2005 Voga Pinot Grigio

Check out that fancy bottle - I never claimed to not be a sucker for a marketing ploy, but I’ve been putting this one off, alas the allure of an $8 light white to pair with enchiladas convinced me to grab a bottle.

I don’t know if I’ve ever had a terrible Pinot Grigio, but I know I’ve never had a phenomenal one....this one is no exception.

Fresh citrus and slate on the nose.

Lime and mineral notes on the palate. A bit of sweetness and slight acid - no complexity, but I certainly didn’t expect much.

The finish fades quickly but is all lime.

Not bad, certainly not great, but a fine quaffer for spicy faire. For a chic bottle, perhaps for a party with casual wine drinkers - this would be a fine bottle to bring.

2005 Bell’agio Chianti

Many times I’ll read about Chianti and I see comments about wicker basket bottles swill....I know I’ve seen these bottles before but I realize we’ve never actually tried one. On sale for $6 I couldn’t see a reason not to pick up a bottle.

Some sharp acid, cherry, mild oak, and not much in terms of tannins. Nothing interesting, but I can’t say I’m offended.

No finish.

Many people don’t like to “waste” fancy wine on cheap food like frozen pizza - I personally don’t have a problem with it - but if you do, this can’t be much better or worse than any of the other Chianti at this price.

2004 Tramonto’s Red Chianti

This is the namesake wine of Rick Tramonto. Rick owns the ultra high end restaurant Tru and you may have recently seen him on Iron Chef with his partner Gale Gand. He recently opened three restaurants in Wheeling and we picked this up after eating breakfast at Osteria di Tramonto (http://www.cenitare.com/). This one ran me $18. The cork says Casa Vinicola Dreolino.

I get some raspberry and earth on the nose.

Cherry, cinammon, earth, funk, black tea, and medium tannins. I’ve never tasted black tea in wine before and this one just screams it. I typically expect a somewhat sharp acidic bite from Chianti and this does not have one at all - it’s fairly smooth. We had this with some baked mostaccioli and Boca sausage and it went extremely well.

The finish brings out some nice herbal and earthy notes.

Is it worth $18? Human nature leads to bias, and just by knowing what it is, I know I’m probably giving this more of a chance than I normally would...if the label said “Gabbiano” instead of “Tramonto,” how would I feel? It’s an inherent problem with not pouring wine blind.

At the very least, this is worthwhile as a souvenir or a gift for that special foodie in your life who couldn’t be there. I feel this is almost certainly the finest straight up Chianti I’ve had and if this was on the menu by the bottle for even $30 I'd have it with dinner.

N/V Galena Cellars Late Harvest Gewurtztraminer

Galena Cellars is one of the strongest wineries in Illinois....we’ve tried quite a few of their wines and they’re usually fairly solid. I had this one at a tasting some time ago and liked it enough to pick up a 375 ml bottle for about $15.

A bit of stone fruit on the nose - maybe apricot or nectarine.

Very nice and smooth on the palate - a bit of spice, peach pie, apricot, and honey.

The finish has some nice spicy notes that linger.

Clean, sweet, balanced, and refreshing: an excellent dessert wine at this price - strongly recommended.

2005 Glamour Puss East Coast Pinot Noir

A $10 Pinot Noir with a cutesy label....how good can it be? I intended to find out.

Earth and raspberry on the nose.

The palate has some mild tannic backbone, with raspberry, cherry, earth, and chocolate.

The finish brings out some sassafras notes.

This is probably the biggest shock I’ve had since trying The Little Penguin - this is not only not bad, it’s actually pretty good...sometimes people ask why I bother with "obvious" bad wines: I present you with why I do.

Some distinct Pinot notes and nice structure - I would recommend this firmly. Certainly the best under $10 Pinot I’ve had and better than many at the $15 range.

2005 Mollydooker Two Left Feet

Late one evening, I saw this bottle of wine at a local wine shop but knew nothing about it - the label jumped out at me, but I figured “eh, I’ll jot down the name and come back in a few days after I find some reviews.” I tend to avoid picking up random bottles if it’s over $10 - this one was $20.

Every review I found was a rave, so I went back to the shop on my lunch the following day - sold out! They had maybe 20 cases, and between 8:30 one night and 1 pm the next day, they sold it out. While browsing at another wine shop a few weeks later, I found it again and snatched it up. Poking around online, you can find this ranging from $30 to $50.

Does it live up the hype?

The nose stings with alcohol but otherwise is somewhat muted.

Deliciously complex - oak, tobacco, black pepper, blackberry, cherry, anise, plum (prune?), vanilla, and coffee. Booming, New World fruit bomb, I didn’t even bother trying to pair it - maybe with some sort of red meat, but we just slowly enjoyed it over the course of an evening.

The finish brings out some blackberry jam, oak, some dried fruit, chocolate, and a bit of alcohol burn.

I hate to give into the hype, but goddamn this is a good bottle of wine. If you find it, grab it.

1998 Dom Perignon Champagne Brut

Yep, Dom. After busting her ass at her current employer for 3+ years, Fran just accepted a new job - better pay, better hours, better work environment. When I heard this I thought it warranted something extremely special. So, why not Dom?

Strong nose - with mainly lemon, bread, and yeast.

Toast, toast, and more toast on the palate. Everything is tightly blended, pear, crisp apple, lemon, a bit of berry, yeast. It’s perhaps a bit too acidic, we opened this when it was quite cold and I’d almost call it harsh. As it opened and warmed up, the harshness faded some but there was still a bit of astringency.

As soon the finish starts you get a burst of berry - black, blue, and raspberry, and fades to lemon and finally exceptionally long lasting yeasty notes.

As much as we’re not disappointed, I can’t say it’s worth the price. The difference between this and one the non-vintage bottles that sell for half the price just seems marginal to my tastes.

2005 Estancia Monterey Pinot Noir Pinnacles Ranches

In my quest for a strong, affordable Pinot Noir I decided to give this one a shot, which ran me about $15 at the local supermarket.

Red fruit on the nose - strawberry mainly - and some alcohol.

Strawberry on the palate with a bit of root beer. Low tannins, smooth drinking all around, not much acid.

The finish brings out some dirt and oak and a Twizzler like taste.

A solid bottle of wine, but missing some of that Pinot funk I’ve come to love. It’s not the dream Pinot for $15 that I’ve been hunting, but it’s a damn good one.

2004 Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon/Tempranillo

We used to drink this wine quite a bit a while back. In fact I’d say we got into something of a “wine rut” with this where I would just buy a few bottles of this and drink it as our “house wine.” It’s been quite a while, and I noticed a positive review in Wine Spectator so I thought it would be fun to give it another shot. This one goes for $8.

Plum, oak, and anise on the nose.

This one needs time to open...I’m going to say at least two hours. Smokey oak, earth, cedar, fairly strong tannins, lots of interesting herbs, and perhaps some raspberry. The tempranillo does come through giving this a distinctly Spanish taste.

The finish brings out some wood - oak and cedar - notes but fade fairly fast.

We only had a glass each when we opened it, so we had the rest of the bottle the next day: The tannins have smoothed out and a fair amount of fruit has come forward. Cherry, blackberry, some herbal notes.

An interesting, complex, and bold wine that is almost unheard of at this price. I’d almost say this is better on the second day. I doubt you’d do better for under $10.

2004 Vision Cellars Pinot Noir Chileno Valley Vineyard Marin County

Earth and herbs with chocolate and raspberry notes with a bit of berry.

Licorice, cola, cherry, strawberry, and oak on the palate. Do I detect a bit of rhubarb? A nice acidic zing, but nicely balanced all around immediately after opening and after letting it open for a while.

The finish brings out some raspberry.

Not a bad bottle at all. If you can find it for under $20 I’d say pick it up.

N/V Lisennes Cremant de Bordeaux Brut

We’ve never had a sparkling Bordeaux before, so I gave this one a shot at $14.

On the nose I get yeast and it took me over an hour to place it, but now that I hit it: marzipan.

Citrus on the palate - lemon, lime, orange, tangerine...whether it’s a legitimate taste or an influence from the nose or not, I taste marzipan as well. I’m one of these strange people that love marzipan.

A bit of yeast on the finish as well as some lemon zest.

It seems to me there is a strange line....if a sparkling wine is under $12 it’s probably not great....$13 to $25 and it’s remarkably better....and I’m sure there are higher levels but I can’t afford to learn those. At $14 this is clearly in that medium level - nice complexity, long lasting bubbles, smooth texture, goes with anything - a great wine and one I’d recommend.

2005 Turning Leaf Riesling

I’m a sucker who was drawn in by the $5 pricetag even thought I was looking for beer, not wine.

The nose brings out some white grapefruit, grapes,

The palate is a bit flabby - there is some acid, some spice, grapes, and orange zest.

The finish is grapey....like the yellow grapes you see in the grocery store.

It’s $5 and it tastes like it. I can’t recommend it other than I can say that Riesling is a difficult wine to completely botch - it’s certainly drinkable, but you can just do so much better for just a bit more.

1977 Dow's SIlver Jubilee Vintage Port

Here it is....the crown jewel of the wine rack, the one I’ve had sitting around for a year, a gift from the missus–and not one of those “look at this great bottle of Champagne I bought ‘us’”....no, a Port...a wine she hates, bought for me. This is the first triple digit bottle of wine ever reviewed here, and probably the last for some time.

Since Port lasts weeks, even months, after opening, I’ve decided to hold off this review and give you a full review from the first pour to the last.

First impressions - (The first hour)

Not much of a nose.

The palate is honestly a bit harsh–lots of alcohol....some raisin, some walnut, a bit of space, some slightly dried plum, borderline prune. Fran gets the distinct taste of black walnut.

A slight burn starts off the finish and it fades to a nutty, musty taste....strange in a way. The finish I first thought didn’t seem to last long, until I took a sip, swallowed it, and moved away from the glass...quite literally five minutes later I still was getting some funky tastes....impressive. I look forward to giving this some more time to aerate.


A bit longer - (The second and third hour)

I decided to do some serious swirling and this astounded me....I swirled this standing up with the glass at a waist level counter and after just a few seconds of swirling I could smell the wine.....that is to say, not with my nose in the glass, but with the glass on the counter and me standing....easily three feet away.

The nose begins to develop....a bit of must, but definitely more on the nuttier side....walnuts mainly.

The palate has already smoothed out a bit...a big burst of raisin and dried pineapple and fig immediately, some prune,

The finish has more of that strange must...it’s not necessarily bad, it’s just weird. *Long* lingering walnut.


The next day - (24 hours later)

Thankfully, the must has faded.

The palate brings rich brown sugar, caramel, and dried cherry.

The finish is long lasting and nutty.


Day 3 -
The nose certainly isn’t going anywhere...powerful raisin, prune, and tobacco.

The palate seems to have grown more complex...caramel, raisin, black walnut, prune, oak, tobacco, even just the faintest bit of blueberry...all at once and then separate. Strong and rich.

The must is gone...excellent news. The finish still lasts for a long time and brings out some nice nutty flavors.

Day 5 -
Skipped a day....the nose is straight up prune and maple syrup.

The palate has the brown sugar, caramel, walnut, prune, raisin, fig—dried fruit...maybe even some dried pineapple.

There’s an earthiness that’s coming through that I haven’t noticed before, but the finish is certainly nutty.

Day 8 -
Dirty socks on the nose - yeah, I don’t know, but it’s what I get.

Brown sugar, maple syrup, walnut, prunes, fig, and some striking tobacco.

The finish really brings out the dried cherry, walnut, pecan, and brown sugar.

Day 16 (or so) -
I’ve done some research and it seems the mild musty essence I’m getting may very well be a flaw with the bottle. If it is, it is mild enough to not be a deal breaker. I had Fran smell the glass and she said “it smells like a basement.”

Firm alcohol on the nose.

Rich strawberry, prune, walnut, and cola.

The finish is tobacco and dried fruit - raisin, prunes, etc.

And that, sadly, ends the bottle. If you have the money, I’d suggest drinking some Ruby’s and Tawny’s first so you can really appreciate the quality in a bottle like this. If that sounds like too much work, I’ll gladly take a donation.

2004 Coppola Diamond Reserve Claret

We last had this wine a few years ago after I read an extremely strong review of it...we were underwhelmed, but I figured I’d give it another shot since it was on sale for $11.

The nose has oak and berry.

When I first opened the bottle, I was shocked at how completely bland it was. After opening for two hours, it’s come to life. Cherry, blueberry, oak, nice tannins, a bit of spice, and some red fruit - plums mainly.

The finish lingers with oak, cinnamon, and a bit of that miscellaneous red fruit.

Basically, it’s not bad. Actually, this isn’t a half bad wine to bring to a dinner party or to serve to guests because it’s easy to drink and is a conversation piece - it’s called “Claret” - a British term for Bordeaux, it has a classy label, and yes, it’s that Coppola. Unfortunately, I’ve seen this one go for as high as $20 and it’s certainly not worth it, but closer to $10 and I’d say give it a shot.

2004 Nachtgold Eiswein

We had this one at a family function, so I'm not sure what it costs, but a brief search found some places selling it for $20 for a 500 ml bottle.

The nose has hints of orange and floral notes.

The palate has an interesting mix of fruit: papaya, pear, orange, nectarine, with a bit of honey and some floral - rose, mainly - essence as well.

The finish is all stone fruit...nectarine, apricot, and fuzzy peach.

If you can find this for $20, it's a steal....grab it.

2003 Chateau Talbot Caillou Blanc

We haven’t much experience with White Bordeaux, or oaked whites in general for that matter. This one was on sale and I figured it would be an learning experience.

The nose has hints of vanilla and gasoline...viscous.

Tropical fruit - pineapple, papaya - vanilla. There’s some buttery notes as well. Viscous mouthfeel.

A touch of oak on the finish with some more tropical fruit.

This is very new to me....a clearly oaked white, that’s not Chardonnay, and that doesn’t really offend me. Interesting depth, and thoroughly enjoyable. I would have no idea, as a vegetarian, how to pair this...maybe a French style pasta with a white sauce...for now, I’m enjoying it alone.

N/V Rotari Rose

I figure I keep referring to Rotari I should try the third available bottle I have access to - the Rose.

Golden apple, berry, and peach with some tart notes. The bubbles faded, but are still present - if slightly - after an hour.

Doughy finish.

This is probably the worst of the Rotari label we’ve had and I’d still recommend it - strongly, in fact. We’ve had many cheap sparkling wines, none this good.

N/V Gruet Blanc de Noirs

I picked up this half bottle for about $7 and figured I’d give it a shot since it’s from a strange area.

Yeast and doughy notes on the nose.

A bit of toast on the palate with some raspberry...a decent bottle of wine.

The finish has some mineral tones.

Not bad, when I think sparkling wine I sure don’t think New Mexico - this is a great surprise and an excellent wine all around at this price point.

N/V Henkell Trocken Dry-Sec

I honestly don’t recall having a German sparkling wine before. This one was about $10 at the local shop.

The palate has a fair amount of lime, yeast, a bit of Granny Smith apple, and some dough. Sweet - but not offensively so.

The finish brings out a strange green Skittles sort of taste that lingers for quite some time. Lots of candied lime in this one.

This is a strange wine and one that I’d have to recommend. You wouldn’t confuse it for a Champagne, but it’s certainly more interesting than most sparklers at this price. Give it a shot.

2004 Villa Maria Pinot Noir Private Bin

I don’t think we’ve ever had a Pinot Noir from New Zealand...and the more I think about it, the more I’m not sure if we’ve ever really had anything from New Zealand. I’m sure we have in tastings, but I’ve never bought anything from that fine country.

Berry, earth, and funk on the nose.

Cherry, oak, chocolate, and plenty of earth. A fair amount of acid and nice, firm tannins - nicely structured all around.

The finish really brings out the oak and some blackberry.

If there’s an under $15 Pinot Noir from the States that’s this good, I want recommendations. This is a great buy and is recommended.