Wine-O-Rama

Tricked Again!

Just returned from a short working vacation to Cincy this evening.  Yes, it did include a trip to Jungle Jim’s (and a case of new wine!)  We found some of our favorite “real” German riesling there and came across this Auslese on big time sale for $10.99 (marked down from $15.99.)  A “real” German Auslese?  Qualitatswein mit Pradikat to boot? Too good to be true?  The only downer is that it is from the Rheinhessen (my least favorite German region.)  Last night we pulled the cork.  What an odd (unattractive) label.   The first taste had me grabbing for the bottle.  Yep - it’s not a RIESLING!  Duh on ME!  It’s been a LONG time since I’ve been so tricked in this manner.  And that was a bottle (from the Rheinhessen) I bought at Trader Joe’s for $3.99.  Now, it is a German WHITE wine that probably has a little Reisling in it.  There are many other white grapes in Germany, many very fine.  But usually they are way soft with little acidity.  That’s what we have here.  I scribbled on a piece of paper in the hotel room that this was very soft - LIMP - overly-subtle white fruit with NO acidity whatsoever.  There’s an interesting mix of white fruit (all way soft) but none of the intense fruit a decent Auslese should have.  The “Rheinhessen” streak continues for me.  I’m sure there MUST be excellent, world class wine coming from the Rheinhessen, but it has never found ME.  Seriously, if you know of something you’ve enjoyed from the Rheinhessen, please leave a comment on here so I can make the Rheinhessen my friend instead of my wine nemesis.

Grade:  C (and that’s being nice to the Madonna - NOT the singer.)

Arresting Cab

I picked this bottle up somewhere for $13.99 (I think Andes.)    Beautiful color in the glass with candied cherry and plum on the nose with baking spices and some typical green pepper from the terroir.  I’m impressed by the intensity of the fruit here.  It’s a big, rich cab, but there’s not much complexity from the barrel.  The brown sugar and cinnamon are nice, but I’d like more vanilla and chocolate (call me picky!)   Good with steak stirfry.  An interesting experience, but not one we’ll go out of our way for next time.  Try it - you might like it!

Grade:  B

My, my!

Picked this bottle up for $9.99 at Kroger.  We grilled out chicken tonight.  Not your normal cab fare (ha - I made a funny!)  But I was in the mood for red wine and it was at hand.  It was our first Concannon, and it was a surprise.  What intensely bright red berry with ample cinnamon and a hint of rhubarb.  This reminds me of the Central Coast Pinot Noir we used to love from Echelon a few years back (well maybe more than a few.)  Lots of that food friendly acidity - worked well with the chicken, and would be even better with red sauce dishes and red meat.  Not the deepest cab around, but plenty deep for us, especially for a sub-$10 cab.  Concannon joins Cupcake as our value cabs of choice.  Yum!

Grade:  A- (slightly skewed for price)

Beauty and the Beast

Found this at Kroger on sale for $16.99 (from $21.99) this afternoon. I thought I deserved some good cab after a few days of value wine, so in the cart it went.  Since I was bach’in’ it today, I picked up a Steakhouse burger from Burger King on the way home.  The burger was good, and the cab was promising.  A beauty in the glass, with dark berry and licorice on the nose.  The palate was a shocker.  Along with rich, classy fruit, was…barnyard - yep: the FUNK.  It’s that trashy essence that appears sometimes in some French and Italian red wines.  Not as bad as most funked bottles we’ve endured - this is more subtle, but it’s still there.  I don’t think it’s a bad bottle - I guess some people must actually LIKE barnyard funk.  Too bad.  It shoots down a nice bottle of cab.  Even with the funk, the fruit is so good (deep and rich) that it was almost enjoyable.

Grade:  C  Pity…

Wabbit Widge

His royal highness, Robert Parker Jr. gave the bunny a glowing review (upper 80’s) so how could I NOT grab it for $10.99 at Wine Works.  Rich looking in the glass, bright red fruit on the nose and palate.  Not watery like most $11 cabs.  Lots of cedar here - a bit different than we are used to.  Long tart finish, yes.  Not our cup of tea, but pretty darned good for a sub-$11 cab.  RPII pegged this correctly.  Nice with hamburgers on the grill.  We might buy again, especially for the price.

Grade:  B

“It’s The Fruit”

We just returned from a multi-day biking trip in Cleveland (The Towpath trail) and are tired and way hot (90F in the shade this morning.)  Marjorie said - PIZZA - for dinner.  I run to the “Bicycle Stop” to pick up my road bike (new 105 & Ultegra derailers installed while we were gone with the hybrid bikes) and stop by Wine Works.  I am in search of two bottles of inexpensive and NEW cab.  I grabbed this bottle for $10.99.  There is a heart-warming story about the two daughters of the winemaker (January and Kris.)  Supposedly very fruit-forward with quite soft tannins, my brain thinks this might be good with pizza.  Duh?  My tired, sore and over-heated brain.  And with the pizza, it is nearly passable.  Slightly brownish garnet in the glass.  Nearly no nose at all.  Nice texture for an $11 wine.  On the palate, how odd (and that’s not a good thing.)  Lots of fruit (with the advertised soft tannins), but it’s strange fruit.  Some artificial vanilla is here, as is some alcohol heat.  Decent stuff for under $11, but there are plenty of sub $12 cabs that are better.  Much better.  Sorry Jan & Kris.   Just not my cup of “tea.”  Maybe others will like more than I.  Doubt it, though.
Grade:  C+ (disappointing for Paso Robles fruit)

Better

Not as good as their 2004 Hames Valley effort, this is still much better than the Two Vines we had last night.

Better color, better fruit and better texture.  Lots of rich cherry and subtle vanilla.

Nice with spaghetti w/meat sauce.

We’ll be out of town for the rest of the week.  We’ll be drinking wine, but not sure if we’ll have time or access to the internet.  If we don’t meet back here for a few days:  Cheers!  We’ll be baaack. 

Grade:  B

Cheap and Watery

We thought the 2005 vintage was okay (NOT oaky!) the first go - the second try, we didn’t like at all.  Compared to last night’s Clos Du Bois Reserve Cab Alex. Valley, this is noticebly watery and thin.  It’s as if someone took a decent value cab and diluted it 1:1 with water.  Subtle (diffused) fruit - mainly odd plum and rhubarb.  Not much here to like except the price ($5.99 at FoodLion.) 

Grade:  C-

Big and Rich and Big (and Big)
Was lucky enough to find this on sale for only $17.99 at FoodTown this afternoon after a bike ride.  We haven’t enjoyed their “regular” tier cab due to the fakey oakey taste.  But the fruit was good.  Right out of the bottle one can see the quality of the Alex Valley juice.  Rich, deep color.  Delightful to look at.  Dark red fruit, licorice and baking spice on the nose.  So far, so good.  I was worried that the OAK MONSTER (sorry Gary) would once again appear on the palate.  But no need to fear.  This is a BIG, BIG, BIG wine.  Massive.  Too much for our steak stirfry with rice.  Fruit purity (dark plum and dark berry) is impressive (especially for the bargain sale price.)  Paired with a nice juicy (medium) steak, this would most likely rock.  Occasionally, for under $18 with the right steak, this would be super duper, but there are many cabs for $12-14 that bring as much satisfaction for us.  Nice for a change.

Grade:  B+

Superiore???

Saw this today at Ande’s and knew we were having pizza for dinner.  It was $16.99, but what the heck - it is Chianti SUPERIORE (super hero music in background.)   I’ve never heard of an official Italian designation of Chianti Superiore (maybe I’m wrong here) but it really IS good stuff!!!  A spicy nose greets you.  The palate is wonderful:  soft and smooth - strawberry and plum with a hint of melon (yes) and vanilla (from oak casks.)  Not a tich of barnyard or funk which sometimes accompanies NON-SUPERIORE Chianti!      Lots of food-friendly acidity, to boot!  Soft enough that Marjorie enjoyed with Domino’s.  This would be GREAT with spaghetti or lasagna!  Yum!!!

Grade:   A- (wish it were $14.99 or less)