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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Quick swirl shows deeply pigmented hue seeming to adhere to the side of the glass. This is a DARK purple, nearly blackish as you might expect from a Petite Sirah. Aromas of rich ripe plum with a touch of savory and sweet spices. Finishes quickly.
Palate--Supple first impression of silky tannins and rich fruit forward assaults of rich, ripe blackberry and plum with a bit of vanilla.
"Petite Sirah" (not to be confused with Syrah) is a DARK, BOLD, fruity grape here blended with "Petit Verdot" from the LODI *AVA of California.
*AVA = American Viticultural Area which is an official designation certifying it's growing area of the region which has impact on the type of wine the grapes produce. [To put is simply]
The label is clownish which I personally don't care for in that it seems to downplay the seriousness of all that goes into making a good wine. I know that is not the case here but never-the-less...
I think I paid maybe $12 for this and will pair it with grilled bacon cheese burgers and it will work!
Palate--First impression is a bit course, with sharp acidity pushing forth with tightly wound tannins muting the black cherry wanting to burst out.
When I opened this bottle the first aromas hitting the nose was "mildew" at which I recoiled since that is most often a sign of "**cork taint" which is dreaded by every winery and which gave rise to the adoption of screw cap bottles. This however is NOT cork taint but another rather enigmatic phenomenon called "bottle stink!" The difference between "cork taint" and bottle stink is that bottle stink is very fleeting and is gone in a matter of just a few swirls of the wine in a glass. A wine that is "*corked" is dead on arrival and should be dumped. It won't hurt you but it is just nasty to drink.
I have had cases and cases of Chianti's from this great producer. Having tasted this wine in its home of origin will stay with me til I die. There are several levels of productions from Querceto and each one is a great value. This isn't one of their best by far but at ***$10--which is what I paid for it-- it will go great with grilled burgers to anything tomato based to pizza so raise a glass!
***I see this listed at $20 and beyond. THIS wine I am drinking is NOT worth that but at $10....
Palate--bursting with dense dark ripe blackberry and spice with cranberry deep in the palate. The mouthfeel is elegant with integration and finesse.
This previously reviewed Zin was a steal at $7 on a close out when it generally sells around $20. At that price point it would still be a valid bottle! This is my last bottle and I am saddened. Raise a glass!
Pale golden hue with aromas that are very subtle probably due to the chill of the wine fridge set at 55 degrees F. I'll add to this when it comes closer to room temp...
Palate--Immediate first impression of gently sweet mid palate with uncomplicated summer fruit and melon. The structure is a bit "flabby" for my preference but passable. Again the wine is too cold to appreciate so I will re-review this below.
This Rheinhessen "prodikut (title)" wine is the fifth in ranking of sweetness which you know by the designation "KABINETT." and as you move up the sweetness chart it will read, Kabinett, Spëtlese, then Auslese, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese being the sweetest and the most expensive generally speaking.
I am pairing this with baked Salmon with a dill and lemon sauce. At $15, it is "OK" but a bit disappointing.
Okay--after dinner and the wine coming up from cellar temperature it was pleasant enough but there are certainly many options available for a few bucks less that are significantly more flavorful. Either way--raise a glass!
