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
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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

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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

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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
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

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X Winery Zinfandel

While many of the zinfandels we’ve been reviewing lately come from Lodi, California, that’s not the only place that’s producing great zin.  This one from X Winery comes from the Nova Vineyard in Lake County, California.  This is located just outside Kelseyville, California — which is a good bit north of Napa and Sonoma, and even further northwest of Lodi.
The zinfandel on this vineyard is organically grown and is California Certified Organically Farmed (CCOF).  If you’re looking for wine produced with organically farmed grapes, this is an outstanding one to try.  And to give it another notch in the environmentally friendly belt, the corks are certified as sustainable corks by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Rainforest Alliance.
We’ve reviewed a number of X Winery wines in the past and we’ve been consistently impressed with the quality of their products, and this is no exception.

The nose on this zinfandel isn’t too aggressive, but is quite interesting and enjoyable.  The base layer of aroma is a plum and cherry fruit, with a splash of cola.  Layered on top of that are spice and herb aromas, like allspice, vanilla, cedar and sage.  The palate has plenty of ripe fruit flavors, with blackberry and cherry being the most pronounced.  It’s not a super spicy zinfandel, but there is some spice — particularly on the finish.  The acidity is great and the mouthfeel is nice.  Overall, this is a nice, elegant and approachable zinfandel.
Wine: X Winery Lake County Nova Vineyard Zinfandel
Variety: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 88
Price:  $19.99
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

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Villa San-Juliette Zinfandel

We’ve been talking about zinfandel for the past few weeks, and while many of those we’ve reviewed have been from Lodi, California, now we’re getting into some from other regions.  And one of the great appellations for zinfandel is Paso Robles, the origin of this wine from Villa San-Juliette.
When we’re writing about wines, sometimes it’s hard to find a story to tell.  Some wines really don’t have much of a story other than the fact that they’re a product from some big company.  That’s not the case with this wine.
Villa San-Juliette is owned by Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick, two life-long friends from Liverpool.  But they’re better known as the executive producers of the TV shows American Idol, America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance and other shows.  And while they have been very successful in television, they didn’t have any experience in winemaking before purchasing Villa San-Juliette.
Needless to say, they were in over their heads and problems arose as they launched their new venture.  Potential investors backed out, wild boars damaged their vineyard, a customer cancelled a contract to buy their fruit, vines became rot infested and more.  But turning catastrophe into gold, Lythgoe and Warwick captured their adventures of learning how to run a vineyard in a reality television series called Corkscrewed: The Wrath of Grapes.
If you’ve ever thought that it would be fun to own a vineyard, you should watch this series to see the chaos that comes with that job.
But since those initial struggles, things have turned around and are looking good.  What changed?  They hired people who know how to run a vineyard.  In 2007, Tony Domingos was brought in as a consultant to help transform the vineyard.  And in 2008, Adam LaZarre came on board as winemaker for Villa San-Juliette.  LaZarre had spent the previous 8 1/2 years as the winemaker for Hahn Estates Winery.
While there are lots of fun stories behind this wine, it still comes down to what’s in the glass that really matters.  And when it comes to this zinfandel, I’d say it rocks!

This wine has moderate intensity on the nose with aromas of raspberry, cigar tobacco, blackberry and black pepper.  It’s a bit smoky too.  For having 16% alcohol, it’s surprising that the fumes aren’t too intense.  The palate has a nice acidity to it and flavors of plum and blackberry with a good bit of spice.  This is a lively wine and has a nice mouth feel as well.  If finishes spicy, with raspberry and black pepper flavors.  The acidity in this wine gives makes it stand out from many other zinfandels, and it will go well with rich, fatty foods like pizza.
Wine: Villa San-Juliette
Variety: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 16%
Rating: 88
Price:  $17.00
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

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7 Deadly Zins 2008

Continuing with the current theme of zinfandel, tonight we’re reviewing a cult classic of sorts in the zin drinking world.  7 Deadly Zins is a trusted favorite of many zin fanatics.  It has a fun and memorable name.  It’s got some tasty juice in it.  And it’s affordable.  What more could you want from a zinfandel?
7 Deadly Zins is produced by Michael David Winery, one of the producers that’s on my “yes, please” list.  I can’t recall ever tasting a wine of theirs that I didn’t like—but more importantly, I can remember tasting several of their wines over the years that have made me say, “Wow, that’s good! What is it?”  Unfortunately, some of those wines have been in a price range that’s above what we typically consider a bargain.  But they do have some, like 7 Deadly Zins, that are priced just right.
This is a Lodi zinfandel, meaning it’s from the Lodi region in California.  If you’re a zin junkie, you probably already know about Lodi.  If you’re just getting into zinfandel, make a note of it and try several from this region.
7 Deadly Zins is made with grapes from seven of the best growers in the Lodi region.  That’s where the name comes from… well, the fact that the grapes came from seven growers and the fact that it’s a fun and memorable pun.  The zinfandel is blended with a little bit of petite sirah and petite verdot.

The color of this wine is a dark, dark purplish-red.  The nose has outstanding intensity and complexity, with an aroma that’s like blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream.  It also has a cola-like note in the bouquet.  The palate is brimming with spiced blackberry and cherry flavors.  Dark chocolate flavors come in on the mid-palate and stay through the finish, which also reveals a spicy pepper note.  The acidity is great, the mouth feel is nice and the finish is long.  This is a really nice zinfandel.
Wine: 7 Deadly Zins
Variety: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 15%
Rating: 89
Price:  $16.00
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

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Redwood Creek Zinfandel

Summer is quickly approaching, and that means grilling season.  And grilling season means it’s time for zinfandel.  While summer is a great time to try some cool, crisp white wines, if you’re looking for a wine to go with your burgers from the grill, then it’s zinfandel you should be grabbing.  I’m not talking about that disgustingly sweet white zinfandel, I’m talking about red, bold, spicy zinfandel.  To get you ready for the season, I’m going to present a number of zinfandel reviews over the next couple weeks.
This one from Redwook Creek is a bargain-priced Lod zin, at only $8.00.  I don’t have a whole lot of story to go behind this wine.  It’s an E&J Gallo brand — one of many.

My first impression of this wine is that it’s pleasant, but not extraordinarily exciting.  The nose has aromas of vanilla and berries, with moderate intensity.  The palate is a fruit bomb, with very concentrated black cherry and raspberry flavors.  It leans toward being sweet, without being jammy.  A bit of spice comes into play on the finish, but it dances with the sweetness from residual sugar.
It’s an approachable, easy-drinking wine.  But it doesn’t scream “zinfandel” to me.  I expect wine snobs would turn their nose at the residual sugar, but most average wine consumers will find it pleasant.
Wine: Redwood Creek
Variety: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 83
Price:  $8.00
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

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Brazin Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel

We review a lot of wines here, but surprisingly only a handful of them end up on my personal list of trusted favorites.  This is one of those wines.
Brazin if fairly young as a brand, although the winemaker behind it, Sue Hofmann, has plenty of experience.  We first discovered it with the 2007 vintage, when there was just one wine offered by Brazin.  Now they produce four different zinfandels under the Brazin brand, including some single vineyard releases.  But their Lodi Old Vine Zin is the most widely available, and the most affordable of the bunch.
Although it’s only $15.00, this is a serious zinfandel.  It’s big, it’s bold, it’s fruity and it’s spicy.  The wine is matured in oak barrels to give it a bit of spice.  And at 15% alcohol by volume, it has a kick.
We did a mini-review of this Brazin back in March, when I met up with Sue Hofmann before the Cincinnati International Wine Festival.  But I didn’t score the wine then, as I wasn’t tasting it in my typical fashion.  So, I thought it would be good to do a formal review of it.

The first thing to stand out about this wine is the intensity on the nose.  When you pull the cork and pour it, it instantly has outstanding intensity without decanting or giving it time to open up.  It has plenty of fruit aromas, like cherry and raspberry, but there’s more to this wine than fruit.  The nose is also a touch smoky and it shows some coffee aromas.  The palate it bursting with spiced fruit flavors.  It’s like a blend of plums and black cherries sprinkled with nutmeg.  The concentration is outstanding.   It has good acidity and a pleasant mouth feel.  Mid-palate brings a bit of a black tea flavor and it finishes with cherry and black pepper flavors.  This is an extraordinary zinfandel for the price.
Wine: Brazin – Lodi Old Vine Zin
Variety: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 15%
Rating: 90
Price:  $15.00
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

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Eight Cool Climate Red Wines from Chile

A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to take part in a Chilean wine tasting with several other wine bloggers around the country.  It was a virtual tasting, meaning that we were connected “virtually” not that we virtually tasted… we really did taste the wines.  But we were connected via a web conference with all the other bloggers participating and with the winemakers in Chile.  I’ve done a few of these before, and it’s always an interesting way to taste and learn about a few new wines.
The theme for this tasting was “cool climate reds,” which means red wines produced in cool climate regions.  You see, some grape varieties perform better with cool conditions versus hot.  And some just perform differently.  In this tasting, it was pinot noir and syrah.  Pinot noir is exclusively a cool climate variety, as too much heat ruins these grapes.  Syrah, on the other hand, can be produced in cool or warmer climates, but the results are different.
Some of the best wine growing regions are coastal, like Chile, and the cool, maritime influence is big part of what makes these regions good for growing wine grapes.  But there is a lot of variation in climate within these regions, creating some areas that are better, consistent cool climate regions as well as some warmer micro-climates.  For a number of years, Chile has had a good reputation for producing exceptional cool-climate white wines, but it’s really only been within the last five years or so that they’ve done well with cool-climate reds, like pinot noir.  And there’s certainly more to come.
Given the setting for this tasting, these were not tasted blind.  Here are my notes.
Valdivieso 2009 Pinot Noir Reserva

The nose is pretty powerful on this wine.  Spicy cherry and strawberry aromas are the first thing that stand out.  It also has some bacon fat and cola aromatics.  The palate provides a good amount of fruit, without being at all jammy.  It’s kind of a cherry/cranberry thing with a touch of smoked meat on the palate.  The acidity is just right and the soft tannins provide a nice mouth feel.  The finish is relatively long, with a strong cranberry note.
Wine: Valdivieso Reserva
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 88
Price:  $16.99
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Viña Casablanca 2009 Nimbus Estate Pinot Noir

This wine shows the smoky and spicy side of pinot noir on the nose, with nutmeg, cocoa, and toasted aromatics.  There’s some fruit under all that too, but the spice is what makes the music on this one.  Unfortunately, there’s also a touch of sulfur/egg on the nose, which isn’t a good thing, although it’s not overwhelming.  On the palate, the fruit comes out to play, offering plum and raspberry flavors.  But there’s plenty of spice on the palate, with a nice black pepper characteristic.  There’s some cocoa on the mid-palate too.  The acidity and tannins are good.  Aside from the sulfur, is a fun pinot.
Wine: Viña Casablanca Nimbus Estate
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 84
Price:  $19.99
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Veramonte 2009 Ritual Pinot Noir

This is a nice, earthy pinot noir with intense tree bark and truffle aromas.  It also shows plenty of cherry and a touch of cola fragrance.  The palate is filled with cherry and cranberry flavors with vibrant acidity.  The palate also gives a touch of spiciness. The tannins are slightly velvety in the mouth.  The finish is long, with lingering fruit and spice.  This is a great wine.
Wine: Veramonte Ritual
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 90
Price:  $19.99
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Cono Sur 2008 Ocio Pinot Noir

The nose of this wine is screaming with intensity.  The fruit on the nose is a bit darker than a lot of other pinot we’ve had, favoring cassis and blackberry.  There’s some red fruit in it too, cherry.  It has a nice smoky quality on the nose too, with notes of sandalwood and tobacco.  The palate offers concentrated cherry and blackberry flavors, with outstanding acidity.  It borders on jammy.  The finish is lasting with the powerful fruit and spice from the palate taking you for a long ride.  This is an exceptional, although somewhat pricey, wine.
Wine: Cono Sur Ocio
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 94
Price:  $65.00
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Tamaya 2009 Reserva Syrah

The first impression I got from the nose of this wine is bubblegum.  But it’s not overly sweet/artificial, there’s just a hint of that fragrance in the nose.  It also shows some red currant, pepto bismol and licorice aromas.  The palate has plenty of ripe cherry and raspberry flavors and a good bit of spice.
Wine: Tamaya Reserva
Variety: Syrah
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 86
Price:  $16.99
Find Tamaya 2009 Reserva Syrah with Snooth
Loma Larga 2006 Syrah

This wine has a nice, deep red color.  The nose is very earthy, with aromas of eucalyptus, leather, chocolate, grilled meat and raspberry.  The mouth feel is really nice.  Very velvety.  The palate offers loads of ripe blackberry and currant flavors, that are slightly jammy.  It gives a little white pepper kick in the mid palate and finishes with more of the fruit.  This wine is begging to be served with lamb.  I like this wine, but the eucalyptus aroma may be a turn off for some consumers.
Wine: Loma Larga
Variety: Syrah
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 89
Price:  $29.00
Find Loma Larga 2006 Syrah with Snooth
Undurraga 2009 T.H. Syrah

The “T.H.” on the label of this wine, stands for “terroir hunter” and this is a single-vineyard syrah, produced with the goal of featuring the terroir in the expression of the wine.  The intensity on the nose of this wine is outstanding.  It has loads of red fruit, raspberry, cherry and red currants. It also has some black pepper and soy sauce characteristics adding to the complexity.  The palate has a vibrant acidity with concentrated cherry and raspberry flavors.  There’s plenty of spice on the palate of this one too.  It also has some soft tannins, rounding out the mouth feel.  It’s a tasty wine.
Wine: Undurraga T.H.
Variety: Syrah
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 90
Price:  $24.99
Find Undurraga 2009 T.H. Syrah with Snooth
Hacienda Araucano 2009 Reserva Syrah

Cherry, raspberry and grilled meat aromas make up the nose of this wine.  The intensity on the nose is good, but not overwhelming.  This is a big wine on the palate, filling every crevasse in your mouth with flavors.  Plum, chocolate and leather all combine to make a interesting palate.  The mouth feel is very good.  This is a big wine with a lot of flavor, but it’s not refined or integrated.  Still, it’s a tasty wine.
Wine: Hacienda Araucano Reserva
Variety: Syrah
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 86
Price:  $13.00
Disclosure: These wines were received as a sample.

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MontGras Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

We go through a lot of wine in our household.  Now before you get the wrong idea, let me add that it’s usually no more than a glass (roughly 6 – 8 ounces) a day.  But between my wife and me, we can easily consume about 4 – 5 bottles a week.  And as you can imagine, the neighbors just love to hang out at our place, particularly with all the great wine.  So 4 -5 bottles can easily turn into 8 – 9 a week.  That can add up, particularly if you like the expensive stuff.  But having a restaurant in the family has it’s advantages, and none better than being able to buy wine at wholesale!

So, recently we were running a little low, which prompted me to begin searching for good, high value reds to stock the cellar with.  My dad, who now handles all the wine buying duties at the restaurant, had actually just sampled the latest MontGras Cabernet, the 2009; and, he recommended that I pick up a case to replenish our stock.  So I splurged, solely on his recommendation, having not tasted the wine.  But I wasn’t too concerned.  I figured that if he thought is was good (and he has great taste), that, most importantly, my wife would love it.

So, as I finally got around to tasting the MontGras, and reviewing it here for Cheap Wine Ratings, I noticed that what was once a stock of nine bottles (MontGras Cabernet Sauvignon comes in a nine bottle case) was now only two!  Where did all the MontGras go?  Well, let’s just say my wife really loved it.  But how good was it really?  Let’s find out.

On the nose the MontGras offers rich currant, vanilla and traces of other black fruit, but I was also picking up heavy levels of must.  Is this what my wife was loving so much?  Or, could I have gotten the one corked bottle that’s presumably in every case.  Well before I began seriously doubting my wife’s taste in wine, the mustiness had cleared.  Maybe it was me.  Maybe there was some taint, but the wine wasn’t the worse for it after a bit of breathing.

On the palate the wine offers up fine, yet lush tannins with a deep dark fruit core on the mid-palate.  This fruit is cradled in roast coffee bean and peat, but it’s not harsh at all.  On the contrary, this is a very smooth wine for as much as it has going on.  The MontGras is actually quite complex, and offers great balance for the money.  Ok, now I know why my wife loved it so much.

The MontGras is a crowd pleaser.  It will provide something for those looking for some character and complexity, but it will also satisfy those who are looking for an easy drinking red, and quite nicely I might add.  Which reminds me.  I need to order another case.

A  Salute!

Wine: MontGras
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 88
Price:  $11.00

Find MontGras Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva with Snooth

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The Little Penguin Pinot Noir

When you think of wine from Australia you probably think of Shiraz first, as well you should.  Shiraz is Australia’s most planted variety, and it ranks second to France in shiraz/syrah in vines under cultivation.  But I’d be willing to bet that when Australian wine gets mentioned, the last varietal that you think of is pinot noir.  I mean, when was the last time you had a pinot noir from Australia?
The challenge of growing pinot outside of Burgundy has been well published, and Australia is no exception.  The southern portions of the country are very well suited to hardier varieties, such as cabernet sauvignon and the aforementioned shiraz, that aren’t as picky about climatic conditions as pinot is.  But Aussie wine-makers are becoming a little more adventurous with this variety, particularly in the cooler, southern portions of Victoria, like Yarra Valley and Mornington Penninsula.

But The Little Penguin is not sourcing their pinot grapes from these regions.  You have to head a little west from Victoria to the state of South Australia to locate their plantings.  The real estate there may not be as prestigious as in southern Victoria, but the conditions are similar, and I’m sure the lower rent helps The Little Penguin keep such an attractive price.  We’ve reviewed their 2006 offering, and while we weren’t that enamored with the 2006, the 2010 vintage came recommended by one of the trusted wine shops I frequent.

The nose of this wine is actually quite pleasant, if a bit jammy for a pinot.  It’s a far cry from the 2006, and that’s a great start.  The nose offers rich ripe strawberry and rhubarb, with hints of vanilla and allspice.  While I wouldn’t exactly say that The Little Penguin hits the mark in varietal character, it is certainly an enjoyable nose.  On the palate the wine offers light, yet smooth strawberry fruit.  Through the mid-palate the wine maintains it’s soft fruit and transitions abruptly to rich acidity, bordering on actually being slightly sour in the finish.  But it doesn’t upset the balance or the experience.
Overall, I enjoyed this simpler expression of pinot noir, even if it isn’t the most complex of wines.  But to be fair, at this price point, you would be hard pressed to find a better value in pinot, in my opinion.  So give this pinot-on-a-budget example a try.
A  Salute!
Wine: The Little Penguin
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 85
Price:  $5.99
Find The Little Penguin Pinot Noir with Snooth

View the original article here

Don't Steal Mommy's Wine

04.21.2011
My daughter gets a kick out of smelling what's in our glasses when we're drinking with dinner, but she knows better than to steal mommy's wine.
Apparently, though, not everyone else is as careful. A number of people just landed in court over Mommy's wine.

The wine world is notorious for its highly aggressive, even draconian, protection of brand names. Who knew that one of those brand names was "Mommy?"
"MommyJuice" and "Mommy's Time Out" are apparently in a death match to determine which has the right to Mommy's name.
Careful kids, don't make me separate you! Don't you know I love you equally?
If I made any of the wines named: Mama's, Big Mama, Mama Mia, Mountain Mama Madness, Sugar Mama, Sweet Mama Rosa, Mama Cina, Red Hot Mama, Mama's Vineyard, or the lovable Mama's Bear Hug White, I guess I'd be a little nervous (yes, those are all real wines). Perhaps there was some prescience in the folks that named their wine Don't Tell Mama.
Don't you know Mommy doesn't like being sued? That calls for a glass of Mama's Boy, for sure.
Can't we all just get along?
Read the full story.
Posted by: Alder on April 21, 2011 9:50 PM Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News Like this post?
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Twisted Old Vine Zinfandel

It’s been close to 3 years since we’ve reviewed Twisted’s 2005 Old Vine Zinfandel.  It represented a great value back then at it’s $6.99 price tag, but it didn’t get our nod for top zinfandel under $20.  Recently, on one of my routine trips to one of my favorite wine shops, I ran across the 2009 vintage.  So I picked up a bottle.  I was very curious to see if the Twisted’s great value proposition had changed.  One thing that hasn’t changed is the great price – $6.99!  But as this wine lover will certainly attest, there is definitely more to the value proposition than merely price.
I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the number of value priced wines that I’ve tasted and enjoyed in their early vintages, only to see their value propositions diminish in subsequent vintages, either due to inflating prices or watered down quality.  Not to digress to far here, but this is actually a peeve of mine.  I really enjoy finding gems at great prices, and I enjoy being able to share those gems with friends even more.  But when a winery decides to either make drastic moves up-market with a wine, or worse, dilute the wine’s quality, I lose trust in the brand.

So has Twisted’s Old Vine Zin lost me?  Rest assured they haven’t.  In fact, I’d say Twisted’s Old Vine Zinfandel now represents an even better value.  3 years later and the wine has still retained it’s great price.  That alone is noteworthy.  But how about the quality?
The first thing you might notice about the 2009 Twisted is it’s translucence, which is unlike most zin’s, particularly old vine zin’s, and more like a pinot.   The wine lacks the rich sheen that zinfandel usually has, but no matter.  The wine is not short of intensity.  The nose is quite complex, offering strawberry and rhubarb, along with a jammy bubble-gum edge.  There are additional hints of white pepper and plum that show up as well.  On the palate, there’s a nice balance of acid and fruit.  If there is one flaw, I’d say it’s the mid-palate.  The wine is nice and jammy on the front palate and shows good acid on the finish, but this bookend intensity leaves the mid-palate a bit inconspicuous.  I call that a good problem to have.
If you’ve yet to try Twisted’s Old Vine Zinfandel, it would be hard for me not to recommend this wine, even if you weren’t fond of jammy wines, particularly zin.  And at $6.99, you can certainly try it more often.  Let’s hope Twisted doesn’t let us down anytime soon.
A  Salute!
Wine: Twisted
Variety: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 87
Price: $6.99
Find Twisted Old Vine Zinfandel with Snooth

View the original article here

Apaltagua Reserva Chardonnay

Running a restaurant in the United States, and more specifically, in the mid-west, I’ve had to become extremely familiar with the Chardonnay varietal.  In fact, I’d say that beyond Sangiovese (it’s an Italian restaurant), I’d say that chardonnay ranks second in total volume of wines I’ve tasted.  I’d bet that I’ve tasted more chardonnay than all of the other white varietals combined.  I’ve tasted buttery, oaky, fruit forward as well as very complex chardonnays.   I’ve tasted very inexpensive chards and some of the most exotic.  And after all those chardonnay experiences I can honestly say one thing……..I’m tired of chardonnay.  And I don’t think I’m alone.
It’s not that I don’t like chardonnay; on the contrary, some of the chardonnay’s I’ve tasted represent some of my most memorable wine experiences.   Chardonnays like Beringer Private Reserve and Kistler have left indelible impressions on me, and are partly responsible for creating the wine enthusiast that I’ve become.  But it’s the myriad of inexpensive, and arguably overpriced chardonnays, conforming to a monotone style of acid-killing malolactic fermentation and fruit killing, over-toasted oak that has turned me off of the king of white wines.  So along comes another value-priced chardonnay from Chile, Apaltagua’s Reserva.  I’m finding it hard to get excited.  But what’s this?  It’s unoaked!  Yep, it says it right here on the label, in big and bold font, “Unoaked”.   My interest has been instantly perked.
Twist the screw cap on this Chilean and the first thing you notice is fruit, pure unadulterated fruit.  In the glass, the nose opens up in full force to a powerful honey-tinged lemon drop, with apple and a hint of bell pepper.  The nose would shame most wines twice the Apaltagua’s price.

The color of the wine is much lighter than what you would expect from a chard.  It has a bright crisp color, not unlike a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  But don’t let the appearance fool you.  On the palate the wine offers lush apple, and right about where you’d be expecting the oak to introduce itself, a rich layer of acid guides you on to the finish.  The wine is also very well balanced.
I was very impressed with this wine, but more importantly, I actually enjoyed a bottle of chardonnay without having to break the bank for something that avoids the stereotypical style.  Credit the winemakers at Apaltagua for crafting a unique and quality wine experience, and a great value.  But it leaves one very big question: will chard lovers embrace this style?  If you favor the soft buttery style that many California chards are offering, you probably need not apply.  But if you call yourself a chardonnay lover, you really owe it to yourself to try this wine.  If it doesn’t sell you, it will at the very least provide you with a reminder of what the chardonnay grape is capable of.
A Salute!
Wine: Apaltagua
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 14%
Rating:  90
Price: $11.00
Find Apaltagua Reserva Chardonnay with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

View the original article here

Enjoy this 2008 Queen of Hearts Pinot

From the Lucas & Lewellen vineyards in Santa Barbara County, Louis Lucas selects choice lots for a limited production of premium wines. Attention to detail in the vineyards yields superior quality grapes from which Megan McGrath Gates crafts award winning wines. The vineyards of Lucas & Lewellen are located in the three principal wine grape growing regions of Santa Barbara County: the Santa Maria Valley, the Los Alamos Valley, and the Santa Ynez Valley. These valleys all run west from the coastal mountains to the Pacific Ocean, allowing warm days and cool nights to produce a long, gentle growing season.

Vineyard Notes The Los Alamos Vineyard is a cool climate vineyard in the Santa Barbara County AVA. Stretching for over a mile of Highway 101 frontage just south of the town of Los Alamos, these vineyards are home to over 20 varieties of grapes, representing the principal varieties of the Rhone, Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France, as well as Italian varieties. With some of the vines planted from cuttings brought from Europe over 25 years ago, these vineyards have long been a favorite source for many of California's best wineries. Winemaker Notes Pinot Noir is among the very most versatile of red wines and represents a safe, sound choice for a wide variety of foods. We grow Pinot Noir in our cool, Santa Barbara County vineyards to ensure a balanced, flavorful wine. 2008 was a challenging weather year and the vines were tended carefully. This lovely Pinot was fermented in small batches, aged in oak barrels, carefully blended and bottled at the peak of quality. This vintage has aromas of ripe blackberry, black cherry, and cola with smooth fruit driven flavors of plum, strawberry and warm spices. Enjoy frequently! Vineyard: Los Alamos  Composition: Pinot Noir Fermentation: Punch down Alcohol: 13.9% pH: 3.66 Production: 7423 cases      Shop Now: FREE shipping on all wine and wine gifts at MyWinesDirect.com,  the ultimate in savings and convenience! No code necessary.

Wine Gift Baskets: The Perfect Gift Idea to Market Your Business

Wine Gift Baskets: The Perfect Gift Idea to Market Your Business.
We all know that marketing is important in order for a business to become successful, especially if your company is still small and just starting out. If you want your business to become a success, a good marketing strategy is very important. One of the best ways to market any type of business is to give away gifts to customers, especially during the holidays. By doing so, you will be able to reach the hearts of the people you are providing services to and get them to be loyal to the products you sell.

A wine gift basket is always a great gift idea. This type of gift is simple yet very elegant. It is also very tasteful in many ways and it will surely be appreciated by the people you give it to.

However, wines can be quite expensive. So, just how do you give away a wine gift basket without bankrupting your business?

For starters, you should try and give this type of gift only to your most loyal customers. Or, you can simply give a wine gift basket to the corporate heads of a company that your company is doing business with. This will ensure a continued healthy relationship between the two companies.

Now that you have an idea on what gift to give to promote your business, the next step is to know about the things you have to put in the wine gift basket.

For starters, you shouldn’t go for cheap bottles of wines. Instead, go for mid range bottles of wines. They taste great but are not as pricey as vintage bottles. If you have to give a vintage bottle, you should only consider giving it to your most loyal customers or to the owner of the other company that your company is doing business with.

You can also consider giving away cheap bottles of wine if you are only going to give it to random small customers. It will still give away your message of thoughtfulness. But, this is not really a good idea.

Aside from the bottle of wine, you also need to put in other treats in the basket. Think about what goes great with a bottle of fine wine.

Chocolates are great addition to the wine gift basket. You have to remember that fact that chocolates go great with wines. However, like the bottle of wine, you have to spend a little bit more money on the chocolates. Don’t go for cheap chocolates. Instead, go for fine chocolates.

Also, include two or four crystal wine glasses. They go well with the gift basket. You should also include a wine bottle opener along with the wine and other things in the basket.

Lastly, you have to decorate the basket. Today, there are quite a lot of wine gift baskets available for sale that are already filled with decorations. All you need to do is choose one that is appropriate for the occasion.

Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to please your customers and business partners, which will only result in improving your business.

You're So Sweet! Valentines Day Gift Basket

Nothing says "You're So Sweet!" quiet like smooth and creamy Ghirardelli chocolates! This collection holds a bag of decadent dark chocolate squares, almond chocolate premium Ghirardelli bar, 2 Ghirardelli double chocolate cocoas and an assortment of 4 flavors of individual Ghirardelli squares to savor and enjoy. Each gift is carefully hand crafted with attention to detail, finished with a rose and ribbon and includes a personalized gift message from you. Manufactured by Art of Appreciation Gift Baskets.

When will my gift ship? When will my gift be delivered Please review the shipping rates and policies link provided below for important information regarding the shipping and delivery time for your gift purchase.
Price: On Sale Now Just $24.99
Click here to buy from Amazon

Jacob’s Creek Shiraz

Over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to have tasted many barrel samples with some really experienced winemakers.  With almost every visit I’ve gained some valuable perspective to help me identify what wines are revealing, and more importantly what they have the potential to reveal.
Sampling the Jacob’s Creek brought me back to one tasting in particular.  That day I heard the winemaker use a very interesting term to describe his barrel sample.   As he dispensed the wine into my glass with the thief, he enthusiastically offered up a prelude to what I was about to experience, with one very interesting caveat.   He said his barrel sample was “still a bit angular”.  With one eyebrow now standing firmly at attention, I replied “angular?”  He said, “yea, angular”.  He went on: “sometimes young wines, particularly ones still in the barrel, offer up a lot of complex fruit and nuance, but the elements are not integrated yet”.  I knew exactly what he meant, but I had never heard wine described as having any rectilinear qualities.

So as I was tasting the Jacob’s Creek and determining what the wine was offering, the term angular came right back into memory.  On the nose the wine is more integrated, initially offering hints of banana and other tropical notes, turning to rich plum and ripe cherry.  On the palate, the wine is quite jammy, offering loads of plum and cherry.  There is some mild pepper and spice, but I was a little disappointed that these typical shiraz traits were not as prominent in the Jacob’s Creek.
But what had me comparing this wine to other young barrel samples was the way the wine offered up it’s flavor nuances.  The wine shows it’s fruit in chunks, and then offers up other details in not so subtle ways.  This wine hasn’t integrated yet.  A mature, well integrated wine is a lot like a well-conducted orchestra.  No one musician or instrument stands out.  You just hear beautiful music.  It would be fair to expect these traits right out of the barrel, but not after a few years in the bottle.  Which makes me wonder what a little more time will do for this wine.
Now, all that being said, I still rated this wine a very respectable 85.  There is some very potent fruit, that is currently overwhelming any spice or pepper.  I would actually suggest laying this wine down for maybe 6 months to a year.   It’s not built to age over the long haul, but I think it would benefit from just a little bit more time.  Time for the conductor to do his thing.
A  Salute!
Wine: Jacobs’ Creek
Variety: Shiraz
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 14%
Rating:  85
Price: $12.99
Find Jacob’s Creek Shiraz with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

View the original article here

Tips For Storing Your Wine

Wine Guide: Storing Wine

Here are some tips for storing your wines compliments of  My Wines Direct
Many people think that if they're going to store wine at home then they need a cellar. But the word "cellar" conjures up images of dark, cavernous chambers cut out of bedrock, or slick, temperature and humidity-controlled rooms lined with mahogany wine racks. All very nice, but not at all necessary. We recommend you interpret "cellar" somewhat loosely.
There are four main things to consider when storing wine: temperature, light, vibration and keeping the cork wet.
Temperature: Both red and white wine likes to be kept cool. 55°F is ideal, but more important than this magic number is that the temperature doesn't fluctuate. Better a constant 65°F than 40° one day and 80° the next.
Light: Bright light and sunlight can damage wine as it ages in bottle, so the darker the room, the better. Total darkness is easily achieved by simply closing the lid of the case or the closet door.
Vibration: Areas subject to heavy foot traffic (or vacuum cleaners) should be avoided as wine, unlike martinis, should be neither shaken nor stirred.
Keep the cork wet: Laying your bottles down on their sides keeps the wine in contact with the cork, which in turn prevents the cork from drying out. Dry corks contract, allowing air to pass into the wine and wine to leak out. If air gets in, it renders the wine dull and lifeless and it will taste more like old sherry than wine.
If you keep these basic requirements in mind, you'll find it remarkably easy to find a place to store your wine, and you won't need a cellar at all. A corner of the basement, a closet in a spare bedroom, your shipping box or the cupboard under the stairs will all do nicely. And remember, the longer you plan to store your wine, the more important these factors become. If a newly-purchased wine is to be drunk in a day or two, it really doesn't matter too much where you keep it, but if the wine is to be kept for weeks or months then find it a nice cool, dark spot.
Now, some wines require not months but many years, even decades, of bottle aging before they're ready to drink. This is a small percentage of all the wines made, but nonetheless, it is an important one. Where you store these high quality (and often expensive) wines designed for long aging takes on a special importance if your investment is to be protected. In this case you may want to consider one of the commercially available wine storage units, which come in a variety of sizes and finishes. Another alternative is off-site storage, where you rent a locker in a temperature and humidity-controlled wine storage facility. This option is great for wines that you don't plan to drink for some years and has the added advantage of being out of reach; a real bonus during those weak moments.
As your collection of wine grows you'll need to keep track of it. An old-fashioned cellar book where you record each new wine that goes into your cellar and cross them off as you take them out, works just fine. These days, however, there are also numerous cellar software programs that make it easy and fun to manage your wine collection.

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Soave: Classico or Superiore?

Note from the editor: We’ve added a new reviewer to the Cheap Wine Ratings team and this is the first of what will hopefully become many reviews from David Germano.  And now, on with his review…
This is my first official post on cheapwineratings.com, and my first assignment, ironically, has brought me right back to my roots.  It seems like only yesterday that, literally, on a daily basis, wine rep after wine rep would have me sampling dozens of Italian whites as I searched for distinguished, yet affordable examples of traditional Italian varietals.
In the mid 90’s that task was challenging, as Italian wine making was unfortunately mired in old-world thinking.  But that’s another discussion.  Over a decade later, I find myself impressed with the selection and quality of Italian white wines, and the newfound progressive approach to wine making, particularly with stalwarts like Pinot Grigio and Soave.
Recently, I had an opportunity to sample two new Soave examples, Prime Brume Soave Classico 2009 D.O.C. from Cantina Di Gambellara, and Capitel Al Pigno Soave Classico Superiore 2008.  As I tasted and rated these wines, I expected to write up two independent reviews.  But as I looked back through my notes and compared my scoring for each wine, I realized that while the scores were fairly similar, the wines were anything but.  There are important nuances to these two wines that can’t be adequately conveyed without some explanation about how the wines classifications affect their different interpretations of the varietal.
First of all, these two wines are both good quality examples of Soave, a wine that I’ve always been partial too.  But they go about things a little differently.  While some of that can be attributed to the obvious differences – winemaking and vintage, much of that can be attributed to their classifications – Classico versus Superiore.
The name Soave not only represents where the wine comes from, in this case the Veneto region in northeast Italy, but what varietal(s) are used to make the wine.   Garganega is the predominant varietal used to make Soave, but some wine makers will use other white varietals in small percentages, such as Trebbiano Veronese, or even Chardonnay.   While Cantina Di Gambellara’s Classico uses around 15% Trebbiano Veronese in the blend, the Capitel Al Pigno’s Superiore is 100% Garganega.  Further, the Superiore is released no earlier than 1 year after harvest, with a minimum of 3 months of bottle aging.  This typically translates into Soave that’s more complex and mature, but in some cases, a wine with less forward fruit.

I sampled the Prime Brume first and found the initial aroma and bouquet to be indicative, and actually pleasantly intense, showing signs of honeycrisp apple, turning to crisp bell pepper as the wine opened up.  On the palate the wine was well balanced offering floral and mineral tones and crisp acidity, along with a long, lingering finish.  Overall the Prime Brume is a good, modern example of what Soave can be.

In contrast the Capitel Al Pigno was a bit more subdued on the nose with more muted tropical hints of banana, and honey.  The Superiore, not surprisingly was a little fuller in the palate, but lacked the intense finish of the Prime Brume.  I couldn’t help but feel a little de ja vu while sampling the Capitel Al Pigno.  While I think the Capitel Al Pigno is a good example of traditional Soave Classico Superiore, I believe there is an opportunity to make this wine even more appealing by breaking from tradition, something that many progressive wine makers in Italy have already found success doing.
So, it really comes down to style preference.  Both wines offer a good Italian white wine experience.  Both wines pair well with lighter fair, such as seafood, and pasta.   The Capitel Al Pigno would even do well with dishes like veal scallopini, while I think the Prime Brume would make a great aperitif.  Or here’s a thought – don’t choose.  Serve both for your next Italian wine dinner, and impress your friends with your knowledge and good taste.
A  Salute!
Wine: Prime Brume Soave Classico from Cantina Di Gambellara
Variety: 85% Garganega/15% Trebbiano Veronese
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 85
Price: $16.00
Wine: Capitel Al Pigno Soave Classico Superiore
Variety: 100% Garganega
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 84
Price: $10.00
Disclosure: These wines were received as press samples.

View the original article here

Doña Paula Estate Malbec

If you haven’t sampled an Argentine malbec recently, you’re really missing out on a unique wine experience.  It shouldn’t be any surprise that a country that produces so much juice – Argentina currently ranks 5th in global wine production – should be able to produce high quality wines across every price range.  But the quality of Argentina wines has only been a recent phenomenon, due in large part to their increased emphasis on exports.  They now rank right behind Chile among South American wine exports, and this has had a significant impact on the quality of their wines.
When you think of wine from Argentina, you think first of malbec.  Malbec is the most prominent vine in cultivation, and some of the best comes from the Mendoza region.  To give you a sense of how important and prominent the Mendoza region is, consider that Mendoza has more acreage under planting then some other prominent wine producing nations like New Zealand and Australia.   But quantity doesn’t guarantee quality.

Doña Paula Estate’s 2009 malbec comes with the right credentials.  A malbec from Mendoza, it originates from the Lujàn De Cuyo sub-region, the first sub-region in Mendoza to receive appellation status.  Doña Paula Estate claims that the majority of their juice comes from more adult vineyards planted at elevation.  The first sampling of the wine certainly supported this claim as the wine offers a nice lushness and concentration that I think belies its price.

On the nose, the wine initially offers intense black fruit and hints of vanilla, turning herbaceous with cedar notes and black licorice.  On the palate the wine reveals black cherry and plum, lush cedary tannins, along with more herbal notes and more black licorice.   I particularly enjoyed how balanced this wine was on the palate, offering a good breadth and depth with a lush, lingering finish.  To some the wine may seem a little dry (tannic), but it’s nothing that a hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano can’t mitigate.  That’s exactly what I did, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  In fact I recommend enjoying this wine with a nice steak topped with Gorgonzola.   A little more forward fruit would make this wine an absolute steal.
A  Salute!
Wine: Doña Paula Estate
Variety: Malbec
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 88
Price: $17.00
Find Doña Paula Estate Malbec with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

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X Winery Napa Valley Truchard Vineyard Pinot Noir

After taking a few days off to enjoy the holidays — and recover from a cold — we’re back at it with at least a quick review tonight.
We’ve reviewed a number of wines from X Winery in the past and we’ve never been disappointed.  With tasty wines, cool labels and a commitment to sustainable production methods, what’s not to love about them?  And this Carneros – Napa Valley pinot noir continues the trend of wines we love coming from X Winery.



Black cherry and red raspberry make the backbone of the aromas from this wine, but there’s something floral in it too and that’s what makes it stand out from other wines.  On the palate this one is full, with big black cherry, berry and plum flavors.  This is a pretty potent wine, with 14.9% abv, but the alcohol is well-integrated and not as noticeable as you might expect at this level, which I attribute to the winemaking.  The mouth feel is nice, altough I would have liked the tannins to be a touch heavier.  The finish is full of plum, with a hint of tree bark.  Overall, it’s a very nice pinot noir.
There is one thing that some folks might not love about this wine, and that’s the price.  At $24.99 it’s a little more than our typical bargain bottles.  But that is the suggested retail price, so if you shop around you may find it closer to $20.
Wine: X Winery
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 14.9%
Rating: 89
Price: $24.99
Find X Winery Pinot Noir with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

View the original article here