The Winery: Capolan
The Wine: 2004 Merlot
The Price: $10.99
Capolan is a Sonoma County, California winery. Their website only has a splash page, and it only advertises the 2004 Merlot. I'm unable to find any other wines, and I really don't find much information about the winery.
The 2004 Merlot is a deep burgundy in color. The wine is very watery tasting. It is wholly underwhelming. The flavor is not bad, just very understated. The wine has flavors of vanilla, blueberry and cherry with a slight pepper taste. This would be a good wine if the flavors were more pronounced, but as it is it is only okay. It is not worthy of the $10.99 price tag, and belongs more in the $5 price range. On the upside, the wine has a cool design on the label, which is the same as the background on their website.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Shingleback 2004 Shiraz
The Vineyard: Shingleback
The Wine: 2004 Shiraz
The Price: $16.99 (on sale, the regular price is $25.99)
This review is for Steve in Australia. Steve asked what I thought about Australian wines. The wines from Australia that I've had have all been decent, but I haven't ventured much beyond the mass-produced Yellow Tail. I found it interesting perusing the Australian section of wines. Strikingly different from US produced wines, most of the Australian wines that I saw have screw-tops. Shingleback has a true cork (not a synthetic cork, nor a screw-top).
This wine is very deep and dark in color. It has a well-developed, rich and complex flavor and a very smooth mouthfeel. The wine has pleasant currant and berry flavors, along with a very mild pepper flavor. This is an extremely good wine, and I highly recommend giving it a try.
The Wine: 2004 Shiraz
The Price: $16.99 (on sale, the regular price is $25.99)
This review is for Steve in Australia. Steve asked what I thought about Australian wines. The wines from Australia that I've had have all been decent, but I haven't ventured much beyond the mass-produced Yellow Tail. I found it interesting perusing the Australian section of wines. Strikingly different from US produced wines, most of the Australian wines that I saw have screw-tops. Shingleback has a true cork (not a synthetic cork, nor a screw-top).
This wine is very deep and dark in color. It has a well-developed, rich and complex flavor and a very smooth mouthfeel. The wine has pleasant currant and berry flavors, along with a very mild pepper flavor. This is an extremely good wine, and I highly recommend giving it a try.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Chalone Vineyard 2006 Pinot Noir
The Winery: Chalone Vineyard
The Wine: 2006 Pinot Noir
The Price: $17.99
Thus far, I have been primarily focusing on wines from the Pacific Northwest. There are two main reasons for this. First, I live in Seattle, so the local regional wines are very available and well-priced here. And second, this is a very good region for growing grapes and the wine industry here is flourishing. Tonight I decided that I should expand beyond the region, so I specifically roamed the wine section looking for something interesting from another region. I had two criteria for tonight's wine: 1 - it had to be from beyond the Pacific Northwest, 2 - it had to be moderately priced ($15-30 range).
This is a very harsh wine. It has an extremely astringent taste to it. There are not any well-defined flavors to the wine at all, other than an overpowering alcohol flavor. Since this wine tastes so bad, I thought I'd try to see if my perception would improve based on the smell of the wine. Nope. It smells like plastic and isopropyl alcohol. I am trying to be open minded, and keep going back for additional tastes. For the love of god, this stuff is awful! Thankfully, I only purchased one bottle. With any luck it won't dissolve my pipes as I pour it down the drain. Yuck!
The Wine: 2006 Pinot Noir
The Price: $17.99
Thus far, I have been primarily focusing on wines from the Pacific Northwest. There are two main reasons for this. First, I live in Seattle, so the local regional wines are very available and well-priced here. And second, this is a very good region for growing grapes and the wine industry here is flourishing. Tonight I decided that I should expand beyond the region, so I specifically roamed the wine section looking for something interesting from another region. I had two criteria for tonight's wine: 1 - it had to be from beyond the Pacific Northwest, 2 - it had to be moderately priced ($15-30 range).
This is a very harsh wine. It has an extremely astringent taste to it. There are not any well-defined flavors to the wine at all, other than an overpowering alcohol flavor. Since this wine tastes so bad, I thought I'd try to see if my perception would improve based on the smell of the wine. Nope. It smells like plastic and isopropyl alcohol. I am trying to be open minded, and keep going back for additional tastes. For the love of god, this stuff is awful! Thankfully, I only purchased one bottle. With any luck it won't dissolve my pipes as I pour it down the drain. Yuck!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Elk Cove 2006 Pinot Noir Rosé
The Winery: Elk Cove Vineyards
The Wine: 2006 Pinot Noir Rosé
The Price: $14.99
I know what you're thinking. "Rosé? Seriously?" My first and, until recently, only exposure to Rosé is likely what many people experience. The stuff my mom used to buy by the box. If that's your only exposure to Rosé, then you probably view them in the same light that I used to. As a Sokol Blosser Cellar Club member, I got a bottle of their Rosé of Pinot Noir earlier this year. It was surprisingly good (if I ever get my hands on another bottle, I'll give it a proper review).
First, a bit on Rosé. There are two ways to make a Rosé. The first is to blend finished red wine with finished white wine, which usually results in a poor quality Rosé (remember the stuff my mom bought by the box?). This is how the massed produced Rosés are often made. The other method is to use red wine grapes and follow the process for white wine making (there is more too it than that, but for the sake of simplicity, this is really what you need to know).
This wine is a crisp, dry wine. The color is slightly more towards the red end of the spectrum than I have observed with other Rosés. The wine has a fruity, berry flavor. It is very drinkable, and would go well with just about any meal. It's flavor is not so overwhelming as to drown out a light fish meal, but it has enough character to be able to stand up against a steak dinner. I think it would be particularly nice on a hot summer evening.
The Wine: 2006 Pinot Noir Rosé
The Price: $14.99
I know what you're thinking. "Rosé? Seriously?" My first and, until recently, only exposure to Rosé is likely what many people experience. The stuff my mom used to buy by the box. If that's your only exposure to Rosé, then you probably view them in the same light that I used to. As a Sokol Blosser Cellar Club member, I got a bottle of their Rosé of Pinot Noir earlier this year. It was surprisingly good (if I ever get my hands on another bottle, I'll give it a proper review).
First, a bit on Rosé. There are two ways to make a Rosé. The first is to blend finished red wine with finished white wine, which usually results in a poor quality Rosé (remember the stuff my mom bought by the box?). This is how the massed produced Rosés are often made. The other method is to use red wine grapes and follow the process for white wine making (there is more too it than that, but for the sake of simplicity, this is really what you need to know).
This wine is a crisp, dry wine. The color is slightly more towards the red end of the spectrum than I have observed with other Rosés. The wine has a fruity, berry flavor. It is very drinkable, and would go well with just about any meal. It's flavor is not so overwhelming as to drown out a light fish meal, but it has enough character to be able to stand up against a steak dinner. I think it would be particularly nice on a hot summer evening.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Sokol Blosser 2006 White Riesling Dessert Wine
The Winery: Sokol Blosser
The Wine: 2006 White Riesling Dessert Wine
The Price: $40.00
Wow! Sokol Blosser really outdid themselves with this wine. I am absolutely in love with it. To call it "Nectar of the Gods" doesn't do the wine justice. This is my all-time favorite wine. It is a very crisp wine, with a thick and creamy feeling to it. The wine has vanilla, apple and honey flavors. My only complaint is the cost, but even at $40, I find it to be worth every penny. Besides, if it were any less expensive I would drink it more often and would take it's special qualities for granted.
Do yourself a favor and buy a few bottles before they are all gone.
The Wine: 2006 White Riesling Dessert Wine
The Price: $40.00
Wow! Sokol Blosser really outdid themselves with this wine. I am absolutely in love with it. To call it "Nectar of the Gods" doesn't do the wine justice. This is my all-time favorite wine. It is a very crisp wine, with a thick and creamy feeling to it. The wine has vanilla, apple and honey flavors. My only complaint is the cost, but even at $40, I find it to be worth every penny. Besides, if it were any less expensive I would drink it more often and would take it's special qualities for granted.
Do yourself a favor and buy a few bottles before they are all gone.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Killer Red 2004 Syrah
The Winery: Killer Red
The Wine: 2004 Syrah
The Price: $12.99
Killer Red Wines is a Columbia Valley winery. This winery is following the trend that has become so pervasive in the industry - using a catchy name and an interesting bottle to market their wine. In this instance, the label has a red hour-glass image meant to evoke the image of a woman's body. In this instance, that is all that really will sell this wine, as this is a wholly unremarkable wine. What's on the outside of the bottle is far more impressive than the contents. The wine has a pepper flavor followed by an underwhelming fruit flavor. Do yourself a favor and leave this one on the shelf. Or buy it on close-out when the price drops to the $5-7 range that it belongs in.
The Wine: 2004 Syrah
The Price: $12.99
Killer Red Wines is a Columbia Valley winery. This winery is following the trend that has become so pervasive in the industry - using a catchy name and an interesting bottle to market their wine. In this instance, the label has a red hour-glass image meant to evoke the image of a woman's body. In this instance, that is all that really will sell this wine, as this is a wholly unremarkable wine. What's on the outside of the bottle is far more impressive than the contents. The wine has a pepper flavor followed by an underwhelming fruit flavor. Do yourself a favor and leave this one on the shelf. Or buy it on close-out when the price drops to the $5-7 range that it belongs in.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Root: 1 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
The Winery: Root: 1
The Wine: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
The Price: $15 at the local Costco.
This is a Chilean wine. It is 85% Caberenet Sauvignon and 15% Syrah. The wine has a rich, well balanced flavor. It has a black cherry flavor with hints of vanilla. This is one of the better Cab-Sauvs I've tasted recently. I will definitely be picking up several more bottles of this wine, which is probably the biggest complement I can pay the vintner.
The Wine: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
The Price: $15 at the local Costco.
This is a Chilean wine. It is 85% Caberenet Sauvignon and 15% Syrah. The wine has a rich, well balanced flavor. It has a black cherry flavor with hints of vanilla. This is one of the better Cab-Sauvs I've tasted recently. I will definitely be picking up several more bottles of this wine, which is probably the biggest complement I can pay the vintner.
Rabbit Corkscrew
I finally broke down and bought one. A Rabbit Corkscrew. This is the best bottle opener I've every used. I first used one at a friend's house a couple of years ago. I've been drooling over them ever since. There are several companies out there that have copied the idea, but I went with the original.
This thing opens a bottle of wine in seconds, with very little effort. If you're not familiar with the Rabbit, here's the scoop. The Rabbit has two handles that clamp together around the neck of the wine bottle. There is also a lever on top of the corkscrew that drives the screw (which they call a worm) into the cork. So to use it, you clamp the handles around the neck of the bottle, then push the lever down to drive the screw into the cork. Finally, lift the handle to extract the cork. To remove the cork from the corkscrew, simply clamp the handles around the cork, and lift the lever to unscrew the worm from the cork. It's a breeze!
The downside is the cost. The Rabbit website says that the retail price is $50. I picked mine up in a kit which also includes a foil cutter and a few other tools for $40.
This thing opens a bottle of wine in seconds, with very little effort. If you're not familiar with the Rabbit, here's the scoop. The Rabbit has two handles that clamp together around the neck of the wine bottle. There is also a lever on top of the corkscrew that drives the screw (which they call a worm) into the cork. So to use it, you clamp the handles around the neck of the bottle, then push the lever down to drive the screw into the cork. Finally, lift the handle to extract the cork. To remove the cork from the corkscrew, simply clamp the handles around the cork, and lift the lever to unscrew the worm from the cork. It's a breeze!
The downside is the cost. The Rabbit website says that the retail price is $50. I picked mine up in a kit which also includes a foil cutter and a few other tools for $40.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
2006 Columbia Winery Cellarmaster's Riesling
The Winery: Columbia Winery
The Wine: Cellarmaster's Riesling
Price: $7.99
Normally I tend to drink white wines on hot summer days. Particularly Rieslings. The reason being that they are typically served chilled and they tend to be lighter, fruitier wines which I find to be more refreshing on a warm day. But tonight I was in the mood for a Riesling.
The Columbia Winery Cellarmaster's Riesling is a very nice wine. It has the light, sweet, fruity flavor that is typical of Rieslings. But it also has a velvety smooth quality to it, making it seem almost creamy. The flavor is almost like eating grapes straight off the vine. This is definitely one of the better Rieslings I've encountered.
This wine is perfect for sitting on a porch swing on a hot August day with that special someone.
The Wine: Cellarmaster's Riesling
Price: $7.99
Normally I tend to drink white wines on hot summer days. Particularly Rieslings. The reason being that they are typically served chilled and they tend to be lighter, fruitier wines which I find to be more refreshing on a warm day. But tonight I was in the mood for a Riesling.
The Columbia Winery Cellarmaster's Riesling is a very nice wine. It has the light, sweet, fruity flavor that is typical of Rieslings. But it also has a velvety smooth quality to it, making it seem almost creamy. The flavor is almost like eating grapes straight off the vine. This is definitely one of the better Rieslings I've encountered.
I do have one gripe about this wine. Actually, it's about the packaging. This wine has one of those plastic/rubber stoppers instead of a true cork. I've encountered this type of cork plenty of times in the past. But in this particular instance, I had a tough time getting the "cork" off of my cork screw. I don't know if this cork used a different compound or what, but it really had a death-grip on the cork screw.
This wine is perfect for sitting on a porch swing on a hot August day with that special someone.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
2005 Kingfish Cabernet Sauvignon
The Winery: King Fish
The Wine: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $3.98
For a four dollar bottle of wine, this is not terrible. I wouldn't serve it with a fancy dinner, but for a casual family meal it's fine. It's flavor is kind of raw, not very well refined. But it's certainly drinkable. And, hey, it only cost $3.98. That's the price of a latte! The wine does not have an overly spicy flavor. But it doesn't have a lot of any flavor. More than anything it just lacks character. What flavor there is, leans towards the black cherry end of the spectrum. I'd serve it with spaghetti made from canned sauce, or maybe with burgers. Something simple, to match the wine.
The Wine: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $3.98
For a four dollar bottle of wine, this is not terrible. I wouldn't serve it with a fancy dinner, but for a casual family meal it's fine. It's flavor is kind of raw, not very well refined. But it's certainly drinkable. And, hey, it only cost $3.98. That's the price of a latte! The wine does not have an overly spicy flavor. But it doesn't have a lot of any flavor. More than anything it just lacks character. What flavor there is, leans towards the black cherry end of the spectrum. I'd serve it with spaghetti made from canned sauce, or maybe with burgers. Something simple, to match the wine.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
2005 Lockwood Cabernet Sauvignon
The Winery: Lockwood
The Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $17.99 at Larry's Market.
This is a very nice wine. It has a bit of a spicy flavor, underscored by a rich, fruity taste. The wine is a very good example of a Cabernet Sauvignon. I will be purchasing more of this one...assuming I can remember where I bought it to begin with.
Monday, September 17, 2007
2003 Avery Lane Shiraz
The Winery: Avery Lane
The Wine: 2003 Shiraz
Price: $7.99 on sale at local grocer
For some reason I did not have high hopes for this wine. I suppose it's because the wine was in the close-out bin at the grocer. For the price, this is a very decent wine. It is very slightly more astringent than I care for, but not overwhelmingly so. The wine has a slight citrus flavor balancing the more prominent pepper taste.
The Wine: 2003 Shiraz
Price: $7.99 on sale at local grocer
For some reason I did not have high hopes for this wine. I suppose it's because the wine was in the close-out bin at the grocer. For the price, this is a very decent wine. It is very slightly more astringent than I care for, but not overwhelmingly so. The wine has a slight citrus flavor balancing the more prominent pepper taste.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Sokol Blosser Meditrina, IV
The Winery: Sokol Blosser
The Wine: Meditrina, IV
Price: $18 (I recently was able to score a few bottles at $14.99 at the local grocery store).
Sokol Blosser has become my favorite winery. Their wines are very good and reasonably priced for the quality.
Meditrina combines Syrah, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel grapes. The combination results in a rich, full-bodied wine. It has a gentle pepper flavor to it, and is a fairly dry wine. I find it pairs equally well with pasta dishes and steak. It also goes nicely with very dark chocolate. Tonight I am drinking mine with Lasagna. Yummmm.
As a side-note, I highly recommend the Sokol Blosser Cellar Club. It is a very convenient way to sample the wines from Sokol Blosser.
The Wine: Meditrina, IV
Price: $18 (I recently was able to score a few bottles at $14.99 at the local grocery store).
Sokol Blosser has become my favorite winery. Their wines are very good and reasonably priced for the quality.
Meditrina combines Syrah, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel grapes. The combination results in a rich, full-bodied wine. It has a gentle pepper flavor to it, and is a fairly dry wine. I find it pairs equally well with pasta dishes and steak. It also goes nicely with very dark chocolate. Tonight I am drinking mine with Lasagna. Yummmm.
As a side-note, I highly recommend the Sokol Blosser Cellar Club. It is a very convenient way to sample the wines from Sokol Blosser.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
The general concept
Tonight's post will not discuss any particular wine. This is more of an introduction and "how it works" post.
How often will I post? Generally, I shall attempt to post once per week. Since I work for a living and have a personal life, I cannot commit to publish on a regular schedule. That said, however, I will try to publish a new wine review once per week, hopefully on Wednesday or Thursday night so that you have an opportunity to grab a new wine for the weekend.
What makes me qualified to review wine? Honestly, nothing. I have no training or experience in the wine industry. I make my living testing software, so I suppose that my passion for quality and comfort with a scientific approach to evaluating products makes me a good novice to evaluate wine.
What if a vintner wants me to review their wine? If a vintner wants me to review their wine, they will have to contact me to work out arrangements. My reviews will be unbiased, regardless of whether a vintner provides me with a sample to review or I review a wine of my own volition.
How can a vintner guarantee a good review? Make a great wine!
Will the readers know if a vintner has requested a review? Yes! I will disclose whether a particular wine was reviewed based on a vintner's request.
How often will I post? Generally, I shall attempt to post once per week. Since I work for a living and have a personal life, I cannot commit to publish on a regular schedule. That said, however, I will try to publish a new wine review once per week, hopefully on Wednesday or Thursday night so that you have an opportunity to grab a new wine for the weekend.
What makes me qualified to review wine? Honestly, nothing. I have no training or experience in the wine industry. I make my living testing software, so I suppose that my passion for quality and comfort with a scientific approach to evaluating products makes me a good novice to evaluate wine.
What if a vintner wants me to review their wine? If a vintner wants me to review their wine, they will have to contact me to work out arrangements. My reviews will be unbiased, regardless of whether a vintner provides me with a sample to review or I review a wine of my own volition.
How can a vintner guarantee a good review? Make a great wine!
Will the readers know if a vintner has requested a review? Yes! I will disclose whether a particular wine was reviewed based on a vintner's request.
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