2006 OOPS Carménère/Cabernet Franc

A very slight change in format - most posts will begin with formal notes from the first few hours of opening the bottle. Immediately after pouring two glasses, I recork the bottle, toss it in the fridge overnight, pull it out a couple hours before reopening and consume the rest the next day. The second day notes will have varying degrees of depth.

A bit of a history lesson: this wine is called OOPS because for some time wines were coming out of Chile which were called Merlot – but something seemed amiss about it – after genetic testing, it turned out the “Merlot” was actually carménère – one of the orignal Bordeaux grapes that was presumed extinct (largely due to bugs, no less). This is a blend of Carménère and Cabernet Franc. I paid under $8, but don't recall exactly how much less.

Day One:
Earth and oak on the nose.

A lot of oak – too much – lots of spices, to a near unpleasant degree – cinnamon, basil, oregano – all sorts of green as well – bell peppers. In terms of fruit, maybe some black cherries but it's mostly just funk.

The oak lingers on the finish as well.

Day Two:
Oak and alcohol on the nose.

Very watery as it hits the palate – then some tannins come through – oak, mint, tobacco, and a slight bit of plum.

The alcohol is quite apparent on the finish as well as some minty flavors. I do not recommend this for mouthwash though.

Final thoughts:
You know, it's refreshing to have a cheap wine that I don't care for because of excessive green and funk versus it being too fruity and flabby. In fact, I'd be willing to wager that if I dumped out half a bottle of some cheap Sutter Home type Cabernet and mixed it with a half bottle of this, you'd probably have a pretty solid blend.

N/V Glunz Family Mission Angelica Solera

Glunz is an Illinois based winery which specializes an Illinois version of Port that's pretty solid. I recently visited their tasting room in Long Grove and got t try a sample of this which compelled me to grab a bottle – I forget the exact price but it was in the $35 range for a 500 ml bottle.

Day One:
A powerful nose – brown sugar, maple syrup, caramel, cherry, and some alcoholic burn.

The palate is actually just a bit mellower than one would expect, but don't get me wrong it's still huge – like a Tawny Port like in many ways – caramel, cherry, prune, tobacco, spice, and oak. This is 18.5% alcohol and it definitely shows.

A nice nuttiness which was present on the palate really shines through on the finish. Candied orangel peel, dried cherry and smoky oak notes also linger for quite some time.

Day Three:
How big is the nose? I can smell the glass from five feet away. Nutty, caramel notes mostly.

The burn of the alcohol has blown off somewhat. Strong nuttiness comes through, dried fruit – cherry and raisin – and brown sugar notes boldly hit the palate. I'm also getting some soda notes – cherry cola or root beer...I can't decide – perhaps both.

More nuttiness on the finish, more dried cherry, more caramel.

Day Six:
The nose has faded, and the nuttiness is getting stronger, other than that, there's little to report and the bottle is all but gone.

A solid wine, a good value, and stunning seeing as this is from a winery near the Illinois/Wisconsin border. I'd recommend it and next time I'm at their tasting room I just may pick up another bottle if I don't grab another one of their Ports instead.

2005 Georges Duboeuf Morgon

This was in the $10 range at Costco and I figured it would be a good thing to grab for a light sort of evening.

I'm going to call maraschino cherry on the nose.

Very smooth and fairly simple – cherry for the most part, a bit of spice – nutmeg? - no oak, mild acid, and very slight tannins. There's a slight mustiness in the glass – if I had to guess I'd say there's some cork taint here but it's very mild.

Just the slightest bit of spice and cherry on the finish.

I'm definitely grabbing another bottle of this to see if the mustiness is a bottle flaw or just the way the wine is – even if it's right, this is a perfectly reasonable quality Beaujolais at the price - if you don't care for the region, forget this one, but if you're open to it, this is worth a shot.

2004 Hogue Genesis Riesling

This has been on the rack for quite a while and I figured it was time to open it up.

Pineapple and do I detect a bit of gasoline on the nose?

A fairly bold Riesling – lots of tropical fruit, stone fruit, a sharp acidic zing, and a fair amount of sweetness. Pineapple, papaya, apricot, grapefruit, some floral notes, and a bit of minerality.

Pineapple lingers on the finish.

This ran me just about $8 – a great bargain. I look forward to snagging a bottle of a newer vintage.

1996 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Vintage Reserve Brut

I had a hankering for a quality Champagne and figured I'd grab this – not cheap, $28 for a half bottle, but it's important to splurge every so often...that's what I keep telling myself anyway.

An interesting nose – gooseberry, vanilla, jasmine, rye toast, chocolate,

Few wines warrant words like “exciting” but to me this qualifies – strong minerals, lots of toast, strange floral and tea notes, chamomile, almond, walnut, raspberry, crisp apple, tangelo, and pomelo.

The yeast, toast, grapefruit, and chamomile tea notes linger on the finish.

At nearly $30 for a half bottle, I'd call it a bargain. This is phenomenal and among the best Champagnes we've had – at a relatively reasonable price, you can't go wrong.

2006 Dr. Loosen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Riesling

I snagged this the other day at the wine shop – we haven't been in much a mood for whites, but with Chinese food for dinner I decided to unscrew a bottle and give it a whirl.

Slate and peach on the nose.

Lemon lime, just a bit of stone fruit, some slate, and dare I say a bit of banana on the mid-palate? This is certainly sweet and the acid rounds it out though not quite as much as it really needs.

Limeade on the finish which fades quickly.

This was about nine dollars and for a German Riesling at that price this is definitely one I can recommend. It's an easy quaff and will be great on a hot summer night.

2005 Bonny Doon Big House Red

We're fans of Bonny Doon and I figured I'd snag a bottle of this for nine bucks. This is a kitchen sink blend and thensome...get this – Sangiovese, Syrah, Carignane, Barbera, Zinfandel, Mourvedre, Montepulciano, Petit Verdot, Tannat, and Aglianco – wow! We're two varietals closer to the Wine Century Club so that's exciting enough.

Pepper and raspberry on the nose.

Black pepper, plum, blackberry, and even a bit of nectarine.

Oak and pepper on the finish and has a surprising length.

Pretty impressive at the price – a solid bottle of wine with fairly wide distribution makes this a winner and easy to recommend.

2006 Rodney Strong Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

This goes for about $15 and has somewhat wide distribution around here – it's one of the higher shelf Pinot Noirs at the local grocery store.

Earth, tar, and cherry on the nose.

Lots of cola here – earthy and funky – some strawberry and raspberry. At first pour this is somewhat sharp, but the acid blows off after a couple hours of air, some sassafras starts to come through plus some interesting stone fruit and spicy notes – poached peaches and such. We're drinking this over one night – but I couldn't imagine this lasting overnight – after a few hours it's fading fast – it's not bad, it just gets very tame very fast.

Cherry cola and anise on the finish.

In terms of availability and price this one is perfectly reasonable – with definite varietal characteristics and no obvious flaws, it's almost Old World in style which is about as high of praise as I can give. I dig it.

N/V Segura Viudas Cava Brut Heredad

This is the reserve bottle from Segura Viudas – a producer's whose sparkling wines we've been very happy with. This normally goes for about $20, but it was on sale for a mere $16.

Crisp apples on the nose.

The first word that came to mind was smooth. Anjou pear, Golden Delicious apple, some yeasty notes, and as it opens, some tropical fruit notes come through, I'm getting some lychee, pineapple, and dare I even say some mango?

More of that crisp apple on the finish.

A solid bottle and another winner from Segura Viudas. High quality wine and an interesting bottle would make this a great gift or conversation starter at a gathering. Go for it.

1995 Smith Woodhouse Late Bottled Vintage Port

This was a Christmas gift so I'm not sure the cost – a very brief internet search found this to come up for at least $25.

The nose here is powerful – rich, dark, dried cherries covered in dark chocolate with espresso. Solid.

A lot of alcohol on the palate – definitely some burn – a bit of oak, but overall fruity and burny. Raisins, prunes, dried cherries, coffee, caramel, and orange – quite impressive. After the bottle has opened for a few days, it morphs slightly – quite a bit of vanilla starts to come through, and an interesting almost raspberry infused brandy quality comes through.

The wood lingers with some caramel and earthy notes on the finish.

A fantastic bottle – strongly recommended.

N/V All Shook Up Sparklng Wine

Yes yes, Elvis is the king – though the wines which have his name are hardly royal – will this sparkler which runs about $13 send me to Blue Hawaii or is not even fit for a Roustabout? Let's fine out.

White bread, pear, and apple on the nose.

Quite a bit of pear on the palate – saccharine mouthfeel with some yellow grape, green apple, pear, and a bit of yeast.

Some orange, pear, and a bit of toast on the finish.

Meh. A nice gift for the Elvis nerd in your life I suppose, but other than that I see no reason to grab this again.

2006 Evil Cabernet Sauvignon

Any Mercyful Fate fans reading this out there? Maybe you know the song “Evil”? Maybe you've watched this video and know how awesome they are? Could this wine be appropriate for the Mercyful Fate fan and the wine snob? Let's find out. (Note: This wine is in no way associated with Mercyful fate, but I do think an advertising blitz with the two together would be amazing.)

Twizzlers, alcohol and a bit of alcohol on the nose.

This is a big wine – a lot of fruit, but there's some solid wood to give it some balance. Big fruit – black cherry, blueberry, plum – though it's not over the top – oak and acid balance this all out. Cedar, oak, spice, and nice tannins give it great backbone. As it opens some raspberry comes forward as well as some earthy and chocolatey notes.

The oak and some strawberry notes come through on the finish.

How much for this evil bottle? Ten stinkin' bucks. This is what QPR is about - it may only be March but this will almost certainly go on the bargains of the year list – I'll be hitting the wine shop and grabbing several more bottles of this when I get a chance.

Blackbird review - 3/28/08

Our original Friday night plans were canceled at around noon – not wanting to sit at home, I suggested we go out to eat someplace nice – we had a great meal at Blackbird around a year ago, they had an opening, so I snagged it.

The amuse bouche was sturgeon, radish, and fava beans.



Here are one of the items that has made Blackbird famous – crispy veal sweetbreads with pickled golden turnip, green apple, candied coriander and goat's milk caramel



Fran's appetizer was berkshire blue cheese salad with treviso, seckle pears, blood orange and crispy artichokes



My entree: braised organic pork belly with toasted farro, braised kolrabi greens, hibiscus jus and fried rosemary



Fran's entree: cable farm country fried rabbit leg and chorizo with wilted romaine, baby carrots, candied pecans and spring peas




For wine, we had a great bottle of Burgundy: 2004 Domaine Saint Martin 'Hervelets' 1er Cru Fixin. No picture or notes sadly, but it was a nice bottle we'd have again.

We each had dessert, but didn't take photos – the restaurant was getting busy and I felt self conscious. I had a cheese plate with a selection of five: capriole farms 'sofia' - goat's milk, greenville, indiana - with beet-apricot chutney (I don't recall much of this one). nancy's camembert - sheep and cow's milk, old chatham, new york -with huckleberry mostarda (very brie like. fium'orbu -raw sheep's milk, corsica - with pickled grapes (a bit too pungent and funky for me, the grapes were good however). comte - raw cow's milk, jura, france -with honey and smoked almonds (the only thing I recall about this was the almonds which were quite good). great hill blue - raw cow's milk, marion, massachusetts - with grilled shallots and balsamic (the best of the lot – the cheese was strong but the shallots were stronger, a great mix).

Fran had roasted pineapple with brioche ice cream, hibiscus and puffed 'cinnamon toast'

Service was good – our waiter was friendly enough, but was consistently busy – I found myself unable to find him several times when I had questions. While my napkin was always folded when I got back from the bathroom and our coats were pulled by the time we made it to the door – when we were leaving no one helped (or even offered) to help us move the table. Not that big of a deal, but at their prices, flawless service is expected.

Blackbird is tight – very tight – the tables are so close together you actually have to pull your table out if you're sitting against the wall. With about six inches between tables you are very close to the people next to you. This isn't a big deal if you go at a slow time and no one is next to you, but by seven o'clock, every single seat in the restaurant was full. I personally find sitting so close to people to be uncomfortable, but the food makes up for it.

The food is exceptional. The amuse was a bit blah for my tastes – but as I'm not too big on seafood that's to be expected. The sweetbreads were phenomenal – I'd go back for this appetizer alone. The pork belly was great – it almost melted in your mouth, kohlrabi greens were excellent, and the toasted farro was one of those interesting grains you don't really see anywhere.

Fran's rabbit had a faint hint of chicken to it – the spices and breading were definitely southern influenced, but as you got closer to the bone, the gamey notes came through (that's a good thing). Fran didn't think her salad was terribly interesting – the blue cheese was clearly aged for a long time, but the rest was somewhat meh.

While this may not my favorite restaurant in Chicago, it's certainly up there. The food is exceptional and is really what would make me go back. The slight service gaffes were disappointing but forgivable. Personally, while I'd eat here again, I'm in no rush - there are so many great places I'd like to try that this really didn't grab me in a way that say, Frontera Grill or Avenues did.

N/V MPX Mas De Monistrol Cava Brut

I've been singing the praises of cheap Spanish cavas for a while now – for $7 at World Market, this seemed liked a safe bet.

A bit of apple and a bit of metal on the nose.

Disappointing – a bit metallic, somewhat oily, and a touch of fake sweetness. I suppose I'm getting some apple, but it's all very artificial.

Tart green apple candy on the finish.

I'll be passing this one up next time I'm at the shop. It's no worse than some of the mass market cheap domestic stuff, but you can do better at this price.

Carnivale Review

We recently visited the restaurant Carnivale in downtown Chicago for my sister-in-law's birthday. We were a party of six, but I only snagged photos of Fran and my food.

We started with a sampling of five different ceviche. When I think ceviche, I think somewhat finely chopped fish in a bold marinade. This was more sashimi style with some sauces and marinades, but nothing quite bold. Now, this isn't to say any of this was bad – all five were quite good, just not quite what we expected.

For an entree, Fran had the Pernil – rum glazed pork shoulder with rice and beans plus plantains. She referred to the plantains as phenomenal but felt the dish as a whole, while very good, was nothing extraordinary and ultimately found the $20 pricetag questionable.

I had the Bistek Palomilla – a prime ribeye with fried yuca and garlic mojo. It's tough to mess up a prime steak and they certainly didn't – cooked just right with a flavorful Latin influenced sauce and perfectly cooked yuca – this was an excellent dish which sold me on the restaurant.

The wine list? Solid. I am a fan of places that put premium wines on the by the glass menu – Dom Perignon by the glass? Phenomenal. The wine list has an emphasis of Spanish and South American wines with a variety from the rest of the world as well. Markups were standard – in fact I was surprised at the fact that some bottles were as low (for a restaurant wine list) as they were.

Service was flawless – among the best we've had in Chicago.

The bottom line? Good Latin fusion food that may or may not be overpriced - I can determine that on my next visit - but overall it's a great place - fun and quite loud (no romantic dates here) - with a nice wine list and solid food. I'd go back.

N/V J Winery Brut Rose

I enjoyed our last J sparkling bottle and figured now is as good as ever to try it.

Strawberry and bread on the nose.

Dry, but quite fruity – a lot of strawberry and cherry – as the bottle opens some subtle toast comes through. I'm also getting some almond notes mid-palate plus some very nice floral – perhaps orange blossom - notes. There's quite a few layers here and a lot going on that I can't place my finger on.

Some tartness – green apples and perhaps some citrus – lingers on the finish.

This is not a cheap bottle at $35 – but it's definitely high quality and quite interesting.

2006 Echelon Pinot Noir

I don't quite recall where I bought this – I'm thinking Trader Joe's, and I'm certain it was on the $6-8 range.

Overripe strawberry, earth, and funk on the nose.

Funky – earth, barnyard, tart blackberry, overripe strawberry, some spicy notes, and relatively firm tannins. When I use the term “overripe” I basically mean on the cusp of rotten – imagine berries that have been sitting a bit too long in the fridge, are squishy and a little gross, but not yet moldy.

Spice and oak linger on the finish.

I'm not sure about this one – there's some depth here but the flavor profile just isn't working for me.

2005 Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne

I got this one a while back – yet another clearance find, $16 or so regular, closer to $6 on sale – not bad at all.

Tart cherry on the nose.

This one was open for a couple hours before we tasted it – nicely balanced and somewhat simple on the palate. Light, but certainly tart cherry, a bit of earth – but really not much, a reasonably zing of acid – everything here is solid, but all just very mild.

A bit of chocolate presents itself on the finish, some acidic notes lingers, and some cherry does as well – not surprisingly the finish is mild, but it's lasts for quite a long time.

At under $10 this is perfect, for the upper teens there's just not enough happening in the glass to make this a value. With contemplation there's some reasonable depth here, but unless you're studying the glass it's little more than an easy quaff.

2006 Blason de Bourgogne Pinot Noir

I recall enjoying the 2004 of this one, so I didn't hesitate grabbing the new vintage for six stinkin' bucks.

A funky nose to be sure – raspberry and earth.

Quite light in body, but overall this is tart, somewhat sharp acid, some earthy notes, herbs – notably sassasfrass and anise - and some light raspberry for fruit.

Other than some spicy notes, nothing really grabs me on the finish.

Not bad, but it's certainly nothing outstanding and not as enjoyable as I recall the 2004 being. For the price, it's more than acceptable – not deep, but it's light, easy drinking, and food friendly.

2005 Esser Cellars Pinot Noir

This was at the local wine shop for $10 – easily the cheapest PN in this particular store – and it came with an (admittedly lukewarm) recommendation.

A strong nose of funk and, raspberry.

Cherry – in a Twizzler kinda way – blueberry, funk, earth, dirt, a bit of oak, and just a bit of sweetness.

The oak and some spicy notes come through on the finish.

For a domestic Pinot Noir at this pricepoint, this is among the best we've had. Just a bit too funky and strange, but definitely a lot of Pinot varietal qualities and for $10, I'm content.

N/V Cristalino Cava Brut

This cheap Cava is available widely and since we've been on a sparkler kick I figured I'd grab it for $6.

Oh no – that metallic scent is here on the nose with some apples.

Crisp apples, a bit of pear, some lemon, some nuttiness, and even a bit of toast – not bad. I was fearing the metal notes would be present, but no sir. Quite good.

The finish fades quickly – apples and yeast, but nothing that lasts.

Alright, Segura Viudas makes a better product and I'd go for that before this one again, but if you're at the local grocery shop this is probably your best bet in the price range.

2005 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet

The 2005 Bordeaux is being raved about, and I'm not about to drop $650+ on the big names – I will spend $6.50 though. This is just a simple Bordeaux, a blend of mostly Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc thrown in for good measure.

The only thing I can really get on the nose is chocolate.

Fairly light and mellow – a bit of fruit, a bit of oak, and a touch of spice. Mostly cherries and blackberries, the oak gives some mildly fuzzy tannins, and I'm getting just a little mint and basil.
The finsh fades quickly with only some cinammon and cherry notes lingering. As the bottle opens, the fruit becomes a bit more pronounced. This is nicely balanced – not too fruity and acidic enough to really drink well.

For $7 this isn't bad – it's well balanced and easy drinking. If it has one flaw it is in its simplicity, but for seven bucks I'm content.

N/V Korbel Brut

After realizing we've never actually tried this one when we had the Korbel Chardonnay a while back I figured we should try what all the kids are drinking - $8 on sale, why not?

Metallic notes on the nose.

Citrus mainly – orange and lemon - some unpleasant fake sugar, and the bubbles fade fairly quickly.

Just citrus on the finish – oranges mainly.

Noticeably worse than the (same priced) Chardonnay sparkler. The only way I could recommend this is if you were making mimosas.

2002 J Winery Russian River Valley Brut

This was $25 at the store and I figured I'd grab it to keep on hand, so well, you know, it's Sunday night, and we were eating leftovers, so what better time to crack open a sparkler?

Light toast and grapefruit on the nose.

A fairly bold palate – dry, crisp, yeasty, a bit of toast, tart green apples, and a bit of grapefruit zest. Somewhat disappointing in terms of bubbles – a solid stream to start, but after the bottle had been opened for two hours this was basically flat – flat though it may be, some interesting poached pear and sharply acidic notes really came through as the bubbles faded.

The acid – coming in citrus notes - really lingers on the finish leaving your mouth puckering.

For $25 this is about right for a domestic sparkler - the relatively quick failing of the bubbles is disappointing, but not a dealbreaker.

2004 Antinori Pèppoli Chianti Classico

This goes for about $15, but I grabbed it on clearance for half that.

The nose is mostly earth, funk, and strangely raw meat.

Fairly firm tannins, raspberry, cherry, earth, chocolate, cedar, and a reasonable amount of funk.

A lot of spice comes through on the finish – cinnamon, clove, nutmeg – quite interesting.

Even at fifteen bucks this is solid. A lot of complexity here and overall, an enjoyable bottle. If it wasn't sold out, I'd cheerfully grab a few more bottles.

2004 Freie Weingartner Wachau Gruner Veltliner

We haven't had GV in a while – this one was $10 and I believe we may have had this producer before – but this was some time ago.

The nose on this one is tough – floral notes, maybe chamomile?

Slate, minerals, stones – yep. Spice, tartness and acid with just a touch of sugar. Not much for fruit other than some extremely unripe tropical and stone fruit.. I am getting some vegetable notes – green and lima beans mainly.

The finish is quite acidic and leaves the mouth watering. A bit of peach and other (unripe) stone fruit as well...maybe even some pineapple.

I recall having two bottles of GV in the past – the first being quite good and the second we poured down the drain. This is somewhere in between. It is what it is – I won't pass GV up at a tasting but I don't see buying one again in the near future.

N/V Binny's Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Tradition Brut Vin Mousseux

I was perusing the aisles looking for something cheap and interesting – I walked by this bottle a few times and thought nothing of it, until the back label caught my eye from an endcap “Selected and Bottled for Binny's” - interesting – for $6, I'll try it.

No question on the nose – anjou pears.

More pears on the palate, as well as some apple notes – but seriously, for fruit this is all pear. A little bit of yeast, and even a bit of toast – nice, crisp, and quite dry. After two hours of being opened, there's still a solid stream of bubbles.

The only thing that really presents itself on the finish is some lingering acid and some mild nuttiness – I'm thinking almonds.

For $6, this is yet another absurd value – a bottle of wine many people – myself included – pass by all the time and perhaps don't even consider because of the price. Not only is there's no strange metallic notes that a lot of cheap sparklers have, but there's actually some reasonable complexity and long lasting bubbles. Recommended.

2003 Owen Roe Sinister Hand

I grabbed the second to the last bottle of this at the wine shop on clearance for $14 – normally this goes for over $25 if I remember correctly. The labels appear to have been damaged which may be why it was marked down.

Blackberry and oak on the nose – somewhat tight.

This definitely needs an hour – if not more – to open up. Rather smokey, quite of a bt of oak, barnyard, earthy, funky, spicy, herbal (anise, oregano, mint) with a bit of dark black fruit too – overripe blackberry and plum. A hell of a lot is going on in the glass.

Cherry and funky barnyard on the fnish

Why didn't I grab both bottles? Because I'm an idiot. A solid bottle all around in the $20s or below.

2005 Rosemount Estate Diamond Label Riesling/Traminer

This was $3 at Trader Joes and it was on display right next to the cash register I was at – normally, I wouldn't have considered it but as a last minute impulse buy I figured it would be no different than buying a lotto ticket.

While there's some stone fruit on the nose, it's surprisingly grapey.

The palate is somewhat grapey as well – stone fruit of peaches and nectaines comes through as well, a bit of spice, somewhat sweet, but a solid amount of acid balance it out.

Some spicy – of the pie filling sort – notes linger on the finish.

For $3 – hell, for $5 – I'd cheerfully grab this one again. I can definitely see cracking open a bottle of this sitting on the deck when it's ninety degrees and we're grilling burgers. Light, well balanced, and easy drinking - I'll be grabbing this next time we hit Trader Joe's and saving it for the summer.

N/V Segura Viudas Brut Rose

After the plesent surprise of the Brut, I grabbed a Brut Rose for $7 at a local wine shop. This is a blend of 60% Macabeo, 20% Parellada, and 20% Xarel-lo.

Fran and I could not place the nose – as I was browsing the winery's website I noticed grenadine was mentoned and while I acknowledge the power of suggestion, as soon as I saw that it screamed out at me.

Very clean really – some lime and tangerine notes plus a bit of minerality. The bubbles are very pronounced at first but do fade somewhat quickly.

A bit of cherry seems to come through on the finish.

Segura Viuda has three lines of sparkling wine in the US – this is the chepest, Aria is the middle (for about $12), and they have a Reserva which goes for about $20. We've had all three and have been impressed by all. This may lack some nice subtleties but it also doesn't have any weird metallic and fake sugar qualities – for the price you will not do better. While this isn't bad, my preference is for the Brut Reserva.

2005 Francis Ford Coppola Rosso

I was walking around Costco and this caught my eye – a couple years back this could've been considered our “house wine” - we bought it frequently and paired with almost everything (this was either the 2003 or 2004 vintage though). Have our palates outgrown the Rosso? Considering this is $7 – I hope not.

Cherry and oak on the nose.

Big and fruity- a bit of oak, but mainly cherry and blackberry – bold and somewhat of a fruit bomb – the oak is present and there's a bit of mild tannin, but there's some sweetness and a lack of structure make this a bit flabby. This is a blend of 51% Zinfandel, 29% Syrah and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon – I don't get any Syrah, but I feel the Cab and I definitely taste the Zin.

A bit of spice – cinammon – comes through on the finish, but mainly it's dark berries.

I want to hunt down a bottle of the 2004 – this is disappointing and there's plenty more out there in this price range that I'd return to instead of this.

N/V Monasteriolo Cava Brut Rose

Another $7 bottle from Trader Joe's.

A bit of strawberry on the nose.

Tart strawberry and raspberry, a nice amount of acid, quite dry, and a touch of yeast.

More berry...straw/ras/blue....on the finish.

Another absurd value from Trader Joe's – Spain does a great job with low priced sparkling wines and this one is certainly one of them. No trace of any fake sugar, strange syrup, or metal – it's not complex by any means of course, but other than being somewhat simple, there are no flaws here.

2005 Château Bourbon La Chappelle

The 2005 Bordeaux has been highly rated across the board – we've reviewed a couple cheap bottles and they've been solid, here's another that was under ten dollars.

Cedar, smoke, and black fruit on the nose.

A fair amount of wood- cedar and oak, black cherry for fruit, some nice spice, medium tannins, some leather, and quite a bit of tobacco.

More tobacco on the finish, with black fruit, and spice.

I wish it was just a bit warmer and I could set on the patio with a glass of this and a cigar after grilling a steak. This is a solid bottle, a tremendous value, and one easily worth revisiting.

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Bernhard Grand Cru Mambourg Gewürztraminer

Another bargain from the clearance sale. This was severely reduced to under $8, but I couldn't tell you the original price.

A very big nose – I'm thinking canned pineapple.

Damn - this is a huge Gewurz. Honey, spiced stone fruit – peaches, apricot, even some pineapple and mango – solid acid – just big all around. Lots of floral notes, spice, and lychee. Big alcohol too – the label reads 14% - quite high.

Some nice spiced stone fruit lingers on the finish for some time.

This is good stuff – big yet balanced. It's surprisngly sweet for a wine from Alsace and there's nothing to suggest it, but I'd treat this as a dessert wine. If you tend to go for sweeter wines it may work with dinner, but I wouldn't recommend it.

2004 Three Thieves Cabernet Sauvignon

We're fans of the Three Thieves – the wines are good though simple, the packaging on this would be convenient for picnics, or even travel, plus the prices are right. The Three Thieves also make small one liter "jug wines" that are solid and have been reviewed on here previously.

A bit of raspberry on the nose, otherwise there's not much happening.

Smooth – mild tannins – vanilla, plums, blackberries, cherries – a bit of oak, but it's light. Fruity and a touch sweet, but not over the top.

A bit of spice – cinnamon mostly – on the finish as well as some cherry and vanilla.

At $10 for a liter, this is tough to argue with. The flaws in many mass produced inexpensive cabs – sickening sweetness and no balance – aren't here. While it may not be at the top of my list for a table wine, it's worth checking out if convenience is a priority and you don't want swill.

2001 Chateau Sansonnet Bordeaux

I sadly don't recall much about this – in fact, I have no idea how much I paid for this or where I got it – a quick search found some shops selling this for over $30, but based on the bottle's location in the ol' wine fridge I doubt I paid more than $20.

Earth and chocolate on the nose.

Quite black – black cherry, dark chocolate, and earth. Some interesting herbal notes - eucalyptus, mint, maybe some basil – cedar comes through, and the tannins are nice and silky. A fair amount of sediment means you should defnitely keep this one upright for a day or two before opening and pour it carefully.

Herbal notes linger on the finish with some cherry and plum.

This bottle is certainly worth a look – I don't know about the $30 I'm seeing online, but if this was under $20 I'd grab it again without hesitation.

2003 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Syrah

I saw this at Trader Joe's for $10 – we're fans of Gloria Ferrer's sparkling wines and have enjoyed a few bottles of the wineries Pinot Noir at tastings, so I didn't hesitate grabbing a bottle.

Cherry and white pepper on the nose.

Nicely balanced – a lot of fruit to be sure, but some nice oak and spice balance it out well. Dark fruit – berries, black cherry, plums, and the like – anise and pepper notes, and some weird, funky earthy come through midpalette. Great all around – nothing overpowers and there's solid depth.

The finish has some spice, earth, and black fruit as well.

Gloria Ferrer succeeds even with a cheap one – very nice all around and well worth the ten bucks.

2006 Gilles Bonnefoy La Madone Cotes du Forez Gamay sur Volcan

This was marked down to $8 and I thought it may be interesting to try a Gamay from outside Beaujolais. My understanding is the region of Cotes du Forez has areas where grapes are grown in volcanic soil – and if I had to guess by the “sur Volcan” - I assume this is one of those.

Earth, raspberry, barnyard, and tree bark on the nose.

Raspberry – some tartness – mild tannins, earthy notes, some cherry, and a bit of cola.

Some cherry and spicy notes comes through on the finish.

This is more along the quality lines of your standard Beaujolais (ie, not the Nouveau) – basically like a very light Pinot Noir - and for $8 you can't argue with it.

2005 Yellow Tail Reserve Pinot Noir

The Reserve Shiraz was excellent – for ten bucks, can YT pull of a decent Pinot Noir?

In the first hour: Cherry on the nose. Yikes – this tastes like sharply acidic, yet very very sweet cherry Kool-Aid. Some vanilla notes come through as well. No earth or funk or anything interesting, perhaps some soda – root beer or cola. There is a bit of tannin to prevent this from being all sugar and acid. The finish was just sugary sweet.

After three hours of air: alright, this wine needs to sit in the decanter for at least 2 ½ hours. The acid has gone from overpowering to quite reasonable. Some earth has started to come through on the nose. This is still somewhat sweet, but far more pleasant with airtime – still cherry and vanilla, but far more pleasant. A bit of oak and earth come through – mildly, mind you – as well. The finish is mainly cherry, but not sickly sweet as it was.

At $10 this is fairly competitive at this pricepoint – while I wouldn't call it great, after a few hours of air, this is quite enjoyable even though it's missing some nice Pinot qualities (that you wouldn't find in 98% of cheap Pinot anyway). That being said – it does not compare to the quality of the Reserve Shiraz.

N/V Segura Viudas Brut Reserva

It's a recurring theme here – we want something sparkling, but we don't want to spend a lot. I'm just about giving up on the regular grocery stores – all the cheap stuff they have is just not worth revisiting – but we have had luck at Trader Joe's. This was seven bucks.

A mild nose with white bread and perhaps some lemon.

Nice and crisp – lime and green apple notes. Dry – no sweetness at all really – and very good acid with some mineral notes as well.

Lime and slate on the finish.

I'm definitely buying this one again – no weirdness or fake sweetness, just an all around good and easy drinking sparkler. Highly recommended.

2004 Beringer Knight's Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This has been in our fridge for a while – my research tells me this goes for close to $20, though based on its location in our fridge, I couldn't have paid more than $15.

Herbal notes mostly, but also blackberry and black cherry on the nose.

Very nice – cherry, black fruit, oak, firm tannins, lots of herbal action, and a nice punch of eucalyptus.

More menthol notes on the finish, plus oak, and a slight bit of cherry – mostly earth and herbs though.

A very nice Cabernet – since I don't recall what I paid, we can just say this is a $20 bottle – and still I'll say this a solid bottle and worth recommending. If I found this on sale somewhere, I'd grab it and put it away for a couple years to see what happens. This may have some potential.

2004 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot

I know this wine frequently gets big points and realized we have never tried it – for $7 I'm game....especially with the good luck from The Little Penguin's Cabernet and Yellow Tail's Reserve Shiraz.

Cherry, earth, and cigar box on the nose.

Cherry pie filling, peach, spice, tobacco, earth, cedar, and a bit of mocha on the palate. A nice balance – a slight bit of sweetness, but the wood, and a nice zing of acid really balance this out.

A fuzzy, oaky, cigar like finish lingers for a while.

I tend to go into highly rated cheap wines with very hesitant optimism, but man – this is beyond solid and a phenomenal bargain at seven bucks. I asked Fran what she thought this one cost – she's got a talent for guessing within a few dollars – she estimated upper teens to $20. I plan on grabbing a few of these next time I'm out to keep on hand.

N/V Korbel Chardonnay Sparkling Wine

I felt like something sparkling and didn't want to spend much...the grocery store had this one which I don't think we've tried before. In fact, as I look back at the blog, we've never tried just the plain old regular Korbel Brut – something I'll have to grab next time I'm at the store.

A slightly metallic nose.

A touch of sweetness, green apples, and even some nice yeastiness. Quite a bit of bread – more white bread crusts than anything. The bubbles fade quickly – the bottle was all but flat after an hour.

Nothing on the finish that's worth noting other than some more notes of bread.

For a mass market, cheap sparkling wine this isn't bad. Obviously you can do better, but for the price and ease of access this is a safe bet. If you're having a lot of people over, this may be a decent thing to serve as you'll go through the bottle before the bubbling stops.