Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2021

Very pale straw hue with aromas of sweet lemon lime, with powdery hints, slightest hint of qwet stone.

Palate--Nice first impression of an off dry tropical fruit creation with vanilla, mixed citrus, lip smacking acidity and a fresh clean finish.

This Charles Smith creation out of Washington state is an always reliable delightful, easy drinking, refreshing quaff. It pairs well with spicy Indian, Thai, Asian cuisine but is wonderful chilled down and served all by itself poolside.  At $10 it is always enjoyable so raise a glass!

Cabert Cantina De Bertiolo Pinot Noir 2021

 

Brilliant ruby hue wirth aromas of  gentle raspberry, red grapefruit, and very gentle spice.

Palate-- Slightly tart first impression with flavors of raspberry, and a touch of citrusy acid which is a  bit endearing. Finishes quickly.

This $12 Pinot from Italy is a surprise in that Italy is not known for their Pinot Noir production.  It is well made and clearly a different style than domestic or French Pinot Noir. At $12 it's worth a try.

I paired it with charcoal grilled swordfish with an orange, ginger glaze and it was very nice so raise a glass.

Frescobaldi Rèmole Toscana 2020

Straw hue with aromas of green apple, sweet vanilla and citrus with mango.

Palate--First impression this well structured white is off dry with lovely flavors of understated apple, tropical fruit, and fig. It lingers with a reminder of how good Italian whites can be when made by the centuries old icons of Italian wine making.

This is a Frescobaldi creation that is "crafted" not simply made. It is lovely, balanced, and I will pair it with my French onion soup for dinner. I paid a ridiculous $6 for this but lists at $12. It is not what you might expect of a Tuscan white but it is lovely so raise a glass!

Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel 2020

Garnet hue with aromas of sweet/sour berries, a touch of sweet and savory spice. 

Palate--First impression is a nicely made, integrated wine--even at this youthful stage--with loads of lovely rich dark berry and ripe dark plum.

Bogle is one of those always reliable vintners who make good wine regardless of the price point. This is a rich, tantalizing value Zin at the $10 price point.  I am BBQing ribs (slow cooked) tonight on charcoal and this will be great. Raise a glass!

La Finca "Oak Aged" Malbec 2022

Nice cranberry jelly hue with aromas of classic Malbec with dark berry/cherry fruit and blackberry pie.

Palate--First impression is nice structure with very good Malbec flavor of mouth watering berry fruit with a touch of cherry and a nice finish that is clean even if a bit short.

Now--check this out against the previous review on my blog of the Gestos Malbec. These are both really super value wines. The previous is more intense, deep and brooding but this one is delicious as well, a touch more gentle and not as intense. So what?  Well this wine is $6! It ought to be priced more around $15!  The previous Malbec is better for sure and even my wife noticed the difference in intensity. So while the uneducated palate might never notice the difference these are two great examples of what one Cabernet for example costing $10 but is nothing like a $25 Cabernet. 

At these prices for these Malbecs, grab them and raise a glass!

Scotto Zinfandel 2017 (Lodi) *label is not exact

Bricking, garnet hue with nice aromas above the rim, and dark berry compote in the bowl. Rich ripe, jammy black berry with ash notes, and a slight hint of grapefruit.

Palate--Integrated, with a bit of a hot baseline (acidic) but that may be due to a scorched tongue from HOT coffee in an airport this morning. Rich mid-palate full of nice mixed berries with a fairly quick finish.

This Lodi California is available at Trader Joe's for $8.50 and it is a great value. There can be some "bottle variation" as there can be with any wine but I have consumed cases of this wine over a few years and it is classic Zinfandel, spicy, full of dark fruit and always pairs well with a whole host of foods from anything grilled, anything tomato based, all sorts of pasta dishes, wild game, beef, even turkey and chicken.  It is great with cheeses that are on the hefty side so experiment and raise a glass! 

Gestos "Malbec + Malbec" 2021

Intense nearly black hue with aromas of dark plum, under-ripe Blackberry.

Palate--Big fruit bomb first impression with intense and thick flavors of gigantic black berry and savory spice.  Structurally sound, lip smacking tannins, finishing with a huge dark berry ending.

This is a gigantic wine that is well made and even in its neonatal form is delicious.  I can only imagine this wine in 3-5 years from now when it has had time to show its stuff which is already impressive.

This was $9 at Trader Joe's and it is a fabulous value if you love big, bold fruit forward wines that fill your mouth with fruit. I will be grabbing more of this I assure you so raise a glass!

Cline Old Vine Zinfandel 2021 (Lodi)

Strawberry hue (depending on the light)  with aromas of brambly red berries with classic Zinfandel nose.

Palate--Lovely zesty, Zinfandel first impression with nice balanced structure, and mouth watering Red berry fruit with a savory edge. Lingers a bit leaving a nice reminder of the wine in your mouth.

A perennial fave of mine from Trader Joe's for $10 on sale and I drink a LOT of it.  Pairing it tonight with another grilled sirloin (charcoal) and it will be prefect.  Raise a glass!

Nieto Senetiner Malbec 2021

Nice inky dark hue with a floral and hefty bouquet of rich ripe damson plum and big bold blackberry. Ash and oak.

Palate--Bold presentation with rich, dense, dark fruit flavors on a structure of youthful tannins and solidly well made on balance.  Finishes with a lingering, brooding boldness of more dark berry goodness.

This wine is "crafted" not just thrown together. Hailing from Mendoza this wine is VERY nice and will become more complex with time. This is drinking well now but it will improve so much more in the next 5-8 years. I will have to buy jore and lay it down. 

James Suckling--formerly of the Wine Spectator--gives this wine 92 points and he is dead on. 

I paid $15 for this gem and will buy more so raise a glass!  BTW, a beautiful label!!!

Inkberry Mountain Estate Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

 

Lovely garnet, jellied cranberry sauce purple hue with aromas of sweet fruit, the slightest twinge of licorice, and rather one dimensional.

Palate--Tasty with decent structure, and new world fruit forward profile but again fairly simple and straightforward. 

At $12, this will appeal to the popular palate of new wine drinkers who say they don't like "red wine" because... This gives a sweet impression that is tasty, easy to drink and not bad with a piece of grilled steak. 

This Aussie creation doesn't seem like Shiraz at all nor Cabernet either and yet together they make a drinkable marriage. If you ignore the actual grapes on the label and just ask yourself if you like it, you'll probably say yes so what the heck, Raise a glass!

Gaetano D'Aquino Chianti Riserva 2018

Sweet floral bouquet on a garnet hue with slight bricking on the rim and aromas of rustic cherry-berry and spice.

Palate--First impression is acidic with Classic Chianti profile for Sangiovese. Cherry berry flavor with fresh cherry hints. Tannic residual and a savory though quick finish. 

This previously reviewed Trader Joe's bargain at $7 is always a super value. Compare the tasting notes here to the previously reviewed wine. Serving with baked Ziti tonight. Raise a glass!

Porter & Plot Pinot Noir 2020

Translucent ruby hue with aromas of savory herbs with cherry, strawberry nose, and sweeter fresh cherry in the bowl.

Palate--A juicy expression of the grape with high acidity, somewhat austere on a tightly wound profile on opening but juicy loveliness is there when it opens. A bold tannic structure is not what I normally associate with the grape but it is certainly part of this wine. 

Again this has just been opened and it needs to air out.  I will be pairing it with baked chicken and roasted root vegetables. It is listed at $27 but I paid $13 for it. We'll see if it comes through in the end.  

Substance CS Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Deep garnet/purple hue with aromas of plum. prune hints, fresher dark berries above the rim, with ashy, spicy herbs and lovely pipe tobacco.

Palate--Solid structure with dense fruit, big black berry, black cherry and over-ripe plum--but not yet prune, with lip smacking tannins, and a finish that is somewhat quick. 

I met Charles Shaw at a Maine wine store many years ago. I always appreciated his avant garde approach to making wine and marketing without being annoyingly pretentious. I am a big fan of his most of his productions and was curious about this Cabernet. Definitely not your typical Washington state Cab.

I paid $11 for this although priced at $19. I like it at $11, would have been disappointed at $19. Will pair it with my shipped in Lou Malnatti's Chicago deep dish pizza and it will be perfect so raise a glass!

Pacific Rim Gewurztraminer 2018 Ramos Vineyard

Medium straw hue with aromas of lilacs, sweet baking spices, 

Palate--Slightly "spritzig" with a shy first impression and a tantalizing, creamy, mouth feel even if a touch *"flabby". I am hard pressed to identify a specific fruit flavor in this wine which is truly unusual. I am not saying there isn't a delightful presentation of fruit, I just am struggling to find a descriptor for them. I do get rose petal at the rear palate. It finishes pretty quickly and while this tastes great there is something just "off" with the structure. 

Pacific Rim makes some easy drinking white wines for around $8 making them nice value wines. This one is around $14 perhaps because it is a single vineyard production which yields higher price tags.  Gewurztraminer is one of my favorite white wine grapes and while I do like the taste of this wine, it is not exactly a great example of "Gewurztraminer." I bashfully suggest passing it up.

*"Flabby" denotes a lack of acidity. This isn't atrociously flabby but still could use a sharper edge.

Querceto Toscana 2019

 

Subdued spicy cherry aromas on a ruby hue with with a sweet side to it which is unusual for a Tuscan Sangiovese (grape).

Palate--Again, a touch "sweeter" impression than I am used to with Tuscan red wines, simpler than most with a slight but lovely licorice beam with enticing flavor profile that is amazingly "new world." 

Querceto is one of my all time favorite Chianti's having visited Greve, Italy drinking a higher level bottling in the breathtaking Tuscan countryside. Listed at $16 I paid $10 for it and would like to buy many more but the opportunity is gone. At any rate, Raise a Glass of this charming Tuscan offering.

Renwood Estate Zinfandel (Amador County) 2019

Cranberry jelly hue with aromas of ripe blackberry, ash and spice, 

Palate-- Big, bold fruit forward blackberry cream candies, with fresh ripe blackberries besides, finishes with a vanilla cream touch with rich spicy herbs in the ending and more vanilla.

I reviewed this same wine --a  lovely Zinfandel--10 days ago and it is just as lovely as the first time around. I didn't pick up the vanilla on the first review but it is certainly there on this review.  There is something there on the rear palate which is eluding my description but whatever it is I love it. 

At $14 it is a really nice Zin and I highly recommend it. I will be pairing it with charcoal grilled chicken thighs so Raise a Glass!

Montes "Limited Selection" Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere blend 2017

Purple/garnet hue with aromas of ruby red grapefruit, citrus notes, a tinge of mushroom, violets above the rim.

Palate--Big presentation with a robust, chewy structure with dark berry notes, still the red grapefruit mid- palate, plastic like finish. Admittedly an awkward first impression, puckery tannins, and a finish that is lingering and not off putting.

Montes is one of Chile's premier vintners, and generally reliable. This is a table wine level production around $14. I am ambivalent at this point and will update when it has breathed for a while. 

Update--This balanced out and was a nice accompaniment to my dinner of left-overs. Raise a glass!

Corvo Colomba Platino Nero D'Avola 2018

 

Garnet hue with the slightest hint of aging at the rim.  Aromas of gently spiced with sweet red fruit above the rim and a nuance of lilac with more red berries.

Palate--Surprisingly bold presentation for the grape, with balanced foundation holding the red berry fruit and sweet/savory spices on the edge.

This is a different presentation than I am used to from one of my routinely inexpensive, old world varietals. Nero D'Avola--pronounced "NERo DA vola" is the signature grape of Sicily and it is fruity, cherry pronounced, with a decent acidic line making it nice to pair with all kind of food.

I paid $8 for this $16 reference priced Sicilian red with some age on it and it is drinking great now and at its peak. Grab any varietal of this type and give it a try; I expect you will like it!  Raise a glass!

Acre & Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

 

Nice aubergine hue, ash and subdued fruit on opening green herbaceous notes, dark berries.

Palate--Tart first impression with lip smacking tannins, wood, coarse spices, blackberry with a quick finish and an awkward mouth feel. 

This is a Columbia Valley Cabernet which generally have a fairly distinctive "terroir" but this one is just meah. Maybe there is hope after it breaths. After some air time, it is angular, clunky and unpleasant.  Pass on this one...

Bash! Sparkling Rosé

Pinkish-orangeish hue with aromas of Cream sickle (ice cream novelty), and needs to warm up a tad  as aromas are quite subdued.

Palate--Lovely pin prick bubbles scintillate your tongue with gentle flavors of strawberry, whipped cream on a clean and very fresh palate. There's not a lot going on but I seriously LOVE this new sparkler.

This sparkler from the Plymouth Wine Co. (which is new to me) lists at $22 but I bought it for $8!  $22 is a hefty tag on such a simple wine but again I want to emphasize that although simple it is crisp, clean and hard to stop sipping...or guzzling.  I am serving it with my wife's Chicken tortilla soup and it is going to be perfect for it.  If you happen to find this around the $12 price point grab it and several more bottles because you will find it versatile, exceptional and fun!  Raise a case!