2007 Olympic Cellars Rose the Riveter

This bottle was ten bucks at the local shop. I've never denied being a sucker for a cool label and the guy working said it was a strong offering.

A note on proper serving temperatures: when I first opened this bottle, poured a glass knowing it was somewhat too cold and my reaction was: “this is boring and flabby” - read on for what a wine I think of this wine when it's cool, but not cold.

Peach and strawberry on the nose.

Nice – same as the nose really – peach and strawberry with a nectarine punch in the face. Fruity, but not really sweet, “just on the edge of off-dry” I'd call it. I'd say this has just the right amount of acid which gives this a great balance. A slight bit of cherry is hanging out in the mid-palate.

The finish is insane. Strawberry and nectarine all the way – they last for an absurd length of time and are almost pure fruit though there is a hit of black pepper.

The other day I gave a very low score to a rose because you it was dull, especially in the price range – the reason why that wine isn't worth drinking is because of bottles like this. This is easily in my top five roses of all time.

Wine: 9
QPR: 9

N/V Tabor Hill Red Arrow Red

This was about $10 at the winery's tasting room. The Chicago Tribune did a nice write up on midwest wineries and this was one of the bottles featured, and for good reason.

The nose has some chocolate, earth, some oakiness, and nice mild cinnamon and clove spice notes, and quite interestingly as it opens, some fresh red apple peel seems to be poking through.

If this wine has a fault it's that there's not enough fruit, the only thing I really get is some red pear....its dominated by oak, spice – more clove and cinnamon with some anise with a solid acidic backbone.

The finish fades fairly quick but is mostly those brown spices with some tart cherries as well.

A nice bottle for a solid price - very enjoyable and great QPR.

Wine: 7
QPR: 7

N/V M Lawrence Obama Brut Batch #13

This Obama wine was $16 at the local shop and an obvious choice....not unlike the candidate himself.

A fruity nose – peachy for the most part.

Putting politics and the label aside, this is probably the best M. Lawrence wine we've tried. Loads of fruit – peach, strawberry, some citrus as well – a little bit sweet but light in body which I think really brings it together nicely.

Tropical fruit on the finish – papaya, pineapple, and a bit of orange blossom.

This is a solid wine from a fantastic producer – I've tried a bunch of sparkling wines, hundreds if you consider what we've done at wine tastings – and simply put L Mawby is among the best sparkling wine producers in the United States. This wine, along with many of their others, is proof why.

Wine: 10
QPR: 10

2006 Fontana D'Italia Chianti

A six dollar frozen pizza calls for only the best eight dollar Italian wine I can find.

Rich dark chocolate with some oak essence on the nose.

Black fruit – black cherries – decent underlying acid, with some cedar notes, but overall a bit heavier feeling than I expected

Some oak notes linger on the finish – along with some cinnamon and clove.

Thoroughly uninteresting and not the style I enjoy. For the price, there are way too many “pizza wines” like this that are more enjoyable.

Wine: 5
QPR: 5

N/V M. Lawrence Sex Brut Rose Batch #39

L Mawby is a damn fine sparkling wine producer out of northern Michigan. This is one of the more entry level bottles that goes for about fifteen dollars.

Just a slight bit of nectarine on the nose.

A fairly thick body on this one with orange blossoms and more nectarine. There are some odd woody (cedar, perhaps) notes and some bitterness that are present at first, but blow off after a while. Something here reminds me of flying saucer candy – it's two wafers pressed together and shaped like a UFO with small bits of candy or sugar inside. Where can I find those? I am now craving them. But yeah – stone fruit, nectarine mostly, and orange blossoms.

Some chalkiness comes through on the finish along with just a bit of peach pie.

This is one of the weaker bottles in the M Lawrence line but it's still an enjoyable bottle and worth checking out.

Wine: 7
QPR: 7

2007 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz

Alright, here it is....the 2007 vintage of Mollydooker. These wines are made in a very particular style – they are huge, over the top, some may say stupid wines – immense fruit and immense alcohol. A lot of people love these wines, plenty more cannot stand them. I lean towards the love side here, but let's see.

To misquote Ralph Wiggum: this smells like burning. Seriously – swirl this around and stick your nose in and expect some nose hair to be seared.

Enormous. Bigger wines may exist, but I have yet to encounter one. No tannins to speak of, it's all in your face, over the top, absurd red fruit blended in with a vanilla milkshake. Super ripe, dark red strawberries and giant, freaky, genetically modified, monster blueberries. This isn't “a touch of vanilla” or “a hint of vanilla bean” - it's “throw me a giant cookie, I'm drowning in this Olympic sized pool filled with vanilla milkshake.” I'm getting a left jab of asphalt, an uppercut of smoke, a bodyblow of tobacco, a right jab of green pepper, a low blow of oak, and is this ring in the middle of a barnyard? There may be more but I don't know any more boxing terminology. A speedbag full of blackberry jam? Deep into the finish a burst of cedar comes through as well as some blueberry and spiced cherry.

Serving temperature of wine is important – this cannot be overstated – but it's especially true with a wine like this. Consumed too warm – even slightly – this will be atrocious, burny, and harsh. Cool it down, my friend – mid to upper 50s and this will be enjoyable....if you're prone to enjoy this style.

Day two is interesting.

Tree bark on the nose – maybe cinnamon – more powerful alcoholic burn.

This almost feels heavier and darker – almost like blackberry fruit leather. A lot more spice, too – cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, basil, and menthol are coming through with some tobacco. It's almost giving me a fuzzy tongue. The oak seems a bit more present and that superpowered vanilla milkshake has faded tremendously but in its place is something vaguely reminiscent of cherry cough syrup.

The vanilla milkshake has finally shown itself on the finish though I do believe some raspberry is in the mix.

There you have it. I'm down. You may not be and that's splendid. This is the sort of wine that you shouldn't bother trying to pair anything with – popcorn maybe, something powerful - perhaps ribs? Mmmm, ribs....anyway, this goes for twenty-five bones, nothing to shake a stick at, but if this is your style I don't know if you're going to do better - if this review doesn't sound appealing, don't bother....really.....don't.....just don't.

Wine: 9
QPR: 9

2006 Martinborough Vineyards Te Tera Sauvignon Blanc

We tried this at a tasting and enjoyed it enough to snag a bottle at fifteen big ones.

A citrusy nose with some great fresh cut grass notes.

While I don't recall the tasting at which we tried this, at first sip I see why we bought it. This has what I would describe as an ideal balance – just a bit of sugar and a whole mess of acid. Pink grapefruit – almost a grapefruit cocktail thing going – actually...this is just like the leftover syrup in canned/jarred grapefruit. There's also some limeade sort of notes. As the bottle opens and warms up a bit I get some vanilla bean and some fuzzy pineapple.

The acid lingers with more grapefruit and some grassy notes – just as it's about to completely fade away a burst of mango comes through – it's curious.

Your enjoyment on this wine will most likely be directly related to your love of grapefruit. I'm a fan of both.

Wine: 9
QPR: 9

2004 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Rosso di Montalcino

This bottle was fifteen bones – marked down on clearance. Hey – why not?

The nose? Strawberries lingering on the edge of spoiled and cedar chips stuffed into sweat socks.

Loads of dark chocolate, reasonably strong tannins, a solid amount of acid – well balanced all around really. A lot of herbaceous qualities here – loads of dried and fresh spices – dried oregano and fresh basil come through as to some interesting nutmeg and clove notes – something you'd sprinkle on top of a pumpkin latte of some sort. In terms of fruit, this is interesting – at first pour: sweet, tart cherry; after 30 minutes: nothing; after 60 minutes: nothing; after 90 minutes: nothing; after 120: distinct black cherry. Wine can be a funny thing.

A lingering fuzzy clove and tobacco fueled finish lasts for quite a while.

Day two brings a fairly simpler offering. Almost no nose – though there is some strawberry fruit leather coming through. The palate is has the distinct funky Italian quality I like – dried spices, some tart cherries – so tart it's almost ultra dark cranberry. The finish is all earth, spice, and funk – loads of earth and tobacco.

Wine: 7.5
QPR: 7

2007 M. Chapoutier Bellerche Cotes-du-Rhone Rose

Nine bucks and a reputable producer sounded like a safe bet to go with some Indian food.

No nose to speak of.

Dry tart cherry, some subtle spicy notes – cinnamon mostly – as the wine sees some air some strawberry creeps forward.

Not much finishing other than some lingering tannins.

I like roses – in fact, I could drink them daily if they'd let me - but every so often you grab a random crappy one....this isn't terrible, but it's not enjoyable...for a few bucks less you can get something significantly better.

Wine: 4
QPR: 1

N.V. Georges Dubœuf Cuvée Rouge Vin de Table Français

Six bucks at Trader Joe's, this was. Tricky review to write, this is. Judge a bottle for what it is, I must. Enough Yoda talk – this is, by design, a simple, quaffable wine that isn't meant to have serious analysis – a “table wine” - no grape, no region, no vintage....I can almost hear the winemaker telling me “shut up and drink it.”

I get nothing on the nose – maybe possibly an empty bag which used to contain some potting soil.

This is basically like a decent (and more expensive) Beaujolais (Villages, definitely better than Nouveau). Simple, easy to quaff, lots of acid, no discernible oak or complexity. Tart cherry is it for fruit, there's an odd wateriness in the mid palate with the mouth drying tannins and cheek puckering acid coming through at the back of the palate.

The tannins and acid stick around from the back palate into the finish with some sour berries, perhaps of the rasp family....black raspberry? Is there such a thing? If so, this is it – if not, crush some blackberries and some raspberries and mix the juice together.

I'll tell you what this wine is – a highly recommendable or, dare I say, ideal Thanksgiving wine. Great for an occasion where you don't want anything too fancy or expensive, something you can sit back and wash down a huge dinner with while enjoying good company.

I'm torn on how to rate this. It's not an 8 bottle of wine – in the grand scheme of things it's perhaps a 6 – but for what it is trying to be, a simple easy quaff, meant for casual enjoyment, it's an easy 10. In terms of QPR, a comparable Beaujolais would easily be double the price and for that I must sing this one's praises.

Wine: 8*
QPR: 10

2003 Adelsheim TF Willamette Valley

What's TF? Tocai Friulano. A varietal from northeastern Italy which the folks at Adelsheim fell in love with on a visit to the region. It's an oddball one to be sure. I discovered this in the fridge and cringed a bit at the 2003 date, but here goes. The 2006 of this sells from the winery for $22 – my cost for the 2003, on clearance no doubt due to the age, $6.

Interesting nose – lavender comes through strongly with some tropical fruit – lychee?

Oddly viscous – this is an interestingly “heavy” wine. Dry with a fair amount of acid and still some fruit – this is showing better than I expected. Lots of pineapple, quite a bit of lime, some nice minerality and loads of spiced tropical fruit – unripe canned and spiced things like guava and papaya are here (I must mention I unripe spiced papaya, though interesting, isn't something I'd seek out).

The lime sticks around for a while.

So here's where ratings are flawed – I find this wine quite interesting though not particularly delicious...a simple wine with this profile would be below five but how can I bash a wine this interesting and well made? Let me introduce you to the asterisk.

This wines ratings get asterisks on both fronts. The QPR asterisk is because I have no choice but to judge that based on what I paid for this particular vintage. The wine rating is adjusted for interest – I don't find this wine to be tasty, but it's more than interesting and its flaws may be due to age.

Wine: 7*
QPR: 7*

2006 Chateau Grand Traverse Gamay Noir Limited Bottling

My apologies for the “photo” - I either forgot to take or mistakenly deleted the actual photo....normally I'd just cancel the review but this bottle strongly deserves praise.

Alrighty – a Gamay Noir, they call it Gamay in France but they throw the Noir here in the States to make it sound fancy I suppose. This bottle is about $12 which is about the pricepoint that you can get (or used to be able to get before the dollar collapsed) a decent Beaujolais Village wine....how do we compare?

Earth, cherry, and a bit of mint on the nose.

Good balance – lots of dirt, some tart cherry notes, some nice herbaceous qualities, a bit of chocolate covered raspberry as well...as the bottle opens, some interesting cola notes come through..

Some mint, menthol, and other herbs linger on the finish for quite some time with some good acid sticking around really making the mouth water.

Give this wine some food and you're good to go, a great deal at $12 - why in the world I only bought one bottle of this will be a mystery for years to come. Twelve bucks for a bottle this good made with an offbeat varietal in an unusual wine region? This bottle represents why I love wine.

Wine: 8
QPR: 9

2006 Feudo Arancio Nero d'Avola

This was seven bucks at the mighty Costco – we haven't had too many Sicilian wines but this varietal is pretty reliable at the lower pricepoints.

There's really not much on the nose.

On first sip, I was going to annihilate this one but it improves as it opens. Chocolaty and earthy, with cherry and fairly potent clove spice. Some cheap Italian wine is light bodied and highly acidic, this is the other kind – dark, heavy, and chocolaty – now this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but to me the simplicity and flaws in this darker style jump out more.

On the second day the nose opened big time – chocolate, cherry,

The palate here has taken a turn for the worse – the flavors haven't changed but some bitterness is coming through that's rather unpleasant.

The finish tastes like garbage – not necessarily a bad thing, but not all that great here.

We had the other half of the bottle two days later....

No nose other than some very faint oak notes. Still a bit flabby but the balance improves nicely – chocolate, cherry, bell pepper, cigar box, and some faint spice notes, and the acid comes through fine. The finish suggests bell pepper and chocolate but it fades fast.

The ratings here assume you let this wine open or pour a glass and finish the bottle a day or two later – even with that qualification, it's still a five.

Wine: 5
QPR: 5

N/V Krug Brut Grand Cuvee

Alright dude – Krug. Whoa! Big time. Here at The Wineauxs when good news hits – like that of a new job - we celebrate in style – for example, this (half) bottle.

Alright – pop this, pour it, and wait 30 minutes. It opens beautifully but I was severely let down at first pour with how tight it was. Orange rind, not quite ripe peach, and some great yeast on the nose.

It's rare that I'd say this, but this is just about flawless. Apricots, nuts, peaches, red apples, green apples, bread dough, coffee, pears – I can probably sit here and rattle off five different things I get with each sip. I won't bother, I'd rather sit back and enjoy it then type about it.

The finish lingers an extended period and is that asphalt I'm getting in the distance? I think it is.

Absurdly priced but goddamn if it ain't absurdly good.

Wine: 10
QPR: N/A

2006 Peirano Estate Vineyards The Other

To quote Homer Simpson: “I can see why this is so popular!” This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Shiraz. This ran me just about $12....I could've bought a lot of Duff Beer with that money.

Some dried candied cherries are on the nose here with perhaps a bit of cinnamon.

For fruit, I seem to only be getting some plum – but this is seriously lacking in backbone which sadly makes this a tad bit flabby once it hits the palate. The mid and back palate improve somewhat with cinnamon and oak making their way through and the acid finally presenting itself.

A somewhat pruney finish – perhaps a prune with some Italian spices.

The fact that a wine with these issues goes for over ten bucks means this gets a "boo" instead of a "boo-urns."

Wine: 4
QPR: 3

2006 Chateau Grand Traverse Pinot Noir Vin Gris

You don't see this sort of thing all that often – vin gris – white wine made with a grape typically used for red, in this case Pinot Noir. The wine sees no contact with the skins so check out the color – a very light salmon color. This interesting wine goes for $9 for a 500 ml bottle.

A somewhat difficult wine to describe – a bit hot even though the alcohol level is fairly low. Spiced – perhaps overspiced – unripened peaches. There's some unripe melon as well – or maybe better stated as a bit of melon that's cut a bit too close to the rind. Thick and viscous, not quite dry but hardly sweet, perhaps somewhat weak due it's being a bit short on acid

Some lingering creaminess on the finish, a bit of heat, and lingering unripe stone fruit.

Though the wine isn't perfect, if you're at all interested in something a bit different it's worth a look.

Wine: 6
QPR: 8 (due to it being interesting)

2005 Gruet Pinot Noir

This was fifteen bucks at this very odd liquor store...it's a strange place. Rather big - with the cheapest crappiest booze on one side and an incredibly interesting (though quite dusty) wine selection on the other. We've had Gruet's sparkling wines before and respected them, so this seemed to be worth a gamble.

As this wine opens you can smell cola several inches away from the glass, but when you stick your nose in a fair amount of cinnamon and clove with some earthiness comes overwhelm anything else.

Raspberry, chocolate, earth, and some really interesting tangerine zest qualities – on the back of the palate there's some interesting sassafras notes. This bottle had some extremely unpleasant, excessively potent dried spice notes (oregano and the like) – normally not a bad thing but it was strong and quite bitter. After being open for two hours, this completely blew off – so if you get a bottle of this I'd highly suggest decanting it for a few hours.

Chocolate notes, perhaps in the chocolate covered raspberry sense linger on the finish.

Wine: 7
QPR: 7

2007 Two Lads Cabernet Franc Rose

Alright – Two Lads – perhaps the most exciting winery I've encountered recently.....I have forgotten what I paid, but a website that seems reputable lists this at $17.

A fairly dark rose, almost ruby in color – (I've seen Pinot Noirs darker than this) – the nose brings raspberry coffee cake.

A big palette – a sharp bite of cranberry, bright cherry, raspberry jam, a nice zing of acid, some interesting spicy notes, and just a bit of sugar. My notes from the tasting room say this struck me as dry, but while it's not sweet, I wouldn't say this is “dry.”

The cranberry sticks around – almost like cranberry Jones Soda that you can get around Thanksgiving time – but as it fades some earthiness comes through.

I remember really liking this at the winery, but as I drink this bottle I like it even more. An outstanding bottle – next time we're in this area I hope they have some left as we'd definitely grab a case of this one.

Wine: 8.5
QPR: 8

2005 Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon

Fran's birthday is here and what better way to celebrate than with an absurdly priced bottle of wine? This one ran seventy bones and is actually a lower end offering from Shafer (their “regular” Cab retails at over $200).

This is a nose – like opening a cigar box lined with ripe blackberries. This clearly shouts expensive because with just a couple of ounces in the glass and a few seconds of swirling you can smell this wine with the glass half a foot away from your face.

I don't know much about many “ageworthy” wines but as my wine drinking experience deepens, I think I'm beginning to get it – this wine is clearly a fantastic wine but it's not quite perfect – there needs to be a bit more harmony and some hard tinged aspects need time to mellow. That being said with a few hours in the decanter this has opened nicely – more of that cigar box, cedar chest, tobacco, quite a bit of herbs (rosemary, sassafras, and a potent amount of sage), with some chocolate. Lots of acid here – this wine almost requires a steak. The fruit comes closer from the background as the bottle opens – the only thing I could detect at first was some very mild blackberry but after a bit some blueberry and black cherry notes are coming through..

Chocolate lingers on the finish which is surprisingly short.

A short finish on a $70 bottle? Hmmm. So here's the thing – if you found this page because you're well to do and you buy this by the case (or you're absurdly rich and want to see how this cheap stuff compares to the regular stuff) then my opinion will be woefully inept. If you're like me and occasionally splurge on this sort of thing, then to be blunt, I don't know – I've had bottles at this pricepoint that have kicked my ass all over my apartment – this one is good, damn good, but I'm simply not blown away. If I stumbled upon this for cheap or received it as a gift I'd put it away for five years or so and then give it a shot.

Wine: 9
QPR: N/A

New feature (of sorts) - Ratings

A lot of sites and publications assign points or grades which is something we've avoided. The more I think about it, the more I think a numbering system will be useful, if for nothing else than my own wine memory.

Actually - make that two numbering systems.

The first will be the basic rating - with a range from 1-10 (half points allowed). The rating is an evaluation of the wine as it stands with various factors in mind, but completely unconcerned with price. The number is totally subjective to our palates so they are to be taken with a grain of salt.

The second will be a QPR rating - this system was abandoned on 12/31/08, so posts between now and then will have "Quality Price Ratio." If we grab a $5 wine and we think it's a seven, that's impressive and the QPR number will be rather high, a $25 bottle that's seven will have a low QPR.


The numbers meanings are as follows:

10 - among the best wines (or deals) we've had.

9 - fantastic.

8 - excellent, I'd buy it again.

7 - I'll call this one "damn good."

6 - good, this is by no means a bad wine – a 6 would be a recommendation assuming the QPR is strong – but these typically would be considered to be just a bit too simple for nerdy study like this.

5 - fine, but completely boring.

4 - drinkable, but there are problems.

3 - there may be some redeeming value here but I'm not convinced.

2 - downright unpleasant.

1 - yikes.

2006 Fenn Valley Meritage

We enjoyed this one at the tasting room and for the price it seemed like one to get. This is a Bordeaux blend of Cab Sauvignon, Cab Franc, and Merlot and all the grapes were grown in southwest Michigan.

A big nose – spice, vanilla, and cherry at first but as the bottle opens the nose brings some distinct plum notes take over.

I would've thought this was Italian – earthy, chocolatey, some cola notes, lots of acid, some dried Italian spices, all with some nice tart cherry. Medium bodied with some very nice tannic structure.

The finish lingers for some time with the earth and chocolate sticking around the longest.

For $16 this falls right into line with what I'd expect and makes this is a fairly easy recommendation.

N/V Tabor Hill Red Heritage

I'm not sure what the price on this one was in the tasting room, but I do recall it was in the $10 range.

A funky nose – carob and rotten raspberry.

Smooth, easy drinking, but by no means dumb – a nice fuzziness, some cherry, cedar, chocolate, tobacco, and surprisingly pronounced tannins.

Some nice herbal notes come through on the finish with some chocolate and raspberry.

This is pretty damn good – it's perhaps not the most complex wine on the planet, but for the price, it's solid – earthy, fruity, well balanced, and interesting enough to get a solid recommendation.

N/V Black Star Farms Red House Red

Black Star was a good place and we grabbed this one because our sample in the tasting room screamed QPR.

I get some distinct cola notes on this nose which wins me over immediately.

Some earthy and funky notes with some cherry and raspberry – it's a soft wine and it could use some more backbone but I believe they're striving for an easy quaffable pizza wine and this more than succeeds.

The finish fades but the sour cherry notes linger with some earthiness.

When one thinks of a non-vintage table wine most people automatically assume it's going to be crap – rest assured this one is certainly solid and well worth the $11 pricetag.

2005 Bowers Harbor Cabernet Franc Erica Vineyard

Cabernet Franc is immensely popular in Michigan – it is probably one of the easiest grapes to grow in the area and it's something most wineries make. I didn't keep my receipts but the winery's website lists this at $25 (a number that seems high to me).

A bit of earth and a bunch of tart cherry on the nose.

Nicely balanced – some good earthiness along with the black fruit – black cherry and casssis – plus a touch of sweet oak give it some good backbone.

Some vanilla notes come through as well as some plum and a bit of oak.

So let's go with that this does go for $25 – it's a small producer in a fairly unusual region and a relatively obscure grape for a single varietal wine - and they knock it out of the park.

2007 Fenn Valley Chambourcin

I bought this thinking it was a damn good example of the varietal and a good value at $12.

Earth, carob, and spice on the nose.

Raspberry, chocolate, and tobacco with some odd rosemary touches. Some acidic zing lingers on the mid and back palate, dried spices, potent strawberry, and almost a bit of saltiness.

Tart cherry with some lingering earthiness on the finish.

Good rule of thumb about Chambourcin – decant for at least an hour or two – there's a loud of funk and weirdness in this varietal but it normally blows off. If I did notes on first pour from the recently opened bottle I'd say it was all weird and funky with way too much acid. For $12 this is a fine example and well worth a look.

2005 Shady Lane Pinot Noir Leelanau Peninsula

We hit up this winery on our recent trip to Michigan and found this wine enjoyable enough to grab a bottle.

The nose here is distinct and clear – cherry cola gummy candy.

Cherry cola on the palate as well with some sharp acid. While I wouldn't call this simple, the dominating forces here are cherry cola – which to me is outstanding.

The finish brings some interesting notes of bell pepper

Day two brings more cherry and cola notes but the bell pepper has worked its way onto the palate and some chocolate notes start coming through as well.

At $16 this is easily one of the better under $20 Pinot Noirs that we've had from any region. Well done.

2003 Domaine Bott-Geyl Pinot Gris Beblenheim

I have no recollection about why I bought this wine other than it was on clearance and ran me under $10....really, that's all the reason I need.

Interesting floral notes with some hints of gasoline.

I certainly didn't expect this. Rather acidic, some strange gasoline essence plus floral notes and quite a bit of tea – sort of like orange blossom tea sweetened with honey. The feel on the mouth is somewhat thin – so the flavor profile is somewhat like a very mellow and light Sauternes, but definitely not the same mouthfeel. Interesting, strange, not unlike anything I've had really. There seems to be just a kiss of oak here but I wouldn't bet my life on it.

The finish has a sort of fuzzy honey feel.

To my knowledge there is nothing on the label that would suggest this is not a typical Alsatian (dry) white, but as long as you know what you're in for this is definitely a wine I can recommend

Brief note

No - we didn't go on a giant drinking binge.

I recently discovered an old file with notes I never put up - we're just about caught up now.

2005 Cameron Hughes Lot 35 Yountville District

This one was about ten bones at Costco and I believe they have some sort of exclusive arrangement for this particular lot.

Extremely weak nose....nothing really jumps out at all.

A mild palate as well at first but it opens well enough after a couple hours – some cherry comes through at first and tannins are present right away, mid palate brings some eucalyptus, and more cherry come through on the back palate.

Some dried spices come through on the finish.

It starts off boring but with a bit of airtime this wine becomes somewhat interesting. For $10 I'd say grab a bottle and see what you think. It's strikingly mild which I suppose is preferable to the fruit bomb trend, but I'm not quite sold.

2004 Domaine Roblet-Monnet Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes Pinot Noir

This was an ultra bargain – something like $8 marked down from over $20 – and I do recall it was the last bottle they had, let's see how we do.

Earth on the nose.

A lot of acid, a lot of funk, some barnyard, and a fairly thin mouthfeel (not necessarily a bad thing). There are some unpleasant notes of grape stems - something I rarely taste but is certainly present here. A bit of chocolate, some spice, a little bit of vanilla, and as the bottle opens up some *very* distinct cherry cola notes – excellent.

The earthiness and some herbal notes linger for some time.

Even closer to $20 this would be fine....good Burgundy doesn't come cheap and this one, while flawed, has more pros than cons.

2006 Galena Cellars Eric The Red Marechal Foch

We bought this from the winery's tasting room in Geneva, Illinois after enjoying a sample.

A bit earthy, a bit funky, a bit chocolaty, and a bit of rotten raspberry on the nose.

Fairly smooth, not much in terms of tannin but a fair amount of acid. Rich dark fruit – blackberry, plum – and a fair amount of chocolate.

Chocolate covered cherries that are just a bit too old is what the finish tells me.

Clearly a somewhat odd wine – it's the sort of thing that you try and know it's either an odd varietal or from a weird region – both are true. While not bad, my palate is forgiving of this style where others may not be.

2006 Penfolds Koonunga Hillls Shiraz – Cabernet Sauvignon

Nine bucks and highly rated, why not?

Lots of dark stuff on the nose – plum, blackberry, some chocolate, and black cherry.

Not bad – definitely a big wine – chocolate covered cherries, plums, some mild tobacco notes, a bit of vanilla comes through as well as some black pepper and dried spices.

Candied cherries linger for some time along with some oak and spices.

Nest day: Chocolate covered cherries on the nose. A huge, black fruit palate with a touch of flabbiness...some vanilla comes through from the oak as well as a hint of black pepper. It seems to have gotten bigger but simpler.

Nice complexities on an under $10 bottle and definitely worth a look.

2006 Three Knights Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

I believe it was in an old issue of Wine Spectator where I read Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley is probably the safest bet. Is it safe even if it's a measly seven bucks from Trader's Joe's?

A bit of strawberry, a bit of vanilla, and a bit of funk on the nose.

Lots of vanilla – strong enough that it's weird – some cherry, strawberry, mild tannins, and solid acid – a good structure all around.

The tannins come forward on the finish with some lingering strawberry notes.

I can't argue with this as a bottle of cheap wine, but if you're looking for a good quality Pinot Noir, look away.

2006 Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio

You know, I've seen this wine around for some time and I finally broke down and grabbed a bottle. This one goes for between $16 and $25 depending on where you shop – I have no access to sales figures and the like but my assumption is this is probably the most popular Pinot Grigio in the United States – from serious wine shops to Costco to the local grocery store, to almost any Italian restaurant's wine list, this one seems to everywhere.....but does it deserve to be?

Ultra tart apples and a little bit of pear on the nose with the slightest hint of gasoline.

Fruity, yet ultimately fairly dry. Apples, a little bit of grape jelly, some very dry stone fruit, maybe a bit of lime, and there is some decent mineral character here.

The finish is fades quick and is mostly lime.

I'll call this absurdly mediocre – there's nothing here, other than perhaps some less residual sugar, that you can't get in any number of cheaper Pinot Grigio out there.

N/V L Mawby Blanc de Noir Cuvee 124

The label here says “en tirage June 2006 / degorgement December 2007”

From a foot away you get a big whiff of bread dough but as you get closer some distinct red apples notes with a bit of nuttiness take over the nose.

Lots of crisp red apples on the palate, fruity but dry, a bit floral, and some solid yeasty notes make this a very nice well rounded bottle.

Good acid comes through on the finish with lingering apple

At $18 this is an easy recommendation. L Mawby rocks.

N/V L Mawby Blanc de Blanc Cuvee 118

The label on this one says “en tirage March 2006 / degorgement June 2008”

Citrus and walnuts on the nose.

Fairly mild – crisp, fruity, and a slight bit of sugar – good acid, sour green apple, pear, and orange zest and a bit of grapefruit all with just a bit of toastiness.

Orange rind and grapefruit linger on the finish

A solid bottle all around – while the $18 pricetag doesn't scream bargain, this is certainly a solid bottle and one I can't argue with. Recommended.

N/V Codorniu Pinot Noir Cava Rose

You know the drill - summer + heat + $10 sparkling wine = good time.

Not much on the nose other than just a bit of watermelon.

Light, crisp, somewhat fruity yet still dry. A bit of the watermelon comes through, some mild strawberry notes – not a good quality farmer's market strawberry, a gigantic out of season grocery store strawberry where it's mostly white on the inside but it still sort of tastes like strawberry (consider this an indictment of the berry, not the wine).

The acid presents itself nicely on the finish along with some strange lingering watermelon notes....imagine chopping a watermelon on a cedar plank, letting the juice sit on the plank for an hour, and then licking it off....is this a good thing? I'm still not sure.

Generally, when I come up with goofy descriptions I recommend if for no other reason than it makes me think....this is no exception.

2006 Gabbiano Rosato Toscana

The lazy dog dangling days of summer are rapidly making their way out, so what better way to enjoy it than with a rosato. I found this one at Trader Joe's for $1.99 not too long ago – every so often they get a new variety from a large producer for dirt cheap – I'd expect to find this for probably closer to $8 in the store.

Just a little bit of strawberry and spice on the nose.

Bone dry and just the slightest bit tannic. Very light fruit, hard to pick out – really, the strongest flavors are stone fruit – peaches for the most part. A little bit of cherry as well.

The tannins present themselves a bit more of the finish with just a bit of lingering fruit.

For $2 this is obvious. For $8 I'd still consider it even though I'd be far less giddy about it.

2005 Meinklang Beerenauslese

I've had this sitting in the fridge for quite a while – I recall getting it on a great clearance deal but don't recall any specifics other than part of me thinks I paid about $8 and the retail was much higher.

A strong nose of honey and dried apricot.

Thick and viscous – honey and dried fruit – apricot, apple, peach, fig, and golden raisins – though it's quite sweet but it's really not cloying.

Dried apple is quite strong on the finish.

No complaints other than it is perhaps a bit simple.

2005 XS Red California Cabernet Sauvignon

This was four bones on clearance at World Market, so what the heck?

A little bit of rotten strawberry on the nose.

Hmmm....fairly light, some garbage, a little bit of chocolate, some strawberry, and decent tannins.

Some herbal notes come through on the finish – dried Italian spices – and chocolate.

You know, this isn't half bad for the price...the garbage notes aren't entirely pleasant but they're at least interesting. Give this a Tombstone pizza or something of equal quality and you can have a decent cheap night.

N/V Pommery Pop Extra Dry Champagne

The regular price here is around $40, but I grabbed it as it was marked down to $21.99 – a solid price for any real Champagne

Some toast, yeast, and even a bit of 7-Up on the nose.

A bit yeasty, some nice doughy notes, along with some citrus notes – lime zest mostly – just a slight bit of nuttiness too. There's some sweetness but everything really blends together nicely.

For $22 you might find a more interesting domestic sparkler but you'd be hard pressed to find another Champagne. It's not bad, in fact it's rather good, but when we're talking full pricepoint, I just can't say this is something I'd consider buying again.

2006 Bear's Lair Viognier

This was four bucks at Trader's Joe and I bought it on a whim.

Tropical fruit on the nose – papaya and pineapple mostly.

Feels a bit viscous in the mouth, some spicy notes, and a bit of fruit – quite dry over all actually.

This is interesting as the finish is huge while the palate is somewhat muted....lots of spice and tropical fruit – papaya and maybe even some guava with lingering vanilla bean and at the very end some strong lime notes coming through. An insanely long finish for almost any wine, let alone one under five bones.

This is a tough bottles to complain about...dirt cheap and surprisingly complex. I like my Viognier with more melon on the flavor profile but hey – four bucks? I'm sold.

2005 Husch Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

This is one of my last super ultra discont wines – marked from about $20 to under $10. It was great while it lasted.

The nose is quite interesting – cat piss, chocolate, and Coke. Interesting.

A bit fuzzy – chocolate, cherry, cola, strawberry, a big dollop of oak, some cinnamon and other spices – almost a cayenne pepper hit.

Where this fails is the finish – maybe some cola lingers and perhaps some strawberry, but really it's disappears quickly.

Even if this was $20 I'd still give it a strong recommendation – I'm sad I only got one bottle – good quality Pinot is tough to get and this one definitely is a good one in this price range.

2006 Newman's Own Cabernet Sauvignon

I have to admit – I like Paul Newman's products but I have no idea who he is....in my attempts to come up with a snarky comment about this all I could think of was Robert Redford or Richard Dreyfuss – so who the hell is Paul Newman, other than a guy who makes solid pasta sauce and lemonade? I think he taught Tom Cruise how to hustle? Anyway – this was about $12 and is made by the Three Thieves so I'm going in with high expectations.

Twizzlers and smoke on the nose – an odd combination.

Mildly tannic, a nice fuzzy feeling coats the tongue, some nice blackberry notes, a bit of vanilla, and some very dark, very ripe – almost bordering on slightly dried – fruit, like a plum that needs six hours in the dehydrator but only got three. Very nice – soft and easy drinking.

A little bit of wood and a whole punch of black fruit fade quickly..

Some may complain it's too simple and perhaps it is, but at this pricepoint there's no issue here at all.

2006 Hogue Columbia Valley Riesling

Hogue is a reliable producer and I grabbed this because it was on sale for about seven dollars.

Mostly apricot on the nose.

Great stuff – a bit of spice, a bit of sugar, and a bit of acid – as balanced as you'll get, especially at the price. The palate is all lightly spiced stone fruit – peaches, nectarines, apricots. Sweet enough I'd almost call it Auslese in style.

The acid lingers as well as more of that nice stone fruit.

On the second day, almost all the stone fruit went away and was replaced with grapefruit. Nose, palate, finish – all pink grapefruit with a bit of zest and rind on the palate. The balance of sugar and acid was still acceptable but the flavor structure changed.

If you're interested in QPR, and you like your Rieslings with some sweetness, you can't go wrong here.

2005 Big House Wine Company Prodigal Son Petite Sirah

This one ran about $14 at World Market, if memory serves.

A tight and funky nose at first but it opens to reveal barnyard, anise, leather, earth, and oak.

Funky barnyard with big fruit – ripe plum, blackberry – a fair amount of vegetal qualities...green pepper and onion....and plenty of cedar and cigar box.

Leather and tobacco present themselves on the finish.

It's interesting but I'm not sure all the funk is working for me.

2005 Tutu California Pinot Grigio

This was about $13 a while back, I admit it, I thought the label was amusing.

A weird, funky nose – almost cheese like.

Interesting. Crisp green apple, some minerality, a strange balance of acid and fruit, and a bit more of that weird soft cheese (I'm thinking Brie) – a somewhat unpleasant profile. What I dislike about this wine is somewhat new to me, so I'm struggling to put my finger on it.

The finish fades fast but leads a thick coating on the palate.

Not good....not good at all. I've said before it's hard to screw up Pinot Grigio – this proves it can be done....screw this, save your money and buy Gabbiano.

N/V (?) Botham Vineyards Riesling

We were in Wisconsin and I saw a section of “local wine” at a shop we were visiting so I figured to grab this one for about ten bones.

The nose here is artificial peach – like a peach Jolly Rancher.

At 10.4% alcohol this one is very light and dangerously quaffable. Very smooth – not a lot of acid, and while it's sweet there's a nice balance here – very light bodied. Mild peachy notes – imagine the syrup of canned peaches but watered down severely. That's about it really.

The finish's peachy notes linger for a surprisingly long time.

So this one depends on what you like I suppose – I prefer my Rieslings a bit sharper, but this one just seems to work for me. It's easy drinking and simple – if that makes you cringe then avoid it but I occasionally go for this type of thing and it more than works as a picnic or patio wine.

N/V (?) Sacred Stone Master's Red Blend Old World Style Red Wine

Welcome to post #400! I didn't expect to reach post 40, let alone 400. I was thinking about using this very special occasion to open something fancy pants but the more I thought about it, the more I thought the spirit of this blog is to enjoy wine but to try to find something good and cheap, so I present to you a great $10 wine. Maybe post #500 will be something pricey.

Not sure where I got this – the usual places don't seem to carry it. A brief poke around the internet shows this blend of Syrah, Carignan, Grenache, Sangiovesse, and Zinfandel goes for about ten dollars.

To me, the nose just screams “Black!” Black fruit – blackberry, dark ultra ripe plums – maybe even prune, black dirt, and asphalt.

Quite mild with tannins but big on black fruit and very powerful on the spice – black pepper almost assaults the palate with loads of dried Italian spices.

Black cherry with cinnamon and other spices lingers for quite some time on the finish.

The second day brings an asphalt nose. The palate now has a nice bit of chocolate to compliment the rest of the black flavors – which have somewhat mellowed. Still lots of black pepper and spice but it's all calmed down with black cherry and eucalyptus being predominant.

Should I see this bottle at ten bucks again I'll be grabbing a case. Phenomenal QPR.

2006 Vino Sin Ley G4 Grenache

I don't recall why I bought this – it's been on the rack for a while, it either came recommended from the wine shop or we tried at a tasting and dug it...either way, this is about ten bucks.

Earthy and chocolatey notes on the nose.

Earth, cherry, and chocolate. Not a whole lot of oak or tannins – this is a very nice, smooth wine. Well made and a great value.

There's a bit of heat on the finish with some more of that dark chocolate.

For $10, this is an obvious recommendation – a solid and well-made Old World Grenache which I'm a big fan of.