Red slightly opaque garnet hue with aromas of ripe fruit but needs some time to open up to what's really there.
Palate--On opening: I like the first impression of a balanced, integrated, rich berry fruit with a lively acidity with a rich mid-palate of more plum and blackberries. Finishes with a slightly fruity intrigue.
Reference price on this Cab is $30 but I paid $15 on sale. It's nice, food friendly but will be better in a couple more years. Raise a glass.
Palate--Integrated profile with solid acidity, and dry crushed red berry mid palate, with rustic savory spice reminiscent of Tuscan Sangiovese.
Display price for this Tuscan Cabernet was $22 though I paid $11 for it. I will pair it with my wife's homemade lasagna and it will be lovely. That it is already showing signs of age means it should be drank as soon as possible. It will be tasty for another 8-16 mos. Raise a glass!
Nice dark purple hue with big aromas of coffee, deep brooding berry fruit, inky ripe plum...
Palate-Bold profile with big fruit bomb with structured foundation and liveliness that demands more time in the bottle. Cherry, dark berry, savory spice on the edges, never-the-less, inky dark fruit, maturing tannins but still youthful, and all the foundation of a wine that will age for many more years. Finish is a bit confusing with wood at the center.
A Chilean creation of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere. This wine is marked at a $30 price point but I found it for $15. It will go with my charcoal grilled bone-in pork chops perfectly so if you find it for $15 definitely raise a glass and buy a couple more to lay down!
Palate--Silky texture with big acidity, savory spice on the edges with rustic dark berry. Finish lingers a while leaving the dark berry to remind you to take another taste with whatever your dish is.
This will be a good "food" wine which will be roasted root vegetable and salted chicken with crispy skin. It will be better in another two years if you can wait.
Reference price on this French creation is $26 but I snagged it for $11. Raise a glass!
Palate--I have never had a Rioja made from Chardonnay as this wine is and it is wonderful! Gentle sweetness but not sweet and lods of gentle tropical fruit and ripe pineapple.
What is mind blowing is that this is a Spanish Chardonnay which I didn't even realize grew in the Rioja! It was running $16 but I found it for $7 and I wish I had bought a case, but the store I found it at is a couple hours away... I paired this with our take-out Chinese and it was fabulous so raise a glass!
Orange hue with strange aromas hard to pin down but seems like the liqueur called Aperol.
Palate--Slight carbonation with a slightly sour first impression, with of dry fruitiness again, hard to pin down as to its flavor...
I have never heard of this Spanish wine and bought it on a sale from $22 to $9. I don't know what to think about it. I paired it with sweet potato gnocchi and polish sausage and it worked rather well. I don't really care for it but that's a matter of preference. The Wine Enthusiast gave it 91 points out of 100 which honestly seems absurd but...
I like new experiences and this one certainly fit the bill. If you want to experiment raise a glass!
Purple hue with aromas of plum, blackberry and rich spices on the edge.
Palate--First impression is not bad at all. Fairly well balanced, loads of mouth watering berries and decent structure. Finishes quickly but there is a tag note at the end...
This California "sourced" wine (which means it is made from grapes from anywhere in the state, and can be a blend of pretty much anything.) This is a $6 Trader Joe's wine and I like to grab these on occasion because occasionally you find one at this price point is actually quite good for the money. It is comprised of juice from a melange of grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel grapes. It is simple, straight forward, and honestly pretty easy to drink. I will see how it stands up against my homemade venison chili.
It does very well!!!
Deep dark purple hue with big aromas of Dark berry pie, steely notes.
Palate--Tasty first impression entering the palate, with robust acidity, dark plum, bitter chocolate mid palate, and a rich fruity but fleeting finish.
Syrah also known as Shiraz in other parts of the world is a fruit bomb kind of wine and done properly is a wine I love for drinking all on its own or with bold sauces like italian cuisine and pizza which is what's on tap tonight.
Washington State makes good wine and this is a value though some won't like how fruity and big it is. I think I paid $10 for it and I would do it again so raise a glass!
Palate--Tart first impression with unpleasant mouth feel and bitter mid-palate...Finishes with fleeting red grapefruit note.
Bottle #2 Light Cherry hue with aromas of relaxed cherry...
Palate--Tart first impression with light flavors of cherry, marginal texture with fleeting finish.
Well then--Both bottles are less than Castle Rock's standard of solid production value wines. The second bottle I opened is slightly better than the first but it is possible that the difference may be due to the second bottle being 24 hours fresher.
What to conclude? The price of these bottles was $15 marked down to $8. This may be a winery knowing their particular production was substandard and just decided to try and unload as many as they could. A normal human being would never notice that these are not good wines. They would just conclude that they "just don't like Pinot Noir." This is very unfortunate as Pinot Noir--the signature grape of the famed Burgundy region of France--are among the most expensive wines in the world!
Castle Rock makes some really nice Pinot's at a very approachable price point. These just do not measure up. Don't avoid the brand, avoid this vintage and region (Monterey) in this year.
Nearly black in the bowel and deep magenta on the pour with immense aromas of rich ripe plum and blackberry, a suggestion of vanilla cream, and a thickish look to it on the swirl.
Palate-- (First impression on opening: Young, tart, supple tannins, vibrant acidity, mouth filling flavors of muscular dark berries, with oak notes and leather.)
(2nd tasting with some breathing: graphite and floral notes arising from the bouquet; Palate--Initial tartness has completely disappeared, leaving mouth filling blackberry and plum fruit galore on a rich luxurious bed.)
(3rd tasting: with dinner of charcoal grilled Prime Rib...Needless to say this was an amazing, elegant and gloriously perfect accompaniment.)
I can't afford this kind of wine (will run you around $100+) so I am grateful for the wonderful gift that it was. Thanks Beege. :)
Palate--Supple texture with steely foundation with savory spices mid palate, balanced all the way around but still not at its peak. Finish lingers in both texture and a blackberry trail.
Even at this age it has time to grow but I wouldn't wait. Open it and raise glass! (about $40+)
Light golden hue with aromas of mango, tropical fruit, hint of cinnamon and honey.
Palate--Ultra sweet first impression with a sufficient balance of acid to carry the immense sweetness. Silky, thick texture in the mouth, like drinking velvet and a really nice honey finish although quick.
I bought this finding it for $10 (375ml) which is a rare find. It certainly is not the classic Sauternes as made by Chateau D'Yquem but then I had one many years ago and it was $105 for the same size bottle.
Nevertheless it has been such a long time since I had any stripe of this wine so I am glad I grabbed it Raise a glass!
*Wine geek stuff here: The Sauternes region of France is world renown for dessert wines which can get very pricey. They are generally made primarily from Sauvignon Blanc grapes and Semillon which have been allowed to sit on the vine until they shrivel like raisins, concentrating the sugars into super sweet wine. As you can imagine, you don't get much juice out of a raisin hence part of the reason for the high price. Additionally the grapes are allowed to become infested (hopefully) by a fungus called Botrytis which also intensifies the residual sugars making an intensely sweet wine. If the making of the wine does not allow for a high acidity the wine will be too sweet or "cloying" which makes for a syrupy kind of wine and not too enjoyable.
Pale straw hue with aromas of green melon, sweet spice, and tropical fruit cocktail and a touch of lime.
Palate--Tepid bubbles, lacks depth but what's there is pleasant enough with everything you smell in the bouquet. Finishes before it starts and is a bit watery.
In some ways this sort of describers your typical "Prosecco" which while being an unremarkable wine is wildly popular. There are so many alternatives that are much better but some how this generic wine sells well and, well, people like what they like! This wine runs about $8 at Trader Joe's so all I will say, is "Caveat Emptor." HAPPY NEW YEAR!
*Vino Frizzante means fizzy wine...
