Montes 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Review by Billy

Nose: Rich earthy nose, dark pulpy cherry and plum with herbal chocolate

Palate: soft tannin and more dark cherry flavors with good balance that doesn't bite.

Finish: herbs and cinnamon on the medium-long finish.

Overall: A solid Cab from Chile.  I paid about $13 for this wine at a local store.  It opened well after breathing.  Paired with simple baked ziti and Italian garlic bread.

Dinastia Vivanco (Crianza) 2008 wien review by (PB)

This Rioja Tempranillo is a lovely black cherry hued wine with some depth and a solid garnet rim.

Bouquet initially reminded me of a nice Grenache but as it opened fairly quickly with aromas of cherry and red berry and a touch of rustic spice or forest floor.

Palate--First impression is a mature, integrated wine with supple tannins and lovely balance. All the "flavors" of the bouquet are present with an intermittent blast of black pepper and a beam of red fruit lingers in the end.

The Wine Spectator gave this wine 90 points and ranked it as #59 on its 2011 top 100.

I think I paid around $15 for it and its a nice Tempranillo to say the least so raise a glass!

Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2007 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Bold, earthy nose of dark berries

Full bodied and dense on the palate

Sturdy finish, densely layered with dark berries and tobacco

Summary:

This is a dense and earthy wine made from Sangiovese that offers the perfect compliment to hearty Tuscan fare. It also has weight and structure that suggests it will drink well for many years to come. Expect to pay around $35.

It was a real treat with dinner during a night on the town with an anniversary couple! Raise a glass!

Souverain Merlot (Sonoma) 2008 Wine review by (PB)

Garnet hue with good blueberry and blackberry bouquet with light spiciness and light cedar.

Palate--Soft style with a gentle structure but brimming with big bold berries, smooth tannins and fully integrated. Finish hangs on a whole as well making this a really tasty Merlot.

I paid $9 for this but sells for $20 normally. I liked it a lot so raise a glass!

Conundrum California White Wine 2010 wine review by (PB)

Gentle golden hue with a bouquet loaded with fruity aromas of mulled tropical fruit, pineapple, ripe orange, pie spices, and host of other sweet aromas.

Palate--Well structured,with a nice acidic foundation to carry the off dry melange of tropical fruit filled goodness. Finishes with a pleasant, fruity Riesling-like ending.

So what exactly IS Conundrum? It is a blend of numerous grapes, which seems to be guarded as to what is there.

I would guess there might be a strong presence of Gewurztraminer, and Riesling with perhaps Chenin Blanc, Viognier and maybe one of the Rhone style blending grapes being grown in California.

This is a delicious chilled summer wine, well made and is awesome all by itself. But will handle the buttery Maine Lobster I'll be eating in a moment. It tends to run around the $20 price point and is a nice enough treat so raise a glass!

Couny-Dutheil Chinon Rose 2012 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Strawberry and cherry on the nose

Medium bodied with graceful texture on the palate

Floral and red berries with good acidity on the finish

Summary:

This is the first Chinon Rose I've ever seen, so I made sure to grab a bottle. In short, I'll be going back for more.

Chinon is the classic Cabernet Franc region in France where this grape shows endless charm with medium weight, flinty accents to the fruit, and good acidity. And that's the red wine. As far as this rose is concerned, it's every bit complementary to the red. It shows lighter touches but beautiful layers and good acidity.

Chill it down and enjoy! I paid $15, which was marked down a couple bucks. Raise a glass!

Guy Allion Les Mazelles Val de Loire Sauvignon 2011 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Bright apple and lemon on the nose

Light bodied on the palate

Well textured finish of citrus and mineral notes

Summary:

Here's a nice, bright Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley in France- the original home for this varietal. The wine is lively and finishes with good texture. Serve chilled on a Summer day and this bottle will disappear quickly.  Expect to pay $12 or so. Raise a glass!

Le Poule Blanche 2010 wine review by (PB)

Light straw hue with fruity bouquet of green melon, and tropical fruit.

Palate--Racy acidity sets off this blend of Chradonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier from the Languedoc-Roussillon. Pretty straight forward with plenty of solid tropical fruit and good mouth feel.
Will make a good food wine or all by itself with a decent chill on it. At $12 or less, raise a glass!

Gaetano D'Aquino Chianti Riserva 2009 wine review by (PB)

Garnet hue with earthy, rustic cherries.

Palate--Chewy, earthy, harsh dried cherries on a rather nasty foundation with a touch of smoke on the finish.

The 2007 vintage of this Trader Joe's selection was one of my wine values of the year. At $6 it was hard to beat. This particular vintage is the kind you want to pass up at any price.

Ravenswood Zinfandel (Old Vine) 2011 wine review by (PB)

Nice magenta hue with blackberry aroma and an over-powering presence of alcohol in the nose.

Palate--Awkward berry fruit up front, harsh, biting,and too warm. With a chill down in the fridge it improves as far as the alcohol overwhelming everything else but this Zin which runs around $10 should be passed over.

Rosenblum Rockpile Rd Zinfandel (Rockpile Road Vineyard) 2006 wine review by (PB)

Surprisingly aged looking presentation with browning at the rim! Ridiculously awesome raspberry and strawberry bouquet on opening which disappears with some airtime. Now what remains is big mocha black raspberry/black berry and cigar box with a melange of exotic spices and a trace of fresh raspberry right on the end of a glorious bouquet!

Palate--Plush mouth feel with big thick extracted hyper-fruity and jammy blackberries and wild spicy foliage. Nice berryful finish.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! THIS is why I drink wine. This wine is peak right now and yet the flavor does not reveal any aging commensurate with the wine's color. By the color I would say drink this NOW; by the palate I would say drink this wine now but it should be outstanding for another couple 3 years.

At any rate-- this Rosenblume single vineyard Zin will set you back about $35 but oh my oh my, you are worth it! I will be enjoying this with a grilled thick T-bone split with my wife and grilled new potatoes with fennel pollen. I am delirious with anticipation! Raise a glass--YES!

Masciarelli Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 2011 wine review by (PB)

Black cherry to garnet hue with bouquet of cherry, slight rose petal, dill and spicey licorice.

Palate--Lovely fruity, cherry and licorice touches with solid structure, and a beam of nice bright fruit mid-palate with a nice texture. Finishes a little quick but a nice all around Montepulciano and a great food wine.

I paid $11 for this wine after many years of shunning the Masciarelli label. For some reason I don't recall, I had associated this wine with cheap red wines that have earned the designation "plonk." Strangely this was all based on the proximity of this wine to the plonk wines.

After reading a review of another vintage of this wine by (NW) of this blog I spied this and thought I would give it a shot. Hey we all do stupid things in our lives right? I prejudged this wine and ended up finding a value so raise a glass!

Empty Nesters (NV) wine review by (PB)

This beautiful wine presents with a slightly ambered golden hue and a bouquet brimming with fresh apple fruit and a hint of sweet spice.

Palate--First impression is boy this is really sweet but then a supercharged acid foundation rears up and suddenly you say, boy this is a dry wine and then you swallow and you think, this is just ridiculously side kicking good with fruit in big supply with a a great balance of sweetness and acid. Finishes with a nice Granny Smith kind of appley ending.

OK, you cannot buy this wine; it is home crafted apple wine friends of our made and it is outstanding! Sorry to tease you but this is SO good it deserved a place on the WCB so we are raising a glass or three! Thanks Jane and Roger, Mike and Bee. Well done--no really, WELL DONE!

Duplin Carolina Red Reserve 2010 "wine" review by (PB)

Pale watermelon hue presentation with interesting sweet aroma I can't identify.

Palate--Really sweet, grapey, candy and nothing more.

This is made by Duplin Vineyards of North Carolina and if you ice this wine down and you don't like real wine, this might be just the fit for you. It is what I would call soda pop wine and on a hot summer day like today it might be enjoyable in small quantities at pool side.

Better yet--use this as the base wine in a nice Sangria, and raise a glass.

Chateau Serilhan St Estephe 2009 wine review by (PB)

This "Left Bank" Bordeaux presents with a deep dark garnet hue.
Bouquet--Dark berry, cassis, loads of cedar with an earthy presence. Underneath the bold initial bouquet is a candy sweet hint of fresh grape.

Palate--Awesome first impression not nearly as tannic as I was expecting with a deep heavy supple mouth feel. I'm lovin it! Rich, deep big black berry and ripe purple plum and a light foundation of cocoa which is changing with air.

I just opened this wine an poured it through an aerator into my glass. It is wonderful now and will get even more wonderful with some breathing.