Stadlmann Zierfandler

06 K&L-$12, Thermenregion, Austria [ter'men ree'gyawn]

[zee ehr fahn'd ler]

buttery on the nose (mf?) with some hints of apricot and a pale yellow color. nice acidity and still very full-bodied. an enjoyable wine, but probably better with food than sipping

Mas Neuf 06

Tradition Blanc
Costieres de Nimes (Rhone)
65% White Grenache, 35% Roussanne

One of the best whites I've had in a while. Wonderful bouquet of flowers and spice. Medium body. Very complex for an 06.

I'd certainly buy again - and will.

Nobilo SB

07, Marlborough

refreshing, zippy, easy to drink - great for the warm day which I drank it. Citrus and some slight gunflint - Also, stayed well in the fridge - 3 days later. Would buy again.

Fetzer Gewurztraminer

My all-time favorite cheap white has done it again. This vintage seems as good as last years.

Lovely apricot bouquet. Zippy acidity and a slight effervescence balances the very fruity wine off nicely. Some subtle spices finish it off.

ahh...

Marques de Casa Conha Merlot

04. Concha y Toro. D.O. Peumo - Chile

Not an overly fragrant nose - certainly some black fruits and oaky scents...toasty. Very dark color, blackberries and tar aroma. Not very well balanced, and it finishes with pretty strong tannins. It's a powerful wine that needs a strong dish (steak, lamb). A bit too overbearing for my friday afternoon glass but I'd love to try it with a real meal.

Hook & Ladder Zinfandel

04. Russian River.

Fantastic Zin. Don't remember the details - but I really liked it.

Red Truck

05 California Red Wine (Sonoma). Syrah, PS, CF, Mourvedre

Delicious. I really liked this wine (it was cheap - don't remember how much though). Ripe berries and a spicy bouquet. Great texture and firm tannins.

Definitely repurchase. Great buy

Eagle's Domain Chardonnay

Russian River, 06.

rich texture, but bland flavor. wouldn't repurchase

Ridge Tasting at Google

All 06 Vintage.

Geyserville Zin - best of tasting. Lots of fruit up front with a very long finish. Had a bit of earthiness that I really liked also. Paired w/bleu cheese, pair, and brioche

Lytton Chard - the only white - not great, but paired really well with the scallops wrapped in bacon...

Paso Robles Zin - had some medicinal qualities that put me off a little. I wouldn't purchase this wine.

Ponzo Zin - Very good. Probably 3rd best of tasting (after Geyserville and Syrah) (also Russ.River)

Syrah - very nice. Had about 6% viognier which tamed it a bit. I would have like a little more structure though. paired with a chocolate tart

Di Arie Zinfandel 06

Amador County, CA

Spicy fragrance - with a lot of dark berries. Took a while to open up, but was quite pleasant. A nice drinking wine (drank with pepperjack and bread) that actually overpowered the food a little, but it was my own fault for pairing so poorly. I'd repurchase if I saw it for less that $15. Had a very quick finish which really let me down though.

Chateau Beauregard 02

Coteaux du Languedoc

Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah.

Very nice bouquet of black pepper, sausage, and a day-old cigar. Color was dark with a brown tint - Almost like a ruby port. Body was surprisingly lacking though. Initial reaction was of greatness, but upon the mouthful, it fell apart and disintegrated into nothing. Left a very weak and confused flavor in my mouth. If this had a bit more syrah maybe it would have been nicer.

UPDATE: I left this bottle open for a few days. On the third, it seemed to round out better and was more appealing (although I was in a happier mood - so this could be the cause too)

Terrazas Chardonnay 06

$7.5/glass - Cascal --- Chile?

Heavily oaked and buttery. Pretty crisp though. It was a fairly good glass and I enjoyed it while relaxing. Nothing I would pay over 12/bottle for though.

Baglio di Pianetto: Ficiligno

Ficiligno. 06. 50% Viognier, 50% Insolia. Sicily

Very delicious. Strong white-flower aroma. med-body.

I'd repurchase. I'm also interested in trying more Insolia (native grape to Sicily)

Angove's Riesling

06 Clare Valley, AU - $12
Vineyard Select

Very dry and crisp with a definite aroma of mustiness. If it wasn't a screwcap, I would have thought it was corked. I'm not sure if it was a fault. I actually read that Australia dry rieslings usually do have a sense of the mustiness. Either way, I wouldn't repurchase.

Zolo Torrontes 06

Mendoza, ~$12

Very refreshing. Exactly what I was looking for. Another great wine from Mendoza. I think the area is Lujan de Cuyo. Not overly fragrant. Repurchase for a nice SB-like wine.

Cambria Syrah 05

Tepusquet Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley (Santa Barbara) $18 BevMo

Some black pepper and cinnamon on the nose. Not overly fragrant for a syrah, but certainly present. Very smooth-refined actually. I'm surprised it's a 2005 with the relaxing aromas and medium body. I drank it with a baguette, goat cheese, and capicola and it paired perfectly. I will certainly repurchase.

Montes Alpha Syrah 06

DO Colchagua Valley (Apalta Vineyard), Chile. ~16 (but I think I paid much less)

I bought a highly rated wine (WS 3/08), Cambria Syrah 05, and I wanted a cheaper wine to compare it to. I thought the Montes Alpha was a cheap purchase from TJs, but maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, when put next to the Cambria (blind) - and it certainly held its own. The nose has a gamy, beef jerky quality with a certain brown spice-definite beef jerky though. It is certainly tight and has been opening up over the last half hour - but could probably use some time. The wine, overall, is fantastic. I'm very impressed and will certainly repurchase.

UPDATE: 3/2: This bottle has now been open for 4 days. It is even better now - spectacular even. I will certainly repurchase

Tierra Salvaje Carménère

05; Maule Valley, Chile

Dark, ruby color. Some pepper and a little heat on the nose. Med-full body. Carménère can often taste like a mixture of merlot and CS. This was certainly more on the CS side. Very fruity, jammy, and tannic. Not much complexity.

It was pretty nice, not great. It was a TJs wine, so I think I'll scan for some other bargains before I pick this up again.

Xplorador CS

Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Valley, Chile, 07 [Concha y Toro]

Nothing special at all. Certainly milk chocolatey on the nose. Follows with cherry and a bit of vanilla - some sweetness. Definitely has some muscle, but not overly powerful. Obvious tannic backbone. If it is under $10 - decent buy. Under $5 is a more logical price though.

Qupé Syrah

Central Coast, CA, $17

Absolutely fantastic. Very subtle, earthy nose - some black pepper also. Medium body, and a looooong smooth finish. In fact, I would say this is the best syrah I have had for under $20. It is not very powerful. It's more of a sleek sensuous winner.

Renwood Amador Zinfandel

2005
Shenandoah California
Ice Wine

Again with a creme brulee, this was probally my favorite out of the three ice wines I tried for the night. Light on the nose with nothing distict coming out. Very smooth with a low body and a vanilla and fruit flavor which compliment my creme brulle to perfection!

5/5 fleur dis lis a rebuy with my favorite dessert

Selak Marlborough

Riesling
New Zealand
2005

Again with a creme brulee, light on the nose with a hint of something sweet. Very flavorful with a yes I admit it Tim a distictive lychee flavor. Smooth finish light on body.

5/5 fleur dis lis a rebuy

Bonny Doon Vin de Glaciere Muscat

2001 Ice wine

I had this with dessert, and dessert was a fantastic creme brulee. This type of wine is shaping up to be my favorite kind of wine. Light on the nose with a possible hint of a citrus fruit. Light and smooth in the mouth. A citrus flavor. Low after taste. Great wine

5/5 fleur dis lis a definate rebuy

Rioja, Cortijo III

Tinto 2006
Tempranillo 80%, Garnacha 20%

I had admittedly drank this wine when it was a little to cold, so on the nose it was very light, but poured a deep cherry red color. At first possible due the cold it was light on flavor. It was extremly smooth and medium in body. Hints of a fruit, but with a dusty flavor that was intriguing. All in all an average wine.
2/5 fleur dis lis

Cortijo il Rioja Crianza Rioja

2000 Spain

Medium bodied, with a deep red color. A fruity flavor, I would dare say cherries? Light on the after taste, a nice fresh tasting red.
4/5 fleur dis lis

Vinos Pinol Ludovicus Terra Alta

2005 Spain

This was a while ago, and i forgot to post it but my memory of the wine is a fond one. It was dry with a heavy body. It oddly had a type of fishy flavor but it did not put me off of the wine. I think it would complement a red sauce very well.
3/5 fleur dis lis

La Posta Malbec 06

Pizezella Family Vineyard, La Consulta, Mendoza; $16

The bouquet comprises spice box and exotic scents. Light body, very little tannin. Magenta color. Flavors linger for quite a long time. It's fantastic. There was a bit of sediment in the neck due to BevMo's careless treatment of wine (this should've been in the bottom corner if it was racked properly and wouldn't be a problem if poured slowly or decanted). All in all, it's a very easy-going wine with nice exotic flavors which makes it a pleasure to drink (I drank it with pita bread and red-pepper hummus and it didn't overwhelm the light meal).

Chateau d'Aigueville 05

Côtes-du-Rhône

Nice berry flavors, but it's a bit softer than I like. Some pepper on the nose with a little bit of green. Medium body. I have no idea how much I paid for it, but I'll say it's a good $12 wine, but a bad $20 wine.

Cicchitti Blend

05, Malbec & CS; Mendoza, Arg.

My third delicious Malbec in a row. If I had to rank my favorite <$15 Malbecs, I'd say Pascual Toso, Cicchitti, Alamos. All from the 05 vintage, all from Mendoza.

This blend (60% Malbec) had a fairly strong bouquet of tobacco and leather. Dark, inky purple in color. Medium body with a solid tannic backbone. The tannins masked some of the plum flavors that I slightly tasted. Overall, it was very quaffable without a lot of complexity. I would purchase again and pair with a sausage pizza or something of the like.

Domaine Chante Cigale

04 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. ~$15 K&L

This needed to breathe. When I first opened her, on Friday, she was way over the top. She had a strong bouquet of ripe fruit and alcohol. The first glass was a bit overwhelming and I didn't find it immediately enjoyable. I decided to cork the bottle and leave it out for a few days.

On Sunday, I tried her again. She calmed down, significantly. It's stunning how much wine can change over time... The wine has a nose of cassis and black pepper. She still had a bit of the heat, but the fruit seemed to have opened up enough to give her more balance. It's almost as if the grenache backed off and the syrah took over. She was very balanced and full-bodied. Secondary flavors were reminiscent of bacon, smoke, and oak.

I'll repurchase, but decant next time.

Oakley Five Reds

03, Cline; Oakley, CA, $12

Pairing: Chateaubriand, rare (deliciously cooked by me) and bleu cheese after dinner.

I've never had a Cline I didn't like. I've never had a wine from Oakley. I've never had a mix of Syrah, Zin, Petite Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, and Mourvedre. I couldn't pass this chance up.

I was impressed, very. Split over 2 days, the wine was much more lively on the first day; on the second, she lost some of her brawniness, which was a bad thing for this brash wine.

Very dark color. Aromatic of ripe fruit and peppers on the nose. The best thing about this wine is that the initial sensation is heaviness and brawniness, yet it settles down mid-sip into a much smoother layer. Considering the first three grapes listed are some of the richest, I was amazed at how she transformed into an easy sensation of tobacco and black pepper. This is actually a wine that I'd like to keep in a cellar for a while. It reminds me of a Northern Rhone and will probably age well.

Very good. Great price. Repurchase.

Chateau Tour Grise Saumur

04, "253" K&L: $15

I matched this against the Chinon previous to the post.

Color: dark cherry red, slightly cloudy
Aroma: cigar, black pepper, more vibrant than the Chinon
1st taste: woodsy, less jammy but still present
body: med-full
overall: easy going, simpler but more elegant than the Chinon. Almost more like a syrah than CF.

Winner: I would purchase this over the Chinon.

Chinon Les Chiens-Chiens

04 "La Noblaie", K&L: $15

Chinon is located in the Loire and is one of the few places where Red varietals are dominant in the valley.

color: dark cherry red
aroma: floral, slightly woodsy
1st taste: blackberries, black cherries, wood chips
body: full
overall: burnt toast/bacon flavors to go along with the aforementioned. fairly complex. enjoyable. I liked it, but I liked the Saumur I had compared it to more.

Pascual Toso

06 Malbec, Maipú, Mendoza. ~$16

This wine makes me remember why I wanted to record my reviews. It is absolutely outstanding. I am returning to BevMo tomorrow to pick up many more bottles (which I rarely do because I like to try different ones.) The Malbec has a spicy/tobacco aroma with a surprisingly light body. It is amazingly smooth, silky actually and has a long finish. I've been hearing that Argentinian malbecs are becoming great, and this wine surely backs that statement. Highly recommend.

Les Truffiers Vacqueyras

05

FYI: [vah ker AHS]. Southern France doesn't omit the final S. (Including Mas (Domaine), Cornas, Gigondas)

Full body, Seemed like a heavy amount of Grenache and Syrah (nothing was labeled on the bottle though.) I think it was a good value, although I'm not sure how much I paid for it. It tasted similar to a good Rhône, but I know I didn't pay over $20, which a good Rhône demands.

Dark purple in the galss, flavors of dark fruits-very masculine. Some pepper to finish. I drank it over 3 days and on the 3rd day I think it was best.