French Rabbit 2006 Pinot Noir

The Winery: French Rabbit
The Wine: 2006 Pinot Noir
The Price: $9.99 at my local QFC

This wine review is for my sister, Julie. She sent me an email that said, "Yeah, I'd like you to check out the boxed wine!!! They're awesome!!!"

I know, of course, that she was not serious. But there are now some boxed wines that are supposed to be better than the Gallo or Almaden that most people associate with boxed wine.

This wine box is sized and shaped much like a regular bottle of wine, which means that it fits in my wine rack. The box is sealed by a plastic lid. When pouring, I found that it splashed quite a bit if I poured very quickly.

The wine is a dark red color, as you would expect from a Pinot Noir. The wine has scents of cherries, prunes and berries. The wine smells well balanced. The wine has primarily a cherry flavor, with a hint of prune and a mildly peppery finish.

Overall, the wine is pretty good for a $10.00 Pinot Noir. It isn't a premium Pinot Noir, and is probably slightly below average. But it's a boxed wine. And this definitely isn't your mother's boxed wine. While I probably wouldn't serve this to guests with a nice meal, it definitely has it's place. I can see myself buying this for trips to the beach, picnics, or for any other occasion where a light, non-breakable container would be convenient.

Cloudline 2006 Pinot Noir

The Winery: Cloudline Cellars
The Wine: 2006 Pinot Noir
The Price: $14.99 at my local Costco.

This is a winery that I'm not familiar with. They are apparently owned by a wine seller from New York (Dreyfus, Ashby and Company).

Upon opening the bottle, I was disappointed to find not only a composite cork, but one that was printed to look like a real cork. Tacky. Regular readers know that I'm not a fan of the plastic corks to begin with, but then to print a cork pattern on the cork raises my disdain to a new level. Grrr.

In the glass, the wine appears to be a little thin. The color is good - a dark red, but the legs are poorly developed and quickly run off.

The wine has scents of cherry and berry, neither of which is very strong. There is also a bit more of an alcohol odor than is typical. The wine tastes very thin and underdeveloped. The little flavor there is to the wine tastes of cherry and prune, with an overly-strong pepper finish. The wine lacks character, flavor and body. Call it the Linda Tripp of Pinot Noirs. This is not a $15 bottle of wine. On their web page the list the price as $19.99, which is even more out of line. I'd rather have a glass of Two-Buck Chuck than the Cloudline Pinot Noir. I really had high hopes for this wine - I'm a big fan of Oregon Pinots, and thought this would be another great Oregon wine. Sadly, I was let down. If you want a good representation of an Oregon Pinot Noir, try Sokol Blosser or August Cellars - but not the Cloudline.

By the way - the image on this page is from their website. Note to the winery - have your photos professionally done. This photo is as bad as the wine.

Mike Ditka 2005 Chardonay

The Winery: Mike Ditka Wines (produced by Mendocino Wine Company)
The Wine: 2005 Chardonnay
The Price: Available online for $17.99

This is the last of the Mike Ditka Wines that I have to review. I've been putting off this particular wine because, frankly, I'm not a big fan of Chardonnay. I'm much more of a red wine drinker, and when I do have white it's usually a sweeter wine and I have to really be in the right mood for it. Usually when I have Chardonnay it's either at a wine tasting at a winery, or at a dinner where it happens to be what the host(ess) has selected. I never have Chardonnay in my personal collection. That said, I am reviewing this wine based on the merits of the wine, and trying to be open minded to a varietal that is not one of my favorites.

This wine has a much more pleasant aroma than I've experienced with other Chardonnays. It has an apple aroma, with a hint of melon.

The wine is actually quite good, which is a tremendous compliment given that I usually don't care for Chardonnays. The wine has a crisp apply flavor with subdued melon, vanilla, and floral flavors. The wine has a very bright taste, with a very slight tang to it. Most of the Chardonnays I have sampled have kind of a heavy taste to them that I didn't care for. This wine isn't like that. This is a Chardonnay that I could actually see myself buying and serving to guests. I'd probably pair it with fish or cheese and crackers. I may have to reconsider Chardonnays. I am highly impressed.

I have greatly enjoyed the Mike Ditka wines, and reviewing them has been a lot of fun. I know that early on I scoffed, and thought that they may just be nothing more than a novelty. I was dead wrong. The Mike Ditka wines have far surpassed my expectations. I hope that they catch on and work their way to the mainstream. I am very pleased that Mike Ditka put his name on a quality wine. The wines may be a bit more than the average football fan is used to paying, but they are very much worth the asking price. I will be buying a few bottles for my collection.

Mike Ditka 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

The Winery: Mike Ditka Wines (produced by Mendocino Wine Company)
The Wine: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
The Price: Available online for $19.99

This is the second of three Mike Ditka wines I will be reviewing. Given how good the Mike Ditka 2005 Kick Ass Red was, I had very high expectations for the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, despite the fact that this wine is less than half the cost of the Kick Ass Red.

This wine has a fruity smell, with plum being the predominant scent. The wine is dark red in color. This is a very rich, velvety wine. As projected by the aroma, the wine has a plum flavor, with a hint of currant. This is a very good wine, and is priced very appropriated.

If the Kick Ass Red is the Super Bowl Champion of wines, then the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon NFC Division Champion of wines.

I like football a lot. Usually I serve beer with my games. I think that this year, I will serve some Mike Ditka wines during a game. Maybe for the August 16 preseason game between my Seahawks and Da Bears. I have one Ditka Wine left to review - the Chardonay. Look for that review in the next week or so.