La Sonriente Garnacha 2023

Slightly opaque garnet with aromas of baked bread, vibrant juicy cherry berry fruit

Palate-Slightly tart first impression with somewhat tight fruit, and needs to open up. Tart cranberry and cherry/berry fruit.

Third review of this wine although one was an earlier vintage.  At $7 (Trader Joe's) it's a solid value so raise a glass! 

Josh Cellars "Hearth"

Youthful garnet hue with aromas of blackberries and blueberry pie, and gentle spice.

Palate--Pleasant and relaxed structure with bold rich, ripe berries, unsweetened dark chocolate mid palate and plenty of spice.

Recently reviewed, this bargain sale Cabernet was $7 and I bought all the store had. At its normal $14 price point it would still be a nice value so raise a glass!

Chateau Haut Claribes (Boprdeaux Supérieur) 2022

Inky dark "black" hue with aromas of sour cherry, blackberry, sweet fresh berries above rim, floral bouquet of spring flowers. Lovely!!!

Palate-Hefty first impression with weighty mouth feel, intensely rich, big young bold berries and loads of   other "things" trying to burst out. Wow!!!

This is a gargantuan big, bold, young, and lots waiting to come of age but will take another 3-5 years to be at its prime. This $9 Trader Joe's selection is ridiculous in value and I will be getting more to lay down. Pairing with my bone in ribeye charcoal grilled! Raise a glass! 

Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel 2022

Deep purple with garnet rim and aromas of classic Zin with zesty, spiced berries, dark plum 

Palate--Consistent Bogle profile with heads up dark berry fruit with loads of zippy spicing and structure.

I wait for this go on sale at our local grocery stores and find it for $9.  I'll grab it every time so raise a glass!

Cecilia Beretta Valpolicella Ripasso "Superiore" 2022

Youthful purple/garnet hue with aromas of dried cherries, fresh floral spring flowers, with a *bright red berry like citrus note.

Palate--Lively acidity but not over-whelming, with lively red berry and perky structure bolstering the cherry notes.

I reviewed this same wine back in January and it was a somewhat different profile. It is the Trader Joe's value offering at $12 from a storied producer. I will pair it with my own carbonara and I know it will be grand so raise a glass! 

*I don't believe in all my years I have ever used such a description...  :) 

Schloss Biebrich "Troken" (NV)

Very pale straw with aromas of lightly sweetened lemon lime 

Palate--Off dry first impression with fresh, light citrusy fruit. Quick finish.

This is a regular of mine as I love the econ0my of it and how well it goes with Asian cuisine, and other hard to pair dishes like curry... At the $7 price point at Trader Joe's ya just can't get any better value so raise a glass!

*Richebois Cotes Du Rhone Villages 2023

Purple/garnet hue with aromas of watermelon first impression with pomegranate, cranberry and a red floral suggestion at the rim.

Palate--Clean vibrant acidity, with a crisp mid-palate of assertive red berry fruit and cherry nuances.
The youthful structure will only mature over the next t years to a very nice expression of the Cotes Du Rhone Villages quality.

The classic Cotes Du Rhone Villages blend is GSM--Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and this expresses more GM than S.  :)  Such a value wine from Trader Joe's yet again for around $9 it HAS to be acquired! 

BTW--pairing it with my wife's baked chicken thighs and root vegetables. So raise a glass!

*Reviewed this wine just a couple months ago so compare for consistency and education!

Poggio Al Casone (Toscana) 2019

Lovely and mature garnet hue with aromas of bright cherry, a hint of menthol, cherry licorice.

Palate--Nicely mature wine with rather mellow acidity for a Tuscan but never-the-less quite lovely on balance, with a fleeting cherry licorice finish.

Another Trader Joe's offering that is a crazy bargain at $8 (reference price of $20. It is a nice wine I will try to get more of. Raise a glass! 

Moon X Pinot Noir 2023 (California)

Young purple hue with aromas of light red berries, a hint of a strawberry.

Palate--Decent first impression with good structure, balanced body and fruit with a steely front with light berries and light strawberry with a quick but satisfying finish.

At $7 (Trader Joe's) it is a value buy so raise a glass!

Josh Cellars "Hearth" Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Very pretty deep magenta hue to the rim with aromas of lovely rich dark berry with gentle lightly sweet/savory spices that say "drink me!"

Palate-Nice bold first impression with big mid palate of rich brooding berries and plum. Nice structure for such a young Cabernet and a lingering finish of dark fruit. Josh Cellars just makes good wine.

I paid $7 for this $16 bargain on a closeout and I grabbed the last 7 bottles on the shelf so I obviously like it and a great value.  Raise a glass.

Chateau de Macard Reserve 2020

 

Slightly opaque magenta hue with aromas of burnt cherry, dark blackberry, watermelon and slight bricking at the rim.

Palate--First impression slightly watery texture but with a prominent explosion of steely berry, cinnamon nuances, with a surprisingly big steely finish that hangs on for a while.

This Bordeaux Supérieur (mostly Cabernet Franc) is a Trader Joe's offering at $9 which is pretty crazy. This wine seems to retail for around $40 on line... It needs to breath and I believe it will go VERY well with my charcoal grilled rib eye. It is surprising that it is *bricking already.  Agt $9 this is a definite BUY more; at $40 not so much.  Raise a glass!

*Bricking is a term for the color of brick red appearing at the rim when the glass is tilted. It is indicative (usually) depending on the grape type, revealing that it is starting to go down hill. If this is the case I would drink this wine within the next two years. 

Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay 2023

 

Lovely light golden hue with aromas of sweet summer fruit, perfumed baking spices, a clear lemon edge, 

Palate--Nice forthright first impression of a classy Chard with lemon beam through the mid palate, summer fruit, balanced structure, and a pleasant elegant finish that lingers with a slight steely presence at the very end.

Russian River is one of my top regions (AVA) for Chardonnay that is really nice and quite moderately priced for what you get. *Pair it with all kinds of dishes or even by itself with a slight--SLIGHT--chill on it.  I paid $25 for this and a funny-not-funny story with this experience below.... 

*I went to my wine fridge to grab a Chard for my country scramble dinner. (Fried left-over easter ham, with a milk gravy made from the drippings, homemade biscuits, grits, and scrambled eggs.) It all gets put one on top of the other on your plate and is is marvelous!  The label on this "special" wine I had bought had a very similar label to 3 other Chards I had in my wine fridge. I thought I was grabbing one of them ($10) a bottle and it paired really well.  I also was commenting what a SUPER value this wine was--thinking I had opened the lesser wine.  Today I realized why it was such a GOOD wine... Regardless, it was a very lovely Chard!   RAISE A GLASS!