Wine Review: 2006 Anakena Carménère, Single Vineyard

Name: 2006 Anakena Carménère, Single Vineyard

Producer: Anakena

Region: Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley

Classification: Single Vinyard

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Carménère

Year/Vintage: 2006

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $9.99, Claymont Total Wine & More

Date Logged: 03/29/2009

Pairing(s): 1) Chicken Salad, 2) Stuffed Peppers

My Rating: 4 Stars

Buy this wine. At $10, this is a steal. We tried the chardonnay from Anakena a few weeks ago, and I wasn’t very impressed, so I was expecting this bottle of Carménère to be ordinary at best. In fact, it is one of the more interesting wines I’ve had from Chile. Lots of berry aromas and spices on the nose, with an almost curry undertone. The palate is full of cherry and raspberry flavors, with green pepper and cooked cabbage mixed in, along with a few cedar-like components. Velvety feel in the mouth with a smooth but short finish. It was smooth enough to pair well with the chicken salad, but rich enough to hold up to the stuffed peppers. I’ll be buying more of this one.

Wine Review: 2006 Nando Chianti Classico

Name: 2006 Nando Chianti Classico

Producer: Nando

Region: Italy, Tuscany, Chianti

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Sangiovese

Year/Vintage: 2006

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $14.99, Total Wine & More (February 2008)

Date Logged: 03/21/2009

Pairing(s): 1) Spaghetti marinara with meatballs, 2) fried chicken

My Rating: 3 Stars

This is an easy-drinking Chianti that seems like it would pair with just about anything, working well with both the spaghetti & meatballs and the fried chicken that I had with it. A nice cherry cola and leather aroma on the nose was followed through with cherry and cedar box flavors on the palate. It had a fairly light feel in the mouth, with a nice balance of acidity that cut through the spaghetti marinara sauce with ease. It ended with a medium length, very slightly tannic finish. For $15, this wine makes a nice dinner wine to have plenty of on hand.

Wine Review: 2005 Klinker Brick Farráh Syrah

Name: 2005 Klinker Brick Farráh Syrah
Producer: Klinker Brick
Region: USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Syrah
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $18.99 (Kroger, 3/2009)
Date Logged: 03/17/2009
Pairing(s): Pizza
My Rating: 4 Stars

This is an interesting wine. The nose is dominated by strong paint and phenolic aromas, with a hint of cherry licorice and minty spices. The palate is rich and earthy, with a very distinctive vanilla custard flavor that I really liked. It also had some cherry candy flavors working for it up front. It had a nice, medium tannic finish that lasted plenty long. All in all, this is one of the more interesting wines I’ve had in awhile, and it paired really well with the pizza. It’s not cheap, but well worth the price.

Wine Review: 2007 Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz/Cabernet

Name: 2007 Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz/Cabernet
Producer: Jip Jip Rocks Vinyard
Region: Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Padthaway
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: 55% Shiraz, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon
Year/Vintage: 2007
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $14.99, Total Wine & More (February, 2009)
Date Logged: 03/03/2009
Pairing(s): 1) Grilled hamburgers, 2) grilled pork chops
My Rating: 3 Stars

This was a decent wine that could probably benefit from a couple of years in the cellar to give it some complexity. The nose was very pleasant, with an abundance of nice red and black berry tones. It was surprisingly less fruit-forward than I expected, although there were plenty of black raspberry and cherry flavors to qualify it as jammy. Hiding beneath the fruit, though, was an interesting peppery and raw meat profile that really paired well with both of the grilled meat dishes we had with this. The finish was a little harsh and relatively long. The tannins were obvious but the oak was subtle and just about right. It would be interesting to cellar this and come back in two or three years to see how the interesting flavor profile evolves. A good wine for the price.