2009 Folie a Deux Menage a Trois California Red

The menage a trois referenced here is the coupling of three grapes, Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The actual blend is 46% Zin, 31% Merlot and 23% Cab, the grapes are sourced from vineyards all across California, basically wherever they can get the best grapes for the least amount of money. The wine is aged in French and American oak. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are 2 grapes that dominate most Bordeaux red wines and adding in some Zinfandel is a California twist on the Bordeaux blends. The alcohol level is 13.5%.

A deep dark, clear raspberry jello red. The nose does not give up much, a bit of strawberry, a touch of chocolate and not much else. Nicely fruit forward, soft round black and blueberry flavors, cocoa powder, raspberry and then you can sense the tannins in the mid-palate. The tannins are light, but give the Menage a Trois enough structure and body to hold the fruit together. There is a nice raspberry jam finish.

A good starter red wine for people who don’t know if they like red wine. Nice flavor, soft and approachable, but there is enough going on to please experienced red wine drinkers.

2009 Trader Joe’s Overlake Sauvignon Blanc $6

I have been complaining about how there is never any information on Trader Joe’s wines, and lo and behold, they now have cool tasting notes, technical information and maps showing where the grapes are grown. So, here’s the low down on the Overlake Sauvignon Blanc, it’s 100% Sauvignon Blanc, fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks. The grapes were grown in Lake County, which is north of Napa, it’s the coolest (as in cold, not hip) grape growing area in California, which is just fine for growing Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Trader Joe’s even said how they came by the wine, somebody backed out of a contract to buy the grapes, and the Winery turned to Trader Joe’s to salvage the situation. Alcohol content is 13.5%.

Light lemon yellow in color. A big nose, even if your not good at identifying what’s going on with the nose, you will get a few scents out of this one, pineapple, lime, grapefruit, nice fresh fruit aromas. Nice slightly oily mouth feel. Apricot along with pink grapefruit upfront, slightly sweet and tart at the same time. The mid palate is raspberry iced tea, that flows along into a nice long finish.

A nice solid Sauvignon Blanc, it can go toe to toe with most of the under 20 buck Sauvignon Blanc’s coming out of New Zealand. It’s amazing what 6 dollars will get you in wine nowadays.

2009 Alexander & Fitch Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $7

Another Trader Joe’s exclusive. Alexander & Fitch is one of Bronco Wine Company’s (makers of Two Buck Chuck) labels. The grapes are sourced from Alexander Valley, which is located in the Northeast corner of Sonoma, California. Like almost all other Trader Joe’s wines, there is not much information concerning the making of the Cabernet available. Is it 100% Cabernet Sauvignon?, was it aged in oak? Ah, just drink the wine and don’t ask any questions. 13.2% alcohol.

Deep, dark, rich, burgundy red. Intense red berry nose, a hint of leather and a little alcohol. The flavor is strawberry, plum,  dark chocolate and then some blackberry. Light tannins, along with good fruit. The finish is blackberry, not super long, but tastes good.

A solid cheap bottle of wine. A very drinkable, everyday Cab. The lack of tannins make it a bit soft and lacking in structure, but for an everyday wine that’s not all that bad. The Alexander & Fitch Cabernet would pair well with burgers and steaks cooked on the backyard grill.

NV Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc

Every time I see someone put out a list of Best Buy Cheap Wines, there will inevitably be one Barefoot Wine or another on the list. I have been walking past the Barefoot Wine display at the local liquor store for years, but I figure now is a good time to see if Barefoot Wine delivers. The Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from vineyards all over California and NV means at least 2 different vintages of Sauvignon Blanc are blended into to bottle. Alcohol content is 13%.

Very light straw yellow in color. A pretty nose, orange, grapefruit, lime and slate. Rather light bodied, tangerine and lemon/lime with a late touch of pear with the lemon/lime and pear going along till the rather decent finish.

Pretty good bottle of Sauvignon Blanc for $4.99. Not too sweet, not too much acidity, good flavor and a cheap price.  I have had $15 Sauvignon Blanc that didn’t bring anything the Barefoot doesn’t have.

2007 4 Vines Old Vine Cuvee California Zinfandel

In a word: Cankles. The soft, rich, smooth red color spreads over your tongue like dimples on cellulite. Dark and warm with a hint of sparkle. She beckons. Feels like home fries. Behind the glass, her legs are so long. It’s rich without being pretentious. She’s picked blackberries in the hot sun and nuzzled under an oak tree. Her story is yet to be told and landing pad still unknown. Ambitious but knows her place. This Zin feels like a marabou negligee without the feathers. Good thing too, they would only go to my head later. Just wrap those cankles around my neck and….escape. For at least a glass or two.

NV Seven Daughters White Blend

Non Vintage White Blend sourced from vineyards all over California. The blend is 26% Chardonnay, 25% French Colombard (a Bordeaux grape), 19% Symphony ( a new grape developed in California in the 40’s), 12% Orange Muscat (usually in dessert wines), 8% Riesling, 7% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Gewurztraminer. Non Vintage means the grapes did not all come from one single vintage year, such as there could be grapes from 2009 and 2008 in the mix. The alcohol content is 13.5%.

The color is a light golden yellow. The nose is all citrus and flowers, grapefruit, orange and magnolia trees in full bloom.  A nice silky mouth feel. Tangerines and peaches, a touch of minerality and enough acidity to work well as a food wine. A lengthy tart lemony finish.

Very light bodied, crisp, refreshing and tasty. Perfect for sitting out on the balcony and watching the sun go down or pair with grilled shrimp and pasta.

2008 Peirano Estate Vineyards “The Other” Red Blend

Ok, I picked this wine because of the label. If I have to pick between a wine with a plain label or a wine with a naked lady on the label, I’m going with the naked lady every time. Actually, a beautiful or clever label is pretty good reason to choose a wine, the best winemakers tend to be very creative people, so it stands to reason the label on their bottle should be creative (or naked).

The Other is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Syrah all sourced from Peirano Estate Vineyards in Lodi, California. The 3 grapes were fermented and aged separately and then blended at the very end of the process. The alcohol content is 13.8%.  Peirano Vineyard Estates has been making wine for 4 generations.

The color is back cherry jello. The nose is blackberries, blueberries, cedar and a touch of vanilla. Soft smooth fruit upfront, raspberry, black cherry jam on buttered toast, strawberry dipped in dark chocolate and light oak spice. A long blueberry vanilla finish.

A very easy wine to drink, an excellent every day wine. Would pair well with burgers or pizza, or skip the food and enjoy a glass or two.

2007 Cameron Hughes Lot 139 Alexander Valley Meritage

In France, a Negociant is someone who purchases excess wine from local vineyards and sells the excess under their own label. Sometimes they bottled the wine exactly as it came from the barrel, other times they blend grapes from different vineyards to create their own unique wine blend. But where exactly and from whom they purchased the wine is kept in strict confidence. Cameron Hughes is the American version of the French Negociant. By carefully choosing his sources, he can bring wines of outstanding quality to the market at exceptional prices. Of course, he can not disclose exactly who made the wine, only general information, in this case the wine was produced in Alexander Valley in Sonoma, California and the wine came pre-blended and ready for bottling. There is a bottle of wine on some store shelf right now with a different label, but the exact same wine inside and a price tag at least three times more expensive than the Cameron Hughes Lot 139 Meritage.

Fun Fact: In California to be designated a Meritage wine, the blend most consist of a least two Bordeaux grapes. For a red wine blend the Bordeaux grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carmenere, Gros Verdot and St, Macaire.

The color is strawberry red with black cherry highlights. The nose is plums, a touch of vanilla, light menthol along with black and blueberries. An interesting flavor, chocolate covered cherries, Frango Mints, I am using candy as descriptors, but this is not sweet, the  Lot 139 has the lush, rich candy taste, minus the sugary sweetness, now to make things confusing the oak and the tannins do add a touch of sweetness. The finish is soft red berry, it is light in taste, but it lingers for a reasonably long time.

A medium bodied, tasty red wine blend. Drinks very well, when pairing with food, you will want to stay away from dishes with heavy sauces or strong flavors. But when pairing wine with food, delicious always goes with delicious.

Cameron Hughes Wines can be found at Whole Foods, Costco, Sam’s Club and www.chwine.com

2009 Passaggio New Generation Unoaked Chardonnay $13

Handmade Chardonnay by Winemaker Cynthia Cosco at the Crushpad wine facilities in Napa, Ca. 100% Chardonnay, no oak, no malolactic fermentation, minimal manipulation of the grapes. Alcohol content is 13.2%.

Light straw yellow in color. The nose is light citrus, tangerine, lime, grapefruit, a pretty scent, light and delicate. Lemon Chiffon at first, then tart apple, pink grapefruit and then dash of pear to soften the citrus. Nice acidity, you know it’s there but it does not intrude. A long lemon/lime and pear finish.

The very fresh fruit, light and refreshing, but plenty of body, a very well made Chardonnay. It has depth, some complexity and tastes great. Bring it to your favorite BYOB restaurant, the Passaggio would enhance fish and seafood meals.

you can find this wine at http://www.passaggiowines.com/

2009 Passaggio New Generation Pinot Grigio

This wine has an inspiring back story. The Winemaker, Cynthia Cosco, was a law enforcement officer in West Virginia for 15 years. In 2003 she decided it was time to make a change and she moved to California, she didn’t have job waiting for her, she just knew that was where you need to be if you are going to make wine. Four years later she put out her first vintage of Passaggio Chardonnay. She is also the Head of the Wine Lab at Crushpad. CrushPad is a custom winemaking facility located in Napa Valley, where anybody can come in and make wine, as long as you have the money ($5,700 to $10,000 minimum), no experience necessary. The Passaggio Pinot Grigio is aged in stainless steel tanks and has an alcohol content of 13.4%.

The color is very pale golden yellow with traces of green along the edges. A fresh and clean nose, grapefruit, peach, some floral notes and lime. This is no flavor challenged Pinot Grigio, there is an taste explosion going off in your mouth. Grapefruit, lemon, lime and then a touch of peach to counter all the tart citrus, a nice dash of minerality in the mid-palate. A light lemon/lime finish that lingers for quite some time.

The Passaggio New Generation Pinot Grigio has depth and body, loads of flavor, yet is still light and refreshing. This would pair well with non red sauce pasta dishes and not too spicy Asian noodle dishes, but me, I would drink this on it’s own, it does taste good. I’m not usually a fan of Pinot Grigio, but this is not the usual Pinot Grigio.

I am not sure about the distribution for the Passaggio Pinot Grigio,

but you can find it online at: http://www.passaggiowines.com/

Next Page »