Waterbrook 2007 Melange Noir

The Winery: Waterbrook
The Wine:  2007 Melange Noir
The Price:  $11.99 at QFC

Waterbrook Melange is a wine that I discovered several years ago, well before I started reviewing wine.  And well before I even had more than the barest of interest in wine.  I only discovered it at that time because of an article in the paper.  In my mind, it was an outrageously priced wine at around $10, but I gave it a shot anyway.  I haven't had it in ages, and I don't recall what it tasted like.  So when I saw it in the store, I thought I should review it.

The wine is a blend of 43% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 13% Sangiovese and1% Tempranillo.  The bottle is stopped with a natural cork and the wine was decanted an hour before tasting.

The 2007 Melange is dark purple and has aromas of cedar, blackberry, prune and pepper.

The wine has flavors of blackberry, cherry and chocolate with a mild pepper finish.  This wine is very good.  The more I taste it, the more the flavor develops.  It is an interesting and fun wine.  This one will be in my rotation for sure!

Delille Cellars 2007 D2

The Winery:  Delille Cellars
The Wine:  2007 D2
The Price:  This wine was given to me by my friend, Elena (thanks, Elena!).  Delille sells this wine on their website for $35.

Delille is a local winery for me.  They're located in Woodinville, Washington.  They are an independent winery that has been making wine since 1992.

The D2 wine from Delille has an interesting story.  The wine is made from the same grapes that were selected for their premium Chaleur Estate wine, but is comprised of juices that did not quite have the qualities that they were looking for in their Chaleur Estate label.  This is a common practice in Bordeaux, although in Bordeaux, the second label typically utilizes the fruit from the vineyard's younger vines.  As an aside, by looking for the second label for a Château from Bordeaux, you can often find a very good wine at a great savings over the Château label.  

The D2 is a blend of 51% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petite Verdot.  The wine was corked with a natural cork and decanted an hour before tasting.  It is very dark purple in color.

The D2 has aromas of black cherry, plum, blackberry and vanilla.  It has flavors of cherry, berry, chocolate and spice.  The spicy flavor is fairly prominent, so if you don't like a lot of spice in your wine, then this isn't one for you.  Personally, I like this wine very much.  The spicy flavor is a nice balance to the fruit flavors.  While it's very good now, this is a wine that would likely benefit from a few years of additional aging.   

San Greal 2007 Red Supper Wine

The Winery: San Greal
The Wine:  2007 Red Supper Wine
The Price:  $6.99 at Trader Joe's

San Greal takes their name from the French for Holy Grail.  The winery is located in California's Mendocino County, in the Russian River valley; the origin of many fine wines. 

The wine is a blend of 55% Syrah, 23% Merlot and 22% Sangiovese.  This is information that they left off the label, but I was able to find it on their website.  The wine is dark red in color.  The bottle was stopped with a screw cap, and the wine was decanted 45 minutes before tasting. 

The wine has aromas of blackberry, cherry and black pepper. 

The wine is fairly awful.  It has a very gritty mouth-feel.  It has a strong alcohol flavor, which overwhelms the flavor of the wine.  Once you get through the alcohol flavor, there are flavors of berries and spice. But the berry flavor is fairly tart and not at all appealing. 

They call this Red Supper Wine.  Last Supper is more like it.  Yuck!  As I said at the beginning, Mendocino's Russian River Valley is the origin of many fine wines. This, however, is not one of them.

La Marca Prosseco

The Winery:  La Marca
The Wine:  Prosseco
The Price:  $13.99 (marked down from $19.99)

As the holidays approach, I thought I would take time to review a few sparkling wines.  This is partly selfish - I like to serve sparkling white wine throughout the holiday season, so this is a great opportunity for me to sample some wines before serving them to others. 

La Marca is an Italian winery, thus it is a sparkling white, not a Champagne. The Prosseco wines are named for the grapes from which they are made.  They are generally less complex than Champagne.

The wine is a very pale straw color.  It has steady streams of bubbles bursting forth, creating a thin layer of froth on the surface of the wine.

The wine has aromas of apples, pears and peaches.  It has a very crisp apple flavor with a peach undertone.  It has a bit of a creamy feel to it.  It's a good wine, but not a great one. 

While I like this wine, and it is interesting, this one won't see my table this holiday season.  For the price of one bottle, I could pick up two bottles of more enjoyable local sparkling white wine. 

Saviah Cellars 2007 The Jack

The Winery:  Saviah Cellars
The Wine:  2007 The Jack
The Price:  $12.99 at QFC (marked down from $19.99)

Saviah Cellars is a family-owned winery in Washington's Walla Walla Valley.  They were founded in 2000, so will be celebrating their 10th anniversary next year.

The Jack is a blend of 86% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Syrah and 2% Petite Verdot.

The wine was stopped with a natural cork, and was decanted one hour before tasting. 

The Jack is very dark purple in color.  It has aromas of blackberries, cherries, vanilla and a slight hint of pepper. 

The wine is absolutely delicious.  It has a big berry flavor, with a subtle pepper finish.  While the wine would benefit from some further aging, it is very drinkable today and is a bargain at $12.99.

I must admit that I knew before sampling that I would like this wine.  That's because I recently had occasion to sample the wine and liked it quite a bit.  So I sought out a bottle that I could review.

Inkberry 2007 Shiraz Cabernet

The Winery:  Inkberry

The Wine:  2007 Shiraz Cabernet
The Price:  $10.99 at QFC (marked down from $15.99)

Inkberry is an Australian winery located in the Central Ranges, in New South Wales.

The wine, a blend of 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet, is a very inky purple color.  The bottle was stopped with a screw cap and was decanted an hour before sampling.

The wine has aromas of blackberry, black currant, bell pepper and black pepper.

This wine has flavors of blackberry and cherry, balanced with a mild pepper flavor.  The wine has good fruit flavors without being overly sweet.  The pepper flavor is understated and is a great counterpoint to the fruit flavors.

This is a very nice Australian wine.  It is priced higher than other Australian wines that I've had, but it is worth the few extra dollars.  While not in the premium wine category, this is far superior to the main stream Australian wines and definitely worth trying.  

Col Solare 2006 Red Wine

The Winery:  Col Solare
The Wine:  2006 Red Wine
The Price:  This wine was provided by the winery.  The wine retails for $75 and can be purchased directly through the winery.

Col Solare is an interesting winery.  It is a partnership between Chateau Ste Michelle, a Washington State winery; and Marchesi Antinori, a Tuscany winery.  The partnership was formed with the intent of producing ultra-luxury wine. 

The 2006 Red Wine is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Syrah. 

As I would expect from a premium wine, the bottle was stopped with a natural cork.  I don't normally comment on the cork itself, but the cork in this bottle was exceptionally clear and seemed to be of higher quality than the corks I've encounter with other wines.  The wine was decanted an hour before tasting. 

The wine has a very, very deep burgundy color, taking on the color of a good Cabernet Sauvignon.  

The wine has very bright black cherry and blackberry aromas with a hint of vanilla.  The aromas are very well balanced and well pronounced. 

The wine is absolutely phenomenal! It has a very smooth and velvety feeling to it.  The wine has bold flavors of blackberries and black cherries with a chocolaty finish.  It is absolutely the best wine I've ever reviewed!  At this price point, it's clearly not an everyday wine.  But if you're looking for a great wine for the holidays or a special occasion, you can't go wrong with this one.  I very highly recommend it.

Scott Paul 2006 La Paulée Pinot Noir

The Winery:  Scott Paul
The Wine:  2006 La Paulée Pinot Noir
The Price:  $35.00 at Jack Cellars

Scott Paul Wines has an unusual history.  They were founded in 1999 in California.  But then they relocated to Oregon's Willamette Valley.  I don't recall ever hearing of a winery moving from one state to another.  If you think they were crazy for doing so, you do not understand how great the Willamette Valley is for growing Pinot Noir grapes.

The La Paulée Pinot Noir was stopped with a screw cap.  I much prefer a natural cork to a screw cap.  It's difficult to take a wine seriously when it is stopped with a screw cap.  The wine was decanted over an hour before tasting.

The wine is ruby in color, but not quite as dark as many of the Oregon Pinot Noirs that I've sampled.

The wine has aromas of cherries and blackberries.  The aromas are not as pronounced as I typically expect from a Pinot Noir.

The flavors of this wine are understated, but very good.  The wine has very well balanced flavors of blackberries and cherries.  It has the velvety feeling that I've come to expect from the better Oregon Pinot Noirs.   The wine is deliciously ready to drink now.

Campo Viejo 2005 Crianza Rioja

The Winery: Campo Viejo
The Wine:  2005 Crianza Rioja
The Price:  $9.99 at QFC

I've discussed Spanish wines previously when I reviewed the Campo Viejo 2001 Gran Reserva Rioja.  So I won't rehash what I said before, other than to state that Crianzas are younger wines.  This wine is aged in oak for 12 months before being bottled.

The bottle for this wine was stopped with a natural cork and decanted an hour and a quarter before tasting.

The wine is very dark purple, with very light penetrating through the wine in the glass.   It has aromas of blackberry, plum and vanilla.

It's a fairly flat wine, without a lot of flavor.  It's not bad, it just doesn't pack enough of a flavor punch.  It has plum and blackberry flavors with a very slight pepper finish.  I really wish there was more flavor to the wine.  I like the flavors that are there, I just want more of them.

I doubt I'll buy this wine again.  There are plenty of $10 wines that have more flavor than this.  If you're a fan of mildly flavored wines, this could be something you'd like.   

Rustenberg John X Merriman 2006

The Winery:  Rustenberg
The Wine:  John X Merriman 2006
The Price:  $28 at Jack Cellars

Rustenberg is located in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa.  The wine is a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 13% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Fran and 1% Malbec.  The bottle was stopped with a natural cork and was decanted an hour before tasting.

This is a deep purple wine.  It has aromas of plums, tobacco and pepper.  It has a big, fruity blend of plum and cherry flavors with a pepper finish.  This is an extremely good wine.  Although I tend towards the NW Pinot Noirs, this is a great, fun wine.  I recommend giving it a taste.   

Feel Lucky?

Sokol Blosser wants to know what makes you feel lucky.  Check out the video (http://evolutionlucky.mppr.info/) and tell Sokol Blosser what makes you feel lucky for your chance to win!

Good luck!

As for what makes me feel lucky?  My Lucky Jeans, of course!

Errazuriz 2006 Single Vineyard Carmenère

The Winery:  Errazuriz
The Wine:  2006 Single Vineyard Carmenère 
The Price:  $18 at Jack Cellars

Errazuriz is a Chilean winery that was founded in 1870.  This wine is single sourced from the Don Maximiano Estate.

Carmenère grapes were commonly grown in the Bordeaux region of France, and elsewhere throughout Europe.  In 1867, an outbreak of Phylloxera wiped out many vineyards and nearly caused the extinction of Carmenère.  The Carmenère vines in Chile were unaffected by the Phylloxera epidemic, and the grapes have thrived there.

The wine bottle was stopped with a natural cork, and was decanted just over an hour before tasting.

The wine is a very dark purple.  It has aromas of blackberries, bell peppers with a spicy black pepper undertone.

The wine has a fruity blackberry flavor at its base, and a very pronounced black pepper finish.  If you don't like a peppery wine, then this is not a good wine for you.  I really like the wine, however.  The flavor is well balanced and is very smooth. 

McManis Family Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

The Winery: McManis Family Vineyards
The Wine: 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
The Price: $9.99 at QFC (marked down from $12.99)

This review was inspired by a few things. First, I've been trying to not review just Northwest wines, so I'm always looking for wines that are widely available throughout the country (and world). Second, I've been reviewing higher priced wines lately, so I'm trying to reel it in and review some sub-$10.00 wines. And finally, I happened to sample a bottle of McManis Petite Sirah recently which, while I didn't review it, was quite good.

This bottle of wine was stopped with a natural cork and was decanted about 45 minutes before tasting.

The wine is a very dark purple. It has aromas of blackberry and plum. This is a very nice wine. It has flavors of blackberry, cherry, chocolate and cinnamon. I like this wine a lot. It's a very good wine for the price. It's absolutely ready to drink now.

Rive Della Chiesa Prosecco

The Winery: Rive Della Chiesa
The Wine: Prosecco Frizzante
The Price: $11.99 at Central Market

If it's not obvious from the name, this is an Italian wine. It is made from 100% Prosecco grapes. And for those who don't know, frizzante wines are wines that are fizzy. They're less bubbly than sparkling wine, but definitely have a light effervescence to them.

This wine is pale yellow in color and emits steady streams of tiny bubbles. It has aromas of apple, lemon and grass.

This is a semi-dry wine. It has an apple flavor with a hint of pineapple and peaches. It's kind of a fun wine. I like the fizz - it's a nice change of pace from the same old white wines. It's definitely no replacement for a quality Champagne or sparkling white wine, but it is a good wine to have in rotation and would be fun to pull out for friends at a barbecue or dinner party.

Michael-David 2007 Petite Petit

The Winery: Michael-David
The Wine: 2007 Petite Petit
The Price: $15.99 at QFC

Michael-David produces several fairly well known wines (Incognito, 7 Deadly Zins, 7 Heavenly Chards, Earthquake, and several others). This is the first wine from the Michael-David family that I've reviewed.

I selected this wine for two reasons. First, I was looking for a Petite Sirah to review (and my local QFC had very little selection in Petite Sirah). Second, and I rarely fall for this, I really liked the label.

The Petite Petit is a blend of 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Petit Verdot. Petit Verdot is usually used as a minority grape in blends, most notably in Bordeaux wines. Interestingly, Petite Sirah was at one time considered to be a blend-grape, too.

Besides the cool label, Michael-David had the good sense to cork the wine with a natural cork. The Petite Petit is very deep purple in color. The wine has aromas of blackberries, strawberry jam and prunes with just a touch of black pepper.

The wine has big jammy berry flavors with a peppery finish. Overall, it's very good. I like it a lot. Despite that, the wine tastes a little young and would probably benefit from additional aging.

Don Ramon 2007 Red Wine

The Winery: Don Ramon
The Wine: 2007 Red Wine
The Price: $6.99 at Trader Joe's

Don Ramon is a Spanish winery. Beyond that, I haven't been able to dig up much information on them. The wine is a blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Tempranillo.

This wine comes in a kind of cool bottle. It has a natural cork stopper, which is surprising given the price of the wine. It also has a cloth ribbon affixed with a wax seal, another touch of class on a value-priced wine.

The wine has aromas of blackberry and blueberry. It is an amazingly smooth wine for the price. It has plenty of blueberry and blackberry flavor with just a touch of pepper on the finish.

Sokol Blosser Evolution Lucky Edition

The Winery: Sokol Blosser
The Wine: Evolution, Lucky Edition
The Price: $14.99 at QFC (marked down from $21.99)

I previously reviewed Evolution (11th Edition), but a couple of bottlings have occurred since that review, so I thought I'd review it again. I'd been kicking around the idea for awhile, and now that Seattle (and the rest of the Pacific Northwest) is entrenched in a heat wave, it seems like the perfect time.

From talking with an employee of another winery, I learned that some wineries chemically manipulate some of their wines so that it tastes the same from year to year. Based on my observations, Sokol Blosser does not do this (my observations are supported by this statement from their website, "Every new bottling has its own subtle and fresh personality."). I point this out because the Lucky Edition is the best edition I recall them having produced.

The wine is a blend of Muller-Thurgau, White Riesling, Semillon, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner. That's a lot of grapes!

The Lucky Edition seems brighter and a hair sweeter than I recall the 12th Edition being. It has a citrusy aroma. The wine has flavors of citrus fruit, apples and pears.

In addition to the great flavor, I love the playful nature with which Sokol Blosser treats this wine. The label poses the question, "Luck? Intention?" And this year, rather than calling it the 13th Edition, they went with Lucky Edition. I like that.

As I write this, I am sitting on my balcony, looking out over Lake Washington. It's 92 degrees, highly unusual for Seattle. The view, the weather, and the Evolution make me realize what a great life I have.

Des Voigne Cellars Website Update

When I reviewed Des Voigne Cellars San Remo 2006 Sangiovese I commented on the condition of their website (the word "raggedy" was used). Somebody posted a comment on the review that their website has been updated. I checked it out, and found that it is much improved.

Their new site is cool and attractive. I like that they have brought the musical theme of their wines to the website. The graphics are bold and very professional looking. I encourage you to check out their new site at www.desvoignecellars.com. And while you're there, you might consider snagging a bottle or two of their wine.

Woodinville Wine Cellars 2006 Indomitable

The Winery: Woodinville Wine Cellars
The Wine: 2006 Indomitable
The Price: $40 at Jack Cellars

This is the second wine from Woodinville Wine Cellars that I purchased at their recent tasting at Jack Cellars. Woodinville Wine Cellars calls Indomitable their flagship wine. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Merlot (25%).

The bottle was stopped with a natural cork, and decanted about an hour before tasting.

Like the 2006 Syrah, this is also a very dark wine. The wine has aromas of blackberry, cherry and prune. This is a big, fruity wine. It has flavors of cherry and blackberry, with a mild pepper finish. The 2006 Indomitable has a very smooth, velvety feel to it. The wine is nothing short of awesome!

Quinta Do Feital 2007 Auratus

The Winery: Quinta Do Feital
The Wine: 2007 Auratus
The Price: $15.00 at Jack Cellars

Quinta Do Feital is a Portuguese winery. At the time of this writing, their website is not working quite right, so I really don't have much information on the Winery. Jack (from Jack Cellars) tells me that Auratus is Latin for golden, which is appropriate because the wine is very gold in color.

The wine has aromas of pineapple and honey, much like the other Portuguese wine I recently reviewed, the Gazela Vinho Verde. Unlike the Gazela, however, this wine is actually good. Also unlike the Gazela, this wine is not sparkling. This is a good wine. It has a creamy pineapple flavor. This would be a great wine to sip on the porch on a hot summer day.

Woodinville Wine Cellars 2006 Syrah Columbia Valley

The Winery: Woodinville Wine Cellars
The Wine: 2006 Syrah Columbia Valley
The Price: $30 at Jack Cellars

I'd never had any wine from Woodinville Wine Cellars until a recent tasting at Jack Cellars. All of the wines they were pouring were very good. I particularly enjoyed the 2006 Indomitable, which I may review soon if I don't crack it open before getting around to reviewing it.

The 2006 Syrah Columbia Valley was stopped with a natural cork, and was decanted an hour before tasting.

This is a very dark red wine. One of the darker wines that I've encountered. The wine has aromas of blackberry, prune and blueberry. The wine has big fruit flavors of blackberry and plum with a slight hint of blueberry and a barely perceptible mint flavor. It has a definite pepper taste, typical of Syrah, but it's not overdone.

This is an excellent wine, well worth the price.

Recession Review: Gazela Vinho Verde

The Winery: Gazela
The Wine: Vinho Verde
The Price: $5.99 at QFC.

Gazela is a Portuguese winery. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any information on the winery.

I was able to dig up a little of information on the Vinho Verde varietal. These wines are made in Northern Portugal, in the Minho region. The term Vinho Verde literally means green wine.

The wine is was capped with a screw top. Opening the wine, I was surprised to hear the tell-tale whoosh of a sparkling wine. It's a very, very light carbonation. Had I read up on Vinho Verde before opening the bottle, I would have known that that is typical of the varietal.

The wine is an extremely pale straw color, very nearly clear. It has aromas of honey and pineapple.

It's a very bland wine. The flavor is almost nonexistent. It has a slight pineapple flavor, with a hint of pear. I don't dislike it, but it really lacks flavor and the bubbles are so few as to be nearly absent. It's almost like taking a box of cheap wine and cutting it with sparkling water.

Greg Norman Estates Limestone Coast 2006 Cabernet Merlot

The Winery: Greg Norman Estates
The Wine: Limestone Coast 2006 Cabernet Merlot
The Price: $11.99 at Costco

This winery is one of golfer Greg Norman's many endeavors. You can check out his other ventures at www.shark.com.

This wine is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot, both from Australia.

The wine was stopped with a natural cork. It is a very deep, dark red wine. It has aromas of blackberries, clove and cherry.

This is a fairly big, fruity wine. It has bold cherry and berry flavors with a pepper and clove finish.

This is and impressive wine for the price. It would probably improve with age, but is perfectly drinkable now.

Columbia Crest 2007 H3 Chardonnay

The Winery: Columbia Crest
The Wine: 2007 H3 Chardonnay
The Price: I don't usually do this, but I ended up buying two bottles of this wine at two different stores. First I bought a bottle a Safeway for $12.99, marked down from $22.99. Then I found a bottle at Costco for $10.99. So naturally I next checked to see how much Columbia Crest is charging for the wine online - $14.99.

The wine is medium yellow in color, and the bottle was stopped with a natural cork.

The wine has aromas of pineapple, pear and vanilla. It has flavors of pineapple, vanilla and coconut (no, it doesn't taste like a Pina Colada), with a bit of a bite on the finish. This is a very good wine. I wouldn't pay the $22.99 that Safeway claims is the regular price, but if you can get it for $15 or less, it's definitely worth it. This may be the best Chardonnay that I've ever sampled.

Recession Review: Blason de Bourgogne 2007 Pinot Noir

The Winery: Blason de Bourgogne
The Wine: 2007 Pinot Noir
The Price: $7.99 at Trader Joe's

If it's not abundantly clear by the name, Blason de Bourgongne is a French winery.

The bottle was stopped with a natural cork, and was decanted an just shy of an hour before the review. This wine is much lighter in color than other Pinot Noirs that I've encountered. I would say it's roughly half as dark as the typical Pinot Noir.

The wine has aromas of strawberry jam and cherry. It's a pretty bland wine. It has a bit of a strawberry jam flavor, a bit of a cherry flavor, and too much pepper flavor.

The problem with this wine isn't the flavor. It's the lack of flavor. It's far too watery. The flavor that comes through is good. There's just not enough of it.

At $8, I'd pass on this and find a truly decent $8 wine.

Fire Road 2008 Sauvignon Blanc

The Winery: Fire Road
The Wine: 2008 Sauvignon Blanc
The Price: $9.99 at Central Market

Fire Road is a New Zealand winery. I don't recall ever reviewing, or even sampling, a wine from New Zealand.

The wine was stopped with a screw cap. It is a very light colored wine, with aromas of apple, grass and a hint of mint. The wine has flavors of flavors of apple, honey and, again, that hint of mint.

This is a really good wine. It's a perfect wine to savor on the porch on a hot summer day. It would pair very nicely with mild fish or a refreshing salad.

This first foray into the wines of New Zealand was a great experience. I'm looking forward to seeing what else they have to offer.

Lowden Hills 2005 See You There Syrah

The Winery: Lowden Hills Winery
The Wine: 2005 See You There Syrah
The Price: $25 at Jack Cellars

I went to a tasting a Jack Cellars on Saturday. Jim Henderson was pouring his wines this week. I enjoyed them all, and purchased my favorite to review. My second favorite was probably the Lowden Clear Riesling - an off-dry Riesling. While I'm not reviewing it here, it's worth a taste if you get a chance.

Jim Henderson seems like a great guy. Total confession here - I talked with him without letting him know that I review wines. In the event that the wine was horrible, I didn't want him asking for my opinion. And I find vintners to be much more friendly and approachable if they don't know that I do reviews. Anyway, I liked Jim and found him to be a pretty nice guy. And he wore a very brilliant Hawaiian shirt, so you had no chance of missing him.

I'm not normally a huge Syrah guy. When I sampled this originally, I didn't really think of it as a Syrah. It's much more fun than most of the other the Syrah's I've tasted.

Lowden stops their bottles with natural cork. The wine was decanted an hour before tasting.

This Syrah is a very dark purple wine. It has aromas of blueberry and coffee. This is a big, huge, fruity wine. It is bursting with blueberry flavor, with a carmelly, coffee finish. It is absolutely wonderful. It is great, and I don't see any value to cellaring it away. Buy it. Drink it. It's fantastic.

Recession Review: Protocolo 2006 Tinto

The Winery: Protocolo
The Wine: 2006 Tinto
The Cost: $7.99 at Central Market

Protocolo is one of the lines from Dominio De Eguren. The winery, founded in 1870, is located in Northern Spain.

The wine was stopped with a synthetic cork, and was decanted about one hour before tasting. The wine is made from 1oo% Tempranillo grapes.

The wine is a deep purple color with aromas of molasses, pepper and berry, with a fairly pungent alcohol aroma.

This tastes salty. I don't recall ever encountering a salty wine before. Besides salt, the wine has flavors of cherry and berry with a pepper finish.

The wine is not bad. Actually, it's pretty good Especially for the price. I'm just perplexed by the salty flavor. It is unexpected and adds an interesting depth to the wine.

Recession Review: BV Coastal Estates 2007 Chardonnay

The Winery: BV (Beaulieu Vineyard) Coastal Estates
The Wine: 2007 Chardonnay
The Price: $7.99 at QFC (marked down from $11.99)

BV is a Califonia winery. They've always struck me at one of those mega-producers that is focused on quantity over quality. This may be the first BV wine I've ever sampled. I don't recall ever having it before.

To my surprise, the wine was sealed with a natural cork. So we're off to a good start. The wine is a hair towards the yellow side.

The Chardonnay has aromas of apple and pear. It has a creamy texture to it and has flavors of apple, pear and vanilla. It's a dry wine with fairly decent flavor. It's an average Chardonnay for the price.

Ruffino Il Ducale 2006 Toscano

The Winery: Ruffino
The Wine: Il Ducale 2006 Tuscano
The Price: $17.99 at Albertson's (Marked down from $22.99)

If you can't tell by the name, Ruffino is an Italian winery, located in Tuscany. They are celebrating their 130th anniversary, so I'd imagine that they probably have this whole wine making thing down by now.

This wine is a blend of Sangiovese (60%), Merlot (20%) and Syrah (20%). It was sealed with a natural cork, and was decanted just over an hour before tasting.

The wine is is a very dark burgundy in color and has aromas of blackberry, currant and cherry. This is a nice wine. It has bold fruit flavors of berry and prune with a subtle bite to it. It has a nice texture. and the flavors have blended well. It would be better with further aging, I would think, but it's certainly drinkable now.

Recession Review: Columbia Crest 2007 Two Vines Chardonnay

The Winery: Columbia Crest
The Wine: 2007 Two Vines Chardonnay
The Price: $6.99 at QFC (marked down from $9.99)

I don't normally drink a lot of Chardonnay. It's not one of my favorite varietals, but today I was in a mood Chardonnay.

This wine was stopped with a natural cork. It is light both in color and aroma. The wine has aromas of pear and apple, with a slight woody aroma.

The wine is slightly sweeter than Chardonnays I've sampled. It has pear and apple flavors, with a pepper finish. It has a a very nice texture - reminiscent of of a Late-Harvest/Cellarmaster's Riesling.

This is one of the better Chardonnays I've had. A strict Chardonnay purist may not like its lighter, sweeter flavor, but I think it's a very good wine.

Recession Review: Duck Pond Cellars 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

The Winery: Duck Pond Cellars
The Wine: 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
The Price: $7.99 at QFC (marked down from $11.99)

This wine barely squeaked in under the $8 Recession Review limit, thanks to a generous sale.

Duck Pond Cellars is located in Dundee, Oregon; however, this wine is made with Washington grapes. I was surprised the find a 5 year old wine on the shelf at such a discounted price. There must be a story behind that.

The wine was corked with a natural cork, and was decanted an hour before reviewing.

The wine has aromas of prunes and blackberries. It is a fairly smooth, velvety texture to it. The wine has flavors of plum and blackberry, with a slight pepper finish.

For $8, this wine is an absolute bargain. I think it will continue to age well. I'd highly recommend this wine at this price. An absolute steal.

Va Piano 2006 Syrah

The Winery: Va Piano Vineyards
The Wine: 2006 Syrah
The Price: $40 at Jack Cellars

Va Piano is a Washington winery located in Walla Walla, a town made famous by Daffy Duck (how many other reviewers would mention Daffy Duck in a review, I ask you?). The vineyards were planted in 1999, so they are a relative newcomer to the game.

The bottle was stopped with a natural cork, topped with a dollop of wax. A very classy presentation. I decanted the wine an hour before reviewing it.

The wine has aromas of plum, blackberry and...wait for it...bacon. Now, ever since I got my Wine Aroma Wheel I have been wanting to find a wine where I could use bacon. This one definitely has it, but it is very subtle.

This is an exceptionally good wine. It is easily the best Syrah I've ever had. It has a very well developed flavor, primarily of blackberry and plum with a warm finish (and there is even a hint of the bacon in the flavor).

This is a truly awesome Syrah. I highly recommend it.

Cambrian 2006 Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir

The Winery: Cambria
The Wine: 2007 Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir
The Price: $19.99 at QFC (marked down from $26.99)

I didn't set out for a Pinot Noir tonight, but the sale price made it irresistible.

The wine was stopped with a natural cork. I decanted it 30 minutes before reviewing it. The wine is a dark burgundy color.

The wine has aromas of plums, berries and cherries. The wine has a very rich and well-developed boquet.

This is a good Pinot Noir, with flavors of berry and plum. It has a very rich, velvety flavor. While it's good now, I think it would benefit from further aging. At $20, this is a very good Pinot Noir at a bargain price. It is one of the few California Pinot Noirs that can compete with the Pinot Noirs of the Northwest.

Wine By Joe 2007 Pinot Noir

The Winery: Wine By Joe
The Wine: 2007 Pinot Noir
The Price: $13.99 at QFC (marked down from $19.99)

Wine by Joe is a winery that I've been reviewing for several months. I like the name and the label. And when I saw it $6 off at the store, I knew it was time.

Looking at their website, it's clear that these guys don't take themselves too seriously. They seem like the kind of people I'd enjoy hanging out with.

The wine bottle was capped with a screw-top. A little disappointing, but it fits with their casual approach. I decanted the wine 45 minutes before tasting it.

The wine is a little light in color for a Pinot Noir. It doesn't have quite the deep, dark, penetrating color that I'm used to seeing.

The wine has aromas of cherries and blackberries. It doesn't have the bold aroma that I would expect.

The wine is fairly fruit forward, with the primary flavor being tart cherry. It has a subtle berry flavor, and a peppery finish. It's definitely on the lighter end of the spectrum for Pinot Noir.

At $20, this is an okay wine. At $13.99 it's a bargain.

Recession Review: Fetzer 2007 Pinot Noir

The Winery: Fetzer
The Wine: 2007 Pinot Noir
The Price: $6.98 at Safeway (marked down from $8.99)

I was shocked to find a Pinot Noir for less than $7. I don't see how they can produce a $7 Pinot Noir. Needless to say, I'm not expecting to find greatness here.

Fetzer is a California winery. They seem to focus on making mass-produced wines for the masses.

The bottle was stopped with a composite cork. The wine is a deep, dark red.

The wine has aromas of plum and berries, whith a fairly strong alcohol odor. It also has a bit of a plasticy aroma to it.

The wine is fairly harsh. It has flavors of berries and plum that are overwhelmed by the alcohol flavor. It is an eye-watering red wine. If you want to dip your toes into Pinot Noir for the first time, skip on this one. It is not a good representative of Pinot Noir.

That said, it is a servicable red wine for $7. This is, afterall, a recession review. This wine is the homely person on the bar stool at last call. It's not what you were hoping for when you walked it, but it'll get the job done.

Francis Ford Coppola 2007 Pinot Noir

The Winery: Francis Ford Coppola
The Wine: 2007 Pinot Noir
The Price: $17.98 at Safeway (marked down from $21.99)

I'm trying to not let two prejudices cloud my objectivity on this wine. First, I've had very few good Pinot Noirs that were less than $20/bottle. And second, I had a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola Claret a few years back, and I recall not liking it a whole lot. But nevertheless, I shall review this wine with the same open mind with which I review all wine.

This bottle was sealed with a natural cork. The grapes are from California's Monterey County, which seems to be where the bulk of the California Pinot Noir that I run across comes from.

This is a dark ruby colored Pinot Noir. It has aromas of raspberries and plums with a very subtle smokey aroma.

The wine has a tart cherry flavor to it that mellows to a smooth berry finish. It's far better than I would expect for a $20 mass produced Pinot Noir. I'm happily impressed. This would be a good wine for those nights that you're in the mood for a Pinot Noir, but don't want to drop $40+. Or to serve to that date that you're not quite sure which direction things are going. Save the really GOOD wine for the dates with whom you think you have a future.

Recession Review: Trinity Oaks 2007 Pinot Grigio

The Winery: Trinity Oaks
The Wine: 2007 Pinot Grigio
The Price: $5.99 at Haggen (marked down from $10.99)

Trinity Oaks is a California winery. I don't recall ever having any of their wines before.

The wine bottle was corked with a synthetic cork...disappointing. The wine is very light in color, with a very slightly yellow cast. It has aromas of pear and melon. Its a fairly dry wine with flavors of pear, melon and citrus.

This is just an okay wine. If I'd paid the regular $10.99 for it I would be fairly disappointed. At $5.99 it's not horribly priced but it's definitely not making me want to get it again.

Table Mountain Vineyards 2006 Rooster Red

The Winery: Table Mountain Vineyards
The Wine: 2006 Rooster Red
The Price: It was a gift, but I found that it sells online for $16

Table Mountain Vineyards is the first Wyoming wine I've ever seen, let alone tasted. They're located in Torrington, Wyoming. I had no idea that Wyoming had any wine industry. When I think Wyoming, I think cowboys, Devil's Tower and Yellowstone. Not wine.

The bottle was corked with a natural cork, which is a plus; however, the label is quite unprofessional looking. It looks like they printed it on their home computer.

The wine is a muddy red color, but it has pretty nice legs. It has perfume and strawberry aroma. The wine is...um...interesting. It is decidedly fruit forward. It tastes a bit like cherry SweetTart candy. It starts out sweet, and then it changes it's mind and goes sour. Then just when you're about to give up on it, it goes all sweet again. With each sip, you don't know what you're going to get. It's like a little roller coaster ride from Torrington. This is a wine that you probably wouldn't want to share with your friends. Or your family. Except maybe your mom. What am I saying? Wine should be shared. If you don't share it and just keep it hidden away in the cupboard, it just goes bad over time. And then nobody gets to enjoy it.

Recession Review: Red Truck 2006 Red Wine

The Winery: Red Truck Wines
The Wine: 2006 Red Wine
The Price: $6.99 at QFC (marked down from $10.99).

In the crowded wine market, a lot of wineries are turning to the label to attract customers. Red Truck is one such winery. I've wanted to review their wines for some time now, and seeing a price drop down to the recession review price range was just the nudge I needed to pick up a bottle.

According to the label, this wine is a blend of Syrah, Petite Shiraz and Cabernet Franc. The website adds Grenache and Mourvedre to the mix. Don't you just love it when companies give conflicting information? Me either.

The wine is corked with a natural cork. It is a dark red wine with good clarity. I decanted it about an hour before sampling it.

The wine has aromas of plum, cherry and berry. The wine is fairly fruity, with the flavor leaning decidedly towards berries. It has a bit of a peppery bite on the finish. Not a lot, just the Syrah saying hello. The wine has a slightly velvety texture to it, which appeals to the Pinot Noir lover in me.

At $10.99 this is a pretty decent wine. At $6.99 they really have my attention.

La Montecchia 2007 Fior D'arancio Spumante

The Winery: La Montecchia
The Wine: 2007 Fior D'arancio Spumante
The Price: $19.00 at Jack Cellars

I was at Jack Cellars yesterday, and Jack suggested that I review a Spumante. Since I've never reviewed one before, I thought it was a good idea. So I picked up a bottle of La Montecchia.

One thing that really intrigues me about this winery is that you can rent a home at the vineyard. I'd love to do just that. They're located near Verona and Venice. What better way to spend a couple of weeks in Italy? Who's with me? Anyway, I encourage you to check out the winery's website.

It goes without saying, but this wine has a natural cork stopper. We're not drinking Andre here.

The wine is pale yellow, about the color of straw, with just an ever-so-slight tinge of green. The wine has very good clarity.

It has a fruity aroma, with scents of orange and honey. The smell is rich and sweet.

This is a very sweet wine. Best saved for dessert. Jack told me that it tastes a lot like a orange creamcicle. I doubted him. He was right. The orange flavor is a little subdued and tastes more natural. But it does have a definite creamcicle flavor to it.

This is a good, fun wine. It would go rather nicely with a chocolate volcano cake sort of dessert, or maybe just a bit of very dark chocolate.

This wine puts a whole new spin on sparkling wines for me. I've always been more into the Brut's that are so dry that they're a step below sand. But I have to say, this is very interesting and fun.

Recession Review: Sea Ridge 2006 Syrah

The Winery: Sea Ridge Coastal Winery
The Wine: 2006 Syrah
The Price: $4.79 at Safeway

Searidge is a Napa Valley, California winery. They do not appear to have a website, so I really don't have any information to impart about the winery.

The bottle was sealed with a natural cork, which is a pleasant surprise in a sub-$5 bottle of wine. I decanted the wine about an hour before sampling it.

The wine is appropriately dark red in color. It has aromas of black cherry and plum.

This wine is surprisingly good! It has a very pleasant cherry and blackberry flavor. It is a fruit-forward Syrah, with a very subtle pepper finish. It's refreshing to find an enjoyable Syrah for the price of a latte! Buy this one! This is one Recession Review wine that I wouldn't be embarrassed to pour for guests.

Marq Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir

The Winery: Marq Vineyards
The Wine: 2006 Pinot Noir
The Price: $18.99 at Albertson's (marked down from $20.99)

Marq Vineyards is a Monterey County (California) winery. Their website is just one page, and really doesn't give any information about the winery. Too bad...I find that sort of information to be interesting and useful.

I decanted the wine a hair over an hour before tasting it. The bottle was sealed with a natural cork.

The wine is appropriately deep red in color. It has good clarity and there was no notable sediment in the bottle.

The wine has aromas of berries, oak and a alcohol/sauerkraut combination.

Awful does not begin to describe this wine. It's downright gawd-awful, nasty, puke-inducing vileness in a bottle. I'd sooner wring the sweat out of my gym clothes into my wine glass than to suffer through another glass of this bile in a bottle. Yuck!

If my warnings have not deterred you, I suppose I should talk about what little taste there is to the wine. It does a seem to have a bit of a fruity flavor that is hiding deeply behind the over-pronounced peppery/alcohol flavor. And that sauerkraut aroma makes an unwelcome appearance in the flavor. Blech. No amount of aging will fix this wine.

Recession Review: Meridian 2005 Merlot

The Winery: Meridian Vineyards
The Wine: 2005 Merlot
The Price: $6.99 at QFC (on sale - regularly $12.99)

When I saw the significant markdown on this wine, I nearly rejected it as a recession review. But I ultimately decided that it fits my Recession Review rules. Part of the spirit of the recession review series is to find good wines at bargain prices.

I decanted this wine 50 minutes before the review. The wine bottle was stopped with natural cork.

The wine is very dark ruby in color. Very little light is transmitted through the wine. In other words, it is a typical Merlot.

The wine has berry aromas to it, along with a hint of yogurt.

The wine is a fairly unremarkable low-end Merlot. It has flavors of cherry, berry and cinnamon with a harsh pepper finish. It has a pronounced alcohol flavor.

At $12.99 I would be pretty disappointed with this wine. At $6.99 it's just OK. I'd rather get a $4.99 Chilean Merlot.

On whole, this wine greatly under delivers. I was excited to find a $12.99 wine nearly half-off.

Celler de Capcanes 2005 Mas Donis Barrica

The Winery: Celler de Capcanes
The Wine: 2005 Mas Donis Barrica
The Price: $18.99 at Central Market

This wine is not listed on Celler de Capcanes' website. I think that the reason for this is that this wine is custom made for Eric Solomon at European Cellars. The wine is a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah.

Celler de Capcanes has an interesting history. They owe much of their success to being approached by the Jewish community in Barcelona to product Kosher wine. In order to produce the Kosher wine, they were forced to buy new equipment. You can read more about the history on their website.

The wine was sealed with a composite cork. I don't recall encountering a Spanish wine with a composite cork before. The wine was decanted a full hour before being reviewed.

The wine has aromas of prunes and cherries with a subtle oak undertone.

This is a fabulous wine! It easily competes with wines in the $25+ range. It has flavors of cherry and blackberry with a bit of a pepper finish. The wine is bursting with fruit flavor. This is an awesome wine. I can't say enough about it. This is definitely one of the top three wines I've had this year.

Recession Review: Hogue 2007 Late Harvest White Riesling

The Winery: Hogue Cellars
The Wine: 2007 Late Harvest White Riesling
The Price: $7.99 at QFC (marked down from $9.99)

When looking through my previous reviews to find a wine to review tonight, I was surprised to discover that I've never reviewed any of the wines from Hogue Cellars. Their wines are very available in my area, so I've had ample opportunity to sample and review them.

This wine has a screw cap, which is not a surprise at this price point.

The wine is a very pale wheat color. It has aromas of apples, honey and pears.

The wine has a very rich, thick feel to it. It is fairly sweet, having flavors of apples with a slight citrus finish.

I am a big fan of the Late Harvest/Cellarmaster Rieslings that are produced in the Northwest. This is one of my favorites. It is a great wine, especially considering that the sale price brings it into the Recession Review $8 cut-off.

Louis Jadot 2005 Pinot Noir Bourgogne

The Winery: Louis Jadot
The Wine: 2005 Pinot Noir Bourgogne
The Price: $19.99 at Albertson's (marked down from $21.99)

I decanted this wine about 40 minutes before reviewing it (when I think to do so, I will try to note how long each wine was allowed to breathe before the review). The bottle was stopped with a natural cork.

The wine is not as dark as Pinot Noirs that I see from Oregon/Washington. It is deep red color, but lets a lot more light through than the Northwest wines. The wine has rich aromas of cherries, blackberries and a hint of oak.

The wine is a little tart. It has a sour cherry flavor with hints of cinnamon and vanilla with a slight pepper finish.

This is a fairly good Pinot Noir. It's not knock-your-socks-off good, but it is a better than average wine for a $20 Pinot Noir.

Recession Review: Columbia Crest 2007 Two Vines Riesling

The Winery: Columbia Crest
The Wine: 2007 Two Vines Riesling
The Price: $5.99 (on sale at QFC - the regular price is $7.99)

I haven't reviewed a white wine recently, so I thought it was about time. I tend to drink white wines during warmer weather since it's served chilled. Tonight I had a hard workout at the gym, so a white wine seemed refreshing.

The wine is corked with a synthetic cork, not a huge surprised at this price point. But a disappointment nonetheless. The wine is a pale straw color, and has very good clarity. It has aromas of crisp apples and pears.

The wine is very sweet. It has a refreshing apple flavor, with a very crisp, smooth finish. While I wouldn't want this wine every day, it is one of those wines that would be great on a warm summer evening. And at $5.99 it's an absolute bargain!

Bishop Creek Cellars 2005 Pinot Noir

The Winery: Bishop Creek Cellars
The Wine: 2005 Pinot Noir
The Price: $23.99 at Central Market

Bishop Creek Cellars is an Oregon winery. It's not a winery that I'm familiar with, so I'm looking forward to trying this one out. They have one of those odd websites that doesn't look like it's really their own site. The Bishop Creek Cellars URL redirects to Urbanwineworks.com. In my brief poking around I don't see a connection between the winery and Urban Wineworks. Whatever the connection, I think it's a bad business practice to combine the winery website with a wine seller/tasting room website. It's unprofessional and makes it appear that Bishop Creek Cellars is not able to manage their own website. This is 2009 - there's no reason for ANY business to not have their own website.

Now on to the wine. The bottle is stopped with a natural cork stopper, winning points in my battle against synthetic corks and screw tops.

This bottle of wine had a lot more sediment than I've seen in a long time. The wine is deep, dark red but has a slightly milky/cloudy cast to it.

The wine has aromas of cherries, berries and autumn leaves.

This is a pretty bland wine. It's very disappointing. There is just no flavor development at all. It kind of has the velvet feel of a good Pinot Noir, but where is the flavor? There's nothing. I'm baffled. Completely and utterly baffled. How can you start with grapes and end up with a flavorless wine? It doesn't taste watery. It just doesn't taste.

This wine is like going on a first date with that totally uninteresting person. There's no character, no personality, and they're totally unmemorable. A week down the road you don't really remember anything about them. You don't remember their name. You might remember what they look like. But everything else just blends together as just another tasteless ingredient making up the gruel of bad first dates.

I won't be buying this one again.

Cleavage Creek

Somebody told me about Cleavage Creek several months back, but I've yet to see it at any of my wine shops. It's too bad. The line should be in every wine shop and grocery store. I would like to review one or more of these wines. If anybody in the Seattle area knows of a store that carries them, let me know.

Recession Review: Chariot 2006 Gypsy

The Winery: Chariot Wines
The Wine: 2006 Gypsy
The Price: $5.99 at Trader Joe's

This is the first of my Recession Reviews. As I previously stated, the bar for these wines is lower than for my normal reviews.

Chariot Wines is a winery who apparently has long-neglected their website. It looks like they once intended to open an online store, but abandoned that idea. The most recent wine listed on their web page is a 2003 Pinot Grigio.

The bottle gives no indication as to what grapes this wine is made from. I'm assuming it's a blend of some sort.

The wine has an actual natural cork. At this price I usually expect either a synthetic cork or screw-top.

The wine is deep red in color. It has predominantly a cherry aroma to it. This is not a bad wine at all. It has cherry and blackberry flavors with a pronounced pepper finish. The wine is sweeter than most reds that I've sampled, but the sweetness counteracts the pepper flavor. Decanting and letting the wine breathe for about an hour greatly diminished the pepper flavor and really allowed the flavor of the wine to open up. This may be the best sub-$10 wine I've ever had.

Coming Soon - Recession Reviews

Inspired by the down economy, I've decided that I'm going to add an additional review each week. The standards for reviewing these wines will be lower than in my typical reviews. The wines that will be included in the Recession Reviews will be wines in the $8 and under range. The price will be what I paid. So if I find $15 wine on sale for $7.99, it falls in the range.

I haven't figured out yet what day of the week I will be typically doing the Recession Reviews, nor have I nailed down the exact details of the reviews. I do intend to start on them within the next week.

Des Voigne Cellars San Remo 2006 Sangiovese

The Winery: Des Voigne Cellars
The Wine: San Remo 2006 Sangiovese
The Price: Not certain, but I *think* it was $26 at Jack Cellars

I was reading recently about Sangiovese grapes. The grapes tend to be high in tannins and acid, but usually result in wines that do not cellar well beyond about 10 years. The wines also tend to lack color.

I'm not familiar with Des Voigne cellars. I do like the jazz theme that they carry through on their wines. Their website is kind of raggedy and seems like they intend(ed) to finish it at some point.

The bottle is corked with a natural cork. In the glass, this wine has a somewhat dark red color. The wine has scents of prunes, vanilla and oak.

This is a very delicious wine. It has flavors of plum and cherry with hits of oak and vanilla. It has a pepper finish.

Breathable Wine Glasses - Gimmic or Science?

When I was a Jack Cellars yesterday, Jack kindly gave me a sneak preview of the wines (from Walla Walla Vintners - they were quite delicious!) that that he was serving later at his Saturday wine tasting . He served the wine in breathable crystal wine glasses made by Eisch.

According to Eisch's website these glasses eliminate the need for decanting wine. They say that 2-4 minutes in the breathable glass yields the same results as wine that has been aerated and decanted for 1-2 hours. Eish claims that the crystal has been been processed such that oxygen penetrates the glass, but liquid does not. Part of me cries, "BS!" But then I think about Goretex, and concede that just maybe Eisch is on to something.

Since we were only drinking out of the breathable glasses, I do not have any idea whether the glasses made a difference.

Has anybody else tried these glasses? Does anybody think Eisch's claims have any merit?