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Wine Review: 2007 Katarzyna Estate "Halla" Merlot

2009-10-04T20:46:00.001-04:00

Name: 2007 Katarzyna Estate "Halla" Merlot
Producer: Trylinski Family Katarzyna Vineyards
Region: Bulgaria, Svilengrad, Thracian Valley Region
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: 100% Merlot
Year/Vintage: 2007
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $14.99, PA Wine Store
Date Logged: 10/03/2009
Pairing(s): Grilled steak, grilled pork chops
My Rating: 3 Stars

This is my first experience at a Bulgarian wine, and I was fairly pleased with the experience. Dark garnet color with a fairly closed nose, almost to the point of being aromatically challenged. Nice and fruity on the palate, though, with plenty of plum and strawberry jam flavors up front. Moderate tannins, with a short finish. Hints of mild oak and vanilla went well with both the steak and the pork chops.

Wine Review: Name: 2007 Recanati Cabernet-Merlot Yasmin Kosher

2009-08-30T20:53:00.004-04:00

Name: 2007 Recanati Cabernet-Merlot Yasmin Kosher
Producer: Vians
Region: Israel, Galilee
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Year/Vintage: 2007
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $9.99, PA Wine Store
Date Logged: 08/30/2009
Pairing(s): Grilled Italian-style Chicken
My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

Israel isn’t exactly high on the list of hot wine properties, so my expectations were fairly low for this wine that I recently picked up for a fairly cheap price. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised, though. This is a very drinkable, simple wine that delivers plenty of fruit, is fairly well balanced and complements most food with ease. For 10 bucks, it is definitely worth keeping on hand.

Pretty light burgundy in color, reminiscent of a Pinot. Equally light on the palate, with cherry licorice and smoky flavors dominating. Subtle tannins on the back with a smooth but relatively short finish.

Wine Review: 2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley

2009-08-26T21:18:00.003-04:00

Name: 2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Producer: Chateau Ste. Michelle
Region: USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 2% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec
Year/Vintage: 2006
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $13.99, PA Wine Store
Date Logged: 08/26/2009
Pairing(s): Grilled hamburgers
My Rating: 3 Stars

This is a pretty easy wine to drink, with very concentrated fruit flavors up front and moderate tannins in the back. Dominated by black raspberry and candied cherry fruit flavors, with only a moderate oak lurking in the background. It is on the velvety side of smooth, not overly complex, and better with food than without. Not great, but certainly worth trying. Interesting to note that the "cabernet" is actually a rather complex blend of five different grapes. The winemaker was obviously going after a specific flavor.

2006 Vina Hermosa Cosecha Rioja

2009-08-20T22:49:00.000-04:00

Name: 2006 Vina Hermosa Cosecha Rioja
Producer: Vina Hermosa
Region: Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Tempranillo
Year/Vintage: 2006
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $10.98, Wine Library (NJ)
Date Logged: 08/19/2009
Pairing(s): Pizza (Piccolo Forno)
My Rating: 2 Stars

The first thing you notice about this wine is that it is thin…something you don’t generally associate with a Rioja…and generally not a good attribute for a Rioja. It is medium red in the glass with some cloudiness, which I also found a little odd. The nose has some strawberry jam and cherry aromas, with a little smokiness lurking in the back. It is watery on the palate, with some cherry fruit up front that quickly disappears. Not much acid, and even less tannins, and a fairly short finish. Overall, not a delicious wine and definitely not a wine for sipping. However, it gets a little better with food, and did, in fact, compliment the Neapolitan style pizza quite well.

At only a couple of years in the bottle, it is probably one of the youngest Riojas that I’ve ever had. So maybe it needs a little more time in the cellar. We’ll see, since I bought a case of this based on a promotion from Wine Library.

Wine Review: 2005 Viansa Sempre Avanti

2009-08-08T21:50:00.003-04:00

Name: 2005 Viansa Sempre Avanti
Producer: Viansa
Region: USA, California, Sonoma County
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: 50% Sangiovese, 27% Merlot, 15% Zinfandel, 7% Teroldego & 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $9.99, PA Wine Store
Date Logged: 08/08/2009
Pairing(s): Pizza
My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

This is a $30 bottle of wine I got for 10 bucks. Sometimes this kind of markdown at the State Store is a red flag for a wine that has somehow not lived up to expectations. In this case, though, it seems like it IS actually a great value.

The nose is very interesting, with a predominant aroma of cedar and pencil shavings, with some nice dark berry undertones. It is very Italianesque on the palate, with a good complex mixture of spice, leather and raspberries. It follows with a nice smooth dose of tannins and a fairly long lingering finish. We had this with pizza and were not disappointed. It would also go well with heavier pasta dishes, maybe even a steak. I will definitely seek this out and buy again, especially if it is still at $10.

Wine Review: 2004 E. Bodin Cassis Blanc de Blancs

2009-08-02T22:05:00.004-04:00

Name: 2004 E. Bodin Cassis Blanc de Blancs

Producer: Château de Fontblanche

Region: France, Provence, Cassis

Classification: N/A

Type: White Wine

Variety: Probably one or more of Trebbiano (Ugni Blanc),Clairette Blanche or Marsanne

Year/Vintage: 2004

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: About $20, Marseille Supermarket

Date Logged: 08.01/2009

Pairing(s): Chicken Piccata

My Rating: 5 Stars

Well, there it is…five stars. And for a white wine no less.

I bought this several years ago in France and it has sat in the wine cooler ever since, waiting for a perfect pairing. We teamed it up with Jen’s chicken piccata and it couldn’t have been a better match. The wine’s citrus attack paired perfectly with the lemon zest of the sauce, and the acidity was just right to cut through the saltiness of the capers in the dish. Even by itself, the wine was smooth and delicious, a perfect and refreshing accompaniment to a hot summer day.

Wine Review: 2003 Château Garraud Lalande de Pomerol

2009-08-01T21:59:00.003-04:00

Name: 2003 Château Garraud Lalande de Pomerol
Producer: Château Garraud
Region: France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Merlot blend
Year/Vintage: 2003
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $19.99, Claymont Total Wine & More
Date Logged: 07/30/2009
Pairing(s): 1) Pasta, 2) Pizza
My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

A nice wine with classic Bordeaux elements. Surprisingly, this was a Alfio Mariconi import, which I have typically had poor luck with. I was pleasantly surprised with this one, though.

Nice fruit components of plum and cherry followed by raisin and cinnamon on the mid-palate and a nice earthy, mushroom-like complexity coming afterwards. Mild tannic finish, but long. It was light enough to go quite well with both the pasta and the pizza, but I think would have been great with a steak as well.

Wine Review: 2005 Castello d'Albola Chianti Classico

2009-07-23T21:34:00.004-04:00

Name: 2005 Castello d'Albola Chianti Classico
Producer: Castello d'Albola
Region: Italy, Tuscany, Chianti
Classification: Chianti Classico
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Sangiovese
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $13.99, Claymont Total Wine & More
Date Logged: 07/22/2009
Pairing(s): Pasta with olive oil, cherry tomatoes and basil
My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

This is a great value Chianti...worth a bit more than the $14 that I paid. Light red color with plum and cherry aromas on the nose. Very smooth on the palate and nice mid-weight feel. Cherry and strawberry flavor profiles with just a faint bit of earthiness. Well balanced acidity and mild tannic finish. Perfect with the light pasta we had on a warm evening. Pretty much what you want in a summer Chianti.

Wine Review: 2005 Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva

2009-07-15T21:07:00.002-04:00

Name: 2005 Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva
Producer: Ruffino
Region: Italy, Tuscany, Chianti
Classification: Chianti Classico
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Sangiovese
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $22, Kroger
Date Logged: 07/15/2009
Pairing(s): Spaghetti Marinara
My Rating: 1 Star

This was a sad bottle of wine. I found it aromatically challenged, thin as water in the mouth, had a metallic and vinyl flavor profile, and a disjointed bitter finish.

Wine Review: 2005 Havens Wine Cellars Bourriquot

2009-07-12T21:18:00.003-04:00

Name: 2005 Havens Wine Cellars Bourriquot
Producer: Havens Wine Cellars
Region: USA, California, Napa Valley
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: 67% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $29.98, Wine Library
Date Logged: July 12, 2009
Pairing(s): Hamburgers and Hotdogs
My Rating: 4 Stars

We got this on sale from Wine Library, and it was our first time buying anything from them (this is Gary Vaynerchuk’s store). The wine was touted as a California Bordeaux blend, and it pretty much fulfilled that promise. Very nice red and black berry fruit on the front end, followed by smoky, meaty complexity in the middle, and ending with a stiff dose of tannins through a long finish. We had this with grilled hamburgers (at the beach!), and it was a perfect match. The wine itself could almost pass as a bacon cheeseburger with the red meat textures in the mid-palate. There’s also hints of mint and perfume mixed in for good measure. Nice!

Wine Review: 2005 Schubert Estate Shiraz Goose-yard Block

2009-07-05T22:51:00.004-04:00

Name: 2005 Schubert Estate Shiraz Goose-yard Block
Producer: Schubert Estate
Region: Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley, Roennfeldt Road
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Shiraz
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $29.99, PA Wine Store, May 2009
Date Logged: 07/05/2009
Pairing(s): Buffalo Chicken Salad
My Rating: 4 Stars

This is one of those wines that supposedly retails for around $60+ but somehow the PA Wine Store is able to sell it at half that price. Still expensive, but Wine Advocate gave it 95 points, so definitely worth a whirl.

BIG fruit here, and thick, velvety jam texture to boot. If you’re after a liqueur-like, mouth-coating fruit bomb, this wine is the ticket. It does also have a fair amount of complexity hiding behind the initial wave of fruit, with coffee, nutmeg, red licorice and some nice vanilla tones creeping in during the LONG finish (about a minute or more). Although the label says that it was aged 12-15 months in new and used French oak, the oak was very subtle in the finish, and the tannins were all but hidden behind the fruit.

We had this wine with Buffalo Chicken Salad, which was a bad match…the chicken was a little too spicy for this kind of wine. It was much better just drinking it by itself or with some chocolate cake I had afterwards. Although this wine is not something I’m looking for every day, I think it’s pretty well put together and deserves my rating of 4 stars. I also think a few more years in the bottle may do a lot to tame the fruit and bring some of the more complex tones to the forefront.

Wine Review: 2007 Vina Robles RED4 Huerhuero

2009-06-30T21:54:00.003-04:00

Name: 2007 Vina Robles RED4 Huerhuero
Producer: Vina Robles
Region: USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: 51% Petite Sirah, 43% Syrah, 4% Tannat, 2% Touriga Nacional
Year/Vintage: 2007
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $12.99, Kroger, March 2009
Date Logged: 06/30/2009
Pairing(s): 1) Spaghetti, 2) Chicken Sausage
My Rating: 2-1/2 Stars

Not sure what to make of this wine. At first, I was fairly impressed by it…nice complexity, good mix of plum fruit and vegetal characteristics, decent balance of tannins and acidity, medium-weight mouthfeel, sort of reminded me of a typical Rhone Valley or Chinon wine. It paired up fairly well with the spaghetti, and drank well by itself afterwards. Although it wasn’t exactly a remarkable wine, it was certainly quaffable at this point. The next day, though, it seemed to have become much less so. The alcohol seemed a lot more pronounced, and it had a distinct vinegar aroma and taste to it. I guess it could have just fallen apart overnight in the bottle…sort of a disappointment, for sure. I’m giving it 2-1/2 stars based on its initial impression upon opening. By the time 24 hours had passed, it would have been lucky to garner one star.

Wine Review: 2002 St. Supéry Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-06-27T22:25:00.003-04:00

Name: 2002 St. Supéry Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Producer: St. Supéry Vineyards

Region: USA, California, Napa Valley

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Year/Vintage: 2002

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $22.99, Total Wine & More (June 2007)

Date Logged: 06/27/2009

Pairing(s): Grilled Filet Mignon

My Rating: 4 Stars

Delicious! Perfect pairing with a steak. Inky black color, strawberry and cherry cola nose with vegetable overtones. Complex palate with lots of fruit still left up front, some bell pepper, chocolate and vanilla in the middle, and some nice smoke and earthiness mixed in on the finish. Well balanced overall and worth every cent. I plan to look for this one again.

Wine Review: 2005 Kilikanoon Shiraz M Reserve

2009-05-29T22:34:00.001-04:00

Name: 2005 Kilikanoon Shiraz M Reserve

Producer: Kilikanoon (Kevin Mitchell)

Region: Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

Classification: Reserve

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Shiraz

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $24.99, PA Wine Store

Date Logged: 05/29/2009

Pairing(s): Pizza

My Rating: 4 Stars

This is a good one. I had high expectations for it…Wine Spectator score of 94, retail price of $60-$70 (we got it on sale at a great price), and lately we’ve been on a Shiraz kick. Fortunately, it delivered.

The color was deep purple, almost black. The nose was complex, with plenty of red and black ripe fruit aromas, but also lots of complex undertones of pencil lead, tar and chocolate. The palate was also complex, with strong vanilla and crème flavors up front and a nice, structured tannic finish. It went well with the pizza, but would have also been great with a burger or steak. It’s also great just by itself. I will definitely seek this out again, especially if we can get it at $25.

Notes from the winery: “Our pinnacle Mclaren Vale Shiraz, a wine sourced from a forty year old vineyard in Mclaren Vale. This small cuvee' was created traditionally using small open topped fermenters, a basket press and twenty six months maturation in small French oak cases.This extended time spent in oak has allowed the 'M' Reserve to be bottled unfined and unfiltered in August 2006, thus preserving the vineyards uniquely individual flavours and characters.”

2009-05-17T22:52:00.003-04:00

Name: 2005 Château de Sales

Producer: Château de Sales

Region: France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Merlot blend

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $29.99, February, 2008

Date Logged: 05/17/2009

Pairing(s): Stuffed peppers

My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

2005 is considered THE vintage for Bordeaux, and this mid-priced wine did not dissapoint.

This was a surprisingly mellow wine for being such a young Bordeaux. It had a funky, barnyard meets leather couch and cigar nose, with just a hint of red fruit. The color was dark red, almost black. The wine had a nice weight on the palate, with a relatively complex spectrum of flavors, including chocolate, campfire and dark cherry. The tannins were obvious but not overwhelming, providing a medium length finish. Overall, a well rounded wine that went very well with the stuffed peppers and mashed potatoes that we paired with it.

2005 West Cape Howe 'Two Steps' Shiraz Viognier

2009-05-17T22:31:00.002-04:00

Name: 2005 West Cape Howe 'Two Steps' Shiraz Viognier

Producer: Great Southern

Region: Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Denmark

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Shiraz 93% / Viognier 7%

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $20.99, January, 2008

Date Logged: 05/16/2009

Pairing(s): Buffalo Chicken Salad

My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

This is a very easy-drinking and delicious wine, with lots of fruit and a nice balance of medium tannins and acidity. Very dark, almost inky color in the glass. Black cherry and plum on the nose, with the same on the palate plus some cedar and green pepper overtones. Great with grilled meat, or by itself.

Wine Review: 2005 Rutherford Hill Napa Merlot

2009-05-10T21:52:00.002-04:00

Name: 2005 Rutherford Hill Napa Merlot

Producer: Rutherford Hill

Region: USA, California, Napa Valley

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Merlot

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 375ml

Purchased: $13.99, FREE (from Thundercruise)

Date Logged: 05/08/2009

Pairing(s): Buffalo Chicken Salad

My Rating: 3 Stars

I haven’t had a merlot in awhile. We decided to break out one of the two half-bottles of Rutherford Hill Napa Merlot that we were given on the Thundercruise. I had heard several remarks on the cruise that this one wasn’t very good, but I wanted to see for myself.

Personally, I thought it was pretty good. It had lots of good dark cherry fruit on the nose and palate, and filled in with hints of chocolate and some spiciness on the mid-palate. It had good balance of oak and tannins, and ended with a nice mellow finish. Good by itself and with the grilled chicken and salad. Proof that you should always make up your own mind about whether you will like a wine or not.

Wine Review: 2004 Orlando Abrigo Barbaresco Vigna Montersino

2009-05-07T22:38:00.004-04:00

Name: 2004 Orlando Abrigo Barbaresco Vigna Montersino
Producer: Orlando Abrigo
Region: Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Nebbiolo
Year/Vintage: 2004
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $40.00, FREE (obtained on a cruise)
Date Logged: 5/2/2009
Pairing(s): Grilled steaks
My Rating: 5 Stars

I believe this is my first 5-star wine that I have put on this site…and it is very well-deserved. We snagged this bottle on the Thundercruise, a 7-day wine tasting tour on board a Caribbean cruise ship. We tasted it first while on the cruise and immediately fell in love with it. We were lucky enough to bring an entire bottle home with us.

I generally have a hard time finding a memorable Italian wine in the local wine store. This wine may make me look a little harder. The color was beautiful in the glass, with a nice clear, light ruby color. The nose was floral and fruity, with hints of licorice, smoke and grilled meat. It had a perfect mid-weight in the mouth, and gave up lots of cherry and black fruits, along with more complex flavors of vanilla, earth and minerals. The acidity and integrated tannins were very well balanced. It carried plenty of punch with the tannins, but wasn’t overwhelming and paired perfectly with the grilled steak. The finish was nice and long, with some lingering spicy flavors well after the other flavors faded.

It’s not a cheap wine by any means, but definitely worth having around for a special occasion. I hope to find some more soon.

April 23rd Grand Tasting on the Thundercruise

2009-04-25T21:29:00.004-04:00

We participated in a truly spectacular event on the fifth night of our Thundercruise - a Grand Tasting put on by Wine Library's Gary Vaynerchuk. The tasting, held on board the MSC Orchestra while en route from Antigua to Nassau, included over 250 different wines from all over the world. We could sample any that we wanted as frequently as we wanted for a period of over four hours.

Needless to say, we didn't make it through all 250 wines, but we did get through about 60 or so before our palates (and our ability to stand) were completely overwhelmed. Gary promised an over-the-top event, and he delivered big time. We also got to take a couple of bottles back to our rooms after it was over, so this event by itself was almost worth the price of the cruise. Add in the fact that we had several other smaller tasting events prior to this, and more food than anyone ever should be allowed to eat, and there is no doubt that this cruise lived up to its name.

A couple of our favorite wines included a 2004 Barbaresco Montersino and a 2003 Brunello di Montalcino from Italy, a 2001 Chateau Cabanne from Pomerol, and a 2004 San Roman Toro from Spain. Our entire list, along with a crude scoring system, is shown below. The more ♥ signs, the more we liked it. No ♥'s means either it was unremarkable, or we were too far gone to make an honest assessment when we tasted it.

Argentina, Bodegas Poesia, Poesia 2002
Argentina, Bodegas Poesia, Poesia 2003 ♥
Argentina, Bodegas Poesia, Poesia 2004 ♥
Argentina, Bodegas Poesia, Poesia 2005 ♥
Argentina, Melipal Res Malbec 2006
Chile, Cantus Carmanere 2007
Portugal, VT Douro Red 2005
Portugal, Fojo Douro 2000
Portugal, Esporao Reserva White 2007
Portugal, Chryseia Douro 2005 ♥
Spain, San Roman Toro 2004 ♥♥♥
Spain, Bodegas Artadi Vinas de Gain Rioja 2006 ♥♥
Washington State, Ex Libris Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ♥
California, Rodney Strong Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
California, Simi Russian River Chardonnay 2006 ♥
California, Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ♥♥
California, Frank Family Napa Zinfandel 2006 ♥
California, Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
California, Duckhorn Merlot
California, Daniel Gehrs Chenin Blanc 2005 ♥
California, Coniglio Cabernet Franc 2005 ♥
California, Coniglio Spring Mt. District Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ♥
California, White Rock Claret 2004
California, White Rock Cabernet “Laureate” 2004
California, Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
California, Philips Hill Toulouse Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007
Italy, Orlando Abrigo Barbaresco Montersino 2004 ♥♥♥♥
Italy, Orlando Abrigo Barbera D alba Vigno Roreto 2006 ♥
Italy, Ruffino Aziano Chianti 2006
Italy, Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2005 ♥♥♥
Italy, Tenuta Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino 2003 ♥♥♥♥
Germany, Pfalz, Dr. von Basserman-Jordan Riesling QbA 2007
Germany, Mosel, St. Urbans-Hof Riesling Kabinett, Ockfener Bockstein 2007
Germany, Rheingau, Schloss Johannisberg Riesling Spatlese “Grunlack” 2007
Germany, Von Hovel “Balduin” Estate Riesling 2007
Germany, Monchhof Urziger Wurzgarten Kabinett 2007
Germany, Gunderloch Estate Kabinett “Jean Baptiste” 2007
Germany, Dr. F. Weins-Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese 2007 ♥♥♥
New Zealand, Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc 2008
New Zealand, Mt. Difficulty Estate Pinot Noir 2007 ♥
New Zealand, Daniel Schuster Twin Vineyards Pinot Noir 2006/7
Hungary, Monarchia Winery Chardonnay Eger 2006 ♥♥
Hungary, Monarchia Winery Bazilika 2004 ♥♥
Hungary, Chateau Dereszla Tokaji 6 Puttonyos 2003 ♥♥♥
France, Languedoc, Chateau Puech-Haut Clos du Pic 2004
France, Languedoc, Mas de la Barben Calices 2003 ♥
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Grand Mayne 1999 ♥♥♥
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere 1999 ♥
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2001 ♥♥
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2002 ♥♥
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Cabanne 2001 ♥♥♥♥
France, Bordeaux, Chateau La Fleur de Bouard 2004 ♥
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Brane Cantenac 2004 ♥
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Du Tertre 2004 ♥♥
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Giscours 2004
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Beychevelle 2004 ♥♥♥
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Franc Maillet 2005 (Kosher)
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Quinault 2005 (Kosher) ♥
France, Bordeaux, Chateau Larrivet Haut Brion Blanc 2005

Wine Review: 1996 Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon (Black Label) Mas La Plana

2009-04-06T23:07:00.004-04:00

Name: 1996 Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon (Black Label) Mas La Plana

Producer: Miguel Torres

Region: Spain, Catalunya, Penedès

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Year/Vintage: 1996

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $29.99, PA Wine and Spirits (December 2008)

Date Logged: 04/04/2009

Pairing(s): Filet Mignon

My Rating: 4 Stars

I’ve been eagerly anticipating getting my lips on a Mas La Plana for quite some time. I have a $50 bottle of the 2001 that I’ve had for a few years in the cellar, just waiting for a special occasion. So, when I saw the 1996 on sale last December for $30, I snapped it up, thinking I would try it should the less than “special” occasion arrive. In celebration of our official fireplace christening, we did just that.

This is a perfect wine for a steak. The nose is subtle, but earthy and woodsy, with some nice dark cherry coming through. The palate is complex, with plenty of smoke, pencil shavings and cigar box flavors. It’s got strong tannins but not to the point where they dominate, and the fruit still shows through nicely. A great wine to sit in front of a new, or old, fireplace and enjoy the warmth.

Wine Review: 2004 Bonny Doon Vineyard Syrah Le Pousseur

2009-04-06T22:48:00.003-04:00

Name: 2004 Bonny Doon Vineyard Syrah Le Pousseur

Producer: Bonny Doon Vineyard

Region: USA, California, Central Coast

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Syrah

Year/Vintage: 2004

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $18.99, Kroger (March 2009)

Date Logged: 04/03/2009

Pairing(s): pizza

My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

An interesting wine and a bit surprising. The nose was full of spice, especially bell peppers and sort of an orange-curry mixture. A little hot on the palate, and really big tannins. Unfortunately, it sort of overwhelmed the pizza I paired with it. I think it would have much better matched against a beef stew or steak. Be that as it may, it had enough subtle textures of leather and minty spice to be interesting enough on its own. A little pricey, but then again it could indeed be compared to a $25-30 Chateauneuf de Pape, and the bottle has a really nice label, so maybe worth the dollars.

Wine Review: 2006 Anakena Carménère, Single Vineyard

2009-03-29T21:02:00.004-04:00

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

2009-03-24T00:26:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-17T22:22:00.003-04:00

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

2009-03-03T21:23:00.002-05:00

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.

Wine Review: 2005 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon H3

2009-02-25T22:56:00.002-05:00

Name: 2005 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon H3
Producer: Columbia Crest
Region: USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot; 6% Cabernet Franc
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $12.99 (Gift, 12/2008)
Date Logged: 02/25/2009
Pairing(s): Pork sausage and kraut
My Rating: 3 Stars

My first impression of this wine was that it seemed a little round and soft for a cabernet. I don’t drink a lot of cabs from Washington, though, so I didn’t dwell on it. A little more research, though, and I found out that it’s blended with merlot and cab franc…so there you go, first impressions do mean something.

That being said, this is a pretty nice wine. The nose is nice and spicy, with black pepper and blueberries dominating. There was also a touch of Testors model paint aroma hiding in the background that seemed to fade after being open for awhile. The palate was simple but good…very much fruit-forward, with blueberry and cherry cola flavors hitting first, followed by a little bit of a rare red meat taste that took awhile to figure out, but paired up really well with the pork sausage and kraut combo. The back end is supple, with a mild tannic finish and a slight coffee-ground aftertaste.

I noticed that the area that this wine comes from is nearly the same latitude as Bordeaux. It’s not quite as interesting as your typical Haut Medoc offering, but at $12.99 it’s a great value and well worth seeking out.

Wine Review: 2005 Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino

2009-02-23T21:50:00.009-05:00

Name: 2005 Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino

Producer: Castello Banfi

Region: Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Sangiovese Grosso

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $19.99, PA Wine & Spirits (January 2008)

Date Logged: 02/22/2009

Pairing(s): 1) Sphagetti marinara with meatballs, 2) pizza

My Rating: 2-1/2 Stars

Rosso di Montalcino is the junior wine to the much more prestigious Brunello di Montalcino. The family owned Castello Banfi vineyard estate is the Brunello zone’s leading producer and has been described as a “constellation of single vineyards,” with a medieval castle crowning the estate. 2005 was supposedly a rough year for all growers in this region due to a very damp late summer. That may show in this particular bottle.

This wine wasn’t bad but was more or less forgettable. It had a really nice cherry nose after first opening that soon diminished after standing an hour or so. It maintained some decent cherry fruit on the palate, with a few earth tones hiding in the background, but nothing overly exciting. It opened up a little the second day and had a few more woody flavors, and a little bit of a bayberry component that I liked. It was easy-drinking and complemented the food reasonably well, and might benefit with another year or so in the cellar. For now, though, it just isn’t much to write home about, and a little over-priced at 20 bucks a bottle.

Wine Review: 2004 Château Saint-Robert Blanc Cuvee Poncet Deville

2009-02-20T22:34:00.003-05:00

Name: 2004 Château Saint-Robert Blanc Cuvee Poncet Deville

Producer: Château Saint-Robert

Region: France, Bordeaux, Graves

Classification: N/A

Type: White Wine

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Year/Vintage: 2004

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $17.99, PA Wine & Spirits (2007)

Date Logged: 02/20/2009

Pairing(s): Greek Chicken Wraps

My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

The Saint-Robert estate, located in the Graves region of Bordeaux, dates back to 1686. It is named after one of the original owner’s mother, Dame Anne Robert. It was not until the 19th century that the estate of Saint Robert became a real wine-growing château. This transformation was the work of one of its owners, the younger Monsieur Poncet Deville, who was largely responsible for the improvements made in the vineyard, known at that time as Clos Saint Robert. For both Saint Robert red and white wines, two blends are made: the Château Saint Robert itself, and the Cuvée Poncet Deville, which is made from a hand-picked selection of the best terroirs and the oldest vines.

Up until today, I had only had the generic Saint-Robert wines, which I have always enjoyed. The Poncet Deville was different right out of the glass, with a much more golden and chardonnay-look to it than the standard Saint-Robert. The nose was quite grassy, with a little bit of a vinyl component to it as well. The first thing you notice on the palate is the acidity, which completely rips at your tongue the first couple of sips. After you get used to it, though, the lemon and other citrus components come through, as does a fair amount of oak. It’s not quite buttery, but it’s close. The combination of acidity, citrus and oak turn out to be really well balanced, and make for a very interesting and enjoyable sauvignon blanc. The pairing with the lemon-based Greek dressing of our dinner was nearly perfect.

This wine is a few dollars more than the standard Saint-Robert, but given the added complexity of this one I would say it is worth it. Overall, it is quite delicious, interesting, and a really good value.

You can't drink wine all the time

2009-02-19T21:15:00.005-05:00

We were having spicy chicken burritos for dinner...a tough pairing for wine. I looked in the fridge and (gasp!) NO BEER! But I did have limes. So, despite the fact that it was 25 degrees and snowing outside, I broke out the tequila. I had just enough Patron to make two really fine winter margaritas. I spiked them with a shot of Chambord to give them that girly pink look. It's amazing how powerful that aromas and flavors like this can be - for a few minutes tonight it felt like summer. But alas...

Wine Review: 2006 Sauvion Chinon

2009-02-18T21:26:00.004-05:00

Name: 2006 Sauvion Chinon
Producer: Sauvion
Region: France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Cabernet Franc
Year/Vintage: 2006
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $12.99, Wine & More (Feb 2007)
Date Logged: 02/15/2009
Pairing(s): 1) Pizza, 2) Grilled pork loin
My Rating: 3.5 to 4 Stars

If you like green vegetables, this is the wine for you. Lots of bell pepper flavors on the nose and palate, but not overpowering, It paired perfectly with the pizza we had with it the first night. Chinons are definitely becoming a favorite of mine to have with pizza.

The wine was initially a little out of balance, with a slightly hot finish (almost like rubbing alcohol). A couple of days on the counter, though, and it seemed much better rounded and easier drinking. The vegetable components evolved between the first and second tastings, with more of the broccoli and asparagus flavors evident after sitting a couple of days. It also picked up a little more smokiness on the palate, which made the second pairing with grilled pork quite nice. The way that the wine changed over time caused me to give the dual scoring, since it definitely seemed to improve after opening. Overall, a very interesting wine and a fantastic value.

Wine Review: 2004 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay

2009-02-15T19:46:00.005-05:00

Name: 2004 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay
Producer: Landmark
Region: USA, California
Classification: N/A
Type: White Wine
Variety: Chardonnay
Year/Vintage: 2004
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $15.99, PA Wine & Spirits (April 2007)
Date Logged: 02/14/2009
Pairing(s): Chicken Piccata
My Rating: 3 Stars

A good but not great chardonnay from Landmark that may be a little past its prime. This was a little oakier than I remember from other vintages of the same wine. Because of that, it’s not exactly my style, but a reasonably good wine nevertheless. The grapes are a blend from Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties in California. Not surprisingly, it tastes a little on the generic California chardonnay side. It is crisp with some citrus, tropical and apple flavors on the nose and palate, with a decent kick of alcohol and a fairly bitter finish. Not as buttery as I expected, based on other Landmark efforts that I’ve had. It paired nicely with the salty, lemon base of the chicken piccata. It's a good value at $16...maybe not so good at $25, which is what I seem to remember paying for it at some time in the past.

Wine Review: 2005 Landmark Grand Detour Pinot Noir

2009-02-14T16:42:00.007-05:00

Name: 2005 Landmark Grand Detour Pinot Noir

Producer: Landmark
Region: USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Pinot Noir

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $29.99, PA Wine & Spirits (April 2007)

Date Logged: 02/13/2009

Pairing(s): 1) Grilled Salmon, 2) Grilled pork chop (Café Du Jour)

My Rating: 4-1/2 Stars

I am very seldom disappointed by Landmark, and this was no exception. We brought this with us to Café Du Jour on the Southside and I had it with a thick, juicy pork chop while Jen had it with her favorite sea salt-rubbed seared salmon. Both pairings were superb.

The wine was lip-smackingly delicious, with nice berry and cherry fruit that was somewhat subtle and nicely balanced out with the mild tannins. Very smooth and easy-drinking. This wine lived up to Pinot’s seductive and understated reputation. No single flavor component was overpowering, which really allowed the best characteristics of the food to shine through. It effortlessly earns the 4-1/2 star rating I gave it. It is not an inexpensive wine, but worth the price for special occasions that you want to remember.

Wine Review: 2002 Renwood Zinfandel Old Vine

2009-02-08T21:45:00.004-05:00

Name: 2002 Renwood Zinfandel Old Vine
Producer: Renwood
Region: USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Zinfandel
Year/Vintage: 2002
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $16.99, PA Wine & Spirits (several years ago)
Date Logged: 02/08/2009
Pairing(s): Grilled pork loin
My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

We drank this wine quite a bit in 2005 but it’s been awhile since I’ve had it. I remember it as a jammy fruit bomb from back then. After a few years in the cellar, it has settled down a little and picked up some nice complexity to go with the fruit. It’s still pretty jammy, with blackberry and cranberry flavors being the most discernable. But now it has some cigar and cedar components as well. This wine was always a little hot and spicy in the past, and that still is the case. It has big tannins, is a little on the acidic side, and has an astringent and medium finish. The color is medium red and seemed a little browner than before, so I think some oxidation has definitely taken place. It paired very nicely with the grilled pork, and is quaffable by itself despite the astringent finish. I think the price point of the more recent vintages has pushed over $20. If they are similar to this, they’re still a decent buy and can be drunk now or put away for several years.

Wine Review: 2000 Frank Phélan

2009-02-07T21:40:00.004-05:00

Name: 2000 Frank Phélan

Producer: Chateau Phelan Segur

Region: France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

Year/Vintage: 2000

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $28.99, PA Wine & Spirits

Date Logged: 02/06/2009

Pairing(s): Pizza

My Rating: 3 Stars

This is the second wine of the renowned St.Estephe estate Ch.Phelan-Segur. The Grand Vin goes for around $150 a bottle. The vines for this wine have rather illustrious neighbors, namely Chateau Montrose and Chateau Calon-Ségur.

With all of this hype, I may have expected too much of this wine. Although I wasn’t disappointed by it (it is a very nice wine), I can’t say that I was blown away by it either. It is typical of a decent Bordeaux, with all of the tannins and complexity you would expect – old leather, musty basement and pencil shaving components dominate. There is a little fruit left, with a hint of cherries coming through on the nose and mid-palate. There is also a subtle vegetal character, but I couldn’t quite nail the exact flavor component. None of the flavors really stood out, though, and the wine seemed a bit closed – it may have opened up if I had decanted it longer.

I paired this with pizza, which certainly wasn’t perfect…a nice charcoal-grilled steak would have been ideal. I wish I had a second bottle to give it another try with a red meat after decanting. Unfortunately, at almost $30 a bottle, that may have to wait.

Wine Review: A Homebrew from Chateau de Kephart

2009-01-29T23:10:00.007-05:00

Name: 2007 Chateau de Kephart

Producer: Allen Kephart
Region: Italy

Classification: Homemade Kit Wine

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Sangiovese/Merlot

Year/Vintage: 2007

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: Free, November 2008

Date Logged: 1/29/2009

Pairing(s): Grilled burgers

My Rating: 2.5 Stars

A friend of mine made this wine from a kit and asked me to give it a whirl. It was his first shot at winemaking. The juice came from Italy and is reportedly a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot, so I’m guessing the style is intended to be sort of “Super-Tuscan”.

As far as homebrews go, I thought this came out pretty well, and in fact I think it would stand up against a lot of the Kendall Jackson-like wines I’ve paid as much as $10 for. The wine was beautiful in the glass, with a deep ruby color that reminded me of Syrah. The nose was a little closed but was definitely dominated with plenty of cherry cola-like aromas. However, it also had some vegetal characteristics lurking in the background that were reminiscent of pickled beets and green peppers - a little more complex than I expected, and reminded me a little bit of Italian salad dressing...unusual to say the least.

It was pure fruit-bomb on the front palate, with cherry once again playing the dominant role. The mid-palate was attacked with some uneven acidity that gave it a little bit of a vinegary impression, but it was quickly replaced with a firm but very short tannic finish.

We paired this with classic grilled American hamburgers, which it supported fairly well. The acidity actually seemed to balance out a little better when put up beside the pickle relish and mustard, and the tannins had just enough umph to cut through the grilled flavor without lingering too long at the end. All in all, a very drinkable effort. Given the elements present in it now, it is likely to evolve over the next year or so into a more complex profile that could prove interesting.

Wine Review: 2001 Gloria Ferrar Carneros Syrah

2009-01-23T23:24:00.004-05:00

Name: 2001 Gloria Ferrar Carneros Syrah

Producer: Gloria Ferrar

Region: USA, California, Sonoma, Carneros

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Syrah

Year/Vintage: 2001

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $9.99, PA Wine Store, December 2007

Date Logged: 1/23/2009

Pairing(s): Grilled burgers

My Rating: 4 Stars

A pleasant surprise from the cellar. This wine is a dark, dark garnet color, almost black. It has a really nice, Frenchy nose of dark fruit, cherry cola and hints of leather and smoke. It has a smooth and full feel in the mouth, with complex flavors reminiscent of some much more expensive Rhone valley wines. The front palate is hit with a full spectrum of dark berry fruits, followed by coffee, smoke and peppery flavors. It finishes with some nice strong tannins and lingering fruit that complemented our grilled burgers quite well.

For 10 bucks, this is an excellent buy (a steal actually). The more recent vintages are currently going for around $20. If they are anywhere as nice as this one, then they’re still worth seeking out even at twice the price I paid.

Wine Review: 2004 Loimer Grüner Veltliner

2009-01-23T23:21:00.003-05:00

Name: 2004 Loimer Grüner Veltliner

Producer: Loimer

Region: Austria, Käferberg

Classification: N/A

Type: White Wine

Variety: Grüner Veltliner

Year/Vintage: 2004

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $17.99, PA Wine Store, January 2009

Date Logged: 1/19/2009

Pairing(s): Grilled Pork Loin

My Rating: 2.5 Stars

This was my first experience with a Grüner Veltliner. Unfortunately, it was a little boring. There’s nothing wrong with this wine; it’s just not much to it. It is fairly lightweight, with some citrus (mainly grapefruit), a little grass, and some faint minerality. It was fairly well balanced, with a short, slightly astringent finish. Although light overall, it did manage to stand up to the pork, and may become more exciting with grilled seafood or maybe sushi. For $18, though, I doubt if I give it a second chance.

Wine Review: 2004 Olek-Mery Cuvee Des Tireaux

2009-01-23T23:18:00.002-05:00

Name: 2004 Olek-Mery Cuvee Des Tireaux Chinon

Producer: Olek-Mery

Region: France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Cabernet Franc

Year/Vintage: 2004

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $21.99, PA Wine Store, February, 2008

Date Logged: 1/17/2009

Pairing(s): Pizza

My Rating: 4 Stars

A very nice food-friendly wine. Beautiful color and nice red berry-rich nose. It followed up on the palate with raspberry and cherry fruit, and loads of green peppers. The latter really made it go well with the classic pepperoni and vegetable pizza that we paired with it. It finished with a mild dose of tannins and a slightly metallic aftertaste. A little pricey, but different and tasty enough to get again.

Wine Review: 2005 Bodega Septima Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-11-16T17:54:00.002-05:00

Name: 2005 Bodega Septima Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Producer: Bodega Septima

Region: Argentina, Mendoza, Luján de Cuyo

Classification: Gran Reserva

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $18.99, PA Wine & Spirits, October, 2008

Date Logged: 11/15/2008

Pairing(s): Grilled steak with gargonzola cheese and butter

My Rating: 4 Stars

The bottle that this wine comes in looks larger than usual and feels a bit on the heavy side. Which is fitting, since this is a big wine. Dark, dark red color in the glass. Lots of red fruit on the nose - cherries, raspberries and strawberries, all of which follow through on the palate, along with some green pepper and vegetable components as well. Not overly complex, but not exactly a fruit bomb either. Quite tannic on the long finish, this wine needs a strong food to pair with. I had it with grilled NY Strip at Café Du Jour, and the wine complemented the spices and gorgonzola cheese that they rub on the steak very nicely. If you’re looking for a delicious, almost-but-not-quite-Bordeaux style of wine for a big meal, this is a good choice for less than 20 bucks.

Wine Review: 2007 Rudolf Müller Riesling Kabinett

2008-11-13T22:15:00.005-05:00

Name: 2007 Rudolf Müller Riesling Kabinett
Producer: Rudolph Muller
Region: Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Classification: N/A
Type: White Wine
Variety: Riesling
Year/Vintage: 2007
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $12.99, PA Wine & Spirits, October, 2008
Date Logged: 11/12/2008
Pairing(s): Green Curry (spicy 9 out of 10)
My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

Our string of hits continues. Another good value from the Mosel river valley of Germany. This wine paired very well with a relatively spicy curry. Very pale in the glass, almost clear, with strong green apple and citrus components on the nose and palate. The wine had a delicious sweetness up front and a really nice mineral finish. Better with food than without, but easy-drinking either way. Highly recommended.

Wine Review: 2004 Placido Chianti Classico

2008-11-13T21:54:00.006-05:00

Name: 2004 Placido Chianti Classico
Producer: Placido
Region: Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
Classification: Reserve
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Sangiovese
Year/Vintage: 2004
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $13.99, PA Wine & Spirits, October, 2008
Date Logged: 11/9/2008
Pairing(s): Spaghetti, red sauce and meatballs
My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

Nice. Perfect match for a hearty pasta dish like spaghetti and meatballs. A little red fruit mixed with great earthy and leathery undertones on the nose and palate. The acidity mixes well with tomato-based food, and I can see having this with pizza as well. Medium finish, with a nice mouth feel all the way through. Great value.

Wine Review: 2006 Domaine Saint Martin Bourgogne Blanc

2008-11-13T21:17:00.002-05:00

Name: 2006 Domaine Saint Martin Bourgogne Blanc

Producer: Domaine Saint Martin

Region: France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, St. Véran

Classification: N/A

Type: White Wine

Variety: Chardonnay

Year/Vintage: 2006

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $13.99, Total Wine & More, February, 2008

Date Logged: 11/7/2008

Pairing(s): Greek Chicken Wraps

My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

This was a very nice Chardonnay from the Mâconnais region of France. Very pale straw color in the glass, with a pleasant nose of grapefruit and peaches. Crisp and well balanced on the palate, with good peach, citrus and melon flavor components, and a little bit of mineral on the back end. The finish was a little short, and there was almost no detectable oak. The wine matched very nicely with some soft cheese and lemon-based chicken wraps, but it would also serve quite well as a nice summer sipping wine.

Wine Review: 2007 Gunn Estate Sauvignon Blanc

2008-11-02T20:11:00.003-05:00

Name: 2007 Gunn Sauvignon Blanc
Producer: Gunn Estate
Region: New Zealand, Marlborough
Classification: N/A
Type: White Wine
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Year/Vintage: 2007
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $14.99, PA Wine Store, Oct. 2008
Date Logged: 11/2/2008
Pairing(s): Grilled Chicken Salad
My Rating: 2.5 Stars

This wine is loaded with fruit. Lots of apricots, peaches and pineapple on the nose. More of the same on the palate, with a good dose of honey sweetness, but balanced fairly well with some acidity on the mid-palate. This is a light drinking wine that definitely goes well with salads and chicken. A little pricy for an average wine. I think the Kim Crawford Sav Blanc is a slightly better wine and is generally $4-5 cheaper.

Wine Review: 2005 Le Pont Bandol

2008-11-02T19:57:00.004-05:00

Name: 2005 Le Pont Bandol
Producer: Le Pont
Region: France, Provence, Bandol
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Mourvèdre, others (e.g., maybe Cinsault, Grenache)
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $14.99, Total Wine and More, Feb. 2008
Date Logged: 11/1/2008
Pairing(s): Pizza
My Rating: 3 Stars

Bandol vines are located in the hills between La Ciotat and Toulon, near Marseille, facing the Mediterranean Sea. Bandol is one of the oldest vineyards in France. The first vine was planted in Bandol 2,500 years ago by the Romans!

This wine had a nice garnet color in the glass. The nose was rather closed, with hints of spiciness – it smelled a little hot. The palet was noticeably spicy, with black pepper as well as green and red bell peppers. We had it with pizza and it actually complemented the peppers and pepperoni quite nicely. It was mildly tannic, and would hold up to a savory meat dish just as well. Medium finish.

Overall, a good food-friendly wine and a pretty nice value.

Wine Review: 2006 Valkenberg Zeller Schwarze Katz Riesling

2008-10-28T21:48:00.005-04:00

Name: 2006 Valkenberg Zeller Schwarze Katz Riesling

Producer: P.J. Valkenberg

Region: Germany, Mosel, Zeller

Classification: N/A

Type: White Wine

Variety: Riesling

Year/Vintage: 2006

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $10.99, PA Wine Store, October 2008

Date Logged: 10/28/2008

Pairing(s): Asian Beef Stir Fry

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

This wine is a version of the famous Zeller Schwarze Katz, or Zeller’s "Black Cat." The legend goes that a black cat once chose the best wine during a tasting event long, long ago, by jumping on the barrel and clawing anyone that would come near.

We paired this version of the "black cat" with a mildly spicy beef stir fry. The light, fruity and sweet wine matched the medium heat of the stir fry perfectly. The wine had a nice, strong apple aroma, and the palate offered lots of apple and peach flavors, with smoke and mineral notes. The fruity sweetness is well balanced by clean acidity and a barely dry finish.

This is a very easy-drinking wine, and would pair well with just about any light meat or seafood dish, and would also be great with mild cheese or sour apples. At $10.99, it’s a great value.

Wine Review: 1995 Chateau Simard Saint-Emilion

2008-10-19T20:55:00.003-04:00

Name: 1995 Chateau Simard Saint-Emilion

Producer: Chateau Simard

Region: France, Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: 70% Merlot/30% Cabernet Franc

Year/Vintage: 1995

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $27.99, PA Wine Store

Date Logged: 10/19/2008

Pairing(s): (1) Tomato pasta, (2) BBQ pork ribs

My Rating: 4 stars

This wine is one of the few affordable Saint-Emilion wines that the PA Wine Store routinely carries (if you can call $28 affordable). Neither of the pairings we drank this with were quite appropriate for this type of wine, but I have been wanting something old and complex lately, and this '95 sort of jumped out at me.

This is a nice wine. It is very complex, and has held up very well in the bottle. The tannins are strong but round, and the predominant flavor and aroma profiles are earthy and smoky, with a little bit of dirty laundry funkiness thrown in for good measure. The aroma reminds you of a forest floor and a campfire, and the taste brings to mind mushrooms and chocolate, with some spicy clove and black peppers in the finish. There's not a lot of fruit to speak of, although occasionally some black cherry would sneak in.

This is the kind of wine that definitely needs a steak or some kind of marinated grilled meat to be appreciated fully. The pork ribs worked better for us than the pasta, but in both cases I wasn't dissapointed in drinking such an interesting wine.

What We've Been Drinking

2008-09-14T21:40:00.004-04:00

I had a few good wines lately that are worth having again. Two in particular, are the 2006 Villa Maria Gewurztraminer from New Zealand (3 stars, purchased $11.99 at PA Wine Store last October), and the 2006 Querceto Chianti Classico (3 stars, $13.99 at PA Wine Store this April). I paired the Gewurztraminer with both a spicy pasta as well as a chicken stir-fry, and it complemented both meals very well. We had the Chianti with pizza and Italian-style chicken & tomatoes, and both of these pairings were very good. Two good value wines worth seeking out again.

On the other hand, we had a 2004 Chateau de la Charriere, Clos Rousseau from the Santenay appelation of Burgundy (two stars, $27.99 from Total Wine and More this February). We paired it with barbeque grilled pork. Although not a bad wine, I didn't feel it delivered quite the experience that the two wines above did at half the price or less, so it was a loser on the value scale. Did I mention that it was an Alfio Moriconi selection (see previous dissapointments for this line)?

Wine Review: Erath 2006 Oregon Pinot Noir

2008-08-29T23:01:00.004-04:00

Name: Erath 2006 Oregon Pinot Noir
Producer: Erath Vinyards
Region: USA, Oregon, 90.3% Willamette Valley, 9.7% Umpqua
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Pinot Noir
Year/Vintage: 2006
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $18.89, Fresh Market Food Store, March, 2008
Date Logged: 08/29/2008
Pairing(s): Grilled pork chops with Dijon baked potatoes
My Rating: 4 stars

Erath is a small producer in the Willamette Valley of Oregon that has been around since the late 1960s. They have 118 acres of vinyards, and purchase grapes from another 130 acres in Oregon. Almost two thirds of their wine is Pinot Noir, but they also produce Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and small amounts of Dry Riesling, Dry Gewürztraminer and Dolcetto. Erath produces three styles of Pinot Noir. The most affordable and first to be bottled and released each year is the 'Oregon', which is what I had here.

This wine is everything that I look for in a good American Pinot. It has a super light color that borders on pinkish. The nose is very floral, fruity, and non-French, with hints of cranberries, cherries and almost every conceivable red berry. The taste is fruit forward with very mild tannins and a little earthiness, spice and a hint of oak on the mid-length finish. The wine had a really nice silky feel in the mouth, and seemed about as fresh and aromatic as any wine I have had in recent memory.

We had this with pork chops and Dijon potatoes, and the pairing was perfect. I could also see having this with grilled salmon or grilled chicken salad. At less than 20 bucks, I think this wine is a great value and really worth having again. I logged its overall quality at 4 out of 5 stars.

Wine Review: 2006 Jaffelin Mercurey Pinot Noir

2008-08-12T21:54:00.001-04:00

Name: 2006 Jaffelin Mercurey 1er Cru Le Clos L’Eveque
Producer: Roger Jaffelin
Region: France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey 1er Cru
Classification: Grand Vin de Bourgogne
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Pinot Noir
Year/Vintage: 2006
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $22.99, Total Wine & More, February, 2008
Date Logged: 08/10/2008
Pairing: Grilled Pork Loin
My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

This is what I want from a wine like this… delicious, fresh, moderate complexity, a little funkiness and a lot of fruit. A very well-balanced wine that is drinking very well right now. Moderate tannins on the back end, so it may stick around for a few years as well. Paired superbly with grilled pork loin, but is also a pleasant sipping wine as well. Beautiful light ruby color in the glass, and a nose that is loaded with fruit and forest aromas. We thought that this was slightly better than a 2005 Pernand-vergelesses we had a few months ago from the same producer.

$10 Value Contest: Chile versus Australia

2008-08-04T21:42:00.003-04:00

Recently we had two "cheap" wines which turned out to be on complete opposite ends of the value spectrum. Other than the price, these two wines didn't have much in common, so it isn't fair to either one of these wines to compare them in a head-to-head competition. It is interesting, nevertheless, to just compare the bang for the buck aspect of these two wines.

First, on the high-side of the value curve, we had a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile (2006 BrisAndes from Domaines Baron de Rothschild (Lafite), from the Colchagua Valley of Chile). We paid about $10 for it earlier this year at Total Wine and More in Delaware. With its French heritage backing by Lafite, I expected it to be a good effort, and was not disappointed. In fact, I was surprised at how good this wine actually was. It drank very much like a more expensive wine from Medoc, except a little more fruit-forward. It had a full flavor profile, with nice dark fruit, spice and chocolate tones. Very pleasing weight and finish, and paired perfectly with a grilled steak.

On the other end of the spectrum is the 2002 Jacob's Creek Reserve Chardonnay from South Australia. Another $10 purchase, but that was several years ago, so a more recent vintage today is probably a dollar or two more expensive. I probably should handicap the wine a little since it has been in the cellar a little longer than a $10 chardonnay should, but my guess is that this wasn't a very good wine even in 2002. The primary problem was oak - this wine tasted like I inhaled while I was standing in a saw mill. We had this wine with a light grilled chicken salad. At first I thought I would grow to like it, but the oak just completely overshadowed any potential good elements of the wine, not to mention the food. We ended the meal with nearly a half-bottle left, which is a rarity at our table.

So, that's the problem with wine...or maybe what's cool about wine. Two bottles for the same price, one I could drink every night, the other I don't care to ever have again.

Wine Review: 2006 Domaine Pascal Bouchard Petit Chablis

2008-08-04T21:17:00.003-04:00

Name: 2006 Domaine Pascal Bouchard Petit Chablis
Producer: Domaine Pascal Bouchard
Region: France, Burgundy, Chablis
Classification: N/A
Type: White Wine
Variety: Chardonnay
Year/Vintage: 2006
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $17.99 Total Wine and More
Date Logged: 07/25/2008
Pairing(s): Seafood Pasta in Lemon and Olive Oil
My Rating: 3 Stars

This is classic Chablis, with plenty of green apple, citrus and mineral overtones. It had a long finish with a nice acidity. Perfect match with shrimp and scallops. Although it is very good, though, it wasn’t knock-your-socks-off good nor particularly memorable, and I’m not sure if it held its value up with the $18 price tag.

Wine Review: 2005 Willamette Valley Vinyards Pinot Noir

2008-07-27T11:39:00.005-04:00

Name: 2005 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir
Producer: Willamette Valley Vineyards
Region: USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Pinto Noir
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $20.99, PA Wine Store
Date Logged: July 26, 2008
Pairing(s): NY Strip Steak and Salmon
Rating: 4 Stars

We brought this wine to dinner at Cafe Du Jour, which is one of our favorite BYOB establishments in Pittsburgh.

The color of the wine was very pale burgundy, almost with a brown tint to it. It had a complex nose, with an old-world aroma of dirty forest and black fruit. On the palate, it had plenty of dark berry and cherry fruit elements, with some more aromatic clove-like tones. It had noticable but not overbearing tannins and a nice medium finish. It paired very well with both of our meals. Good, solid wine and highly recommended as a French-style burgundy from America.

Wine Review: 2007 Pascual Toso Chardonnay

2008-07-07T22:40:00.003-04:00

Name: 2007 Pascual Toso Chardonnay
Producer: Pascual Toso
Region: South America, Argentina, Mendoza, Maipu
Classification: Estate
Type: White Wine
Variety: Chardonnay
Year/Vintage: 2007
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $7.99, PA Wine & Spirits
Date Logged: 07/06/2008
Pairing(s): 1) Orange Roughy 2) Grilled Chicken
My Rating: 2 Stars

Oak rules this wine. If that’s what you’re after, then this wine will satisfy you immensely. I’m not a big fan of the buttery oakiness that this wine exudes, but I still found it reasonably enjoyable and certainly worth the 8 bucks I paid for it. It paired well with the fish and the grilled chicken dishes, the oak actually accentuating both nicely. Other flavor components include vanilla, pear and apples. The nose is floral and pleasant. It's a little unbalanced, with the acidity too weak. The finish is also a little short and leaves a bit of a burnt aftertaste. All-in-all, though, not a bad food-friendly wine to keep around for the summer.

Wine Review: 2006 Carneros Creek Reserve Pinot Noir

2008-06-29T21:35:00.003-04:00

Name: 2006 Carneros Creek Reserve Pinot Noir

Producer: Carneros Creek

Region: USA, California, California, Napa Valley, Carneros

Classification: Reserve

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Pinot Noir

Year/Vintage: 2006

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $19.99, Total Wine & More

Date Logged: 06/27/2008

Pairing(s): 1) Grilled Chicken 2) Pizza

My Rating: 1.5 Star

OK, but not very likeable. A little more tannic than I expected. I anticipated a fruit bomb, but other than some light cherry flavors (think Ludens Cough Drops) nothing much to write home about. Thin and short finish. Not worth the price tag. Bad choice for pairing with the grilled chicken. It faired a little better with the garlicy pizza.

Wine Review: 2005 Chateau Coucheroy Blanc

2008-06-24T23:27:00.002-04:00

Name: 2005 Chateau Coucheroy Blanc

Producer: Chateau Coucheroy

Region: France, Bordeaux, Pessac-Leognan, Graves

Classification: Grand Vin de Bordeaux

Type: White Wine

Variety: 90% sauvignon blanc and 10% semillon

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $12.99, Total Wine & More

Date Logged: 06/23/2008

Pairing(s): Scallops and Shrimp

My Rating: 3.5 Star

Nice pale straw color. Grassy nose with citrus and apricot tones. More citrus and peachy flavors on the palate, with a little mineral background and strong acidity – nice if you like that kind of thing. Fantastic pairing with a light seafood medley, and perfect for summer sipping.

Wine Review: 2005 Louis Chavy (Alfio Moriconi Selection)

2008-06-24T23:00:00.004-04:00

Name: 2005 Louis Chavy (Alfio Moriconi Selection)
Producer: Louis Chavy
Region: France, Burgundy, Cote D’Or, Beaune
Classification: Vin de Bourgogne
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Pinot Noir
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $12.99, Total Wine & More
Date Logged: 06/22/2008
Pairing(s): 1) Pork Loin, 2) Salmon
My Rating: 1 Star

Not good. Closed nose. Felt like water in the mouth. It was drinkable with food, but that’s about it. Tasted more like a cheap Rose than a pinot from Cote D’Or. Fruit was nearly non-existant, and the acidity was way out of balance. I've seen other reviews that rave about this wine...so, I don't know, maybe it was just a bad bottle. I'm missing something here.

I have had little to no success with any wine labeled as an “Alfio Moriconi Selection”. This is the first I’ve had that this label appeared so prominently on the front of the bottle. I will beware of this in the future.

Wine Review: 2006 Chateau Saint-Robert Blanc Bordeaux

2008-06-24T22:39:00.005-04:00

Name: 2006 Chateau Saint-Robert Blanc Bordeaux

Producer: Chateau Saint-Robert

Region: France, Bordeaux, Graves

Classification: N/A

Type: White Wine

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Year/Vintage: 2006

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $14.99, PA Wine & Spirits
Date Logged: 06/20/2008

Pairing(s): Orange Roughy

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Wonderful nose of lemons and citrus. Worked well with light fish dish, but also drank nicely with fresh fruit appetizers and by itself. Almost candy-like on the palate, with a Jolly-Rancher sort of melon flavor. Not overly complex, but well balanced, with nice acidity and just a hint of smokiness through the medium finish. Had a lively and pleasant feel in the mouth. Excellent value.

Wine Review: 2003 Chateau De Bel-Air Lalande de Pomerol

2008-06-24T22:22:00.002-04:00

Name: 2003 Chateau De Bel-Air

Producer: Chateau De Bel-Air

Region: France, Bordeaux, Lalande de Pomerol

Classification: Grand Vin de Bordeaux

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec

Year/Vintage: 2003

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $17.99

Date Logged: 06/15/2008

Pairing(s): Various grilled meats

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

We had this wine over several days. It actually improved (i.e., became more complex) each day after opening.

Great value-driven Bordeaux wine. Very nice dark ruby color. Complex nose and palate…plenty of tobacco, chocolate and black cherry tones. Finishes pleasantly long and tannic. Pairs superbly with grilled meats.

Wine Review: 2006 Barons de Rothschilds (Lafite) Chardonnay Los Vascos

2008-06-23T22:31:00.005-04:00

Name: 2006 Barons de Rothschilds (Lafite) Chardonnay Los Vascos
Producer: Vina Los Vascos and Domaines Barons de Rothschilds (Lafite)

Region: South America, Chile, Colchagua

Classification: N/A

Type: White Wine

Variety: Chardonnay

Year/Vintage: 2006

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $11.99, PA Wine and Spirits

Date Logged: 06/13/2008

Pairing(s): Grilled scallops and shrimp

My Rating: 3 Stars

Los Vascos was 50% acquired by Rothschild (Lafite) in 1988. A team of winemakers from Domaine Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) control the viticulture, harvest, maceration, fermentation and aging of the wines at Los Vascos. All production is estate bottled.

Almost colorless in the glass, with just a hint of pale straw tint. This is a light chardonnay that paired very nicely with a light summer seafood medley of shrimp and scallops. The palate was citrusy with some very nice apple and peach notes, and finished with an interesting mineral tone. Well balanced and a good deal.

Wine Review: 2004 Simonnet-Febvre Millesime Chablis

2008-06-10T22:01:00.003-04:00

Name: 2004 Simonnet-Febvre Millesime Chablis

Producer: Simonnet-Febvre

Region: France, Burgundy, Chablis

Classification: Grand Vin

Type: White Wine

Variety: Chardonnay

Year/Vintage: 2004

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $11.99, Total Wine & More

Date Logged: 06/10/2008

Pairing(s): 1) Tilapia w/fresh herbs and tomatoes, 2)Greek chicken wraps and grape leaves

My Rating: 4+ Stars

This was a good wine. Nice weight and rich feel in the mouth, well-balanced oak and acidity, and interesting mixture of citrus and mineral flavors. Extremely food-friendly, pairing well with both dishes. Next time I would like to pair it with raw oysters or steamed mussels.

Initially oily texture on the mouth with apple and tart citrus flavors. The mid-palate is dry with flint and maybe some nut flavors. It finishes a little sweet and fruity, with a nice length. Overall interesting from start to finish. At $12 it is a HUGE value.

Catching Up...Seven Wine Posts

2008-06-09T22:43:00.000-04:00

I've been spending a lot more time lately drinking than blogging...time to catch up. I haven't drunk anything lately that has completely rocked my wine world, so I'm just going to do a mass summary review of everything I've had lately. They are listed in the following seven posts in order of Best-Value to Least-Value. All of them were decent, none were overly pricey, and none were must-haves. Tis the season of mediocrity.

Wine Review: 2005 d’Arenberg McLaren Vale d’Arry’s Original Shiraz Grenache

2008-06-09T22:39:00.000-04:00

Name: 2005 d’Arenberg McLaren Vale d’Arry’s Original Shiraz Grenache
Producer: d’Arenberg
Region: Australia, McLaren Vale
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Shiraz and Grenache
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $16.99, PA Wine Store, June 2007
Date Logged: 06/02/2008
Pairing(s): Burgers
My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

Quick Comment: Nice earthy and balanced wine, excellent value, easy-drinking, would buy again

Wine Review: 2003 Davis Bynum Limited Edition Pinot Noir

2008-06-09T22:37:00.000-04:00

Name: 2003 Davis Bynum Limited Edition Pinot Noir
Producer: Davis Bynum
Region: USA, California, Russian River Valley
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Pinot Noir
Year/Vintage: 2003
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $21.99, PA Wine Store, June 2007
Date Logged: 06/01/2008
Pairing(s): Pizza, grilled pork
My Rating: 3 Stars

Quick Comment: Explosive fruit-forward wine, moderate value, paired OK with pizza, better with pork, better options available for less money.

Wine Review: 2006 Carpineto Dogajolo

2008-06-09T22:35:00.000-04:00

Name: 2006 Carpineto Dogajolo
Producer: Carpineto
Region: Italy, Toscana, Chianti
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Sangiovese
Year/Vintage: 2006
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $12.99, PA Wine Store, April 2008
Date Logged: 06/03.2008
Pairing(s): Pizza and various
My Rating: 3 Stars

Quick Comment: Nice, fruit-forward wine, good value, food-friendly, would buy again

Wine Review: 2005 Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir

2008-06-09T22:32:00.000-04:00

Name: 2005 Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir

Producer: Villa Maria

Region: New Zealand, Marlborough

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Pinot Noir

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $14.99, PA Wine Store, October 2007

Date Logged: 05/27/2008

Pairing(s): BBQ Chicken

My Rating: 3 Stars

Quick Comment: Interesting, moderately complex wine, good value, food-friendly, would buy again

Wine Review: 2003 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay

2008-06-09T22:31:00.001-04:00

Name: 2003 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay

Producer: Landmark

Region: USA, California, Sonoma

Classification: N/A

Type: White Wine

Variety: Chardonnay

Year/Vintage: 2003

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $15.99, PA Wine Store, April 2007

Date Logged: 05/31/2008

Pairing(s): Grilled Shrimp

My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

Quick Comment: Old standard, still good, nice value at the purchase price (cannot find it around here for same), moderate oak

Wine Review: 2005 Wild Horse Chardonnay

2008-06-09T22:29:00.000-04:00

Name: 2005 Wild Horse Chardonnay

Producer: Wild Horse

Region: USA, California, Central Coast

Classification: N/A

Type: White Wine

Variety: Chardonnay

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $12.49, Total Wine & More, February 2008

Date Logged: 06/07/2008

Pairing(s): Grilled Shrimp

My Rating: 2-1/2 Stars

Quick Comment: Unremarkable but drinkable, decent value, a little oaky, probably would not buy again

Wine Review: 2005 Martin Ray Chardonnay

2008-06-09T22:18:00.000-04:00

Name: 2005 Martin Ray Chardonnay

Producer: Martin Ray

Region: USA, California, Russian River Valley

Classification: N/A

Type: White Wine

Variety: Chardonnay

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 375 ml

Purchased: $8.99, Total Wine & More, February 2008

Date Logged: 06/09/2008

Pairing(s): Grilled Chicken Salad

My Rating: 2 Stars

Quick Comment: Tight nose, easy to drink but not very interesting, oaky, not worth $18 for a full-size bottle

Wine Review: 2004 PKNT Merlot

2008-05-26T02:29:00.000-04:00

Name: 2004 PKNT (pronounced picante)
Producer: Terraustral Wine Company
Region: Chile, Central Valley
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Merlot
Year/Vintage: 2004
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: Gift, December, 2007
Date Logged: 05/25/2008
Pairing(s): Pizza, Pork Loin
My Rating: 3 Stars

This was an interesting wine. It had a nice, fruity bouquet of red berries and cherries on the nose. However, on the palate, the fruit took a back-seat to a more vegetable and peppery flavor profile. No mistaking this for a California merlot. We had this first with a wood-fired oven pizza from Piccolo Forno, made with roasted red peppers, pepperoni and artichokes. The wine paired beautifully with the spice and smoke of the pizza. The same held true for the grilled pork loin we paired with it the second day. I think this goes for around $10 a bottle – a good value and definitely worth seeking out.

Wine Review: 2003 Chateau Haut-Maillet Pomerol

2008-05-26T02:26:00.001-04:00

Name: 2003 Chateau Haut-Maillet Pomerol

Producer: Chateau Haut-Maillet

Region: France, Bordeaux, Pomerol

Classification: Grand Vin

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Year/Vintage: 2003

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $34.99, Total Wine & More, June, 2007

Date Logged: 05/23/2008

Pairing(s): 1) Turkey burgers, 2) Pork Loin

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

This wine delivers all of the classic Bordeaux qualities. It is fairly subtle on the nose, with a few dark berry tones and a little earth and tobacco aromas coming through. These same elements dominate the palate. It has a relatively light weight in the mouth, giving it a smooth and velvety texture. It finishes with a little smoky oak flavors and moderate tannins, but not overwhelming. Very food-friendly. It’s a little pricy at $35, but not unreasonable for this style of wine.

Wine Review: 2005 Hampton Bridge Zinfandel

2008-05-26T02:21:00.000-04:00

Name: 2005 Hampton Bridge Zinfandel

Producer: Hampton Bridge
Region: USA, California, Sonoma

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Zinfandel

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $11.99, Total Wine & More, February, 2008

Date Logged: 05/21/2008

Pairing(s): Burgers, Chicken, Pizza

My Rating: 3 Stars

A decent wine at a good price. Fairly fruity and moderately spicy, with raspberry and cherry flavors hiding just about anything else that might be there. It went reasonably well with a variety of foods, and was pretty sippable by itself. Makes a good every-day wine.

Wine Review: 2005 Philipp-Le-Hardi Pommard Petit Clos

2008-05-26T02:17:00.000-04:00

Name: 2005 Philipp-Le-Hardi Pommard Petit Clos

Producer: Chateaux Philip-Le-Hardi

Region: France, Burgundy, Cote d’Or, Pommard, Petit Clos

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Pinot Noir

Year/Vintage: 2005

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $39.99, Total Wine & More, November, 2007

Date Logged: 05/16/2008

Pairing(s): Grilled Pork Chops

My Rating: 2 Stars

This wine was a big disappointment, considering the great region, reputable producer and price tag. I found this to be a completely uninteresting wine. The wine had a very tight nose and was fairly one-dimensional on the palate, with little more than a predominantly bitter impression. After the initial tasting, I let it sit a day or so in the bottle to see if it would develop more complexity – it did not; instead, it just got more bitter. Based on the reputation of the Petit Clos vineyards, I almost think it may have been a bad bottle. At $40 a bottle, I will not likely find out.

Wine Review: 2004 Buffalo Grove Barrel Select Zinfadel

2008-05-14T20:57:00.000-04:00

Name: 2004 Buffalo Grove Barrel Select Zinfadel

Producer: Buffalo Grove

Region: USA, California, Sonoma

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Zinfadel

Year/Vintage: 2004

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $6.99, Total Wine & More, February, 2008

Date Logged: 05/13/2008

Pairing(s): Turkey burgers

My Rating: 3 Stars

This wine proves that you don’t have to spend a lot of cash for a decent, food-friendly sippable wine.

I was initially a little worried by the fact that the wine looked weak in the glass, and was rather tight on the nose. It had a little bit of a fruity aroma (raspberry and strawberry) and some eucalyptus or menthol coming through, a little like Vick’s Vapor Rub.

On the palate, though, this wine delivered a nice dose of fruit, with predominately cherry and ripe plum, and a little dose of smoke. It sort of disappeared on the mid palate, and finished a little short, but it still did a good job of complementing the burgers and it made you want to keep drinking it afterwards.

Generally, I prefer a little more of the complexity and earthiness that you get in the old vine zins, but for an everyday quaffable wine, this one is well worth the seven bucks I paid for it.

Wine Review: 2004 Quinta de Ventozelo Douro

2008-05-13T21:52:00.000-04:00

Name: 2004 Quinta de Ventozelo Douro

Producer: Quinta de Ventozelo

Region: Portugal, Douro

Classification: DOC Douro

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz

Year/Vintage: 2004

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $12.99, Total Wine & More, February, 2008

Date Logged: 05/12/2008

Pairing(s): 1) Seafood Stew (Tomato based), 2) Grilled Pork and Kraut

My Rating: 3-1/2 Stars

Since 1999, Quinta de Ventozelo has belonged to the Spanish group Proinsa. The Quinta produces Port and Douro wines. They were chosen Winery of the Year by Wine & Spirits Magazine in 2005 and have received numerous awards since.

I tried a 2005 vintage of this wine a month or so ago, only to find it nearly undrinkable (possibly corked). So, I was pleasantly surprised when I opened this bottle and had a much better experience.

The wine was a nice dark red color, with cherry cola and licorice on the nose. It had a moderately complex taste, with predominate cigar box and tobacco flavors. The mid-palate followed with some sort of a spice and pepper component that was more apparent the first night than it was after the wine sat in the opened bottle for a day. The wine felt light to medium bodied in the mouth, with very light tannins and a little oak-vanilla at the end. It paired equally well with the hearty seafood stew (delicious, by the way, from Trader Joes), and grilled pork with kraut.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with this wine and found it to be both interesting and delicious, and very food-friendly.

Wine Review: 2005 Running with Scissors Cabernet

2008-05-09T23:05:00.000-04:00

Name: Running with Scissors Cabernet 2005
Producer: Running with Scissors

Region: USA, California, Central Coast
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $9.99, Total Wine & More, February, 2008
Date Logged: 05/08/2008
Pairing(s): Grilled Filet Mignon
My Rating: 1-1/2 Stars

Dark red color, dark cherry, cedar and a hint of eucalyptus on the nose. Fairly blah on the palate, with some cherry and spice notes. The finish was balanced but fairly short. Overall, tested like most house wines you get in a restaurant or bar. Still, for 10 bucks, kind of hard to complain.

Wine Review: 2005 Montes Alpha Chardonnay

2008-05-09T22:44:00.000-04:00

Name: Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2005
Producer: MontesRegion: Chile, Casablanca Valley
Classification: N/A
Type: White Wine
Variety: Chardonnay
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $11.99, PA Wine Store
Date Logged: 05/04/2008
Pairing(s): Grilled Chicken and Salad
My Rating: 3 Stars

Nice, light straw color with plenty of tropical fruit and citrus on the nose. Typical chardonnay characteristics on the palate, with citrus up front and some pear, apple and pineapple tones mixed in. A fair amount of oak creeps in on the mid palate and messes up the balance a little, but it still finishes OK and relatively long. Uncomplicated, mid-weight mouth feel and better with food than by itself. A little sweet and may actually pair well with fruity deserts…have to try that next time.

Wine Review: 2005 "Les Villages de Jaffelin" Pernand-Vergelesses

2008-05-09T22:21:00.000-04:00

Name: Jaffelin "Les Villages de Jaffelin" Pernand-Vergelesses 2005
Producer: Roger JaffelinRegion: France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pernand-vergelesses
Classification: Grand Vin de Bourgogne
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Pinot Noir
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $21.99, Total Wine & More, February, 2008
Date Logged: 05/02/2008
Pairing: Grilled Pork Loin
My Rating: 3 Stars

Pretty, light red color and good berry and currant aromas on the nose. The palate was rich and flavorful, with ripe blackberry fruit, leafy forest, smoke and dirt tones. It had a firm background of tannins, a little oak and balanced acidity. The texture was velvety and mouth filling. This wine wasn't overly complex, but it was tasty and delicious and paired very well with the smoky pork loin. A decent value and recommended.

Wine Review: Pierre Riviere Menuts 2003 St. Émilion

2008-04-30T22:09:00.000-04:00

Name: Menuts

Producer: Pierre Riviere
Region: France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion

Classification: N/A

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Merlot 75%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Cabernet Franc 10%

Year/Vintage: 2003

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $16.99, Specialty Wine Store

Date Logged: 04/30/2008

Pairing(s): Peppers stuffed with ground meat with tomato sauce

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

This wine qualified as delicious, and was one of the better wines we’ve had in awhile. Classic Bordeaux on the nose, with nice cedar and forest aromas up front and subtle red meat and cherry tones in the background. Likewise on the palate, with a soft but noticeable tannic finish. Very well balanced and enjoyable, it paired quite well with the stuffed peppers.

I bought this at a specialty store for $16.99, but I recently saw it in a grocery store in Virginia for around 12 bucks. Either way, this elegant wine is a great value and one that I will be looking to buy again.

Wine Review: 2007 Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc

2008-04-17T23:09:00.000-04:00

Name: Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc
Producer: Nobilo Winery
Region: New Zealand - Marlborough
Classification: N/A
Type: White Wine
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Year/Vintage: 2007
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $10.99
Date Logged: 04/17/2008
Pairing(s): Steamed Mussels in herbs and tomato broth
My Rating: 3 Stars

This wine was a very pretty pale gold color. It was quite aromatic in the glass, with a very distinctive apricot and citrus bouquet, with hints of melon and some grass.

On the palate, it continued with the tropical fruit and citrus profile. It was light bodied, and finished clean, tart and relatively short. I didn’t pick up any of the mineral and cat pee type components that I’ve seen with other NZ sauvignon blancs, so if they were there they were relatively mild.

The wine paired very well with the mussels, providing a good palate cleansing after the ocean flavors of the dish. I would also expect this to pair quite nicely with grilled pork or light chicken dishes, particularly those with good doses of fennel, basil or rosemary herbs, or with a lightweight hard cheese. This wine is also nice just by itself, and at $11, a good deal for summer sipping.

Wine Review: 2005 Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc

2008-04-17T23:04:00.001-04:00

Name: Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc
Producer: Valley of the Moon Winery
Region: USA – California – Sonoma County
Classification: N/A
Type: White Wine
Variety: Pinot Blanc (a genetic mutation of Pinot Grigio)
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $9.99
Date Logged: 04/15/2008
Pairing(s): 1) Fish Tacos, 2) Grilled Chicken
My Rating: 2.5 Stars

Had this wine over two nights, first with fish (tilapia) tacos and then with grilled chicken and salad.

This wine is pale straw in color with a greenish tint. It was relatively light on the nose, with predominant tones of cut grass with just a little hint of some apple, melon and citrus, maybe lime.

It was light-bodied in the mouth, with a flavor profile typical of a California chardonnay (e.g., melon, citrus, apricots, etc.) There was a little oak on the finish, but not overdone. It was relatively well balanced, with a enough acidity to be palate cleansing. It paired quite well with both dishes, which were light, summer-style fare.

For 10 bucks, this is a pretty good deal. It’s not especially memorable, but gets the job done in cases where you want something just a little different than a chardonnay or sauvignon blanc.

Wine Review: Stéphane Aladame 2003 Les Coéres

2008-04-13T23:18:00.000-04:00

Name: Les Coéres
Producer: Stéphane Aladame
Region: France – Burgundy - Montagny
Classification: Grand Vin de Bourgogne, Premier Cru
Type: White Wine
Variety: Chardonnay
Year/Vintage: 2003
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $17.99, VA specialty food store, March, 2008
Date Logged: 04/13/2008
Pairing(s): Seared scallops in butter sauce
My Rating: 3 Stars

Had this wine with a buttery and herbal dish of pan-seared scallops (recipe available from recipezaar.com.)

The wine was relatively uninteresting on the nose, with a slight grassy and apricot aroma coming through. On the palate, it wasn’t much better initially, being fairly lightweight with a few citrus, grass and green apple components apparent. It seemed way too thin and watery and out of balance, with a very short finish and almost no acidity. We tried it with some buttery cheese and it just didn’t work at all…a bit of a disappointment for a white Burgundy and definitely not what I would consider typical.

This being said, however, the wine worked quite well with the seared scallops. Due to its subtle flavor profile, it complemented the butter and herbs of the scallops without competing. It had just enough citrus component to accentuate the lemony background of the food. All-in-all, the pairing turned out to be quite delicious. So, although I wouldn’t recommend this wine for quaffing by itself, I would suggest it for almost any mild seafood or chicken dish (chicken piccata comes to mind). Nevertheless, there are definitely better alternatives out there for less money.

The 3-star rating indicated above is with food. By itself, I would rate it barely above one star and not worth the $18 investment.

Wine Review: S. Orsola 2006 Dolcetto D’Alba

2008-04-13T23:15:00.000-04:00

Name: Dolcetto D’Alba

Producer: S. Orsola

Region: Italy – Piedmont - Alba

Classification: DOC

Type: Red Wine

Variety: Dolcetto

Year/Vintage: 2006

Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased: $8.99, Total Wine & More, February, 2008

Date Logged: 04/11/2008

Pairing(s): Tomato-based Pasta

My Rating: 1 star

I’m still looking for a good Dolcetto D’Alba…this wasn’t one of them. Uninteresting for the most part and not delicious. It had a little fruit and maybe some licorice flavors on the palate, but the finish was unpleasantly bitter. I understand that this type of finish is supposedly typical of Dolcetto, but it just seemed awkward and out of balance to me…disappointing.

Wine Review: Podere Il Pozzo 2005 Vendemmia Chianti Rufina

2008-04-13T23:07:00.001-04:00

Name: Vendemmia Chianti Rufina
Producer: Podere Il Pozzo
Region: Italy - Tuscany - Chianti
Classification: DOCG
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Sangiovese (blended with others)
Year/Vintage: 2005
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $12.99, Total Wine & More, April, 2008
Date Logged: 04/10/2008
Pairing(s): 1) Tomato-based Pasta, 2) grilled sausage
My Rating: Yuck

I did not enjoy anything about this wine. We tried it first with pasta then with grilled sausage. It didn’t work in either case. We then tried pairing it with a few cheeses and still no match.

In a nutshell, the wine had a tight, uninteresting nose and a terrible flavor profile. It was way too tannic up front, which obscured what little fruit it had hiding in the background. It finished with a sour and basically disagreeable aftertaste. Bleh!

Enough said.

Wine Review: 2005 Domaine De Saint Siffrein

2008-04-07T21:54:00.001-04:00

France, Southern Rhone, Chateauneuf-de-Pape
65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre and 5% others

$33.99 at PA Wine and Spirits Store

We drank this wine over two nights, first with baked pork and veal with Dijon potatoes, then with grilled sausage and salad. We decanted the wine about 60 minutes before drinking on the first night.

This wine was dark ruby in color. It had an initial funkiness on the nose right after opening that disappeared within 20 minutes or so. Otherwise, it had nice cherry and red fruit aromas, along with pencil shavings, green peppers, dirt and maybe some faint mint. Given the complexity of the nose, it was a little bit of a disappointment on the palate. It started with a subtle dose of cherry and dark fruit, then quickly let loose with the tannins, which were strong and gritty. The second night brought forward a few more of the complex flavors like green peppers, cigar and cedar that were evidently lost in the tannins the first night. All in all, it seemed a little light on the fruit side for such a young wine.

It did pair well with both dishes, and I would expect it to go well with just about any strong, meaty dish that can stand up to the dryness of the tannins. Maybe more time in the cellar would make it more complex and enticing, but if you’re looking for fruit it may be already too late on this one. I gave this wine three stars in my log. Although it’s a good, well-structured wine overall, based on the price I have to consider it a little too pricey for what it delivered.

Wine Review: 2004 Crianza Artero Munoz

2008-04-06T22:25:00.001-04:00

Spain, La Mancha

50% Merlot, 50% Tempranillo

$7.99 from Claymont, DE Total Wine & More

Generally, if we’re drinking a Spanish wine, it’s one from Rioja. In this case, though, we decided to try one from the La Mancha region, the largest wine-making area in Spain. At $7.99 a bottle, it was a low-risk venture. The La Mancha region is in central Spain (main city is Toledo), and the predominant grape variety is Tempranillo, also known in this region as Cencibel.

We had this wine over two nights, first paired with pizza and then with chicken BBQ and grilled fresh vegetables. Not surprisingly, it paired poorly with the pizza, but was perfect with the chicken.

The wine was a little smoky on the nose, with dark fruit aromas predominating and a touch of eucalyptus in the background. On the palate, it delivered with a variety of red fruits, including strawberry, cherry and some black currents.. The wine finished tannic and short, but pleasing and with a hint of dark chocolate right at the end. According to the label, this wine sees about 6 months in two-year old American oak, and this gives just a subtle hint of oakiness in the finish.

Overall, this wine wasn’t overly complex, but well balanced and enjoyable nonetheless, and quite a value at $7.99. Although a little too heavy for something like pizza, it complemented the BBQ chicken very well, and would pair nicely with any type of grilled meat or medium to strong cheeses. I gave it three out of five stars in my log.

Wine Review: Martin Ray 2005 Pinot Noir

2008-04-04T08:53:00.000-04:00

USA, California, Santa Barbara County

$9.99 for ½-Bottle from Claymont, DE Total Wine & More

We had this half-bottle with grilled chicken sausage and salad…maybe not the best pairing for a pinot noir, but I was thirsty for a pinot and the sausage was already on the grill…so we rolled with it.

According to the folks at Martin Ray Winery, the 2005 pinot harvest was an outstanding vintage for Santa Barbara County, producing positive qualities of the fruit and the promise of wines with elegance, balance and structure. Well…maybe I just needed to decant mine a little longer than the 15 minutes that we allowed. Maybe that would have tamed the oak that tainted an otherwise average pinot.

This wine was pretty in the glass, with a light ruby color and a nose of strawberries and a hint of dirt. It was fruit-forward on the palate, though not a “fruit bomb” like some California pinots…more French Burgundy than California. It started with the strawberry nose translating to the taste and maybe a subtle hint of spicy cherry coming through. Unfortunately, just as you started to enjoy the nuance of the fruit, the oak took control and ended it with an un-delicious finish. So much for elegance. As Gary Vaynerchuk would say, I got attacked by the "Oak Monster".

Food-wise, the pairing actually worked. The oaky finish complemented the smoky, tangy chicken sausage fairly well. After the food was gone, though, it wasn't the kind of wine you just wanted to kick back and sip...not for me, anyway.

I’m giving this wine two out of five stars in my log. For the price, I have to say that it’s not a bargain, and I’m a little reluctant to pony up for a full bottle next time. Maybe some more air would have balanced this wine out a little better and eased the harshness of the oaky finish. I probably won’t find out, though.

Wine Review: 2005 David Bruce Petit Sirah

2008-04-02T22:13:00.000-04:00

California, Central Coast

$21.99 from The Fresh Market specialty food store

OK, enough talk about Petit Sirah, let’s drink some!

We drank this wine from the David Bruce winery over two days, first with a grilled steak and then with grilled burgers. As promised (see previous post), this wine brought a lot of tannins, but unfortunately to the point where it was just downright astringent. In fact, I’m pretty sure this wine is too young and needed to sit in the cellar a few years to balance out a bit. I had hoped that a day on the shelf would mellow it out, but in fact it seemed even more astringent the second day we had it.

Visually, the wine had a beautiful, dark ruby color. The nose was fairly complex. We picked up a wide variety of aromas, including smoke (only right after opening), Luden’s cherry cough drops, pickles, raspberries, wet wood and paint…yes paint, the oil-based kind. The cherry and raspberry components dominated, especially the first day. The paint and pickles didn’t really show through until the second day.

On the palate, I regret to say that the wine was unremarkable. The tannins pretty much overpowered any other subtle flavors. Food-wise, it worked with both the steak and the burgers, as one would expect, but I would have to say that it was far from delicious. For 22 bucks, I would have much preferred a California cab or merlot or maybe a cheap Bordeaux. I've had young Bordeauxs that were much more sippable. Maybe a few years in the cellar will tame this wine and make it more enjoyable…but for now, I have to say I would pass on buying it again. I’ll have to seek out another Petit Sirah some day to compare. Maybe a Durif from Australia next time.

Wine 101: Petit Sirah

2008-04-01T22:52:00.000-04:00

I recently became interested in expanding my knowledge of different grapes, wines and wine-making regions. I am particularly interested in knowing more about wines that I really don’t drink very often, with the intent of expanding both my knowledge and palate.

I begin with a rather misunderstood grape, Petit Sirah, a.k.a. Durif, Petit Syrah, Petite Sirah and Petit Syrah. Despite its name, it is neither petite, nor a Syrah. In fact, Petite Sirah wines are anything but petite - they tend to be big, strong and muscular.

History and Origins
A good history of Petit Sirah is posted on the website of the Petit Sirah Advocacy Association (a.k.a. “P.S. I Love You”).

Petit Sirah was originally marketed as such in California. About 3,200 acres of grapes identified as Petite Sirah are presently planted in California. Recent DNA evidence from research done at the University of California at Davis has confirmed most, but not all of these grapes to be the same grape as Durif, a somewhat lackluster French varietal. The remainder of the California grapes labeled as Petit Sirah are believed to be rather random mixtures of the nearly indistinguishable variety known as Peloursin, along with small amounts of Alicante Bouschet, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvedre and Zinfandel.

Petit Sirah’s French twin Durif is actually a cross of Peloursin, an unremarkable variety from the east side of the Rhône, with the true Syrah, the ancient noble variety from which the great Northern Rhône wines of Côte Rôtie and Hermitage are made. A French nurseryman, Dr. François Durif, propagated the grape in the 1870s trying for resistance to powdery mildew and named it after himself.

Although the names are similar and Petite Sirah is a true offspring of Syrah, the vines and grapes of the parent and child are quite different and distinct from one another and these varieties are in no ways synonymous with one another.

Petit Sirah Wine
Petite Sirah has long been an important blending grape, prized primarily for its deep color and intense tannin. It is the variety most often used to blend into zinfandel for added complexity, body, and to tone down the tendency of zins to become “fruit bombs”.

In addition to California, you will also find Petit Sirah (or Durif) wines made in Australia, Argentina, Israel, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. Despite its French pedigree, Petite Sirah is now almost unheard of in French wines.

On its own, the flavor of Petite Sirah can be vaguely black peppery and often packs intense blueberry and eucalyptus flavors. Petite Sirah produces dark, inky colored wines that are highly tannic and relatively acidic with firm texture and mouth feel. Many describe it as "vinous" or “herbal”. When done well, Petit Sirah wines can be agreeable, pleasant, and sometimes delicious. Wines made from Petite Sirah age slowly and can survive fairly long cellaring of ten years or more (20 years is rare but not unheard of).

Food Pairing
Because of its strong tannins, Petit Sirah is more of a food wine than a quaffer. Petite Sirah pairs well with any food with which you would normally pair a big red wine: stronger meats such as grilled steak, roast duck, lamb, pot roast, rabbit in mustard sauce, and sweetbreads with mushrooms.

Wine Review: Cornaro 2006 Pinot Grigio

2008-03-30T21:31:00.001-04:00

Italy, Veneto IGT

$8.99 from The Fresh Market specialty food store

Paired this wine with a delicious shrimp pasta (with diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olive oil, lemon and capers). Jen also used a little of the wine in the pasta recipe.

Visually, this wine had me worried…it is almost as colorless as a glass of water. However, this was deceiving, for the nose was more pronounced than expected, and was actually quite pleasant and inviting. The predominant aromas were honeydew melon, grass and maybe some floral components. There was also a slight rubbing alcohol odor hiding in the background, which troubled me just a little. Checking the alcohol content (about 12%) eased my fears of it coming across too hot.

On the palate, this wine delivered. It was quite well balanced, with mild acidity and plenty of citrus flavors on the mid palate. The finish was short but pleasant and left somewhat of a full-mouth feel at the end. It wasn’t a complex wine, but I found it very refreshing and paired perfectly with the citrus and saltiness of the shrimp pasta.

For $8.99, this is definitely a good value wine and exceeded my expectations for a cheap Italian white. It is perfect for sipping by itself (warm sunsets on the deck come to mind), or paired with any light dish like scallops or tilapia, a sandwich or fruit & mild cheeses. I’m giving it 3 stars in my log, and will likely buy a few bottles to keep on hand for this summer.

Wine Review: 2002 Château Lalande-Borie

2008-03-29T22:39:00.000-04:00

France, Bordeaux, Haut Medoc, Saint-Julien

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc (probably around 65%/25%/10%)

Purchased from PA Wine Store in April 2007 for $19.99

The Château Lalande-Borie was created almost entirely in 1970 from third growth château by the Borie family (owner of the more prestigious château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Haut-Batailley and Grand-Puy-Lacoste). Lelande-Borie is right next to the château Ducru-Beaucaillou, a second-growth château, so it benefits from the more prestigious château’s expertise, experience and terroir. The soil from this part of the Medoc is composed of a deep layer of large-grain gravel with excellent drainage, and the vineyard was supposedly only planted after a very meticulous choice of grapes and graft-stock was made. Generally, wines from this château are considered pretty good value wines.

Our 2002 Borie had a deep red color, with ruby hues typical of most Bordeaux wines. We drank this wine over two nights. First with grilled turkey burgers (stuffed with herb-butter) and then with grilled pork chops seasoned with herbs de Provence. The wine improved considerably the second night, and would have probably benefited greatly the first night from a few hours in the decanter (we drank it straight from the cellar).

The first night, the nose had a slightly unpleasant vinyl component, somewhat reminiscent of the odor you get from driving by a chemical plant. This component translated to the palate as well, but thankfully was also accompanied by a few other complex mineral, smoke and leather flavors. There was essentially NO fruit that I could discern. The balance was OK, with good acidity and noticeable but supportive tannins. The finish was dry and surprisingly simple, with a bit of a tobacco taste lingering for 20 seconds or so. The pairing with the burgers was good, and the smokiness of the two complimented one another. Overall, my initial impression the first night was that this wine was OK, but not great, and really suffered in the “delicious” category. The vinyl flavors were just too distracting.

A day on the counter seemed to transform the displeasing vinyl components to a much more pleasing (on my palate, anyway) barnyard and earthy flavors. The second night also revealed some nice fruit that was hiding the day before, mainly a cherry sensation much like cherry cola, both on the nose and palate. The feeling I got between the two tastings went from being in a damp, generally uninteresting basement the first day to being in a dark, wet forest the second, full of mushrooms, moss, smoke and maybe a bit of dung...not for everyone, but I liked it. The pairing with the herbaceous, smoky pork worked quite well.

Overall impressions: This wine wasn’t a "big" wine nor was it as deeply complex and leathery as some Bordeaux’s I’ve had, even on the second day. It almost seemed more like a Burgundy than a Bordeaux with some of the barnyard elements that appeared the second day. I would have preferred seeing just a tad more fruit, and wonder if maybe the 2002 is already past its peak, even though it’s very young by Bordeaux standards. Overall, it’s not a classic, but then again I only paid 20 bucks for it. With a little decanting (or a day on the counter), I think it’s probably worth what I paid. I gave this wine 3.5 stars (out of 5) in my log, based mainly on the second day's experience.

Wine Review : 2005 Les Galopieres

2008-03-28T09:12:00.000-04:00

France, Burgundy, Cote D'Or, Pouilly-Fuisse

$15.99 from Claymont, DE Total Wine & More

First tasted with a grilled chicken salad. Nose was a little tight, with kiwi and watermelon flavors (thanks Jen), almost a Jolly Rancheresqe aroma. Taste was pleasing, nice balance and paired fairly well with the chicken. The finish was short but nice. Green apple and lemon-lime flavors. The label mentioned almonds and nuts, but I didn't pick any of that up. No oak to speak of.

Second taste was a day later and paired with pan-seared ham leftovers from Easter. The nose had opened up considerably since the day before and the watermelon was the predominant element, although green apple was in there as well. Palate was about the same as before, though the finish was even shorter, possibly a result of the food. Not the most logical pairing, but it seemed to work anyway. Sometimes you have to go with what you got.

Overall, not a bad wine, but not necessarily delicious and maybe a little expensive for the quality. Nevertheless, I would probably pick this over an equal-priced California Chardonnay. I gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars in my logbook.