Bogle Zinfandel 2022

Pretty ruby hue with aromas of nice ripe blackberry in the bowel with some hints of blueberry pie and gentle sweet/savory spice. 

Palate- For such a young wine it is balanced and always reliable with Zin profile of rich blackberry with a touch of sweet savory spices. (Compare here with previous reviews of the same wine.)

One of my "go to" Zins because of the above and the value price point of $10 or less when on sale. Sunday night Chicago style deep dish pizza is our routine (flown in from Chicago) and this is perfect. Raise a glass!

7 Deadly Zins Zinfandel (Lodi) 2021

 

Dark garnet hue with aromas of very nice blackberry and black cherry fruit and the slightest touch of pie crust.

Palate--Integrated first impression with a nicely textured structure giving a thickish mouth feel. Silky tannins and while the finish is quick it is decent if a little chewy.  

From one of the better known Zin regions of California the Lodi has emerged as a contender for value Zins of which I find myself drinking more than any other varietal. Sonoma is still my prefered Zin AVA but alas they have gone above my preferred price point.  This Zin I found for $14 but in the last couple years it has escalated from the $12 mark to closer to $20 which to me is overpriced. At $14 it is a decent Zin so raise a glass!

Gabbiano Pinot Grigio 2022

Pale straw hue with aromas of sweet summer fruit with a lightly spiced in the middle, scented baby powder and more fruit.

Palate--Nicely balanced with acidity and off dry mid palate.  Lots of flavors going on here (see previous review) but finishing quickly. 

I reviewed this back in January and as I am want to do, I like re-reviewing wines I have had before checking for consistency.  This just as nice as I thought it was the first time around. 

I paid $9 for this Pinot and I will pair it with homemade fish chowder and it will be prefect.  Raise a glass!

Alverdi Barbera 2022

 

Darker magenta hue with aromas of red berries spiced with notes of cinnamon, earth, savory spice and cocoa.

Palate--*Watery texture, with a slightly off putting first impression but flavors are "ok" without any wowing factors. 

I paid $9 for the Trader Joe's offering and it's "meah!" I won't be buying it again.

*Actually after breathing this improved markedly and I would indeed buy it again.  Raise a glass!

La Sonriente 2023 Garnacha

Beautiful ruby hue with aromas of light cherry hints of sweet spices, with a touch of savory on the edge.

Palate--Lighter bodied, with off dry sweet impression but not sweet, lively and well made with enough structure to carry some fairly bold memnu pairings.  Finishes very quickly but then this is Grenache which is very easy to drink.

This Spanish creation is the same grape called Grenache in other parts of the world and is a bargain  at $7 at Trader Joes, so raise a glass!

Four Vines "Old Vine" Zinfandel (*Lodi) 2021

 

Deep garnet hue with aromas of blackberry, (butterscotch)  red fruit, sweet red berries above the rim.    

Palate--Stately first impression, mature structure with balanced integration of all things with big rich dark berry flavors galore, with a finish that lingers.

This previously reviewed nice Zin, is worthy of many purchases and at $9 (Trader Joe's) it is a great value.

I am pairing it with one of our favorite dinners--Maine venison chili--and we already know from many iterations of this that it goes GREAT so raise a glass!

*Lodi-- is one of California's many "AVA's" (American Viticultural Areas) which must meet certain standards to be able to put that on the label. At $9 it is a go-to for my favorite dishes!  Raise a glass!

Richebois Cotes Du Rhone Villages 2023

 

Purple hue with aromas of tightly wound fruit, cherry cream bon bons, cranberry, and finessed savory spice.    

Palate--Impressive stately first impression, with luxuriant texture and balanced structure for such a young wine. Fruit still very tightly wound and needs time to open up and more time in bottle to arrive at what I think is a berak out waiting to happen.

At $8 (a Trader Joe's bargain) this is the kind of wine you grab a half case at least and lay 4 away for maturing, and enjoy the other two now.  Raise a glass!

Vignobles Lacheteau (Loire Valley) Vouvray 2023

Previously reviewed this lovely French delight is a pale straw hue with aromas of ripe pineapple, stone fruit, perfumey baby powder and a kiss of citrus.

Palate--Off-dry, sweet front with loads of solid acidity to carry the sweet foundation with a fleeting but definite finish of summer fruit. 

Vouvray is made with Chenin Blanc and is one of my fave white wine varietals.   A Trader Joe's offering at $7-$8 and it would be a bargain at $15 and it is a definite Raise a glass! 

Maison Nicolas Pinot Noir 2022

Light garnet hue with aromas of strawberry sweet spice,  

Palate--Watery first impression, light bodied, flavors of strawberry juice and gentle spices with sweet nuances. Finishes quickly leaving only a fleeting taste of strawberry.

This $10 French Pinot is not spectacular nor should it be at this price point.  It's "meah" so you decide...

Spasso Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2023

 

Ruby hue with rustic cherry and forest floor, boysenberry and sweet black cherry.

Palate--Unremarkable first impression, with astringent fruit, dried berries, quickly finishing.

$9 Trader Joe's offering and not great but ok with pizza and pasta with heavy tomato base.

Rough Day Cabernet Sauvignon (Thracian Valley) 2021

Ruby/Garnet hue with aromas of tart red berry and cranberry fruit and deep brooding dark berry waiting to burst out with full fury. Black tea, and dried leaves follow.

Palate--A so-so first impression with lots of acidity, bold berry front with a very assertive structure.  There's alot going on here and it needs some time to breathe and open up.

My first impression is a lot better than expected. This may very well be my first wine from Bulgaria!  I have to give "kudos" to this obscure (to me) wine region which I never knew existed. I paired it with a charcoal grilled chuck eye steak and it was excellent! 

I Paid $11 for this experience and I am glad I tried it.  Raise a glass.

Moon X Pinot Noir 2023

Youthful purple hue with aromas of light Pinot notes of strawberry and gentle spice.

Palate--Pleasant first impression with some nice acidity, balanced papate, with fruity strawberry and a better than  expected structure and overall flavor profile! Finishes abruptly.

This $7 Pinot from  California fruit is not great but then again it is a $7 dollar Trader Joe's offering which gives you a lot for the money.  Chill it a bit and enjoy it by itself. For this price, I am  raising a glass!

H3 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Decent dark cranberry jelly hue with aromas of dark ripe blackberries, nuances of evergreen at the rim,  savory spice

Palate--Nice cherry berry first impression with solid structure, angular due to its youth, but thickish texture. Needs to breathe as there's a lot there.

This Washington state Cab is robust, young, but with time should hold its ground. At $12 it is a value wine as I would expect from Columbia Crest wines. I'll update this review if it opens up... Raise a glass!

Tilia Malbec 2023

Purple hue with aromas of blackberry cobbler with blueberry notes, and spice.

Palate--First impression is acidic and disappointing mouth feel, with bitter mid palate, dark berry fruit and a touch off putting.

This Trader Joe's offering at $10 was quite disappointing so we'll see how it does with our Sunday night pizza ritual.  It is very young and having had wines from Tilia, this seems out of sorts so it may just need another year.

It was "OK" with our pizza but I won't be returning to this wine. 

Claire Patelin Sauvignon Blanc (Cotes de Gascogne) 2023

 

Light golden hue with very nice bouquet of ripe pear, vanilla, melon and the slightest touch of grass.

Palate--Bright pear first impression with hints of summer fruit on a lovely acidic base, and a finish of a (nice) kind of biter mid palate. 

At $7 this is another ridiculous TJ's value selection. It is vastly different than our domestic S. Blancs lacking the intense "grassiness" that many of our west coast wines display but that is what makes wine so fascinating.  This is a no brainer so "raise a glass! 

Cocobon (NV) Red Blend

 

Black cherry aromas on a ruby hue.        

Palate--Watery with black cherry, and spice. Not much else to say.

$7 at trader Joes it worked well believe it or not with my homemade pasta with parmesan, and caraway.  

If you're on a budget and you need wine this can get you by but better to raise a different glass. 

B Fonbadet 2019

Ruby hue with aromas of predominant black cherry, spice, hint of wood.

Palate--Flaccid first impression, with fatigued structure and exhausted finish. Palate is weak and while not showing the classic signs of "aging" this is definitely on its way out. 

This is a Trader Joe's wine that has sold for as much as $35 but they are dumping it for $8. Probably precisely because it is meeting a quick demise.  Below I have posted the same wine reviewed 2 years ago so you can see the effect of aging on this particular wine.

Same wine two years ago!

Quite a nice intense hue with aromas of dark plum, blackberry with a bouquet of gently spiced fruit and oak.

Palate--*a minerally first impression, with awkward mid palate, confused fruit and structure tightly wound and not very pleasant. 

(This wine was just opened and needs to breathe. There seems to be potential here but out of the gate it is not impressive.  I expect this to change.) 

*After some "air time" and having with my dinner it is indeed a much better wine. And while I have written before regarding "food wines" versus "quaffing wines" (wines being drunk by themselves) it bears repeating. There are structural differences between the two styles of wine. With food wines, both the wine and food is enhanced by each other. Quaffing wines may be excellent with food but are also excellent sipping them all by themselves. And of course there are exceptions in both directions but this is the nut shell version. 

Lapis Luna Pinot Noir 2023 (North Coast, Ca.)

 

Medium ruby hue with aromas of subdued red fruit that is confused with perhaps notes of strawberry with some spice on the rim.     

Palate-- First impression is positive with vibrant acidity, big fruity middle which was hiding in the bouquet.  Juicy structure with tart raspberry mid-palate and strawberry on the end.  

I just grabbed this for dinner tonight because we having cheesy broccoli soup and I wanted Pinot Noir. Local liquor store had a good selection at various price points. At my desire price point I was hoping to find better than a sourced "california" on the label wine.  Eureka, this North Coast AVA was $13 so I grabbed it. I like it and it should be nice with our dinner so raise a glass!