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.