Wine Reviews You can Use

Cranberry jelly hue with aromas of sweet/tart red berries, spicy blueberry nuances Palate-- Texture is a tad watery, nice flavors of black berry, and not much else. Blueberry finish lingers a touch but just not doing it for me. This Zin would be fine for a crowd with nice hefty cheeses, or Italian fare but tastes like $8 Zinfandel rather than a $17 one.  Fortunately I paid only $12 for it.  It is a sourced Zin from grapes anywhere in California and that is what it tastes like.  I would pass on this especially when you can get other much better Zins for $8-$10.

Deeply intense, almost black hue with amazing aromas wafting up from the glass two feet away from me.  Floral bouquet of Daffodils, and roses, with nuanced dark cocoa powder, minty spice, and dark berries with a touch of cherry. Palate--Lip smacking tannins that need time to mature, with a rich beam of somewhat austere but is there and waiting to burst out. The finish is lasting with a nice memory of berry fruit. Wow!  This is southern Tuscan creation is really nice and still would benefit from a few more years in the bottle but is very enjoyable now. This wine listed at $30 but reduced to $12. I will be buying more if I have the opportunity.  Pairing is with homemade Lasagna--Yes!  Raise a glass!

Pale straw hue with big bouquet of fresh squeezed apples, vanilla, sweet spices. Palate--Crisp, bone dry fruit forward, with gobs of lovely tropical fruit, a beam of citrus, and a finish of fruit compote that lingers with a hint of cream. This Sonoma Chenin is lovely and always a favorite being exquisitely made, crisp acidity, and a lovely aperitif chilled slightly and enjoyed by itself or with creamy, buttery sauces. Do NOT confuse this with the jug wines of another era as this is a lovely varietal but like riesling is woefully under appreciated. I paid $15 this and will do it again so raise a glass!

Sightly bricked dark black cherry hue with aromas of zesty bright fruit above the rim with immense spiced and spiced juiced tomatoes (right?) and fresh Italian basil. (There is a strong tantalizing aroma that I have not been able to label.) Palate-- Bold, spicy big berry, fruit bomb flavors.  The finish keeps going and going. Lodi is producing a lot of Zins these day and they can be a mixed bag. This one is immense, intense, fruity and easy to drink.  I paid $12 for this value quaff so raise a glass!

Solid dense blackish, burnt garnet hue with  wonderful aromas of fresh red cherry/berries above the rim and violets laden with savory and sweet spices (Chinese five spice). Down into the glass there are more wondrous aromas of prunes, and raisins. Palate--The texture is the first impression which is satiny, and thick, with luxuriant, mouth filling flavors of rich prune whip, and sweet berry pie, blue berry compote on baker's chocolate and a lingering finish of gentle sweet spice fruit pie. This was a gift from a friend and what a marvelous gift it is.  Pairing it with Walker's shortbread and dark bittersweet chocolate is amazing. This was a Wine Spectator top 100 for the year (#15 I believe) and they gave it an impressive 95 points. I learned many years ago not to argue with the folks at the WS! Considering the age of this wine it is available for well under $100 and would be a nice splurge for one who loves great wine.  This wine is holding well and should be great for

Nice inky dark hie with aromas of cigar ash, rich dark berry fruit, Fresh ripe berries above the rim Palate--Mouth filling flavors with supple tannins, loads and loads of dark black berry fruit, and a big fruity finish on the end. This is your classic, well made 20 mega ton fruit bomb as I call these at times and that's not a pejorative. I love a well made fruit bomb and this is a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mourvedre from down under! The Aussie's have been making delightful wines for a long time and McLaren Vale is just one of many notable regions.  Not everyone will like this, and I find not a few wine snobs who turn their noses up on fruit bombs as if they are inferior or simplistic or whatever. Fruit bombs can be awful and you might have to be a little more careful about pairing them with food.  But this one will be wonderful with our Chicago deep dish pizza so raise a glass! I paid $10 for this $20 creation--fyi.

An aging hue with slight browning and bricking at the rim with really tantalizing bouquet of fresh cherries with mocha, aged meat, savory spices, and daffodils with a slightly "funky" bottle stink. Palate-- Mature and on the palate with flavors of aged fruit, old wood, lip smacking tannins and a finish of more mature fruit. A lot of people probably wouldn't like this but it is wonderful!  It is past peak but I say again, it is wonderful! It will be a great pairing with my grilled steaks. The "carginan" grape--pronounced "Car-in-yon" is usually a blending grape but some vintners across the globe have been producing it as a varietal and with some success. I would say this is one of them!  Although from Italy it is a Spanish origin grape although the great Languedoc-Roussillon region of France also uses it with great skill. I paid $12 for this 8 year old gem marked down from $25 and I am glad I found it so raise a glass!