Wine Reviews You can Use

Very pretty golden hue with aromas of slighty sweet vanilla with a slight nutty hint Palate--Flaccid bubbles, a light palate which is not offensive but unremarkable as well.  A not unpleasant finish lasts a bit. Not a lot going on here but then again this may  be an 8-10 year old French Sparkler. A friend gave it to me so I really don't know how old it is except that he had given me a whole host of wines all of which were in the 8-12 year old realm. At $12 you can do a lot better but again to be fair, if this wine is as old as it could be, this is actually a bit impressive that it is even palatable!

Nice dark hue but aromas of the classic multiply blended grapes which come across as confused and "manufactured." Spiced Berry fruit and cocoa. Palate--Popularly made fruit bombish wine with tasty flavors of rich berries and milk chocolate. OK, this is one of the myriad of crap wines that taste ok and go down pretty easily. I know this sounds *snobbish but it is plonk that tastes pretty good when you can't afford anything else (as opposed to cheap wines that don't even taste any good.) So if you must, drink this but if you want classier wines you don't have to pay more than a couple bucks more you just have to think outside the country. *If you think I am a snob, review any of the many wines here and you'll see the vast majority are inexpensive under $15.  So there is a difference and you don't have to pay a lot for a decent quaff.

Inky dark hue with a bouquet of rich, dark berry jam with a touch of eucalyptus and savory herbs Palate--Intense front palate of tannin-rich dark berries with mint, savory spices, and a lip smacking, chewy finish. This is a heavy weight Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from the Provence region of France. I am grilling lamb steaks raised by a friend and this should be a great pairing.  This wine would benefit from another 2-5 years on the shelf but is lovely right now even if a bit angular.  If you have the patience, buy and lay one down for a few years and reap the rewards! This wine goes for around $18 and it's a BIG robust wine so serve it with a big robust slab of beef or better still venison, lamb or moose and raise a glass!

Very nice dark burgundy colored hie with aromas of buckets full of dark and red berries crushed in their juice in a big cherry berry salad! There's a rustic spice edge with some forest floor and a touch of cedar. Palate-- Well structured, delicious melange of berry fruit in different levels of heft and juiciness. Floral aromas and flavors to a finish that lingers. I have reviewed this not long ago and I like to compare what I wrote previously. I know it is different in the details from what I have here. Who knows why?  Again this is a stellar wine for the money ($14) and I will hope to buy more so raise a glass!

Significant bricking on this sour and tart, opaque hue with lovely aromas of rich dark berries, spicy mint, Palate--Sour first impression, but aged fruit fighting through it all. A lingering base of dark berries finishes off this beyond-prime, Bordeaux.  This Cru Bourgeous is definitely beyond its prime but there is still some loveliness once you get past the first blast of "palate-wakeup" with the strong acidity. A lot of people wouldn't like this because it is aged and clearly beyond that lovely fruitiness that the American palate has come to love. But there is a lot to enjoy in such wines. I will be paring this with charcoal grilled steak and I know it will be wonderful. I bought this on a special at $17 ($32 in its day) so if you happen to stumble on one, open it and drink it immediately and do not let it breathe!  A wine in this state can go down hill very rapidly on opening so raise a ........... quickly!

Nice dark cranberry jelly hue with aromas of astringent spiced red apple, eucalyptus, and ripe black berry Palate--Nicely structured, with a beam of solid dark berry fruit, savory spices and a hint of pie spice with a finish that lingers pleasantly. Chile knows how to do Cabernet Sauvignon.  If you doubt that you haven't tried Concha Y Toro's Don Melchor or Casa Lapostelle's  Clos Apalta and a host of others.  This happens to be a great value at $10 although the normal price seems to be around double that.  Don't be a snob and give Chilean Cabs a try, and I mean put out some cash for the good ones and you'll be impressed!  Raise a glass to this value Cab.!