2003 Captain's Walk Sangiovese

Captain's Walk is a winery in Green Bay, Wisconsin that we rather enjoyed, not only for the wine, but also for the friendliest staff I've encountered at any establishment anywhere.

Cinnamon and cherry on the nose.

Mostly cherry and strawberry with a barnyard quality. Loads of black pepper with vanilla, cinnamon, and clove. Very nice balance, smooth, easy drinking, and fairly low on tannin.

Green spice - oregano and such - comes through on the finish.

Nineteen bucks is nothing to sneeze at so I do have some reservations with what you get - however, I think there is enough going on, not only in the wine, but simply the fact that it's from Green Bay, Wisconsin that I give a recommendation. I would say if you see this at retail and you're within a few hours of Green Bay, skip it and make a trip over the winery and try a bunch of what they have to offer.

Wine: 7
Value: Sure

2001 Woot Cellars Reboot North Coast Brut Sparkling Wine

This wine, with shipping from wine.woot, ran $20 a bottle. Rumors are it is a private labelling of 2001 Windsor Brut, North Coast, Platinum Series which retails for thirty, but this can neither be confirmed nor denied. It has not been receiving much love on the discussion board over on woot with numerous people claiming the wine is salty. Here goes...

Apples and pears on the nose with a bit of pineapple.

Light, crisp – solid acidic structure with plenty of green and golden apples plus a nice amount of pear. As far as the accusations of saltiness goes – perhaps some bottles were compromised with the snow trucks, but I got nothing of that sort here. There is a distinct punch of citric acid on the back palate and finish, perhaps that's what's being spoken of.

Green apple, and as I said, citric acid on the finish.

Worth $20? At this pricepoint, I want a bit more depth, something a tad more interesting – I keep thinking of Roederer Estate's Brut which is a few bucks cheaper and much better, but direct comparisons are pointless. This is a fine offering, its only flaw is its simplicity - a fine quaff and a worthy beverage for the random pop and pour. Certainly not a rip off but any means – I can't see buying it again, but I also am not going to give away my other bottle.

Wine: 7
Value: Pass

N/V Miolo Brut

This was twelve bucks and the motivating factor for buying it was that it's a wine from Brazil - something you don't see a whole lot of, though it's just half Chardonnay and half Pinot Noir.

This smells like water - that's not to say it smells like nothing because I feel water has a distinct, though difficult to describe and subtle, odor.

A little bit oily in mouthfeel and I must admit somewhat uninteresting. Enough yeast to be okay, some slight rye bread notes, but I can't say I'm getting all that much fruit besides some vague citrus acid qualities. After being open for a while, all I'm getting is pear.

More pear qualities linger on the finish.

I'm glad I had this as I've never had a Brazillian....wine, that is. I'm also not thrilled by it, it's not bad and as a novelty it works, but in the grand scheme you can do just as well, if not better, for less.

Wine: 6
Value: Pass

N/V R Winery Bitch Bubbly

Nine bucks - a sparkling grenache, why not?

A light nose with very little going on beyond some white bread.

Interesting. Very interesting.... Take a somewhat sweet, large bodied rose and add a dash of carbonation. It's so different I almost don't know how to take it. Once again – big in body with pineapple, vanilla, papaya, and strawberry dominating the palate. Sweet and viscous – without the fizz to lighten it up a bit I might not be so forgiving, but it adds a nice dimension.

A tropical fruit mish mash for a finish – almost the sort of finish you'd expect from a Hurricane or some such adult beverage.

I'm gonna say give this one a go, but you gotta make sure you know what you're getting into – full bodied, pink, rather sweet – the sorta thing you'll eat with a frozen pizza or Big Macs and not think twice about. Hell, this could conceivably work at a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Wine: 6
Value: Sure

Christmas advice

Christmas is a week away and I can hear you moaning that the guy (or girl, but is it ever really a girl?) who digs wine is incredibly difficult to shop for.

I'll never understand this way of thinking. This person should be the easiest one to shop for. There is, unless hints are dropped otherwise, one thing to purchase for the wine fan in your life.

Wine.

"But I don't know what to buy..." Dude, screw that. It's incredibly simple. Here are four ways to approach it.

1) Look for "shelf talkers." These are index card sized descriptions of wines; they're normally reviews from Wine Spectator or Robert Parker. This doesn't guarantee the receiver will love it, but if one of the pros gives a wine 90 points, it probably won't completely suck.

2) Sparkling wine. Few people dislike it and with New Year's a week away, it will most likely be put to good use. Don't feel compelled to go with Champagne, plenty of domestic producers (I'm partial to Iron Horse in California and L Mawby in Michigan) make fine bottles.

3) Go offbeat - go for a less popular region (Romania? Michigan? New York? Missouri? New Mexico?) or varietal (Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah are somewhat obscure while still relatively easy to find).

4) If you're going to spend $25+ don't hesitate a bigger name - you'd have to be real snobby to bash the Raymond or Mondavi Napa offerings. Spending more? Silver Oak. Spending more than that? Chateaux Margaux. Spending more than that? We should be friends.

2009 Rendez Vous Beaujolais Nouveau

Seven bucks, Trader Joe's, a new label, and the wife was picking up the tab – sold.

Bubblegum and a hint of banana on the nose.

Bubblegum, strawberry, earth, and right on the back palate some banana comes through, though somewhat mildly. Quite acidic, but not so much it demands food, and light enough in body to be a fine complement to simple fare.

The finish lingers for a few seconds and is exactly what you get on the palate, but it fades quick.

Not nearly the mess of Duboeuf, but also not quite as good as the Pierre Chermette. That being said, it's less than half the price of Chermette (and cheaper than Duboeuf - or any producer of recent vintage - I might add), so if you want a 2009 BN – this is going to be my top recommendation.

Wine: 5.5
Value: Yep

2007 Vinhos Monte das Anforas Vinho Regional Alentejano Vinho Tinto

Retail on this was about $14, but the end of bin sale knocked half off. This is a blend of, get ready, trincadeira, alffrocheiro and aragonez.

The nose here is funky, strange, and a bit trashy.

All sorts of fruit - plums and strawberry - with a bit of spice, but no discernible oak or tannin. This is the sort of wine that consumed with a deep dish pizza would be fantastic and tasty, but upon scrutiny is somewhat lacking - at seven bones I'm down, at fourteen, less so.

The finish brings out some of the funk that came through on the nose, almost a rotten plum thing with some interesting mild brown spice and, once it opens a bit, a presentation of tannin.

A fairly simple, but equally offbeat wine. I'm not excited about it at the full price, but it's worth investigating if you want to branch out and try some varietals and a part of the world you may not have had table wine from.

Wine: 6
Value: Qualified yes

N/V LaCheteau Brut Sparkling Vouvray

This appears to be made by the same LaChateau which made perhaps my favorite Trader Joe's exclusive white, if not wine overall. Ten bucks is the retail.

A bit toasty and a bit of green apple on the nose.

Crisp and light with an Asian pear quality on the palate. Fairly simple - there's not a lot going on, definitely a very light bodied sparkler that's a good quaff.

Some yeasty qualities appear on the finish - this is probably more interesting on the finish than palate, pear comes out, as well as some nice acid that lingers nicely.

This is a dangerous sort of wine. It's so light and so easy drinking that before you know it you'll probably drink the entire bottle alone.

Wine: 6.5
Value: Sure

2008 Left Foot Charley Pinot Grigio

This is $15 at the winery. When we return to Traverse City, Left Foot Charley is going to be one of the first stops as I feel we haven't given them the love and respect they deserve.

Mostly pear on the nose.

This is interesting in that it's one of the heavier bodied PGs I recall having in sometime - it's nothing like a Chardonnay or anything, but it's not terribly "light." Good acid/sugar mix with some spicy qualities, pear, green apple, even pineapple.

A pineapple and vanilla thing lingers on the finish.

I was gaga stupid over the 2007 but this one I'm less excited about. I actually waited until the second bottle to jot down notes just to make sure I wasn't going in with too high of expectations. It's good - damn good - and a certain recommendation, but if you're poking around and see the 07 or the 08 - grab the 07.

Wine: 8
Value: Yep

Veuve Clicquot Tasting – Binny's Schaumburg – 12/4/09

I'm at Binny's the other day and see a sign for a free Champagne tasting....”oh geez, that's gonna suck,” I think. Cheapskates pushing and shoving to try fancy wine – and then the people other than Fran! I digress. We decide it's worth it considering the retail price of the six bottles being tasted was over $500.

N/V Yellow Label Brut
Snobs turn their nose at this one – and I know it's definitely not Brut – but I like this bottle. Honey, toast, blueberry, apples, citrus...you know, this and that.

N/VDemi-Sec
So peculiar – distinctly sugary but not excessively sweet. Almost like a Brut Champagne with a dash of simple syrup. Toast, strawberry, excellent acidic structure make for an absurdly good wine I could see going with dinner or dessert.

2002 Vintage Brut
A whole bottle of this is in order to full review. Immensely complex – rye toast, boysenberry, cherry – each sip brought something different.

2002 Brut Rose
I dig Roses, but this one was shockingly blah. Dry, toasty, but not a whole lot going on besides – curiously – a grapey quality.

N/V Brut Rose
More like – toast and strawberry, much bigger, less finesse I suppose, but this one would be a crowdpleaser I'm sure.

1998 La Grande Dame
HUGE. Shockingly huge. Seriously. The nose is dominated by caramel and raisin. The palate? Petrol, caraway, raspberry leaf, grapeseed – more I'm sure but I put the book away and just reveled in the deliciousness. Outstanding.

Half assed notes, but the pours were (understandably) small. Unlike some tastings, all the folks pouring were extremely knowledgeable and friendly in a classy kinda way. Like when you go to a four star restaurant and the waiter totally knows your suit is from Target but he pretends he doesn't notice because if he did he'd be a dick and wouldn't be working there.

N/V Lancers Rose

So this is one of these wines that is apparently quite famous, been around for many many years and has a reputation for being crap, but I had not heard of it before snagging a bottle for seven bucks.

The nose is pretty simple with some strawberry notes coming through.

There's a very slight fizz on this one. Very light in body as well - quite watery in mouthfeel - with some pear, apple, and even slightly cherry 7-Up like qualities.

The finish has an interesting white tea thing going along with some white grape juice flavors.

I mean, not bad, but nothing of interest either. Many things I've read compare this to White Zinfandel which I think is somewhat unfair - though it's off dry, there's enough going on that I can't outright dismiss it.

Wine: 6
Value: Meh

2005 Chateau de la Taille Bordeaux

Can't go wrong with cheap Bordeaux in a good vintage, can you? Eight bucks, I'm game.

Cedar and light plum notes on the nose.

This is very much an earthy/spicy sorta wine - Old World to be sure. There's some plum notes for fruit, but overall we're talking clove, cigar, tobacco, mint, anise, cedar, eucalyptus, and earth.

More of the clove and cedar linger on the palate as well as lingering plum.

Most the under $10 Bordeaux from 2005 we've had has been at least decent and this one is no exception. With these lower end offerings you're probably going to seeing the 06s or even 07s, on the shelf, but if you see the 05 I'd recommend it.

Wine: 7
Value: Sure

2007 Two Lads Merlot Old Mission Peninsula

The wines from Two Lads not only deserve, but I think sort of need, some time in the decanter before drinking. Yeah, I know, every young red should be aerated a bit, but these wines really come alive after around four or five hours of air exposure.

Cassis, cherry, mint, and peach are present on the nose.

Very nicely balanced - cherry, cola, eucalyptus, sassafras, strawberry, raspberry - fruity, spicy, with more than a spoonful of dirt. After it's opened an interesting stone fruit is coming through on the back palate - almost like a drop of nectarine juice got mixed in - it's stone fruit and it's not plum. As it opens a mild chocolate component comes through.

The finish.....remember when you used to bite the ends off of Twizzlers and then drink a Coke with it? Then, when the Coke is done, you eat the Twizzler and a fair amount of the candy flavor has faded and some of the Coke qualities have been absorbed? Imagine that used Twizzler put into a chocolate phosphate - take a sip and take a bite of the candy. There ya go.

I'm not sure how "varietal correct" this is - as a Merlot, I don't know if I'd expect what this wine delivered. As a wine, however, it's interesting and quite complex. At $35, this is a 'special occasion' pricing and would hardly be a disappointment.

Wine: 9
Value: Yep

2006 Chateau Grand Traverse Gamay Noir Reserve

This wine is $16 at the winery, but it looks like it's sold out through them. Perhaps it can be found in a local retail shop though.

A very nice nose - cherry and cola, two things I like to see, or smell in this case.

Nearly perfectly balanced with a very Old World quality to it - I notice myself saying, or implying, this about many Michigan red wines. A definite earth and even a graphite quality, solid acid, but by no means overwhelming - I would say this is an earthy wine for those hesitant about "earthy" qualities. You got your cherry, you got your cola, you got a bit of sassafras, you got your dirt - it really comes together nicely.

A bit of a raspberry thing comes out on the finish, which fades off to blackberry.

At $16 this is screaming - alas, the vintage is sold out from the winery. If you find it, snag it.

Wine: 8.5
Value: Yep

2009 George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

The annual tradition continues – I buy one BN and feel the need to buy another...why? I don't know. I suppose this year I enjoyed the Pierre Chermette so much that when I saw this for nine bucks I decided it would be worth a gamble. Right? Oh boy...

Immediately after popping, the scent of rotten bananas floated my way. The nose is somewhere between a banana gum or even a banana ice cream.

As it hits the palate, it's not bad – a bit of tart cherry and even a bit of root beer seems to come through, but after a few seconds, the thing we call the mid-palate, we hit this awful wall with a weird, funky mix of rotten banana and low quality cough drops.

Banana – and I do mean rotten, funky, unpleasant banana – on the finish.

Not good, my friends, not good at all.

Wine: 4
Value: No

Obligatory Thanksgiving Post

In general, I think a lot of people focus way too much on pairing. I mean, you obviously don't want to serve a giant Shiraz with a Caesar salad, but generally speaking most wine go with most food.

Thanksgiving dinner, if you believe the critics, is a "difficult" meal to pair. It helps sells papers and magazines, I suppose, but I think it's rather absurd.

The key is to avoid big wines - leave your Mollydookers, your Napa Cabs, and your giant buttery Chardonnays on the wine rack. This is the meal to break out the Pinot Noirs, the lighter bodied Zinfandels, the roses, the Rieslings, the Gewurztraminers, and the sparklers.

I also can't help but think that unless you have a very small group of people who all really know wine, you shouldn't be spending much - even $15 is steep. Stick with the $10 range, it's all about the food and the company, right?

My top five suggested wines for Thanksgiving are:

1) 2009 Pierre Chermette Beaujolais Primeur
Screw the haters. I don't know if it's the vintage, the producer, or my incredibly low expectations, but this won me over and would be perfect. My endorsement is only for this bottle, not BN in general (see above).

2) 2007 Bistro Pinot Noir
An easy choice - perhaps the best under $10 (if not under $20) Pinot Noir out there.

3) 2008 Lacheteau Loire Valley Vouvray
An absurdly good Trader Joe's exclusive for seven bucks. Loads of acid and a nice hit of sugar will complement just about everything on your plate.

4) N/V Binny's Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Tradition Brut Vin Mousseux
For Chicagoland readers, this Binny's exclusive (for five bucks, no less) is a screaming value.

5) 2008 Mulderbosch South Africa Rose
A rose from South Africa should be unique enough to spark a conversation should one be needed. The fact that it's tasty helps as well.

2009 Pierre Chermette Beaujolais Primeur

Ah, yes – the third Thursday of November. Here's the tradition – I say “I'm not falling for this again, no Beaujolais Nouveau, thank you sir” and I leave it at that. Then the e-mails start coming in from the various wine shops. Eventually, I create an excuse to hit up Binny's (today's excuse was the Three Floyd's Alpha Klaus) and: “Oh, gee, look, $15? SOLD! That's totally fair!” I opted to skip the eight dollar George Duboeuf and go for something a bit more exciting.

A bit of bubble gum on the nose and perhaps some apple candy. There's some funk, but no banana...hmmm....

Light, tart, crisp, easy drinking – I'll be good goddamned, this is like a very light Pinot Noir. Cherry, bubble gum, even cola shines through. This is well worth serving at Thanksgiving – plenty of mouthwatering acidity, some interesting funk, but none of the vile qualities you some frequently find.

A bit, just a bit, of banana comes through on the finish, but so little I can forgive it. More bubble gum, sort of like cherry Bubblicious.

The 2009 Beaujolais (Villages and Cru and all those) may be quite promising with this wine being as thoroughly enjoyable as it is. When the various retail outlets start heavily marking these down in January, I hope to snag as many varieties as I can to compare but for now I'm actually pleased I jumped on this. Don't get me wrong - you won't confuse this with a "good" wine, but for what it is, it more than succeeds. Kudos to the cheese eating surrender monkeys.

Wine: 6.5
Value: I give this one a go, as long as you know what you're getting yourself into.

N/V Saint Julian ST.J Red

I was at a local shop, wanting something, cheap, not too complex or heavy - an easy quaff, if you will - to go with some steak tacos. This jumped out at me for eight bones - it's a blend of Chancellor, Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Strawberry and a distinct garbage thing on the nose.

You know, this is almost like a damn good Beaujolais Village wine. It's simple, light, sorta compost like, but none of the negatives (ie, banana). Cherry, strawberry, plum, even some cola, with some very mild tannins and spice.

The finish fades quick - some plummy notes and lingering traces of cola.

The fact is this wine excels at what it is - it's meant to be a light red that's good for everyday drinking - I can not only complain, but I must sing its praises.

Wine: 6.5
Value: Yes

2007 Domaine de la Mordoree Tavel Rose

This is probably the most expensive rose I've consumed - retail price was $24. Of course, it was heavily discounted to $8 at Binny's, but this is neither here nor there.

Cranberry cocktail on the nose.

Big - very big - oddly big, in fact. Somewhat sweet, which I wasn't expecting. There's some distinct honeydew qualities, plus some herbal tea notes, and some cherry - all in a medicinal sorta way. As it opens, some of the unpleasant qualities fade away, but the whole thing is just, I don't know, unrefined? Everything is so big and in your face it's offputting.

Some interesting cantaloupe qualities come out on the finish.

The first 90 minutes or so I though this wine was damn near atrocious. After it got some airtime, I'm not convinced it works with my palate, but it's not bad.

Wine: 5
Value: Nah

2007 Bogle Petite Sirah

This review is us giving the people what they want. The senseless slaughter of the gutter slime that litters this nation for cash and prizes? No sir. A review of the Bogle Petite Sirah – a quick look at the hits shows our review of the 2006 is one of our most searched reviews, so here's the 2007. Nine bucks at Costco.

A very nice nose – blackberry, chocolate, plums – big, yet well integrated.

Supoib – blueberry, anise, chocolate, cherry, along with with the definition of sweet oak. Tannins are very light, if present at all. This is a light bodied, potently acidic wine – food friendly to an extreme. A reviewer on cellartracker threw out 'marion berry” which I thought was a hilarious set up for a 'bitch set me up' joke at the expense of wine snobs. Alas, it's a type of blackberry. Maybe bitch did set me up after all? Bless you, Marion.

A bit of cherry, a bit of earth, and a bit of funk all come through on the finish.

Nine bucks? I'm sold. This is perfect for the holidays, it's red so you get some good body, but it's light enough that even the white drinkers should be able to throw a glass down. I'm not as thrilled as I was last year because I think there's a bit less depth, but at the price, this is a wine even a bitch that may or may not set one up would enjoy.

Wine: 7
Value: Yep