Louis Latour Meursault 2009 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Baked apple, melon, and spice notes on the nose

Full bodied and richly textured on the palate

Rich layers melt on the finish with more melon along apple and spices

Summary:

Good white Burgundy is always a treat. This one is really ripe and rich, which isn't the typical style from this region but still offers flavors that show off how Chardonnay can perform. What brings it together is the amazing texture of the wine- both silky and richly layered. For me, that's often the secret sauce of white Burgundy. There's nothing quite like the texture of these wines. Of course, you'll pay for it. Expect a retail price around $40 for this one. Open it soon, and raise a glass!

Querceto Chinati Classico 2008 wine review by (PB)

This cherry hued Tuscan creation is full of cherry and light raspberry with earthy notes.

Palate--This magnum is a well made wine that is drinking really well right now with classic Chianti flavors that mingle well on the palate with balanced tannins and spice notes.

Paired with friends and a nice prime rib of beef, it was a lovely accompaniment to a fun filled evening with "family by faith."

This was a magnum bottle which runs around $24 and is a great example of the solid Chianti style and pleasure. For the price it is hard to beat so raise a glass!

Domaine ste Michelle Extra Dry Sparkling Wine review by Billy

Nose: Lemon custard, crackers
Palate: Prickly bubbles, off dry, minerally and peach syrup.  Gentle but firm acid core.
Finish: Peaches and flowers.
Overall: I paid about $9 for this bottle of domestic bubbly.  This Domaine STE Michelle Extra Dry sparkling wine from Washington state is fun, easy drinking and very accessible.  It's not too dry which means that it's great as a stand alone or as an accompaniment to sharp cheeses.  Raise a glass!

*RingBolt Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 wine review by (PB)

***This Margaret River Aussie Cab is deep garnet in its presentation with aromas that are predominantly "green" and sprucey as in "tree." There seem to be blackberry fruit aromas trying to fight their way out of a "green" assault with a subtle chocolate presence in the rear. Finishes with a fleeting touch of smoke.

Palate-- Again, the "green" predominance carries through to the front palate with an awkward unbalanced foundation where trace fruit and clumsy mouth feel presents a less than appealing wine. If this wine were at the $10 price point I would call it run of the mill. At the $17 price point, do not raise a glass, just give it a pass!

***After a couple hours of air this wine takes on a different attitude. It is actually fairly pleasant and while I don't think it is a $17 Cab it is certainly OK for the price. So I changed my mind and raise a glass but let it breathe!

*Real time review! Normally I would append my review and publish only the final assessment. but this one I leave so that you can learn the importance of giving a wine some time to pen up. It can make a big difference! Raise a glass!

Oscar's Estate Vineyard 2008 Barossa Valley Shiraz wine review by Billy

Nose: Big Jammy nose of blueberry, plum.  Cracked black pepper and tar.
Palate: Incredibly soft and plush mouth feel.  Like a mouth full of silk.  Soft acid backbone and gentle tannins.  Round and full bodied.  This is a full feeling Australian Shiraz from the Barossa valley.
Finish: Green pepper and blueberry on the finish.  Slight acidic resurgence at the sides of the tongue on the finish gives a memory of youthfulness.
Overall: I paid $16 for this at the local wine store.  Its delightfully full and soft mouth feel makes it uniquely suited for drinking now.  Wait much longer and its structure will edge into flabbiness.  Fruit forward nose combined with gentle finish and softness in the mouth make this an excellent introduction to Barossa Valley Shirazzes for those who want to branch out. Raise a glass!

Peachy Canyon Incredible Red Zinfandel 2010 wine review by (PB)

Lighter wild cherry red which seems to be common for Paso Robles' Zins.
Bouquet--Big vibrant wild black berry galore with forest floor undertones.

Palate--Quite nice, brambly, big blackberry and green tree flavors that are both classic Zin but so well balanced it is down right delicious.

I think I grabbed this because it was on sale for less than the $11 I see it for and I am glad I did. I tend not to be thrilled with Paso Robles Zins but this is really NICE. I will be having it with freshly harvested venison chili tonight! Worth seeking out. Raise a glass.

Montinore Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Subtle notes of cherry, rose, and pepper on the delicate nose

Light bodied and lean on the palate

Tart raspberry and pepper on the finish

Summary:

This wine is a very light style of Pinot from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. While it shows some of the trademark qualities of Oregon Pinot, it's so subtle and fleeting that you have to remind yourself that you're drinking wine. That has both advantages and disadvantages, depending on the circumstances. For $20, just know what to expect and don't serve it to your die-hard Cabernet friends. Raise a glass!

Henri de Richemer Cotes de Thau Viognier 2011 Wine Review (NW)

Fragrant melon and floral notes on the nose

Medium bodied on the palate

Nicely tapering finish of tropical fruit and some acidity

Summary:

Okay, here's a great value white wine. It's interesting, balanced, and priced right at $11. The nose is fragrant and inviting, while the acidity backs up the tropical fruit flavors. It's a basic Viognier varietal wine from Southern France, but it's well made. Pair with dishes like roasted chicken, grilled fish, or steamed vegetable. Raise a glass!

Yalumba Unwooded Chardonnay (Y Series) 2011 wine review by (PB)

Pale yellow with very light bouquet of vanilla and equally light tropical fruit.

Palate--Spicy first impression with slight citrus front with bitter mid palate and barely any flavor you'd want to recall. Has a good acidic foundation and that is about all I can say. At $10-$15 this is a PASS. Raise a glass of something else!

St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (Sonoma County) wine review by (PB)

Rich dark black cherry hue

Bouquet--Big ripe blackberry on a foundation of unsweetened baker's dark cocoa, lush, sweet spice with rose notes and cigar box.

Palate--rich textured foundation of plush, ripe tannins supporting dark berry fruit with dark plum and a hint of chocolate ganache underneath it all with a slightly smokey and bittersweet chocolate finish.

I received this as a Christmas gift and am having it tonight with a seafood pasta in a rich Italian based sauce. This is a lovely Cab contrary to some of the very tepid reviews I saw of it. It is everything you would expect of Cabernet at this price point ($20) with a well made structure and drinking very well. Raise a glass and thanks PB and MH!

(PB's) Value Picks from 2012

We've enjoyed some awesome wines this past year and some not so awesome ones. Below are some of my value picks that stood out this past year. Remember to enjoy wine to the fullest, determine your palate--ie., what YOU like and then determine a price point--what you would be willing to pay for an everyday wine--then start drinking making notes so that you can determine some patterns of what you gravitate toward. Once you know what you like, every now and then, go out of your pattern and experiment! There are so many wines produced today, don't bore yourself with the same old same old. Whatever you do, follow our blog to help you with your selections; why spend money on something you know you won't like! And whatever you do, "Raise glass!"

Solid cherry hue with great cherry bouquet with sweet cocoa, some wood and steal. Awesome!

Palate--Perfectly integrated with cherry, tobacco, loads of herbs and balanced complexities that are harmonious and drinking superbly. Delicious!

This is Chianti Classico from the great 07 vintage in all its glory and is worth seeking out. For the money ($20) it is a grand deal so raise a glass!

Montegrossoli "Podere Ciona" 2008 ($14)
Black cherry hue with bouquet of sweet cherry/berry fruit atypical for a wine comprised of 100% Sangiovese. A touch of cedar and dill highlight a wine that smells more like a Cabernet.

Palate--My notes for this were non-existent but the words "Drinking well" and "Delicious" were all I wrote which means I intended to go back to my log but failed to. I have another bottle of this wine but this was an outstanding quaff. At $14 reduced from $28 it's a raise a glass kind of wine!

Columbia Crest H3 (Horse Heaven Hills) Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Nice deep black purple Syrah-like hue with crazy fruit jumping out of the glass on the pour.

Bouquet of Mint jelly with chocolate touches and great spice with blackberry and currant.

Palate--Super relaxed tannins and bold flavors of tar and berries with huge heavy mouth feel. Lingering finish!

This is a ridiculous value wine worth buying a case and cellaring. $12.50 a bottle and its a lot of wine. Raise a case of this ultra-value wine!

Drops Of Jupiter 2011 ($8-11)
Intensely pigmented black cherry hue

Aromas of huge jammy blackberries with tar, and dark cocoa.

Palate-- Silky, thick presence with big blackberry, extracted style, full bodied; a BIG fruit bomb that finishes with more berries and dark chocolate.

This is a lot of wine for $8.

Jimmy Stafford of the band "Train" (Hey Soul Sister) produces this wine and gives a portion of the proceeds to a San Francisco organization called Save Me San Francisco.

Sourced, blended, California fruit,(my guess is a major portion of Syrah) this is a nice value if you're in the mood for this style of wine so raise a glass.

Citrus and powdery melon with creme brulee notes.

Palate--Robust acidic foundation with nice full flavors of fruit in an off dry style. This is a crisp, easy drinking wine of solid structure.

This is a tasty, crisp California Pinot Grigio for which I paid $5 a real steal so raise a glass!

Chateau Lascombes Margaux 2001 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Fragrant smoky tobacco, currants, and licorice on the nose

Full bodied on the palate

Nicely woven layers of blackberry and smoky notes on the finish

Summary:

If you have this wine quietly laying in the cellar, this beauty is ready to drink! You could wait a couple more years, but you certainly don't need to in order to enjoy everything it delivers. The aromas and flavors have integrated nicely and it has shows what you expect of a solid classified growth Bordeaux. Decanting is not necessary.

As far as prices, the release price a decade ago was around $40 and specialty wine merchants might have some of this available now for around $75 or so. Not a bad deal for this bottle at 12 years old. Raise a glass!

Columbia Crest H3 Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2009 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Fragrant blackberry, black cherry, and vanilla on the nose

Full bodied on the palate

Black cherry, cocoa powder, and toasty oak on the finish

Summary:

This wine is quite good and well put together.  While showing obvious oak, it also shows its sense of origins with dark fruit notes from the Horse Heaven Hills region of Washington state. It's nicely done and worth looking for on the shelves. The retail price is typically $15.

It should be said that while Merlot isn't the most fashionable grape lately, it should not be overlooked. The producers who consistently do well with Merlot are making very good wines. In fact, in Columbia Crest's value lineups that range across the varietals, including Two Vines, Grand Estates, and H3, the Merlots have recently been the best wines of the bunch. No kidding. Now raise a glass!

Waterbrook Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2009 wine review by (PB)

Slight cocoa and blackberry with ripe plum with a cedary presence on the edge.

Palate--Slightly chewy tannins with understated berry flavor; warm simple bready fruit. This wine needs to warm up from my cellar and open up;

After ample breathing this wine just never comes around. At the $20 price point it is a big disappointment as there are many solid Cabs with loads of character out there at this price point. Find something else; this is just too costly for what you get.

Sanguinetti Brunello Di Montalcino 2004 *'Small Vineyards Discovery" wine review by (PB)

Ruby hue with some bricking at the rim; rustic forest floor notes with traces of fresh cherry fruit with lots of nice, cedary cherry under the fresh fruit.

Palate--Slight cinnamon spice at the front with dry as dust tannins making for a chewy mouth feel; nice, classic Sangiovese dried cherry fruit,a touch of black pepper ending with a lingering cedar/fruit finish.

I received this wine as a gift from a budding neo-enophile and had him over for an appetizer serving him (blind) this wine. He noted that the wine was aged by the color, stated this must be a Sangiovese of around 6 years old. Impressive for such a neophyte!

Well done Thomas; I served it with spinach and cheese raviolis with a prosciutto, cream and porcini mushroom sauce. Outstanding all the way around!

*The "Small Vineyards concept is stated as follows: "Every bottle of Small Vineyards wine bears our gold seal, signifying that the wine is hand-harvested, earth-friendly, and from a family-owned estate. By importing wines from small estates, we are helping to protect unique grape varietals, local wine making styles, and preserve a special way of life."

Look for the gold seal of this wine and raise a glass!

Tedeschi Capitel San Rocco Valpolicella 2008 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Fragrant nose of black cherry, dark berries, and spicy, earthy notes

Full bodied and chewy on the palate

More of the same on the dense, chewy finish

Summary:

This is the most dense and extracted style of Valpolicella I have ever encountered. While the higher expressions of Amarone from the same Italian region certainly show like this, a Valpolicella Superiore is typically more of a red cherry flavor that dances with minerality. Needless to say, I was surprised by this wine. It tastes great, but it does raise the question of whether or not it loses its sense of place.

Expect to pay around $22 for this wine. Make sure to let it breathe, and raise a glass!

Finca Albret Navarra French Oak Crianza 2007 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Spicy blackberry on the nose

Full bodied and dense on the palate

Finish packed with dark berries, currants, and oak highlights, along with being a bit resinous

Summary:

For $15, this is a beautifully composed wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Tempranillo in the excited Navarra region of Spain. While showing obvious oak and even broadcasting the oak finish on the label, the wine has depth and density that comes together nicely. Enjoy with braised meat or lamb with rice. Raise a glass!

2 Copas 2011 wine review by (PB)

This Spanish blend, from LaMancha D.O.C., is comprised of Syrah and Tempranillo. It begins with a solid garnet presentation and nice notes of cinnamon, mixed sweet spice and red cherry/berry fruit.

Palate--Warm berry flavors on a supple foundation of plush tannins with deep berry and mixed spice.

This is a tasty wine that goes down real easy; very fruity and well made in a popular style.

At a price point of just above $10 this is a good pick for non-snobby, neuvo red wine drinkers who say they "don't like red wine." This could push them the other way!

A nice pizza wine; pasta wine; lighter red or white meat with a not too strong sauce so raise a glass of well made, tasty easy to drink fruity reds!

Roederer Estate Brut Alexander Valley Sparkling Wine Review by Billy

Nose: lemon zest, saltine crackers, daisy flowers and cream
Palate: tiny tight bubbles that prickle rather than sparkle. Strong acid core with citrus rind flavors at the back of the tongue.
Finish: lingering floral and citrus notes.
Overall: I paid $24 for this California sparkling wine at a local wine shop.  The structure is very well done and the complexity and elegance of the nose rounds out the simplicity and tightness of the palate flavors.

Limerick Lane Zinfandel "Collins Vineyard" 2009 wine review by (PB)

Lighter ruby hue with big blackberry aromas, a little spice and forest floor mustiness.

Palate--Nice concentrated dark wild berry flavor bold spiciness, cinnamon hints,good structure which will continue to refine with another couple years. Finishes with some notes of charcoal or smokey oak.

This is a tasty Zin which was marked at $36 but on sale for $18. Now I wish I would have bought one or two more. A decent Zin on par with other Zins at the $30 price point; a value at this price so raise a glass!

Drops of Jupiter Red Blend 2011 wine review by (PB)

Nice dark hue with big dark berry fruit on the nose with baker's chocolate and a touch of gentle spice.

Palate--Gigantic berries with a sprig of cedar that wasn't there on my previous review a few months ago. This is well structured with silky texture, espresso or unsweetened chocolate with a touch of smoke on the finish.

When I reviewed this wine a while back (check my previous blog entry) I had paid around $8 for it and loved it believing it to be a Syrah based blend. After looking it up this it is a Petite Syrah based blend and I wouldn't be surprised if there was some Zinfandel along for the ride.

This wine is ridiculous with big flavor and a fruit bomb forward presentation that should grab your attention from the start. This is just a juicy, big wine and for the price, I will be getting MORE. Raise a glass to be sure.

Desedo Sparkling Wine Review by Billy

Nose: citrus notes of lemon and grapefruit
Palate: sweet syrup and delightfully aggressive bubbles
Finish: peaches and sweet orange on the finish
Overall: this sweet sparkling wine comes from Patagonia Argentina.  It pairs very well with salty snacks, nuts and cheeses.  I paid $16 for this at the local wine store.  Fun, fruity and a nice sweet sparkling alternative to dry bubbly.  Raise a glass

Gerard Bertrand Minervois Syrah-Carignan 2008 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Notes of wild dark berries and roasted coffee on the nose

Full bodied and dense on the palate

Somewhat rustic finish of dark berries, bramble, and herbs

Summary:

A simple summary of this wine is captured in three words: good, rich, and rustic. It screams Southern France and shows the density and rich fruit flavor that goes along with wines from this region. Pour along with a good stew, and you'll be finishing this bottle quickly. The retail price is $16, which is a rather good value. Raise a glass!

Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve Columbia Valley Red Wine 2007 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Ripe boysenberry and blackberry with some spice on the nose

Full bodied on the palate

Dark chocolate, kirsch, and coconut on the finish

Summary:

This is a beautiful wine from Columbia Crest. It's very good, rich, flavorful, and layered. Known for their large quantities of well made and inexpensive wine, the Walter Clore Private Reserve is a much smaller production red blend from the Columbia Valley in Washington. Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, it has all the stuff you expect from a reserve wine and is ready to drink now. Expect to pay around $30, and raise a glass!

Folie A Deux Merlot 2010 wine review by (PB)

This is a fairly intensely pigmented Merlot with robust bouquet of green pepper and white pepper,with some nice dark berries underneath.

Palate--Cinnamon galore with delicious dark berries and a wonderful integrated palate with touches of dark chocolate.

This is a well made, easy to drink, gentle structured Merlot from grapes sourced along the Alexander Valley.

My wife paid around $20 for this tasty Merlot and I am loving it so raise a glass!

Mandolin Syrah 2009 wine review by (PB)

Medium black cherry hue with fruity bouquet of dark berry and espresso with a slight twinge of cedar.

Palate--Big fruity front with dark berry flavor and nice structure with integrated ripe, tannins. Bittersweet chocolate finish.

This Central Coast Syrah (California) is tasty and drinking well. At $11 I'd buy another bottle or two; nothing special but solid.

I paired this with a moose ragu and paperadelle in lieu of classic Tuscan boar. It was OK but a rustic Chianti would have been better. At $11 raise a glass never-the-less!

DaVinci Chianti 2010 wine review by (PB)

Purple hue with decent Sangiovese bouquet of dried cherries and a touch of sweet spice.

Palate--Nice presentation of Tuscan making with gentle tannins and solid cherry and tart cherry flavor.

Finish lasts a bit with a subtle smokey finish.

Made with 90% Sangiovese grapes and 10% Merlot grapes with only 15% of the wine seeing oak.

At the $12 price point this is a good entry level Chianti suitable for any tomato based sauce and pasta.

Jordan 2008 Alexander Valley Cabernet Wine Review by Billy

Nose: Delightful layers of cherry, currants and spicy cracked black pepper
Palate: Delicious and savory.  Excellent tannin forward profile and great acid balance.  These combine for an absolutely exquisite mouth feel.  It is plush and full, absorbing, enchanting.
Finish: More lingering fruity cherry with savory herbs.
Overall: I was entertaining at an upscale steak house and saw this 2008 California Cabernet on the menu.  The only thing older was an '07 Silver Oak for $95 bucks more (!) than the $100 I paid for this bottle.  By way of comparison, this bottle will typically run anywhere from $37 - $50 in a regular wine shop and not at a restaurant with their insane markups.  The 2008 Jordan Cabernet was still tight and young.  We had it decanted which helped it open up some.  It was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone at the table.  Still, this is a young wine.  It is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.  You can see a video of the wine maker, Rob Davis, describe it here.

Rubrato Aglianico Feudi San Di Grigorio 2010 wine review by (PB) (real time review)

Pretty garnet presentation with aromas of pungent, forest floor fruit with rustic cherry/berry bouquet.

Palate-Deep flavor in the front that is waiting to break out on opening; all kinds of intense espresso fruitiness with roasted and charred wood finish.

This is a big wine that needs to both warm up from cellar temp which is around 55 in the winter as well as breath. There is a big wine here waiting to show its stuff!

After coming up to temp and breathing for an hour and a half, I have to say that the wine doesn't benefit very much from either. I like this wine but could certainly use another 2 years on the shelf but drinking quite well now. At $16, its bold enough to stand up to grilled pork loin chops on a charcoal grill even though where I live, tonight it is in the single digits. So raise a glass to good wine, and a winter gill!

Korbel "Extra Dry" sparkling wine review by (PB)

New Years Eve calls for bubbly and I am notoriously frugal when it comes to bubbly unlike "Billy" of this blog who is a Champagne nut.

I would just as soon pay for a well made low end sparkler that I enjoy rather than $30 or more for a nuanced sparkling wine that is nice but just too darned expensive.

I grabbed this for New Years Eve with my wife and I paid a whopping $10 for it.

Pale straw, with subdued aromas of melon and a hint of hazelnut.

Palate--Actually quite enjoyable with a crisp, fresh taste of very light fruit and again a touch of nuttiness.

For me, it accomplished what I hoped for; an all purpose accompaniment to whatever appetizers or snacks I might have. The sparkle is actually very good (which is important at any price point) and for the price this is a raise a glass sparkler; simple, shallow and quick but refreshing none-the-less so raise a glass and may your new year be your best ever.

Our 8th Anniversary! (NW)

Wow, it's our 8th Anniversary at The Wine Cask Blog. Hard to believe! The three of us have been enjoying the world of wine for a long time and our more that 2,500 reviews on this site bring back a flood of memories. Our no-nonsense approach to reviewing wine in plain language was ground breaking in the blogosphere eight years ago. Our full disclosure policy on sponsored reviews was unheard-of back then, when corporate America was quietly buying favorable blog reviews for everything from diapers to DVD players.

A lot has changed, for sure, and we marvel at the way wine blogs in particular have taken off. There's a lot of great content out there, and a lot of enthusiasm for the incredible developments in the world of wine. Wine is an everyday occurance for us, and we gladly share it with our readers. Thanks for stopping by, and raise a glass!

Barone Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico 2009 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Spicy cherry with blackberry jam notes on the nose

Full bodied on the palate

Savory, earthy finish that's full and layered with tobacco and raspberry

Summary:

This wine has been consistently good for at least a decade. It has been at the forefront of the richer, more extracted style evolution of Chianti Classico that has taken hold in recent years. Ever since the requirement for white blending grapes was lifted and the Sangiovese percentages loosened, Chianti Classico has been steadily improving and this dense, juicy, extracted style has emerged as the wine of choice.  In fact, in blind tastings, many Classicos are now mistaken for Brunello which shows the potential for this region.

While Barone Ricasoli makes a number of very good reds, this is a consistent and widely distributed offering. It's great young, but also cellars for at least 10 years. I'm still drinking the 2003, which hardly tastes older than this 2009. Try to find a deal, though, as prices have crept up over the $20 mark. While no longer a bargain, it's good juice.  Raise a glass!

Charles & Charles Red Blend 2011 wine review by (PB)

Thin cherry hue with aromas of vegetal fruit with a touch of mocha.

Palate--bready, non-nondescript, dark fruit with a finish of milk chocolate.

This blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Syrah is your basic plonk, an adjective I don't use often.

This wine is collaborative effort between Charles Beiler and Charles Smith, the iconoclastic wine guru of the reliable Washington State K Vintner's. Smith always does a decent job on his wines whether single vineyard or basic sourced blends. This is an exception to what I expect from Smith and while I am not familiar with Mr. Bieler, he seems to be an opportunist who is more interested in scoring an experience rather than investing in the art of wine making. (This is based on what I have read online; beyond this I have no frame of reference for Mr. Bieler)

This is a big disappointment even at $11 and I would urge Mr. Smith to regain focus and do what he does best--producing quality and value Washington State wines.
Find something else of which to raise a glass!

ZD Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 wine review by (PB)

Deep purple hue to the rim with rich, black licorice front with deep berry and a coffee twinge to the lush rustic fruit underneath.

Palate--gloriously integrated on a bed of plush tannins balanced with mocha notes and more fruit.

ZD winery stands for Zero Defects and that is what you get with this beautiful Cab. It is a stunning Cabernet from a stunning vintage from the Cabernet capital of the world--NAPA, Ca. Finishes with toasty oak!

This was the second wine I opened with our standing rib roast for Christmas and it was a stellar accompaniment to the meal.

This was a gift from friends on a trip a year or two or three? ago to Napa and thought enough of us to present us with this bottle and two winery glasses which I am sad to say did not last as long as the wine. I laid it down for a couple years knowing I would be rewarded for the patience of waiting on the 07 vintage to get a little maturity under its cork. I was right.

This wine retails around $50 price point and if you happen to find one and happen to have the means and the inclination to buy it, it is exceptional and classic Napa Cabernet.

So raise a glass to a great wine, Napa Valley and good friends! Thanks M and K!!!

Chateau Gigognan "Vigne Du Regent" 2004 wine review by (PB)

Mature garnet hue with pronounced bouquet of rustic cherry and crazy olive but this was upon opening.

After 4 hours of breathing this wine opens to a really nice Chateau Neuf Du Pape with a delicious palate that is complex and warm, rich and textured berry with rustic cherry and a touch of smoke on the finish. A couple reviews I read were not impressed with this wine however it may very well have been that they either did not let it get a few years going for it or opened it without sufficient breathing. This wine needed several hours to open.

This was the first wine we opened for our "roast beast" on Christmas day of standing rib roast.

Expect to pay $40 for it and its well worth it.

Raise a glass to beautiful Rhone wines that strut their stuff without killing your budget.

Belleruche Cotes Du Rhone 2011 wine review by (PB)

Ripe tropical fruit
Palate--Fruity tropical melange with good acidic backbone. Fleeting and short.

A tasty aperitif with a light cheese spread waiting the standing rib roast Christmas dinner.

Chapoutier puts together some classic Rhone quaffs at reaonsble price points. this is the ubiquitous $10 price point and is what you might expect.

*A house full of scents from candles and cooking skews a reasonable appreciation of the bouquet but even with the strong scents, the tropical fruit cuts through it all.

A refreshing aperitif so raise a glass!

Tenute Folonari Campo al Mare Bolgheri 2009 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Smoky dark fruit and floral notes on the nose

Full bodied on the palate

Layered finish of cassis, roasted meat, and charcoal

Summary:

There's an intensity and persistence to this wine that's expressed in the dark fruit, roasted, and smoky profile. Priced at $32, it's made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc in the Bogheri region where this type of blend is the norm. There will be plenty of cellaring potential if you choose to. If you open it young, simply aerate or decant to open up the aromas as much as possible. Hearty Tuscan fare should prove a good match. Raise a glass!

Chateau de Myrat Sauternes 2009 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Beautiful honey, almonds, and apricot on the nose

Full bodied and richly textured on the palate

Long, rich finish that's almost creamy with honey, citrus creme, and tropical fruit

Summary:

A beautiful young Sauternes! It's absolutely delicious but kind of a crime to be opened so young. Your crime will be forgiven, though, because it's understandable that you'd want to drain a bottle of this dessert nectar at the end of a nice dinner. It has a huge nose and a long, long finish that is richly layered. The retail price is $45, but you might also find half bottles for around $25. Raise a glass!

Butterfield Station Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 wine review by (PB)

Youthful looking with dark black cherry hue.
The bouquet is full of dark berry fruit and some cedar.

Palate--Integrated tannins, some real cab flavor and a nice surprise at $6 on a sale.

Why did I bother with such an inexpensive Cabernet? Even though it is a sourced wine 2007 was a stellar year for Napa and most other cab regions. So I figured for the price, I just might score a wine that was a bargain and I did! So raise a glass.

White 4 Vina Robles 2008 wine review by (PB)

This wine is a pretty yellow gold with big aromas of ripe cantaloupe, sweet apple, and tropical fruit with a backbone of vanilla.

Palate--Pronounced acidity with strong flavors of blended fruits on a vanilla frame. Everything in the bouquet is in the palate; a big wine. Quick finish of green apple.

This is an unexpected blend of Verdelho, Vermentino,Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier, not exactly the grapes one expects of Paso Robles.

This is a really surprising wine! It is so big, and full and complex; a lot of wine for $15 and yet I paid $6 at my fave wine store. I wasn't expecting this.

Various growers are really trying to expand their reach with respect to grape varieties grown and this mix of a Rhone (Viognier), a Tuscan, (Vermentino) and a Portuguese (Verdelho) varietals shows that it can be done.

This would make an awesome brunch wine or a mid day Summer aperitif; Either way raise a glass of this wine but drink it up; it won't last much longer.

Caves du Fournalet Cotes du Rhone 2011 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Red currant notes on the nose

Light to medium bodied on the palate

Cherry and spice on the finish with light pepper accents

Summary:

Well, I haven't reviewed many Trader Joe's wines on this site in part because PB does a great job covering the Trader Joe's selection for our readers. He hasn't hit this one yet, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

Here's the deal: this is a simple, straightforward wine that tastes like it should and goes down easily. It's a "you get what you pay for wine". But there's a catch- it's a noteworthy wine because there simply isn't a lot of Cotes du Rhone imported into the US at this price.  As a Trader Joe's exclusive, it's only $5.99.  Packaged in a squat 750mL botttle that recalls a common French bottle shape from several hundred years ago, it's probably tucked away on the bottom shelf of the French red wine section going unnoticed.

This is where Trader Joe's shines, particularly now with French, Italian, and South American wine (name brand wines are not particularly good bargains at TJ's). They sell a ton of exclusive house brand bottlings at single digit prices built on the successful Charles Shaw model. There are some really good Cotes du Rhone wines at $10-20 in most other wine shops, but you just won't find much wine priced at six bucks like this.

These bargain wines at Trader Joe's are in the spirit of the table wines of Europe. Consumed night after night at the dinner table, they are simple, affordable, reliable wines that no one in their right mind would wax eloquent about on a blog like this. On the other hand, in the US we tend to put special status on wine and consume far less per capita. As a result, we analyze and perhaps over-analyze even cheap everyday wine. The problem is compounded by restaurant markups on cheap wine in the US that are often 300-400% over retail forcing us to, at times, treat even simple bottles as splurges. This is not the intent for a wine like this. Just pour a glass, drink it with dinner, and do it again the next night.

Thanks to Trader Joe's for capturing this spirit. While I don't buy a lot of wine there, I appreciate the model and am glad to see that its allowed people to sample wines from around the world at rock bottom prices. Raise a glass!

Gaetano D'Aquino Riserva 2008 wine review by (PB)

This lighter bodied Chianti has decent Tuscan aromas of cherry and spice and prominent caraway notes making it quite nice.

Palate--A bit watery on the palate but definitely authentic Chianti flavors even if fleeting.

This oft reviewed wine (by me) over the years (usually the 2007 vintage)still offers a real value for a casual and rustic Chianti that you can afford to supply your next party. This is a Trader Joe's offering and at $4 a bottle you just can't go wrong!

It can drink a little wearyingly if that makes sense but again--it's hard to imagine how they can even get it to this country and retail it for this price. At any rate--take advantage of it and raise a glass with your next pizza, Lasagna, pasta or tomato based soup or stew!

Col Solare Columbia Valley Red Wine 2006 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Fragrant blueberry, currant, and cream on the nose

Full bodied on the palate

Ultra-smooth and rich finish of berries and white chocolate

Summary:

Here is a big, rich wine with a lot of ripe fruit and round edges. It's expressive and full bodied, with nice layers and texture. Expect to pay around $70 for this treat.

Col Solare is a joint project between Chateau Ste. Michelle and Antinori, made from Columbia Valley fruit in Washington. The blend is derived from the noble Bordeaux grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. It could cellar, but I like how it shows right now. Raise a glass!

Vina Herminia Rioja Reserva 2005 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Sweet, fragrant floral and cherry notes on the nose

Medium bodied and nicely textured on the palate

Soft, silky finish with layers of red fruit and toasty vanilla with some hints of tobacco

Summary:

I like how this wine is fragrant and silky. It shows a style from Rioja that's modern but not overly extracted. Made from Tempranillo, Garancha, and Graciano, it's made to compliment food and should prove to be versatile. The retail price is around $20, which is a nice value. Raise a glass!

Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage 2002 Champagne Review by Billy

Nose: Lime, Macadamia and White Crackers
Palate: Extremely active bubbles that are needlepoint fine.  Very dry with knife-edge acid crispness.  Lemon and Lime notes in the mouth joined by cool crusty french bread flavors.
Finish: Creamy finish with soft citrus.
Overall: an exquisitely citrussy vintage Champagne.  The crisp acid core combines delightfully with bubbles that scintillate and titillate at the same time.

This 2002 vintage Champagne from Moet & Chandon retails for about $69 on average.  This is a fantastic price for a vintage champagne and a great entry point!  We enjoyed this wine here at The Wine Cask Blog Central Annex with PB and his wife who were visiting for the Christmas Holiday.  It is a wonderful sparkling wine and vintage champagne to share with loved ones or for any celebration.  Raise a Glass!

Bodega Norton Torrentes 2009 wine review by (PB)

Pale straw hue

Palate--Razor sharp acidity on a cirtusy, off-dry foundation with prominent aromas of vanilla, ripe pineapple and stone fruit. Finishes a little clunky.

This Mendoza (Argentina) varietal from a great Malbec producing family from a fairly little known grape isn't a great example of the varietal. A typical Torrentes is worth trying as it usually yields a big floral bouquet not unlike a Vigonier,with a blend of floral/fruit flavors.

A typical Torrentes is delicious and flavorful and is as delightful to smell as it is to drink being "the grape" of Argentina like Zinfandel is to California.

I paid $4 for this normally $10 wine but DO raise a glass of another Torrentes from a different producer.

Villa Canestrari Auge Soave Supreriore Riserva 2006 wine review by (PB)

Lovely golden hue that nearly glows.

Bouquet--Big vanilla nose with tantalizing melon and gooseberry aromas with ultra sweet perfumy notes that remind me of viognier and spices that remind me of Christmas!

Palate--Utterly perfect in integration with off dry complex fruit and spice that is both juicy and succulent in its presences.

It finishes with a light vanilla bitters ending.

This was sent to the WineCask Blog for review and this is a spectacular Soave! I was unable to find a reference price on this wine. This is a special wine!

Villa Canestrari Auge Soave Superiore Riserva 2006 Sponsored Wine Review

Nose: Honeysuckle, vanilla and pear nose.  Incredibly round, soft and smooth scents.  The nose is amazing on this comparatively older Soave.
Palate: Velvety soft  mouth feel that has a lovely balance and just enough of an acid backbone to stand up without buckling.  Elegant and delightful.  Great structure that stands up to fatty dishes.
Finish: Young finish even though this is over 6 years old!  Lasting and Lingering greenery and honeydew melon tastes.
Overall:  This is the best Soave I have had the opportunity to taste!  It is bold and round while maintaining a sophisticated and balanced elegance.  The nose is simply amazing.  This Italian white  wine is comprised of Garganega 85% and Chardonnay 15%.  The Chardonnay imparts a buttery fullness while the Garganega delivers on structure and vanilla.  It is an amazing blend and a truly Superior Soave!

We had the opportunity to taste this with PB of this blog while he was out visiting from the Northern Wine Cask Blog Annex.  It was made even more delightful for his being here.  Raise a Glass!