N/V Domaine Chandon Riche

This was $12 – I remember trying this one a while back but didn't remember anything so I figured I'd grab a bottle and take some notes.

Spicy stone fruit on the nose – almost like a Gewurz.

Stone fruit – peaches – a bit of spice, some honey and a balancing amount of citric acid suggestive of tangerine. I'd almost think this was a sparkling Gewurz, but the bottle says it's a blend of .....

There's a somewhat spicy finish and a somewhat unpleasant chemical sweetness.

I suppose that I may understand why this out there, but it's just not my style. If you're into the sparkling moscato this may work - though for the price you may as well just getting something from Italy.

2005 Francis Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Series Ivory Label

We've had a few Coppola wines before and basically – they're not bad, but they're not exactly exceptional either. This seems to be a new line replacing the Black Label Claret, so I figured I'd grab a bottle which ran around $12.

A bold nose with cherry, cinnamon, and oak on the nose.

A solid burst of fresh strawberry as soon as this hits the palate. Medium tannins – cherry, oak, tobacco

Cedar and anise show up on the finish as well as some other spice notes and a touch of cigar.

The best of the Coppola Diamond Series wine we've had this far – this is fantastic, a great QPR, and one I'd gladly buy again.

N/V G. H. Mumm & Cie Champagne Carte Classique

I encountered this for $25 at the grocery store and figured I'd give it a shot having a vague positive memory of the Cordon Rouge we had in January 2007.

A little bit of nuttiness on the nose.

Yeast, a bit of toast, some nuttiness – though I couldn't say which - and red apple – somewhat sweet actually. Not much else really. This went flat unusually quickly – the glass died in less than an hour and the bottle's bubbles faded within two.

Some yeast lingers I suppose but there's virtually no finish.

Disappointing. I know this is a low end Champagne, but $25 is still a lot for the average person to drop on a bottle. I won't be rushing back. There's nothing wrong with this – it's just sort of like George Bush's memoirs – good....good, not great.

N/V Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut Sparkling Wine

We paid $18.99 for this one at our local wine shop, I know we've had this at a tasting some time ago and figured we'd try a bottle.

Yeast and dough on the nose.

This is great – green and red apple with some yeasty notes and a solid amount of toast that gives this very nice structure. On the one hand, I can't detect a bunch of nuances, on the other, this is just a strong wine, nice layers, and all around you can just taste this is quality.

Sour green apple on the finish.

In the “under $20” category this one is easily one of, if not the best we've had. I'd easily recommend it – there's plenty of depth and the quality easily suggests that of an official Champagne. I'll be buying more of this and I suggest giving it a shot.

N/V Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne

I left it for Fran to decide – go out to eat or cook at home but grab a couple bottles of Champagne. This won and it was on sale for $24.

A doughy and yeasty nose.

Good stuff – toasty, yeasty, crisp acid, and pretty much the only thing I'm getting is lemon and maybe, just maybe, green apple.

The finish brings some lime and slate.

Not bad, but I'm not about to rant and rave about it – it's solid and about right for the price.

2005 Columbia Winery Gewurztraminer

We got this one for $8 at Costco.

Pineapple on the nose.

Spicy stone fruit on the palate – spiced peach pie filling. A bit sweet but quite acidic to it all balances together nicely. Some pineapple notes as well.

A bit of honey lingers on the finish and some vanilla notes start to come through.

For $8 this one is easily recommendable.

2003 St. James Winery Norton

Another Missouri wine we picked up on our St. Louis trip. I don't recall what I paid for this sells for $10 from the winery.

This is a fairly big, dark, fruity, and fairly dry wine. Not too much tannin, but a lot of black fruit – plum, blackberry – and some Italian style funk. A lot of strange earthy qualities – leather, dirt, tobacco. Norton produces a strange, earthy wine and it's one of these things where you may love it or hate it, but for $10, this is a very complex and interesting wine.

The finish brings out a bit of oak and some plum lingers.

I like this wine and am astounded that I paid $10 for it. One of the better Nortons out there and for the price, you can't go wrong.

2005 Stone Hill Winery Vidal Blanc

A lot of white wine (and red, for that matter) from the Midwest is sweet – even those described as “off dry” still tend to border on cloying. I grabbed this one for looking for something a bit more dry – while I don't remember the price, I'm sure it was under $10.

A bit of pineapple on the nose.

Pineapple on the palate, as well as a buttery mouthfeel – this must've seen some oak.

That oily butter residue for some people like lingers on the finish.

Sort of like a not terribly obnoxious Chardonnay. If you're into Chardonnay and want something somewhat lighter this could fit the bill. I certainly don't hate this bottle but it's just not my style.

N/V Mionetto il Prosecco

We've had this producer's moscato and enjoyed so I grabbed this for about $9. This is a unique looking bottle because it has the crown cap (like the old soda bottle caps).

At first I didn't think this had much of a nose, but when I stuck my nose deep in the glass I picked some very interesting tropical fruit notes – papaya and pineapple mainly.

The tropical notes on the nose come through on the palate as well....fruity but not exactly sweet.

Some honey comes through on the finish...this leaves a film in your mouth almost which is telling me sugar but I'm still not tasting it.

It's alright but I'd never buy it again quite frankly. I appreciate the interesting tropical flavors but it's just not working for me – if that sort of thing works for you then you can do worse.

2001 Cullen Diana Madeline Margaret River

Another bargain for us – this one is typically $50, but we were at a wine shop's 10^th anniversary tasting and they had this one deeply discounted to a mere $25 – we tried it, we loved it, we bought the last bottle and sat on it for over a year. We drank this one with a grilled steak.

Tobacco, cherry, and blueberry on the nose.

So smooth – the tannins are mellow, cherry, tobacco, oak, a bit of licorice, a touch of dirt – everything is in perfect balance, no taste overwhelms. As it opens, some black fruit comes through – blackberry, plum, perhaps even some prune.

The finish lingers for some time, tannins come through, oak and just a slightest bit of pine creeps in, along with tobacco and a bit of blackberry.

Outstanding for $25 and certainly good enough for the $50 the shop normally charges. If this weren't the last bottle they had, I would've cheerfully grabbed a few more.

2005 Di Majo Norante Sangiovesse

No idea about this wine – I was poking around the wine fridge looking for a red and grabbed this one. Not sure where I bought it, why, or for how much. I looked it up online and it seems to sell for about $8, so we'll say that.

The first thing that hit me on the nose is hardwood, an interesting smell – woody but not really oak. There's a bit of dirt and cinnamon, and dare I say cabbage? Suggestions of green either way, and no necessarily in a bad way.

Not much in terms of tannin, and not over the top acidic - dirty, black fruit – plum mostly, and a bit of spice and earth.

Cinnamon and oak on the finish.

For under $10, this one is fine. I'm not crazy about it, but for the price there are few flaws and there's some nice complexity there to make it worth checking out. I'm glad I don't do stars because this one I'd be torn on.

N/V Heidsieck & Company Monopole Blue Top Brut Champagne

This was another bottle I snagged on sale for $24 – I believe making it tied for the cheapest Champagne in the store.

Slate on the nose.

Citrusy – grapefruit, lemon, and lime. Nicely balanced – acidic but not overwhelmingly so and just the slightest bit sweet. As it lingers on the palate, I get some nutty – perhaps walnut – flavors.

Doughy notes on the finish as well as some suggestions of walnut or even peanut.

A fine Champagne for the price – nothing groundbreaking, but a good QPR.

2005 Château de Fontenille Bordeaux

This cheap Bordeaux came recommended as being a good QPR (quality price ratio – a term I don't use much, but will probably start doing so). For $8 many people would be afraid it couldn't possibly be good, but it's a highly rated vintage and I was up for a gamble.

Plum and cigar on the nose.

Very nice – medium tannin, black fruit, smoky tobacco – cigar box? - and a nice balance of oak. Some somewhat astringent qualities came through after several hours of this wine being open. Nothing that can't be looked past, but this is one of those goofy wines where it's at it's best in the first hour or two .

Earth and a bit of smoke on the finish.

This is absurdly good for the price. If you want loads of deep complexity, stop being a cheap ass and reading a $8 bottle review – but if you want a great bottle to open any night of the week, this one is the way to go.

2005 Smoking Loon Pinot Noir

We had another wine from this label some time ago and I thought it was fine so I didn't hesitate to grab this one when I was on a streak of buying cheap Pinot Noir.

Funky, rotten raspberry on the nose.

Mild tannins, a touch of sweetness, a hint of oak, cherry, and carob. There's a nice acidic zing here that balances this out well.

Some oak comes through on the finish and some tannins start to come forward.

Not great, but for a $7 Pinot it's alright. I think, with the exception of the “Bistro Wine” previously reviewed, I'm going to stop buying cheap Pinot after I exhaust what's left in the wine fridge.

2005 Gabbiano Chianti Classico

Good ol' Gabbiano. A generally reliable producer of Chianti that I never hesitate picking up. This one ran me $10.

Earth and spice on the nose.

A nice Chianti – earthy, funky, some chocolate, a bit of cherry, some blackberry, and a nice balance of oak, all with a reasonable amount of acid. The regular Chianti from Gabbiano is light and zingy, this is a fairly bold wine, lots of funk and earthy notes.

I'm getting a big of cinnamon and spice on the finish that didn't really come through on the palate.

I consider Gabbiano a reliable brand – good, sometimes damn good, especially when you consider the pricepoint.

N/V Yellow Tail Sparkling Wine

I've been seeing this around and figured I might as well try it – on sale for $8, why not?

A bit of green apple on the nose.

The palate on this...oh man....I don't know if I've ever had a sparkling wine that I've been this repulsed by. This is excessively sweet and even worse, quite sour....sour, rotting green apples. If there are subtle nuances here I'm not about to take the time to taste them – I wouldn't even call this drinkable. It almost makes me wonder if this is a bad bottle – regular Yellow Tail isn't great, but I wouldn't even dream of comparing it to this.

Once it leaves the palate, the finish is nothing to really mention.

Never again....if you must buy a bottle of Yellow Tail, grab a bottle of the reserve Shiraz.

1998 Gattinara Vendemmia

This is a new one to us. I don't know what I paid for this but I do know it was on a clearance sale so it was heavily discounted – by at least 50% and based on where I put this on the rack, the retail must've been at least $35. I tried to do some research but couldn't find much info.

Dirt and barnyard on the nose.

Acidic and thensome at first open...this definitely needs some food to take the edge off. Other than that, it's quite pleasant, the tannins are mellow, nice cherry and berry flavors with a bit oak, some chocolatey hints, and a touch of sweet oak.

The acid continues on the finish with some nice earthy and berry flavors lingering.

This is very good but it's also very acidic, funky, and earthy - qualities that many people won't be into. Serve it with some hearty Italian faire and you'll be set.

2003 Evenus Zinfandel Port

I bought this a while back for about $10 (half bottle) at Trader Joe's. I've had some fake “Ports” before, but don't think I've ever had a Zinfandel Port before.

Chocolate and cherry on the nose.

Chocolate, cherry, and raspberry with plenty of dried fruit – raisin/prune, yet not much tannin. No depth or anything really interesting going on. After this has been open for a few days, some nuttiness is coming through, but it's really quite minor...honesty, it's not much further beyond a typical fruit bomb Zinfandel....lots of fruit, a touch of earthiness, and that's about it.

The finish fades fairly quickly...some alcohol lingers as well as some raisin, but nothing exciting.

Let's just call this a Late Harvest Zinfandel. $10 for a 375ml dessert wine isn't bad, but it's not great. There's some better “Port” coming out of Australia and for $10 you'd get a full bottle. If Ruby Port is too bold for you, maybe you'll take a shine to this, otherwise – skip it.

2005 St. James Winery Riesling

Another Missouri wine, don't recall the price, but under $10.

Peach on the nose.

The palate has plenty of stone fruit and just a bit of green apple and even a hint of grape...bordering on too sweet though there is enough acid to make it drinkable.

Stone fruit on the finish, subtlety peachy - white peach I'll say.

Even though I do tend to like my Rieslings a bit sweet, this one is close to being too sweet. It's not bad, if you like sweet and peachy Rieslings, this would be alright.

2004 Flourish Cabernet Sauvignon

I was at the local Albertson's owned grocery store and saw this line of wine – all organically grown from various parts of the world. I figured it was worth a shot because they had a sale – three bottles for $15 – regular price $11.99 each. While I doubt it's ever not on sale, I figured that's a severe enough discount to warrant grabbing a few.

Cherry and funk on the nose.

Cherry, strawberry, a bit of sweetness, and extremely mild tannin.

Strawberry – dare I saw of the Twizzler type – on the finish.

For $5 – why not? For $12 - I wouldn't have been happy. I suppose it works, it's on par with Yellow Tail – acceptable and perfectly good with simple fare like pizza or burgers.

2005 Killer Juice Cabernet Sauvignon

This is our first attempt at a red wine in a box. I've read some fairly positive things about this so I figured I'd give it a shot. This three liter box was $14.99 – which means this is the equivalent of a S3.75 bottle.

Dirt and blackberry on the nose.

Smooth – blueberry, cherry, oak, just a slightest bit of anise and tobacco, and mild (but certainly present) tannins.

Blueberry mostly on the finish though I'm getting a bit of cinammon.

Simple and inoffensive – great for burgers or pizza.

2006 Lynfred Winery Pinot Grigio

When we closed on our condo, our mortgage broker gave us this bottle as a gift – a nice gesture though after I saw the cut he was getting after signing my name a hundred times, all I could think was: “yo goober, where's the Dom?”

I hate describing the nose on Pinot Grigio because it's distinct...it smells like Pinot Grigio.

I'm used to a touch of sweetness in Pinot Grigio but I'd call this one bone dry...to the point that if you gave it to me blind I'd guess it was some sort of PG blend with Sauvignon Blanc. Stone fruit of all sorts – white peach mainly, but a bit of nectarine. A lot of mineral qualities that I'm bad at describing – slate?

A short finish suggesting more of that slate.

This one runs for $17.50 which I think makes it one of the pricier Pinot Grigio's that we've had – I'm sure there are better bottles out there, but I can't argue with this one. If you like this varietal but wish you could find a drier than usual bottle I'd say give this one a go. Recommended.

2004 The Colonial Estate Explorateur Shiraz

I love the “end of bin” clearances....this one was $5 marked down from about $20. The capsule felt fine, so why not?

This smells something like a bag with half cherry and half black licorice.

First and foremost – give this one a good two hours in the decanter before enjoying...it's very tight at first but opens nicely. The palate actually has a bit of balance – fruity but enough oak and earth to really bring it together. So much Australian Shiraz is of the “fruit bomb” persuasion, it's nice to get something a bit more even.

A bit of aak and cherry come out on the finish with some peppery notes.

For $5 – are you kidding? Is it worth the $20+ some places are charging? I'm leaning towards yes actually, especially if you're looking for a somewhat more sedate Shiraz.

2005 Chateau Grand Montet Bordeaux

We were at a local wine shop and a bunch of labels of the 2005 Bordeaux were in. They had apparently recently had a tasting of the labels and the guy working suggested a few that went over well with the crowd. This was $8 and the cheapest one he recommended.

Earth and cherry on the nose.

Soon after opening, I found this a bit sweet honestly, mild/medium tannins, cherry, and somewhat earthy. As it opened, a lot more earth came through, oak, the fruit calmed down a bit and I found the bottle far more enjoyable.

Some oak and berry on the finish.

My first draft on this wine was negative – but after a few hours of airtime, I think I'm sold. I found it too fruity and a bit sweet at first, but as the earthiness comes out, this really is a nice wine. When I sit and really focus, it is a bit too fruity, but just for casual drinking – and for $8, I'm not drinking this for academic reasons – I think this works fine.

2006 Orleans Hills Cote Zero

This caught my eye – no sulfites added, completely organic, and a whopping $8.

A somewhat grapey nose with some earth.

This is strange....very acidic, somewhat grapey, no oak, little tannin, yet dry. It almost tastes like a white, but feels like a red. This is a Grenache, Syrah, Viognier blend, and it's just odd. I've never had a wine with mainstrem (ie, non-hybrid - like Chambourcin) grapes that tastes this “grapey.”

I tried it at cellar temperature – a slight chill, and I figured it would be interesting to put it on ice. The acid has calmed down a bit, but no real depth comes through that didn't before. Just grapes and some weird funk....no jam, no spice, nothing. It reminds me of an Illinois wine really.

Earth and grape on the finish.

It's weird. I can't say I like it. I suppose if you're die hard vegan, organic, and have sensitivities to sulfite this may be better than nothing, but I personally wouldn't recommend it otherwise.

2007 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

I had actually decided to not partake in the BN craze this year, but I happened to be driving by a liquor store and decided I'd drop in to see if they had any. This was the only label they carried and it ran me about $10.

I don't know how else to describe the nose other than freshly removed gym socks.

The palate brings tart cherries, raspberries, licorice, and even a bit of barnyard....there's a bit of tannin and overall it's somewhat astringent – not enough to be offensive, but enough that food is pretty much in order.

Some of those tannic notes linger on the finish as well as a touch of blueberry that actually lasts for a while.

So many wine snobs bash this wine, but you need to accept it for what it is – a simple, easy quaff that's enjoyable for a bottle or two every late November. Personally, this one is good enough - and I've been very iffy about this producer - that I may hit up one of the bigger wine shops tomorrow and grab a few more bottles.

2006 A to Z Oregon Rose

We've had some A to Z wines before...I really enjoyed their Pinot Noir we had a while back so I grabbed a bottle of this when I saw it for about $11.

Cherry and herbal notes on the nose.

Lots of acid on the palate, not a whole lot of sweetness - cherry, spice (cinnamon?), watermelon rind, and raspberry.

The finish lingers with lots of acid complimenting the herbal and raspberry notes.

A very nice rose in general and definitely a good one for the price.

2004 Fetzer Valley Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon

Here's another from Fetzer, $6 or so, that you can pick up at any grocery store.

Large amounts of cherry, tobacco, and oak on the nose.

Cherry, blueberry, plum, and oak on the palate. After a couple days in the fridge, this hasn't changed much – plum, cherry, and a bit of oak bringing some mildish tannin.

A fruity finish that brings out more sweetness than I get on the palate. After sitting in the fridge for a few days, I got a bit more tannin and oak on the finish, but still some sweetness.

Not terribly complex and a bit too fruity to be called balanced, but for the price it's fine.

2005 Voga Quattro Italia

This was $8 at Costco. We thought the Voga white was alright and I figured this was worth a shot – I seem to recall reading a good review of this one somewhere.

Chocolate and cherry on the nose.

A weird blend creates a weird wine – this one has Merlot, Cabernet, Shiraz and Pinot Noir. Little to no tannin, not much acid, berries – strawberry mainly – chocolate, and earth.

No real finish except for some mild oak notes and a slight bit of rotten strawberry that fade quickly.

$8 is a pretty good price for this bottle which I normally see for about $10 – but I still wouldn't recommend it. A bit more acid and a bit less may have given it some balance but without it, there's just not much here but flab.

N/V Aria Cava Brut

We had this at a restaurant not long ago and I enjoyed it enough to snag a bottle when I found it on sale for a mere $9.

A yeasty nose with some lemony notes.

The palate is light and crisp – nice acid, a bit of citrus fruit and a bit of a yeasty feel. The key flavor I'm getting is lime.

A lingering finish, with acid and lime.

At this price I have no gripes. Far better than any of the mass produced sparklers like Korbel out there, this is definitely worth a trip to a wine shop....a nice tasting wine though a bit simple. While I won't be grabbing this particular bottle again for a while, I wouldn't hesitate grabbing a few others in the Aria line to see what they have to offer.

2005 Sketch Book Mendocino County Pinot Noir

I don't remember much about this one....and a bit of poking around the internet shows I don't know where I bought this or what I paid, other than I hope I didn't pay more than $15.

Funk, cherry, and pepper on the nose.

A bit of cola, cherry, strawberry, earth, funk, a bit of chocolate, and smooth tannin. Nice depth, good acid, and really quite enjoyable all around.

Some oak comes out on the finish as well as a touch of tobacco, and some cherry.

If I knew where I bought this and I found it again for under $15 I'd cheerfully grab a few more bottles.

2006 Robert Mondavi Private Selection California Pinot Noir

The Mondavi wines we've had have been hit or miss, but I figured this was worth a shot for $9.

Earth and funk on the nose

Strawberry, earth, a bit of cherry, sweet oak, lots of acid which mellowed after a few hours, and a bit of chocolate. Not bad really.

Tannins show up on the finish and linger a bit with strawberry and wood.

Not bad for $9 really, let it breath for a while or sit on the rack for a few months (it's still a bit young, though I wouldn't call it ageworthy in any sense), but there's enough Pinot qualities that I wouldn't hesitate giving this one a mild recommendation.

N/V Founders Reserve Sandeman Porto

When Fran and I were looking to decorate our apartment with some posters, I stumbled across an array of (reproductions of) vintage posters of Sandeman Port. I liked the logo, but assumed the brand was long gone. As I was browsing a local shop, I saw a whole line of Sandeman Port and knew I had to grab a bottle. This was the priciest bottle at $16 for 750 ml.

Raisin and alcohol on the nose.

A bit of alcohol burn, rich tobacco, overripe plum (prune really), brown sugar....a solid Ruby style Port. After a few weeks of being open, the tobacco is beginning to take over – not terribly sweet, a nice bit of acid and some interesting earthy qualities – I'd enjoy this more if I had a cigar.

The finish brings some earthy notes and lingering burn from the alcohol.

Not bad. For an under $20 bottle of Port, you can do worse...but I still view Port as a splurge beverage since a bottle lasts so long you may as well drop some coin and stretch it out. If you're starting out with Port, buying for a dinner party, or simply not willing to pay a lot for a bottle but are desperate for “real” Port, then you can do worse....but I'd still save a few dollars and buy the Port-like Australian fortified wine made by Jonesy.

N/V Origin Prosecco

So here's what's been happening with The Wineauxs – we've had some good wine, wrote up some solid reviews, but for whatever reason I put off posting them. Then one day the computer froze, I rebooted and nothing happened. The hard drive motor died, taking everything on it with it...including a review of an absurdly good Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

So, here we are – some sparkling wine to celebrate our new and improved hard drive.

Anyway, I was poking around a local Albertson's owned grocery chain and found a whole line of wines with the Origin label. It's an interesting label – many regions, grapes, and pricepoints are covered....$6 Chianti, $35 Barolo, and this $11 Prosecco (there are non-Italian wines but those jumped out at me)....a bit of Googling found this is Albertson's house label.

No nose.

A nice bit of yeast and toast on the palate, some very light golden delicious apple, perhaps some lemon. A decent bottle actually.

The finish brings out some lemon zest and oddly enough, bubblegum.

If I saw this for under $10 I'd buy it again without much hesitation. Not the greatest wine, but at the price it's an easy quaff. Next time you're at Albertson's, grab a bottle, but don't go out of your way.

2006 Castle Rock Mendocino County Pinot Noir

Being in yet another Pinot Noir mood, I grabbed this one from the wine fridge having completely forgotten why and where I bought it.

I get a bit of that earthy forest floor on the nose.

After about an hour or so, I got a bit of oak, some tart cherry, and a bit of acid – not much else really. As it opened more, notes of cola and earth began to come through and the acid really zings – almost suggesting a touch of effervescence.

Some raspberry on the finish but it fades quickly.

It looks like the local shop has this for $13, so I assume I paid somewhere in that neighborhood. I'd absolutely buy this again, but either let it pick up some age or throw it in the decanter for a couple hours before drinking it.

2004 Vitiano Falesco

Another Costco find for about $7.

Cherry and oak on the nose.

Raspberry, cherry, a bit of cinammon, spice, and a bit of oak...sadly, not much of that miscellaneous Italian funk I love though I do get some odd green notes. A nice sharp bit of acid and mild to medium tannins make this a food friendly wine – we had it with some baked pasta and it paired nicely.

The finish has some nice cherry and oak that lingers for some time.

Overall, not bad for the price...it's a wine I'd probably only serve with food to cover some of that green. I'll give it a hesitant recommendation.

2006 Mollydooker The Maitre D Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2005 Mollydooker was such a huge hit, I didn't hesitate grabbing a few bottles of the 2006 line. This ran me $20.

Menthol and anise on the nose and not much else but alcohol.

Huge and over the top – no tannin to really speak of, lots of fruit – cherries and berries with a bit of oak.

The finish lingers with more menthol, oak, and perhaps cherry.

It's a big wine and I'd call it somewhat dumb, but still enjoyable. This is one I'd save for the winter and enjoy on a cold night. If you see this, pick it up, it maybe tough to find in the coming weeks.

2004 Shoofly Shiraz

We've been on a bit of a Shiraz kick so I grabbed this one out of the wine fridge – I had forgotten everything about it other than I liked the bottle, so I figured it was worth opening.

Cherry and raspberry on the nose.

Blackberry, cherry, menthol, anise, black pepper, earth, and a bit cedar. My advice is to give this one a few hours in the decanter. Very interestingly – on the second night this one assaulted the palate with black pepper – almost as if black pepper was added

Earth, blackberry, and wood on the finish which lingers nicely.

This bottle cost me $9 which makes it a steal and a half. It isn't a giant fruit bomb Australian Shiraz, there's a bit more subtlety and earthy flavors - I'd strongly recommend it.

2006 Monmousseau Rose d' Anjou

Last year's vintage of this was one of my all time favorite roses, I figured grabbing the new one would be worth a shot for $9.

An easy quaff – strawberries, a bit of citrus, and a nice acidic zing with a touch of sweetness. A simple, light bodied wine that's perfect for any picnic or simple summer faire.

Some lingering cherry and just a bit of spice on the finish.

Well, this is just as good as last year's bottle....a truly excellent rose at a great price.

2006 O'Reilly's Oregon Pinot Noir

We had this at a tasting a while back and enjoyed it thoroughly so I grabbed a bottle.

Strawberry, cola, and a bit of funk on the nose.

A nice bit of strawberry and raspberry, plus all sorts of wood, dirt, earth, barnyard and the like. Subtle, earthy, and overall a mild, yet deep, wine. A nice bit of acid would make this worth with almost any food but I would avoid serving it with anything too heavy. Personally, I think it stands wonderfully on its own.

The finish lingers for some time, notes of cherry and earth.

An outstanding subtle Pinot Noir and a bargain at the $17 pricetag. I would strongly recommend this one for someone looking for an elegant red wine.

2003 Penfold's Regional Selection Shiraz Coonawarra

A reliable producer, under $10 at the shop, and a “Limited Edition” on the label pretty much guaranteed I'd be picking this one up.

Black cherry on the nose with some notes of dried fruit.

Lots of black fruit – plum, black cherry, blackberry, even some prune. Some nice Shiraz spice with black pepper coming through the most. There's a slight touch of sweetness, but enough tannin and acid to balance it out.

The finish is spicy and fruity – a bit like spiced raisins.

A perfectly acceptable Shiraz for the price. I do prefer the more absurdly huge, and somewhat difficult to pair, Australian Shiraz, but give me a steak and I'd cheerfully pour a glass of this.

2005 Clay Station Viognier

A while back I picked this up for when I was in the mood for something different, I don't recall the price but it couldn't have been over $10. I don't know if I've ever purchased a bottle of Viognier before, but we've had it at tastings with no memorable results.

Lots of melon on the nose – honeydew mainly.

The palate is big on melon, lots of fruit, some floral – almost herbal tea – notes, a nice acidic zing, just the slightest touch of sweetness, and a small bite of alcohol. This may sound odd, but as the wine warms up, I get an almost fishy taste – and strangely, not in a bad way. Imagine taking a bite of salmon, taking a swig of wine, and swallowing it – wine and fish blending together nicely (and we're drinking this alone, so dinner is not interfering with my palate).

This has one of the longest finishes I've encountered in a white wine, long lasting notes of melon – mainly a muskmelon – not quite honeydew and not canteloupe, but somewhere in the family as well as some more of that herbal tea.

I'll be trying more Viognier in the near future, I think this is a varietal I can get behind.

N/V Cockatoo Ridge Brut

This one was $12 at my local wine shop and came with hearty recommendations from the owner.

A bit of honey on the palate and some crisp green apple.

The finish has some yellow apples – tart, but not sour – a bit of pear, and it lingers for a fair amount of time.

Basically, this is as good as you'll get for the money. Some nice flavors, but ultimately the typical tart, acidic, somewhat dry flavors we've come to expect at the pricepoint.

2005 Bistro Wine Pinot Noir

I found this one for about $8 at the local Costco a couple weeks back and felt that since we've had luck with cheap French Pinot Noirs I'd pick up a bottle.

I'm not getting a whole lot on the nose except for some cherry.

Perhaps the biggest thing I get on the palate is cola. In fact, the cola is such a large part a lot of the other flavors – cherry and strawberry are very muted.

The finish lingers for quite a while with cherry cola notes.

I'm sold. There's not a whole lot of complexity, but for $8 the fact that this has Pinot Noir characteristics and is well balanced is enough for me. This is a wine I'd gladly buy multiple bottles of.

2005 Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Barossa Valley Shiraz

Not to be confused with the Gnarly Head Zin, this is the Gnary Dudes Shiraz from Australia. I found this at Costco for $25, which is at least $5 than I've seen it elsewhere....being familiar with the producer I figured it may be worth a shot.

Black fruit and licorice on the nose.

The palate was very approachable immediately after opening. Big palate, lots of fruit, rather sweet actually, and not much tannin. Twizzlers, ripe strawberries, Rainier cherries, licorice, anise.

The finish lasts for a while with a bit of anise lingering.

I don't recall the last time I had a wine that really struck me as “sweet” as much as this does, dare I say that may lead one to think this one is cheap. Unlike cheap wine, this has some excellent depth and a lingering finish. It is a style that some may not like – and for a bit less money you can get Layer Cake or The Boxer so though I enjoyed it, I won't be picking this one up again.

2005 Trader Joe's Late Harvest Moscato Paso Robles

I saw this one for $5.99 at Trader Joe's and figured it would be worth a shot. The only “bad” dessert wine we've had was still perfectly drinkable, so I'm all for the gamble.

Orange on the nose.

Orange blossom, sweet tangerine, a bit of honey, and nice zing of acid. Very nicely balanced and not over the top sweet.

Maybe some floral notes on the finish, but that's a bit of a stretch – it disappears quickly.

For $6, why not? It's a simple dessert wine, not a whole lot of complexity but nice and drinkable after a meal – perhaps with a bit of ice cream. I'll probably be buying this again.

2005 Turn Me Riesling

This one grabbed my eye and for $8 I thought it was worth a shot.

Not much on the nose really, a bit of alcohol and that's about it.

The palate has some crisp apple, a bit of citrus, and some honey. Nicely balanced – it's a touch sweet but the acid does more than enough to balance it out.

The finish lingers with some grapefruit.

I really didn't expect a whole lot but this is a very nice Riesling.

2006 Kirland Central Otago Pinot Noir

Since we've had some decent luck with the Kirkland label before, I figured I'd grab a bottle of this at $17.

Not much else but earth on the nose.

Even after two full hours of airtime this one was still tight. A fair amount of dirt, funk, forest floor, some green notes, and raspberry.

The finish lasts for a while starting with cherry, then dirt comes through, and finally it trails off with lingering raspberry.

Maybe it needs some more time in the cellar, but this one is a bit too tight at this point. While there's some nice complexity and a bit of varietal characteristic,I think it would be worth picking up a bottle and sitting on it for a while to see what happens.

2004 Fox Valley Winery Heritage Collection

I felt like supporting a local(ish) winery and saw this one for $15. We've visited this winery about a year ago and felt they were easily one of the better wineries in Illinois. If I had one gripe, it was that all their dry reds were a bit expensive. This is a blend of Chambourccin and Frontenac – two common Midwest varietals.

Funk and cherry on the nose.

Earth, funk, dirt, even some barnyard, oak, cherry and raspberry on the palate – outstanding depth not only from the region but for the price in general. Low tannin overall.

The finish comes through with some earthy notes, a touch of oak, and perhaps some berry.

I have to say this is much better than I anticipated it being. If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say a nice Chianti Classico. If you see this – or if you're in the area – I strongly recommend both the wine and the winery.