Terra di Seta Chianti Classico 2010 (about $17)

About the Wine: The Gallo Nero (black rooster) is a mark of quality in Chianti.  Please feel free to insert your own cock joke here.  It is not the end all be all of great Chianti, but it is an encouraging sign when a Chianti carries it.  This is the first Kosher Chianti I have ever seen and it is very encouraging for the progress that department is making.


About THIS Wine:  It is a clear, ruby red in the glass.  The nose presents notes of cherry and leather.  The palate is dry with nice berry notes that go on in the finish.


Drinking This Wine:  This one can be enjoyed by itself, but it definitely wants food.  Pasta or maybe a soft cheese would make a good pairing.


Overall Impression:  The wine is good and the price is reasonable, especially for a Kosher wine of this quality.  This wine is reasonable for the price.

Conde de Pircardo Tempranillo 2013 (about $11)

About the Wine:  Tempranillo is a signature varietal of Spain and a few of its clones are also very successful in Portugal.  The varietal is grown elsewhere, but never with much commercial success.  The bottle carries the Rioja designation but not a label that distinguishes how long it was aged in oak, such as Crianza or Reserva.  It is a risk, but I have a real affinity to the wine of the region.  Also, this price point speaks to me at a profound level.

About THIS Wine:  The wine is ruby red in the glass with a pink rim.  Cranberry is prominent on the nose, which unusual for a Rioja.  They typically have distinctive notes of cooking fat, which I did not get at all from this wine.  The palate is dry with good fruit and a firm tannin in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Something like steak or sausage would make a good pairing here.

Overall Impression: There is no reason this wine could not go for twice the price and as such it is a steal.  My one caveat is that it does not present like one would expect from a Rioja.  For someone who wants a great value dry red, though, this is where it's at.



90+ Merlot 2014 (about $11)

About the Wine:  This year's 90+ Merlot is sourced from Mendocino, California  a region I've never much cared for, but that has produced some gems of late.  Hopefully this will be one of them.


About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is a dark but not quite opaque purple.  The legs are thick and run almost like a port.  When I first smelled it, I thought, "Smells like Merlot."  It has the dark, smoky quality on the nose that I always associate with the varietal.  Even after a little time to breath, the palate is very tight.  This is awfully young for a Merlot and I imagine it would have benefited from a little more age before release.  Tannins are present but not bracing in the finish.


Drinking This Wine:  Let it decant for a long time, at least an hour if not more.  This is the kind of bottle that will be better the second night.  Drink it with red meat.


Overall Impression:  I am a little disappointed but that is mostly because I've had such good luck with the brand.  At $11 per bottle this wine is reasonable for the price.

Paul Dolan Mendocino County Zinfandel 2013 (about $14 a bottle)

About the Wine:  I have never had much love for Mendocino wines.  They always struck me as sort of lifeless and unpleasant.  But recently I have found some that have proven me wrong and 2013 is a great vintage.  Let's see if Mr. Dolan can "Wow!" me.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is blood red.  Jammy blackberry comes through full throttle on the nose.  The palate is mighty juicy with good tannin in the finish  This wine has a very viscous, mouth-coating quality.  It doesn't linger as long as I would like, which is odd for how massive it is.

Drinking This Wine:  This is an after dinner wine.  It's too big to really compliment any food that I can think of.

Overall Impression:  Between the overbearing fruit and the lacking finish, this is a slightly ham-fisted effort.  As such it is a little over priced.

Parducci Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (about $12)

About the Wine:  This is a sustainably grown California Cabernet.  The world of organic/bio dynamic/sustainable is a weird one.  If a wine is made from organic grapes then the wine itself is not necessarily organic, nor would something sustainably or bio dynamically grown carry such a distinction.  Clouding the matter further is the fact that many producers, particularly in France, Spain, and Israel follow best practices without bothering with the cost of certification.  I have tried to explain this to many a glassy-eyed, sandal wearing customer as they searched for "organic" on the label. The results are seldom good.

About THIS Wine:  For the price, this is surprisingly Old World in style.  It really takes some time to open up.  As it does, it gives off notes of wood, sagebrush, and forest floor.  The palate is dry and tannic with red fruit coming through in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This is a classic dry Cab and as such it needs red meat.

Overall Impression:  This was a really nice surprise.  Most Cabs at this price range are either juicy fruit bombs or unbearably rustic.  This is nice, food-friendly wine.  It could easily go for $20, so at twelve it is an absolute steal.

Gilgal Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Like California, Israel had an unusually cold year in 2011.  Also like California, Israel is hot enough to be marginal for wine grape growing, so a cold year is actually a boon for those who know how to take advantage of it.  Grapes grown in cold weather tend to produce more elegant, austere wine.  Hence the prestige of Burgundy.  No region in Israel compares to Burgundy, but this colder year did provide an opportunity for wine makers to show their talents.

About THIS Wine:  It is very dark red with a violet rim, fairly light for a hot climate Cab.  Tobacco and jammy raspberry are prominent on the nose.  The palate presents big fruit balance with firm, chalky tannins.  For all my rambling in the introduction "elegant" is not a term that would describe this wine, but it is fairly balanced.

Drinking This Wine:  It's drinkable by itself, but better with food.  Juicy hamburger is the pairing that comes to mind.

Overall Impression:  I think this would hold it's own with any California Cab at the same price range and so I must say it is good for the price.

Bagordi Rioja Graciano 2009 (about $20)

About the Wine:  Graciano is one of the least used of the Rioja varietals.  It is especially rare as a single varietal.  The region is mostly know for Tempranillo and to a lesser extent, Garnacha.  Let's see how it does on its own.

About THIS Wine:  It is opaque in the glass with a dark, velvety purple rim.  The nose is musky with strong plum notes.  The palate has good fruit but the tannins are rock solid.  This needs age or food.

Drinking This Wine:  Drink with pork sausage or roast duck.  The wine needs food, for sure.

Overall Impression:  It's a fun find.  As a novelty, this wine is reasonable for the price.