Wine Star - Wines Reviews for Cheap Affordable Champagne, Sparking Wines, Red Wines and White Wines

Terra Organica Bonarda Sangiovese

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 13:24:00 +0000

Brand: Terra Organica
Vintage: No
Category: Red Wine
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Grapes: Bonarda Blend, Sangiovese
Rating: 8/10

This is the first time I came cross a Bonarda wine, which was surprisingly interesting.

The wine has plenty of fruits in it, especially these black berries, but not too strong to drink even with white meats. I am not sure whether if it was because it’s “organica”, I did experience an unusual enjoyable flavour, which differs from all other grapes I had before.

I did a little research and found out that Bonarda grape is originally from Italy, nowadays it is mostly grown in Argentina’s soil. Due to its limited productivity Bonarda is often blended with other grapes.

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Vina Cana Rioja Tinto Crianza 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Producer: Somerfield
Brand: Vina Cana Tinto Crianza
Vintage: 2006
Category: Red Wine
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja
Grapes: Tempranillo Blend
Rating: 7/10

It seems like I have been drinking a lot of Spanish wine recently. Here goes another one.

I actually quite like this bottle. It is medium bodied, very smooth but still has all the flavours you expect from a good bottle of Rioja red wine. Soft red berry aromas enriched by vanilla oak fragrance. Not too strong in taste, but you will definitely find its impressive mature character, which reflects its age.

I had it with cheese; however, I think it will go even better with red meats.

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Contenda Merlot 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:59:00 +0000

Producer: Contenda
Vintage: 2007
Category: Red Wine
Country: Spain
Region: Central Spain, Vinos de la Tierra
Grapes: Merlot
Rating: 6/10

This red wine is quite true to its Merlot grapes, with the mixture of black cherry and plum aromas. Its medium bodied palate is a delight with its softness, yet it leaves a smooth but mature finish on you tongue.

I personally prefer a stronger taste wine; still this Merlot red is quite a pleasant experience.

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Laztana Rioja Tempranillo 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Producer: Laztana
Vintage: 2007
Category: Red Wine
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja
Grapes: Tempranillo
Rating: 5/10

I got this bottle, Laztana Rioja Tempranillo 2007, from Tesco for less than four pounds.

It has a deep red colour as well as a dark berry favour. The wine has quite a full bodied taste, but too dry and bitter for me. The acidic finish does not particularly turn me on either.

If you like the mixture of all these strong tastes in red wine, this could be the one for you. However, I probably will not buy it again.

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Kumala Zenith Chenin blanc chardonnay 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:20:00 +0000

Producer: Zenith Vineyards
Brand: Kumala
Vintage: No
Category: White Wine
Country: South Africa
Region: Cape
Grapes: Chenin Blend
Rating: 6/10

Kumala has been said to be the biggest-selling South African wine brand in the UK. It was also ranked the 15th most powerful wine brand in the world.

This white wine is not a bad choice for a relaxing lunch. Straight out from the fridge will be just right with white meat or fish. A very smooth fruity freshness almost instantly adds a lot of charm to its name.

The retail price is around £8. It does not do enough if you are looking for flavours, but a very good refreshment drink.

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Sardelli Chianti 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:37:00 +0000

Producer: Sardelli
Name: Chianti
Vintage: 2007
Category: Red Wines
Country: Italy
Grapes: NA
Rating: 7/10

Review:

This is an excellent Italian Chinati, smell fresh with strong berry aroma, and the colour is a deep red.

The taste is not spicy like most Chainti I tried, Although it's a young wine, the strong flavour with a bit of bitterness made it seem like an old vintage wine.

I don't usually chose Chinati or Italian wines, but this one is an exception, really worth trying it out, as it won't disappoint you.

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Chateau Marquis de la Grange Bordeaux 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:29:00 +0000

Producer: Château Marquis de la Grange
Name: Bordeaux
Vintage: 2007
Category: Red Wines
Country: France
Grapes: Claret
Rating: 5/10

Review:

The smell of this wine has an excellent wooden fruit aroma, the wine colour looks rich like dark chocolate.

As for taste it's a bit spicy, and ends with a oak flat bitterness, no matter how I drink it, the taste can not compare to a good Bordeaux.

Cost around £7 in most supermarket, really you can't get drinkable Bordeaux better cheaper than this.

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McGuigan Estate Shiraz 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:11:00 +0000

Producer: McGuigan Wines LTD
Name: Mc.Guigan Estate South Australia Shiraz
Vintage: 2008
Category: Red Wines
Country: Australia
Grapes: Shiraz
Rating: 6/10

Review:

This a a srew cap Shiraz by McGuigan, the producer is a famous brand, producing Australian wines for years, and Shraiz is one of their speciality.

This is a full bodied Shariz, with blackcurrant flavour, this wine also gave a oak effect, not too bad for a Shariz.

Bought this bottle of wine from Somerfield, it is half price for £4.99, was expecting a lot, but it was a disappointment, still an enjoyable wine.

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Jacob's Creek Sparkling Rose Dry Cuvee

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:06:00 +0000

Producer: Jacob's Creek
Name: Sparkling Rosé Dry Cuvée
Vintage: N/A
Category: Sparkling Rose
Country: Australia
Grapes: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Rating: 6/10

Review:

Thia specially bottle fermented sparking wine is fresh and crispy, It's really easy to drink, and full of sweetness.

However the sparkles were weak, and the flavour is not strong, but it makes up for it with the mellow honey aftertaste.

You can't compare it to Champagne, but for a cheap Sparking Rose Champagne alternative, this will be worth buying.

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Marie Henry Brut Champagne 1999 Vintage

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:08:00 +0000

Producer: Marie Henry
Name: Champagne Brut Vintage
Vintage: 1999
Category: Champagne
Country: France
Grapes: N/A
Rating: 8/10

Review:

This champagne is real creamy, and strong mellow chocolate flavour, this was a really underrated wine.

I was drinking my last bottle, it was bought two years ago, and surprisingly the bubbles from the champagne is still rushing as if it's fresh champagne.

The last time I checked it was selling around 30 something at Morrison, for this price it's a must for vintage champagne lovers, sepcial something for Valentine Day.

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Vina Mara Crianza Rioja 2004

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:21:00 +0000

Producer: Viña Mara
Name: Criana Rioja
Vintage: 2004
Category: Red Wines
Country: Spain
Grapes: Tempranillo and Garnacha
Rating: 5/10

Review:

This Spanish Rioja has raspberry aroma and a light soft taste with a rather dry and oak finish, felt like a wine to be serve with red meat.

The flavour is medium and it had aged well, can't really compare to it's rivals, but for the price it's selling at it's a nice chaser.

Here's another other wine selected by Tesco, fairly cheap and doesn't taste bad either, I have tasted one of this brand before, a non vintage Rioja and it was not good at all.

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Yvon Mau Claret Reserve Bordeaux 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Vineyard: Yvon Mau Selected by Tesco
Name: Reserve Claret Bordeaux
Vintage: 2006
Category: Red Wines
Country: France
Grapes: Merlot & Cabernet Grapes
Rating: 5/10

Review:

This rich French Bordeaux is smooth and spicy, it has a light fruity flavour, it has bitterness as it goes through the throat.

This is a wine advised to be drunk with meal, but I think it's good enough to be drunk alone bu itself.

This was a surprising good screw cap wine selected by Tesco, which is really value for money, as it only take you back around £3.

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Almena Real Rioja Reserva 2003

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:53:00 +0000

Vineyard: Viñedos de Labarta
Name: Almena Real Rioja Reserva
Vintage: 2003
Category: Red Wines
Country: Spain
Grapes: Tempranillo
Rating: 6/10

Review:

Some of you remember I mention this wine when I did a review on the Almena Real 2001, decided to buy one to taste, as 2001 Rioja is nearly non-existent on the supermarket shelves.

This 2003 Spanish Rioja is a bit bitter and dry, with strong oaky flavour, and it is semi smooth, finishing with dryness with was a bit too plain.

It wasn't as good as 2001, as it has loss the spiciness, but the strong wine flavour is still there, 2003 wasn't a too good year for Rioja.

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Bodegas Campo Viejo Crianza Rioja 2005

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:15:00 +0000

Vineyard: Bodegas Campo Viejo
Name: Crianza Rioja
Vintage: 2005
Category: Red Wines
Country: Spain
Grapes: Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mazuelo
Rating: 7/10

Review:

A Medium structure Spanish Rioja, it tends too be very much on the sweet side, which also has fruity aromas and hint of wood.

Usually I would have left it a few more years before trying this Rioja, which surprise me of it's excellent taste, you don't get the bitterness as you do from say a 2001.

This one you can buy easily at most supermarkets and I think it's between £6-£7, which is well value for money, maybe a wine to buy and store to drink in a few years time.

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La Tour De Marrenon Cotes du Ventoux

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:05:00 +0000

Vineyard: Marrenon
Name: Côtes du Ventoux
Vintage: 2007
Category: Red Wines
Country: France
Grapes: Grenache, Syrah
Rating: 6/10

Review:

This is a spicy sweet French wine, the texture is soft and juicy. There is also a distinct strawberry flavor.

This is a soft berry flavor wine, which is best served with meat, especially with a steak or beef burger.

It is also a nice French wine to drink alone, this is a £8 screw cap worth of wine from Tesco, which I say the value for money is fair.

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G.H.Martel & Co. Brut Champagne Prestige

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Vineyard: Maison Fondée
Name: G.H.Martel & Co. Brut Champagne Prestige
Vintage: N/A
Category: Champagne
Country: France
Grapes: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Rating: 7/10

Review:

A fine champagne for the famous brand G.H.Martel & Co., this champagne is based in Epernay, France, and expected the quality is there.

At first taste of this champagne gave an impression that it's full of flavors, the Champagne is really strong in flavour and it also gave an elegant and crispy feel.

This champagne tasted great and it's the one that you can taste of for celebration, not for the New Year party, as everyone should be drunk, that's the best time for cheap champagne.

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Mount Tauch Reserve Des Vignerons Corbieres

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:14:00 +0000

Producer: Mont Tauch
Name: Reserve Des Vignerons Corbieres
Vintage: N/A

Category: Red Wines

Country: France

Grapes: Grenache Syrah Blend

Rating: 5/10

Review:

This French wine gave a seducing roast berries fragrant, giving a slightly sour, bitter dryness at the touch of the tongue.

As the wine rinse through the mouth, cluster of spiciness shocks the mouth, an elegant bitterness ending.

The wine is rich in strength, which it not your usual smooth French red wines, the hint of berries aroma was too weak to taste.

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Caves Saint-Pierre Côtes du Rhône 2007 Preference

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Producer: Caves Saint Pierre 1898
Name: Preference Côtes du Rhône
Vintage: 2007
Category: Red Wines
Country: France
Grapes: N/A
Rating: 6/10

Review:

One sniff of this French wine gave a sweet oaks smell, which is friendly to the nose, it gave away the youth of the wine by it's fragrant.

On the tip of the tongue came a shock really spicy start, followed by a sweet bitterness, and a quick dry fruity spice finish.

This is certainly a great wine for pasta or cheese, spiciness in a wine always gives me a shock as I never read the label before I drink, love the surprises.

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Vino de Mesa La Comida Red

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Brand: Vino de Mesa

Name: La Comida Red

Vintage: N/A
Category: Red Wines
Country: Spain
Grapes: N/A
Rating: 3/10

Review:

This is a wine selected and bottled for Asda, don't know the price since I didn't buy it, but wasn't expecting anything good out of it, overall it's drinkable.

At first taste it was alright, the wine at room temperature is warm and smooth, sour smell and also unstructured flavor, with not much strength in the wine.

As always screw cap wines ruin the wine, I am sure the wine tasted much better when brewed, the screw caps let too much air in the wines. This really puts me off wines selected by supermarkets.

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Tesco Australian Reserve Shiraz

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:45:00 +0000

Brand: Tesco
Name: Austrlian Reserve Shiraz
Vintage: N/A
Category: Red Wines
Country: Australia
Grapes: Shariz
Rating: 4/10

Review:

This is a wine selected by Tesco, think it cost around £4, really cheap compare to other wines, as you not not much wines are selling for less than this price now, and this is a drinkable wine.

The smell was gave a faint berry aroma, as it touches the tongue there is a stiff bitter follow by sweet and sour, then it just went downhill in the end, as the dry sourness grabs your tongue.

Overall it's a wine to personal taste my friends claim the aftertaste is too sour and refuse to drink more, one reason being is that maybe the wine before was too good, for me it's drinkable but not recommended, I would give it a 5 out of 10 if the rating was up to me.

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Lindemans Cawarra Classic Selection Smooth Fruity Red

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Producer: Lindemans Wines
Name: Cawarra Classic Selection
Vintage: N/A
Category: Red Wines
Country: Australia
Grapes: N/A
Rating: 7/10

Review:

As advertised it's really smooth and fruity, although it has became a bit plain, that's mainly because it has been left on the supermarket shelve for years. Never the less the wine taste fantastic, with it's old yet soft taste.

This is still a wine to be serve with meat during a meal, it is to sweet to be drunk alone, but being it was aged, resulted in a tiny bitterness, which also serve well for a casual alone drinking wine.

This is a non-vintage Austrian Lindemans wine, but it wasn't produce recently, I predict it's 2004/2005, and it only cost me £2.99, I will give you a tip on how to get old fine wine for rock bottom prices in the supermarket on my future posts, subscribe via e-mail if you want to know more.

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La Mancha Castillo De Calatrava Gran Reserve 1996

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:06:00 +0000

Producer: Vinivola de Castilla S.A.
Name: Castillo De Calatrava
Vintage: 1996
Category: Red Wines
Country: Spain
Grapes: N/A
Rating: 7/10

Review:

As soon as I open the bottle, I know it will match my expectation. The smell clearly indicates how smooth the wine will taste like.

Fully fill of oak fragrant, lightly mixed with the age. Not strong at all, yet full of aftertaste … really, it is very hard to describe it, because it is just like talking to a very elegant and well educated lady, smooth and gentle.

Maybe, she is not the most beautiful exciting one, but it will certainly last in you mind. Well, it is the one of my favourites.

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Piat D'or Brut Sparking Wine

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:37:00 +0000

Producer: Piat D'or
Name: Brut Sparking Wine
Vintage: N/A
Category: Sparking Wines
Country: France
Grapes: N/A
Rating: 6/10

Review:

This is one of those cheaper sparking wine you can buy from the supermarket for between £4 to £5.

It is not too bad either, the wine is really crispy and refreshing, perfect for Summer time.

This French sparking wine still lacks flavour, easily see the difference comparing to a champagne or fine sparking wine.

With it's elegant bottle presentation, this sparkling wine will be a great champagne alternative to stock up for the Christmas party.

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Castillo De Montearagón Gran Reserva 2001

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:13:00 +0000

Producer: Castillo De Montearagón
Name: Gran Reserva
Vintage: 2001
Category: Red Wines
Country: Spain
Grapes: N/A
Rating: 4/10

Review:

Some of you might have remember our previous post in the Castillo De Montearagón Reserva 2003, well this is the more grand and expensive version.

Some say it just smell weird! and at first taste it was just plain with bitterness, this wine is also a bit sweet, but the flavour is not well balance.

The structure is all over the place, very disappointed with this Spanish Gran Reserve, any £5 wine off the supermarket can beat this one.

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Palacio Del Conde Grand Reserva 2001

noreply@blogger.com (Takwa) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:29:00 +0000

Producer: Palacio Del Conde
Name: Gran Reserva
Vintage: 2001
Category: Red Wines
Country: Spain
Grapes: N/A
Rating: 7/10

Review:

The smell gave out a wooden barrel mixed with fruit fragrant, the colour is brown red, with is caused by the age. the sweetness of the wine took a bit too much.

This Spanish wine is sweet and spicy, and it is smooth to the throat. The aftertaste is spicy, while losing the oak feeling, this is a good red wine.

However, the name sound much more interesting that the wine itself, can't really compare to other Spanish Grand Reserve wines, expected more from a 2001 vintage.

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