Wine Reviews You can Use

Lightly opaque garnet with aromas of slight vanilla cream and black cherry bon bons, a blast of savory spice on the rim with a hint of horseradish--interesting! Palate--Cinnamon spice at the front with black pepper, again a little touch of horseradish in the palate which a whole new taste experience for this thousands of bottle of wine guy over the past 45 years.  The finish is quite lingering with a resilient, cherry beam and more pepper. This is the most interesting wine I have had in ages. I bought it because of it's home of record being Alexander Valley. I have had little experience with Primitivo because each one I have had was unremarkable and even off putting.  This grape is the genetic progenitor of America's Zinfandel!  That being said, the Primitivos I have had are nothing like Zins--but this one, had I tasted it blind would probably have said it was a unique Zin or Zin blend.  I paid $10 for it out of state and regret not having bought more. The list on it is $20 and

Dark garnet showing some age at the rim with aromas green fruit, Dark berries and a touch of spice Palate--Watery texture, blackberry, savory spice.  This Aussie Cab is not a winner.  Posted at $22 on sale for $10. Even at that it is a wine to pass up. For $10 grab yourself a Columbia Crest Cab and enjoy it.   

  Ruby garnet hue with aromas of lighter stewed tomatoes, lighter spice, a light touch of vanilla, and dried stewed prunes. Palate--There's something about mass produced, casually made Zins that have the same profile. This is what this reminds of. Lots of berry fruit up front, some gentle spicing, but it just has a "meah: impression.   I reviewed this last year and it was somewhat different and a touch more favorable.  At Trader Joe's price of around $7 it's a wine worth getting so raise a glass!  

Lighter pinot garnet hue with aromas of light red grapefruit, tart strawberry, and a touch of sour cherry Palate--Nice first impression with spicy red fruit a citrus mouth feel, lovely big pinot flavors, strawberry fruit and pure pinot goodness all around.  Castle Rock has been making great pinots at bargain shelf prices all along. I think I paid maybe $12 for this if that.  It is delicious and a steal so raise a glass!  

  Nice depth of hue at a dark cranberry jelly with aromas of stewed cherries, and tart pie cherries. Palate--Nice first impression with dry tannins, impressive Zin dark berry flavors full of spice and lingering berry flavors. Peachy Canyon has always made a decent inexpensive Zin and this is at the $8 price point at Trader Joes. It is satisfying, and though it is at cellar temperature at the moment it will even be bigger and open to more expressive Zinfandel fruit.  This Lodi Zin is another example of Lodi really coming into its own for solid Zins which are value priced. I still like Sonoma Zins as my fave but honestly it won't be long before long that Lodi may bust their bubble.  Raise a glass!

Straw hue with aromas of mango, white melon, sweet oil, vanilla, cinnamon,  Palate--Lightly spritzig, with gentle flavors of tropical fruit.  Acid is wanting leaving an almost cloying foundation to carry the "Auslesen" sweetness.  I paid $8 for this Rheinhessen varietal and while it paired well with our Asian dinner tonight, it is not a well crafted Riesling. Because of it's lack of popularity, Riesling is bargain generally speaking but you can also get plonk since it is not a very well known varietal. But chilled down, it is an easy and delicious quaff that goes well with hard to pair foods like spicy asian or Indian cuisine.  

Gentle golden hue with aromas of lovely cinnamon, vanilla, light tropical fruit salad, a hint of bananas and sweet baking spices. Palate--Lovely mouth filling tropical fruit flavors, a luscious, mouth watering, razor sharp acidity, tropical fruit compote., mouth watering structure and a finish that doesn't want to quit with a warm and sunshine flavors keeping you warm in colder climes.  BV is one of my favorite California vintners having visited them twice with the best tasting room staff and always solidly vinified wines. This is a lovely Chard from one of my favorite Napa/Sonoma regions and at 5 years of age is going great and should be fine for another 5. The price point on this Chard is $30 and if I paid that I would not have been unhappy with what I got. But I paid $13 for it in this bizarre season of noon-science and pseudo medical BS. Raise a glass to the poor millions who are suffering needlessly in this dark, politically motivated scamdemic. Let wine help you cope.  Marana

A stunning deep red garnet hue with aromas of musty (in a delightful way) with bright candy cherry, gushing sweet fragrances of baby powder, more delightful perfume with cigar box, and fresh strawberries. Just WOW! Palate--Elegantly blended with puckery tannins, mouth filling flavors of a host of dark berries and brighter red fruit on the rear. Finish lingers and all of it just makes you want to go back and do it all over again. Petite Verdot is classically a blending grape and not a varietal.  Over the past decade and a half more California vintners have been breaking out and experimenting.  This Paso Robles creation is really quite wonderful.   I grabbed this at a New Hampshire liquor store where it was a "power buy" reduced from $30 to $14. Some of these "power buys" are a bit dubious.  This one's a keeper. *Well done Chris Cameron, well done! Raise a glass!!! *I just checked with Winemag.com on their review. They give this an 86. Not sure when they tasted it

  Nice clear garnet hue with aromas of musty spicy black berry, with tar and tart cranberry at the rim Palate--Bold impression with big bold black berry jammy flavors and richly textured, with wonderfully rich tannic foundation and the promise of future longevity for another 6 years or more.  Finishes with a flower petal finish that is unique and lovely! This is a really tasty wine when In fact I was expecting not to like it.  But then again it is made by the famous Beringer Bros. who are St. Helena icons. At the $15 price point it is a treat so raise a glass!

  Nice intensely pigmented dark purple hue with aromas that are gushing over the rim into my nose from two feet away. Touches of sweet milk chocolate above the rim, red berry cream candies, cigar ash, rose water,  Palate--Zesty, bold, fruit bombish, presentation, with gobs of blackberry jam, a hint of blueberries, lip smacking tannins, and a berry finish that hangs on for some time.  Columbia Valley in Washington state has established itself as a credible, value region for growing grapes of numerous varieties,  This blend is equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. If you''re in one of those "fruit bomb" kind of wines this is a nice value at the $9 I paid for it though it seems to run around $15 more often. I like fruit bombs so this will go well with my winter grilled (real charcoal) BBQ'd chicken so raise a glass