Wine Reviews You can Use

Nice hue with some intensity in the heavy, dark burgundy color with aromas of  green, green green, vegetal bouquet some "bottle stink" and hidden under it all is a touch of fruit. Palate-- Better than expected in light of the bouquet, but not great. Hefty presence with a thickish texture which is quite nice, a big beam of dark fruit but it is overwhelmed by the green pepper/vegetal foundation.  It seemed to  be balancing out as it breathed. The get a grip factor here is that I paid $8 for it and for that it's ok. Many years ago I had high hopes for S. African Cabernet as I was finding some real potential in the wines and then something changed and they turned to crap for the most part. In fairness, I abandoned spending my hard earned money on hoping for the best and stopped buying them. So it is been a long time since I have had any until this one.

Lighter than expected hue like a cranberry jelly showing it's age.  Aromas of Mint, a slight touch of green pepper, a good bit of milky chocolate, and a big eucalyptus wave. Palate --A bit of a bitter first impression but not off putting, with an acidic foundation, sharp tannins, blueberry beam and fleeting flavors.  This was my wine with my prime rib roast for Christmas.  Not a great selection but not bad.  The paring was adequate, the wine is just lacking as I expected more out of it. It is one of those multi-grape blends which is not easy to do well.  I paid under $20 for it and I would pass it up the next time around.

Really lovely hue with a dark black berry hue and aromas of baker's bittersweet chocolate, mint on opening, wild dark berry fruit, Palate--immense beam of ripe dark berries up front, a nice baked bread middle with a texture that is thickish, it even looked thick swirling in the glass, and long lasting bready fruit finish. This is absolutely extraordinary.  Perfectly integrated with room even to grow into its skin but who can resist right now?  I want to go grab a case of this ultra value gem offered by Trader Joes at--sit down--$8!  I was just lamenting to a fellow zinophile the demise (to me) of Rosenblum the Zin maestros once they were taken over by Bronco and then Dieago Brands.  If I didn't know better, I would swear this is a Rosenblum creation of old--be still my heart (and palate).  If you see this around GRAB it.  It is what Zinfandel was meant to be!  Raise a case!!!

Hefty hue nearly as dark as a Shiraz with aromas of steely, dark berry with a touch of eucalyptus on the edge, with toasty cocoa bean Palate--Peppery, dark Berries with pizazz, a hint of bitters, and a finish that lingers with a bitter (but pleasant) edge. At $8 this is Alamos', one of the masters of Argentinian Malbec, table production which shows how good their wines are.  Their higher end Malbecs are lovely and provide a nice treat if you want to splurge around $20 to see how good Malbec can be.  Grilling a bone in rib eye and it will be prefect.  Sometimes called the poor man's Cabernet which is a pretty good description so raise a glass!

Black cherry/purple hue with aromas  of Ripe pomegranate, and dark berry with tar, cigar ash, and fresh black cherry cordial and a touch of tart cherry Palate--Nice first impression with yeasty brioche at the front, intense ripe blackberry with a jammy quality, lip smacking tannins and a lingering finish with a nice bitter edge with latent berries trailing behind. Sonoma has been the also ran to Napa pretty much forever which is great for we the consumers who don't have an expense account to buy all those great Napa cabs that no normal person I know can afford.  This is obviously so young but is delicious now and will only get better, mellower, and has some staying power to drink well for the next 8 years I believe.  This was only $12 running a bit more than that at $18 and it's worth the $18 easily.  This is why Sonoma remaining in the shadows of Napa is great for us; just great value Cabs! I will serve this tonight as I grill my steaks in the 25 degrees outside!  Raise

Gentle golden hue with aromas of vanilla pudding and baby powder, with sweet melon Palate--Nicely presented classic Chardonnay with a somewhat creamy texture, bright acidity (love that) honey dew melon, a kiss of oak(?) and a pleasant but fleeting finish. This 5 year old Santa Barbara Chard is nicely done and is holding well at 5 years old but should be drunk now.  I paid $7 for this, yes $7 on a "power buy) in NH liquor store and this is a sensational bargain.  Lists at $17 which would be a good price point for this nice Chard.  I saw come "community reviews" giving it 3 1/2 stars out of five which is a bush league assessment so raise a glass!

Dark black cherry hue with aromas laden with big dark berry flavors, milk chocolate, tar, and nice spice. Palate--Big, jammy blackberry jam, with soft tannins, delicious sweet fruit mid palate, and a finish of, wait for it, still more big berry fruit. Some would call this a fruit bomb; I call it easy drinking and great with deep dish pizza.  It isn't complicated but it goes down easy and is food friendly (if you pick the right foods and cheeses so raise a glass.  BTW, quite a creative name for the wine, don't you think?

Gentle golden hue with aromas of sweet ripe banana, vanilla tropical fruit compote, and stone. Palate--Ripe pineapple and green melon on the mid palate, nice pin prick bubbles setting your mouth aglow, a nutty hazelnut? finish. The sparkler from Napa is one of the perennial value sparklers. The wine Spectator had this as their #54 of their annual top 100 wines of 2014. It is crisp, clean, fresh and is simply tasty.  This has been creeping up lately over the years and used to run routinely around $16-18.  Now I see it for as high as $23.  I paid $16 for it and yes, should have grabbed another.  I will pair this with some sea scallops and who knows what else for dinner. At any rate--raise a glass!

I was just given a bottle of this which someone had brought to their house for Thanksgiving. First this is what the winery owner writes about this wine: Made from primarily Cayuga White with a touch of Seyval Blanc, this is a truly elegant white wine with delicate touches of citrus and orange peel. Dry clean, clear and crisp. Pairs nicely with seafood, mild cheeses and light appetizers. Here is my professional review: Very pale slightly yellow hue with aromas of Pie dough, cinnamon, crushed mixed nuts, and something sweet that is slightly nauseating. Palate--Sweet, cloying, slightly effervescent, the nasty bouquet is completely replicated on the palate and I could not bring myself to swallow it. I do not know if the people who brought this to Thanksgiving dinner did it as a joke or if they thought it might be a proper wine for the occasion, or if they had tasted it first before bringing one to dinner. This is a wretched attempt at being creative which is fine but in the name

Nicely intense dark berry hue with aromas of tight stuffy light black berry with some nice savory spices, cinnamon red hots candies. Palate--This is a nicely intense, full bodied, Zin that show promise once it gets a couple more years on it, and again, once it has time to come up to temp.  After coming to a more reasonable temperature, it is plush and thickish with loads of rich Zin goodness waiting to break out. With its lip smacking young tannins and acidity, this should mature over the next 5 years and last beyond that. This is a Zin the likes of which I Haven't tasted since my last Rosenblum single vineyard which has been years. I paid $12 for this but it runs twice that and I regret now not having bought a lot more so raise a glass if you can!

Cranberry jelly hue with aromas of citrus laced cherry with savory touches and a hint of cedar. Palate--Puckeringly acidic, with a lemony foundation and hints of cherry. This is a very strange "Bordeaux" unlike any I have ever had--thankfully...  It is supposed to  be 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot but you couldn't prove it by me.  It is off putting from the beginning.  I paid $9 for this mark down from $18 supposedly.  It is pretty sorry so pass! I have reposted a review below of this from the Wine Enthusiast whom I respect greatly.  But they were drinking a different wine than I was... "One of a range of wines produced by the Château Lafite-Rothschild winemaking team, this bottling is generous, ripe and juicy. Its black-currant fruits, soft tannins and open texture mean it is almost ready to enjoy. Drink from 2019."

Purple hue showing off the uncomplicated, celebratory wine it is, with aromas of nicely pronounced, tart ripe raspberry and beautiful grape jam with a special touch of sweet marshmallow circus "peanuts" candy! Palate--Fresh, slightly tart, ebullient, grape flavors in this Gamay which is celebrated as the first released wine of the year.  It is a bacchanalian celebration always occurring on the third Wednesday of November when the "Nouveau" meaning NEW, wine is released world wide on the same day.  It has not seen oak, it is a mere 6 weeks from the time of harvest til the time of release and is a simply wonderful, fresh, fruity, wine meant to momentarily lift one's spirits. This is the least expensive release I have seen in a couple decades selling for under $8 which is amazing.  Remember this wine does not age so grab a bottle, have some friends over and raise a glass for Nouveau ést arrivé!   The Nouveau has arrived!

[I could not even find a decent image of the label...) Dark black cherry hue with aromas of dark black berry, savory sweet dark berry, taking on the bouquet of the Petite Sirah and Zinfandel (in my opinion) with some sweet cream notes. Palate--After the rich and lovely bouquet I did not want to like this wine, but then the bouquet won  me over and then I tasted it.  Yeah, NO.  I am not sure what is going on with this hodge-podge of 11 different grapes--if I counted right.  Lip smacking tanins with a dusty mid palate that is confused and confusing. My experience with over the top blended wines--meaning more than 4 different grapes--is that they tend not to turn out well. There are some fantastic exceptions out there like Beaulieu Vineyard's Tapestry, but as I write--they are exceptional. This isn't even a blend of the same vintages apparently as there is no vintage on the label.  Was this a "Hail Mary" toss to the end zone of some left overs from poor sales in pre

Beautiful golden hue with amazing aromas of candied vanilla cream frosting, light lemony fragrances wafting up from the glass, with lemon lime soda to boot. Palate--Richly textured, creamy with sharp, vibrant acidity, lemon curd, and creme brulee. I found this $25 Chard for $13 and if I had paid $25 for it, I would still be thrilled.  This is classic, delicious Chard with malolactic fermentation(?) giving it that creamy texture.  Enjoy this wonderful example of one of Napa's grape!

Nice aubergine hue with aromas of milk chocolate above the rim (after breathing) savory spiced apples and spiced black cherry. Palate--Tart with lip smacking acidity, straight forward Gamay fruit galore and a fleeting finish with a hint of cocoa and bright red berries. I have not had a BJV in a couple years and saw these on sale for $8 (normally around $12 which is a great price from a great Negociant and today is a producer and owner of vineyards as well.  Gamay is a simple and lovely grape making an easy to drink fruity wine to be enjoyed by itself or with some cheeses or a variety of foods so raise a glass!