Wine Reviews You can Use

  Really beautiful hue like garnet aubergine with aromas of spiced red licorice (weird right?) with rocky red fruit, jellied cranberry sauce, earth, daffodils, and cigar ash.  (There's a lot going on here!) Palate--Course, lip smacking tannins, spicy red and dark berry fruit, rustic, forest floor and earth notes with a slightly bitters ending with a fleeting memory of rustic fruit. I paid $13 for this and bought 3 bottles so I could cellar it for a while.  It has potential and will age for another 3-5 years.  I am pairing it with a grilled T-bone and it should be great so raise a glass! BTW--I love the label of this wine; well done!

  Bricking at the rim with aromas of cherry and chocolate, gentle black licorice note. Palate-is acidic and tart on opening but mellows out nicely with some breathing.  Velvety texture with all the above but with a surprisingly fleeting finish. This bottle was around $70 when it was given to me a decade ago. I have had it cellared in a temp. controlled fridge. It was a nice pour with our grilled teriyaki steak tips but a bit disappointing all things being considered.  

Immature, dark purple hue with aromas of lovely robust, dark ripe black berry fruit with wonderful Zinny spicing. After breathing, there is a lovely though faint stripe of fresh red berries. Palate--A monster Zin, heavy, textured, silky tannins, a 20 megaton fruit bomb, with spectacular Zin foundation with tons of rich, lush fruit and a lingering finish with just a hint of sweet spice.  Another Trader Joe's spectacular wine for $9-$10. I must have more so raise a glass!

   Intense garnet/cranberry jelly hue (more deep purple after opening) with aromas on opening of sweet blackberry jam above the rim, with spicy zest at the rim and a lovely gentle milk chocolate presence at the rim more like chocolate covered cherries.  An over abundance of alcohol due to the wine being too warm is obscuring what is there. I will refrigerate for a bit and come back to this.  Boom!  Alcohol out of the way and more beautiful bouquet emerges. Amazing spruce notes at the rim, with a touch of Twizzlers cherry licorice! :)  Palate--A burst of rose petals out of the gate, then a bunch of heat--ouch!--due to the immaturity of this wine. With a slight chill, the heat is toned down. It isn't quite the heft that the 2014 had but let's get a grip; this Sonoma Zin at Trader Joes was $8.  WHAT?  Yeah, and now it's gone--I believe.  If you happen to find it your local TJ's, snag it and enjoy raising several glasses!  (Special thanks to my wine courier MB!) 

 Light, bright cherry hue with aromas of strawberry, and lovely cinnamon Palate--Bright, vibrant, cherry hard candies with an astringent mouth feel. Lovely but fleeting fruit cherry finish. I grabbed this because of where it was from and the price tag of $7-8 at Trader Joes.  You cannot beat this at this price so raise a glass!

Light lemon yellow hue withy aromas of subdued (due to being a bit cold) creme bruleé, gentle cinnamon suggestion, spicy citrus with a hint of pineapple juice. Palate-Lemony first impression, razor sharp acidity, gentle vanilla, a hint of mango paste(?) pear,  and a finish that lingers a good while! The Russian River AVA (American Viticultural Area) is one of my go to's for Chardonnay. This one isn't as creamy as some, Napa Chards that undergo a 2nd lactic acid fermentation leaving a creamy mouth feel.  While this runs around $30 normally I paid around $14 and will be pairing it with my first lobster of the season. It isn't the best Sonoma has to offer but if you can find it around the $15 price point it's worth snagging, so raise a glass!

  Black cherry hue with aromas of dense spiced dark fruit reduced for a sauce. Sweet berry with sage and pungent fresh cut hard wood. Palate--Minerally front, with a somewhat "dumb" or clunky middle but with lots of good "Zinny" fruit through out. Finishes a bit fast. Okay full disclosure--I had this breathing in my glass on the counter in what is probably an 86 degree kitchen.  The wine was too warm to review appropriately. I will leave this up but will revisit it another time when I have controlled the temperature more closely. On a different note--I am fan of Peachy Canyon Zin as they have produced a rather decent $10 bottle of Zin over the years.  The new label on this one is a nice step up from the previous one which wasn't at all bad itself.  I can't say I have ever bought a wine because of its label but I can say I have avoided wines because of their label.  So, well done PC! At around $8 I think I can safely say, "Raise a glass!"