2006 Castle Rock Mendocino County Pinot Noir

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

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

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

Some raspberry on the finish but it fades quickly.

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

2004 Vitiano Falesco

Another Costco find for about $7.

Cherry and oak on the nose.

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

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

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

2006 Mollydooker The Maitre D Cabernet Sauvignon

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

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

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

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

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

2004 Shoofly Shiraz

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

Cherry and raspberry on the nose.

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

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

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

2006 Monmousseau Rose d' Anjou

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

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

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

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

2006 O'Reilly's Oregon Pinot Noir

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

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

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

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

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

2003 Penfold's Regional Selection Shiraz Coonawarra

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

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

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

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

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

2005 Clay Station Viognier

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

Lots of melon on the nose – honeydew mainly.

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

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

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

N/V Cockatoo Ridge Brut

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

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

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

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

2005 Bistro Wine Pinot Noir

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

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

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

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

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

2005 Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Barossa Valley Shiraz

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

Black fruit and licorice on the nose.

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

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

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

2005 Trader Joe's Late Harvest Moscato Paso Robles

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

Orange on the nose.

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

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

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

2005 Turn Me Riesling

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

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

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

The finish lingers with some grapefruit.

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

2006 Kirland Central Otago Pinot Noir

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

Not much else but earth on the nose.

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

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

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

2004 Fox Valley Winery Heritage Collection

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

Funk and cherry on the nose.

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

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

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

2005 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz

Well, it's great to be back – The Wineauxs have been on hiatus for close to two months. We moved and have slowly been settling in. Our updates will be back to their typical frequency – at least a couple times a week – and we have a whole wine fridge full of interesting bottles we look forward to writing about.

I've been sitting on this bottle for a while, mainly because I love the label art. Since I recently picked up a bottle of the 2006 vintage I figured I may as well crack this one open.

A note on color – I don't recall seeing a wine this dark recently...it's nearly black.

This one punches you in the nose with jam, dark plum, blackberry, and the like.

The palate can best be described as explosive. Huge berry and plum, a touch of alcohol, jam to the tenth degree, and some cocoa supporting it all. After some time in the decanter, dark chocolate became very pronounced. Virtually no tannin.

The finish lingers with, no shock, black fruit and chocolate.

I suspect this is a fairly polarizing wine – people who like this sort of thing would be in love with this, but if giant, jammy, fruit bomb doesn't sound appealing then I'd say steer clear. A while back we gushed about an Australian Shiraz called Layer Cake – this is on par with that one for sure. If you can find this one, give it a shot.

2004 Ditka's Da Coach Merlot

I found this one for $9 and figured since Ditka's Pinot Grigio wasn't that bad, perhaps this would be worth a shot.

Cherry, but mainly black pepper on the nose.

The palate is mainly cherry, a bit of blackberry, some pepper, and spice and a nice zing of acid. If this is not the lightest bodied Merlot we've had, it's certainly up there – it's almost more of a Pinot Noir body.

There's really not much in the finish other than lingering tannin and just a bit of cherry.

Ditka's wines are shockingly good, no offense to da coach. This is a solid, smooth wine – nothing complicated, but for $9 it works well.

2001 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro Chianti Classico

While we've had plenty of lower end Chianti, I don't remember ever even trying a higher end one. I was poking around our local Costco and noticed this one for just under $30 so I jumped on it since it has received strong reviews.

Earth and oak on the nose, a bit of cherry, some plum, and a lot of that Italian funk.

A bit of strawberry, some nice smooth tannin, a whole lot of earth and funk, some anise, some oak, some smoke, and a hint of dried black fruit – prune or raisin, a bit of barbecue sauce, and some cherry – tart and dried – as well.

This wine has a finish and a half. It starts with strawberry, fades with some tobacco, and oak notes linger for well over a minute.

An excellent wine and one I'd recommend to fans of Chianti. We like the cheaper stuff so this splurge was a nice change of pace – a bigger, denser, and deeper change of pace that I very much enjoyed but certainly wouldn't want to just randomly crack open. If you're having a special Italian dinner, skip the Gabbiano and grab something like this.

2006 Menage a Trois Rose

It's hot and sticky which means I grabbed a rose. We've had this one for a while and I think I paid around $9.

A bit of strawberry and a touch of cinnamon on the nose.

The palate is actually a bit spicy...actually a slight bit of tannin, cinnamon, some raspberry and cherry. At best this is off dry, definitely not sweet.

The finish actually lingers longer than I'd expect and yes, it's all berries and spice. I just looked at the label and this is a blend of Merlot, Syrah, and Gewurztraminer – the spice is not shocking at all now that I read that.

In a word – spicy. In another word – strange. Not bad at all, if you know roses I'd suggest picking up a bottle, it's certainly unique and quite enjoyable. If you're new to roses – and you're afraid they're all like White Zinfandel, this will smash that stereotype.

N/V Candoni Moscato d'Italia Terre di Chieti

Fran was reading a wine book – I forget which, but some sort of “beginner's guide” of sorts – and in it, the author mentioned that as a very broad rule the more subtle the wine label the more expensive the wine. I present you with this Moscato from Italy that I picked up for $6 on a whim.

A bit of orange on the nose and not much else.

Citrus notes on the palate – orange, grapefruit, some tangerine perhaps. This one has a little bit of fizz that gives it a nice extra dimension. At only 6.5% alcohol, one can indulge in this one.

Not much finish except for some lingering honey-tinged sweetness and maybe, you guessed it, some citrus notes.

For $6, you really can't go wrong. It's a simple, quaffable wine that I can't argue with...great by itself on a hot day, with dessert, or even with spicy food.

2005 Fetzer Valley Oaks Merlot

We recently went to a wine fest and Fetzer had a booth promoting all the environmentally friendly aspects of the winery – using biodiesel, solar power, etc. Being a fan of that sort of thing – and a fan of Fetzer's Gewurz – I felt persuaded to pick up some other varietals and see how they hold up.

The palate has a bit of spice and a whole lot of berry and plum. With only mild tannins, a tiny hint of oak, and a bit of sweetness, I'd be tempted to call it a fruit bomb.

No real finish except for raspberry and perhaps a hint of a chocolate and spice – dare I say, mole?

I paid $6 for this and I pretty much got what I expected – a thoroughly drinkable red that's a bit too sweet on its own, but set me up with a bottle of this and a slice of pizza and I'll be content.

2005 Coppola Sofia Carneros Pinot Noir Rose

We were having some Indian takeout on a nice summer day and I figured I'd grab a bottle of rose. I stopped by a local shop who had very little in terms of rose, so I was stuck with this one for about $9.


Perhaps a bit of earth on the nose.

I get some strawberry, some earth, just a bit of tannin but certainly still smooth. Fruity, but not sweet at all.

Not much finish really.

As with just about all the Coppola wines I've had, it's certainly not bad, a decent wine for the price, but by no means groundbreaking.

2006 Marco Real Garnacha Rose

I dropped by the local wine shop as I had a hankering for a rose. This one came strongly recommended and was about $12.

A bit of strawberry on the nose.

The palate is a nice blend of strawberry, bing cherry, and just a slightest hint of cinnamon....a nice bit of acid and a touch of sweetness make this nicely balanced.

The finish has a nice spicy zing to it.

I’d put this on the list of my top three favorite roses....strongly recommended.

1996 Lynfred Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

I was browsing a department store and found this labeled $11 - I knew from visiting the winery that this bottle sells for far more at the winery itself - $40 in fact. The capsule felt good so I grabbed it.

Deep plum, ripe black fruit, and oak on the nose.

Mild, smooth tannins, deep black fruit - ultraripe blackberry, plum - actually, prune - dark chocolate, cassis, and a bit of tobacco on the palate. Complex and deep - impressive to say the least, especially coming from Illinois.

The finish has a bit of prune and tobacco.

I gotta say, if I found this again for $11, I'd buy a bunch of it, but if I had $40 to burn I would look elsewhere.

2005 Argyle Pinot Noir

I picked this up for $17 at a local wine shop as I seem to recall reading good things about this producer.

Spice and earth on the nose, not much fruit.

A slight burn, a bit of earth, funk, anise, cherry, and chocolate.

The chocolate is a bit more pronounced on the finish but disappears quickly.

Perfectly acceptable though I can't help but think it's not really worth the pricetag...perhaps if I found it on sale for under $15.

2004 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley

We had this one at a tasting a while back and I was so impressed by it I picked up a bottle at $25.

Vanilla on the nose.

Vanilla, oak, tobacco, cherry, and blackberry on the palate with medium tannins.

The finish lingers with some fruit - I’m thinking prune mainly - and fades gently away to tobacco.

Not bad at all, it’s a strong wine and one that I’d recommend even at the price.

2005 Redwood Creek Pinot Noir

I've been seeing this around and figured I'd give it a shot. A 1.5 liter bottle was $9, but I figured I’d just get a standard 750ml for $5.

Raspberry and blueberry on the nose.

The palate has a bit of cherry and wood, and that’s about it. No depth or complexity and only mild tannins.

Just a hint of spice on the finish.

It’s not bad, but there’s nothing really happening - if you want a Pinot Noir avoid this one, if you want a cheap, generic red wine, it’s passable.

2005 Redwood Creek Pinot Grigio

I had another coupon so I picked this one for under $5. I figured it was worth a shot.

A bit of grapefruit, but really not a whole lot on the nose.

The palate brings lime zest, a touch of honey, and a fair amount of white grapefruit.

A lemon-lime finish fades quickly but not before a somewhat astringent unpleasantness takes over.

Probably the worst Pinot Grigio I can recall drinking...still palatable, but there’s no reason to pick this up when there’s so many decent bottles in the same price range.

2004 Coteaux du Languedoc Picpoul-de-Pinet Ormarine

This was a special for $6 at a local wine shop and I figured it may be worth a shot.

I get a bit of stone fruit on the nose, Fran smells Lysol (I think it’s a mild citrus scent mixed with alcohol).

Grapefruit, lime zest, mild floral notes, spicy apricot and lots and lots of lemon.

A citrus rind finish lingers for some time.

Truly outstanding, especially at this price....a very nice, crisp, dry white wine that I’d strongly recommend.

2004 X Winery Red Blend

We’ve enjoyed this before at tastings and I found it for $10 so I gave it a shot. I could not figure out how to get a decent photo...so that’s the best I could do.

Licorice, vanilla, and cherry on the nose.

Cherry, oak, spice, and a lot of vanilla. This is a big fruity wine with not much in terms of tannins and even has some sweetness.

The finish lingers with distinct and clear cherry vanilla. Very nice.

An excellent wine and an exceptional bargain. Strongly recommended.

2005 Hartley Ostini Hitching Post St. Rita’s Earth Pinot Noir

I picked up this bottle based on a nice shelf talker and a vaguely sinister logo. At $25, I bought it for a special occasion...Fran’s last day at her old job seems like a good enough one for me.

Oak and raspberry on the nose.

Cherry, oak, berry, and cola on the palate. The tannins are mild to medium and the acid is present but not severe - a great food wine or fine by itself. We had it with salmon steaks but enjoyed most of the bottle alone.

Raspberry, funk, and root beer on the finish.

An excellent Pinot Noir, but of course, it’s not in our day to day price range. Should I find this one on sale I’d pick it up without hesitation.

2004 Red Bicyclette Chardonnay

Yep, another cheap Chardonnay from France. It was on sale and I figured it may be worth a shot.

Apple on the nose.

Some apple, cantaloupe, and grape on the palate, a somewhat buttery mouthfeel.

A generically fruity finish fades quickly.

Not bad at all, but certainly not great, no depth but enjoyable - which is saying a lot from a guy who detests Chardonnay. For a cheap supermarket wine, this isn’t bad.

N/V Cook’s Grand Reserve

We’ve had Cook’s before and I basically felt it was an acceptable drink, in an alcoholic soda sense, but not in a wine sense. I was in the mood for something simple and cheap so I figured I’d pick up a different Cook’s - the

White bread on the nose - really not much of anything.

The palate has some yeast and has something of a 7-Up quality to it though not as sweet.

The only taste on the finish is an odd chemical like mouthfeel.

If you’re throwing a party, you’re on a budget, you want to start it off with sparkling wine, yet you forgot to buy any, the party’s starting in a few minutes, the specialty wine store is closed, and you have to buy something at the grocery story - this will work fine. It’s cheap and it’s too blah to be offensive.

2005 Jacob’s Creek Shiraz

This was on sale at the local grocery store for about $5 and I figured I’d pick it up since two out of the three cheap Australian Shiraz that I’ve had have been pretty decent.

The nose has a sharp alcohol burn and just a suggestion of plum.

Raspberry, tart blueberry, cherry, anise, some medium tannins, not much oak, and a hint of carob. No spice or any distinct Shiraz elements...which is my frequent gripe with cheap Australian Shiraz - it’s certainly drinkable, but there’s no varietal characteristics.

Zero finish outside of a bit of quickly fading cherry cordial.

After a day, we tried this one again and it was the pretty good except for a very unsettling aftertaste - fecal matter? Not sure but it’s not pretty.

Not bad for a cheap grocery store find as long as you drink it in one sitting. I’d recommend it.

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.