Tortoise Creek. Zinfandel 2022 Lodi

Deep magenta hue with aromas of black cherry and cranberry.

Palate--spicy hints, balanced ripe berry and cranberry.

I find this every so often for a ridiculous $7 and grab as much as I can handle at the moment. Raise a glass! 

Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon (Diamond collection) 2023

 

Garnet/ruby hue with aromas of lightly charred wood, with dark black cherries and berry. 

Palate--First impression youthful foundation needing a bit more time to come around. A nice dark berry and wood mid-palate with a pretty quick finish.

I would call this Coppola's "entry level" cab and for what I paid for it it is a decent start. $18 is overpriced. Unremarkable Cab from Coppola priced at $18 but I found it for $12. Pairing with charcoal grilled "short cut steak."  Raise a glass (at $12)

VALE do BOMFIM ( Douro) 2022

Pale straw hue with aromas of light, sweet fragrant citrus and tropical fruit and a hint of vanilla.

Palate--Acidic foundation, with perky citrus fruit mid palate, and lighter tropical fruit on the end. Finishes quickly and clean.

I paired this with a "seafood" chowder from a very popular local restaurant in central Maine. It cost $41 for a quart out of their refrigerator and while that seems pricey (and it is) it is the BEST seafood chowder I have ever had chocked full of shrimp, lobster, haddock or cod. The acidic back bone of this Portuguese, "off-dry" white wine is a perfect accompaniment to this wonderful dish. I paid $7 for this regularly priced bottle at $15.  Raise a glass!

M. Chevallier BRUT (Cava) (*NV)

Light lemon juice hue with aromas of lime, a tropical fruit, and something elusive...

Palate--Pin prick bubbles in good amounts, with a burst of lemon lime on the palate with that elusive tropical "something" finishing quickly. 

This is a "go-to" sparkler from Trader Joe's which is a reliable bargain at $8! I am having charcoal grilled chicken thighs with baked cheese curds, and this will be a refreshing palate cleanse. So chill it down well, and enjoy as an aperitif or with appetizers or pool side with nothing but the value joy it brings on a hot summer day. Raise a glass! 

*(NV) Means this wine is not a vintage wine meaning the grapes can be sourced from multiple years' harvests. 

3 million hits just hours away!

Do you ever wonder if anyone but you is checking out my wine blog? Well today Aug. 10, I should crack the 3 MILLION mark! I began this blog simply for the love of wine. And while I have been encouraged, even scolded, for not "monetizing" it, that was never my intention. 

So I hope you keep checking in and exploring the world of wine. And on a technical note--I have not had a single comment, not even spam (for which I am grateful) which makes me wonder what I have toggled to prohibit your input. Note--I am 73 years old, not a tech. geek for sure, but not utterly ignorant either and while I have checked my settings to allow comments, they all seem to be in order but... 

Anyway--RAISE A GLASS!

Clayhouse Red Blend 2020

Deep ruby/purple with aromas of black cherry with dark fruit and gentle spiced apple.

Palate--Silky texture and relaxed tannins, with big black cherry profile pn a balanced frame. Finishes a little abruptly but hangs on for a moment. 

This wine runs around $20 but I got it for under $8... It is very finely structured, and will be great with my charcoal broiled US Prime Sirloin Steak.  Raise a glass!

WENTE "Southern Hills" Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast 2021

 

A luxuriant deep, dark purple hue with aromas of tight blackberry compote with a spring floral bouquet.

Palate--An angular acidic first impression which I wasn't expecting. Fruit forward as one would expect and too immature to really enjoy what's there.  Never-the-less this is a well made, inexpensive cabernet which is underpriced, for what's there. If you have the space and the patience, this could yield big rewards with another 2-3 years of aging. 

I am pairing with charcoal grilled "bistro steaks" and it will be perfect.  Listed at $17, I paid $12 for it which is a bargain so raise a glass!

Gnarly Head Zinfandel (LODI) 2022

 

This previously reviewed Zin in different vintages is before me again. Ruby hue with aromas of blackberry with a nuanced "something" I am trying to pin down. 

Palate--"Sweetish" first impression but this is NOT a sweet wine. Nice LODI Zin fruit galore and while it has a quick finish it is what I want in my Zins!  Well made, easy to drink, robust fruit and a touch (in this vintage) of a hint of savory spice. This is up there with Zins I have had costing half again as much.

At $10, this is a don't even think about it and just buy it!  Raise a glass!

Stolpman Vineyards GRENACHE (Santa Barbara) 2023

Very light ruby on the pour with aromas of spicy bright cherry-berry, and while I keep sniffing for more I don't find it.

Palate--First impression is a much bigger wine than its hue might indicate. Acidic boldness but not overpowering--give it another couple years perhaps. Finish is quick with not a lot of complexity as I expected but then again the reason I love Grenache is for its fruity simplicity bordering on elegance when well made as Stolpman does to perfection. It is a gorgeous wine in the glass by appearance but a touch disappointing on the palate. Too young--perhaps. 

Many years ago whole on a wine trip to Santa Barbara I stopped in Jaffurs and met some of the staff but Craig was in Europe--go figure...  :)  After a superior contact with these good folks we made our way to town to the tasting room of Stolpman.  It was spacious, friendly, elegant but not pretentious, and the staff there was also superb! Great conversation... So when I ran across this at a New Hampshire Liquor store I was stunned and had to buy it. Living in Maine specifically I have never seen a Stolpman production in 4 decades. I was truly excited to find this and while listed at $40 it was on sale for $17. Fresh, clean, mouth watering juiciness I will be pairing it with my Sunday night "Lou Malnatti's" Chicago Deep Dish pizza and I know it will be great so raise a glass!

Chateau De Beauregard-Ducourt 2020 Grand Vin De Bordeaux

Garnet-ruby hue with aromas of lovely fruit above the rim, blackberry compote with hints of sweet spice.

Palate--Integrated structure with nice balance, somewhat tightly wound fruit mid palate, silky tannins and a thin finish.

I paid $13 for this nice wine marked down from $19 and it will pair nicely with my homemade Boeuf Stroganoff. It still needs some time to come into the fullness of what is there. Maybe another 2 years at least.  Raise a glass! 

 

Casillero del Diablo (Reserva) "Seleción Red" semi sweet

Black cherry hue with aromas of blackberry and a hint of bacon, and a floral note on the end.

Palate--Fairly robust presentation on first impression, with a savory nuance with bold blackberry fruit.

This is an easy drinking red wine that is well made and delicious and while I would prefer they had not put "semi-sweet" on the label I suspect I know why they did it.  Many people over the years are quick to tell me they do not like red wine. "They are too..." --fill in the blank--!  But this red wine is just so well made that it doesn't have all the "off-putting" nuances that cause many to think they do not care for red wine.

Bottom line?  Raise a glass!

Concha Y Toro is a Chilean wine producer who has made a consistent and impressive impression on the world of wine! My wine journey began about 1980 and Casillero del Diablo was an economical wine value for a struggling young family with 3 children and not long out of the Army. I would not be able to enumerate how many bottles of their wine I have has over the decades.

As I became stronger financially I imbibed on a few bottles of Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon. Back in the day, I would pick up this splendid production for around $45 on release. Now...Let's just say I haven't had such a bottle in over 2 decades.  Pretty much sells for around $150 on up!