2007 Campus Oaks Old Vine Zinfandel

I picked this up at a favorite wine store in PCB The Wine Dog, where they have ~100 wines and a very nice staff.  They also have a good but small selection of craft beers, and a large walk-in humidor.  I wanted to find a Zin and this one fit my budget, I got it for ~ $15. 

Nose & Appearance - Clean pour, rose to pink.  I chilled it in the fridge for ~15min and let it sit in glass for ~30.  I smell spice, apples, pears, and vanilla.  This nose is sophisticated and delicate.

Taste & Aftertaste - The tannins mix with the apples and pears.  The vanilla and spice stay for the after-party.  The alcohol is understated which is good for me in a stronger wine.

Rating - 8
This one gets a great rating due to its low price, great nose, and great taste.  It might still be a little much for your friends who can't or don't drink reds, but it will impress your friends who do.

2008 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir

Picked this up on the way home, wanted a nice red from California.  Hope it lives up to the name brand.

Nose & Look - Maroon leaning towards a red.  I let it decant for ~30min.  Rich first, with a spiciness second.  Hits a note of roughage, like walking through a brier or clean forest.

Taste - Spicy, rich, grapes are wise in how much they have to offer.  Getting this across may sound weird but it has a tomato feel to it, like delicious red sauce.  Tannins and alc come last with evenness.

Rating - 5
The spice I like, the richness I'm interested in, but that's it.  I will be trying others to compare and maybe revise this review, but I've had better.

2007 Gnarly Head Zin

Looked like a good pick...and hadn't had a red zin in a while.  Also had a hankering for a California wine.

Nose & Look - Not a super deep red that I expected, but a great color anyway.  Slightly clear.  Great tannin smell, great fruitiness and grape, great oak.  Everything comes very nicely.

Taste - Great fullness, which is accented by sharp fruit notes and tannins.

Rating - 7
This wine doesn't need to have much said about it except it's exceptional and will not disappoint.

2007 ICONOCLAST BY BECKER VINEYARDS

Oh Kids! This was my first taste of Texas Hill Country Cab and lets just say that while it didn't fit the normal "Cab" prototype in the big, bold Cali fashion, isn't that fitting considering it's name? After all, isn't the title derived from the word,"Iconoclasm", meaning the attacking of cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc? Ya' know, like what we think a cab should taste like? Works for me. No traditional Cab? No Problem! I absolutely LOVED this local wine!

Appearance- Ruby red with no sedimentation.

Nose- Blueberries, Cola bean and vanilla.

Taste- S-M-O-O-T-H tannins with a light to light-medium body. Taste true to nose with that of fresh blueberries, vanilla, cola and a soft mouth feel that finished easily. This wine did not drink like a Cali Cab but I loved it nonetheless.

Way to go Dr. Becker; this might be my new everyday red, and for 8.00/bottle, I can easily afford it!

Rating- 8

2008 Fetzer Merlot

This is a wine I'm familiar with.  Picked it up because it said it grew in a sustainable way and I like that.  Let's see how it fairs.

Nose & Look - Burgundy, slightly transparent.  I let it decant for 30 minutes.  Tutti-Frutti, a great sweetness with a floral comes to the front.  This will make you want to eat some fruit.

Taste - The tannins that were a no show in the nose come out to help fill in the rest of the song.  The fruits and flowers take a back seat to an oaky and slightly spicy tannin. 

Rating - 6

This is a wine that in is comparable to others, and would be good to serve with dinner.  I think there are better, but this one might be the quick pick while at the store.

2008 Tilia Malbec

I've become enamored with Malbecs and anything from south America, and I couldn't pass this one up because it's extra upside is it advertises being sustainably farmed.  Hope it's heritage is held up by its rating.

Nose and Look - Super deep red, doesn't let any light pass through.  I let it decant for ~30 min and I get a very rich wood and grape, with tannins in the background.  The wood and maybe vanilla are electrifying.

Taste - The oak and grape push through still, with the tannins more pronounced than in the nose.  The alcohol stays in the back which is always good for a higher alc. content wine.

Rating -7
It might be my bias towards reds and specifically Malbecs, but hey this is my review.  This is what a good ~$15 bottle of wine should taste like.  Tilia also makes a white so I might try that sometime.

Martin Y Rossi Prosecco

So my wife loves the regular Martin Y Rossi sparkling wine and I decided to get her the prosecco becase she loves this brand and because prosecco is something I have come to love 2nd hand.  Here is my review of this desert wine.

Nose & Pour - Clear with a full amount of carbonation.  Cork less witch helps in opening.  Awesome bouquet, and a supreme white nose.  This will knock your socks of with whiteness.

Taste & feel - I hope you've noticed my inconsistency in adjectives. Great bouquet, great carbonation.  Bitterness equalizes the sweetness.  Tannins are almost inconsequential.

Rating - 8 
I have to give it  a great rating for what it is.  A one-of-a-occasion type of drink.  This will finish off the dinner, this will impress your friends, and this WILL make you happy :D
It's hard to argue with it being under $15

Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Blanc from Chile, left to decant for ~30 min.

Nose and Pour - Slight sediment, clear just like most blancs.  Sweet nose, no tannins, great citrus background. 

Taste - Sweetness first, then a slight tannin, but mostly sweet.  Great flower and citrus on the way down.  Easy going and sophisticated.

Rating = 6 
I wasn't enthralled, but this was a great wine for ~$10.  I'm always partial to south American wines, and this one won't disappoint unless your looking for the spectacular.  Great sweetness will pair with desert or with a light fish and salad.

The $3 Oak Ridge Cab

So I know Sean is going to hate me for putting this on his blog, but in my defense we did review Bug Light Wheat (rating = 2) and so I thought it was only fair.  Plus the value of this wine can theoretically only go up.  So here I go.

Nose & Look - Grape and spice, with tannin behind.  I detect something warm, and maybe some citrus.  Looks a little thin but an o.k. red.

Taste - I would have to say it's bland, but what would you expect.  You get equal amounts of alcohol and grape.  Less tannin, even less warmth and citrus.  What you would expect from something this cheap, but I can't say it's horrible.

Rating -4
I believe this is a pretty fair rating.  Nothing about this wine makes it spectacular, nothing makes it great, and nothing really makes it good.  It gets one better than a three because of the value factor, but I do have to say that spending even $7 more will get you something more around a 6.  Trust me, bring this to a party in another bottle and most won't no the difference, but if you want a great wine look somewhere else.

Clos Du Val 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon From Napa Valley, California

Clos Du Val 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, Ca. is a very young cab. which is a meritage of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot.

The vintner, Bernard Portet, was born and raised in Bordeaux, France and as a result, he developed a deep love for the legendary viticultural region and it's prized creations. This heritage blatantly comes out in his style of blending and balancing the grapes.

Despite it’s immaturity the wine is certainly no slouch. Tonight I paired it with grilled Beef Tenderloin that was dry rubbed with garlic, salt, pepper, onion and olive oil and then grilled medium rare. As a side dish, I had grilled zuchini. The pairing was a good match.

I wish i could have had the time to decant this wine; this would have probably allowed the tannins and other elements to reach a better balance. I expect this wine to be complete in it’s true form given the proper time to age as this wine’s tasty complexity and layering has great potential.

Price- $25-$30/ 750mL or $15-$18/ 375mL. The 2005 is actually cheaper than the 2006 which generally retails around $30-$40 and was rated higher and better suited for earlier consumption.

Sight- Rosy red with no visible sedimentation.

Nose- Currants, blackberries and carnations.

Taste- Layers of dark currants, blackberry, tart, young cherries and a spicy yet smooth finish emerge with a medium body and mouth-feel despite it’s tannic quality.

Grade- 5* I enjoyed the experience and the food/wine pairing was a good marriage. I see this getting better and better with time. As I suggested earlier, it’s young and like an awkward kid with growing pains, this wine has some growing up to do before it reaches it’s prime.



*will be a better rating when aged properly or possibly if decanted/aerated.

Malbec Alberti 154

2008 Malbec Alberti 154 from Mendoza, Argentina. 
Aged 6 months in oak barrels, 14.5% alc. vol.

Now we are in for a nice afternoon.

Price - $22 for the bottle, right in my price range.  I feel this is the range that gives the most bang for buck.

Nose - Great sweet grape smell (duhh right, but this ones to the moon).  Low tannin smell, but you can easily detect its value.  Last value is floral, and its the undertone.  Very little alcohol to smell.

Taste - The grape nose becomes the undertone, being moved behind the tannins.  The florals come steadily, with it being that last taste you have, then nice soft tannins again.  Distinctly unalcoholic, which allows me to taste the notes better.

Grade - 8
It's hard to beat the value and what you get for it.  Great red that would pair well with and tomato based sauce and fatty meat.  Would overpower any other food i.e. fish  This wine should be in your go to wine holder.

2001 Mendocino County Zinfandel by Windsor Vineyards

I am so peaceful and mellow right now after spending time with my family and a great bottle of wine. Unlike paintings and other forms of fine art, wine is created to be consumed/destroyed. Through the process of destruction/consumption/digestion it, like world-class cuisine, (often paired with class-A wine) is meant to be disassembled down to it's bare elements. Tonight's vino is no exception as I'm feeling good while looking at an empty bottle.

Windsor Vinyards has managed to produce fine wine since 1959 and was originally created by the legendary Rodney Strong. The quasi-indiginous Zinfandel grape has been cultivated into wonderful red wine in America for years now and W.V. has kept up with and led standards in terms of quality balance and value.

2001 Mendocino County Zinfandel

Price- It varies as this is a wine that is very very hard to find and usually reserved for the 'bottled for business' variety. I happened to stumble upon 3 bottles that were sitting in my country club's inventory for too long, and so the once $40.00/ bottle price tag was reduced to wholesale for the sake of getting rid of inventory. My 18.00/ Bottle X 3 was well spent.

Sight- Dark, ruby red when looking through light. Good clarity with no sedimentation.

Nose- I noted that of cherries, roses, a slight astringent scent of prominent tannins and the smell of alcohol (please note that this variety is 16.5% EtOH by Vol.

Taste- Upon first swill, I agreed with my nose in that I sensed cherries and roses. I allowed the wine to breathe for 30 minutes to smooth and round out the alcohol's power ( 1-2 hrs would probably maximize this process). The result was a medium to high acidity wine with a balanced structure and feel. The wine presents with a smooth and long finish and hints of plum, nuts and fig.

Rating- I give this a 6.5/10 in that it could be balanced a little better in the fruit to EtOH(alcohol) ratio. Overall, I would drink this daily and fall asleep with a grin on my face.

Recommendations- LET THIS OL' DOG BREATHE! I think that a decanter or an aerator like the Vinturi is in order to grasp the flavor waiting to be unleashed. Don't let the alcohol drown the character that is hiding behind the nasty organic chemical beast!

Tonight Shall Be The Debut Post

Hold on to your glasses, folks. Tonight will be a tasting of Winsor Vineyards 2001 Zinfindel that I've been waiting to try.

See you soon!