Penalolen Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (About $16)

About the Wine:  This wine hails from the Maipo Valley in Central Chile.  I have always found the wines from there to be fruit forward, accessible, and just sort of delicious.  We'll see if this guy measures up.

About THIS Wine:  Currants, tobacco, and cedar are all present on the nose.  The palate has a playful quality.  It gives up a good amount of fruit but not enough to be a fruit bomb.  It has some wood notes and firm tannin, but it is not over oaky nor bracingly tannic.  The 14% alcohol does show in the finish, but not in the "burns going down" way.

Drinking This Wine:  Could be a sipping wine, but really wants some food.  Preferably food that had hooves.  This is really a steak wine.

Overall Impression: I have a lot worse and paid a lot more.  This is a good value for the price.

Hussonet Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva 2010 (about $15)

About the Wine: Old World wine loyalists are often quick to point out that in places like Italy and Spain a wine can only be labeled as Riserva or Reserva if it meets strict requirements of whatever region it is produced in.  South American wineries have an unfortunate reputation for being willing to slap the Reserva label on anything.  What makes it more confusing is that some South American producers of $15 Reservas actually do have $10 wines that don't carry the label.  As with everything else, it comes down to what's in the glass.

About THIS Wine:  Green pepper is entirely dominant on the nose.  The prominence of the pepper on the nose made me fear some severe flaw, but the palate is fine.  It is tight, almost austere with fairly firm tannins.  With some time it does open up into some very modest dark fruit.  The finish does not go on as long as I would like.  

Drinking This Wine:  This is and can only be a steak wine.

Overall Impression:  Not bad, though a bit one dimensional.  I would have to say that this is fair for the price for those who prefer dry, Old World style wines.  If you are looking for a fruit foward New World wine, look elsewhere.

Montes Twins 2012 (about $12)

About the Wine:  Rumor is that the wine makers of Chile are doing what the wine makers of Italy did in 1997, making a huge ump in quality that will be followed by an accompanying jump in price.  This is no surprise given the fact that Chile and Argentina have long been go to regions for inexpensive quality wine that can be drunk young. 


About THIS Wine:  The nose is very bold with both the Cab and the Malbec throwing out loads of fruit.  I think a dash of Merlot might have been in order to tame this beast.  Fruit is prominent on the palate but it is much drier in both palate and finish than I would have expected from the way it smelled.


Drinking This Wine:  This is a Tuesday night wine that would pair well with a hamburger or a French dip.  It is a little too dry to have by itself and it is not big enough to be a steak wine.


Overall Impression:  If this Bordeaux blend had come from Bordeaux it would cost at least twenty dollars.  At this price it is a good value.

Root 1 Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (about $11)

About the Wine:  This Cab is a staple in Upstate New York's less expensive wine shops.  I never tasted it when I worked at a shop that carried it because it did not need any help selling.  Now I work at a posh shop that doesn't carry it and my curiosity is peaked.  People at my old store did get mad when we ran out of this.  Then again, they also got made when we ran out of their brands of box wine.

About THIS Wine:  It is ruby red in the glass with a pink rim, very light for a Cabernet.  The nose presents coffee and tobacco with notes of sour fruit.  The palate is very smooth with notes of sweet red fruit and supple tannins.  It does not linger.

Drinking This Wine:  There is enough tannin here that it should be had with food.  It would be good with a burger or some other meaty sandwich.

Overall Impression:  This is a textbook example of what a wine under fifteen dollars should be.  It is smooth, approachable, and not overly complex or lingering.  At eleven dollars it is good for the price.

Veramonte Primus Malbec 2010 (about $19)

About the Wine:  Veramonte is a producer that needs no introduction, unless you don't know South American wine in which case Veramonte is a great Chilean producer.  Primus is a line of bold, forward reds that generally lack any kind of subtlety and make no apologies for it.

About THIS Wine:  It is opaque purple in the glass with a nearly opaque rim.  My first question on smelling this wine was "What's the alcohol content?"  It was 14.5% and it smells like it.  Sweet tobacco, chocolate, and forest floor are all present on the nose.  The palate is fruity with high acidity and moderately tannic finish that lingers.

Drinking This Wine:  This needs steak, pasta, or something else as hearty as the wine is.

Overall Impression:  If you are looking for something subtle and nuanced then don't look for it here.  If you want something big and bold then this wine is good for the price.

Terra Vega Syrah 2012 (about $11)

About the Wine:  One way to make wine Kosher, regardless of source is to cook it, making it "Mevushal."  Unfortunately, this has a sever negative effect on the taste of the wine.  However, Kosher winemakers have begun to use flash pasteurization to minimize the damage while retaining the ritual qualities necessary to satisfy your annoying uncle.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass this wine is an opaque purple with a very dark purple rim.  The nose is extremely jammy, as I would expect from such a young Syrah. I also do get some smoky notes.  The palate is a little tight and more tannic than I would have expected, though it is not entirely surprising given how young the wine is.  Fruit comes through nicely in the finish.  This is somewhat reminiscent of the more classic Bordeauxs, which were processed in such a way as to bring the tannins to the front of the palate and that is why those wines needed so much time to age.  Why a new world wine maker would do this with something they were releasing young I cannot say.

Drinking This Wine:  This is definitely a food wine and one that benefits from decanting.  Enjoy with lighter red meat dishes like shepherd's pie or beef and noodles.

Overall Impression:  This is a full and robust wine with some real depth.  At eleven dollars a bottle it is a good value.

HaSod Shiraz 2010 (about $10)

About the Wine:  There are different levels of Kosher wine.  Basic Kosher is acceptable to most people who keep Kosher at any time other than Passover.  Kosher for Passover is acceptable on Passover.  Mevushal is a distinction for wine that has been intentionally cooked as a form of ritual purification and it the only wine that Hasidic (Chasidic?  Hassidic?) Jews will drink.  Assessments of mevushal wines range from "No difference in taste," to "Undrinkable."  We will see what the case is with this wine.

About THIS Wine:  The wine is purple in the glass with strong notes of tomato, cooking spice, and green pepper on the nose.  Green pepper and red fruit make up the palate.  The finish is flat and kind of unpleasant, perhaps as a result of the cooking.

Drinking This Wine:  This is definitely steak wine.  The finish is too harsh for sipping.

Overall Impression:  This is not a great bottle but neither is it terrible and the price is certainly right.  For anyone buying for religious reasons it is a good value.  For the rest of us it is reasonable for the price.

Santa Ema Reserva Merlot 2009 (about $13)

About the Wine:  There is a corner of Santa Ema's Maipo Valley vineyard that produces grapes with distinct notes of dark chocolate, regardless of the variety of grapes grown.  They have used this area for some years to grow the Merlot that goes into their Reserva.  It was their 2008 vintage that first got me really loving wine.  Here is a link to the winemaker's website http://www.santaema.cl/en/enologos.php

About THIS Wine:  The deep burgundy center is surrounded by a purple rim.  Green pepper is sharp on the nose, so much so that it is hard to detect anything else.  Red fruit and green pepper make up a palate that ends in a strawberry and spice finish.  Sadly, the dark chocolate notes that have been the signature of this wine are absent so far as I could tell. 

Drinking This Wine:  This would work as a dry sipping wine.  It would also go well with shepherd's pie and other hearty, meaty dishes.  It is not bold enough for a steak wine.

Overall Impression:  For those of us who enjoyed the '08 vintage this is nothing but a disappointment.  For anyone less emotionally invested it is good for the price.

 by Ben Stiebel

Primus 2010 Carmenere (about $18)

About the Wine:  Veramonte is a South American maker known for their big, bold reds.  They use Carmenere in their blends to add body and flavor and they make this Carmenere for those wanting the undiluted experience.

About THIS Wine:  The center is opaque with a purple rim.  Seasoned steak pretty much defines the nose and palate.  The wine tastes like liquefied T-bone crusted with cooking spices.  The finish is dry and spicy.

Drinking This Wine:  Drink it with steak, of course.

Overall Impression:  This wine is very intense and definitely not for everyone.  For those with a palate suited to it this Carmenere is good for the price.

by Ben Stiebel

Santa Ema Merlot 2010 (about $10)

About the Wine:  The Santa Ema winery has a special place in my heart as the makers of the first wine I ever fell in love with.  The 2008 Reserva Merlot completely blew me away.  This cuts two ways in reviewing their other products.  One is that loyalty to a brand can cloud one's judgement in terms of that brand's products.  Everyone who works for Gallo is guilty of this.  Every.  Blessed.  One.  It is also possible to compare all of a winery's products to that one you loved, thus judging other vintages and varietals unfairly.

About THIS Wine:  The center is crimson and fades to a garnet rim.  Green pepper and onion make up an unusual nose.  The palate is dry and jammy with hints of green pepper.  There is no finish to speak of.

Drinking This Wine:  A little dry for a sipper.  This could work with a burger or with red beans and rice.  Something simple and hearty.

Overall Impression:  For ten bucks this wine is not bad, but neither is it anything special.  It is reasonable for the price.

Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (about $13)

About the Wine:  Cono Sur is a sort rising of star in the organic wine world.  The bicycle represents the preferred method of transport between different parts of the vineyard.

About THIS Wine:  It is clear in the glass, very light for a Sauvignon Blanc.  Orange and grapefruit make up a rather pleasant nose.  Sharp acidity defines the palate, though on the second sip a detected a variety of citrus flavors.  Those flavors really shine in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Too acidic for a sipping wine, this would go well with shellfish or a light chicken and rice dish.

Overall Impression:  Not a bad wine at all and the price is reasonable.  This one is good for the price.

by Ben Stiebel