Fat Monk Pinot Noir

Fat Monk wines are produced by the Villa San-Juliette Winery in Paso Robles.  You may recall a review we did of the Villa San-Juliette Zinfandel earlier this year, when we shared the background of this winery which is owned by the producers of American Idol.  Fat Monk is their bargain brand, although the prices aren’t too out of control on the Villa San-Juliette wines either.

While the winery is in Paso Robles, the appellation designation on Fat Monk is “Central Coast,” indicating that the grapes are not necessarily from Paso Robles, but they are from the same general area.

The nose is slightly on the tight side, but it still has plenty of good stuff to offer.  Baking spice aromas, like nutmeg and allspice, give this wine some real character and those spices are layered over the cherry and raspberry aromatics that you might expect from a California pinot.  The palate is brimming with ripe fruit flavors, like strawberry and cherry.  It gives a touch of spice in the mid-palate too.  And the finish is surprisingly long, although a touch bitter.
Overall, I’m impressed for $15.  The bad news is that they didn’t produce a lot of this wine.  In fact, they’re already sold out on their website.  But you may get lucky enough to stumble across this in your local wine shop.
Wine: Fat Monk
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 87
Price:  $15.00
Find Fat Monk Pinot Noir with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

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Top 5 Wines Under 10 Dollars from The Reverse Wine Snob

Check these out!

Editor’s Note: Since our readers are interested in finding great inexpensive wines, we thought we’d invite another bargain hunter to stop by and share his cheap wine recommendations.  The following is a guest post from Jon Thorsen of The Reverse Wine Snob.
If you’re a fan of CheapWineRatings.com then I know that you know there is plenty of good wine to be found for less than $20. Once you start talking about wine under $10 however, it gets a little dicey. Tim has graciously allowed me to share some of my favorite $10 and under finds. So without further ado, here are my top five wines under $10.
2010 Familia Zuccardi Santa Julia Organica Malbec
Available for $9-10. 100% Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. Very smooth, very drinkable and it’s even organic. From a vineyard that subsidizes health care and gives free education to their workers so you can feel even better while enjoying its smooth plum flavors and slightly spicy finish.



2009 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Red
Available for $9.99. 42% Grenache, 33% Shiraz, 25% Mourvédre from McLaren Vale, Australia. Strong aromas of plum, ripe fruit, and a little spice. The wine is very smooth with tastes of dark fruit, blackberry, and dried herbs. The wine ends with a great medium-long spicy finish.



2008 Concannon Vineyard Conservancy Petite Sirah
Available for $9.99. 100% Petite Sirah from Livermore Valley, California. Ahh, Petite Sirah, a wine with an interesting up and down history that doesn’t seem to get enough recognition today. This one has sweet blackberries and a little chocolate and pepper on the nose. The palate showed blackberries and even a bit of mocha. The dry finish has nice tannins and is overall just a really nicely balanced, full-bodied, drinkable wine.


2010 Caligiore Staccato Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon
Available for $9.99. 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendoza, Argentina. A second organic wine in my Top 5 Wines Under $10 list, but really that’s just a bonus because this wine is simply great. This is a deliciously fruity wine with smooth but firm tannins on the finish. Medium-bodied with blackberry and spice.



2009 Altovinum Calatayud Evodia Garnacha
Available for as low as $6.99 (at Costco). 100% Garnacha from Calatayud, Spain. This wine comes from vines up to 100 years old. Black cherry and cola on the nose, followed by raspberry notes with a bit of pepper and heat. Slightly dry and a very smooth finish that lingers nicely. Sublime is really the best word to describe this one. Highly recommended.






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Tarrica Wine Cellars Limited Release Sauvignon Blanc

I was just going through my tasting notes and I discovered that I still had notes for this wine from the sauvignon blanc series we did earlier this year, but somehow I neglected to publish this review at that time.  And since it’s such a hot summer day, sauvignon blanc is the perfect wine to highlight today!

Another unique coincidence with this wine is that it’s from Paso Robles, California, which is the theme in my latest column in Mutineer Magazine — which just hit shelves last week.  So there’s another good reason to highlight this wine.

Those who are regular readers here might know that I tend to favor sauvignon blanc from Chile more than that from California.  But this one from Tarrica Wine Cellars, while not an overwhelming tropical fruit experience (like some of my favorites from Chile), is still a pretty good wine.

Balance is the story that this wine tells.  It shows a nice balance of fruit, acid and mineral — three things that make for a beautiful sauvignon blanc.  The aromas from this wine reflect apple, mango, citrus and wet stones.  The palate gives good acidity, with apple and lime drenched mango flavors.  It finishes with a nice touch of acidity and a cooling mineral characteristic.  This is a nice wine.

Wine: Tarrica Wine Cellars Limited Release 
Variety: Sauvignon blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 87
Price:  $10.66

Find Tarrica Wine Cellars Limited Release Sauvignon Blanc with Snooth

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

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Eleven Zinfandels Under $20

I haven’t done a roundup article in a while, so I thought it was time to give you a quick summary of the recent series we did on zinfandel.
For those who are new to zinfandel, think bold, spicy and fruity wines.  These aren’t subtle wines — although some are more elegant than others.  And by elegant I mean some are less “in your face” with the spice and big fruit, making an approachable wine that will pair well with a broader range of foods.  The bigger, bolder zinfandels are your barbecue wines.  They pair well with strong flavored foods, like grilled burgers.
No matter what style of zin you like, there are plenty of tasty options under $20.  Here are some of our favorites.
Top Picks – Brazin Old Vine Zin

There’s nothing subtle about Brazin Old Vine Zin.  It has intense aromas, teaming with smoky fruit fragrances.  The palate is equally intense, with big plum and black cherry fruit flavors, plus a bit of nutmeg-like spice.  At $15, this is a great deal!

Right up there with Brazin is 7 Deadly Zins as another top pick.  This wine features darker fruit, compared to the Brazin, and dark chocolate nuances to boot.  It’s also a spicy zin, with a nice pepper note on the finish.
Best Value – Twisted Old Vine Zinfandel

While it’s a bit lighter than the others, Twisted Old Vine Zinfandel still offers plenty of ripe fruit flavors, good acidity and a touch of white pepper-like spice.  And at under $7.00, it’s a steal!
Here’s the full lineup of our zinfandel recommendations:

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Cline Zinfandel

Today we have a double-header!  Two different zinfandels from Cline Cellars.

Cline Cellars is actually pretty well known for their zinfandel.  It’s their specialty, along with Rhone varietals, and they produce seven different zinfandels, that I know of, maybe more. These two are the “under $20? offerings from Cline, while the others they produce a slightly more expensive.  But even with these entry-level wines, you’ll get some tasty juice.

Both of these zins have “California” listed as the appellation, meaning that the grapes come from multiple regions within the state, not just one AVA.

Cline Zinfandel

The base-level zinfandel from Cline Cellars is just labeled as “Zinfandel” with no other descriptors.  The grapes in this wine come from Lodi (46%), Contra Costa County AVA in Oakley (43%) and the rest comes from Sonoma and other regions.  The wine was aged for eight months in 30% medium-toast new French oak.

The first thing to stand out on the nose of this wine is the cherry aroma.  It’s an intense and jammy cherry aroma, like that from a cherry cough drop.  The nose also shows some vanilla, spice and cola aromas.  The palate has plenty of spicy cherry and plum flavors.  The tannins are sufficient, as is the acidity.  It finishes relatively long, with a nice, spicy sour cherry flavor.

Wine: Cline  Zinfandel
Variety: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 86
Price:  $11.99

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Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel

One step up in price is the Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel.  A lot of producers have “old vine zinfandel” but Cline is the only one I know of that sells an “ancient vines zinfandel.”  It sounds like a marketing name to me, and it is.  Old vines are known to create fruit with more concentrated flavors than younger vines, and that’s the appeal of old vine zinfandel.  But, it’s not a regulated classification.  Old vines may be 30-40 years old or more, but there’s no official age that denotes a vine as old, much less “ancient.”

UPDATE: According to Cline Cellars, the vines used for their Ancient Vines Zinfandel are 80+ years old.

The fruit in this wine come primarily from Lodi (63% of the blend), with the balance coming from Mendocino, Sonoma and Lake County, California.  This wine was aged for seven months in 30% new American oak, with the balance in neutral oak.

There’s a lot going on in the nose of this wine.  Cherry aromas, plum, coffee, vanilla and a wisp of smoke all swirl about.  The palate is spicy, with blackberry and cherry flavors up front, a little bit of cocoa on the mid-palate and a spicy cherry finish.  The acidity is perfect and soft tannins give the wine a nice mouth feel.  This one is a little less jammy and more approachable than the other Cline zinfandel, but they’re both enjoyable wines.

Wine: Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel
Variety: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 15%
Rating: 87
Price:  $15.99

Find Cline 2009 Ancient Vines Zinfandel with Snooth

Disclosure: These wines were received as a sample.

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Glen Ellen Proprietor’s Reserve Zinfandel

A question I get asked every now and then is, “Is any of the wine in those big bottles any good?”

The short answer is, “yes, some it it is good.”  But not all of it.  Some folks refer to bottles that are 1.5 liter and larger as “large format” bottles.  And in some cases, very good high-end wine goes into large format bottles.  But most of the 1.5 liter bottles you see on store shelves are going to be the cheap stuff.  And, yes, even some of that is decent.

So, that brings me to Glen Ellen Proprietor’s Reserve Zinfandel.  And I find myself wondering, is the wine in this 1.5 liter of cheap zinfandel any good.  By cheap, I mean $9.99 for 1.5 liters — which is the equivalent of two standard size wine bottles.

Glen Ellen is a bargain-priced label produced by Concannon Vineyards.  Since Concannon is known to produce some good wine, that’s a good sign.  It’s an “old vine” zinfandel, which is another good sign.  But it is Concannon’s entry-level label, so it’s made with the less desirable fruit — the better fruit going to their premium labels.  As always, there’s only one way to find out if it’s any good, taste it.

But before we get to tasting it, a comment about opening it.  This wine is sealed with a synthetic cork.  I despise synthetic corks.  It’s just a personal preference thing, though.  I don’t have any research to show that synthetic corks are any worse than other closures (although I’m sure someone has researched it).  I just don’t like them.  If you’re not going to give me real cork, I’d rather have a screw cap.  I know some consumers poke fun at the screw cap, but to me they’re better than a plastic synthetic cork.

Now that I have that out of the way, on with the tasting.

The nose is a little soft, but not completely tight.  It has aromas of plum, cola and spice.  And even though it’s only 13.5% alcohol (relatively low for a zinfandel), the alcohol fumes are still rather potent.  The palate has plum and blackberry flavors and decent acidity, although it’s a bit angular in the mouth and a little thin.  It finishes with a bit of spice and slightly tart fruit.

So, what does all that mean?  Is this wine any good.  It’s not an extraordinary wine, but it’s drinkable.  And it certainly is a bargain.  It doesn’t have the depth, structure and concentration to get me excited about it.  But I’m sure many consumers would be perfectly satisfied with it.  If you do pick up this wine, I’d suggest giving it a slight chill before consuming.  Not a full refrigeration, but maybe put it in the fridge for 20-25 minutes to bring the temp down slightly.  That will make this wine a touch more enjoyable.

Wine: Glen Ellen Proprietor’s Reserve
Variety: Old Vine Zinfandel
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 80
Price:  $9.99 for 1.5 liters

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

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Vivi Primitivo

When you’re perusing the Italian shelf in your local wine shop, chances are good that you’ll come across a primitivo.  And you may wonder what that wine tastes like.  Well, if you’re a zinfandel fan you may want to check it out because primitivo is basically the Italian name for zinfandel.
The genetic makeup of primitivo is identical to zinfandel, but the wine produced from it is typically stylistically different from American zinfandel.  I usually expect a primitivo to be more earthy and less fruit-forward than their Californian counterparts.  But with this one from Vivi, it’s a bit more “new world” in style.  In fact, maybe more new world than some California zinfandel I’ve tasted recently.
This particular wine was aged in stainless steel, which gives it a fresh and fruity style versus a more structured style found in many oaked zinfandels.

The nose on this wine is really floral, which makes it interesting.  It also shows aromas of blackberry, plum and cola.  On the palate, it’s a true sweet and sour experience, with ripe berry flavors up front followed by tart cherries.  It makes for a really lively palate.  The acidity is superb but the tannins are subtle.  It’s clear that this wine was aged in stainless versus oak by the agressiveness on the palate.  It’s a bit angular.  It finishes with spicy, tart fruit.
It’s a good wine and definitely worth checking out for something different if you’re a zinfandel fan.
Wine: Vivi Primitivo
Variety: Primitivo
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 85
Price:  $9.99
Find Vivi Primitivo with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

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