Palate--First impression not striking, with youthful foundation and a beam of acidity that needs to mature out of the limelight. Finish is angular and again needs more time to come around.
I paid $20 for this Cab expecting a bit more given the name as well. But in fairness, it is a young wine which will improve over the next 5 years. I am paring it tonight with charcoal grilled NY Strip steak and it will be great! Raise a glass!
I will update when I have it with my steak!
Slight bricking at the rim (unusual for a wine this young) with lighter cherry hue and aromas which are subdued yet subtle sweet spices and red berry notes.
Palate--OK first impression has a balanced structure yet again a lack luster and confusing palate. I would be hard pressed to know this was a Zin.
This was a $24 mark down to $12 and even at that it is just "Meah." At $12 it's just passable.
Gentle golden hue with aromas of sweet yet off dry, vanilla and citrus foundation with creme brûlée notes.
Palate--Lovely, sophisticated structure with lemon/lime foundation and creamy (malolactic fermentation?) Its "off dry" presence is lovely and the perfect foil to a rich, buttery lobster and steamer clam birthday dinner!
I bought several bottles of this a couple years ago for a ridiculous $12 and it is fantastic. IF you have to fortune to stumble upon it, BUY IT! And raise a glass!
On the pour the hue is so lightly cherry in color but it is a very pretty, crystalline presentation. Aromas of spiced apple rings, yeast, spicy sweet cherry/berry.
Palate--mouth watering acidity, with a gentle presence of fruit that is pretty straight forward, but there is a strangeness to this wine that is somewhat unpleasant to my palate.
This wine is *unoaked and made from a grape I have never heard of--"Pais" which could very well be the awkwardness to my palate. Pais is a jug wine grape and ought to remain as such.
*Oak gives complexity and new dimensions to what you get with the just fermented grape juice. This Maule Valley, Chile creation has a storied reputation for very nice wine but this is NOT one of them.
I paid $9 for this and I am not sure what happened here but this is a pass for me...
Straw hue with wondrous aromas of sweet tangerine, mandarin orange, a gentle beam of citrus, and vanilla curd.
Palate--With a lively structure and balanced all around, this is a juicy, fruity, off-dry, Riesling, and although it finishes with a quick pineapple ending it is so tasty and fresh you could really put it away... :)
I will be pairing this with tonight's dinner of Indian lamb curry and while such cuisine is sometimes difficult to pair wine with this is easy.
At $12 Kung Fu Girl is one of my go-to faves for a summer chilled refresher, an apéritif, or a host of light cheeses on the "sweet" side so raise a glass!!!
Palate--Mouth watering acidity, on a lively structure with a solid dark fruit mid-palate, and a very quick finish.
I paid $14 for this at a local liquor store that I frequent and whereas I tend to stay right around the $10 price point (or less) I splurged (LOL) for this Paso Robles, California AVA. For the money it is one of the better Cabernets I have had--again, for the money. I am having it with my wife's and my traditional Sunday evening after church pizza so raise a glass!
*Bricking is a term for the change in coloration of wine as it gets older. At the beginning red wines start to go slightly amber, to brown as they are getting near the end of their longevity. It is a sign that you should drink up any bottles you may have laying around in fairly short order.
Palate--Confusing first impression with ok structure, but awkward flavors not like any Zinfandel I have ever tasted and no finish.
OK then: I saw this at Trader Joe's and have never seen it before there or anywhere else. Because I live over an hour a way from the store I figured at $7.99 a bottle I could not, NOT buy a case. (My rule is--ya don't buy a case of wine you have never tasted...) It's a pretty sound rule but I have regretted it many times having bought a couple bottles of a wine I was unfamiliar with at a store 2 hours away and then wished I had bought a case.
Hence the case purchase of a Zinfandel (my favorite wine) from Sonoma, (my favorite Zinfandel AVA) even though I have never heard of it. After I got home and Googled it, I could not find it anywhere on the web.
So now I have 11 more bottles of something I have no idea what the heck it is, (it sure isn't any Zinfandel I have ever had) so even at $8, all I can say is maybe try a bottle and then decide. :(
Palate--Medium bodied with a robust acidity and old world charm with loads of fruit (not quite mature but drinkable) not quite ripe plum and stone cherry, with a lip smacking finish that lingers a bit.
Cooking a simple tortellini with a simple parmesan cheese over the buttered pasta. Nothing fancy, quick and easy which is what both me and my precious wife needs after a long day in a Chemo clinic for AML...
At $13 a bottle, raise a glass!
Dark purple nearly black hue with aromas of spicy plum, blackberry, fruity dark cherry, cherry Twizzlers.
Palate--Sophisticated mouth feel with bold fruit forward black berries and plum. Tannins are silly, structure bold with Petite Sirah, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and ???
The Petite Syrah gives this wine its intense dark pigmentation and bold nose. This is a great value running around $10-$12 so grab a few, lay one down and check it out a year later after you've enjoyed the other 2. Raise a glass!
Palate-Deep berry first impression all over the palate with bold spices mid palate, more fruit rear palate, a finish that is quite bold for the price point of this oft reviewed wine.
This Paso Robles (California AVA) is a steel at $10 which is why have reviewed so much of it. Trader Joe's carries and it is a must buy at this price point so raise a glass!
Light yellow hue with lovely aromas wafting into the air from the freshly opened bottle. Tropical fruit melange, with citrus notes, with pronounced lime.
Palate--Steely front palate, with light sparkle, nice acidity, lemon-lime and tropical fruits mid palate with a creamy texture. A light finish that is fresh and clean makes you want a repeat.
Chenin blanc was a throw away kind of wine decades ago being marketed in big jugs. The grape was not appreciated then but it is he signature grape of the Loire Valley in France where it it gets the respect it deserves. Viognier (pronounced Vee-oh-Nyay) is the only acceptable grape for the wine Condrieu from the Rhone region of France.
Pine Ridge tends to make very nice wines at very reasonable prices and this is no exception. This is not my first review of this wine but it has been over a decade so compare it with past reviews of mine. I think I paid around $12 and will be pairing it with my wife's Broccoli Cheese soup so raise a glass!
A grapey purple hue with aromas of yeast, boiled beets, cherry, bright red berry, cola on the edge and *wool.
Palate--Tart first impression, with silky presentation, robust flavors of spicy red berries, and a finish that lingers.
Tempranillo is the signature grape of the Rioja region of Spain and they do it very well. This is another Trader Joe's offering at the $10 price point and it is a winner so raise a glass!
*This may be the first time I used "wool" as an adjective in a tasting.
Garnet hue with aromas of musty, rustic forest floor, cherry and blackberry with wood.
Palate--Lackluster first impression with an acidic back bone, rather a unidimensional, rustic profile, again with forest floor nuances on the palate and cherry/berry fruit.
A rather typical Tuscan wine made from the grape of Tuscany-- Sangiovese--with a blend in small amounts of cabernet Sauvignon and merlot according to the laws of wearing a "Tuscan" label.
I have been drinking this wine for decades and it is always a value around the $10 price point. Despite what you read above, I am confident that this will not disappoint once it has a little time to breath so raise a glass!
Pale orange hue with aromas of tangerine, lite citrus, with sweet nuances.
Palate--Off dry presentation with nice acidity and lime/tangerine flavors, with a slightly lingering finish with a crisp ending.
Not sure what I paid for this but it is a decent enough Rosé not at all like the overly sweet plonk that is sold globally and especially in the U.S. It is actually fresh and not wearying to the palate. While not a big fan of these rosés this one is quite lovely at the $12 price point so raise a glass!
Garnet hue with aromas of spicy cherry and a touch of black cherry.
Palate--Surprisingly off dry first impression with rigid acidity, nice texture and a pretty mouthful of flavor considering the price point of this wine. Cherries are robust and even though the finish is quick.
This Sicilian staple is a versatile wine for pizza, medium bodied cheeses, lighter tomato based sauces or beef stew which is what I am having with it tonight. For the price of $8 a bottle at Trader Joe's this is a raise a glass kind of wine. Grab a couple and see what you think!
Egg Plant Hue with elegant aromas of sweet cherry-berry with a floral note and spice.
Palate--Surprising foundation of acidity, with luscious mouth watering tannins, and a spicy sweet berry finish.
This review sounds tepid but it is not. This is just a seriously delicious wine and will only get better for years to come.
This Burgundy is tantalizing, delicious, well structured, and even at this young stage it is mouth watering juicy and the perfect accompaniment to baked chicken with root vegetables.
This bottle disappeared quickly. This was a gift from a dear friend and at around $100 a rare treat but raise a glass!
