Clos des Papes 2004 Chateauneuf -Du-Pape Valentines Day Wine Review by Billy

Nose: tobacco, blackberry & licorice
Palate: soft velvety feel. plush and ripe and juicy.  It is incredibly pleasant to drink as it flirts with all parts of your palate.
Finish: extremely long and juicy with leather spice and berry flavors lingering.
Overall: I paid $50 for this wine 10 years ago and laid it down for a future treat. Today the wine will sell for over $160 if you can find it. I opened it tonight for an early Valentines Day dinner where this delightfully mature Chateauneuf Du Pape was the main feature. In the glass it is brick red at the edge and a deep, dark red - almost black - in the center.  This French Rhone red wine is lush blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and a little bit of this and that to make up the leftovers.  Simply amazing.

Matua Pinot Noir 2011 wine review by (PB)

Cherry hue with nice aromas of cherry fruit with fragrant mentholated strawberry.

Palate--pleasant presence in the mouth with a palate cleansing acidity, spicy red berry fruit, subtle milk chocolate hint and white pepper.

Straight forward and tasty this New Zealand (Marlborough) Pinot drinks easily and simply. At $15 its what you would expect. I'll serve it with my baked cod this evening. Raise a glass!

St. Urbans-Hof Bockstein (Kabinett) 2011 wine review by (PB)

This German Riesling has a pretty golden hue with aromas of tropical fruit salad and wonderful gentle spices.

Palate--From the moment it hits your palate, the fruit fills your mouth on a structure of balanced acid and flavor galore with a taut green apple finish.

This German Riesling is beautiful and at $15 is a must have quaffer!

My wife and I had the thrill of exploring the Mosel region of German and floating down the Mosel River beholding ancient castle remains and terraced vineyards so steep that if you stumbled while tending the vines you wouldn't stop for a long time. Riesling is the specialty of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and as I already said, grab this one and marvel at how good the grape can be! Raise a glass or better a case!

Trapiche Oak Cask Mendoza Pinot Noir 2010 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Spicy cherry and black tea on the nose

Medium bodied on the palate

Kirsch and some woody notes on the finish

As far as inexpensive Pinot Noir goes, this is a good, interesting, and oaky style. It's not a conventional wine, but it drinks nicely. There's a lot of spice, tea, and woody notes wrapped around the fruit. Expect to pay around $10 for this Argentinian bargain. Raise a glass!

Da Vinci Chianti Riserva 2007 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Dark berries and leather notes on the nose

Full bodied and dense on the palate

Long finish with savory spice notes on a dark berry core

Summary:

This is a very good Chianti- dark and complex. It has great depth and a lot of flavor, made in the modern style with extracted fruit notes and spicy accents from oak.

I've seen this priced around $20, which is what I paid. It's a decent value for the quality, albeit not a bargain basement price. Pair with your favorite pasta and red sauce, and raise a glass!

Brazin Zinfandel 2010 wine review by (PB)

Substantial garnet hue with aromas of big cocoa notes with classic brambly zinfandel along with loads of spice and wild blackberries and ripe plum.

Palate--Mocha mid-palate with rich textured deep berry goodness on a plushly textured foundation with bold finish of thick *tar. Quite tasty!

This Lodi Zin is better than I expected. I was already (negatively) biased by its **name and the fact that it was from Lodi. I had a bad experience visiting Lodi a couple years ago when I walked into a tasting room ready to spend some decent money on the wine but the proprietor was too busy with the good old boys at the bar to even acknowledge my presence which was difficult to do considering the small area of the room. I left without buying a thing and a bad attitude. I have shied away from Lodi wines ever since. So why did I buy this? I had a gift certificate to a wine store with a very small inventory and this was about the only thing I was remotely interested in being the Zinfandel fan that I am. This is actually one of the better Zins I have had in some time. I paid a hefty $20 for it which is a premium price but seriously, is not a bad price for the wine. It can be had for as low as $12! Bottom Line? Raise a glass!

*Tar doesn't seem to be a palatable or positive comment but it is. Tar is often a common descriptor for big bold Cabernets and other bold reds. Well, this is quite tarry!

**I do not like the label of the wine, and I do not like the name at all. Shouldn't matter in the least I realize but it does to me and I spend WAY more on wine annually than probably 95% of the populace; are you listening marketers?

At any rate, given all the negatives I had keeping me from liking this wine, it is a GOOD wine so again "Raise a glass!"

" Chops & Burgers" Bordeaux 2010 wine review by (PB)

Garnet hue with aromas of fresh cherry fruit, Chinese Five Spice, cigar box, and fruity cedar underneath.

Palate--Soft structure with fruit forward drinkability in a popular style. (Michel Roland's hand???) Cedar mid-palate and quick finish.

This oddly named wine is imported by Barton and Guestier I suspect catering to the nouveau enophile who wants ready-to-drink, soft, fruity red wine. As a blend of Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon, it's better than I expected and at $9 it will please many palates. As much as I am fighting it, I like it, so I have to say it, Raise a glass!

(Pairing it with baked homemade macaroni and cheese.)

Cesari Boscarel (Merlot/Cabernet) 2012 wine review by (PB)

This Cesari blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Sangiovese from the Veneto region of Italy has a black cherry presentation with a bouquet that is robust and spicy with aromas of sweet cherry, black berry and plum with cigar box hints. There are points where it is nearly floral and powdery with a suggestion of Gamay in its simplicity and joy! Quite nice!

Palate--Finely structured with a super soft foundation that supports big berry flavors, with some gentle spice and a seductive approach that makes you want to drink more. Finish has more red berries.

I saw this heretofore unknown wine to me and since it had the Cesari name on the label I had to grab it. Cesari is one of the monumental Italian wine makers and I was not even aware that he produced a wine in the $10 price range which is what I paid.

I am blown away by the elegance, the solid performance and otherwise delicious production this is. I hope I can find more somehow as this is the kind of wine that would make my top ten for the year. If you see this, BUY it and just revel in what a wine of this price can be. (I am finding it for as low as $6 on line which is insane!)

Raise a glass as will I when I pair it with my Carbonara this evening!

Castle Rock Pinot Noir (Mendocino Co.) 2011 wine review by (PB)

Pale cherry hue that might even be showing a touch of age.

Bouquet--Wonderful Chinese 5 spice on strawberry and raspberry notes with a suggestion of floral cocoa.

Palate--Almost velvety on the palate delicious touches of strawberry and raspberry fruit in abundance with a "dressed up" kind of ending.

This is one of those wines you kick yourself for not having bought more when you had the chance but then again you didn't know what was in the bottle. This is a really well made and tasty Pinot Noir which at this price point--$11--makes it a super value wine. I will look for more but I got it out of state! Raise a glass if you find some a buy a couple more to drink within the next year. It won't get any better than this!

Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet 2011 wine review by Billy

Nose: charcoal, plum, strawberry, blueberry
Palate: Good balance and solid structure between acids and tannins.  Pleasing slate and stony notes combine with plush berry flavors.
Finish: soft finish that lingers with flavors of blueberry and slate
Overall: I paid between 10 and 15 for this bottle of wine at a local store.  It is a pleasant and soft California Cab.  It shows nice earthy notes and is a soft and accessible Cabernet.

Millbrandt Vineyards "Traditions" Chardonnay 2012 wine review by (PB)

Pale gold presentation with ample aromas of vanilla curd and peachy citrus with powdery green apple notes and candied sweetness.

Palate--Mouth filling flavor with racy acidity carrying oaky touched, stone fruit on creme brulee with a smart green apple finish.

This is a really nice Columbia Valley Chard that has a lot going for it. It's lingering fruity finish is tantalizing and almost classy! I will pair this with a fried cod filet and cheesy polenta aka--grits.

I paid somewhere in the $2 price range and it reminds me of Rombauer, one of my favorite chards for about 2 1/2 times the price. So this is a super value wine and Wine Spectator gave it an 89 and "Best Value" rating which I didn't know until after I reviewed it. Need I say, "Raise a glass?"

Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon (Gran Reserva) 2009 wine review by (PB)

Garnet hue with interesting bouquet with aromas of black tea, sweet cedar/menthol, and underneath it all there is some ultra ripe sweet plum and a touch of dark berries.

Palate--Plush tannins with integrated dark berry fruit and a solid, pronounced beam of black berry. Finishes with some cedar and more blackberry.

This "Santa Rita" Maipo Valley (Chile) Cab. seemed just "too green" on opening. But then I let it breathe a couple hours and holy cow; a seductive, complex and unique bouquet emerges to where I just want to sit and smell it.

I paid $16 for this recently and it is drinking fabulously. This will be enjoyable for several years to come so to raise a glass!

Chateau Mayne Guyon Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux 2011 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Dark fruit and clove on the nose

Full bodied on the palate

Dark berries, roasted notes, and oak on the finish

Summary:

Here's a great value Cotes de Bordeaux for only $10. It's made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and delivers big flavors along with a structured finish. Stock up on this one.

Enjoy with a variety of food, most obviously red meat and rich sauces. Raise a glass!

Guenoc (California) Petite Syrah 2010 wine review by (PB)

Garnet to black cherry hue on the lighter side for this grape;

Bouquet--spice rises over the blackberry and plum on the swirl but comes around with warming and air.

Palate--Thin texture, with numerous but confused tastes happening out of the gate; *will breathe it a bit also letting it warm up from my seasonal ambient cellar temp (56 currently)

Having done so, it does improve from what it was at the start with some nice *plummy, blackberry and black tea salvaging what it was on first impression.

It's still not a great example of what this grape can be and usually is even at this price point but it's not bad. I think I paid around $14 for this and I wouldn't do it again.

The reason I write reviews like this occasionally stating that I am going to re-review the wine later sometimes, is precisely so you can learn to better taste wines for yourself. This wine was going to be panned initially but allowing it to come around served it well. Sometimes first impressions can be deceiving with wine so be patient, and give it another chance later in the evening or even the next day. Sometimes there is a whole different wine waiting for you if you do! Raise a glass.

Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2007 wine review by (PB)

Pretty garnet hue with aromas rising of sweet cherry, with spices even from a distance. Up close on the swirl and into the bowl, bouquet of big earthy forest floor and evergreen galore,with notes of black licorice.

Palate--Relaxed, integrated structure, with mouth filling flavors of all the above aromas notes. Tannins are still a tad immature meaning this bottle has more age to go before fully integrated.

I reviewed this wine sometime ago and I will compare what I wrote then to now. I believe I liked this wine better the first time around which is why I bought more. This is till a really fine Chianti especially at the $20 price point. I just liked it better when it a was bit younger--at least that is my memory.

I reviewed this wine back in June of 2012 and indeed my memory was correct. I have heard of wines going through a "dumb phase" and candidly I can't say I know what that is or if it truly exists. But this is such a fine wine with all the right stuff, if there is such a thing as a dumb phase that wines sometimes go through, then perhaps that explains the clear distinction from this 07 to the last.

Either way, at $20, this is a stellar example of excellent Chianti from one of several recent storied vintages so raise a glass!

Novy Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah 2010 Wine Review (NW)

Tasting notes:

Spicy plum and blackberry on the nose
Full bodied on the palate
Dark berries, charcoal, and pepper on the finish

Summary:

Beautifully made, this Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah from Novy shows ripe fruit and dark, brooding notes accented by a peppery finish. It's a well-crafted wine and shows how this varietal can be both opulent and balanced. For $20 or so, it's worth every penny and I recommend you grab it if you can find it. Raise a glass!

Daniel Gehrs Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (Central Coast) wine review by (PB)

Garnet hue with green aromas, cedar and green pepper, and black berry.

Palate--Berry fruit over shadowed by vegetal notes as listed above, quick finish.

I was not familiar with this label so decided to grab one and see who and what these folks were about. The wine is easy drinking, with a supple texture but it's just too imbalanced with all the green stuff going on. *I will edit my comments if it changes with breathing but... I will be paring it with venison stew.
I believe I paid around $12 for it and as of this moment I would not raise a glass.

*A day later the "green stuff" toned down and was more integrated than when I opened it. It still is not remarkable but was okay and pretty typical for the price point. It was nice with the venison stew which was outstanding!

Trentadue Old Patch Red 2011 Lot 36 wine review by (PB)

Darker garnet hue with big jammy aromas of extracted blackberry, and very ripe dark plum with loads of spicy goodness.

Palate--Big zesty, fruit bomb of blackberry fruit with dark berry and spice that is mouth filling with an easy to drink structure and a rigid of beam of bitter chocolate with a nice slightly tarry, dark fruit finish.

This blend is 85% Zinfandel and 15% Syrah that is bold demanding some hefty food to pair it with. (Or just enjoy it solo!) Around $11 raise a glass!

Norton Malbec Riserva 2010 wine review by (PB)

Cranberry jelly hue with aromas of cocoa powder and thick smelling dark berries with loads of spice and licorice (Good N Plenty candy) nuances.

Palate--Thick texture with plush texture, mouth watering dark berry fruit and a peppery beam finishing with lingering cocoaberry, oak and spice.

At the $20 price point you expect a remarkable wine and this fits the bill. It is young and yet drinking really well but will continue to integrate for several years.

I am grilling a rib-eye on the charcoal Weber and this will set it off nicely so raise a glass!

Atalaya Almansa 2008 wine review by (PB)

Very young purple hue for a 2008!

Bouquet--Really lovely and big blackberry jam and plum, smokey wood and spices galore.

Palate--Rich, bold blackberry fruit and dark berries with vibrant, young tannins, wells structured, with a smokey oak and berry finish that lasts.

This is a big hefty wine made from Grenache (70%) and Monastrell(30%) that is amazingly young and has a few years to go before it's prime. I paid $14 for this nice wine and call it a nice value so raise a glass and enjoy!