Robert & Marjorie's Wine Blog

Change Is Good!

robert

It's official: the change is permanent. Wordpress, while not as powerful, is SO much easier to use, day in and day out.
All future reviews will be at:
http://www.robertmiller.org/wordpress/

* The Wine Blog She Is A Moving! *

robert

http://robertmiller.org/wordpress/

Well, as of 8 October 2006, the Wine Blog is changing blog software. I was really getting tired of pLOG's short-comings: that tedious pause when first loading the page in your browser, me having to use IE JUST for the admin page to post reviews (when I use Firefox 99.999% of the time,) the fonts messing up when everything is perfect, that terrible smell after the blog loads... Well, I was just kidding about that last thing.

I'll be beta testing WordPress blogware to see if everything will work well. It looks like it is a breeze on this (the posting) end. Please let me know if you have problems on YOUR end or if you have suggestions to make the blog work better. I think I have most of the bugs worked out, so let's see how it works out in the real world. I'll test it for several days and post back HERE to let you know if WINE-O-RAMA (the new blog name) is gone to the new URL or if it will return here.

http://robertmiller.org/wordpress/

Thanks,

Robert

Hogue 2005 Late Harvest White Riesling Columbia Valley

robert

This is Viognier!

I guess I'm a sucker for "sale" priced wine. I found this yesterday at Arrow Wine. Normally $10.99, ON SALE for $8.99. Cheap Riesling - Woo Hoo! We tried some Hogue Riesling (the standard stuff) a very long time ago and were underwhelmed. But, I thought: LATE HARVEST - even at 12% alcohol, it had to be good! It was with hopeful thoughts, I "twisted" open the twist top closure. On the nose we found sweet honeyed peaches and ORANGE RIND (maybe tangerine?) Unfortunately, things didn't go well on the palate. Heavy, syruppy grapefruit drug things down. A "fake" sweetness was there, with no bracing acidity to balance with. To be honest, it wasn't even THAT sweet - not half as sweet as some German rieslings we love (at least they balance well with acidity!) This is not terrible stuff; it just tastes cheap and artificial. And greatly unsatisfying. Is it worth the sale price of $8.99. HECK NO. For ONE BUCK MORE, Columbia Winery 2005 Cellarmaster's Riesling Columbia Valley (search for glowing reviews here) is light years better - best domestic riesling we've tried to date. If you barely use your imagination, you can smell the mango in the glass for this Hogue, and taste the ample alcohol, and feel the thick oily liquid on your tongue. This tastes JUST like a viognier grape.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Straccali 2004 Chianti Italy

robert

Good, decent dry table wine

We tried some Piccini Chianti on 19 Mar, 2006 and I had anticipated that this $7.99 Italian red would be very similar due to some internet reviews (don't you just LOVE 'em!) And if I was blindfolded, I couldn't tell which was which (twins seperated at birth?) Dry bright berry with a hint of funky barnyard. We've discovered that UNOAKED is the way to go when imbibing wine with pepperoni pizza. This is a wonderful pairing with Dominos! The only better chianti pairing (for us, at least) is Ecco Domani. All the pluses without the funky barnyard flavour (although a chianti purist may get their undies in a bunch over the lack!) :)

Pleasant, uncomplicated Italian wine for a bargain price! Life is good!

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Solaris 2004 Pinot Noir California (2)

robert

Solaris Part Duex

Last tasted on 30 May, 2006, we gave this an 8. Tonight, I was on my own. Marjorie had a meeting, so frozen roast beef and cheese steak it was. This would be an interesting experiment, since we've pretty much sworn off pinot noir for over a month now. We've had mainly cab, malbec and zin with meals. What will happen? The world awaits! :) We were fairly "ho-hum" about Solaris the last time, so I selected it for the grand experiment. I had missed that beautiful transparent pinot noir garnet red glowing in the glass! On the nose was spice, rhubarb and subtle bing cherry. The palate would be interesting. We've grown used to the explosion of fruit a more aggresive varietal provides. Sometimes that is welcome; sometimes not. I experienced a blending of the rhubarb, strawberry and cherry with bakers spices and tea on the palate. One thing that turned us off of pint noir had been that wall of sweet rhubarb hitting us. Although fairly tart and sour, the sweet and acid balanced well with the tender delicate berry flavours. On the MINUS side, this pinot seemed rather light-bodied and thin (watery?) although it may be the result of not tasting pinot noir for such a long time. We have a few decent pinots waiting in the cellar for further testing (French and Californian.) We seem to have been experiencing a chicken drought for dinner, as well.

Rating: 7.75 out of 10

Clos Du Bois 2003 Zinfandel North Coast CA

robert

Well-balanced, yet a bit disappointing

Hamburgers cry out for a nice chewy zin (boo hoo!) Time to try some Clos Du Bois zin. It's our first try with this red. We bought it last week for $12 at Wine Works mainly from past experience (loved their pinot noir and merlot) and from the label text off the bottle: "ripe raspberry and strawberry with nicely layered characters of black plum, pepper and cinnamon." Well I got heavy vanilla spice on the nose and plum and oak on the palate. I really missed out on the strawberry and raspberry. "Wish you were here!" While the oak/vanilla/spice balanced things out a bit better than the Avalon cab last night, it seemed to overwhelm the berry. This is basically plum and oak. Very good, but quite CALIFORNIAN: a bit of "artificial" oak that tastes "cheap" to me. Your mileage might vary. For the price, it's good stuff - worked well with hamburgers. But there are better zins out there for the same or less $ (Dancing Bull & Gallo Family come to mind for $10 or less.)

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Avalon 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon California (2)

robert

Yum

Last time we had this fine cab, on 26, Aug 2006, we initially loved it. The purity of fruit and rich, jammy character won us over. But then (dum, dum, duh...) we made a GRAVE mistake. Yep, a "boo-boo." Paired this raspberry coloured beauty with, a-hem, uh, Domino's Pizza. As was expected, the pepperoni duked it out with the cab and WE lost. Time Warp ahead to the present. Lesson learned. Avalon TONIGHT is paired with steak salad. Double yum. And as a corker (pun intended,) I found it for $8.99 last month at Jungle Jim's. :) With the steak salad, the Avalon worked wonderfully. No chocolate hints, as the label suggests, but this is nice stuff. Not the deepest, most complex cab out there, but very approachable. As the label continues, it would certainly appeal to the merlot lover, too. Marjorie would DIG this vino! BUT, alas, she came home tonight with a COLD. Can't taste this pleasant, slightly sweet fruit-forward cab. But,there'll be more of this carefree cab in the future...

Rating: 8.75 out of 10

Big House Red 2004 California Red Wine

robert

Wine in Da Big House

The "Big House" here is in reference to "JAIL." I've read many a recommendation for this red. Folks say it's good. That it's inexpensive. That folks who normally don't like red wine LOVE it. I grabbed it a few weeks ago at Jungle Jim's (with Marjorie in mind) for about $10. It's a blend of eight reds ("let our powers COMBINE!") I really enjoyed the sweet berryish nose. On the palate, however, I get too much rhubarb (maybe too much grenache in the mix?) It tastes dry to me with moderate tannins and a long, subtly (stealthy) spicy finish. It's not my cup of tea. Marjorie, on the other hand, really enjoyed it. She mainly liked that it was "unoffensive" and "sweet." But then again,she shuns red wine in favour of whites. Any red that she likes is a friend of mine! I GREATLY prefer the Trapiche malbec we had last night. We'll get this again, if not only because Marjorie likes it. They have a well-reviewed white, too. Will check that out in da future.

Rating: Marjorie: 8.9 out of 10

Robert: 7.5 out of 10

Trapiche 2004 Oak Cask Malbec Mendoza

robert

FINALLY!!!!!!

This is part two of tonight's malbec double header with beef roast, and THIS is more like it! THIS is what I've heard malbec will deliver AND THEN SOME. Dark purple in the glass (we are using Metrokane Rabbit glasses these days instead of our Reidels. Just don't go for their RED wine glasses - they're monster HUGE and ugly, whereas the white glasses are VERY beautiful and simply stunning - PLUS they are large enough for red wines and with their up-turned curved lip, are GREAT for sticking one's nose into a RED wine and are dishwasher safe!) with a very interesting collection of DARK red fruit nose. I usually prefer BRIGHT red fruit, but this DARK red fruit nose and palate is simply interesting and wonderful. Also on the palate (besides the dark red fruit and plum) I get raspberry, blueberry and vanilla. For a wine having a name of OAK CASK, I don't get hardly ANY oak spice - what I get from the oak barrels are sweet vanilla hints. It's OFF-DRY, but very nice, TRANQUIL (HOW APPROPRIATE!) and peaceful. It paired nicely with the beef. And, at less than $10 ($7-$8 many places) this really is a TRUE BARGAIN! I thinks we needs us some MORE RESEARCH! We finally tasted a true malbec varietal. And we likee!!!

Rating: 8.75 out of 10

*note- I let this breathe for over an hour. It is SO gentle and subtle, that next time, we'll go for 30 minutes or less. This really IS halfway between a pinot noir and a cabernet. :)

Tranquility 2002 Malbec Mendoza

robert

Yuck!

Found this Argentinian malbec a few days ago at Wine Works for $4.99. The handwritten sign said "A MUST BUY" so we bought it. Hey, the sign said so! And who are WE to disobey THE SIGN. Actually, we are in the midst of a malbec trial period. Some friends said "it's the next NEW WAVE in wine" and it's a BARGAIN. Of course that last part got my attention. I'm all for great wine CHEAP! We've been underwhelmed with the few malbecs we've tried so far. This evening, Marjorie made beef roast. A malbec standoff hangs in the balance! In THIS corner is the "TRANQUILITY." In the other corner, TRAPICHE, which I will review later. Yes, we tried BOTH with dinner. I prepared both by letting each bottle breathe about an hour after chilling for a few minutes in the fridge. FIRST, Tranquility: OUCH - YUCKHO! This truly is worth $5. Mouth-puckering sour with mouth-parching tannins. YIPES. Not the worst bottle of wine I've ever tasted, but close. Let's just move on to the Trapiche...

Rating: 5 out of 10

La Francesca Pinot Grigio 2004 Italy

robert

Not What She Used To Be...

We were enthralled with our first tasting of this Italian cheapie. You can see our comments on 23 Apr 2006. We tried it a few other times without posting our thoughts on the blog (heck, why not for $5.99 a bottle.) We had some last night and it left us scratching our collective heads. Yes, it's not dreadful, but WHAT WERE WE THINKING? Perhaps drooling at the price? Maybe this wine aged a bit too much since April? Last night it just tasted CHEAP. Cheap pinot grigio always tastes like diluted syrup from the bottom of a Delmonte fruit cup can. We'll stick with Ecco Domani pinot grigio. For a couple more bucks, it's dependable.

Rating (this time): 6.5 out of 10

General Housekeeping & comments 9-30-06

robert

That time again...

Just a few reminders for anyone reading this.� First and foremost, this is a wine blog primarily for our own use.� We use this to chronicle our adventures in trying new wines - to remember WHY we like or dislike a particular wine so we don't forget (and waste money and time.)� It also records what is going on at the time in our personal and family life.� If someone stumbles by via a web search for a new (to them)�wine,�this blog is but one reference to what we thought about the wine.� I know I sometimes go out and see what others thought about a wine�before I purchase one, or after we try one.� It's perfectly fine to stop by the blog as well as you know that a particular review refelcts OUR EXPERINCE ONLY.� We are not wine experts, nor are we rookies.� We know what we like, and that's unlikely to change.� If we stumble upon a new wine that we like, BONUS!� Please keep that same mind set on our blog.� YOUR MILEGE MAY VARY due to you own likes/dislikes/experiences.

Secondly, I am a pretty good writer.� BUT, I normally post a review after drinking the wine.� Sometimes, a glass.� Sometimes two.� If we're really lucky and the wine is outstanding, it may be more...� In other words, YES, my writing MAY not be perfect under these conditions!� Spelling and grammar errors are inevitable. There is no spell check in this editor.� I am not a professional wine reviewer.� I drink, type, and go on with my life rather quickly.� Deal with it!� :)

Strange, but true:� our wine tastes seem to evolve and change over time.� Some wines we originally loved are no longer in our cellar.� We are human - we evolve.

NEW:�

*** If you disagree, fine.� Tell us what wines you recommend.� Let's keep this constructive, not destructive.� As of October 1, 2006, I will be enabling COMMENTS to be posted on all reviews.� I tried this a long time ago, but things were getting clogged with spam.� We'll see how it works out.�***

Altos Las Hormigas 2005 Malbec Mendoza

robert

STOP THE ANTS!!!

Gotta love those Argentinian ants.� Gotta STOP them, too!� That's the translation of this malbec from Mendoza.� We've tried some strange malbecs before, so I found a couple "highly recommended" ones to try.� It seems that folks who like Argentinian malbecs (once they find the right kind) really LOVE them.� Since this was a VERY young wine, I decanted it for about an hour and a half, swirling the decanter vigorously often.� Straight out of the bottle I got intense fruit and a hearty helping of earth (not my favourite flavour!)� AFTER decanting, it remained pretty much the same.� Dark purple (INKY is a good word) in the glass, dark cherry and red licorice on the nose.� On the palate, even darker�fruit with a smoky spice, heavy-bodied and soft tannins.� The earthy (what we call "barnyard") notes were still there, just a bit more diffused.� I was guessing meat for dinner, but Marjorie decided on BLTs.� The bacon and malbec didn't get along well at all (they don't play well with each other) but after going to all the trouble of decanting, I thought "what the heck."� Yes, true, I SHOULD be darned to heck for going through with this pairing!�� It certainly would be better with a nice juicy steak, but not as good as a decent California cab.� Two more malbecs to go (in the cellar) - if they don't pan out, they're off our "to do" list.

Rating:� 6 out of 10

Columbia Winery 2005 Cellarmaster's Riesling Columbia Valley (2)

robert

Ditto!

We were exhausted tonight and wanted to have some decent riesling but didn't want to dig into the cellar to pull out one our rare German beauties (all we have left is the good stuff.)� A quick trip to Wine Works snagged a familiar wine in a newly redesigned bottle and label.� How classy is THIS new look!� The wine is pretty darned good, too!� Not as classy or life-altering as�much of the German riesling out there, but very nice and "different" (a refreshing change of pace.)� For $9.99 it's a steal!� Whereas fine German riesling pairs honey with citrus, this Washington state white sends honey and apricot.� Beauty of a domestic riesling in a beautiful new package!� Same rating as last time (here's a refresher):

13 Jul, 2006

Columbia Winery 2005 Cellarmaster's Riesling - Columbia Valley

Posted by robert 15:09 | Permalink | comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | General

Bravo USA!

Yes, it's been more than a week since my last post.� We've been extremely busy with the house addition - very stressful - but things are finally winding down.� We've had many a wine in the past week and a half - some new; some old friends.� �As the past few weeks have been a blur, I can't recall the wine we've guzzled.� Tonight, we revisited one of the very first Rieslings we thought we liked.� And it turns out we were quite accurate.� This is good stuff - best domestic US Riesling we've had - Thanks to the Columbia Vallery of Washington State.� In the glass we found deep amber.� On the nose and the palate:� honey, pear and apricot.� And a very good balance between the sweetness and acidity.� As we are used to fine German Rieslings, the apricot (a characteristic of American Rieslings, in our experience) was a different, yet not a welcome visitor.� But this was quite good.� Marjorie drank TWO glasses, and we drained a whole bottle (it's been a while since we did that!)� It was delightful on its own, as an aperitif, but wasn't as successful with salsa and blue corn chips as its German brethren.� $10 at Miami Valley Wine & Spirits.

The best domestic Riesling we've experienced!

Rating:� 8.75 out of 10

Monkey Bay 2004 Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand

robert

Don't monkey around with this great white...

Had this SB with coconut mahi mahi (really) last night.� I remember we tried this (our first SB ever!) many moons ago and we hated it!� Time warp to the present:� I thought it may be good with the fish so we popped open the artificial cork and gave it a go.� Mucho tropical.� I got bigtime grapefruit and pineapple.� Marjorie got the grapefruit with a hint of tangerine.� It was VERY interesting - good stuff - but didn't pair as well as I would've thought with the fishies.� Maybe it was the coconut that caused some trouble;� maybe it was how INTENSE the tropical fruit came through�in the Monkey Bay SB.� Perhaps both.� We'll try it again when we have some simple white fish.� I believe the bottle came home for around $10.� A bargain.

Rating:� 8 out of 10

The Rail Trail by Leasingham Clare Valley 2005 Riesling (South Australia)

robert

Death Valley!

I knew when I picked this up at Sam's Club for $10 this might be trouble.� We've never had any luck with riesling from Australia - it's such a hot place to grow grapes.� Very un-Germany-like. �At 12% alcohol, we knew it would be dry. �I found only one review on the internet about this, and it describes this riesling as DRY as Death Valley at noon in August.� Hmmmm...not what I was looking for since we like off-dry riesling.� This had a lovely yet new world apricot nose - quite delicate.� But on the palate, it was 80% alcohol flavour.� The palate did NOT match the nose.� It may be better with fish or chicken (I doubt it.)� Not good with sharp cheddar and whole wheat crackers. YUCK!

Rating:� 5.5 out of 10

Talus Collection Lodi Merlot 2004 California

robert

Cheapie gooood!

Lasagna tonight really begged for merlot (it was a bit demeaning!)�� I picked this Talus up last week with Marjorie in mind - sheer drinkability and very low oak.� Straight out of the bottle (chilled to about 55F) it was pleasant enough.��A dark cherry/plum nose proceeded the same on the palate, albeit with a hint of vanilla.� This is a very nice, simple merlot - quite the point.� It paired wonderfully with the lasagna.� I thought that this would be wonderful with pepperoni pizza:� no spicy/hot battle between oak and beef.� For a mere $6.99 I'm sure we will try that combination in the near future!� After an hour in the glass, it reached room temperature and doubled in complexity and style.� It's still not the classiest merlot out there (by far) but it is custom-made for Marjorie's taste.

Pros:� Lack of heavy oak; super PRICE!� Easy drinking.

Cons:� Not the most complex merlot in the cellar.� I would prefer a bit more BRIGHT RED fruit:� this is a bit subdued (aka "French.")� I would like more VELVETY mouthfeel.

Rating:� 8 out of 10� *Let it breathe for an hour and don't chill it down too much and it will give you a nice merlot experience.

We didn't care much for Talus' pinot noir, but we have their cabernet sauvignon sitting in the cellar waiting for a go...

FunF German Riesling (Deutscher Tafelwein Rhein)

robert

Yee Haw!

At Jungle Jim's yesterday, I had 11 fine bottles of wine in a case.� Hmmmm, one more and I get the 10% discount.� What to do... Hey, how about a dirt cheap riesling to fill things out? �That's the ticket.� For $5, this was the cheapest in the place.� It SCREAMS C-H-E-A-P (earplugs optional.)� It's frosted white bottle, "fun" graphics and cool twist top looks like some Germans got together and said "let's gather up all our subpar leftover grapes from an unknown wine region and sell them to those stupid Americans. They'll buy ANYTHING in a cute bottle!"� How about some cute text on the bottle:� After work, during dinner, on the town.� With a special someone or lots of friends.� Open a bottle and add a little FunF to your life.� Well, a very harsh nose proceeds a harsh flavour.� At 9% alcohol, I expected this to be mellow and sweet.� But it's as HARD as a German accent.� This stuff has no class, no depth, no soul.� Worth $5?� Maybe, but I'd rather pay just a few more dollars for a MUCH nicer riesling experience.

Rating:� 6 out of 10

Big Ol' Can of WHOOP ASS Energy Drink

robert

Revitalizes Attitude & Restores Faith in Mankind

We found this while on a wine search at Jungle Jim's today.� How could we NOT buy this 16 oz. can???� I wish we would've bought MORE!� :)

On a serious note, tonight we had some Leitz Dragonstone Riesling (Rheingau, Germany.)� As one of our all-time favourite wines, it was as WONDERFUL as usual.� It's the best riesling that is still being currently sold in stores.� Ahhhhh....�� :)

Chateau Canuet Margaux 1994 Bordeaux (France)

robert

Interesting

It was a LONG week full or twists and turns and changed minds all over the place.� Dinner was no exception.� I had readied this bottle yesterday "just in case" but the CASE was WRONG.� Today I put it in the fridge for a few minutes not knowing where dinner would come from - possibly a burger for this French cab?� No, wrong guess...I was served McDonald's most excellent McRib sandwich, and Marjorie had fruit and yogurt.� Talk about a culinary fiasco.� McDonald's paired with a 1994 Bordeaux?� Well, we're going back to Jungle Jim's near Cincy tomorrow (several acres of wine) where I found this cheap.� I figured, if it was GREAT, we'd pick up more.� The cork looked good out of the bottle so that was a good sign.� Nice, understated nose of bright red berry and spice.� What a pretty colour in the glass!� On the palate, a delightful chorus of fresh red berry.� Along for the ride is that familiar "earthy" barnyard taste.� I find it a lot in chianti's, but it's my first for France.� Maybe because this bottle is 12+ years old?� First taste was...oh, crap - barnyard!� 2nd taste was...yeah, but it's interesting.� Even after 12 years, the tannins are still here, but they're not undoable.� The mouthfeel is great.� Very sensual - light yet silky.� It would be nice to try this with a jiucy steak, but for tonight, a McRib and fruit yogurt will have to do.� it was an interesting experience.

Rating:� 7 out of 10

Postscript:� After an hour in the glass, the funky barnyard character seemed to fade, replaced with a hint of cinnamon/black tea spice.� Much nicer. Note to self:� if I ever find this again, let'er breathe a bit before imbibing.

Updated rating:� 7.75 out of 10

Mirassou 2002 Merlot California

robert

Hmmmm...

Home-made pizza this evening for dinner. Marjorie used HUGE hunks of onion and peppers. My eyes are STILL stinging almost two hours later! Not knowing how the pizza would turn out, I didn't want to burn an expensive bottle of merlot, so this Mirassou 2002 did the trick. I bought two bottles several months ago for $6.99 each on CLEARANCE at Target. ? ! Our first bottle was not pretty. The review is below; we gave it a 5 out of 10. Tonight, I thought Marjorie would LOVE this...bright red berry with hints of raspberry, hardly any oak or spice. I was wrong...she didn't care for it (what???) I'm about through trying to figure her out!!! She said she liked the Cycles Gladiator merlot we had last night better (although it had a hefty hunk of oak.) I found the Mirassou 2002 severly lacking in complexity, but really enjoyed the super fresh fruit-forward ride!

Rating: 7.75 out of 10

Mirassou California Merlot 2002

Posted by robert 13:56 | Permalink | comments (1) | Trackbacks (0) | General

Live from the Smoky Mountains...

Purchased for $6 on clearance at Target then transported to Townsend, Tennessee (in a Comfort Inn, no less) this merlot was bright berry with a hint of mint on the nose. Flavour was bland, bland, bland. Bright plum - nothing else. Very ONE dimensional. Or was it, perhaps, the small plastic tumblers we sipped it from? Whatever the reason, this was not good, satisfying merlot. For 99 cents more, we could've had some nice Little Penguin merlot that we KNOW we like! And, gee, ain't free wireless internet service swell? :)

Pros: Cheap.

Cons: Cheap.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Cycles Gladiator 2004 Merlot Central Coast (2)

robert

Tasty

Like the rest of this� label, this merlot is pretty darn good for under $10.� We really like their cab a lot, their syrah is quite dandy and their pinot noir is typical of the varietal.� Last time, we had this decent merlot with pepperoni pizza.� The vanilla/oak finish battled the pepperoni spice and no one won.� We enjoyed the bright red fruit, though.� I gave it a 7 while Marjorie gave it an 8.� Tonight, we enjoyed�it with spaghetti with marinara sauce.� A MUCH better pairing.� It seemed a bit thin to me with a tad harsh tannins, but the flavour was very nice.� Marjorie opened the bottle up this evening (a rarity!)� I would've let it breathe a tich first.� It didn't have the velvety rich experience of, say, a Clos du Bois, etc., but it was just fine for tonight!

Rating:� 8 out of 10 (both of us)

Estancia Pinot Noir 2004 Monterey California

robert

Typical California Varietal

Marjorie had to work late today. With no idea of dinner plans, I chilled this pinot down to the 57F identified as "room temperature" (or cellar temp) for reds during the 1800's (yep, no airconditioning back then!) Tilapia it was, so I dodged a bullet. There's nothing really wrong with this pinot noir, but we just have evolved away from the California varietals. The rhubarb-strawberry flavours don't do it for us any more. We aren't sure why, but it's a fact. We'll take a soft cab (or heaven forbid, a non-overly-oaked merlot) over a pinot noir any day. If I would've known we were having fish today, I would've readied some sauvignon blanc, uh-huh. As a pinot noir, this really doesn't have much in the way of spice. The overly-sweet rhubarb (especially) and strawberry overtakes everything. I think that once we go through the pinot noir that we have cellared, we have some major purchasing decisions to make. Seems like only the Heron pinot noir (a burgundy from France!) really DOES IT for us lately. Strange but true.

Rating: 7 out of 10 - not bad, but just not good (to us)

Beringer Founders' Estate 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon California (3)

robert

Very good!

Sirloin stirfry tonight. Beringer Cab 2002.� Mmmmnnn Good!� This is really tasty stuff.� The first cab we really loved many moons ago STILL does it for us.� We last reviewed it on 17 May, 2006.� Several months later, it seems to have matured.� Very smooth, bright red berry, JAMMY (in a good way!) with hints of mint and smooth, approachable�tannins.� Paired perfectly with the steak, and pretty darn good with the veggies and rice!�� I've had richer, more complex cabs, but at under $10, this is where it's at for us with cabs!� We bought this about 6 months ago at Sams Club.� Hope they still have this 2002 vintage left!� :)

Rating:� 9 out of 10

�

Fusee 2001 Merlot California

robert

Smooooooth

Marjorie is gone today, so I wanted to use a wine that potentially was a dud (save the good stuff for "us.")� I bought this Fusee at a specialty wine shop I frequent that often closes out vintage wines a bargain prices.� Maybe it will be good, perhaps it will be past its prime (and stink.)� Seeing as how value wines (i.e. fusee) are meant to be imbibed TODAY, I was worried this 5 year old might have gone to the dark side (as another bottle purchased at the same time had.)� This bottle had languised down in the wine cellar for a VERY long time.� I was surprised when I twisted off the twist top and she was goooood.� Very smooth!� Bright red berry with vanilla aplenty.� Not the most overly complex merlot I've tasted, but pretty darn amazing for under $5!� Long legs worked well with the red berry colour in the glass.� The berry/vanilla gave way to a fresh oaky finish that lasted for a good while.� Geez, I wish I'd picked up several more.� For the price of a good modern merlot, I could've had 4 bottles of this!� It paired incredibly well with sweet basil and tomato pizza (no pepperoni this time!)

Rating:� 8 out of 10

Ecco Domani 2004 Chianti (Italy)

robert

Ditto!

Yesterday's experience echoed the last time we had this tasty Italian red on 27 Feb, 2006.� Very dry, super bright red berry tastes sweet due to its bracing acidity.� Paired very well with Dominos Pizza.� We've had problems recently with oak competing with the peppery pepperoni.� This works quite nicely!� Same comments and rating as before...

Rating:� 8 out of 10

�

Septima 2004 Malbec Mendoza/Argentina

robert

Don't cry for me...

It's no secret that I wanted to experiment a bit with Malbec from Argentina.� Our local wine shop had two:� the 2002 Shell & Bull entry level malbec we somewhat enjoyed at $6.99, and this $9.99 unkown.� When Matthew volunteered to grill steak burgers, I started decanting the Septima, not knowing what to expect.� After nearly and hour in the decanter, with�hearty aeration every 10 minutes of so, the burgers were ready.� Originally, as I poured the wine into the decanter, I tried a sip or two first.� First impressions:� First sip- fruity;� 2nd sip- OAK CITY.� After the decanting, there is hardly any aroma.� On the palate, there is very dark fruit, abundant oak, moderate tannins (which paired well with the steak burgers) and little more.� Before the glass went dry (another 45 minutes or so) I got a "pinot noir" type deep plum & spice - albeit "different."� Marjorie disliked it aplenty.� I thought it interesting, but nothing I'd like to tangle with again.� It's definitely meant for beef.� Maybe a good steak would be better with this red.� Next time we make it to a large wine shop, I'll buy another "recommended" malbec for one more chance.��At this point, I'd�MUCH rather have a nice fruity California�cabernet instead.

Rating:� 7 out of 10�

Heron 2004 Pinot Noir (France/California) (3)

robert

I'M BAAAAAACK!

I've been in a terrible pinot noir drought lately (have you noticed?)� Even good pinots have tasted poor.� Why?� Besides the possible bad bottle here and there, storage issues at the wine shop, bad karma, the dreaded burnt tongue, here's a possible answer:� I've felt�bad the past 2+ weeks.� Not terrible, mind you, just extremely FATIGUED. This past weekend, I didn't move off the couch - odd for me.� I finally went to the doctor yesterday afternoon.� Without checking me out, he said "allergies, eh?"� Turns out this is the highest level of ragweed IN HISTORY!�� Wow.� I know I have minor allergies for a few weeks in the fall & spring, but THIS?� After some nasal spray and an antihistimine, I'm a new man!� Felt great today, so - let's try another PINOT NOIR with dinner (grilled pork chops!)� In the glass, a somewhat cloudy burgundy (that cleared crystal clear an hour later.)� But more importantly, it tasted good.� GUUD!� What a relief.� Red licorice and vanilla on the nose.� Dark cherry and plum on the palate - as was in previous tastings, quite burgundian.� It paired�nicely with the pork.� This has to be one of the biggest bargains out there:� French pinot noir, cellared and bottled in California.� The best of both worlds.� And the greatest of all:� $10.99.� SCORE!

Rating:� 8.5 out of 10

Red Bicyclette 2004 Syrah France (2)

robert

Different Juice???

This evening, Marjorie made her famous baked spaghetti.� I gave her the choice of this Red Bicyclette Syrah or Cycles Gladiator Merlot.� Since we enjoyed the BIKE so much previously, we put the baseball cards in the spoke (metaphorically speaking.)� In a bizarre twist of fate, this seems like it is a different wine!� Last time, we gave it an 8.5, and crowed about the purity of fruit.� This time, we got pretty much nothing.� Very dark red in the Reidel glass;� pleasant red fruit and licorice on the nose;� very subtle red fruit flavours with heavy tannins on the palate. �Absolutely NO syrah spice at all.� It is�typically subdued French red, without the wonderful purity.� It is truly a product the French "brewed" for the American market.� Soul-less.� Were we crazy before, or did we just get a bad bottle this time (or was the first bottle just extraordinary?)� With an artificial cork (not typically "french,") the later is doubtful.� For $11, I'd expect better: �it's not bad at all; it's just not too good.�

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (this time)

Conca y Toro Xplorador 2002 Malbec (Mendoza)

robert

Shell & Bull entry

Since I'm having a rough time with Pinot Noirs these days, I thought I'd expand our horizons and try some malbecs from Argentina. Why? Why not. Actually, depending on whom you talk to, they (malbecs) are either hideous tannic monsters or splendid, magical reds that are supple and sensitive enough for fish yet muscular enough for steaks. With the big Ohio State vs. Texas football game on TV tonight (#1 vs. #2) we had us some steak quesadillas. Perfect time to try a malbec. Last week I bought this $6.99 entry level malbec along with a $9.99 "midpriced" malbec. Let's try the cheapie first. I opened her up and let it breathe for over an hour (most reviewers recommend 2 hours of breathing or heavy duty decanting prior to drinking.) My first impression was one of harshness. Higher tannins than I expected from a red with only $13% alcohol, but that helped with the meat. This is a dark brooding grape, indeed. Dark purple, and dark tasting. After another hour in the glass, it seemed to mellow quite a bit, opening up into a sweeter, less harsh wine. It was fine by itself (the quesadillas we gone by this point) and the tannins retreated quite a bit. OK, I learned my Argentinian lesson. Next time we have red meat (and there is at least two hours before mealtime) we'll try the more expensive malbec and see what happens. Marjorie liked this wine better right out of the bottle than the merlot we had with pizza for dinner. Initially, I disagreed, but after that extra hour in the glass, I see the light. Malbec just might be another alternative for a hearty, full-bodied cab. But this malbec was still too powerful for fish or chicken.

Rating: 7.75 out of 10

P.S. - Ohio State won big!

Columbia Crest Two Vines 2002 Merlot Columbia Valley

robert

Well Worth�the Price

I found this Washington State merlot last week while at Trader Joe's for $7.99.� Sounded like a good idea with some Dominos Pizza this evening.� Past the pleasant, yet unsophisticated, grape jelly nose, the palate is greeted with an equally uncomplex union of concord grape and wood.� With pepperoni, the oaky wood simply overpowered any available fruit.� By itself, it wasn't so intense.� But this wasn't up to par with many other merlots that were velvety smooth and satisfying.� Next time we'll pass on the Columbia Crest and pay a few more bucks for better ML.

Rating:� 7.5 out of 10

Bereich Johannisberg 2005 Riesling (Rheingau)

robert

Late night snack

I found this at a local wine shop for $7.99.� Hmmm...a Rheingau riesling (our fav region) for $7.99??!!� Bottled by Leonard Kreusch (not know for life-altering wines)??!!� Tonight, after a local high school football game (we only go for the bands!) we thought we'd give this a whirl (around midnight.)� At 10.5% alcohol, it's not a sweetie pie.� "Off-dry" would say it all.� I totally GET the Rheingau influences, but they're stomped upon by an overbearing APRICOT presence.� It ruins the whole thing!� It also has a touch of SOMETHING (sulphur, maybe?) that irks me.� Yes, yes, it's not bad at all for the super low price.� But I'd rather pay more and GET more.� Don't get me wrong - we'll buy it again and stick it in the cellar for a "change of pace" day.

Rating:� 7 out of 10

L. Guigal Cotes du Rhone BLANC 2003

robert

Oh fer Too

Last year a friend RAVED about Guigal's Cotes du Rhone.� I THINK it was their ROSE, but I figured we'd try their basic RED first.� Buzzzzz!� Not so�good.� OK, last week I was faced with a real poser.� In my two grubby hands:� the ROSE and the BLANC.� I choose BLANC.� On the internet, mixed reviews.� A few crooning about lush, exotic tropical fruits, pineapple and mango.� Most, not so much.� They mentioned:� LITTLE OR NO FLAVOUR.� We hereby decree that we experienced the later:� LITTLE OR NO FLAVOUR (heavy on the "NO!")�� Faint tropical fruit on the nose, but NONE on the palate!� This was a heavy,�oily thick white, that was very heavy on the alcohol, very hot.� It really tasted BAD.� We were disappointed - $12 down the drain (literally!)�� :(

Rating:� 4 out of 10

Cycles Gladiator 2005 Pinot Noir Central Coast

robert

IT'S H E R E...!

We're in such a pinot noir slump, it's not funny.� All of a sudden, we seem not to like the pinot (even ME!)� I thought it might be my burnt tongue (darn you, microwave sandwich!)�but it seems healed now. �Maybe it is stress?� Or sun spots?� Everything else tastes like it always has...merlot, chianti & cab = gooood.� Riesling and pinot grigio = mmmmmnnn!� I thought I would retrace my steps and go buy a pinot noir that seemed to be (surprisingly) great the last time we tried it - Kendall-Jackson (who woulda thought - not me!).� It paired BEAUTIFULLY with some fish recently.� I went to Wine Works last night and, low and behold, what's on the shelf, but Cycles Gladiator PINOT NOIR!� We really like their cab for the price (under ten bucks!)� Although the price on their pinot noir was $12.99, I thought it my be very tasty (since we like their other wines, and we used to LOVE Echelon pinot noir from California's CENTRAL COAST.)� Roast chicken tonight for dinner?� I'm all over it with this new Cycles Gladiator.� Although it paired very well with the chicken, by itself, NADA.� Even with the bird, it still had that overly cheap/light/sweet plum flavour that has been plaguing us the past few weeks (even with expensive pinots!)� This is really disturbing me!� Have we evolved away from pinot noir to strictly the taste of cabernet and merlot?� How very odd.� I'm only willing to try another pinot noir or two to find out.� More research coming soon...

Pros:� Paired well with the roast chicken.� Cute naked lady on the label (but you can't see�any "naughty" parts!)

Cons:� Rather "foggy" looking in the glass.� Another recent pinot noir failure.� �More expensive than Cycles Gladiator's other wines.� In our opinion, not worth the extra money.

Rating:� 7.5 out of 10

SIDE NOTE:

We LOVED our Metrokane Rabbit riesling glasses - our favourite!� So to surprise Marjorie, I ordered a set of 4 Metrokane Rabbit burgundy/pinor noir glasses.� They arrived today, just in time to try with the new Cycles Gladiators Pinot Noir.� MAN THEY ARE HUUUUGGGEE!� It is no lie when I say a whole bottle could easily fit in each glass (at least a litre!)� True, the large bowl size and up-turned lip allows for more�nose access, but it looks HONKIN' GIGANTIC!��Even though these are dishwasher safe, we'll probably use the Reidel's that have survived (3 are left!)��

Weber 2005 Riesling Rheinhessen

robert

Ho-Hum

I ran across this at a local Kroger store for $9 last weekend.� Since we were worn out and wanted some riesling, we didn't want to waste an expensive bottle.� The bottle is a bright cobalt blue.� I couldn't tell if the cork was real or fake!� Either a real good fake or an ultra smooth/dense authentic cork.� The wine itself is a charming colour of� light gold in the glass.� On the nose, it's beautiful floral notes.� On the palate it's strictly grapefruit (as�are so many "cheap" rieslings from Germany.)� Along for the ride are slight hints of peaches and pear juice (Delmonte.)� Yeah, it tastes light cheap riesling.� So what!� It's still warm out.� Marjorie made the comment that she likes white wine because even the cheap tasting ones are drinkable.� I agree to a point.� I've tasted some REAL NASTY chardonnays!� This is a tiny notch higher than the $2.99 stuff we had a few weeks ago.�

Rating:� 7.5 out of 10

Cycles Gladiator 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast (2)

robert

Consistant value, once again...

Paired perfectly with pot roast tonight, this is good hooch!� My original review is below.� It reflects our experience tonight�to�a "T."� The only difference is that Wine Works now charges $9.99 for this (they used to charge $6.99, then, $7.99 then $8.99!!!)� I can't blame them!� Marjorie really likes this as well.� Same rating as before!

�

20 Jun, 2006

Cycles Gladiator 2004 Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

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Have a sit and take a sip...

Last week I reviewed the astonishing Cycles Gladiator Syrah, which was surprisingly good for $7.� I ran out and got another bottle of the syrah (which I didn't quite enjoy as well as the first one with Dominos Pizza, but it is still good stuff) and a bottle of cab to try.� It's been an incredibly hectic week with construction, so we haven't connected much for meals.� Tonight we had steak burgers on whole wheat buns on the grill.� Sounds like a good excuse to pull the cab out!� Again I was amazed... bright red berry ala Central Coast (California) which is my favourite red wine region.� It's not as seriously complex as�some cabs I've tried, but it was soft and juicy with modest tannins (very nice for us, but it still paired quite well with the meat.)� I look forward to their new pinot noir 2005 when it arrives locally - should be a winner.

Pros:� Well-balanced, juicy, bright red fruit forward, modest tannins, super priced at $7!

Cons:� Could use a tad more complexity (but what do you expect for $7!)

Rating:� 8.75 out of 10

La Crema 2004 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

robert

AUTOMATIC...

With my recent "strange tastebuds" towards pinot noirs (possibly due to a BURNT TONGUE - microwave sandwich incident!) I wanted to try an old standby to see how the old 'buds were doing.� With chicken, I chose La Crema.� Beautiful beet red colour in the glass with long legs;�and plum greeted our greedy nostrils.� On the plalate, red berry joined with well-rounded spice.� PERFECTLY BALANCED, is the mantra here.� Although I do admit that it is not as incredible as usual (under the guise of my deformed taste buds,) it's mighty darned good.� It is truly interesting to me that this ALTERED sense of taste only seems to affect pinot noirs!� All other reds seem unaffected, as do all whites.� After an hour or so in the glass,�this 2004 opens up quite a bit, appearing sweeter, brighter red berry with more red licorice (or is it the alcohol affecting things.)� When asked her opinion, Marjorie stated that this was a�sophisticated pinot.� She didn't finish her glass, and we didn't finish the bottle (for once.)� Today, I would have to rate it a 9 out of 10 (down from the usual 9.5.)� Hopefully the pinot drought will end soon with my burned and mangled (pinot) taste buds!

Tomorrow, roast, with cabernet!�

Leitz Dragonstone 2004 Riesling Rheingau

robert

A retroactive THUMBS UP!

Yes, our teachers strike was settled and we were happily back at school with students once again!� The 5-day strike was very stressful, yet it was a positive bonding experience both with fellow teachers from the district as well as the wonderful support we felt from local businesses and�the community.� We celebrated the retroactive strike settlement and the incredible luck we had finding a king-sized headboard locally yesterday, by cracking open the screw top version of one of my favourite German rieslings:� Leitz Dragonstone.� Wow, from the first sip to the last drop in the bottle, this is indeed GOOOOOOOD stuff!� Everytime we open a bottle, we know it will be gone, QUICKLY.� It's on of our top 3 rieslings of all time, and the only CURRENT, readily available one!� It's also a rare occurrance, where there seems to be a bit of competition over who gets the last few drops from the bottle!� Maybe we should open TWO bottles, you say?� Perhaps, but then there would be TWO empty bottles!� Another vindicating rating of 9.5 out of 10!

Beringer Founders' Estate 2003 Shiraz (California)

robert

Jammy!

This was a "house warming" gift from my mother for the completion of the house addition (she brought it to our house warming party.)�� What a fruit-forward jammy red this is!� Even though it's not our cup of tea (remember that Marjorie isn't a fan of spice, and shiraz always comes to the table with copious black pepper spice!)� We had some East�of Chicago pizza for dinner tonight.� World-class crust!� Once again the peppery spice really screws with the spice from the pepperoni!� It's like a battle in your mouth!� Plain cheese pizza paired much better.� Even though this is PLENTY JAMMY, a nice chianti (like Ecco Domani) or a smooth, velvety merlot would work better, for sure.� This would be nice with tangy, sweet barbacue, uh-huh.� We'll use it for that in the future, and substitute chianti or merlot for the 'za�in the future.

Rating:� 7.5 out of 10

Charles de Fere Cuvee Jean-LouisBlanc de Blancs Brut (France) (2)

robert

Delightful, again!

Below is the original review of this wonderful sparkler (21 July 2006.) You need some bubbly when something special occurs in life. Our first go 'round was passing the FINAL inspection of our house addition this summer - a celebration INDEED. Last night, our teachers strike was settled at a last ditch effort (a 14 hour affair in our state capitol.) 5 days on the picket line are over - it was a very positive experience, but I'm glad it's over. Our efforts were rewarded and what a relief. Today we were back in our classrooms doing what we were meant to do: teaching students! After our teachers union ratified (members voted for) the negotiated contract, all the stress and bad feelings melted. Time for some champagne. I bought this French bubbly a few weeks ago (the last I could find of it) for $9.99 at Wine Works. Light, festive, delightful - words that we described it back in July - are quite applicable today. See the initial review below. DITTO! Wonderful stuff worthy of CELEBRATION! Same comments, same score. If you're lucky enough to find some, GRAB IT! It's a STEAL at ten bucks! :)

Light, tasty, lemony...

Even though we passed our FINAL construction inspection yesterday, we're just now getting around to celebrating. After two months of solid construction from sun-up to sun-down, we seemed to "let down" once the big PUSH was over. This elegant champagne from France (notice that the "c' in champagne is lower-case!) was worth the wait. We've never had a sparkler that was so refreshing and light. You gotta LOVE that lemon with a faint hint of toast in the background. For $9.99, this is a joy we'll repeat over and over. Although a bit drier than we prefer, I envision it paring well with fish. Lovely stuff for a bargain price. Viva la France (frawnce!)

Pros: Love the lemon, refreshing, light - how delightful! Super bargain!!!

Cons: I only bought one bottle...

Rating: 8.35 out of 10

Pepperwood Grove 2005 Pinot Noir California (2)

robert

Here we go again...

Yipes...two days...two different pinots...same result.� On 05 Jun, 2006 I tried this red and enjoyed the ride (especially for the price!)� This evening, NOT GOOD.� Very similar to the disappointment in Echelon 2004 pinot noir last night.� Pepperwood Grove was very light, clear, transparent strawberry colour in the glass.� On the nose and palate, 85% rubarb, 10% deep plum and 5% strawberry.� I'm not a fan of rubarb in my wine (not so bad in a strawberry/rubarb pie!)� This is congruant to the Echelon 2004 I tasted last evening, but lighter.� So what gives???� Is it a coincedence?� Or is it my senses?� Yes, we've been hitting the riesling and cabernet hard these days.� We'll have to try the AUTOMATIC pinot noir soon:� La Crema.� That will tell the tale...� Pepperwood Grove 2005=$7.

*Note:� It's been a LONG time since we tried this because the local wine shops carry this from, of all place, AUSTRALIA!� I came across this version from CALIFORNIA out of town, but it tastes like the inferior Australian version. I wish Don Sebastiani & Sons would make up their mind!

Rating:� 7.25 out of 10

Echelon 2004 Pinot Noir Central Coast (3)

robert

Something's Not Right...

A little background:� We have loved Echelon Pinot Noir in the past.� Last year we discovered the 2003 vintage.� Now that the 2003 vintage is gone, we've gone to the 2004 version (but we do have two bottles of 2003 in the cellar!)� The first time we tried the 2004, we absolutely LOVED it - the typical Central Coast bright red berry brigade is up front and in your face (with bing cherry and strawberry.)� We gave it a resounding 9.5!� Next time we tried it several months later, NOT SO GOOD.� I thought we were due for a good pinot, so I popped the cork tonight.� After letting the bottle breathe for about 45 minutes, NOT SO GOOD.� Deep, dark plum, competing with bright berry licorice, and SALT.� And the war doesn't turn out well.� It does end with�a classy spice finish.� That doesn't make up for the battle of the [taste] buds.� So, what is going on here with the 2004 vintage???� Are there bottling issues?� Are there transportation and/or storage problems?� Is it US?� Remember that I'M Echelon's biggest cheerleader.� Give me something to cheer about, or we'll abandon ship on the U.S.S. Echelon.� It's NOT undrinkable - it's just not half as wonderful as the 2003.� Let's hope the 2005 vintage is a flashback to the 2003.

Rating:� 7.5 out of 10 (a far cry from the 9.5 awarded last winter)

Avalon 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon California

robert

Specialization...

The folks at Avalon ony do one thing - Cabernet Sauvignon - and they do it well at a great price.� After finishing the house addition construction, then going straight to the beginning of a new school year (without rest) then straight into a teachers strike, I wanted to do some good wine with dinner tonight.� I had Avalon in mind, when Marjorie asked for Dominos Pizza.� Hey, after the stress of last week, I'm up for ANYTHING!� The wine was dark red - opaque - with a fruity, smokey, oaky nose.� Exactly the same greets the palate.� I was initially impressed with the purity of fruit.� But it didn't pair well with the pizza.�The oaky spice seemed to do battle with the pepperoni.� It seemed like a good idea at the time (the cab), but it shouldn't have been.� I had a Beringer Shiraz ready for pizza and was�out of chianti (remember that I am on strike - no pay,) but I thought this might appeal to Marjorie better.� Wrongo!� For $10.99, we'll try this again with a decent pairing (unspicy meat!)�

Pros:� PURE fruit, nice complexity, subtle vanilla, fantastic price!

Cons:� A bit too oaky (or was it the pairing with pepperoni?)

Rating:� 8.25 out of 10 (will try again witrh the CORRECT pairing!)

Dr L Loosen Bros 2003 Riesling Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

robert

Drop some acid, man!

Yipes!� What an acid wallop!� Not that there's anything WRONG with that.� With an alcohol level of 8.5%, I thought that this would be a sweety-pie.� It�IS a tad sweet, but the penetrating acidity balances quite well.� We tried this in our wine infancy - I don't remember much, but I remember thinking it super sweet, at the time.� It has the special class of a fine German Riesling, but is a tich aggressive, with a hint of sulphur.� It lacks the refinement of the very best of the German Rieslings, but is a really good wine.� It paired perfectly with natural salsa (mild) and organic blue corn chips.� Even though we've had better, this was a very welcome wine this evening!� $15 at Miami Valley Wine.

Rating:� 8.5 out of 10

DeLoach 2003 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

robert

De Plane, Boss!

First day of the school year (we are teachers!)� Hot rooms (we don't have air conditioning.)� After a summer of constant non-stop house construction, I decided that I will look for any excuse for a celebration from now on.� My summer vacation wasn't very vacation-like (although it will be worth it from now on.)� I picked up this pinot last month after reading a glowing report from Wine Enthusiast Magazine (gave their 2003 30th anniversary pinot noir a score in the low to mid 90's!)� I made baked dill salmon tonight. The DeLoach paired quite well with the fish, but it wasn't as�wonderful an experience as anticipated.� Many consider Russian River Valley pinot noir the pinnacle, but not me. I prefer pinot from Californias Central Coast.� It's a personal thing.� Right out of the bottle, there is a typical RRV demented cherry/sweet red licorice thing going on.� It doesn't float my boat and it's not my cup of tea.� Initially, black pepper spice joined in, but later (after about 45 minutes in the glass) the spice went AWOL.� It's not bad pinot - we've had MUCH worse - it's just not that GOOD (unbalanced and unfulfilling, in my humble opinion.)�� Not worth the $17 I paid for it (cross it off the list.)� BTW, it's nice to get back to a RED wine, after several days of white wines.� Nice for a change!

Rating:� 7.75 out of 10

Franz Reh 2004 Liebfraumilch & 2004 Piesporter Michelsberg (Germany)

robert

It's cheap German wine night!!!

I picked these cheapies up a ways back at Jungle Jim's for $2.99 a piece.� They're�German white wines from Franz Reh & Sohn.� These are NOT rieslings, although a good portion of them are probably riesling.� First up was the Liebfraumilch.� Liebfraumilch has a very bad reputation throughout the world - that's why I chilled the Piesporter down, too - just in case!� BUT, it wasn't bad at all.� VERY subtle and subdued - light grapefruit with just a hint of citrus.� A tad...classy, even?� A rating of 7.25.� Next up (since it was already chillin', y'know) was the Piesporter Michelsberg.� It was sweeter with a more pronounced flavour of red apples with a hint of grapefruit.��Again, not world class German white, but heck - at $2.99, these two were MUCH better than�expected!� Piesporter Michelsberg rates a 7.5 ot of 10.

Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc 2003 California

robert

The OYSTER AWARD Winner 2004!

We've tried some Barefoot wines in the past.� The price is definitely right (cheap) and they crow about all these wonderful awards each has won on the label.� But up until now, said wines have tasted, well, cheap.� I was in a mood for something different the other day, so I picked this up for $5 at the local wine store.� In our wine infancy, we tried all the highly rated Sauvs from New Zealand, but after a month or so of experimentation, we just decided that we JUST don't like Sauvignon Blancs.� So I decided to try one from California - and let's make it a cheapie in case it tanks!� This evening we had tilapia, so what a perfect opportunity to give this white a whirl.� It paired wonderfully with the fish - tart green apple with hints of lime and pear.� I didn't get ANY of the aromas of honeydew and nectarines, nor the SMOKY FINISH, which was promised on the label.� But I'll take the lime and green apple over what we tasted in the New Zealand sauvs.� The tart acidity worked well with the tilapia, and was VERY similar to a good, light, refreshing pinot grigio.� In fact, at this low price, we may just pretend it is a pinot grigio next time!� In all fairness, we may go back and try a New Zealand sauv, just to see if our memory was messed up or we have just evolved in our wine mojo.

Rating:� 8 out of 10

Villa Poggiolo Colli d'imola Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (Italy)

robert

So Undrinkable for SO Many Reasons...

I found this at a local wine shop Saturday for $3.99 and thought it very interesting:� Cab from Italy!� Cheap, too!� Well, Marjorie was away for dinner last night.� Roast beef?� A good excuse to�pop open�this Italian Cab.� First major problem:�� Fake cork (not that anything is wrong with THAT) but it was the first cork of any kind that I could NOT remove!� Yes!� It just wouldn't pull out!� I tried a waiters corkscrew, then one of those cheapie push down arm types.� Nada.� I finally was able to move it a bit with another waiters corkscrew at a severe angle.� All that effort!� Sheesh!� Well, it wasn't worth it.� It tasted like a bottle of CHEAP $3.99 wine, but had that earthy/dirty flavour that I find in a lot of Italian Chiantis.� A hint is fine, but this was a jolt.� It's been a long time since we've poured a whole bottle down the drain!� I guess we were due for a bad wine...

Strange P.S. - This morning, when I looked at the "cork," it seems to have magically "healed."� The top of the cork that was attacked so franitcally with 3 different corkscrews, looks unscathed - no marks whatsoever.� The bottom of the cork bears the large hole in the center from the "pull-down-lever" puller.�

Strange!

Weingut Franz Kunstler Rheingau 1999 Hochheimer Kirchenstuck Riesling Spatlese (Germany)

robert

Shpayt-leh-seh

Two world class wines in a row? The sign of the END TIMES or a bit of good karma after finishing the house construction. We found this Rheingau (Rhine region) Spatlese this afternoon and just had to try it tonight. We tend to avoid overly sweet rieslings, and at 7.5% alcohol, you KNOW it would be sweet (but an HONEST sweet - it is a Qualitatswein mit Pradikat wine - Germany's highest legal designation of quality - no added sugars and literally a "wine of distinction.") Being a 1999 vintage was a concern, too. We've purchased vintage wines that were 10 years old and have been brilliant wines. We've also bought 5 year old wines that had already turned to vinegar. Bleeeeechhht! We rolled the dice and bought a couple of bottles...and WON! This is special stuff! Truly a Rheingau riesling, it loads you up with beautiful, mellow honey, with hints of oranges and grapefruit. Ahhh! Yes, it's a bit sweeter than we're used to, but in this case, we'll imbibe! It's a heavier riesling than we usually drink (typically a kabinett, which is LESS sweet) but this stuff ROCKS. How do those crazy Germans do it???? Why can't American vintners do this? I'll report back with details of WHERE I purchased it and how much I paid after I stop by the wine shop for more (if any more is still AROUND!) Sorry: it's nothing personal...well, yes it is :) It was truly delightful with salsa and chips - striking the perfect balance between HOT/SPICY and sweetness.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10 - More German magic!

Well, I went back to the store (a local wine shop that sometimes get ahold of vintage wines by the case from estate sales) and there were 10 bottles left (out of the 6 cases that were there less than 24 hours ago!) 5 of the bottles showed signs of leakage, so I snapped up the remaining 5 "good" bottles at $6.99 a piece! This may be the find of a lifetime! Again, sorry for not disclosing the name of the shop - they WILL be getting more stuff in...can't jeapordize my "source." Go looking for your own places - you'll find them!

Schloss Vollrads 2002 Riesling - Rheingau (2)

robert

Near perfection, indeed!

The house addition IS complete!!!� Sure we have a few detail oriented things to do, but hey - MY CAR IS NOW IN THE GARAGE - the compound miter saw is out of the way for the first time in 3 months!� Woo Hoo!� This evening we had friends and family over for a house warming party.� After everyone left, we did what we promised to do.� No mere champagne...it's time to pull one of our four remaining bottles of 2002 Schloss Vollrads Riesling.� The last time we had this, our favourite wine of all times, was 04 March 2006,� Would it be as good as we remembered?� Since wine is a living organism, changing daily and a reflection of a synergy of wine-making, transportation, storage and plain old karma, we knew it would probably taste a bit different, especially since WE are ever-changing, too.� Yes, it was incredibly delightful.� Yes, it was life-altering.� The sublime interplay of phantom sweetness and spritzy acidity is mind-blowing.� This is CLASSY.� This is WONDERFUL.� This is...severly limited in availability.� :(� True, there are now only THREE more bottles left in the cellar.� We'll save them for other special occaisions.� The only white wine that approaches this level would be Leitz Dragonstone (also from the Rheingau,) which is readily available and decently priced around $16-18.�� It is a fantastic moment - the feeling of the house being done - and celebrating with SV2002.� Mind-blowing!� A moment to remember!

Rating:� 9.75 out of 10 (highest yet from us!)

Schloss Vollrads 2002 Qualitatswein

Mirassou 2005 Pinot Noir California

robert

Poser

It's the last day for work on the house addition (I'll touch up the baseboard paint tomorrow and do some caulking, but that's it!)� I finished the window trim, landscaping and some shopping today.� Very sore and tired (we were up past 1:30AM putting the shelving units in the walk-in closet.)� Marjorie said she would bring something home for dinner but she wasn't sure what.� I put the Mirassou Pinot Noir in the fridge to chill for about 1/2 hour just in case...� Marjorie brought home Taco Bell.� Taco Bell and pinot noir???� Actually the pairing was much better than expected, although the wine was not.� We tried the 2004 vintage in February and were very unimpressed.� This smells and tastes like either it was grossly mishandled in storage or transit to Target ($8.99) or the maker went cuckoo.� I can't even describe the nose.� Lots of alcohol and cherry cough drop (menthol.)� On the palate, wave after wave of very salty plum.� That's all.� Yes, after all our hard work, we deserved better!� Tomorrow night is our house-addition-warming party with cheap (Little Penguin) wines and sangria.� And I promised myself that when we were totally done, a rare treat from the cellar will see the light of day (and the bottom of our stomachs!)� I'm not sure we'll partake of it tomorrow night (mixed with cheap Aussie wine and sangria??) but possible Saturday or Sunday.� I can't wait.

Rating:� 6 out of 10 yuck!

Columbia Crest 2005 Riesling Columbia Valley (Washington State)

robert

Refreshment on the cheap

In our riesling infancy we tried this many moons ago.� It was "OK" then and it's "OK" now.� I get exactly 75% apricot and 10% pear (with 15% Delmonte fruit cup syrup!)� At $7.99, this is not bad stuff.� Yet it has no soul, like most German reisling.� It's much sweeter than it's 11.5% alcohol belies (not that there's anything wrong with that!)� Yes, it WOULD be refreshing to sip on the back porch (or in the hot tub) on a warm summer night.� It has no class, yet it is happy with who it is.�

Rating:� 7 out of 10�

Red Bicylette 2003 Syrah (France)

robert

As Easy As Riding A Bike

Told ya I'd try their Syrah!� I was "so-so" about their merlot.� Picked up their Syrah at Walmart for $10.99 (although later I discovered that Target sells it for $8.99!) to give it a spin.� Very bright red berry on the nose and palate with a smidgeon of licorice -� deep purple in the glass.� So where is the syrah spice?� Buried deep, my friend.� Barely there!� I had this with lasagna, and wished the spice would've shown up.� It's still good swill, but spice would be honest to the varietal and add some needed complexity.� But, a decently high rating goes to Red Bicylette for pure red fruit.� Their merlot was a poser, but this is good stuff (just not wonderful syrah!)� As all the baseboard is done in the new section of the house (except the large picture window) and the only thing left for me to do is FINISH THE WINDOW and some minor landscaping, I am�a happy camper!� Some very special celebration wines are within a day or three!

Rating:� 8.5 out of 10

Schmitt Sohne Liebfraumilch 2004 (Germany)

robert

Rheinhessen white...

$5 at Walmart.� It's German white wine - riesling?� Unsure. Marjorie wanted some riesling, but nothing expensive.� It tastes like mellow, watered-down German riesling.� Not offensive, mind you, but nothing outstanding or life-altering (like many OTHER German rieslings.)� I get ruby red grapefruit (watered-down) and not much else.� This would be a great intro to riesling for a white wine rookie.� And would be refreshing on a hot, humid summer evening on the porch or in the hot tub.� For $5, we'll have a bottle or two on hand.

Rating:� 7 out of 10

Kinkead Ridge 2005 Riesling Ohio River Valley

robert

Go Bucks!

OK, OK, don't ever say that I'm not a team player.� I saw this in the local wine shop a few days ago.� Marjorie sent me to get some riesling and I realized we've never tried local riesling.� Nice bottle design - only 147 cases vinted - 11% alcohol.� On the label:� "peach, honeysuckle and ripe pear notes precede a flinty finish."� Well, I got heavy flint and apricot notes...nothing else.� This is bizarro riesling:� almost totally crystal clear - with copious bubbles in the glass (not carbornated, mind you, but much bubbles clinging to the glass!)� Not the worst riesling I've ever tried (definitely one of the worst) but interesting in a "not that good" way.� For $12 I expected much more.� So much for Ripley, Ohio (known primarily for their tobacco warehouses.)

Rating:� 6.5 out of 10

Selbach 2003 Riesling Kabinett Piesporter Goldtropfchen

robert

Lemon-limey

Ahh... finally, a cool night.� It was wonderful soaking in the hot tub sipping German Riesling with a cool breeze blowing.� I found this the other day at Wine Works for $12 and thought we'd give it a try.� I've never seen Selbach from the Piesporter Goldtropfchen region of Germany before.� It was nicely balanced with nice, brisk acidity counteracting the ample sweetness (although not quite as sweet as I anticipated in a 9.5% German Riesling - but maybe the acidity took care of that...)� Honey? Yes.� Citrus?� Well, not your normal take on citrus.� We really enjoy�the orange/orange peel and tangerine characteristics of the Rheingau's Rieslings.� This Selbach broadcasted heavy lemon and lime -�crossing the line into TOO MUCH for our tastes.� Is it BAD?� No, not at all.� 'Tis good stuff, indeed.� For $12, there are many others we prefer.� But we'll buy another bottle or two for future use.

Ratings:

Robert - 8 out of 10

Marjorie - 7 out of 10

Red Bicyclette 2003 Merlot (France)

robert

You never forget how to drink a Red Bicyclette...

First impression (before a meal) was bright, juicy fruit.� Impressive for $11.� With Dominos Pizza, not such a good pairing.� We've had good luck with lush, velvety, complex�California merlots with pizza lately.� This is a different beast.� It definitely didn't stand up to spicy pepperoni, but might be a better bet by itself.� I remember it having a distinctly different nose than palate (much better nose than palate) but 3+ hours later, I honestly can't recall (must start writing these things down!)� I got all the new door trim up (9 sets) today so I'm a bit foggy.� Marjorie, by the way, really liked this merlot.� For me, it's not comparable what I look for in a nice California merlot, but not bad considering it is inexpensive and available at Walmart!� They also have this in a Syrah.� A definite MUST TRY next time.

Rating:� 8 out of 10 (me) - probably an even higher rating from Marjorie.

Hangtime 2004 Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley (CA)

robert

115 Days...

Roast chicken for dinner.� You KNOW pinot noir is on the job. I found this last week at Miami Valley Wine.� I could swear I had this before. No reviews here, though.� Maybe it was before we started posting our findings.� Anyway, first impressions...vivid black cherry and plum (with hints of red licorice.)� Slightly salty.� Maybe because the vineyard keeps the grapes on-vine longer than most.� I'm likin' it, but it's missing some spice to balance out the sweet, red fruit.� I figure Marjorie will LOVE this (plum and little spice) but it achieves a "ho-hum" on her wine-o-meter.� She must've had a stressful day at work.� $16.00.

Pros:� Vividly bright red fruit and plum, decent complexity (but need more OAK), BEAUTIFUL ruby red colour�in the glass, very classy label.

Cons:� Needs spice to BALANCE, a tad expensive for this quality level.

Rating:� 8.75 out of 10

Beaulieu Vineyard BV Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

robert

BV to the Rescue!

Wine Enthusiast Magazine rated this cab�extremely high in the September 2006 edition. I realized that we have never tried their cabernet sauvignon (only their pinot�noir which we�thought was "so-so".)� I came across it at Wine Works today for $15.99, so home it went.� Homemade steak fajitas begged for a cab, so you know what we paired it with, eh?� Yep. BV Napa Valley.� And what a fine, complex cab it is!� I got copious blueberry and blackbery big time, with hints of mint and chocolate.� It paired admirably with the steak fajitas, and I really enjoyed the unique complexity. Even though there is only a hint of oaky spice, Majorie didn't care much for this cab.� Her loss.� Tasty stuff (I drank 3/4 of a bottle, a rarity!)

Pros:� Mnnn...complex black fruit!

Cons: Moderate tannins (would be good to cellar for a year or two or decant), alcohol nose flavour�creeping through at times.

Rating: 8.75 out of 10

Clos Du Bois 2002 Merlot Sonoma County (2)

robert

Classy but...

Lasagna means merlot.� Time to revisit Clos Du Bois 2002.� 2001 was notable for the heavy chocolate hints (Yum!)� Not much chocolate in 2002, but it's still tasty.� Lots of plum in this bright garnet merlot.� I also found mild hints of mint, licorice, mocha and oak.� It paired just fine with the lasagna with meat sause, but didn't seem as special as previous tastings.� Could be storage issues (Sam's Club) or vintner issues.� This was nice, but we'd like more juicy fruit - wouldn't you?� $16.

Rating:� 8 out of 10

The Jibe 2004 Marlborough Pinot Noir (New Zealand)

robert

Duck!!!!!!!!!

I found this new pinot at Sam's Club last week.� Since I completely finished the laminate flooring today (YEAH!) I thought I'd treat myself to something NEW.� "The Jibe" refers to the shifting of sails from one side of the boat to another while sailing (to turn) and this pinot threw me quite the curve.� The bottle is simply beautiful and classy:� the front label is in the shape of a sail.� The wine itself is a very plummy red - quite clear and transparent.� I've never seen anything like it before.� On the nose, sweet red fruit and something I can't quite identify (possibly some exotic New Zealand fruit, perhaps.)� On the�palate, ditto, only double the amount of the mystery flavour, along with a strong hint of alcohol.� After an hour in the glass, the alcohol flavour gradually subsided, leaving more sweet mystery fruit and red licorice.� Another internet reviewer found that flavour to be raspberry.� I get a hint of that, but there's MORE.� Not a complex pinot noir, it is quite youthful.� Interesting, but nothing I'd ever buy again.� Way cool bottle, though!�� $12.� Screw cap (of course.)

Rating:� 7 out of 10

Kloster Eberbach 2003 Steinberger Riesling Kabinett (Rheingau, Germany)

robert

Hessische Staatswienguter!

A couple of days ago, I found this at Arrow Wine, I immediately remembered the 1997 vintage that I found earlier this year.� It was reviewed on 27 Apr, 2006.� We were impressed by its wonderfully intense honey & citrus and stealthy sweetness.� This bottle was $22, so I hoped it would be close.� It was close, but not as good as we dreamed.� The honey and citrus showed up all right, but both were very mild.� The 1997 bottle was 8.5% alcohol while this 2003 vintage is 10.5%.� That explains the difference.� Typically, the lower the alcohol content, the sweeter the riesling.�The higher the alcohol, the drier it is.� That's why this 2003 was much more subtle (as is typical of Kabinett rieslings.)� It is also a Qualitatswein mit Pradikat wine which means no supplemental sugars can be added, per German law ("gee, honest, officer - I didn't know it was illegal to add table sugar to my wine!")� All in all, this was darn good stuff.� I gave the 1997 vintage a�9 back in April.� In hindsight, I should've given it a 9.5.� Alas, there are no more bottles of the 1997 to sample and compare (unless you'd like to send me one from your cellar!)�� Life is guud in the Rheingau!

Pros:� Subtle honey and citrus, very light and classy stuff, can be purchased at a local wine shop!

Cons:� A bit TOO subtle, occasionally a bit of bitterness and/or alcohol flavour creeps in, expensive.

Rating:� 8.75 out of 10

SketchBook 2005 Pinot Noir Menocino County

robert

Rhubarb?

I found this pinot noir yesterday at Arrow Wine.� In front of the display was a sign that said this was top notch hooch, very smooth and mild, and that it was so good, it would be gone soon.� Considering it cost $15, I thought I'd give it a try (thinking mainly of Marjorie.)� Tonight we had baked spaghetti with meat.� Marjorie asked for a pinot noir, and the rest is history.� True, it is extremely mild and smooth - too mild and too smooth.� No spice here whatsoever.� I'm not a big fan of plum in pinot noir (I prefer the bright red fruit and strawberry) but I sure missed it here.� I got lightweight strawberry and, and, and, rhubarb (yes, rhubarb.)� Very one dimensional.� We'll spend our $15 elsewhere next time - no more SketchBook.� And yes, shame on me for believing a hand-written sign in a wine store!

Pros:� Nice label on the bottle.

Cons:� Unbalanced, too much "high frequency", rhubarb???!

Rating:� 7 out of 10

Leitz Dragonstone 2004 Riesling (Rheingau, Germany)

robert

A+ (as usual!)

Wow!� This is about the 6th bottle of this wonderful Rheingau Riesling for us, and it never fails to change us for the better.� Sweet, yes, but balanced perfectly with beautiful acidity and tartness.� I detected a bit more green apple this evening, but I was drinking it with spicy salsa�and organic blue corn chips.� It is our favourite white wine (possibly favourite WINE, period) that is readily available.� When we get the entire house addition done (EVERYTHING!) we will pop open one of the four bottles of our beloved 2002 Schloss Vollrads Riesling to compare with the Leitz.� May the best riesling win (actually, WE will win, no matter what!)

Rating:� 9.5 out of 10

Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2003 (2)

robert

Deja Vu!

We had this wonderful cab with hamburgers on the grill.� Went great except for the pickles and catsup (vinegar is a big wine no no!)� I was impressed by its fresh bright fruit-forward jamminess (if I can use such an adjective!)�and mild-mannered spice and tannins.� I thought this was the first time we've tried this cab, but alas, we had it on 08 May, 2006 and found the exact same nice characteristics - we gave it an 8 out of 10 back in then.� Very pleasant stuff, but I wonder if it would stand up to a steak?� $15 from Sam's Club.� ...Oh yes - day 6 of the heat wave.� Really a bummer for landscaping in 115F heat index. Quite sweaty, indeed!� :)

Rating:� 8.25 out of 10

Unrelated...

By the way, I went back in time and read some comments left on the blog (comments have been disabled only because hackers were leaving cryptic spam in the blog.)� I was shocked that people seem to read my blog all over the world.� Imagine that!� I never thought anyone would actually READ my drivel!� I appreciate the nice comments - just remember that I'm no expert (but it seems that folks like that.)� Since comments have been deactivated, if you ever want to leave comments or messages to me, you can use my email address:� robert �miller� photography�� at�� gmail�� dot�� com (remove all spaces and end with ".com")�� Thanks again!

Bogle 2004 Merlot (California)

robert

Bargain Merlot is decent

I worked on laminate flooring last night until 3AM.� A few more planks and I'll be done.� Unfortunately, my tapping block and pull bar got destroyed on the last few planks, so I need to replenish at Lowes. �It was so hot today (heat wave - danger Will Robinson) that I installed the transition strips, installed a new outdoor light for the new patio/hot tub area and filled in a couple of chipped places on the laminate flooring.� I'll do more landscaping and go to Lowes tomorrow early before it gets above 105F or so heat index.

Oh, yeah, wine!� This $6.99 merlot was not bad.� Bright fruit forward, plenty of oaky vanilla (but not spicy - Marjorie really appreciated THAT), but not a world class wine.� Will we buy more?� Sure!� Decent cheap wine :)

Rating:� 7.75 out of 10

Ecco Domani 2002 Merlot (Italy)

robert

Ciao, Spyro!

It's been a VERY long time since we had some Ecco Domani Merlot.� With our current heat�advisory (high heat and humidity) I decided to do dinner for Marjorie, so Dominos Pizza it was.� I find Ecco Domani Chianti delightful and their Pinot Grigio refreshing.� But I couldn't recall how their merlot rated (I remember it was good.)� Well, it was suspiciously similar to their chianti - very bright juicy fruit forward, with high acidity.� Wonderful with the pizza!� Not much like a typical "California-type" merlot, but hey, it's Italian!� No oak or spice (but Marjorie still didn't like it!)� Good stuff!� $10.

I forgot to mention that we saw Spyro Gyra live last Saturday night at Springfield's Veterans Ampitheater.� I won VIP seating from SmoothJazz 106.5,� Perhaps a little bit of good karma for all the stress during the construction!� Fantastic show!�

Rating (8 out of 10) Wine!

Rating (10 out of 10) Spyro Gyra live!

Irony 2003 Pinot Noir (California) (3)

robert

Cool!

It is truly incredible.� Three bottles of Irony pinot noir spread out over 6 months.��3 completely different takes on a single vintage of wine purchased at the same wine store, stored exactly the same.� That's the magic of wine, my friend.� It's alive - constantly changing - growing - evolving.� And so are we - and YOU!�� We've been away from you for several days now.� The house addition has taken its usual chunk of time from our days, but things are really drawing to a close.� 90% of the laminate flooring is down.� I need some help with some fancy cuts & though doorways, etc., so I'll look for a contractor who will only do 14 square yards or less.� Then it's baseboard and window/door�trim, then we'll be done.� D-O-N-E.� The past few days have been slower paced.� The new king bed arrived last week, as did the hot tub.� We've really enjoyed the bed, but it's been so hot and humid, we've only been in the hot tub once.� It was�very nice - like having a vacation�in our�own back yard - but, um, HOT.� I think we need to try it in the morning until things cool off.� But�we have a heat wave going on right now.� 97F for the next few days with uber high humidity.� Today I did some more landscaping.� Ouch. �I went though 4 shirts today!!!� Oh, what about the WINE, you might ask.� Somewhere between the first and the second trial.� Not bad, but nowhere near my favourite.� Marjorie didn't like it because of the oaky spice.� We've been so busy (and thrifty) this summer, our wine cellar is sorely lacking.� I hope to restock soon with some of our favourite wines - taking less of a chance on the unknowns (the unknowns are fun and sometimes wonderful, but most of the time they are bust.)� Later...

Rating:� 8 out of 10.�

Castle Rock 2005 Monterey County Pinot Noir

robert

Nada...

We really enjoyed the 2004 vintage of Castle Rock pinot noir from the Sonoma Coast back on 22 Apr, 2006. But this Monterey County is vastly different. We loved the Sonoma Coast's raisiny foundation, and we can detect a HINT of that in the Monterey County appellation. Unfortunately, it is lost in a mish mash of blah. Like the Sonoma Coast bottle, this had little-if-no spice whatsoever. We'll have to try another bottle of the Sonoma Coast appellation again to be sure of the differences, but we're through with this Monterey County! On the brighter side, the new king size bed came yesterday (7/26/06 - the website was down last night when I went to post this review) and the hot tub arrived today (7/26/06.) We moved into the bedroom yesterday and we'll be able to try out the hot tub tomorrow night (7/27/06 - sorry for the date changes!)

Rating: 7 out of 10

Echelon 2003 Central Coast Pinot Noir (2)

robert

Simply the best!

After a wonderful meal with La Crema yesterday, I thought it smart to compare that with our fav pinot noir, Echelon.� There are many similarities - nose and flavour are close, but Echelon has a tich more bright red berry and a tad less spice:� perfect balance!� It paired perfectly with apple-braised pork chops - mmmn, mmmn good!� Of course, with less spice, Marjorie liked this red a lot!� After getting half the laminate floring down in the new bedroom, I deserved some Echelon!!!!� And what a sexy colour in the riedel glasses!!!� $14.

Pros:� Duh!

Cons:� Duh!

Rating:� 9.5 out of 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

La Crema 2003 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (2)

robert

Perfectly blanaced!

It's been a while since we had some La Crema pinot noir.� Even though the doors were installed in our house addition today, I am dreading installing the laminate flooring.� It's very strange - usually I will study up on a task then jump right in big time.� The last few jobs have been very emotionally draining and very stressful.� The other night when I put�the linoleum in the new bathroom, I stressed over it and was full of fear even though I've done that many times.� Same thing with the laminate flooring.� I'm sure�it will turn out well, but I'm stressing and fretting over it.� Some contractor friends told me it happens to them too when they are dead tired.� And it's been a VERY long 2 months of non-stop construction.� This will be the final HARD THING to be done.� So, tonight, after putting in the doors, we painted said doors and another coat of ceiling paint.� The menu was to be grilled pork chops.� But they didn't defrost in time, and we were so worn out from work that Marjorie just ran out for Subway sandwiches.� I had already put the La Crema in the fridge to chill a bit and was too tired to take it out.� I had La Crema Pinot Noir with a turkey breast sub on whole wheat bread.� It didn't pair too poorly!� I just LOVE La Crema.� It's the pinnacle of BALANCE for me.� Semi-bright red fruit balanced with plum.� Semi-sweetness balanced with ample spice.� It's plain-old DEPENDABLE!� Marjorie didn't like it with her salad - didn't care for the SPICE (of course!)� :)�� In one word:� it is YUMMY!

Pros:� C'mon!!!!

Cons:� None!

Rating:� 9 out of 10!!!!!!!!

Erbacher Honigberg 2004 Riesling - Rheingau (Germany)

robert

"POSER" ALERT

Every time I go to Wine Works, I see this riesling.� I've never bitten until now.� Yes, we LOVE riesling from the Rheingau region of Germany.� Leitz Dragonstone and Schloss Vollrads makes the life-altering white stuff.� But this Erbacher Honigberg kinda gave me the willies.� Yes, it's from the Rheingau.� But it's cheap (under $10.)� Yes, they chip in some extra BONUS sauce (1 liter bottle vs. the normal 750ML.)� When I peeled back the foil, I discovered a SCREW TOP LID.� From the Rheingau?� I found two reviews of this on the internet and they were both glowing.� But I was having my doubts now.� In the glass, it looks very light, nearly clear.� On the nose, citrusy tart.� On the palate, it is very light.� The tartness puckers your mouth, with just a tiny hint of Rheingau citrus sitting in the background.� It's like if you disolved a SWEET TART^TM in water and added a single drop of orange juice.� It's NOT BAD, yet it's not really very good.� We'd much rather pay a few more�bucks and get some LIFE-ALTERING riesling from the Rheingau.

Pros:� Cheap - extra bonus-sized bottle, not bad tasting

Cons:� Not good, too tart, very dry for a riesling w/10% alcohol

Rating:� 7 out of 10

Charles de Fere Cuvee Jean-LouisBlanc de Blancs Brut (France)

robert

Light, tasty, lemony...

Even though we passed our FINAL construction inspection yesterday, we're just now getting around to celebrating.� After two months of solid construction from sun-up to sun-down, we seemed to "let down" once the big PUSH was over.� This elegant champagne from France (notice that the "c' in champagne is lower-case!) was worth the wait.� We've never had a sparkler that was so refreshing and light.� You gotta LOVE that lemon with a faint hint of toast�in the background.� For $9.99, this is a joy we'll repeat over and over.��Although a bit drier than we�prefer, I envision it paring well with fish.� Lovely stuff for a bargain price.� Viva la France�(frawnce!)

Pros:� Love the lemon, refreshing, light - how delightful!� Super bargain!!!

Cons:� I only bought one bottle...

Rating:� 8.35 out of 10�

Belle Vallee Cellars 2005 Willamette Valley Whole Cluster Pinot Noir

robert

100% whole cluster BAD!

When I found this recently at Wine Works, it sounded real interesting - whole cluster (unfiltered) pinot.� Well I was WRONG.� This is terrible stuff.� Undrinkable even.� A waste of $15.� Yuck!� Really.� We typically enjoy pinot from the Willamette Valley of Oregon, but this is absolutely terrible!� Could it be a badly corked bottle?� Nope:� hence the Willamette trademark SCREW CAP.� Yep, that's right:� They MEANT for it to taste like this.� Glug, glug, glug (the sound of a nearly full bottle of wine being poured down the drain!)

Rating:� 1 out of 10

BLEEEEEECCCHHH!!!!!

Francis Coppola Diamond Series Blue Label Merlot 2003

robert

One year makes a ton of difference!

A few weeks ago, I had some of the 2002 vintage of this merlot with Dominos pizza and was BLOWN AWAY by the blueberry, vanilla and "fresh" taste.� I couldn't wait for a chance to try it again, and to let Marjorie (who prefers merlots) try it.� Well, today we passed our FINAL final inspection and we're worn out.� Sounds like a good excuse for carry-out pizza.� I found some Coppola merlot 2003 at a local Meijers store a few days ago - GAME ON!� I caught a vague portion of the 2002 (mainly blueberry) but mainly it was about 85% spicy OAK crashing the party.� I don't know if it was by design (the 2003) or a storage or handling problem at Meijers, but this was NOT the same stuff I gave a rating of 9 to a few weeks ago.� Next time we go to Sam's Club, I'll try THEIR bottle and see if it truly WAS the vintage or not.� We're too pooped to celebrate with champagne tonight. I have a French champagne (new to us)�to try. Have been saving it for passing the final inspection for our house addition.� Maybe tomorrow?� $18.

Rating:� 7�out of 10�

On a related subject:� Yesterday we passed our final PLUMBING inspection (thanks Mark!)� We celebrated with a bottle of 2003 Schloss Vollrads Rheingau Riesling Kabinett that I bought at Miami Valley Wine.� I have been deeply disappointed with the bottles we purchased from Wine Works (purchased at an estate sale.)� The typical Rheingau life-altering riesling had a very bitter taste and a nasty finish.� My theory was that it was stored or shipped improperly (what a waste!)� Well, the bottle I bought at Miami Valley Wine (coddled and spoiled ) was indeed GOOD.� Not as good as the 2002, but without the bitter/chemical aftertaste.� We enjoyed it with our typical blue chips and salsa.� Life IS good.� $18.

Rating:� 8.5 out of 10

Cycles Gladiator Central Coast 2004 Merlot

robert

Naked woman holds onto a flying bike...

..and that's just the beginning (on the label.)� We passed our final electrical inspection and the HVAC inspection�(heating/air conditioning - for our ducts) so only one more to go tomorrow - THE FINAL inspection.� After a night of final wiring and fixture installation last night, I leveled the floor (where the existing hard wood floor meets the new slab - about 1/4" to 1/2" difference) and put down linoleum in the new master bathroom.� We had Papa John's pizza for dinner (against my wishes!) so I pulled out this Cycles Gladiator merlot ($8.99.)� I really enjoyed their Cab and Syrah, but am not a huge merlot lover (although I really love Coppola's merlot with pizza.)� I thought this Cycles Gladiator merlot finally tasted like a $8.99 wine (I think their cabernet and syrah tasted like a wine twice their price+!)� I enjoyed the typical central coast (California) bright red fruit, but this merlot tasted rough and ragged.� A bit too oaky/spicy with excessive tannins.� Marjorie seemed to enjoy it more than I.� Maybe further research is necessary!

Until tomorrow...

Ratings-

�� Marjorie:� 8 out of 10

�� Robert:� 7 out of 10

Kendall-Jackson Pinot Noir California 2003

robert

More plummy pinot

Matthew made orange roughy with aspargus, so pinot noir it was.� I wanted to pull one of our favorites out of the cellar, but an evening of painting primer on all walls and ceilings made we grab a bottle of Kendall-Jackson the we've overlooked.� I'm pretty buzzed on paint fumes at the moment, so I'll just say a few short things about this wine.� Mucho plum with hints of black cherry and moderate (oaky) spice.� I was hoping for some bright red fruit (maybe some strawberry) but PLUM it was.� Marjorie dug the plum, but not the spice.� I hope some day she discovers the balance of a fine pinot noir.� Spice happens.� Anyway, the Kendall-Jackson 2003 was better than I anticipated.� It paired well with the fish, although the whole grain rice served with it stole a bit of its thunder.� All in all, I'd welcome this wine back again, although for the same price, there are many BETTER pinot noirs out there.

Rating:� 8 out of 10

This should be our final week of construction.� Look for some celebrations coming soon!

Columbia Winery 2005 Cellarmaster's Riesling - Columbia Valley

robert

Bravo USA!

Yes, it's been more than a week since my last post. We've been extremely busy with the house addition - very stressful - but things are finally winding down. We've had many a wine in the past week and a half - some new; some old friends. As the past few weeks have been a blur, I can't recall the wine we've guzzled. Tonight, we revisited one of the very first Rieslings we thought we liked. And it turns out we were quite accurate. This is good stuff - best domestic US Riesling we've had - Thanks to the Columbia Vallery of Washington State. In the glass we found deep amber. On the nose and the palate: honey, pear and apricot. And a very good balance between the sweetness and acidity. As we are used to fine German Rieslings, the apricot (a characteristic of American Rieslings, in our experience) was a different, yet not a welcome visitor. But this was quite good. Marjorie drank TWO glasses, and we drained a whole bottle (it's been a while since we did that!) It was delightful on its own, as an aperitif, but wasn't as successful with salsa and blue corn chips as its German brethren. $10 at Miami Valley Wine & Spirits.

The best domestic Riesling we've experienced!

Rating: 8.75 out of 10

A to Z 2003 Oregon Claret

robert

Long time, no report!

Wow, it's been a few days since our last post.� We've had some decent wines, but with all the construction (sun up 'til sun down) I've been too pooped to type.� The past two days solid, we've put in the new porch/hot tub area.� Tons of digging, moving pavers, gravel and sand all over the place and I'm sore from head to toe.� Two nights ago, we had A to Z Claret with steaks on the grill.� It was our first Claret, which is a mixture of several different reds, heavy on the cab.� It paired perfectly with the steaks.� I don't recall much (due to the physical labour, not the wine quality) but do recall the nose and taste was quite unique - sweet and fruity with just a smattering of tannins.� I remember that I liked it (Marjorie didn't care for it.)�� On sale for $10, I'd like to try it again under better circumstances.

Can't remember details...

Rating:� 8.5 out of 10

Meridian 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon California

robert

Life can be complicated - Wine doesn't have to (from label)

Last minute switch to spaghetti. What to drink? Nothing that would be a perfect fit. Let's try a cheap ($10) Cab. This Meridian worked quite well paired with the spaghetti. Bright berry and vanilla on the nose. Lots of oak and berry, and very modest tannins on the palate. Tastes a bit "cheap" but not bad. I think Marjorie liked it. Tomorrow the whole exterior should be done (just lacking one strip of siding and the shutters) so watch for some champagne!

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Francis Coppola Diamond Series Blue Label Merlot 2002

robert

Great job, Francis. Print it!

Marjorie is out of town today, so after a day of house construction, I get a pizza from Dominos. Which wine to drink with it? I select Coppola Merlot 2002. And it is good. Incredible blueberry and vanilla on the nose with the same teasing the palate. I'm not a huge fan of merlot, preferring pinot noirs, but I'm now a big fan of this! The combination of blueberry, vanilla and that wonderful hint of "freshness" joins with a complexity that screams "this is good wine" (be sure to cover your ears!.) Despite a moderate tannin presence (that pairs beautifully with the pizza) and a hint of spiciness, I think Marjorie would like this a lot. I'll try THIS again! $16 at Sam's Club.

Pros: Blueberry & vanilla with a hint of oak - mmmm! Overwhelming FRESHNESS and complexity! I likee!

Cons: A bit pricy but worth it.

Rating: 9 out of 10 Yum!

Heron 2004 Pinot Noir (France/California)

robert

Bonjour, mon ami!

I found this pinot noir while browsing at Miami Valley Wine. The price was right at $10.99 and I was ready for a new pinot to try. They had it in with the California pinots, but I noticed on the back label that it says PRODUCT OF FRANCE, Imported, cellared & bottled by Heron Wines, American Canyon, California. How cool. How burgundian! Very different stuff. It's BEET red in colour, with short legs. The nose is quite unique. All together, here is my initial reaction: Sweet, rich, hints of REAL vanilla. Complex, but in a GOOD way! Not much typical pinot noir spice (mainly black pepper) but more a subtle vanilla "oak." Very nice - very French! A definite TRY AGAIN! Paired very well with grilled herb salmon (bravo Evelyn and Marjorie!)

Pros: Read all above - great price - unique and special. Different!

Cons: Nada.

Rating: 8.75 out of 10

Leitz 2004 Dragonstone Riesling (Rheingau)

robert

THAT'S more like it!

After a disappointment with the Schloss Vollrads 2003, we brought out one of our current favourites - Leitz Dragonstone 2004. Mmmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnn! Sweet, honeyed white fruit. Delicious with chips (our standard organic BLUE chips this time!) and salsa. Simply life-altering! End of review. Rating: 9.5 out of 10!

Irony Pinot Noir 2003 & Schloss Vollrads 2003 Kabinett Riesling

robert

Revisiting Some Old Friends

It's been a busy past few days, so we revisited some wines we've liked before. After the sheeting was done and the French doors installed, we celebrated with Irony Pinot Noir 2003 (Monteray County, California.) It was very different than I recall. I didn't get that SMOKEY aspect, but got a well-balanced pinot noir - red berry and spice. Good stuff. 8.5 out of 10 this time.

Later we had some Schloss Vollrads 2003 Kabinett Riesling (Rheingau region of Germany) with some new Doritos multigrain tortilla chips and salsa (the chips taste like FRITOS! Boo!!!) This was one of the bottles that I found at Wine Works where they bought some estate wine. It was decent riesling, but something tasted "OFF." Maybe it wasn't stored correctly (at the estate, that is!) It was disappointing. But, we have a few bottles of 2003 bought from Miami Valley spirits that is the current vintage for sale. We'll be sure to try one of THIOSE bottles soon. Rating: 7.5 out of 10. :(

Clos Du Bois 2001 Merlot Sonoma County

robert

Classy Merlot

I have very fond memories of a fine bottle of Clos Du Bois 2002 Merlot from a long time ago. I remember glorious red berry, smooth and silky, and the chocolate...Mmmmmmm!!!!! That was before we started the blog. So when Marjorie made her famous Italian lasagna :) I grabbed the Clos Du Bois 2001 that I've been saving. The wonderful red berry, smoothness and CLASSY nose and palate came back to me quickly. I didn't catch any chocolate hints, though. Maybe it was all the drywall I yanked off of walls today (gypsum doesn't taste good.) Maybe ALL my muscles were screaming from the past few days (loading and unloading trucks full of paver stones and gravel in 95 degree sun and high humidity, and tearing down drywall all day today) including my TONGUE. Marjorie enjoyed it as well - said to rate it a 8.9 - and caught dark chocolate hints (I was quite jealous!) It was an absolutely PERFECT pairing with lasagna. This is what merlot should be! $16 at Sam's Club. We'll reload when we pay off the room addition!

Pros: Wonderful red berry, smooth with perfect complexity, perfect pairing with lasagna.

Cons: Not as good as the 2002 vintage (which is NOT a problem), I need my chocolate!

Rating: 8.95 out of 10

J. Lohr 2003 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

robert

Another good cab!

The contractors were just about to finish getting the new room addition under roof when a bad storm blew in from the west. I was disappointed, not because the next phase of the project isn't complete, but I was due for Round Four in the battle of the cherry tree stump. I do believe that the Yoshino cherry tree is exacting its revenge on me for cutting it down (ala George Washington.) I worked on indoor projects. Well, tonight we had meatloaf, so I stretched a bit (okay A LOT) and brought out this bottle of cab we've had for some time. The colour was gorgeous - transparent ruby red. it glowed in the glasses. On the nose, I got bright red berries with a pretty good whiff of alcohol (never a good thing.) On the palate, juicy, bright red berry. Medium-bodied - smooth and silky for a cab; quite pleasant, with medium soft tannins. Occaisionally, the alcohol thing crept in, otherwise the rating would be higher. Yes, it WAS mis-paired with Copey's meatloaf, but I had to try. Marjorie didn't like this wine - perhaps because she slathered her meatload with horseraddish. Said the wine made her throat burn. THE WINE??? A nice cab, $14 at Sam's Club.

Pros: Beauty of a colour! Smooth and silky, a step up in "class" for $14, juicy red berry.

Cons: Alcohol flavour really gets in the way at times. I HATE THAT TREE STUMP!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Meridian 2005 Pinot Noir Central Coast

robert

What's wit' dis?

We reviewed the 2004 vintage of this pinot 19 Apr, 2006, giving it good marks for its Cental Coast characteristic bright red berry flavours. Tonight we were were exhausted and sunburned from working on the house project. I thought we deserved some really good wine, but at the last second, decided to try this bottle, claiming that we're too far gone to waste a bottle of the "good stuff." But I didn't expect this. Maybe my taste buds are shot, too, but this wasn't enjoyable at all for me. Plum, plum, plum, big time. No bright berry, no spice. What a disappointment! Tomorrow is another grueling day, but I hereby decree that we will drink well tomorrow! BTW, Marjorie liked this...Wha????

Pros: none for me.

Cons: One dimensional, all plum - no bright red berry, what happened to the 2005 vintage????

Rating: 6 out of 10 (the 2004 received a 7.75!)

Cycles Gladiator 2004 Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

robert

Have a sit and take a sip...

Last week I reviewed the astonishing Cycles Gladiator Syrah, which was surprisingly good for $7. I ran out and got another bottle of the syrah (which I didn't quite enjoy as well as the first one with Dominos Pizza, but it is still good stuff) and a bottle of cab to try. It's been an incredibly hectic week with construction, so we haven't connected much for meals. Tonight we had steak burgers on whole wheat buns on the grill. Sounds like a good excuse to pull the cab out! Again I was amazed... bright red berry ala Central Coast (California) which is my favourite red wine region. It's not as seriously complex as some cabs I've tried, but it was soft and juicy with modest tannins (very nice for us, but it still paired quite well with the meat.) I look forward to their new pinot noir 2005 when it arrives locally - should be a winner.

Pros: Well-balanced, juicy, bright red fruit forward, modest tannins, super priced at $7!

Cons: Could use a tad more complexity (but what do you expect for $7!)

Rating: 8.75 out of 10

P.S. Thanks to Dana for letting me borrow his big ol' truck today!

Talus Collection Lodi Merlot 2003 California

robert

Mo' Tannins...

Pork chops on the grill tonight. Perfect for merlot. Since we've still not fully recovered from our various viruses and such, I thought it best to go with an inexpensive, yet possibly decent, merlot, and leave the good stuff for later. Okie, Talus it is. The first thing we noticed was it was not smooth and velvety like a good merlot should be. Again with the cab-like tannins! What is up with our merlots lately - the past two have been particularly mouth drying. Luckily, this was not as brutal as the "Monkey Business Merlot" was the other night (overly aggressive tannins wrecked a wonderfully interesting and complex wine!) On the nose and the palate was a combination of bright and dark berry (plum, blueberry and blackberry) but no oak, as promised on the label. This was nothing special, but acceptable under the health circumstances. Hopefully we WILL get better SOON so we can start enjoying THE GOOD STUFF. For $6.99, you get what you pay for! Also, today, the concrete slab cured, two exterior walls were up and framed and electrical was started in the existing house (thanks Jeremy!!!)

Pros: Easy sipping, cheap!

Cons: Not complex, no oak, mouth-drying tannins!

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Domaine Ste. Michelle Extra Dry Sparkling Wine Columbia Valley, WA

robert

Good enough for a toast!

Like the Gallo of Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir last reviewed, there is nothing terrible about this champagne, but nothing GOOD that elevates it out of the cracks. We celebrated the completion of the slab foundation on the room addition and new roof elsewhere. Marjorie has pretty much recovered from her intestinal virus (her taste buds aren't quite back, though) and my sore throat is killing me, although the taste buds are just fine, thank you very much. This Washington state sparkler was HO HUM: nothing offensive, but nothing redeeming. It was a good choice for two virus infected folk to celebrate this milestone in the construction process. We have better champagne for the next milestone (hopefuly full health!) I think I paid about $14 for this, which is WAY too much. It's very sweet and BLAH! Pretty bottle, though...

Pros: Pretty bottle, not terrible - might be good for a champagne rookie but many better out there for the same price.

Cons: Blah, too sweet, no redeeming qualitites, expensive for what you get!

Rating: 6 out of 10

Gallo of Sonoma Pinot Noir 2003 Reserve - Sonoma Coast

robert

Silky...

OK, so I messed up. I guessed that Marjorie was going to bring a roasted chicken home from Sam's Club, but she did not. Spaghetti it was. Even though a merlot or syrah or pinot grigio would've been the way to go, I figured that PINOT NOIR GOES WITH EVERYTHING. This Gallo of Sonoma County has been waiting patiently in the cellar for many moons. We tried some in our wine infancy, and we weren't bowled over. Tonight, I was pleasantly surprised. Quite plumy with hints of red berry and a tinch of oak spice, but quite harmless. It's not as complex as the label crows, but was quite inoffensive. Not bad, but for $12 there are many better.

Pros: Satiny mouthfeel, non-offensive, not bad at all.

Cons: Not very complex, needs more spice, would appreciate more bright red berry, a bit pricey.

Rating: 8.25 out of 10

Monkey Business 2003 Merlot - North Coast (Calif.)

robert

Cellared and Bottled by BARREL OF MONKEYS (really!)

Yes, Marjorie picked this merlot out at Jungle Jim's based soley on the cute label. We had this Russian River Valley merlot with pizza and it paired nicely with the cheese. This a bold and full-bodied red. It's more hardcore cabernet to me than merlot. It's not smooth and velvety like a good merlot. It's IN YOUR FACE (like an aggressive cab) with peppery spice and complex layers of red berries (like a good pinot.) It has MOUTH DRYING tannins like a young cab, too. Quite a combination, eh? Pretty good, "different" wine. If there is another time (I haven't seen this wine since) I would treat it like a cab and serve it with red meat (maybe a nice juicy steak on the grill.) I can't remember the price, but am pretty sure it's between $12-15.

Pros: Complex, peppery spice, bright red berry.

Cons: Tannins too mouth-drying to distraction, no bananas!

Rating 7 out of 10

Beaulieu Vinyard BV Coastal Estates 2004 Pinot Noir

robert

"Complex and Luscious"?

Almond chicken screams PINOT NOIR (careful - put your hands over your ears!) The chicken was delicious and the pinot noir was BV. I recall that we really liked this pinot in our wine infancy. Probably because this wine is decent and non-offensive. There is nothing that sticks out - it tastes fine. But there is nothing memorable...no chances...no magic. Alas, this would be a wonderful "starter" wine. "Complex and luscious" (from the label)? I don't think so! How about bland and lifeless? About $10, if memory serves me correctly.

Pros: Nothing offends, decent flavour, inexpensive.

Cons: Quite thin and watery in the glass, lifeless and boring, no pinot spice.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Walnut Crest 2003 Merlot Rapel Valley, Chile

robert

Chile today, Hot Tamale...

Yes, it was rainy and chilly today. A giant hole was made in the bedroom wall to get the one-piece shower/bath unit in and the basement window was removed and blocked in for preparation for the pouring of the slab early next week (that will be a HUGE day!) Marjorie's health continues to improve, but she doesn't want to risk drinking wine yet. My upper respitory "thing" is still killing me (as it has for over 3 weeks) but my stomach is dandy, so I scrape the bottom of the wine cellar barrel and come up with this merlot. I haven't had merlot in a long time (not my favourite red.) I do some research on it - their website states that it is one of the best selling merlots in America (strange that I don't see it out there: this was purchased for $4.99 at Jungle Jim's to fill out a case for the 10% discount!) I try to keep an open mind, yet my nose and palate tell me that this is CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP merlot (for the reasons below.) I hope Marjorie is able to drink wine soon - this cheap stuff is KILLING me!!!! :(

Pros: Not too offensive, CHEAP.

Cons: Very ONE dimensional, tastes plain old CHEAP!, alcohol nose and flavour sprints through, never again (unless I need to fill out a case for the discount!)

Rating: 3 out of 10

Lindemans Bin 65 2005 Chardonnay South Eastern Australia

robert

Stinky Chardonnay from Down Under (down under where or WHAT?)

Marjorie is feeling a tad better (at least she's trying solid food) so I'm on my own again for wine tonight. I'm almost out of cheap, potentially bad wine to try in her absence. The wine cellar gave me only a few choices, and the obvious winner (actually LOSER) was Lindemans Chardonnay. I popped the artificial cork and was greeted with the scent of dry, cheap chardonnay and strong chemicals, maybe jet fuel or manufacturing runoff. My palate was crippled by the same flavours my nose warned me about. Yes, I don't like many chardonnays, but this was TERRIBLE. Three small sips was all I could stomach. So, no pros nor cons tonight - only a rating: DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! Well, gee, they finally finshed blocking the foundation of the room addition today - I am giddy with delight and in a very good mood. Because of my festive mood, I hereby bestow the rating of: 3 out of 10 on this loser.

Bleecchhh!

Cycles Gladiator Central Coast Syrah 2004

robert

Wright Bros. Eat Your Heart Out!

This winner of�Gold Medal & Best Wine of the Show from the�2006 Los Angeles County Fair, beat out 3,785 domestic and international entries from 982 wineries.� And it is indeed good stuff!� Central Coast (my favourite wine region) bright red berry (heavy on the strawberry) on the nose with the same plus a healthy dose of pepper spice (quite heavy, but balanced nicely with the bright berry) on the palate.� But what about the lovely lady in her birthday suit (you can't see anything naughty, thankfully) holding onto a bicycle?� Well, from their website:� Cycles Gladiator wines are a celebration of the freedom and happiness that pervaded the late 19^th century following the invention of the bicycle. The famed artwork that once beautifully showcased the stylish �Cycles Gladiator� now graces the bottles of our classic wines from California�s Central Coast. The mythological image of the �winged bicycle� captures the grace, beauty, and uniqueness of our hillside vineyards.� Very unique label, very unique wine.� If they made pinot noir (which, unfortunately, they don't) it would taste like Echelon (a Central Coast wine!)�� They DO, however, make cabernet sauvignon and merlot (which I will eagerly try - not because of the beautiful woman on the bottle, but because this is world class wine for a song:� $8.99 at wine works!)� This is what it's all about:� finding wonderful wine at a low price!!!!!!!� Paired okay with Domino's Pizza, but would be better with red meat!

Pros:� Beautiful bright red berry, nice spice balance (though Marjorie won't like the pepper), world class syrah for $9!!!!!

Cons:� A tad too much pepper for Marjorie (although she's still recovering from the stomach flu - I'm channeling her for this tasting!)

Rating:� 9 out of 10

Cristalino Brut Cava

robert

Ole!

We discovered this Spanish sparkler on a trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan a few years ago. It was one of the first champagnes that we both liked. That was in our wine/champagne infancy. Tonight, I popped the cork to celebrate the last day of school - Yee Haw! As we're both still a bit under the weather, out came this Cava, purchased for $7.99 at World Market. It's not bad, but we're just not into BRUT champagnes (brut=very dry.) We greatly prefer EXTRA DRY (which is just a tad sweet - go figure!) There is a bit of white fruit on the nose, but a TON of toast on the palate. This would work well with white meat or fruit, but not that great as an aperitif. Under the circumstances (sick yet a celebration,) it was the way to go tonight. We have better in the cellar for a healthier day.

Pros: Cost, nice nose, not terrible for brut.

Cons: Toast toast toast, too dry!

Rating: 7 out of 10

La Francesca Valpolicella 2004 (Italy)

robert

Down to Earth(y)

Marjorie is still recovering from the stomach flu (?) so I'm trying wines that I'm pretty sure that she won't like. With salmon on the menu for tonight, the logical wine would be pinot noir. But we have no cheapie pinot noir left, only good stuff. So I pulled out some of this dry red wine from Italy. For $5.99 I can afford to hate it. Plus, I haven't the foggiest idea what a VALPOLICELLA wine tastes like. Gee, we LOVED La Francesca pinot grigio (so light, crisp, dry and resfreshing.) Their merlot was very interesting and pretty good, too: extremely dry for a merlot, it tasted more like a good chianti than a merlot. Two hits, especially considering the $5.99 price tag. The valpolicella was a different story. Dry yes. Chianti-like, pretty close. But it had that strong Italian FUNKINESS (we call it earthiness, as in DIRT) that some chiantis have. Some of my chianti pals (Joseph and Jeremy) would probably like this, but we'll pass next time and stick with the pinot grigio. True, this has no business getting anywhere near salmon, but it may work better with cheesy pizza or lasagna. Hopefully we'll both get well SOON so we can get back to good wines!

Pros: Inexpensive

Cons: Aggressive funkiness

Rating: 6 out of 10

Pepperwood Grove 2003 Pinot Noir (Napa, California)

robert

Good cheapie pinot!

Marjorie's still under the weather and not ready for wine yet, so I took this opportunity to try another pinot noir that I didn't think she would like. Well, I was wrong (hey, it happens!) I assumed PEPPERwood meant a strong pepper spice presence. Wrongo. Don Sebastiani's "value" line started with a beautiful strawberry red colour. Not very long legs, but that's okay. On the nose: wonderful red berry - strawberry and raspberry, BIG TIME. Very similarly fruit forward like our fav Echelon. On the palate, that same bright red berry I experienced on the nose with a touch of oaky spice. I was surprised by moderate tannins, more like a cabernet level. Though it didn't detract much, I'm used to a much more sexy, silky mouthfeel. The mildly pepper spice finish was very short. But then again, what do you expect for $6.99??? Not a terribly complex pinot, but more-so than others in the same price level (specifically, Talus and The Little Penguin.) This will be nice (inexpensive) addition to the pinot noir rotation. At under 7 bucks, we can afford this winner often. Paired well with steak quesadillas.

Pros: The bright red berry fruit-forward flavour we like, fairly well balanced (Marjorie will like the mild yet present spice), Under $7!!!!!!!!!!!

Cons: Not the most complex pinot out there, tannins a bit too aggressive for a fine pinot noir.

Rating: 8 out of 10 (based heavily on price)

Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2004 Pinot Noir California Central Coast

robert

Close but no cigar

This puppy has been cellared for a long time. It's been well-reviewed by some, scorned by others. With the marking of the blocking for the foundation of our room addition, I thought, what the heck, let's give it the ol' college try in honor of cement block! The colour is dark and deep garnet, with long legs. The nose gave me red berry with a hint of red licorice. On the palate, much of the same. I was excited to try yet another Central Coast pinot noir, as this is one of my favourite "pinot" regions of California. But this didn't give me the expected strawberry hints I am used to. And there was hardly any spice to talk about, as well. This is not BAD pinot, at all. Marjorie would've loved the lack of peppery spice, but she was under the weather, and didn't eat or drink. It paired "okay" with turkey breast, but this just tasted too much like a "VALUE" wine for me. At $12, we could have our favourite Echelon (and a few more!) So close, yet so far...

Pros: Not BAD

Cons: Nothing OUTSTANDING here

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Robert, standing on the concrete footer for the room addition. Next...blocking...

Moselland Ars Vitis Riesling Qualitatswein

robert

Cute Bottle = Yuppie Wine Cooler

Went to the Sam's Club and bought our laminate flooring today (Sonoma Cherry!) - great flooring at $1.59 per sq. ft. (about $2 less PER FOOT than Lowes/Home Depot!) While we were there, I picked up some new Cab and the usual fav La Crema Pinot Noir, and, since all we have is expensive German riesling, I reluctantly grabbed a bottle of Moselland Ars Vitis Riesling for $10. Yes, the bottle has a clear front window that displays the winemaker's art on the back of the bottle. While cool, I knew that no self-respecting world-class German riesling vintner would pull such a stunt. It's not the way it is done in Germany. So we popped the cork and had us some. The nose was promising, but green apple heavy as much of the Mosel region brings to the table. The flavour was aggressive and overpowering - very un-German-like (subtle is the goal in fine German rieslings.) It really does taste like an apple wine cooler. A hint of bitterness kept us from lamenting that it would "be great on the back porch on a hot summer evening." Another example of: if the wine isn't good, put it in a nouveaux bottle and the yuppies will swill it down with a straight face. Folks, if you think this is good German riesling, PLEASE, PLEASE try some from the Rheingau region. That is life-changing wine, while this artsy-fartsy wine cooler stuff is a poser.

Pros: Cool bottle, inexpensive.

Cons: See above - never again.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Weingut Freiherr zu Knyphausen 1995 Riesling Kabinett

robert

Kerput! :(

RIP, dear riesling. We were excited when we discovered you. Your two year younger brother was simply divine. But, alas, we were about a year too late. Your colour was dark amber - quite different and beautiful. Your nose, faint, but promising. But on the palate, it was clear than the Grim Reaper of Wine had already visited you. Along with the familar taste of Rheingau fine riesling was the unmistakeable kiss of death: vinegar. We mourn for you, our little German friend. But, could there be hope? We have two more bottles. Could one have held back the effects of time? We will see. We know you are looking down upon us from Wine Heaven, where there are always happy parties going on. Farewell thee. 'Tis a shame we didn't meet on an earlier day...

Freixenet Brut de Noirs Cava (Sparkling Wine) Spain

robert

Ole!

To celebrate the pouring of our footer (house construction, that is,) we had to have some champagne! Since I went back to the Dr. today and had a severe case of bronchitis, I thought we'd go with this Spanish Cava, since it was on sale at Jungle Jim's for $5.99. Well, bubbly it was. And NOIR it was - quite a dark rose colour; very beautiful. The flavour was not what I expected. We've already discovered that we're not fans of BRUT (very dry) sparklers. We like EXTRA DRY (which is sweet - confusing, yes?) I expected lots of strawberry, but got lots of toast/bread crumbs. Worth $5.99? Heck yeah - for a celebration. Is it the finest champagne we've had? Heck no. But it was a perfect fit for tonight, under all circumstances.

Pros: C-H-E-A-P! Bubbly! Pretty colour.

Cons: Need sweet fruit - TOOOO DRY! Too much toast/bread crumb for OUR tastes.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Solaris 2004 Pinot Noir Carneros (California)

robert

Another Split Decision

Today the construction finally started on our room addition. After a long, frustrating day, the footer has been dug and concreted. It wasn't easy. I thought we'd go with a new (to us) more upscale pinot noir with our Mahi Mahi. I found it very nice, indeed, with much more complexity than last nights' Talus. I found the heavy raspberry, blueberry and strawberry hints interesting. Marjorie didn't like it at all (and she said she was in a GOOD mood!) Who's right? Well, obviously I am, since I'm the one writing this. Seriously, this was a fine pinot noir, but not to the level of our favourites: Echelon and La Crema. A good $12.99 spent.

Pros: Complex, interesting, lots of berries!

Cons: The raspberry/blueberry/srawberry combo really changes the flavour - a bit odd for a pinot noir

Rating: 8 out of 10

Talus Collection 2003 Pinot Noir California

robert

Decent cheap pinot!

I've been holding this plus a couple other varieties from the Talus Collection for a long time. Costing all of $6 but with decent magazine reviews, I've been waiting for the RIGHT time to pop the artificial cork. Still under the spell of an evil virus (very evil) I figured if our tasted buds were a tad off, we weren't going to burn a $20 bottle of wine! Yet, we figured the reservatol, natures' health club, couldn't hurt the situation. In a word, this pinot noir is pretty good (OK, it was TWO words!) Amazing for the price. Far more complex than pinot from The Little Penguin, which we recommended in our wine youth, for about the same price. Moderate bright red berry with moderate pinot spice with a long finish and long legs, make this a hit. It's nice and soft and juicy for a bargain price. The only downside (besides not being as deep or complex as the "big boys") was a persistant alcohol hint that stood out. Yes, yes, tonight this pinot was paired with German brats and did quite well (better than the pinot grigio we tried last week!) but one word of warning from Marjorie - be careful with the horseraddish!!! The alcohol and spice ganged up with the horseraddish BURN to give her mouth the equivilent of a "hot foot!" I smartly refrained from the horseraddish anticipating the result. Live and learn!

Pros: Decent pinot noir varietal aromas and flavours, C-H-E-A-P!, it's not Echelon, but at this price we'll go again!

Cons: Not the most complex or deep pinot (but not bad in that department), a bit hot with the alcohol (especially at a low 13.5%!)

Rating: 7.75 out of 10

Beringer Founder's Estate 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon California (2)

robert

Virus-1, Wine-0

To celebrate the homecoming of our new chocolate lab puppy "Allie," we threw steaks on the grill. Red meat = cabernet! Since there are not that many cabs we like (that are smooth, rich and mellow yet balance the meat with softer tannins) we grabbed our favourite out of the cellar: Beringer Founder's Estate 2001. While I was grilling the steaks to near perfection, the cab was breathing (in - out - in - out, etc.) for an hour. Now, remember that our whole family has been decimated by this weird early summer virus - sore throat, clogged sinuses, sore muscles, etc. The steaks were good but the wine that we've loved before seemed like a stranger. It burned our throats and fooled our diseased taste buds. We know this is good stuff, but we are unable to write a decent review and will not rate it this time. Speaking of time...time for a nap.

Oh, here's Allie, today, on her 7th week birthday:

Twin Fin 2004 California pinot grigio

robert

Twin Disappointment!

I'm still diseased, but finally doing better and now it appears that Marjorie has been virus infected as well. You know what THAT means...Bad Wine Night! Yep, wines that have languished down in the cellar for a long time - pretty much having locks on being classified as BAD WINE. That way we can still try some new wines yet not be disappointed when they are...BAD. We've had this Twin Fin Pinot Grigio around for quite some time. We've been EXTREMELY underwhelmed with their other wines, classifying them as YUPPY wines or WINE COOLERS. We had similarly LOW expectations with this white. And yes, we weren't disappointed (that we WERE disappointed, that is!) The label crows about its bright and brassy flavors of citrus and honey dew melon. GAG! It just tastes like CHEAP pinot grigio to us! Very cheap. I get aromas and flavours of syrupy pears, and that's ALL. Again with the Delmonte fruit cocktail syrup (in the can) flavour description. Try it and see if I'm not right (or then again, don't waste $10!) It was a GOOD DAY for a BAD WINE!

Pros: None.

Cons: See above!

Rating: 6 out of 10

Pietra Santa 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Cienega Valley

robert

Ho ho ho!

Found this for $3.99 at Jungle Jim's a few weeks ago. The bottle looked classy and beautiful and, gee, the low price helped us qualify for the magical 10% case discount for our more expensive bottles. A virus has clobbered me the past couple of days and this was the first time I felt like trying some wine (plus now Marjorie has the virus - what a copycat!) Right out of the bottle, this cab is different. Very dark, dark cherry colour - nearly black. Sweet, bright red fruit and lots of oaky spice on the nose. Ditto for the palate. Too much spice for me (and that's rare) or could it be my masterful pairing with Tony's frozen pepperoni pizza? It worked well with the pizza until I hit that spicy pepperoni, ouch! This may work better with a more traditional red meat dish. It's definitely a bold and spicy, nay, aggressive cab. Maybe if it was decanted for a few hours? Doubt we'll get the chance to try. We'll take smooth any ol' day. That is, unless we need another bottle to complete a case for that 10% discount!

Pros: Beautiful colour, nice flavour minus the uberspice, pretty bottle, cheap cab!

Cons: WAY too much oak spice, rather harsh tannins.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

La Francesca 2004 Merlot (Italy)

robert

Delle Venezie!

We liked La Francesca's Pinot Grigio SO MUCH that when I saw this merlot in a local wine store, I had to grab it (yes, for $5.99!) The meal see-sawed back and forth between spaghetti and brats. Marjorie chose brats, and since this merlot was already a little bit chilled, we thought "what the heck." While not the ideal food pairing, (Italian wine and German brats?) this wasn't as bad a pairing as we thought. This is a very dry merlot, which pairs with food better than your typical California merlot. It wouldn't be a particulary good sipping wine, but with Italian food it should be wonderful. La Francesca has bright berry flavours and very high acidity, almost a spitting image of a good Italian chianti. Maybe they goofed on the label??? Anyway, this is not the smoothest, most mellow merlot we've tried. But it works well with food as a "chianti" type red. And at $5.99, you can take that to the bank!

Pros: Bright red berry, high acidity, pairs well with food, $5.99!!!! The La Francesca blessing continues.

Cons: Not a soft velvety merlot - more like a good chianti (not necessarily a negative if you use it the right way.)

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (for a merlot - 8 for a chianti!)

Benton Grove Cabernet Sauvignon California (????)

robert

No vintage date??!!

Marjorie picked this out for $4.99 at Jungle Jim's because my mother's side of the family are Bentons. No other reason! But why no date? I dunno. This is going down the drain, not because this is undrinkable (although it's not too good) but because I've already had 2 wines this evening and I plan on having another later. Remember: when the cat (Marjorie) is away, the mice (me) will play (with wines.) This is not terrible cab. It has a very peculiar flavour which I can't identify. It's not nasty, but nothing I'd like to drink alone or with a meal. The tannins are MUCH more powerful than the 13% alcohol indicate. Suffice it to say, the rating is under a 6 and let's leave it at THAT (since I've never seen it since and I doubt we'll ever see it again.) At least it's finally out of the wine cellar! :)

Belford Springs 2000 Pinot Noir California

robert

From the bottle:

"Black cherry, plum and vanilla aromas tumble out of the glass, evolving in layers of fruit and spice flavors...an elegant pinot noir, the perfect accompaniment to a romantic evening." HA!!! Either this stuff is WAY past its prime or was troll drool to begin with (or both!) Found on clearance for $3.99 at a local discount grocery store, I've not seen this wine anywhere else (probably for good reason!) Since Marjorie is gone and I can try stuff that's been languishing in the wine cellar for a LONG time, Belford Springs 2000 Pinot Noir gets what it deserves: down the drain with a glug, glug, glug! Since this is UNDRINKABLE, it gets NO RATING (that's so much more dignified than a "0" for the winery.) If this was a good wine SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I do humbly appologize (but still dump it down the drain...)

Ruffino Chianti 2004 (Italy)

robert

Hmmm...what to say?

Marjorie is out of town this weekend. You know what that means...EXPERIMENTATION!!!! Since she doesn't like chianti (and I DO, especially with pizza) it's Domino's Pizza night with Ruffino chianti. Sweet, bright and acidy, per nature, this Italian wine is okay. A bit more earthy funkiness than I like, but it pairs well with the pizza (the acidity cuts cleanly through the cheese of the pizza and has an intimate moment with the pepperoni.) I greatly prefer Ecco Domani, and like Piccini and DaVinci okay. But this is not Troll Drool. For $10.99 I can buy Ecco Domani, and for almost HALF, can get the Piccini. End of story... Stay tuned for more experimentation...

Pros: Bright red berry, high acidity for Itlaian foods.

Cons: There's that darned Italian earthy funky flavour that I don't love, other chianti's do it better for same or less cost.

Rating: 7 out of 10

MezzaCorona 2004 Pinot Grigio (Italy)

robert

Mega Fruit

In a strange twist of fate, this pinot grigio was in the spotlight tonight, not the riesling that was intended. The riesling in question was a vintage (un-named) South Austrailian white that was purchased for $2.99 on clearance. I got some Jim Beam medium spicy salsa ready along with the usual organic blue chips, but alas, the riesling had seen better days - too far gone for a pleasurable quaffing. The Mezzacorona was in the fridge from a last-minute change in dinner menu a few days ago. The $8 Italian pinot grigio had a GREEN artificial cork. A very different aroma filled the air - intense white fruit heavy on canned pear and peach juice.) On the palate, the same. Very unique. I think it would be reviewed well by others, but it is too fruity (heavy) for my tastes. I prefer light and crisp over heavy and syrupy in a pinot grigio any day. Disclaimer: I think that this would be a much better FOOD wine. I, due to circumstances beyond my control, was forced to pair it with the chips and salsa. Not a good idea. It paired terribly, but what's a guy to do at 9PM at night? Live and learn. This pinot grigio would be interesting to try with seafood or anything with red sauce. Salsa - no! Wrong country of origin for food pairing...

Pros: Unique, potential for good food pairing, inexpensive.

Cons: Too sweet/heavy/syrupy, don't try to pair with salsa!

Rating: 7.25 out of 10

Camelot 2004 Pinot Noir California

robert

King Arthur's swill?

A well-reviewed pinot for $7? (Well, well-reviewed by CHEAP WINE websites, not wine experts.) Tonight, we paired some Camelot with roasted chicked, a classic coupling. But, what's this? It's not really 100% pinot noir? Per their website, here's the breakdown: The wine is 76% Pinot Noir, 21% Syrah and 3% Sangiovese. Wha??? And, here's what their website says about it:
"A bright strawberry core of pure Pinot Noir is overlaid with a slightly earthy cassis and smokey vanilla blanket. Flavors and aromas of sour cherry and dried herbs complemented by soft tannins delight the senses. Plush fruit flavors mingle with earth, mushroom and forest floor complexities, leading to a rich elegant finish." Huh? So what do WE think? On the nose, I get red berry (not strawberry), red licorice and copious alcohol (boo!) On the palate, the same - it's decent, but not outstanding. I didn't get what the winemaker told me I would! It looks and tastes a bit watered down. While the flavours appeal to the bright red fruit-forward style we like, there's just an air of "inexpensive pinot noir" to it. I guess, if it were a better wine, it would cost more than $6.99! It does have more complexity than The Little Penguin pinot noir we liked in our wine infancy, but this is a pinot we'll bypass in the future (unless occasionally for the low price.) It reminds us of a "lesser" Sterling Pinot Noir. Or maybe a cheap Echelon knock-off (Echelon Jr.?)

Pros: Cheap, a fairly true representation of a pinot noir varietal, bright red berry, decent balance.

Cons: Nasty alcohol aroma and flavour ruins the party!, has a "cheap" element to it, watered-down, where's my strawberry? Vanilla?

Rating: 7.25 out of 10

Beringer Founders' Estate 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

robert

Almost as good as 2001

Here's MARJORIE LIKES BETTER THAN ME wine #2 - 2 days in a row. What's THAT all about? We really enjoyed the soft, smooth bright red berry flavours and red meat pairing abilities of the Beringer 2001. The review of the 2001 is here. I thought the 2002 wasn't quite as smooth and soft as the 2001 - not unusual, as it is a year younger. The bright berry was there, alright, but I feel if this was cellared for a year or so, it would actually be better than the 2001. Lucky for us, Sam's Club has many cases of the 2002. I let the 2002 breathe for about an hour, but will probably decant it for an hour or two NEXT time. The tannins are JUST RIGHT for us - soft enough for our tender palates yet aggresive enough to pair well with meat. This has a similar philosophy as our favourite red, Echelon Pinot Noir, but kicked up a notch or two. Considering Marjorie likes it, it's a real bargain at $10! We still have several other cabs to try out. As usual, we'll let you know what we think!

Pros: Bright red berry, no funky earthiness (per Marjorie), clean tasting, medium tannins, CHEAP and available!

Cons: A tad more aggressive than the 2001, not the most complex cab (but Marjorie prefers simple - not a BAD thing.)

Rating: 8 out of 10

Hahn Piesporter Michelsberg Kabinett 2002 Riesling

robert

Better the 2nd go 'round...

Well, I believe that hades is enjoying ice skating and pigs are swooping out of the skies! For two days in a row, Marjorie has liked wines better than I have. How uncanny! This is weird. Now remember that if Marjorie is in a good mood, she will be more receptive to a wine. I am very analytical and unemotional towards wine, choosing to compare wine characteristics against each other. Both are fine. So, this Hahn is pretty good. We tend to love riesling from the Rheingau region of Germany. This Piesporter Michelsberg is much better than others from that region. Our first tasting on 06 Mar 2006 was a competition against the Rheingau's finest: Schloss Vollrads - a competition that no other riesling could win. We gave it a 7.75 and said it was too sweet and had too much grapefruit citrus, rather than orange. The earlier review is here. I didn't notice the sweetness this time, but I did recall the grapefruit (I'd MUCH rather have orange or tangerine than grapefruit) and detected more tartness than before. I thought that this was a nice, nay good, German riesling. There are several others that I like better - a couple are LIFE-CHANGING in quality. Since Marjorie enjoyed it so much, I'll bump the rating up a bit from last time. But for $13, I'd rather pay a buck or two more and have something truly special. Note: Marjorie actually drained the bottle on this wine! A rarity, indeed!

Pros: Nice German riesling qualities.

Cons: Too much tartness and grapefruit, expensive for the quality. A bit unbalanced in my opinion, Didn't pair well with Newman mild salsa (then again, the salsa was TOO mild!)

Rating: 7.95 out of 10 (Heavily based on Marjorie's experince.)

Paul Jaboulet Parallele

robert

2nd time is a charm!

Parallele 45 refers to the latitude line that crosses the finest wine growing regions in the Northern Hemishphere. Or so it says on the label. We tried this red a few months ago and thought it ghastly, with that earthy (i.e. dirt) funkiness that made it undrinkable (possibly "corked.") We thought we'd try, try again - especially for $8 at Sam's Club. This time we were rewarded. Not the finest red we've tried, but not bad. Rather than bright red fruit on the palate, this is quite dark. The tannins are firm, typically not a positive for us, but would work well with red meat, in place of a cabernet savignon.

Pros: Interesting aromas and flavours, $8 bargain.

Cons: Mouth drying tannins (solo), one of our two bottles was corked. We prefer bright red fruit (not dark.)

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (with food)

Clos du Bois 2004 Pinot Grigio California

robert

California Grigio...

Clos du Bois makes my favorite merlot and a pretty decent good pinot noir. I picked up this pinot grigio several months ago and thought I'd bring it our for some talapia. Well, Italian pinot grigio it ain't (light and crisp.) California pinot grigio it is: a rich, heavy white with a hefty alcohol kick (13%.) Very fruity and floral on the nose. By itself, we could taste the alcohol creeping through. With the fish, it paired quite well, although it was unremarkable. It is unoffensive and "not bad," but it is definitely not as crisp and light as a good ITALIAN pinot grigio (at more than 50% less $.) For $12 we had hoped for better, although we knew that those whacky Californians have their own idea of what a pinot grigio should be (the rest of the world disagrees!) We'll stick to our current favourite, La Francesca, from Italy, for $5.99.

Pros: Not terrible, silky mouthfeel.

Cons: Heavy, overly sweet, not light or refreshing, expensive.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Georges Duboeuf 2004 Cotes Du Rhone (France)

robert

Nada...

We've tried liking Cotes Du Rhone but we've just come up empty. When I found some Georges Duboeuf at a local wine shop, I thought there was hope. The Georges Duboeuf reds we've tried in the past have been fruity and mild. Nothing to write home about, but non-offensive and decent. As a Mother's Day treat with pizza, this was a dud. Yes, the bright berry showed up, but that funky earthiness came along as well, even after giving the bottle a good breathing for over an hour. Marjorie wasn't too pleased with it, and when Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy! When asked what she didn't like about it, she stated: "everything!" I thought it was not particulary good by itself, but paired OK with the pizza. It's spicy finish complimented the pepperoni pepper of the Cassano's pizza. Could other wines work better? You betcha! I promise that this week, we'll have some better wines (according to US, mind you.) We have one last bottle of Parallel 45 Cotes du Rhone in the cellar to try. Last chance for Cotes du Rhone! $10 at Wine Works.

Pros: Uh...

Cons: That earthy funkiness indigenous to Cotes du Rhone, France: we just don't like. So sorry!

Rating: 5.5 out of 10 (i.e. - NO MORE)

Leonard Kreusch Rheinhessen 2001 Kabinett - 2nd tasting

robert

2nd (and LAST) tasting!

Here's what transpired when we last tried this white on 12 Apr, 2006 (from the hills of the Smoky Mountains):

If you remember, on 31 March, 2006, (screen blurs, harp strumming sounds, going back in time) we LOVED the 2004 vintage of this German white. We enjoyed its light, semi-dry character, with a very "different" orange skin, grapefruit and tangerine flavours, and light floral notes. We wondered how great this wine would taste if cellared for a year or two. When I spotted this 2001 vintage in, of all places, a wine shop in Gatlinburg, TN, I thought it would be fine time to fast forward into the future and one of our favorite wines. Sooooooooo...cooling our wine down in the mini-fridge of our royal room at the Townsend, TN Comfort Inn, AND upgrading our plastic tumblers to actual GLASS tumblers (purchased from the local Dollar General store,) we decided to give it a try with salsa & organic blue tortilla chips. OK, here's the story: Seems heavier, sweeter, less crisp, more grapefruit, less orange and tangerine. Less satisfying. Possibilities: 1) Did not pair well with the salsa. 2) These ain't $20 Riedel white wine glasses (uh, $1 for each tumbler!) 3) We are WAY outside our normal wine sipping environment. 4) Bottle was mis-stored in sunlight (for years.) Any or all four could've influenced the taste. We found ANOTHER bottle of the same 2001 stuff at ANOTHER wine store in Gatlinburg,stored perfectly. (What are the chances?) Under the circumstances, we would give this bottle a rating of 7.8. In the near FUTURE we will revisit the OTHER 2001 (and more 2004) for a re-trial using the scientific WINE method. $8.99.

Here we are almost one month to the day for that second try. And, our profound words of wisdom regarding this wine... DITTO! Although in our comfortable abode, sipping from fine Riedel white wine glasses, we get the SAME: too sweet, too much grapefruit, and poor pairing with salsa. It has a bit of the "different" taste that the 2004 has, but doesn't have the class and "life-altering" effects of our favourite German rieslings have. Yes, yes, we MUST go back and try a bottle of 2004 to re-center our feelings about Leo.

Pros: "Different" taste, inexpensive.

Cons: See comments above!

Rating: 7 out of 10

Mumm Napa Cuvee M Napa Valley Sparkling Wine

robert

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Supposedly, this is competition for the Chandon Riche champagne (reviewed a few weeks ago), this bubbly is nowhere near in the same league as said Chandon. End of school year concerts tonight deserves champagne. The Mumm didn't float my boat after a long year of hard work. The kids did great, but later, the Mumm did not. It's nothing terrible - nothing earthshatteringly BAD, but the Mumm Cuvee M gave us nothing special or noteworthy. Mild sweetness on top of CHEAP champagne flavours. A disappointment for a $20 sparkler. With the end of the school year and a few other celebrations coming soon, we'll keep looking for a better discount champagne, or go back to the Chandon. $19.99 at Target.

Pros: Pretty blue bottle, nothing TERRIBLE.

Cons: Tastes CHEAP, $20 is quite expensive for this cheap tasting bubbly!

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 (We deserved better!)

King Estate 2004 Oregon Pinot Gris

robert

Pinot Gris = Pinot Grigio (same stuff!)

This is good stuff. Lighter and crisper than I expected from an Oregon pinot grigo. We enjoyed some King Estate Pinot Noir many moons ago. While this was wonderful wine with our orange roughy dinner, we couldn't help but compare it to our current favourite pinot grigio: La Francesca, from Italy (read the review on 23 Apr, 2006.) Both have a very similar taste (surprisingly, since the two wine regions have such different philosophies.) The King Estate was a bit richer (not a GOOD thing to us - we prefer "light and crisp") and we felt the ample 13.5% alcohol quickly (didn't TASTE it but FELT it - another "not so nice" thing.) The King Estate may taste a tad bit classier, but we'll take the La Francesca any day. Let's see: King Estate-$26; La Francesca-$6. Hmmm...DUH! Plus La Francesca is lighter and more refreshing. We can't wait for warmer weather. Ooops, sorry - this is turning into a La Francesca review. So HEY, to recap: both are good enough pinot grigios. But La Francesca wins EVERY TIME!

Pros: Classy, good stuff.

Cons: High price - La Francesca does it better for $20 less!, Alcohol unreasonably too high!

Rating: 8.25 out of 10

Edition Maximilian 2004 Rheingau Riesling Kabinett

robert

Discount Rheingau Riesling Okay...

You know we love Riesling from the Rheingau region of Germany. Especially KABINETT designated riesling. And Qualitatswein mit Pradikat awarded riesling - Yum! Put them all together and - OH MAMA! But (and that's a BIG but) what if it's a bargain bottle ($8.99) from Trader Joes? Well, we've been spoiled by the heavy hitters of the Rheingau. But this stuff (at more than half the cost of the 'big boys') is okay. Not great mind you, but good enough for an occaisional bottle. The bottle is emerald green, has an artificial cork and lacks the typical German "quick opening" pull tab to remove the top cap (odd stuff!) I've never seen this anywhere but Trader Joes, although it's not located there with the "only at Trader Joes" exclusive wines. Officially, here's what I think: it exhibits the traditional characteristics of fine German Rheingau riesling, but doesn't give us the complexity or SOUL of a fine Rheingau riesling. We'll stick with the "big boys" and have this occaisionally, mainly because of the low cost. Paired well with the YUMMY new salsa "Salsa Divino" by the Desert Pepper Trading Company (mild) recently discovered at TARGET.

Pros: Light subtle sweetness, some Rheingau flavour and aroma, CHEAP!!!

Cons: Doesn't give that magical Rheingau experience we love so much, not near "life-altering" like other Rheingau rieslings, hard to find (only at Trader Joes so far.)

Rating: 8 out of 10

Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2003

robert

Another Cab Winner...

Steak Fajitas tonight (minus the fajitas - let's make that a steak fajita SALAD!) Smooth red berry on the nose, with hints of vanilla and oak. On the palate, DITTO with nicely balanced hints of oaky spice. This is SMOOOOTH, with do-able tannins that worked well with the steak. Marjorie didn't like this cab as much as I did. She preferred the Beringer Cab we had a few days ago. Both are soft and juicy, but she doesn't like spicy aspects of reds. I think they add balance and complexity. Who's right? Who cares. Just so we get our favourite wines from time to time! This is a stressful week for me (one of the most stressful weeks of the year with exhibition functions, concerts plus this year, home construction, along with the usual end of the school year rush.) I look forward to some of my fav wines and a few newbies to help me through the week. $14 at Sam's Club.

Pros: Nicely balanced, thanks for the vanilla/oak hints!

Cons: Marjorie doesn't like, pricey compared to others.

Rating: 8 out of 10 (mainly on MY tasting thoughts.)

Leitz 2004 Dragonstone Rheingau Riesling

robert

The Rheingau region of Germany strikes again!

Wow, what a beautiful nose (the wine, not my wife, although she has a nice nose, too!) Copious honey, pear, peach, grapefruit flavours on the palate with lime, pineapple and Sweet-Tart� notes. Add mineral and crisp and light effervescent effects (slight spritz makes for a party in your mouth!) And nice acidity (acidity shows as green apple tartness.) I'm usually not a big fan of green apple in a riesling, but this Leitz 2004 is so well-balanced, it works well with the abundant (but not overdone) sweetness. The very long green apple finish goes on and on. This Rheingau riesling is a real joy! Tonight, this wine was in celebration for my exhibition opening. $16.

Pros: Duh...read above, dude! This is really good stuff!

Cons: In a perfect world, I'd appreciate some orange or tangerine hints.

Rating: 8.75 out of 10

Schlink Haus Sparkling Wine Semi-Dry (Germany)

robert

The "Run for the French Doors"...

This was our first major shopping day to prepare for our impending room addition construction project. We hung out at our favourite hangouts - Home Depot and Lowes. At roughly the same time, the "Run for the Roses" was being run at Churchill Downs. Yep, The Kentucky Derby. As Marjorie originally hailed from Lousiville, KY, we had experienced the horsey race several times, albeit from the infield (i.e.- can't see the horses, but can see people urinating in public as well as girls exposing their...uh, ponies.) It was during the race, we made our first major purchase for the room addition: French Doors, Low E glass, door knobs, the works. On the way home it was clear that we needed to celebrate (hey, celebrate whenever you can in life!) At Wine Works, we found some Schlink Haus Semi-Dry Sparkling Wine. How interesting is THIS? We enjoy their subtle riesling, and have been in a champagne slump lately. Sure we loved the honey citrus flavours of Chandon Riche, but didn't enjoy the yeasty toast flavour tossed in fron the pinot noir. This Schlink Haus bubbly had potential (in our humble opinion.) So how did "the 'Haus" stack up? Decently. Who ever heard of GERMAN champagne? Well, this is a very subtle, understated sparkler. VERY light. At 11% alcohol, we expected German riesling-like flavours and sweetness, but were a tad bit disappointed. Yes, we detected some honey, but NO CITRUS at all. Semi-Dry? Try VERY dry. BRUT-like, in fact. We tasted no yeast/toast, but this was TOO safe - taking no chances! There is nothing to offend. But, nothing to SING and SOAR. At $10.99, it was a bargain and a nice experience. But we'd prefer...M O R E ! (More STUFF.)

Pros: Very light, nothing BAD, inexpensive!

Cons: Hey Schlink Haus: TAKE A CHANCE - make a stand, give us MORE, C'mon: we need more honey sweetness and citrus! A bit too dry!

Rating: 8 out of 10

Sterling Vintner's Collection 2004 Pinot Noir Central Coast

robert

More from the Central Coast

Yep, we love Central Coast Pinot. Yes we do. We've never tried Sterling before, but it bears many similarities to our favorite - Echelon - also from California's Central Coast. At least according to the label... They are: fresh, bright, fruit-forward, cherry/strawberry flavours and aromas, nicely balanced (with spice), with silky, sexy mouthfeel and color. Well, Sterling brought us part of the way home. We did get SOME (not too much) bright berry, although we got much more plum than we prefer. Hardly ANY pinot SPICE or pepper - pretty sedate and unbalanced. We got hardly any complexity - nothing like an Echelon or La Crema (etc., etc.) The biggest gripe we have with Sterling is - it tastes quite watery, with a THIN, light-bodied feel in the mouth as well. Not much to offend, yet also not much to enchant. For $12 we'll go elsewhere. Plenty of other fish in the sea.

Pros: Almost an acceptable central coast varietal character pinot - ALMOST!

Cons: See all above - watery, no spice, unbalanced, WAY TOO unoffensive (like it was vinted for first time wine drinkers.)

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Schloss Vollrads 2003 Kabinett Rheingau Riesling (2)

robert

2nd Try - From a More Reliable Source...

We first visited this fine German riesling a few months ago. The bottle was bought from a wine shop that obtained a few cases from an estate sale. The date was 25 Mar, 2006. We gave it an 8.25, thinking that perhaps this bottle was not at its best, or the case had been "abused" by heat, etc. Well, the local supply of 2002 is now depleted, and the 2003 has arrived in its place. We purchased it from a very reliable local wine shop and could hardly wait to give it a swirl. We vote: better than the estate bottle (which is not too good as we have 3 bottles in the cellar from that shop. Maybe it was a subpar bottle back in March?) I'm too exhausted to type all the reasons why we like Schloss Vollrads - take the 25 March link above. Suffice to say that this bottle was lighter, more subtle with none of the alcohol hints we experienced before. Again, it could have been a subpar bottle, abused, sunspots or UFOs. We'll have the opportunity to try more later (of both!) Tonight, for us, this was superior. $18.

Pros: Lighter, more subtle, extremely classy German riesling, NOW READILY AVAILABLE!!!

Cons: Could use more orange citrus and a bit more subtlety like the 2002.

Rating: 8.75 out of 10

Beringer Founders' Estate 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon California

robert

Finally - a Cab We Like!

You know the drill. Not cab fans. Looking for something that will stand up to a good steak but be smooth and mellow (with tannins that won't give you cotton mouth.) Yes, we've tried. And tried. And tried. We tried the other night. Nada. Tonight was Southwest Steak night at the homestead. Okie dokey: let's try O N E L A S T� C A B... Beringer 2001. Everyone was running late getting home and the wine got little attention. About 10 minutes in the fridge and about 5 minutes of "breathing" time. And...and...and...Hmmm. This stuff is GOOD. Can it be? Are pigs flying? Are they ice skating in hades? We like the bright berry aroma and flavours with a hint of red licorice and a tiny bit of oaky spice. It's fairly full-bodied, but it's smooth and mellow. The tannins are present enough to help with the food, but not enough to hinder the palate (IOHO.) It's very similar to a slightly pumped up pinot noir. We like-ey! And for $9 (at Sam's Club,) we like-ey a lot!

Pros: Full-bodied yet smooth and mellow, bright berry!, lower tannins, $9!!!

Cons: Nada.

Rating: 8.25 out of 10 (for US, the best cab we've ever tasted - your mileage may vary)

The Little Penguin South Eastern 2004 Pinot Noir

robert

Penguin Pinot, Round Two...

It's been a long time since we sampled the Little Penguin Pinot Noir. Last time (when we were wine rookies) we really enjoyed it and gave it an 8 out of 10. This time, many moons later, things didn't quite work out that way. I had plans for another, highly respectable pinot, but Marjorie called and said she was bringing home Arby's chicken salad sandwiches. Plan "B" for the wine swings into action. Hmmm...let's try The Little Penguin again and see if we still feel the same way about it after some very nice quality pinots lately. We'd only be out $7! Well, we could understand how we would've liked this as rookies. It is quite pleasant enough - red berry and plum, a touch of sweetness - just like their shiraz minus the pepper and chocolate (and very similar to their merlot.) BUT, not much in the complexity department. Very two dimensional. I've had much worse pinot, but this is pretty sedate stuff. We'll use it for vin ordinaire occaisionally, but will stick with the good stuff for nice meals. Echelon is only a few bucks more for world-class, well-balanced pinot noir.

Pros: Cheap! Non-offensive, good for rookies.

Cons: Too sedate, out of balance, where's the pinot spice?, no complexity, one loses interest quickly.

Rating: (This go-'round) 7 out of 10

Some advice from my Aunt

robert

How true:

"A bit of advice from your old Auntie...

Never drink a glass of pinot noir after eating a bowl of shredded wheat!"

:)

Chandon Riche Extra Dry California Sparkling Wine

robert

Cel-e-brate...

For a family celebration, a good champagne is required. We went with this Chandon for its charming qualities. Light peach in color, with beautiful bubbles. How can you NOT celebrate with a good champagne? On the nose, it smells like a good riesling (a PLUS for us.) On the palate, honeyed peach with citrus (orange and tangerine) hints. Copious pinot noir adds a subtle yeasty toast aspect (which we didn't love, but did balance things out.) A long, sweet finish brings the celebration to a close. Marjorie really liked this bubbly - surprise! Here's to home construction and new prospects... $20 (the champagne, not the home construction!!!)

Pros: Love that honey/peach/citrus - like German riesling with bubbles! Extra dry=semi-sweet=we like better than BRUT.

Cons: I could live without the TOAST and yeast hints.

Rating: 8.25 out of 10 Yee-ha!!!

Funky Llama 2004 Tempranillo

robert

How funky is your Llama?

From Mendoza, Argentina - it's the Funky Llama! And he's here to invade your taste buds. On sale at $7 in the Smoky Mountains, I figured it was an inexpensive way to try some 100% tempranillo wine. Known as a soft, mild red, I chose it to pair with peppery Parisian Chicken. The nose was soft berry - quite different, and on the palate, red berry with licorice and a hint of alcohol. I found its mildness balanced the spicy chicken nicely. I thought Marjorie would love this - soft mild red with no pepper or spice. But, alas, I was wrong. She did not care much for the Llama at all. Yes, I'm afraid I'm married to a FUNKY LLAMA HATER. Oh, the humanity! What a world...

Pros: Soft, mild, balanced spicy foods well, CHEAP.

Cons: Hint of alcohol not pleasant. Marjorie dislikes!

Rarting: 7.25 out of 10

Kenwood 2002 Sonoma Country Cabernet Sauvignon

robert

Let's try some Cab again!

OK. You know it. We are NOT Cab fans. Never have been. Friends say, "maybe you just haven't tried the right one yet." Right. I asked some experts, and they told me to look for a cab under 14% alcohol. And those from Sonoma County have milder tannins (the mouth-drying characteristics that distinguish a cab.) So I buy two at Sam's Club a few weeks ago...Beringer and Kenwood. Since we don't eat much in the way of red meat, it's a long wait, but tonight we have flank steak (cooked by the 13 year old!) I let the Kenwood breathe for about 30 minutes, then decant it for nearly an hour, givin' it a good shakin' every 15 minutes or so. Results: The tannins weren't too bad at all; it's the flavour we didn't like. Lots of alcohol on the nose and not much else on the palate. Yes, sucker that I am, I bought this because it was from Sonoma County, 13.7% alcohol, and had some merlot and cabernet blanc mixed it to mellow it down some. Heaven forbid they would leave the merlot OUT! What a monster this would be! We've had some decent fruity cab before in our day, but this just plain has nothing good to write home about. Not a good pairing for flank steak - not a good pairing for ANYthing. Yes, yes, we'll go with the 2001 Beringer next time. Hopefully it will do the job.

Pros: Nada.

Cons: Shouldn't wine TASTE GOOD? This does not!

Rating: 4.5 out of 10

Dr. Beckermann Auslese Rheinhessen 2004

robert

Sometimes you really DO get what you pay for (Part II)

Found this at Trader Joe's for $6. Was very tempting to pick up this German riesling for that price. It's a Qualitatswein mit Pradikat wunder-wine (at least that's what it said on the label. We typically enjoy Kabinett rieslings from the tiny Rhengau region of Germany, but have lucked into other fine German rieslings by experimenting. BUT NOT THIS TIME. This, indeed, tasted like a $6 wine. I thought about it overnight, and came up with the perfect description of this loser: Take the syrup in the bottom of a DelMonte fruit cocktail can (the kind you have to use a can-opener to open.) Now dilute it 5 to 1 with water. Pour into a fancy blue bottle, and Voila - Dr. Beckermann Auslese Rheinhessen. End of story!

Pros: Cheap.

Cons: Sappy sweet syrup-like swill with little or no redeeming qualitites. Officially marked off the "buy again" list!

Rating: 4 out of 10

The Little Penguin South Eastern Austrailia Shiraz 2004

robert

Not a "clown" wine...

We reviewed the 2003 vintage of this fine shiaz on 09 Mar, 2006 and gave it an 8 out of 10, finding that the 2003 had more sweetness, less chocolate notes and more spice, than the 2004. It's been a LONG time, and we decided at the last second to have a Dominos Pizza. We tossed the Penguin in the freezer for about 14 minutes to cool it off a bit (Penguins LOVE the freezer) and didn't give it a chance to breathe at all. Our observations: Not much on the nose: Red berrys with a hint of chocolate. On the palate, we found the same red berry with an occaisional hint of chocolate and some pepperish spice. By itself, good, solid, reliable table wine. With the pizza, not such a great pairing. I remember having better luck with Cassano's pizza, which has a much spicier pepperoni component. Next time, we'll give this wine the respect it deserves (a gradual chill down, and at least 30 minute breathing period.)

Pros: Love the bright berry flavours and cocoa hints with pepper, LOVE the $6.99 price!!!

Cons: Didn't get as much cocoa and pepper as we had before (maybe the wine was over-chilled - maybe it needed more time to breathe.) Disappointing with Dominos pizza.

Rating: (as is, under these circumstances) 7.75 out of 10

Kloster Eberbach 1997 Rheingau Riesling Kabinett

robert

1997 in the Rheingau.

We lucked upon this wine at __________ today. The Rheingau is home of our favourite German rieslings. Their supremely classy subtleness is the pinnacle of riesling. We're talking LIFE CHANGING. But A 1997 Kabinett? Are you kidding? What did we do to deserve THIS? We don't care - we just DRINK IT. Mmmmnnn. White fruit aromas give way to amazing citrus flavours. Orange, tangerine and grapefruit. Mmmmmnn - Did I already say that? Please forgive me - I'm still under its spell! The subtle sweetness balances the tart acidity like a mink-lined glove. Mmmmmnn - sorry, there I go again. It's more aggressive than the Schloss Vollrads 2002 we love so much, but it's a worthy equal, and/or alternative (when all the Schloss Vollrads is gone!) Hmmm...what are the chances there will be more left next time we stop by the wine dept.? Mmmmnnn...oh, sorry. There I go again. Best $20 we've spent in a LONG time!

Pros: BEAUTIFUL honeyed peach, pear and citrus (in an assertive yet subtle way.) This is AMAZING German Riesling!

Cons: Very limited availability. This may be the only bottle we get to taste (being a 1997 vintage and all.)

Rating: 9 out of 10 (tied for riesling 1st place!)

August Kesseler R 2003 Rheingau Riesling Qualitatswein

robert

Back to the Rheingau.

Found this at Wine Works the other day while trolling for Schloss Vollards Rheingau. Yep, we do like wine from Germany's Rheingau region, one of the smallest wine regions in Germany, but one of the highest in quality. This riesling shares many of the same characteristics that we love about Schloss Vollards riesling - that magical special taste you can't find anywhere else. The August Kesseler just cranks it up a few notches. Not as subtle. NOT AS SUBTLE! At 10.5% alcohol, it's off-dry (semi-sweet.) But where the Schloss Vollrads Kabinett balances the sweet and acid with perfection, this August Kesseler goes overboard on the acidity. Wonderful wine this is, but it would be extremely interesting to taste a Kabinett version of this riesling. It would subdue things a bit. To read about the Schloss Vollrads rieslings we've reviewed, go to: Schloss Vollrads 2002 Rheingau Riesling, and Schloss Vollrads 2003 Kabinett Riesling. $13.

Pros: Magical, classy German Rheingau flavours with a lovely nose.

Cons: Amped a bit higher than we prefer, unbalanced (too much acidity), hard to find (as is all Rheingau Rieslings.)

Rating: 8 out of 10

Thoughts on wine varieties, and why we drink them.

robert

OK, why do we drink what we drink and why?

For a light meal or snack, we go with the white. But which white? The pinot grigio we've been drinking lately pairs well with lighter fare: fish, seafood, pasta. But a good one also works well with lasagna and other red sauced Italian foods. The key in a good pinot grigio is its DRYNESS, along with its crisp, light characteristics. Riesling works great by itself, or with (our specialty) salsa and tortilla chips (we prefer organic blue corn torilla chips.) We like GERMAN rieslings, preferably Kabinett designated rieslings. Their subtle sweetness and classy citrus flavour is one of life's great joys. Simply DELIGHTFUL! We have not found a single domestic riesling that comes anywhere close to a fine GERMAN rielsing. We don't particularly care for chardonnays (rich, buttery, creamy) but enjoy Sauvignon Blancs with fish and shellfish. On the red side, we enjoy a good pinot noir with light to heavier meals. The bright berry and spice balance enhances almost ANY meal. For pasta and creamy meals, merlot is good. Marjorie sometimes dislikes an over-spicy pinot noir in favour of a smooth merlot. For BBQ, nothing beats a shiraz (bright fruit like a pinot noir with a chocolate hint and more peppery spice) and a chianti hits the spot with pizza (the bright acidity cuts right through rich cheeses and enhances an Italian meal like no other wine.) We rarely have heavy meals (i.e.red meats.) But Cabernet Sauvignons gets the job done with firm tannins. And we have yet to find a sparkling wine or champagne we both like, but we'll keep searching. ANYWAY, this is how we USE and ENJOY wines in our house. Of course, wine is as subjective as art. You may feel completely different. That's what makes wine so exciting. Don't take our word for it - try various wine yourself! Enjoy!

Ecco Domani 2003 Pinot Grigio (Italy)

robert

"Here's Tomorrow"

...is the English translation of ECCO DOMANI. In our early days of wine schlurping, this was one of our favourites. We can't remember why because WE DIDN'T RECORD OUR THOUGHTS like we are doing now. After yesterday's most excellent La Francesca Italian pinot grigio, we decided to revisit our beloved Ecco Domani. But SURPRISE - the lone bottle of Ecco Domani pinot grigio hiding out in the wine cellar was 2003 vintage. The bottle we enjoyed so much was 2004 (we still have it on our "Wine Hall of Fame" display.) Only one way to tell - pop the cork (yes, THIS one has a real cork.) The nose was a typical floral and tropical fruit mix with a bit of alcohol creeping through (we don't remember the alcohol aroma.) On the palate, the expected Italian subtle, dry fruit with the the welcomed Italian crispness came shining through. It had an interesting mouthfeel - a pleasant oily, slick feel. It definitely didn't feel as LIGHT as La Francesca, but decent. It didn't pair well with the talapia we had for dinner, though. That was a concern. We will try some 2004 Ecco Domani pinot grigio to see if that was a fluke or not. Perhaps this 2003 was a tich past its prime? We will see. In the meantime, I picked up 3 more bottles of La Francesca (on sale for $5.99 each) "Just in case!"

Pros: Good solid Italian pinot grigio.

Cons: Occaisionally some alcohol nose & palate crept through, heavier than other Italian pinot grigios, not as refreshing or delightful as other Italian pinot grigios (like La Francesca), more expensive at $12 than other good or better pinot grigios.

Rating 8 out of 10

* Note: will try a 2004 vintage to compare! *

La Francesca pinot grigio 2004

robert

SURPRISE!

After a hard weekend working in the yard landscaping, we put in some frozen lasagna with meat sauce for dinner. We decided to roll the dice and try a NEW and CHEAP pinot grigio from Italy. $5.99 on sale at the local wine shop. It had a trendy screw top, which I'd never experienced with an Italian wine before. This stuff should TANK! But, no. What's this? Light tropical fruit on the nose. On the palate - yikes! Wonderful...light, crisp, dry, subtle, acidity. This stuff ROCKS! It's surprisingly wonderful pinot grigio in the Italian style. Subdued fruit with a hint of lime on the finish. Delightfully refreshing! Paired quite well with the lasagna, even though we should've had chianti or shiraz with it. Amazing stuff for $5.99. This week we'll stock up on it before it disappears. Made for meals, but good enough as an aperitif. Just goes to show you - sometimes it pays to experiment (usually not, but in this case, YES!) Enjoy!

Pros: Dry, crisp, light, subtle, great food pairing potential, not 'over the top', $5.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cons: Not a big fan of screw tops, but we'll overlook it in this case. M-U-S-T B-U-Y M-O-R-E!

Rating: 8.75 out of 10

Castle Rock 2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

robert

A good day to plant a tree.

After some rather horrid wines of late (perils of trying new wines) we decided to try some well-reviewed pinot with some jambalaya. But first...a story. We are in the process of adding a room addition onto our house. And in the path of a new master bedroom is our favorite tree of all time: a lovely yoshino cherry (the kind that makes spring magic in Washington D.C.) Our excitement is tempered with the dread we face in having to cut down our beloved cherry tree (which is in mid-bloom at the moment.) So today, we bought a new, young yoshino cherry tree and planted it out of the way of new construction. Sure it's only 10 skinny feet tall and looks like a gangly teenager. The original tree is glorious in shape - a work of art for 6 years; giving us 5 years of spectacular spring blooms. But hopefully, the new tree will feel the same love and appreciation we gave the old, and will blossom in a few years. We christened the new tree with Castle Rock pinot noir (the Sonoma Coast appellation.) It gave great testiment to the short future of the original tree we cherished all these years. This was a special night. The wine was good and was one of only a slim few we completely finished - empty bottle. That might sound strange, but we are quite picky about the wines we drink, and rarely drink more than 1/2 glass each. The Castle Rock gave us heavy plum and raisin on the nose, with hints of red berry. On the palate, the plum and sun-dried raisin continued, with hints of berry and sweetness from the raisin. Very plummy, with hardly any pepper or spice (Marjorie really appreciated that.) It was a bit subdued compared to the pinots we normally like, but tonight it seemed special. Maybe the wine - maybe the tree ceremony. Possibly a combination of both. The alcohol content was 14.5%, but you couldn't taste the alcohol (another plus for Marjorie) but after half a bottle you sure could FEEL it (in a pleasant way!) Adios sweet cherry tree. You will be missed. Please forgive us for planting you without future foresight.

Pros: Wonderful raisin, silky mouthfeel, LONG legs, the wine made us feel good, we finished the entire bottle!

Cons: Less bright (red berry) than we typically like, high alcohol content, need to try the other appellations of Castle Rock pinot noir (not really a BAD thing at all!) More berry with more spice would balance things out better.

Rating: 8.25 out of 10

Marjorie & Robert next to newly planted yoshino cherry tree (old tree, soon to be cut down for new construction, in rear, left.) To see photo of old tree in bloom, see 17 Apr, 2006 review for Echelon 2004 pinot noir.

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio 2005

robert

Crikey! 0 for 2!

After the chianti disaster (again) with dinner, I thought - what the heck - let's break out the Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio! We've had it stashed away for a long time, dreading the day we actually have to DRINK it. It's not that we don't like Australian wine - we LOVE The Little Penguin wines a lot. It's just that we have never found a Yellow Tail wine that we enjoyed at all. Everything we've ever tried tasted like CHEAP wine. And this pinot grigio was no different. It has a pretty floral nose of tropical fruits. It entices you to put the stuff in your mouth. Once there, you discover the truth. Super dry liquid that has just the faintest pineapple far in the background. It's not light, crisp or balanced with acidity like a decent Italian pinot grigio - although it mentions the word on the label, there's nothing ELEGANT about this wine at all. Not refreshing, either. We can't even say our normal consulation statement of "it would taste refreshing on the back porch on a sweltering summer evening." I thought it may need some food, so I tried a few things in the fridge and it tasted JUST as bad as it did solo. The bitterness reminds me of cheap little girls perfume in the tiny plastic heart-shaped bottle. Imagine that scent. Now image DRINKING that perfume. At least it, too, was cheap! End of story...

Pros: This bottle is finally OUT of the wine rack for good! No more Yellow Tail ANYTHING for us!

Cons: It doesn't quite taste as bad as the barnyard flavour of the Gabbiano's chianti we had earlier (close, but not quite as bad!)

Rating: 3.5 out of 10

Gabbiano 2004 Chianti (attempt #2)

robert

Italy awaits my review (again)...

OK, OK, so on 08 Mar, 2006 I reviewed this chianti and, yes, I do admit that I said that it "would possibly make an excellent rat killer or insect repellent" and gave it a 0 out of 10 rating. Hey, I'm SORRY! Sheesh! I calls 'em as I sees 'em. My friend Joseph, who has taste buds of steel (as well as BUNS of steel) - thought that I was a bit, say, HARSH on ol' Gabbiano. So I promised him I would try it again one day (and buy the bottle from a wine store - NOT Target, where the first bottle was purchased.) Today is that day. [Hum cheesy fanfare here!] Cheesy pizza graced our table, and I opened the bottle of Gabbiano, hoping for the best. On the nose I got bright, sweet chianti fruit. I also got that funky, disturbing nondescript odor. On the palate, ditto. It tastes like someone took a nice chianti and poured in a healthy helping of horse stall contents (complete with dirty straw and, well, you know - horse dookey.) Why someone would want to DO this, I do not know. Marjorie agreed with me about the horse stall/barnyard smell, except she substituted, um, urine, for my horse dookey (well, not actually MY horse dookey, but someone's horse dookey.) I'm at a loss folks. This is not good. I've tasted and enjoyed Ecco Domani, Piccini and DaVinci chiantis. This is NOTHING like those. Maybe this is supposed to be different, but it certainly isn't too pleasant. I will back off the claim about it making a good rat poison or insect repellent out of respect to Joseph. They DO make a Chianti Classico and Chianti Riserva upscale versions of this wine. Maybe Joseph has been drinking those. Or perhaps I received ANOTHER corked bottle of this wine. I won't make the same mistake a third time. At least it was only $8 down the drain (literally.)

Pros: I've learned never to buy this again.

Cons: Nasty/funky barnyard taste and smell NUKES a potentially OK chianti.

Rating: 3 out of 10 (out of respect to Joseph)

TOP WINE LIST 4-21-06

robert

[ed. note:� this wines and ratings are ancient history now.� Our tastes have definitely changed over the years.� Go to our current blog (Wine-O-Rama):� http://wine.robertmiller.org� to see what we like now.

- - -

To keep things straight and organized (easy for us to see) here are our top scoring wines since we started the blog (wines not reviewed in the blog are NOT included)

Pinot Noir

Echelon 2004 9.5, Echelon 2003 9.0, La Crema 2003 8.5, Irony 2003 8.35, Clos Du Bois 2004 8.25, Frei Bros. 2003 8.0, Meridian 2004 7.75

(We look for bright, pure, red berry fruit that balances well with a spicy kick, beautiful colour and silky mouthfeel.)

Riesling

Schloss Vollrads 2002 9.0, Schloss Vollrads 2003 Kabinett 8.35, Schlink Haus Kabinett 2004 8.25

(We look for a very subtle sweetness and classy,crisp, well-balanced acidity.)

Merlot

Fusee 2003 8.5, The Little Penguin 2004 8.5 (watch for a Clos Du Bois review soon - my favorite!)

(We look for smooth and mellow fruit, with much depth and complexity.)

Chianti

Ecco Domani 2004 8.0, Piccini 2004 7.5, DaVinci 2004 7.5

(We look for great [Italian] food pairing ability without a "funky" taste.)

Shiraz

The Little Penguin 2003 8.0

(We look for a bright berry foundation balancing a spicy pepper finish with chocolate hints.)

Pinot Grigio

Riff 2004 7.5 (watch for an Ecco Domani review soon - our favorite!)

(We look for a crisp, light and dry white that is refreshing and a good food companion.)

Zach. Bergweiler-Prum Erben 2000 Riesling Kabinett

robert

Berkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg

I know it's German, but I don't don't what the heck it means, but it's on the front of the label. Found this at a local wine shop on sale for $15 and thought it sounded interesting. The colour is very interesting: the colour of a golden pale ale - quite yellowish. It is Qualitatswein mit Pradikat from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region of Germany and weighs in at 8.5% alcohol (here comes some sweetness.) We were impressed by the vintage and quality level, but were concerned about the winery origin. We don't seem to like many rieslings from the Mosel. But this wine blog is about trying new things, so here we go. The nose is intense pear and honey. The flavour echos the intensity of fruit and honey with a high acidity level that doesn't quite balance out the intense sweetness. Not much in the way of citrus, maybe a minute touch of grapefruit. This wasn't bad by any means (quite nice for a change) but it's not as subtle nor classy as we're used to with the Schloss Vollrads (and others.) Paired decently with the traditional German salsa and torilla chips (grin!)

Pros: Quality riesling, nice for a change.

Cons: Too sweet for our taste, not as subtle or classy as we wanted, even on sale it was a bit expensive. For same price Schloss Vollrads will do the trick!

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Meridian 2004 Pinot Noir (Central Coast)

robert

Life can be complicated. Wine doesn't have to be. (from the label!)

We're becoming a big fan of Central Coast (California) pinot noir. Our fav Echelon grows there. So, when Wine Enthusiast mag. glows about a $9 pinot noir, we HAVE to try it ( y e s , m a h - s t e r, w e w i l l t r y i t . . . ) Mild red berries on the nose with the same on the palate. Loooong legs and a laid-back casual attitude. This is a very pleasant pinot. Not much pepper on the finish (like I like,) but decent stuff. Not BAD, but nothing to write home about. For $9, it is a real pinot bargain. Soon we will revisit The Little Penguin Pinot Noir to see how a $7 wine that we have liked in the past compares to this and others. All in all, this is a pleasant, non-offensive, good pinot noir. We're not sure if that is good enough for our pinot dollars.

Pros: pleasant, decent, non-offensive, "not bad", CHEAP!

Cons: See "Pros", rather unbalanced, not much pepper spice, tastes like a "yuppie"/feel good wine.

Rating: 7.75 out of 10

Echelon 2004 Pinot Noir (Central Coast: Salinas Valley, Calif.)

robert

Happy TAX Day! (Observed)

For tax day, we decided to pair a very non-taxing pinot noir with Parisian Chicken that Marjorie created. We were a bit nervous, as our favorite pinot noir to date was the 2003 vintage of Echelon pinot noir. But alas, we had nothing at all to be worried about - the 2004 actually surpasses the 2003! The bright strawberry licorice (almost like Twizzlers!) nose ushers in the beautifully bright fruit-forward red berry flavours (strawberry and bing cherry) with a hint of vanilla and clove spice. The purity and brightness of its fruit is deceptive: it tastes sweet, but this is a quite dry pinot - the fruit gives the impression of sweetness. It is a very delightful experience, both by itself and paired with food. This is truly the best, most pleasant, pinot noir I have ever experienced. I'll choose this $14 pinot over those 3, 4, even 5 times as expensive. The balance is wonderful, and the drinking experience is exquisite. Wine is SO subjective - but for me, THIS is what pinot noir should be, regardless of price. In a word...YUM!

Pros: bright red fruit, incredible purity of fruit, fantastic balance (bright fruit vs. spiciness), long delightful finish, long legs, super sexy colour in the glass - this is the pinnacle for me! Ultimate value at $14!

Cons: None!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10!!! Highest score to date. Stuff that down your 1040 form! :)

Argyle 2004 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

robert

Happy Easter from Oregon!

We've been waiting a long time for a good excuse to try this pinot noir from Oregon. I've heard good things from smart, witty people with greater palates than mine (i.e. wine magazines.) Easter gave us the excuse to bring out this $25 pinot to join with roast pork at Easter dinner. The aroma is complex, indeed - cherry, plum, rose pedals and lillac blossoms. Not something that we enjoyed, mind you, but at least "different." On the palate, the complex confusion continued. There's nothing like drinking flowers (yes, sarcasm detected!) along with cherry and strawberry. This is a light and jammy pinot; a bit "hot" at 14% alcohol (we're not a big fan of TASTING alcohol.) Sometimes different is good, but not in this case. This may be good pinot noir, but just not for us.

Pros: "Different", complex, beautiful ruby colour.

Cons: TOO different, "hot", too floral, too expensive for the experience, unbalanced in my opinion.

Rating: 7.00 out of 10 (no more Argyle - we'll stick with other pinots that we like better.)

Fusee 2003 California Merlot

robert

Fusee (few-zay) the French translation for rocket, an ignitable, cylindrical projectile.

What better way to celebrate the traditional tax deadline than with some Fusee (vinted and bottled by 3 Loose Screws, a division of Don Sebastian & Sons from Napa California.) We tried the 2001 vintage many moons ago after seeing a glowing review in Wine Enthusiast magazine (for the 2003 vintage.) We were underwhelmed. We couldn't blame the cork, as Fusee comes with a trendy screw cap. Maybe it was ill stored or something. But this 2003, well, it's delightful. Along with the typical plum aroma, a strong fig element shines through - how different and wonderful. On the palate the plum and fig take a back seat to bright red berry, with hints of vanilla, green pepper, and at times, mocha makes a faint appearance. It's a tad bit sweeter than your typical merlot which we think is a GOOD thing. To me, I can best describe it as having the flavour of a good, bright, fruit-forward pinot noir (like Echelon) without the pinot spicy kick. It even LOOKS similar to pinot noir in color and long legs. What blows our minds is that this beauty cost $6, vaulting this into the ranks of The Little Penguin and Clos Du Bois as our favorite merlots. Try some today, but beware of lift-off!

Pros: Delightful nose and flavours, Just complex enough, Pinot Noir-like characteristics, SIX bucks!!!

Cons: Uh, no more left...bummer :(

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Frei Brothers Reserve 2003 Pinot Noir

robert

A fine Russian River Valley (Northern Sonoma) pee-no.

Roast chicken tonight called out (it actually picked up the phone and dialed 555-1212) for pinot noir and one of our past favorites: Frei Bros. That was the 2002 vintage; but what about tonights 2003? Eh? Well, we got aromas of black cherries, black tea, and hints of strawberry and vanilla that followed through on the palate along with the trademark peppery kick. This is complex pinot noir, keeping us guessing what we'll pick up on with the next sip (that's a GOOD thing!) We liked the 2002 better than this 2003 for its brighter red berry (balanced the pepper spice better, in our humble opinion.) Still, this is great, classy red. But, then again, at $23, it IS a bit pricy (yuh-huh!) We prefer Echelon and La Crema, which are LESS expensive (and a better bang for the buck.)

Pros: Complex, classy, nice balance, long spicy finish, pairs well with food.

Cons: Pricy, needs brighter berry flavour, other pinots are a better value, alcohol flavour is hot at 14.3% (slightly higher than the 2002 vintage.)

Rating: 8 out of 10

Leonard Kreusch Rheinhessen 2001 Kabinett

robert

Back to the future.

If you remember, on 31 March, 2006, (screen blurs, harp strumming sounds, going back in time) we LOVED the 2004 vintage of this German white. We enjoyed its light, semi-dry character, with a very "different" orange skin, grapefruit and tangerine flavours, and light floral notes. We wondered how great this wine would taste if cellared for a year or two. When I spotted this 2001 vintage in, of all places, a wine shop in Gatlinburg, TN, I thought it would be fine time to fast forward into the future and one of our favorite wines. Sooooooooo...cooling our wine down in the mini-fridge of our royal room at the Townsend, TN Comfort Inn, AND upgrading our plastic tumblers to actual GLASS tumblers (purchased from the local Dollar General store,) we decided to give it a try with salsa & organic blue tortilla chips. OK, here's the story: Seems heavier, sweeter, less crisp, more grapefruit, less orange and tangerine. Less satisfying. Possibilities: 1) Did not pair well with the salsa. 2) These ain't $20 Riedel white wine glasses (uh, $1 for each tumbler!) 3) We are WAY outside our normal wine sipping environment. 4) Bottle was mis-stored in sunlight (for years.) Any or all four could've influenced the taste. We found ANOTHER bottle of the same 2001 stuff at ANOTHER wine store in Gatlinburg,stored perfectly. (What are the chances?) Under the circumstances, we would give this bottle a rating of 7.8. In the near FUTURE we will revisit the OTHER 2001 (and more 2004) for a re-trial using the scientific WINE method. $8.99.

Adios from our last night in the beautiful Smoky Mountains and Townsend, TN (the QUIET side of the Smokies - shhh!)

Mirassou California Merlot 2002

robert

Live from the Smoky Mountains...

Pros: Cheap.

Cons: Cheap.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Dr. L Riesling

robert

Sweety-Pie...

Wine #3 of 3 on Super Sunday. Let's end on a sweet note: German riesling. At 8.5% alcohol, I anticipated that this would be quite sweet - nectarish, even. After "Popping" the screw top, I detected some sulphur along with cane sugar with uber sweetness. On the taste buds, candied pears with honeyed peaches and a hint of sulphur. Not as crisp as I would've thought. Needs more acid to balance the sugar, in my opinion. This riesling would pair very well with spicy hot foods, like our traditional salsa. Tonight, we went commando - naked wine - no food. Dr. L. (short for Doctor Ernst Loosen, King of German of Riesling) would make a decent dessert wine, as well. We are used to Kabinett wines rieslings with lower sugar and lighter body, so this was way over the top for us. "Would be nice on a hot sweltering summer night on the back porch..." But it brings a close to SUPER WINE SUNDAY (DAY..Day...day...) $15.

Pros: Classy German flavours.

Cons: Too sweet, needs more acidity to balance, too heavy for us, expensive.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Thierry & Guy FAT BASTARD Merlot 2004

robert

Fat Bastard is the name of the wine, not the reviewer...

The name FAT BASTARD describes the British term for a particularly rich and full wine (at least that's what it says on the label.) Why a French wine is named after a British term, I do not know. Seems like the French and British don't get along all that well, anyway. So this is Part II of Super Sunday (2 of 3 wines.) Ironically, we found this merlot to be very un-Fat Bastard-ish. That is, we found it to be light and subdued, not rich and full. Fruity (plum and berry) on the nose, with the said fruit and mineral notes on the palate. A nice, decent merlot. One we wouldn't mind drinking again, but for the same $10 we can guzzle some other merlots that we like much better. Or we could pay that extra $3 and get some Clos Du Bois merlot and enjoy the decadent fruit and chocolate that I like so well. OK, so two down, one to go to bring Super Sunday to a close...

Pros: Decent, light, gotta love the cool name.

Cons: Not outstanding, many others better for the same or lower price.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Stay tuned for part 3 of 3 of SUPER SUNDAY...to be continued...

Firesteed 2003 Pinot Noir (Oregon)

robert

The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be...

It's been many moons since we last tried Firesteed pinot noir. Back in the early days of our wine infancy, we remember loving this pinot. It's Super Sunday (3 wines in one day) so we thought we'd revisit this wine. The colour is gorgeous - strawberry red. The nose broadcasts beautiful strawberries, as well. On the palate - blah! Watered down berry. No spice. Not offensive. But not good. Not complex. Not satisfying. We could understand how we liked this as rookies, but with a few bottles under our belts, this is a definite no more repeat buy. :( Interesting factoid: In our early years, we seemed to enjoy the 2003 vintage - we still have the real CORK from that bottle. THIS bottle (also a 2003 vintage) had an artifical rubber cork. What gives?

Pros: Colour and nose.

Cons: Watered down flavour, no spice/pepper, unsatisfying, not complex at all.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Stay tuned for part 2 of 3 of SUPER SUNDAY...to be continued...

Irony 2003 Pinot Noir Monterey County

robert

Vinted by Life's Strange Twists Wine Company (That's the REAL name!)

Irony: An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning. We've never heard of nor seen this baby before, but this pinot noir was recommended to us so we grabbed it for $12.99 at Jungle Jim's. The label tells the story explaining the name of the wine (two brothers who shunned the family wine business, swearing they would never stomp grapes, but after college, careers and life they come back to the family business and produce this awesome wine...sniff!) How is it? Well, from the understated golden label to the transparent beet red color, this is a classy pinot. On the nose, it is spicy with alcohol notes (yep, 14.5% alcohol.) On the palate, some magic makes it come alive. Mixed in with the red berry/strawberry flavour is a remarkable SMOKY element. I get hints of leather and bacon frying in the pan (in a GOOD way.) I would prefer a bit BRIGHTER berry presence, but this wine is nicely balanced. It doesn't have the expected pinot PEPPER, but the smoky flavour works well in its place. Marjorie typically doesn't like the peppery side of pinot noir, so I thought she would eat this up (uh...or DRINK it up) but she didn't like IRONY as much as I did (but she does admit that her mood is a tremendous influence on how she approaches a wine, whereas I am more analytical and more emotionally detached towards a wine.) She experiences a wine based on how she feels at that particular moment in her life. I am influenced to feel based on the wine's characteristics (the wine makes me feel a certain way.) Both are fine and there are no WRONG ways to approach wine. We can both agree that it seems to amplify emotions (food, the present events in our life. "the moment.") Paired surprisingly well with chicken calzones (light on the tomato sauce) for dinner.

Pros: Classy flavour, cool smokiness, a real bargain at $13!

Cons: I would appreciate a touch more bright berry, I miss a bit of pinot pepper.

Rating: 8.35 out of 10

* * *

Afterthought: I opened the bottle to "let it breathe" for about an hour before dinner. After an hour or so in the glass AFTER THAT, it took on the pepper hints. Just wanted to let you know...

von Wilhelm Haus 2004 Riesling Kabinett (Germany)

robert

Vee haf veys of making you luff dis apple juice... uh... wheezlink...

At Jungle Jim's (an acre of unique wines) - 11 wines selected - one to go to get the 10% discount...Bum-bump...bum-bump... Do we get a tried and true wine winner or experiment with a newbie? Pressure's on - time's a wasting - and...we go with the unknown quantity. It's a Kabinett (a plus for us, indeed) - it's a Qualit�tswein mit Pr�dikat riesling (uh-huh; sounds promising) - so WE ROLL THE $10 DICE! This evening we give it the ol' college try. Soft, sweet, floral aromas - so far so good - and on the palate...it's...it's...it's...Monty Python's Flying Circususses...NO!...It's APPLE JUICE. Nothing more, nothing less. VERY similar to the J.&H.A. Strub Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling Kabinett 2002 we tried on 26 Mar, 2006. At least this "apple juice" cost $7 less than the Strub. Don't get us wrong: this in NO WAY tastes bad. In fact it tastes quite nice and pleasant. It just doesn't taste like good German riesling. Yup - apple juice! Now, one bright note here: Marjorie absolutely LOVED the beautiful frosted blue bottle with metallic sun rays and yellow accents. Of course, it's NOT a true long-narrow necked riesling bottle, but beautiful in its own way.

Pros: Tasty apple juice and awesome bottle!

Cons: Simply apple juice. :(

Rating: 5.5 out of 10 (for the wine - the bottle gets a perfect "10" from Marjorie!)

Smoking Loon 2004 California Viognier

robert

Quack!

Round Two of Viognier wine. I did some research and disovered that this wine should be partaken in its youth. Since the Fess Parker 2002 we tried to sample last night was nearly 5 years old, we thought we'd try this $9 bottle of Smoking Loon which I found at our local Target store. The nose was spot on once again - glorious mango! The palate was similar to the Fess Parker with a tad bit of fruit (mainly pineapple) and copious alcohol peeking through. So be it: We do not like viognier wine, Sam I Am; we do not like it in a bar, we do not like it in a car... well, you get the idea. At 13.5% alcohol, this Smoking Loon is still a heavy, full-bodied white. We'll pass on this from now on. Your mileage may vary.

Pros: Incredible mango aroma! Inexpensive.

Cons: Unfortunately, it doesn't translate to the palate (not much of anything does.)

Rating: 5 out of 10 (mainly for the nose.)

Riff Pinot Grigio 2004 (Italy)

robert

Light & Refreshing, the Italian Way...

A floral and sweet nose introduces a light, crisp pinot grigio with hints of lime. Nice and refreshing, this is good stuff. It paired perfectly with spicy Jambalaya. Not quite as wonderful as Ecco Domani, this Italian pinot grigio is still a bargain at $10. Sitting here in early April, I can close my eyes and image sipping this on a hot summer evening, the sweat dripping off the bottle. Ahhh...

Pros: Light, crisp, refreshing, inexpensive.

Cons: A superior Ecco Domani costs the same...

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Fess Parker 2002 Viognier Santa Barbara County

robert

Oh, what a tangled web we weave... (Mystery Theatre 101)

I read a wonderful review in Wine Enthusiast magazine glowing about the 2004 vintage of this wine, so I was delighted to find the 2002 version for $23 at a local wine shop. We waited for a special evening to try out this unique white grape and popped the light green artificial cork. The nose echoed what the review promised: glorious mango with citrus and cream notes. It reminded me of the incredible mangos I ate during a visit to Haiti - the fruit growing right outside in the courtyard. The dream soon morphed into a nightmare when the wine hit my taste buds. Sure 14.5% alcohol is A LOT, especially for a white wine, but I don't want to taste mainly rubbing alcohol in my expensive wine. There is nothing left to taste but what I can only describe as JUNK. No fruit - nothing that I detected in the nose. What a world (help me; I'm melting...) Since this was our first go 'round with Viognier and I've read rave reviews about how wonderful and exotic it should be, I can only speculate that either 1) this is how Viognier SHOULD taste (doubtful,) and 2) this bottle, being nearly 5 years old must be going (or done GONE) bad. Being good sports, I'm willing to try some Smoking Loon Viognier that I saw at Target for $9 to see if the bottle was indeed past its prime. We'll hold judgement on this until that happens. As is, I find this Fess Parker 2002 totally undrinkable - a definite BUMMER since it cost twenty-three bucks! :(

Jacob's Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut Cuvee Sparkling Wine

robert

Australian champagne?

80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, 100% dismal bubbly. A strange yeasty nose leads to a bitter semi-dry fizz. The label talks about the chardonnay contributing the citrus and toasted cashew nut flavour, marrying the pinot noir breadcrust on the palate. WHAT? No citrus detected at all! Cashew and breadcrust? Maybe in a warped, overly imaginative imagination. Thanks for the extra-added pinot noir and the "in-bottle" secondary fermentation, but we'll pass on this next celebration. I think Marjorie is mellowing a bit: Besides saying that this sparkler was "amazingly nasty," she thoughtfully added that she liked the bubbles on her tongue. See there - every dark cloud has a silver lining! $13 and never again.

Pros: Bubbly, no one lost an eye while opening it!

Cons: Weird yeasty flavour, we found nothing that was described on the label.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10

Yellow Tail 2005 Riesling - South Eastern Australia

robert

Austria or Australia?

Two words: Don't bother. We saw this for $6 while buying some proper Schloss Vollrads German riesling. The idea of Australian riesling intruiged us, but we doubted this would be decent stuff. The moral to this story is that we should always listen to that little voice ("don't do it, you idiots!") So there - we tried a totally brand new wine. And blew $6 in the process. Yuck! No pros, cons or ratings this time - not worth it. Just like ANTI-Nike: DON'T do it!

Cartlidge & Browne 2004 California Pinot Noir

robert

Almost...

This red was a nice, basic pinot noir; nothing more, nothing less. Lots of alcohol on the nose and lots of plum of the palate. We found it a bit unbalanced. We'd prefer more bright berry and less plum and fig, but it did pair much better with the Chicken Mirabella Marjorie whipped up than by its self. The trademark pinot noir spice took its good old time presenting itself, waiting until the end of dinner to make an appearance. Once it showed up, it was a little too powerful for Marjorie. Not a bad pinot, but for $14, we can get some Echelon or Firesteed.

Pros: Good basic pinot noir, you might like it better than us, paired well with food (but not on its own.)

Cons: Too plummy, needs more red berry, harsh alcohol nose, unbalanced (in our opinion), not a big bang for the buck.

Rating: 7.25 out of 10

Schlink Haus Riesling 2004

robert

Note to self: This is NOT as good as the Schlink Haus Kabinett 2004 (riesling mix) we enjoyed on 22 Mar, 2006.

Dear self: This German white is not as good as it's big brother. This riesling is not a Kabinett (not as subtle, light, crisp or classy) and it is not Qualit�tswein mit Pr�dikat (simply a Qualit�tswein.) So, self, what does that mean? It's heavier, sweeter and more grapefruity (if I can use that adjective legally.) It's still a nice German riesling - a good casual table wine. Just not as special. And it costs two bucks more than the Kabinett we like much better. So, self - don't screw up again!!! Okay!

Pros: A decent $10 German riesling.

Cons: Too heavy and sweet, too much grapefruit for me.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

*Not in the same league as the Leonard Kreusch Rheinhessen Kabinett 2004 we enjoyed last night.

Leonard Kreusch Rheinhessen Kabinett 2004

robert

Ahhh....

Wow! What a unique white German wine. It has a VERY different (attractive) fresh floral nose and the extremely interesting flavours of citrus (orange skin, grapefruit and tangerine) with a foundation of peach and pear. With a low alcohol content of 9%, it is surprisingly dry, in a very flattering way. Its subtle characteristics are a result of being a Kabinett (the grapes picked before being fully ripened, resulting in a less sweet wine) and a Qualit�tswein mit Pr�dikat wine (no additional sugars added, by German law.) This is a very classy, light wine. No sign anywhere of the grape line-up for this wine, but it's no doubt a complex effort consisting of at least 50% kabinett riesling (probably more.) For $8.99, we will stock up on this beauty! We shudder (with joy) to think how this would taste with another year or two (or three) of cellaring under its belt. A wonderful wine - especially for winers who don't like sweet German whites.

Pros: DELIGHTFULLY light and citrus, Classy subtle nose and flavours, Pure joy, Quite the bargain!!!

Cons: None, really.

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Lindemans Bin 99 Pinot Noir South Eastern Australia 2004

robert

Ho Hum

Marjorie decided to take the night off from wine, so I dug deep into the cellar and pulled out this cheapie (wanna keep the good stuff for both of us!) We both really like The Little Penguin Pinot Noir (also from South Eastern Australia) so, for about the same price, I thought this bottle might have a chance. But it was not to be. Syrupy sweet berry nose - on the palate, VERY plummish with a mild spice finish. Missing were the strawberry and cherry flavours that add complexity to a pinot. This was very "two dimensional." Not a wonderful wine experience, although it paired grudgingly with fried chicken with the breading removed. No where near the experience of an Echelon, La Crema or Firesteed - let alone the $6.99 Little Penguin. Perhaps it would be best served for a large party wine, but then again, for the same price, The Little Penguin Pinot Noir runs (swims?) circles around the Lindemans.

Pros: Cheap (but so is the vastly superior Little Penguin!)

Cons: Tastes like CHEAP pinot noir.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Relax Riesling 2004

robert

Zzzzzzzzzz...

This white has YUPPIE written all over it. Blue transparent bottle with R E L A X spelled out vertically on the bottle - no label. Eye-grabbing, yes. Wonderful riesling, no. The REAL name of this wine is: Schmidtt Sohne (you know, the "smiling sun" winery) Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2004 Riesling Qualitswein b.A. The text on the rear of the bottle spins a yarn about how wonderful it is. Well, I'm not a SOMMELIER, but I should have known better. The nose is super sugary sweet with a HINT of fruit. The flavour is 80% apple juice, 15% tart green apple and 3% peach/pear and 2% high fructose corn syrup (I speculate on that last one.) It is syrupy sweet. Much more than a 9.5% alcohol content riesling should be. I believes I tastes some artificially bolstered SUGAR added (as is permissible with a German Qualitswein.) Uh-huh! It's about as delicate and subtle as a Mack truck. They should sell this wine with training wheels attached. It's the perfect wine for FIRST TIME wine buyers. It tastes like a soft drink. Actually, it wouldn't be bad as a wine cooler on a hot summer evening on the back porch or hot tub. It WOULD be refreshing, but just not interesting enough for a repeat visit. At least it was only $8 at Target. And how did I get suckered into buying this? The fancy-dancy yuppie bottle? The low price? Well...um...research. Yeah; that's the ticket! ;)

Pros: Would be refreshing on a hot summer eve. Cheap. Cooooo-well bottle, dude!

Cons: Not delicate or subtle, definitely not classy riesling from Germany. QbA marketed for the UsA!

Rating: 6 out of 10 (mainly for cool bottle and cheap price.)

Clos Du Bois 2004 Pinot Noir Sonoma County

robert

Pinot-licious

From its beautiful strawberry hue to its long legs, this is a nice pinot noir.� A subtle berry nose proceeds a pleasant, if understated, plum and black cherry flavour on the palate with hints of strawberries.��A mild�spicy and berry finish brought things to a medium length close.��It paired nicely tonight with orange roughy.� It's not the flashiest pinot around, but it's pretty darn good.� It does everything well, nothing poorly, but nothing "best of class."� For $15, it's a good pinot noir that we both enjoy - a definite repeat buy.� The highest compliments we can give it is that Clos Du Bois Pinot Noir is PLEASANT and NICE.

Pros:� Get the message?

Cons:� Could be a bit MORE� :)

Rating:� 8.25 out of 10

The Little Penguin South Eastern Australia Merlot 2004

robert

Penguin Power (Cowabunga, dude!)

"How do they do this for $6.99???!!!!" This merlot is about as smooth and mellow as it gets. As I've said before, I'm not a huge merlot fan, but my favorite merlot is Clos Du Bois - its chocolate notes and complexity is wonderful. The Little Penguin is half the cost.� When you drink The Little Penguin Merlot, you WILL have a good time. Why? I dunno. Drugs, mind control, sunspots, UFO's? Whatever it is, I'm a' like-in' it.

Pros: Smooth velvety bright berry aromas and flavours. Unreal merlot at $6.99!

Cons: Needs a lot more complex, could use some chocolate hints but we're being very picky here...

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

J.&H.A. Strub Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling Kabinett 2002

robert

Gutsabfullung!!!

That means "estate bottled" in German wine lingo (not some obscene scream.) From Rheinhessen (Germany's largest wine region) it is also a top-rated Qualit�tswein mit Pr�dikat riesling. When I unearthed this bottle at a local wine shop I was very excited (woo hoo!) I couldn't wait to try it out, so we uncorked it and poured it into our finest Riedel stemware this evening. And...hmmm...decent honeyed peach and pear nose...but on the palate...100% apple juice. A very GOOD apple juice, but an apple juice none-the-less. Bummer. We tried to find a hint of riesling honey and peach, but it's not there. Now don't get us wrong. It's quite an accomplishment to take a riesling grape and make it taste like pure apple juice. But we were after the whole German riesling experience. On my tongue, it bounced from 100% pure apple juice (no sugar added) to tart green apple and back. Again, this was not terrible wine - it was very good...err..apple juice. It did not taste BAD in any way. It just tasted like...apple juice. Something we could've bought at the local grocery store for about $14.00 LESS than I paid for this wine. Another "never again" buy.

Pros: Tasty apple juice.

Cons: $15.99 apple juice!!!

Rating: 5.5 out of 10 (for wine) - (9 out of 10 for apple juice!)

Schloss Vollrads 2003 Kabinett Rheingau Riesling

robert

Schloss is the sound of the last of a bottle emptying into a wine glass

Similar in nose and palate to its older brother (2002 that we enjoyed so much,) this German Riesling is a year younger and a notch higher on the German wine quality totem pole (it's a Qualit�tswein mit Pr�dikat - wine of special distinction by German law.) The 2002 that we loved was merely a Qualit�tswein, and not a Kabinett. Yet we prefered the 2002 over this wine. The 2003 vintage shares the same flavours (peach and pear with honey) but they're not quite as subtle here. We didn't get that hint of orange citrus, just notes of grapefruit and a touch of bitter aftertaste. And we could sense the alcohol softly creeping through - not your normal semi-sweet riesling (10% alcohol.) Maybe this bottle was abused (the wine shop purchased a lot for closeout at an estate auction) or maybe it just needs more time to sleep. There was a large difference in the 2002 we loved and the 2000 we had the honor of tasting last year (it was divine.) But again we nitpick. This is a FINE wine. Just not quite as light, subtle or classy as the 2002. We may buy a couple of bottles to cellar for a few years. $14.00.

Pros: A wonderful German Riesling!

Cons: Not as light, subtle or classy as the 2002. A touch of bitter/alcohol aftertaste.

Rating: 8.35 out of 10

Greg Norman Estates Limestone Coast Shiraz 2003

robert

Bogey on the 18th...

Paired with Cassano's Pizza (they left off my onions and peppers, arrgghh!!!) this Australian shiraz didn't quite live up to its expectations. It's a BIG "in your face" shiraz. On the nose, it explodes with intensity, showing extracted mixed berries, a hint of dark chocolate, (not enough for me) and licorice. The implied oak was missing in action. In the mouth, the wine is equally intense with powerful black cherries, blackberry, blueberry, and VERY spicy pepper. The midpalate is nicely balanced, and the wine shows through the finish with sturdy tannins and a long velvety finish, punctuated by hints of licorice. It was a nice change of pace, but pound for pound, The Little Penguin Shiraz is a much bigger bang for the buck. It has a tiny bit less pepper and complexity, but more bright berry flavour with more delightful chocolate notes. Not to mention The Little Penguin costs $6.99 to Greg Norman's $18.99! No contest. After the Greg Norman was in the glass for about an hour (and at actual room temperature) it became very bitter. Seems Norman had the lead but choked on the 18th hole (uh...to a Penguin!)

Pros: Nicely complex - many layers to explore, intense.

Cons: Too spicy, where's my chocolate?, petered out towards the end.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Twin Fin California 2004 Pinot Noir

robert

...all flavors and no worries (per bottle)

We paired this pinot with sea bass, and were underwhelmed. It seems to have all the pieces of the puzzle to be successful, but there's something not quite right: A "fishy" nose (I had to go to another room because I thought it was the sea bass,) HEAVY plum (too much if you ask me) flavour with a triffle strawberry hint and a latent black pepper spice. But there's also a cough syrup aspect to deal with and it feels "watery" in the mouth (not deliciously smooth and velvety like the label says.) This appears to be one of those new age feel good California pinots that are more advertising glitz than quality (screw top and all.) We paid $9.99 for this at Target and it tastes like a much cheaper wine. It SHOULD be good, but it just doesn't have a soul. Officially crossed off our "repeat buy" list.

Pros: Cute label design.

Cons: Strange nose, cough syrup taste, not complex or classy.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10

Schlink Haus Kabinett 2004 Bereich Nahetal

robert

What is in the Kabinett?

For $7.99 this puppy is dandy. It tastes like a fine German riesling, it's a Qualit�tswein mit Pr�dikat wine (Germany's highest wine rating) and it comes in a neato blue bottle. But what exactly IS it? Well, it's 60% Riesling, 20% Muller-Thurgau, 10% Bacchus and 10% Scheurebe. You could say that it is a viniological Heinz 57, yah? But what is it LIKE? Interesting melon and grapefruit nose, and like I said before, it tastes very similar to a nice German riesling - that is, classy subtle honeyed sweetness with a hint of honeydew melon and a dollup of grapefruit tossed in for good measure. The sweetness is a tiny bit more understated than most of the German rieslings we drink, but to us that's a GOOD thing (sorry Martha Stewart. Please don't sue us!) As is typical for rieslings, we paired this great white with salsa - this evening it was Frog Ranch Mild (which isn't so mild - ouch!) Marjorie made the observation that the Schlink Haus Kabinett didn't extinguish the fire like our normal rieslings do. Maybe it's a little too mild to balance out the jalapenos. In any rate, it's a FINE German wine - stealthly sweet, subtle, classy, crisp and refreshing. Still not in the same league as our fav Schloss Vollards Kabinett (see 04, March 2006,) but at half the cost, we can enjoy it more often (and we will!)

Pros: See above: light, subtle sweet honey, crisp, refreshing, classy, a true bargain!

Cons: Could be a tiny bit more assertive (but, my, aren't we being picky?)

Rating: 8.25 out of 10

DaVinci 2004 Chianti (Italy)

robert

Leo likes his Spaghetti

Ok, so here comes DaVinci Chianti, jumping in on the great chianti challenge. As you recall in our last episode, Robert really liked Piccini chianti with Domino's Pizza. Enter Leonardo's grapes. Tonight's mission: spaghetti. On it's own, it's a bit mellower than Piccini, but still has that bright, acidy strawberry flavour with a hint of earthiness (a tad less earthiness than Piccini.) The DaVinci paired well with the spaghetti, but in a head to head battle with Piccini, I would need to try the DaVinci with Domino's Pizza for a fair comparison (sounds like a future show-down - I like a good challenge!) Both are good. Piccini is half the cost of DaVinci's $14: Touch�.

Pros: Mellow smooth flavour, better "on its own" (not what chianti is made for, though), pairs well with Italian foods.

Cons: More expensive, not embraced by Marjorie (but all chiantis are in that boat.)

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Cavit Pinot Grigio 2004 (Italy)

robert

Excellent served well-chilled...

Part Deux of Pinot GrigioFest. If you recall, in Part I, Arrow Creek Pinot Grigio - not good. Part II - Cavit Pinot Grigio much better. Light, dry, crisp, tropical fruits with a hint of lime and grapefruit. In a word - ITALIAN. Refreshing stuff - would be wonderful on a hot summer night on the back porch or in the hot tub. Paired OK with Frog Ranch Mild Salsa, but not as well as a good German Riesling would (hey, but a guy has to try!) It was much better with T.G.I. Friday's Chicken Quesadilla Rolls. In my humble opinion, not as good as Ecco Domani's Pinot Grigio, but much better than many other pinot grigios out there. Not expensive ($7), but a bit over rated, if you ask me. Not too deep, but that's OK. Not bad.

Pros: Light, dry, crisp, refreshing, cheap!

Cons: Not overly complex, doesn't pair well with food, not a good Winter wine.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Arrow Creek Pinot Grigio California 2004

robert

Alluring Pinot Grigio?

It's the first day of Spring and there is a Winter Snow Warning out. 4 - 6 inches of snow with freezing rain and sleet on its way. Sounds like the perfect night for Pinot GrigioFest! Let's start off with Arrow Creek. Their Pinot Noir was a dud. What about their Pinot Grigo? Sugary nose. Odd strong flavour of Dole Pineapple juice (from the bottom of the sliced Dole pineapple tin can - it really tastes like that!) Not crisp and acidy like a good pinot grigio should be like. Flabby and cheap tasting, like it should be marketed to teenagers. Would definitely appeal to folk who don't like wine. We'll pass on this. Now on with the Pinot GrigioFest...

Pros: None

Cons: Everything

Rating 4 out of 10

Piccini Chianti 2004

robert

Ciao, baby!

It's no secret that Marjorie doesn't care much at all for chianti. What's her problem? I don't know. But since she's out of town, I can make fun of her and she won't know (Nya!!!) She's away, so it's time for me to play - Domino's Pizza night, starring: Piccini Chianti! By itself, it's not too great. It's not meant to be an ap�ritif. But those zany Italians know what they are doing. This vino is made for FOOD (Eff double Oh Dee.) Straight out of the glass, I get bright acidy berry with an earthiness (what I associate with a slight funky odd taste - just a touch.) With food, however - magic! This is a table wine, meant for meals. The sweet berry balances the tomato sauce wonderfully, and the acidity cuts right through the cheese. It's what chianti was BORN for! And NO, Piccini was NOT an Italian opera composer from the Renaissance. I still like Ecco Domani's chianti better (it has a brighter/sweeter flavour with none of that odd earthiness to it) but for $7, this is another bargain. I have some DaVinci chianti to try at a later date, as well. Try it with your next pizza or spaghetti.

Pros: Adds so much to an Italian meal!, $7!!!

Cons: A bit of that funky earthy taste.

Rating: 7.5 out of 11 (Naw, just teasing - out of 10!)

Three Blind Moose Merlot 2003

robert

See how they run...

Part II of the great WINE CARNIVAL (or Freak Show.) From three monkeys to three moose - blind ones, at that. The label pictures them enjoying their wine with sunglasses on. But what's this - the rear label says that they are really not blind. It's just a trick. Just like this merlot was supposed to be...uh...good. Well, it's not - at least not to me. It's a funky wine - strange. Once the yellow artificial cork was popped, I detected saut�d bell pepper on the nose - no fruit. Hmmm... On the palate, I got green pepper and plum. Not a real fruity merlot (more of a vegetably wine than fruity one, eh?) It's not smooth and lush, like a good merlot should be - kinda rough and wild - like those crazy moose(s?) That's what you get when large hooved mammals put on dark sunglasses and try to make cute wine. No repeat buy here (but the empty bottle is a keeper!) $8.99.

Pros: Cute bottle, I'm glad that the moose are not REALLY blind.

Cons: Rough, strange aromas and flavours, kind of watery, I try to avoid vegetables in my wines - and large hooved mammals.

5.5 out of 10 (again, the empty bottle and label rates a perfect 10.)

Pinot Evil 2005 Pinot Noir

robert

Vin de Pays de I'lle de Beaute

I don't know what that means, but this French pinot noir really surprised me. Marjorie is off on a trip for a few days, so you know what THAT means...WINE CARNIVAL time!!! Sideshow vino. Weird stuff. And so it begins with Pinot Evil (Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil, PINOT EVIL) complete with three of the four monkeys on the label. How could I NOT buy this today at Jungle Jim's - especially for $5.99! I figured it would taste horrid, but I'd have this funny bottle to keep. I knew Marjorie would never put up with my monkeyshines so I popped the synthetic cork (a plus!) and...and...smooth, faint nose of berry, and a subtle berry flavour, not bright tasting like domestic pinots (which we usually like quite a bit) but more understated in a French kind of way. It has a long finish with a mild tartness and moderate tannins (more than expected.) It paired surprisingly well with some spinach, cheese & artichoke dip with stone ground whole wheat crackers. In a nutshell, this is darn decent pinot noir - very French Burgundian. Would I buy another bottle - sure would (for the flavour as well as the novelty and the way cool bottle.) Not the best pinot I've tasted, but a long way from the worst.

Pros: Funny name, great bottle!, subtle flavour, decent taste, $5.99!!!!!!!!

Cons: I wish it could be a bit more fruit forward (but this shouldn't be expected from an inexpensive French red, especially a $5.99 French red), finish a tad tart, a bit higher tannins than I'm used to with domestic pinots.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 (for the wine - the name and bottle art get a perfect 10!)

Rodney Strong 2003 Pinot Noir

robert

Strong?

Interesting. We were saving this bottle of $18 pinot for a special occasion. After the weird experience with The Little Penguin WHITE Shiraz, we pulled the cork on this - a sure thing? Very strange nose for a pinot noir. Rose petals, yes, but a faint urine odor? Could this be another corked bottle of wine? The palate is not offensive, but very strange, as well. Very syruppy (like cheap drugstore cough syrup) with bright, bitter berry, and a long, slightly spicy (mainly alcohol) finish. We think that this is just how this wine is supposed to taste. Very disappointing, considering it is a Russian River Valley pinot. Yet another non-repeat buy. If for some reason you feel this this bottle was corked, please let us know and we'll be glad to revisit it.

Pros: none

Cons: Weird nose and flavour, WAY too expensive for such a disappointing wine, possibly corked???

Rating: 4 out of 10

The Little Penguin 2005 White Shiraz

robert

What the heck?

Hmmm...this has been in the cellar for many months. We've tried to figure out how to drink it, and an opportunity arose - chinese takeout (a rarity for us!) First let me say that we thought it absolutely beautiful in the bottle and in our glasses - it's a gorgeous soft pink rose blush, so transparent that you can see through it. Truly a work of art. Next, let's try to identify it. Well, it's not a WHITE zinfadel, fer sure. I assume it's some kind of Australian shiraz, but it certainly tastes NOTHING like a shiraz. On the very faint nose I get (of all things) black licorice. On the palate, it is an enigma. It defies description. It's light and sweet, like a strange newly discovered berry. No spiciness found in your typical shiraz at all. I found slight notes of cotton candy, but Marjorie (who is a cotton candy connoisseur) didn't get that. Folks, that's about it - nothing definitive that we can add. It's very strange. Not UNpleasant, yet not what we would consider "wine." We won't buy it again, but I guess you should try it yourself. Maybe you will like it.

Pros: Um...different.

Cons: Just plain ODD, defies classification and identification.

Rating: 5 out of 10 (mainly on the strength of LOOKS!)

Beringer 2004 Gewurztraminer California

robert

Bless you...

Rough day...need wine, salsa and chips. Let's try some Gewurztraminer. Never had any of THAT before. Floral jasmine and apricot on the nose. First taste is sweet apricot (sweeter than expected at 12% alcohol.) Second taste is apricot and...hmmm...OUCH...spicy hot! Cool (er...hot.) Jived well with the salsa. Hard to tell where the warmth from the salsa ended and the heat from the wine started. Would be great with Mexican, Chinese and Thai food, too. Will we try this again? Doubt it. Was nice for a change, but German riesling does it better (and is more subtle.)

Pros: "Different", interesting split personality, not too dry or sweet.

Cons: Odd, German riesling does it better with a citrus finish, the warmth is not pepperish but almost like a mild jalapeno kind of heat.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Kendall-Jackson Riesling California 2005

robert

Dry Apricot Domestic

We've been saving this riesling for quite some time, since we seem to love German rieslings and don't care much for rieslings from the good ol' USA. We figured it would be nice for a bedtime snack. The beautiful golden color in our glasses sent nice apricot and tropical fruits to the nose. On the palate, it was strictly intense apricot all the way, with some minor peach notes. This is a dry riesling at 12.5% alcohol. The phantom sweetness is a result of the bright apricot flavours, not sugar. This is the most dominantly bright flavour of apricot we've ever experienced in a wine. Is that good or bad? Well, we aren't quite sure. It's certainly "different" and unique to taste, but too dry and forward for us. We'll take the subtle and magical experience of a fine German riesling (not too dry please) any day. It was better than the Blue Fish riesling from Germany the other day (another dry effort - again with the 12.5% alcohol.) Fear not - a trip to World Market and Jungle Jim's is rapidly approaching. More "research" to follow! ;)

Pros: Very different - bright, very intense apricot flavors, interesting, we've had worse

Cons: Too dry for us, not subtle, too "one" dimensional (apricot), too dry to be refreshing, not a complex riesling

Rating: 6.75 out of 10

Mirassou 2000 Harvest Reserve Pinot Noir Monterey County

robert

Millenium Pinot

Marjorie had two doctor appointments this evening and won't be home for wine, so I thought I'd try out a wine I doubt she would like. While the cat is away, the mice WILL play, eh. I found this bad boy at Jungle Jim's a few months ago. The bottle looks nothing like the current design (a classy navy blue with a red stripe) so I'm not sure if the difference is due to the older vintage or that it's a "harvest" reserve. We were not much impressed with the 2004 "standard" vintage (see 25, Feb., 2006) stating that it was completely unmemorable. This bottle (2000 harvest reserve) remedies that right away. Bright berry spice greets the nose. The palate discovers a much deeper, complex wine than the new stuff in the bright yellow "sun" bottle. Plum leads the way, alternating layers with waves of cherry with notes of strawberry. This wine I'll remember. I'm a bit peeved that the nose has teased me into expecting some spiciness - hardly any there at all. Bummer. The finish is long and berryish. I was surprised to see a crate of this vintage in the "volume" area of Jungle Jim's - I believe the price was around $10. I doubt there will be any bottles left, but I'll look next trip . Fingers crossed. Not the best pinot noir out there, but not bad at all.

Pros: Deeper, more complex than current vintage - MEMORABLE! Bright fruity nose and flavour. $10!

Cons: OK, who stole the spice - it's unbalanced because of this. At 14.2% alcohol, it's a bit hot.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Blue Fish 2004 Pfalz Riesling

robert

German Chic!

Well, if Australia can do it, why not Germany? I mean, Australia has their Kangaroo wines, their Penguin wines, Kookaburas, Wallabys and all other sort of cute cuddly creatures with cute and cuddly wine bottles. Germany has its stuffy, stodgy, traditional, well..."German" labels and bottles. It's about time those Germans were brought kicking and screaming into the "Ohs." BLUE FISH has arrived with its blue hued bottle accented in yellow, with its trendy screw cap and cute fishy. Even the fish in the logo spells "BLUE." And at $8.99, it looks like they are copying the marketing success of those whacky Aussies. OK, how about Blue Fish riesling, eh mate? Nice tropical nose. At 12.5% alcohol, you better believe it is D-R-Y. In our humble opinion, much too dry. Apricot on the palate proceeds a long, rather unpleasant finish. The way I see it (er...taste it,) it seems like someone took a wonderfully subtle yet fruity German riesling and diluted it with 50% water. I bet you'd never hear me beg for MORE sweetness in a riesling! It's almost like they are trying to cross a mild riesling with a dry pinot grigio. We paired this with our typical riesling snack of salsa and chips and there were no smiles. No balance - we needed the subtle sweetness of a German riesling to handle the heat, but we ended up with a poser: German fluff. This seems to be a feeble attempt at a run at the American market with a wine package with flash over soul. Are us Americans THAT shallow? Um, don't answer that... Pity. No more Blue Fish for us.

Pros: Like, a way cool bottle, dude...Dig the fishy, man! Kowabungaaaaaaaa...

Cons: Form over function, too dry, watered down. Germany: Do what you do best - make magic, not glitz!

Rating: 6 out of 10

La Crema 2003 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

robert

The drought is over!

Glory Hallelujah! Ding Dong the witch is dead! After cheap wine hell yesterday (six cheap wines in one day) it's good to go back to an old friend - a dependable relief pitcher-type of a pinot noir. La Crema 2003 Pinot Noir welcomed us back to the world of GOOD wine this evening. Cherry licorice with a hint of pepper spice greeted our greedy nostrils followed swiftly with plum/black cherry/berry/pepper on the palate. A medium pepperish finish brought things to a nice warm close. Paired nicely tonight with honey baked chicken, this pinot brought us back from the land of the dead to the promised land. Can I get an "AMEN" brothers and sisters? [Please yell AMEN here, now.] While this is a great, approachable pinot noir, we still prefer the Echelon (see 02 March, 2006.) The Echelon has a brighter/sweeter berry palate that balances a bit better with the pinot pepper than La Crema's primarily plumish foundation. But (and that's a BIG but) we do love the La Crema, and it's nice to be back into the light from the DARK side (yesterday.) True, true, La Crema truly uses THE FORCE. Amen!

Pros: World class pinot noir for $20! Yum!

Cons: Could be a TINY bit sweeter/brighter to balance the pepper notes, but hey, after yesterdays line up, this could be the best wine on the face of the Earth in comparison. Uh-huh.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

It's Super Saturday!!! (6 wines in 1 day)

robert

Super Saturday!

Welcome sports (er...wine) fans! It's time for the thrill of victory and the agony of de-wine. It's near the beginning of Spring, the temperature is about 65F, and it's dark, gloomy and raining hard (flood watch in effect.) What a great time to taste some potentially BAD wines that we've picked up over the past month or two. We figure that we'll get them all out of our system (and cellar) in one fell swoop. 6 cheap wines made the cut - bargains, cheapies, last second grabs...they're all here. Any suprise winners? Let's see!

(click MORE below to continue the adventure...if you dare!)

(1) Celliers de Beauregard 2004 Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Speciale

This dog caught my eye at Trader Joes last week. We've had horribly bad luck with well-reviewed Cotes du Rhone French reds, so I figure one more try at $6.49 will save us money in the long run. Bright berry nose, bitter taste, heavy mineral notes - petrol? But what a unique liquor-style squat bottle, eh? This justified our thoughts - we just don't like Cotes du Rhone. Is that a crime? Note to self: Self - please don't buy any more Cotes du Rhone. Reply to self: 'Kay.

Rating: 2 out of 10

(2) Lost Vineyards - Spain

Hmmm...no real name - no vintage. We bought this at Jungle Jim's for $2.99 to finish up a case so we could get the 10% case discount (told ya we were cheap!) The 20% merlot and 80% tempranillo mix piqued my interest as a possibly mellow soft red. Well, it WAS mellow(er), but after a smooth plum nose, it had a funky-strange flavour - metallic, with a long bitter aftertaste. This truly tasted like a $2 wine. Another "never again" wine. Rats - 0 for 2.

Rating: 2 out of 10

(3) Edition Maximilian Rheingau 2004 Riesling Kabinett

Ahh, this is more like it! Picked this up at Trader Joes for $8.79. I figured that 1) We like rieslings from Rheingau, Germany 2) We like Kabinetts 3) This is the highest quality wine designation from Germany. We paired this white with organic blue corn chips and Archer Farms Peach Pineapple salsa (mild.) Compared to the Schmitt Sohne Piesporter Goldtropfchen 2003 Riesling Kabinett we enjoyed last night, we agreed on the following tasting notes: a bit less sweet, a bit less subtle. A bit more green apple, a bit less citrus. Got all that? It was sort of like a mildy watered down version of a great Rheingau riesling. Still very good - in our top 10 rieslings. And for $8.79 A BARGAIN. I guess we're turning into salsa critics, too. What a great idea - (peach pineapple) - wonderful flavour. But a bit unbalanced - a tad too sweet. Next time I'll get "medium." The MILD didn't have enough heat to balance the sweet. And NO, we're not going to start rating salsas!

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

(4) Il Valore Chianti Riserva 2001 - and - (5) Gaetano D'Aquino Chianti Riserva 2001

The great chianti curse continues. Cassanos Pizza means 'chianti.' While running out to pick up the pizza, I opened the bottles to let them breathe. When I got home, I tried a sip of Il Valore - yuck. Hmmm...let's try a sip of Gaetano - yuck. Not good. Maybe this is how authentic Italian chianti riserva should taste, (but we are not authentic Italians.) We do like Ecco Domani chianti and a few others. That's good enough for us. No rating for these. We will not buy them again. Luckily they were "one time buys" available only at Trader Joes. Another stroke of luck - only $8 each.

(6) Georges Dubceuf Shiraz Reserve 2003 (to the rescue)

In a pizza panic, I grabbed the first bottle from the cellar that I thought would be good with pizza (that we had never tried before) - and WHAT a bottle it was. A multi-colored ceramic-looking bottle that looked like a work of art (one of Georges Dubceuf's trademarks - usually standard bottles painted - this was very different, a bottle fully wrapped in art.) The tasting notes stuck on the rear sticker label suggested "deep spicy blackberry," and I agree. The fruit flavour was not as bright as many reds ("subdued" would be my adjective) but it was very spicy in a black pepper kind of way. It really lit up the already heavy pepper spice of the pepperoni on the pizza in an interesting (but HOT) way. Interesting also for a French wine to be called a SHIRAZ (the Australian name) instead of the more typical SYRAH. Marjorie didn't like this wine, but she typically doesn't like big or spicy reds. At $6 from Sams Club, this is a real steal, although we prefer The Little Penguin Shiraz from the land down under. It has more bright berry sweetness and chocolate notes, and less pepper (for about the same price.) But we do dig the neato GD bottle!

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Six Down, One or Two Winners (lots of big losers!)

Well, so ends Super Saturday and all the festivities that ensued. There was laughter and tears, highs and lows, giddiness and drama, and LOTS of bottles hitting the recycling bin. We tasted lots of BAD wine (which we anticipated.) The Edition Maximilian Rheingau Riesling was a keeper, and the Georges Dubceuf Shiraz Reserve would be acceptable in a pinch (if we were out of Little Penguin or Greg Norman shiraz.) And so it goes...until the NEXT edition of "Super Saturday!" Ciao!

Schmitt Sohne Piesporter Goldtropfchen 2003 Riesling Kabinett

robert

Sweet Dreams, Sweet Tooth

We had some of this riesling for a "bedtime" snack. The comparisons to the Hahn Piesporter Michelsberg Kabinett Riesling are quite inevitable (see 06 March, 2006 for description.) Considering the grapes for both wineries are grown in the same town (and same terroir,) both are the earlier harvested KABINETT version and both are Qualit�tswein mit Pr�dikat, it's no surprise that it is hard to tell these two German rieslings apart. Heck, both wine's grapes could've been picked by the same person (Juan Valdez?) They are both a bit too sweet for us (although they would both make a nice desert wine, or a great refreshing cooler on a sweltering summer night on the back patio near the pond) but the Schmitt Sohne is a tich sweeter with a smidgen less grapefruit/citrus flavour. The biggest difference is the price: this puppy weighs in at half cost of the Hahn (well under $10.) It would be the perfect introduction to wines for the novice. Nighty-night...

Pros: Still outclasses the domestics [that we've tried], approachable and smooth, $8.99! :)

Cons: Too sweet, not as complex or sophisticated (or subtle/delicate!) as the Schloss Vollrads (see 04 March, 2006)

Rating: 7.75 out of 10 (heavily based on price)

The Little Penguin 2003 Shiraz South Eastern Australia

robert

Finally - Good Wine! (Yeah!!!)

Tired of our current wine drought, I whipped out an old favorite: The Little Penguin Shiraz. A berry and spice nose proceeded a bright strawberry and black pepper palate with a hint of chocolate and a medium length warm pepperish finish. This was the perfect companion to lasagna with meat sauce, althought it would pair wonderfully with any Italian food or red meat. The 2003 vintage was slightly different than the 2004 we're used to. I think that the 2003 is slightly sweeter than the 2004 with less chocolate flavour and more pepper spice. It's a delightful red that is incredibly drinkable and affordable. Try it with your significant penguin tonight!

Pros: Drinkability, balanced sweet/spice, delightful nose and flavour, $6.99!!!!! (again, how do they DO that?)

Cons: None (although I think I like the 2004 a tad better)

Rating 8 out of 10

Arrow Creek Pinot Noir 2004 (California)

robert

Pair with sauteed or grilled free-range chicken (says so right on the bottle)

This pinot was a gift, so we have no information about origin or price.� It is interesting that there is no mention of it on the entire internet.� How can that be?� Well, after the great chianti tragedy of 3-8-06, we thought we could drink mud and be happy.� But once again, we were wrong (duh-duh duhhh!)� The color is striking - very deep garnet in the glass, almost a hazy purple.� It has an odd berry aroma with a medicinal alcohol quality.� The body is syruppy and very sweet, with little or no tannins.� There is�little acidity to balance that overly sweet taste.� The finish is unfortunately very long.� I've never tasted a pinot noir that had this particular berry flavour, but it did remind us a bit of the $5 Falcon Ridge 2001 Pinot Noir Sonoma County we tried last month.�This pinot�may appeal to some, but not to us.� At this point we are getting desperate for a fine wine.� Time to go back to a guaranteed winner next time.�

Pros:��Was free (a gift), too good to use as rat killer or mosquito repellent

Cons:� Quite unbalanced, too sweet, strange taste

Rating:��5.5 out of 10

Gabbiano 2004 Chianti

robert

Just plain YUCK!

One of my current mini-quests is to find some nice, inexpensive chianti to enjoy with Italian food. We found Gabbiano for $7.99 at a Target store last week. We shoulda known this was not going to turn out well... Mmmnn...pizza night! Popped open the Gabbiano and...YUCK! The nose was reminicent of "used" hay from a hog farm. Earthy, dusty, and very moldy. The flavour was worse! We each had two small sips and 99.9% of the bottle went down the drain. Could this be corked? I dunno, but we won't try again to find out. We've had this particular aroma/taste in two Cotes du Rhone's as well: Paul Jaboulet Cotes Du Rhone Parallel 45 and Guigal 2003 Cotes Du Rhone (which a friend glowed about.) Both tasted similar to the Gabbiano (but no where near THIS bad!) The corks all looked and smelled fine. Maybe they're SUPPOSED to taste like this? All were stored properly and [cough] "enjoyed" within a week of purchase. Maybe we just had a run of bad luck. Two terrible wines in a row. Perhaps the sign of the apocalypse? Let's hope NOT!

Pros: Would possibly make an excellent rat killer or insect repellent.

Cons: Undrinkable - possily rat killer or insect repellent.

Rating: 0 out of 10

Wine Reviews in Haiku (cool website)

robert

Searching for reviews (5)

I was channeled by greatness- (7)

A Wine Haiku blog (5)

http://www.redwinehaiku.blogspot.com/

Fetzer Valley Oaks Pinot Grigio 2004

robert

"A bouquet of wildflower aromas in every glass." HUH??!!!

We've tried other Fetzer wines in the past (some that were highly rated by Wine Enthusiast magazine) but were left with the same conclusion: cheap wine that tastes like CHEAP wine! Suckers that we are, we picked this pinot grigio out at Target the other day based on [blush] the wording on the label (picture us sitting here hanging our heads in shame.) Besides the terminological inexactitude of the quote above (no, we didn't find a bouquet of wildflowers in our glasses - heck, not even weeds!) the bottle crows about how versatile it is with food and how it is "a wine to showcase a refreshing basket of flavors like apple, pink grapefruit and lime sorbet." LIME SORBET? Give us a BREAK! Well, both the nose and the flavour seem to be the same to us: take a bunch of fruit (very heavy on the grapefruit) and put it in a blender. Now add a cup or two (or three) of table sugar. Boom - instant Fetzer Valley Oaks Pinot Grigio 2004. Both Marjorie and I agree that there are truly no redeeming qualitites at all here. That's a shocker. Usually at least one of us can eek out some minor positive adjective about a wine, but not tonight. We attempted to drink this with Mahi Mahi. Yuck! It tasted like some demented riesling had gone awry (in a mad scientist kind of way.) An Italian pinot grigio (light/crisp/dry) would've shined here. I sincerely hope that this was just a bad example of California pinot grigio - we have maybe half a dozen various types down in the cellar. Again, we like to look for the silver lining in a wine, but there's nothing here for us, 'cept dark clouds. :(

Pros: uh...um...er...I got nothin'. Oh, maybe it'll help clean out the garbage disposal on the way down the drain, yeah - that's ONE.

Cons: Super sweet, grapefruit juice, tastes like super CHEAP WINE, hard to believe that this was the same price as Ecco Domani pinot grigio (Doh!), etc. etc.

Rating: 3 out of 10

Hahn Piesporter Michelsberg 2002 Kabinett Riesling

robert

Part II of German Riesling Grudge Match

A couple of days ago we thoroughly enjoyed some wonderful Schloss Vollrads 2002 Rheingau Riesling. Tonight, part two of the saga. Enter Hahn Piesporter Michelsberg 2002 Kabinett Riesling into this German riesling grudge match. Who will win? Well, even though the Hahn is a Qualit�tswein mit Pr�dikat (Germany's highest wine honor) and the Schloss Vollrads Rheingau was "just" a Qualit�tswein, we both greatly preferred the Schloss Vollrads (so did 4 out of 5 dentists!) While the Hahn was delicious, it wasn't as sophisticated. It was too sweet for me, and the sweetness wasn't half as subtle or warm. The citrus was barely there (more of a mild grapefruit than SVR's orange rind) and was veiled in the sweetness. It still beats the pants off the domestics we've imbibed, but for about the same price, the Schloss Vollrads Rheingau is the one to beat. Ding, ding - winning by a TKO: Schloss Vollrads (in the funky bottle.) Medic...

Pros: Better than domestics we've tried.

Cons: Not as subtle nor citrusy as the SVR

Rating: 7.75 out of 10

Navarra Palacio de Sada Crianza 2001

robert

Aye Crianza! (uh, Carumba?)

We picked up two bottles of this Spanish wine last night for $7.99 each on closeout at Sams Club and figured we should try it out REAL fast in case it was spectacular vino (in case we needed to buy more ala Speedy Gonzalas before they were sold out.) This Crianza is 40% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 20% tempranillo, and is a Family Reserve wine (and in Spain the term RESERVE actually MEANS something special, unlike the generic term thrown about in the U.S.) Now, let us put it right out there right away so everyone knows: we are NOT cab fans. Remember that. Some folks love it. We truly respect that, but we prefer lighter wines with less tannins. You won't see many cabernets posted on this blog. The idea of mixing in nearly 1/2 merlot sounded intriguing - Possibly a wine that could stand up to a heavy red meat meal with the mellow sweetness of a merlot. Well, it didn't quite pan out that way for us tonight. Per the bottle, this wine was specially created to accompany beef, chicken and pasta meals. OK, so far so good. Marjorie whipped up a scrumptious dinner of marinated chicken breasts and asparagus with almond sauce (yum.) The wine stomped ALL over it. I should've known. Don't get me wrong: the crianza was decent for a cab blend. The nose showed the sweet and mellow nature of the merlot with the boldness and punch of the cab. On the tongue it was exactly as the nose promised - spicy and sweet, but unfortunately blew away the poor chicken. We agreed that it would be much better served with a steak or roast beef but NOT the bird. The text on the bottle promises "an unforgettable experience," but not for us this evening. We'll use that second (and last) bottle for steak or roast beef, and we'll cancel the pilgrimedge back to Sams Club for more. I guess the moral to the story is to go with your gut instinct rather than what's written on a bottle for a food pairing. A pinot grigio, pinot noir, riesling or (heaven forbid) a chardonnay would've been a MUCH better pairing. Time for a siesta...Adios!

Pros: Interesting mix of sweet and spicy, cheap (closeout), quality wine

Cons: Too heavy for us (especially for chicken), the bottle text lied

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

*Note: This wine mellowed quite a bit after about an hour or so in the glass. Still not our cup of tea, but a good decanting for an hour might help.

Schloss Vollrads 2002 Qualitatswein Rheingau Riesling

robert

Auck! Qualitatswein!

This evening we finally broke out that German riesling (remember the other day...01 Mar, 2006?)� It was indeed wonderful, from the subtle tropical nose, to the long citrusy finish - this is a sophisticated wine. Sweet, yes, (actually "off-dry") but it has a subtle sweetness that is hard to describe. Like warm honey mixed with carmelized brown sugar that is balanced by a crisp yet light acidy wave with a touch of citrus flavour. This fine German riesling is SO different than the domestic rieslings we've tried (that bonk you over the head with mega sweet fresh fruit - referred to by some [crazy people, possibly German] as "MEGA UBER FRUIT FORWARD" - WAAAAAY forward!) - hardly more than a wine cooler sometimes.� But perhaps we've not come across the right California/Washington/Oregon/Steubenville riesling yet (or maybe German wines call out to our common German heritage?)� Anyway, this is delightful stuff! �Marjorie described it as "dancing on her tongue" (perhaps she had a wee too much Schloss Vollrads riesling at that point, but I have to agree with her!) Qualitatswein refers to the quality level of the wine in the German wine system, meaning that this is good stuff. We had some Schloss Vollrads 2000 Kabinett Qualit�tswein mit Pr�dikat Riesling a few months ago and it was simply divine!� Qualitatswein mit Pradikat refers to the absolute highest quality level of German wine by law.� And that baby (the 2000) was even more subdued, with hardly any citrus and more warmer subtle carmelized sugar flavour. But our 2002 was a wonderful experience.� Well worth the $18 we shelled out for it.� We were literally fighting over the last drop in the bottle (and Marjorie is one tough broad!)� We have a swell bottle of HAHN Piesporter Michelsberg Kabinett 2002 Riesling that is Qualitatswein mit Pradikat that we'll try soon and compare to the Schloss Vollrads. Wine, wine, wine - what pressure!� And what did we choose to pair this wonderful wine with?� Uh...um...Sams Club Mild Thick and Chunky Salsa and Don Pablos 100% White Corn Tortilla Chips. Crazy, eh?� But crazy like und fox, yah?� It was a match made in heaven (or at least in [a German] Wal-mart.) The subtle sweetness of the wine balanced the spicy salsa beautifully. Trust us! :)

Pros: Unique subtle sweetness w/citrus, delightful on the palate, a regal, classy, wonderful white!

Cons: No Genie inside bottle to grant us wish for more bottles of this wine!� :(

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Wine Storage

robert

To the Wine Cave...

We store the majority of our wine in the "wine cellar" - that's a dark, cool corner of our basement that stays at 60F year round. I purchased the wine racks off Ebay from an Ohio company called Bargain Humidors (their Ebay username is: mhotek.) These look like the racks used by many high end wine shops and are very inexpensive and functional. Each level holds 9 bottles of wine, and we have 6 levels (the max recommended high.) On Ebay, you buy two levels at a time. These come in unfinished pine (I gave mine a quick coat of satin polyurethene) that are assembled very easily like Lincoln logs. Since I live about an hour and a half from the company, I've always received the racks the day after I ordered them. They also sell a 12 bottle per level rack, but we didn't want to take up the extra space. They have a website http://www.bargainhumidors.com but I don't see these racks listed (just some expensive fancy rack systems.) If you're interested in buying some, you could always do an advanced seller search for "mhotek" on Ebay. The Header is "18 Bottle Pine Wine Rack Modular." You can't beat them for the price.

We also have two mission-style wine towers (from Target) that holds 15 bottles each (one rack holds white, one red) and set of Riedel stemware each (white, red, pinot noir and champagne as well as a decanter) that sits upstairs in the mud room. This provides the perfect amount of storage space for us. We hold back maybe 5 or 6 bottles for the future but drink the rest within a few months (we're not really collectors.) By the way, wine really DOES taste better in Riedel stemware! They're not cheap, but manageable from Target Stores.

As I've stated previously, Marjorie likes her reds a little cooler than cellar temp. It's easy to grab a bottle from the cellar racks and toss it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. I usually open the bottle and let it breathe a bit before serving, so for us, it works great. The whites get iced down for about 20 minutes. Cheers!

Yep, as you can tell, we've taken a wine night off. It's been a long week and we're just going to crash tonight. More exciting wine reviews coming soon (oooo...what a teaser!) :)

(below: wine racks in the cellar)

Echelon Pinot Noir Central Coast 2003

robert

Finally - the good stuff!

Yeah, we went cheap last night with the Bolla, but tonight we felt�just groovy and decided to make up for the boo-boo with a�great mid-priced pinot noir.� Echelon 2003 stepped up to the plate and hit a home run.� Bright berry aromas proceeded a sweet,�fresh berry/cherry palate that balanced perfectly with a peppery spice kick.� Bingo!� This pinot was perfect with our roast chicken.� Sip. �Smile.� Sip.� Smile.� Chicken. �Sip. �Smile.� Rinse, Lather, Repeat.� Regardless of price, this pinot was in our top�5 pinot noirs of all time.

Pros:� Amazing sweet/spice balance, fresh palate, perfect with food,�Just complex enough - not too complex...a BARGAIN at $14!�

Cons:� I only bought ONE bottle - doh!!!

Rating:��9 out of 10�

Bolla Pinot Grigio 2004

robert

Deano's Vino

Today, I knew Marjorie wasn't feeling well, so in addition to an expensive German Riesling, I chilled down a bottle of Bolla Pinot Grigio 2004 from our pallies down in Italy "just in case" ($6.99 from Target.) The Bolla won out. It was our first Bolla, and besides the dry, light fruitiness, the main thing we noticed was the LONG unique lime finish. How unique is THAT? On the down side, there's hardly any nose to it, and the flavour is reminiscent of a $7 bottle of pinot grigio. We had this wine with some marbled cheese, and thought that it may be better served with some pasta with red sauce, fish or poultry. The Riesling waits patiently for a better day...

Pros: Light, dry, lime, cheap!

Cons: As deep as Dean Martin, tastes like $7 wine

Rating: 6.5 out of, um, 11 :)

The Little Penguin South Eastern Australia Chardonnay 2004

robert

Is it legal to pair penguin with fish?

You know how we love The Little Penguin wines from Australia, mate? We love their pinot noir, shiraz and merlot (we love them so much we'd marry them, 'cept we're already married) and had fond memories of their 2003 Chardonnay. This evening we paired The Little Penguin 2004 Chardonnay with orange roughy, and the results were decent. The chardonnay meshed well with the fish, although pinot grigio or pinot noir may have done a better job. Chardonnay is not one of our fav wines, but the nice thing about The Little Penguin Chardonnay is that it doesn't kick you in the groin with uber tropical sweetness. The 2003 was very light, crisp and dry - perfection! We were disappointed with the 2004. The dry crispness was there, but it was very heavy, creamy and buttery (seems like an attempt to copy the overly rich California chards - bummer!) Luckily, we have one more bottle of 2003 in the cellar. We have 5 or 6 bottles of Chardonnay left down there, then we are swearing off Chardonnays forever in favor of Pinot Grigio and Rieslings in the WHITE wine department. Scout's honor (visualize the two finger salute...)

Pros: Not too sweet, $6.99!

Cons: Over-the-top rich/creamy/buttery/heavy - 1st time the penguin let us down... :(

Rating: 7 out of 10

Ecco Domani Chianti 2004

robert

A Final Toast to Torino

In honor of the closing ceremonies of the Torino Winter Olympic Games, we thought we'd revisit one of our favorite combos: pizza and Chianti! We paired Ecco Domani Chianti ($9.99) with East of Chicago Pizza. The sweetish yet acidic cherry/berry palate balanced perfectly with the spiciness of the pizza - the fresh tomato sauce, pepperoni, onions and green peppers - eliciting a symbiotic relationship that Italians know intimately. This stuff works! The 100% Sangiovese grapes beg to be paired with Italian foods (yes, you can actually hear their little pleas if you stick you ear up to the bottle immediately after uncorking.) As Martha Stewart has been know to say on occaision, "It's a GOOD thing!" I don't know if Martha is Italian, but it sure works for me! Marjorie didn't care for the chiati this go around. Possibly because her idea of pizza is just plain cheese (no kick to balance?) We'll try again with spaghetti sometime (sounds like a good excuse for more Ecco Domani Chianti!) Ecco Domani is one of our favorite wineries. Their Pinot Grigio is probably my #1 favorite wine, and Marjorie likes its crisp, dry refreshment, too. We also like their Merlot, quite a bit.

Pros: Perfect balance with Italian foods, berry, berry, berry - sweet, but not too sweet

Cons: Tart per Marjorie (didn't balance as well with her pizza)

Rating: 8 out of 10 (factoring in Marjorie's experience)

Redwood Creek California Pinot Noir 2004

robert

Oops, Wrong Bottle...

Saw one of our favorite wines (Frei Bros. Pinot Noir) at Jungle Jim's last week for under $10 so I grabbed it fast (it's normally around $20.) Well, the hand written sign said Frei Bros. and the bottle looked almost identical, but when I was stocking the wine rack, I noticed the bottle said Frei Bros. REDWOOD CREEK Pinot Noir. Hmmm...where'd that come from? So we thought that if we loved big brother, maybe little brother will be good, too (and half the price.) Yes, we were physically rubbing our greedy little hands together in anicipation of...a great deal (deal, deal, deal [echo, echo, echo...]) Well, big brother it ain't, but it doesn't suck too bad. It's definitely not in the same league as Frei Bros. Pinot Noir 2002. The nose was very sweet (with typical value pinot florals) but is dry on the palate. Quite the enigma. It's a tad more complex then some of the value pinots we've tasted recently, but there was an "alcoholy" heat that interfered with the fruit. It put a brake on any enjoyment we expected. The finish is very long but alcoholy (there's that snobbish adjective again!) The wine may not be the best we've tasted, but their website really is FANTASTIC. Give it a swirl at: http://www.redwoodcreek.com. How entertaining is THAT! I guess the problem is that we weren't enjoying their wine on a makeshift rock table camping in the mountains (chilling the bottle in a cold mountain stream!) We were in lovely yet unmountainous Ohio pairing the wine with whole wheat spaghetti and organic tomato sause. The sauce was sweeter than the wine (a problem for this wine.) It's not a traditional pairing for pinot noir, but other hunkier pinots have handled that assignment quite well in the past, thank you very much. That'll teach me to pay closer attention at Jungle Jim's next time!

Pros: Cheap, cool website

Cons: Strong alcohol flavor, you get what you pay for in the Frei family!

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 (mainly for their website!)

Mirassou Pinot Noir 2004

robert

Your wife is not THAT ugly!

We enjoyed the sweet berry nose with a touch of vanilla very much - it was delightful. There was not much to write home about in the flavour department, though. The taste was...um...fine. Not offensive at all, but that's not much of a compliment. This was not a memorable wine. At least it wasn't BAD. It was just forgettable. On the palate, we experienced weak cherry and plum - not watery mind you, just faint. We had this pinot with a little bit of mild cheddar, but wondered what would happen if we paired this wine with an entree. It might have a slim chance with fish or light chicken, but with richer, spicier foods it would simply get swallowed up like it didn't exist. The finish was short, but very clean - again, unmemorable. At $9.99, it would make a decent aperitif, but I doubt it would stand up to meal. We joked that it was a bit like telling your friend his wife wasn't ugly (a backhanded compliment...) Dig the metaphor, dude?

Pros: Wonderful nose, very smooth

Cons: Hmmm...I can't remember much else about this pinot...pity...

Rating: 7 out of 10

The Little Penguin Pinot Noir 2004

robert

Throw another 'guin on the barby!

We are cheerleaders for The Little Penguin South Eastern Australia wines. We LOVE the merlot (I prefer Clos Du Bois as my personal mid-priced favorite, but for some reason, The Little Penguin merlot makes you feel sooooo good!) and consider The Little Penguin Chardonnay as the only chardonnay we truly like (not overly sweet or super-tropical - JUST right!) The Little Penguin Shiraz (shee-rahz, for you non- Aussies out there) is a wine of wonder. I love the chocolate/licorice vibes - it's AMAZING with pizza! But The Little Penguin just released it's first pinot noir. And it's okay. The first thing you notice is the dark color for a pinot. The nose and flavour is very similar to their shiraz minus the chocolate, but with more silky smooth, plummy/strawberry/cherry. The finish is long candy-like. We had this pinot with some nice Cabot Colby Jack cheese, and wondered what this wine would be like with a real entree. Crikey!� Did we mention that these wines cost $6.99 at local stores (the pinot is $7.99.)

Pros: Approachable, mellow and that LOW cost! How DO they DO that???

Cons: Although it mentions spicy notes on the label, we didn't detect any (we opened the bottle and let it breathe for about an hour. Maybe that caused the lack of agressiveness) - not verycomplex at all - unbalanced - tastes like an $8 pinot

Rating: 7 out of 10

Smoking Loon 2004 California Pinot Noir

robert

Split Decision!

Hmmm...Is there a full loon (er, MOON?) I liked this wine while Marjorie did not.
I got sweet red berries and licorice on the nose, with the same joining ranks with plum on the palate - Medium-bodied, jammy and rich with a touch of sweetness. We had this pinot with organic blue corn chips and salsa - not your ordinary fare for pinot noir - but it didn't back down from the spicy salsa. Marjorie got a "woody" bitterness and aftertaste* (which I didn't.) *It should be noted that Marjorie likes her red wine like she likes her men: frosty cold ;) I like my reds at our cellar temp of 60 degrees F (which was indeed the temperature of this wine tonight.)

(My) Pros: Smooth, silky, great fruit flavour

(My) Cons: Could be a bit more complex. Could use a touch of spice

Robert's Score: 7.5 out of 10

Marjorie's Score: 5 out of 10

Who is right? Try some Smoking Look Pinot Noir and let us know what YOU think! (A backrub hangs in the balance...)

Falcon Ridge 2001 Pinot Noir Sonoma County

robert

Millie, Set the Timer!

I have this allergy/mild cold thing going on today, so I thought we'd try a bottle of cheap Falcon Ridge Pinot Noir that I found for $5.49 at Trader Joes a few weeks ago. I figured that if my taste buds were a bit altered, I'd just be out a few bucks. I dredged the internet for a review and could only come up with two. Both mentioned the words "pinot noir lite." But one mentioned this wine performing decently after sitting for a hour. So, I tried a swig straight out of the bottle as soon as the cork cleared the mouth of the bottle. Ahhh! Danger Will Robinson! Bad tasting WATERY Welch's grape juice with the odor of doctor's office alcohol on the nose? At that point I would've given it a rating of 1/10. Into the decanter it went with a shake shake here and a whoosh whoosh there. After an hour, we gave it a whirl. Hmmm...not bad at all. Plummy taste, with a hint of strawberry and cherry. Not much on the nose. This was a very light-bodied pinot, but not too watery. Smooth with velvety feel in the mouth. Definitely not the best pinot in the world, but acceptable under the circumstances (especially for six bucks!)

Pros: light, smooth, silky; not too sweet - not too dry

Cons: not offensive (but not outstanding) - gotta snooze for an hour or so - a bit too light

Rating (post decanting for an hour): 5.5 out of 10

Kendall-Jackson Vintner�s Reserve Chardonnay California 2004

robert

Big, Rich Chard!

See our review of Jacob�s Creek Chardonnay and multiply it times 2. This is a big, thick, rich, creamy chard with a touch of oak. It has a big tropical fruit nose and palate (heavy on the grapefruit and pineapple) with a long, fruity finish. This is more complex (and not as sweet), but it�s so smooth and buttery that it seems like Jess Jackson is trying a bit too hard. It�s a typical California power chardonnay. At half the cost, I�ll take the Jacob�s Creek for lightness and crispness.

Pros: Complexity and dryness, better with food

Cons: Too heavy and rich - trying too hard

Rating: 7 of 10

Price: $15

Jacob's Creek Chardonnay 2004

robert

G'day Mate!

You just can't beat an Austrailian wine for the price. How the heck do they do it? More about that general question in another edition, but what about Jacob's Creek Chard? We enjoyed this light chardonnay with a shrimp pasta stir fry. The tropical fruits of a respectable Chardonnay show on the nose, while fruit and citrus shines on the palate. A short but sweet (literally) finish completes the transaction. This is a delightfully light chard, bordering on a fine pinot grigio, if it were a bit less sweet. We both agreed that, while it synced okay with the entree, this wine would be wonderful in the summertime iced down on a sweltering evening on the back porch (what we usually say about a white wine that isn't dry, too sweet - you'll hear us say that a lot about whites) not the best choice for the middle of a cold February. The label talks about melon and toasty oak, but we didn't get any of that.

Pros: CHEAP, smooth, fruity, nice for summer, did I mention cheap?

Cons: a bit too sweet

Rating: 7 out of 10 (future of remainder of the bottle undetermined at this time)

Price: $6.99 (a bargain for this quality of wine)

Rex-Goliath! Giant 47 Pound Rooster California Pinot Noir 2000

robert

Man, were we pullin' for the Rooster!

But alas, he let us down. After reading numerous other reviews before popping the cork, we determined that this pinot noir would be either the equal of 4x the price we paid for it ($9.99) or troll drool. After faint red berry on the nose, flavours of berry, cough syrup and earth crept slowly onto the palate. While the mouthfeel was smooth, more tannins appeared than one might expect. Overall, we received a "medicinal" alcohol flavor rather than the red berries we wanted.

Rating of 5 out of 10 (and the remainder of the bottle down the drain.)

Can you say "KFC?"

Robert & Marjorie's Wine Blog

Change Is Good!

*** The Wine Blog She Is A Moving! ***

Hogue 2005 Late Harvest White Riesling Columbia Valley

Straccali 2004 Chianti Italy

Solaris 2004 Pinot Noir California (2)

Clos Du Bois 2003 Zinfandel North Coast CA

Avalon 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon California (2)

Big House Red 2004 California Red Wine

Trapiche 2004 Oak Cask Malbec Mendoza

Tranquility 2002 Malbec Mendoza

La Francesca Pinot Grigio 2004 Italy

General Housekeeping & comments 9-30-06

Altos Las Hormigas 2005 Malbec Mendoza

Columbia Winery 2005 Cellarmaster's Riesling Columbia Valley (2)

13 Jul, 2006

Columbia Winery 2005 Cellarmaster's Riesling - Columbia Valley

Monkey Bay 2004 Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand

The Rail Trail by Leasingham Clare Valley 2005 Riesling (South Australia)

Talus Collection Lodi Merlot 2004 California

FunF German Riesling (Deutscher Tafelwein Rhein)

Big Ol' Can of WHOOP ASS Energy Drink

Chateau Canuet Margaux 1994 Bordeaux (France)

Mirassou 2002 Merlot California

Mirassou California Merlot 2002

Cycles Gladiator 2004 Merlot Central Coast (2)

Estancia Pinot Noir 2004 Monterey California

Beringer Founders' Estate 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon California (3)

Fusee 2001 Merlot California

Ecco Domani 2004 Chianti (Italy)

Septima 2004 Malbec Mendoza/Argentina

Heron 2004 Pinot Noir (France/California) (3)

Red Bicyclette 2004 Syrah France (2)

Conca y Toro Xplorador 2002 Malbec (Mendoza)

Columbia Crest Two Vines 2002 Merlot Columbia Valley

Bereich Johannisberg 2005 Riesling (Rheingau)

L. Guigal Cotes du Rhone BLANC 2003

Cycles Gladiator 2005 Pinot Noir Central Coast

Weber 2005 Riesling Rheinhessen

Cycles Gladiator 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast (2)

20 Jun, 2006

Cycles Gladiator 2004 Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

La Crema 2004 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Leitz Dragonstone 2004 Riesling Rheingau

Beringer Founders' Estate 2003 Shiraz (California)

Charles de Fere Cuvee Jean-LouisBlanc de Blancs Brut (France) (2)

Pepperwood Grove 2005 Pinot Noir California (2)

Echelon 2004 Pinot Noir Central Coast (3)

Avalon 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon California

Dr L Loosen Bros 2003 Riesling Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

DeLoach 2003 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

Franz Reh 2004 Liebfraumilch & 2004 Piesporter Michelsberg (Germany)

Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc 2003 California

Villa Poggiolo Colli d'imola Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (Italy)

Weingut Franz Kunstler Rheingau 1999 Hochheimer Kirchenstuck Riesling Spatlese (Germany)

Schloss Vollrads 2002 Riesling - Rheingau (2)

Mirassou 2005 Pinot Noir California

Columbia Crest 2005 Riesling Columbia Valley (Washington State)

Red Bicylette 2003 Syrah (France)

Schmitt Sohne Liebfraumilch 2004 (Germany)

Kinkead Ridge 2005 Riesling Ohio River Valley

Selbach 2003 Riesling Kabinett Piesporter Goldtropfchen

Red Bicyclette 2003 Merlot (France)

Hangtime 2004 Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley (CA)

Beaulieu Vineyard BV Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Clos Du Bois 2002 Merlot Sonoma County (2)

The Jibe 2004 Marlborough Pinot Noir (New Zealand)

Kloster Eberbach 2003 Steinberger Riesling Kabinett (Rheingau, Germany)

SketchBook 2005 Pinot Noir Menocino County

Leitz Dragonstone 2004 Riesling (Rheingau, Germany)

Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2003 (2)

Bogle 2004 Merlot (California)

Ecco Domani 2002 Merlot (Italy)

Irony 2003 Pinot Noir (California) (3)

Castle Rock 2005 Monterey County Pinot Noir

Echelon 2003 Central Coast Pinot Noir (2)

La Crema 2003 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (2)

Erbacher Honigberg 2004 Riesling - Rheingau (Germany)

Charles de Fere Cuvee Jean-LouisBlanc de Blancs Brut (France)

Belle Vallee Cellars 2005 Willamette Valley Whole Cluster Pinot Noir

* The Wine Blog She Is A Moving! *