Wine Reviews You can Use

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!

Showing a touch of age on the lighter garnet hue with aromas of red berries, a touch of cigar ash, Palate--I was not expecting the "sweet" frame surrounding the subdued red berry and again, while it tastes sweet it is not; it is simply very fruity. While I didn't think I would like this on entering my mouth I think it is a rather fun wine which would pair well with a broad variety of simple appetizers, cheeses, and any tomatoey food dish which is what we will be pairing it with tonight as my wife busies herself with an Italian sausage, kale and cannellini bean soup.  On this chilly Maine night, it will be great comfort food and this wine will be a simple but tasty wine to go with it.  I could also see this making a great sangria in the summer months, it's just that kind of wine so at around $10, raise a glass.

Nice dark garnet hue with aromas of dark berry, cigar ash, and mild savory spice Palate--Lovely textured, deep mid palate of intense dark baker's chocolate, and rich dark berry fruit. Finish is a lovely slightly bitter blackberry that lasts. This is a really nice Merlot from a great winery which I have visited and had one of the best experiences out of the many of Napa/Sonoma wineries I visited.  If you can find this, I paid about half what it would sell for ($14) and its an awesome value so raise a glass.  Tonight I will be serving it with my freshly harvested venison (this morning) as I chicken fry the deer's heart!  YUM!  Raise a glass.

Nice cranberry jelly hue with aromas of lighter "musty" cherry (musty in a good way not a bad way).  A somewhat classic Tuscan aroma at 6:00 position of the glass has a daffodil like fragrance. Savory spices at the rim. Palate--Whoa--First impression is acidic with chewy tannins and an austere presentation. More cherry mid-palate with a very subtle fennel finish. I will be having this with homemade spaghetti and will clearly reveal what the real assessment of this wine is.  Right now at its age it is on the bubble as far as I am concerned.  It may very well surprise though with a little more breathing and served with food.  We shall see... Update--Yup!  With my dinner this was a really nice example of Tuscany's forté and a delicious $12 wine with my spaghetti so raise a glass!

Rather light hue for a Syrah with aromas of jumbled dark berries and not a lot else. Fruity front palate with a little spice and a sweetish impression (but it's not sweet.) I paid $6 for this wine marked down from $12 and $6 is a good price point for this "meah" wine. It is sourced from "California" which is always a crap shoot ranging from "meah" to mind blowingly great but those are few and far between. If you're having pizza, or Prego out of a jar this wouldn't be bad but otherwise I would pass!

Rather intense dark plum colored hue with aromas of light blueberries, tar, cigar ash, sweet dark berries Palate--Nicely integrated flavors for such a young wine although its structure will mellow out a touch with another year. Herbal, sweet fruit on the front and mid palate, with a lingering touch of everything in the finish. This isn't a spectacular Merlot but it is a decent expression and at $15 it is better than what you normally find at that price point so raise a glass!