8c:OCUF9ERcm6k:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=g9mCBWzUM8c:OCUF9ERcm6k:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=g9mCBWzUM8c:OCUF9ERcm6k:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/g9mCBWzUM8c" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/san-polo-mezzopane-sant-antimo.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-32708853194968237112013-05-24T08:00:00.000-05:002013-05-24T08:00:00.649-05:002013-05-24T08:00:00.649-05:00<b>Bulk Buy! </b><br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/altovinum-evodia-old-vines-garnacha.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Altovinum Evodia Old Vines Garnacha 2011 - Money" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1hWM3Jz6e-4/UZ7XECCJGzI/AAAAAAAAHqE/6bq7zHJL6pI/s320/2011-Altovinum-Evodia-Old-Vines-Garnacha.JPG" title="Altovinum Evodia Old Vines Garnacha 2011 - Money" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Once again this wine drinks like a lot more than $8. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Garnacha" title="See All Wines With This Label">Garnacha</a> from Calatayud, Spain.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>SRP of $10 and purchased for $8. <br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"who: a custom cuvee for Eric Solomon<br /> what: 100% garnacha<br /> when: vineyards planted up to 100 years ago<br /> where: high altitude vineyards (2400-3000ft) in the mountainous village of Atea planted on pure slate soils<br /> why: grenache this great usually goes for twice the price!<br /> how: extract cork, pour in glass (optional), drink<br /> <br /> 15.0% Alcohol"</blockquote>Today's Bulk Buy is probably our most celebrated wine here at <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b>. This is the third vintage we have reviewed and now all three have been Bulk Buys. The 2009 vintage was one of the first we reviewed on the site: <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2011/03/bulk-buy-2009-altovinum-calatayud.html">Altovinum Calatayud Evodia Garnacha 2009 - Simply Sublime at $6.99</a></b>. The 2010 followed up this success: <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2012/07/evodia-old-vines-garnacha-2010-simply.html">Evodia Old Vines Garnacha 2010 - A Simply Superb Bulk Buy!</a></b> In fact, we loved these previous two vintages so much that they also ended up at the top of our <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Top%2010" title="See our latest Top 10 lists!">Top 10 Red Wines Under $20</a> list.<br /> <br /> The Evodia is <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/crazy-for-calatayud-bodegas-filon-garnacha.html" title="Crazy For The Calatayud - Bodegas Filon Garnacha 2011 Plus Five More Favorites Under $12">another</a> old vine Garnacha (up to 100 years old) from the Calatayud that proves once again this is THE go to region for Reverse Wine Snobs right now. This wine ages for only 5 months in stainless steel but don't think for a second that makes it one dimensional or less complex than other wines from the area that spend time in oak. One taste will destroy that notion pretty quick. Speaking of tasting, let's get to it.<br /> <br /> The <b>2011 Altovinum Evodia Old Vines Garnacha</b> begins with a lovely aroma featuring rich blackberry and blueberry fruit, cola, spice, licorice and pepper. Tasting this smooth and delicious wine reveals a ton of savory fruit and nice spice. It is also loaded with great mineral notes, more so than the previous couple of vintages. Just as in the past, the finish is long and spicy. My first thought after tasting this new vintage was simply that this wine is money as it once again drinks like a whole lot more than $8. <br /> <br /> <b><i>Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/evodia-old-vine-garnacha-wine-750ml.html" target="blank" title="Buy This Wine Online From Our Featured Sponsor">Marketview Liquor</a> or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Altovinum+Evodia+Garnacha/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 8</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 9</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 8.3</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bulk Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130524", "title" : "2011 Altovinum Evodia Garnacha", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/altovinum-evodia-old-vines-garnacha.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/sponsor-post.html" title="Advertise or Sponsor a Post on The Reverse Wine Snob">Advertise</a> on <b>The Reverse Wine Snob!</b><br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=puBV5gTjLFE:6PgxhrzSaoU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=puBV5gTjLFE:6PgxhrzSaoU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=puBV5gTjLFE:6PgxhrzSaoU:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=puBV5gTjLFE:6PgxhrzSaoU:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=puBV5gTjLFE:6PgxhrzSaoU:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/puBV5gTjLFE" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/altovinum-evodia-old-vines-garnacha.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-10286520623813331242013-05-23T08:00:00.001-05:002013-05-23T08:00:01.913-05:002013-05-23T08:00:01.913-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/rudi-wiest-rhein-river-riesling.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rudi Wiest Rhein River Riesling 2009 - A Crowd And Wallet Pleasing Wine From Germany" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-12UY2Kqd2LY/UZ2GLOLAmnI/AAAAAAAAHp0/P_5VrUm1vrw/s320/2009-Rudi-Wiest-Rhein-River-Riesling.JPG" title="Rudi Wiest Rhein River Riesling 2009 - A Crowd And Wallet Pleasing Wine From Germany" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Our first review of a German wine? How can that be? </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Riesling" title="See All Wines With This Label">Riesling</a> from Rheinhessen, Germany.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>Available for around $10. 10,000 cases produced. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the bottle:<br /> <blockquote>"Starts with a wonderful bouquet of fresh peaches. The fruit carries over to the palate with an enticing nuance of minerals from the soils of Rheinhessen. The wine is pure, bright and balanced.<br /> <br /> 11.5% Alcohol"</blockquote>I'm not sure how it happened, but this is the first review of a German wine here on <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b>. That's definitely an area we need to address, and we begin today with a very wallet friendly Riesling from the Rheinhessen. <br /> <br /> The <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-rheinhessen?referring_site=RWS" target="blank">Rheinhessen</a>, which is the largest German wine region, is bordered by the Rhine river on the north and east. It is generally considered that the closer to the river, the better the wines thanks to the unique soils and climate. Today's wine comes from the highly regarded Roter Hang (Red Slope) area, named because of the red slate soils. <br /> <br /> Riesling is very popular in Rheinhessen, but the most grown grape in the region is <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-299-muller-thurgau?referring_site=RWS" target="blank">Muller-Thurgau</a>, which is an offspring of Riesling. The red <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-139-dornfelder?referring_site=RWS" target="blank">Dornfelder</a> grape is the third most produced after Riesling. But enough about the region, let's get to the wine. <br /> <br /> The <b>2009 Rudi Wiest Rhein River Riesling</b> begins with pleasant aromas of white peach, apple, lemon and a hint of tropical fruit. The wine tastes soft and fruity with lots of green apple, apricot and more peach. Bright acidity helps to create a refreshing, easy to drink wine. It ends with a hint of minerality on the slightly dry finish. Not an overly complex wine but it is likely to be a crowd pleaser. <br /> <br /> <b><i>Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/rudi-wiest-rhein-river-riesling-wine-750ml.html" target="blank" title="Buy This Wine Online From Our Featured Sponsor">Marketview Liquor</a> or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Rudi+Wiest+Rhein+River+Riesling/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 7</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 8</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.3</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><div id="pd_rating_holder_5501784"></div><script type="text/javascript"> PDRTJS_settings_5501784 = { "id" : "5501784", "unique_id" : "20130523", "title" : "2009 Rudi Wiest Rhein River Riesling", "permalink" : "http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/rudi-wiest-rhein-river-riesling.html" }; </script> <script src="http://i.polldaddy.com/ratings/rating.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><hr />Find out more about my <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="The Rating System">rating system</a> and check out the <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/interactive-wine-ranking-spreadsheet.html" title="Create Your Own Lists With My Interactive Wine Ranking Chart">Wine Ranking</a> to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive database.</div><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=1syI3KtWCVs:6WqeeIWYkx0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=1syI3KtWCVs:6WqeeIWYkx0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=1syI3KtWCVs:6WqeeIWYkx0:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=1syI3KtWCVs:6WqeeIWYkx0:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=1syI3KtWCVs:6WqeeIWYkx0:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/1syI3KtWCVs" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/rudi-wiest-rhein-river-riesling.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287426650382095947.post-91254213280760557272013-05-22T08:00:00.000-05:002013-05-22T08:00:12.061-05:002013-05-22T08:00:12.061-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/crios-torrontes-and-rose-of-malbec.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Crios Torrontes and Rose of Malbec - More Scrumptious Summertime Sippers" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4GClPozrA4/UZwrp0VGCNI/AAAAAAAAHpg/3c0ADDTOQSo/s320/Crios-Rose-of-Malbec-and-Torrontes.JPG" title="Crios Torrontes and Rose of Malbec - More Scrumptious Summertime Sippers" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A pair of refreshing wines to help you enjoy your summer to the fullest. </b></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> Perhaps it's the long winter we just experienced or the relatively short summers here in Minnesota (or more likely both), but I've found myself on a quest lately to enjoy as many wines as I can that I would classify as "summertime sippers".<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a>A summertime sipper doesn't necessarily have to be a wine that I would only drink in summer, but it does have to be a wine that is refreshing -- one that I would be happy to drink on a hot and humid 90 degree day. We've covered a number of these lately, beginning with the recent <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/top-10-white-wines-under-20-dollars.html" title="Top 10 White Wines Under $20 - Summer 2013 Edition">Summer 2013 Edition of the Top 10 White Wines Under $20</a></b> as well as our recent feature on <b><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/albarino-made-for-summertime-sipping.html" title="Albarino - Made For Summertime Sipping on the Patio">Albarino - Made For Summertime Sipping on the Patio</a></b>. <br /> <br /> Today we have two excellent wines that fall into this category. Torrontés has long been one of our favorite white wines. The Malbec Rosé is a different story in that I've hadn't had much luck with these in the past so I was eager to give another a try. The result? Let's find out!<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U4Zm_3m6SF8/UZwrolz7T2I/AAAAAAAAHpQ/hoFxuToV4tU/s1600/2012-Crios-Rose-of-Malbec.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2012 Crios Rosé of Malbec" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U4Zm_3m6SF8/UZwrolz7T2I/AAAAAAAAHpQ/hoFxuToV4tU/s320/2012-Crios-Rose-of-Malbec.JPG" title="2012 Crios Rosé of Malbec" /></a>First up is the <b>2012 Crios Rosé of Malbec</b>, which is 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Malbec" title="See All Wines With This Label">Malbec</a> from Mendoza, Argentina. This wine has an SRP of $13 and is available for as low as $10. 18,000 cases were imported. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the winery:<br /> <blockquote>"A beautiful, deep, vibrant rosé color. Has a surprising amount of body for a rosé wine, and beautiful aromas of fresh, ripe wild strawberries. On the palate, the flavors of strawberries and young cherries come rushing in, accompanied by some spice notes and a clean, dry finish. This is the perfect chicken wine and a charming companion to mildly spicy Asian cuisine. Keep one in the fridge at all times and you’ll always have a delicious wine to enjoy with light snacks and cheeses. Best consumed in its youth.<br /> <br /> 13.8% Alcohol"</blockquote>The <b>2012 Crios Rosé of Malbec</b> begins with a light berry aroma with a hint of sea salt. It's a bit subdued at first but then opens up with a little time in the glass. Tasting the wine reveals an excellent texture with dark berry flavors and a hint of spice that adds a nice dimension. The wine has good fruit but is not overly sweet. It ends dry with good length. Don't drink this one too cold as it becomes more multi-dimensional as it warms up a bit.<br /> <br /> <b><i>Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/susana-balbo-crios-malbec-rose-wine-750ml.html" target="blank" title="Buy This Wine Online From Our Featured Sponsor">Marketview Liquor</a> or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Crios+Rose+Malbec/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 7</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 8</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.3</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><hr /><br /> <br /> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yAgXZ9IMVc4/UZwrpablBpI/AAAAAAAAHpY/hP3k2K96Ub8/s1600/2012-Crios-Torrontes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2012 Crios Torrontés" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yAgXZ9IMVc4/UZwrpablBpI/AAAAAAAAHpY/hP3k2K96Ub8/s320/2012-Crios-Torrontes.JPG" title="2012 Crios Torrontés" /></a>Next up is the <b>2012 Crios Torrontés</b> which is 100% <a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/Torront%C3%A9s" title="See All Wines With This Label">Torrontés</a> also from Argentina. This wine has an SRP of $15 and available for as low as $10. (Spotted for $11 at Costco.) 35,000 cases were imported. Sample submitted for review.<br /> <br /> From the winery:<br /> <blockquote>"Enticing aromas that are strikingly similar to Viognier, with hints of peach pit, white pear, flowers, and orange citrus fruit. On the palate, it has beautiful structure and acidity similar to Sauvignon Blanc along with enticing fruit flavors that keep you coming back for another sip and plenty of body for a wine that shows such delicate aromas and flavors. Fruity, floral and yet still quite dry, this wine has to be tasted to be believed. <br /> <br /> 13.9% Alcohol"</blockquote>The <b>2012 Crios Torrontés</b> begins with wonderful and complex aromas of tangerine and lime along with hints of mint, sea salt, white pepper and flowers. The wine tastes excellent with a really pleasant texture. The fruit turns more tropical and zesty in the mouth and offers intense flavors with a nice bit of white pepper. This is a very easy to drink wine that would be great with seafood or even some grilled meats, believe it or not.<br /> <br /> <b><i>Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor <a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/product/crios-torrontes-wine-750ml.html" target="blank" title="Buy This Wine Online From Our Featured Sponsor">Marketview Liquor</a> or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine <a href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Crios+Torrontes/-/USA/USD?referring_site=RWS" target="blank" title="Wine-Searcher.com results for this wine">here</a>.</i></b><br /> <hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Taste Rating: 7</span> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: large;">Cost Rating: 8</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Overall Rating: 7.3</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://www.reversewinesnob.com/p/rating-system.html" title="Click To Find Out More About My Rating System"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recommended Buy</span></a></h3></div><hr /><br /> Like <b>The Reverse Wine Snob</b> on <a href="http://facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob" target="blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://plus.google.com/109520072593555155766">add our page to your circles</a> on Google+!<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><b>Visit our Featured Sponsor:</b><br/><a href="http://www.marketviewliquor.com/catalog/great-and-under-8-wines/" imageanchor="1" target="blank"><img alt="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8XqqlPhFBQk/UcCXhnxmgyI/AAAAAAAAHzM/nzsvd4faOUA/s1600/Great_Under_8_v2_1_125x300.gif" title="Check out our featured sponsor - Marketview Liquor!" /></a><br/></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=NF5_BXyDsYI:vrc5ryqoh-U:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=NF5_BXyDsYI:vrc5ryqoh-U:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=NF5_BXyDsYI:vrc5ryqoh-U:I9og5sOYxJI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?d=I9og5sOYxJI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?a=NF5_BXyDsYI:vrc5ryqoh-U:4cEx4HpKnUU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TheReverseWineSnob?i=NF5_BXyDsYI:vrc5ryqoh-U:4cEx4HpKnUU" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReverseWineSnob/~4/NF5_BXyDsYI" height="1" width="1"/>Jon Thorsenhttps://plus.google.com/112490636422166421812noreply@blogger.com0http://www.reversewinesnob.com/2013/05/crios-torrontes-and-rose-of-malbec.html