Ique Malbec 2010 (about $11)

About the Wine: Malbecs are variously described as "rustic," "earthy," and "unpleasant."  When done right these wines offer an excellent drinking experience, one that is full and rich but also smooth and layered.

About THIS Wine: It is nearly opaque in the glass with a violet rim, promising a heavy, tannic wine.  The nose is very thick with dominant cassis and notes of chocolate.  The palate is heavy with a flavor vaguely reminiscent of stout beer followed by a jammy fruit finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This Malbec benefits greatly from having some time to open up before drinking.  Ique is a bit heavy and thick for a sipping wine.  More than anything else it made me crave a slice of stuffed crust pizza.

Overall Impression:  The wine is decent and the price is hard to beat.  This wine is good for the price.

Tormaresca Neprica 2010 (about $10)

About the Wine: Neprica is a traditional but obscure Italian red blend.  According to the distributor I talked to, it is being released at the price it is in the hopes that the low price will drum up some interest and allow it to compete in the already saturated red blend market.

About THIS Wine:  The dark purple center contrasts with a garnet rim.  Black cherries, cassis, and spice make up a pleasant nose.  Thick, rich, jammy fruit forms a luxurious palate that gives way to a light raspberry finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This makes a very good sipping wine but it would also go well with a hamburger or any other meaty sandwich.

Overall Impression:  This is a great value because the distributor is trying to create interest.  This wine would not be overpriced at fifteen dollars a bottle.

Sangre de Toro Red Wine (blend) 2010 (about $11)

About the Wine:  Spanish reds are known for their smooth body and supple character.  Some wine drinkers look down on them for being too mild and not complex enough, but many Spanish wines are pleasant sipping wines and good wines for the novice drinker.

About THIS Wine:  The center is violet and fades to a garnet rim.  Dark fruit is pleasant on the nose.  Licorice and red fruit make up a pleasantly mild palate that fades into a dry finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Enjoy with Spanish rice or as a sipping wine.

Overall Impression:  The wine is not spectacular but the price is.  Sangre would not really be overpriced at fourteen or fifteen dollars, so this is a good value.

Barone Ricasoli Chianti 2010 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Chianti is probably the best known of the Italian reds.  It is a dry red blend based on Sangiovese and produced in the Chianti region of Tuscany.  In theory the regulations the Italian government has placed on what can be called "Chianti" tightly control the taste and quality of the wine, but different makers do manage to produce very different products.

About THIS Wine:  The violet center contrasts sharply with the pink rim.  The nose is heavy with lots of dark fruit and hints of spice.  Jammy raspberry is dominate on the palate and fades into a light cherry finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This makes a nice sipping wine but would also go well with lasagna or meaty pasta dishes.

Overall Impression:  Barone Ricasoli drinks like a twenty bottle.  At fifteen it is a good value.

Arca Nova Alvarinho 2011 (about $13)

About the Wine:  Alvarinho is a white grape cultivated mostly in Portugal.  Wines made from it have a lot of citrus flavor and are vaguely comparable to dry Riesling.

About THIS Wine:  This Alvarinho is clear in the glass with no distinct rim.  The nose is heavy with ripe, tangy citrus.  The smell reminded me a bit of California Sauvignon Blanc.  The palate is very tangy and acidic.  Those qualities linger in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  The palate is very sharp, making it difficult as a sipping wine.  Seasoned white fish or salmon might work as a pairing.


Overall Impression:  One of my coworkers tasted this wine and immediately said, "We're not charging people too much for this, are we?"  The wine only seems to suit a very particular palate.  Sauvignon Blanc drinkers find it dull, Riesling drinkers find it offensive.  I suppose if your palate favors very acidic, very citrusy wine then this is reasonable for the price.  Otherwise, don't bother.

Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec 2007 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Reserve or Reserva is a designation for wines that are aged longer than their counterparts to achieve a particular taste.  The idea is that the wine develops fully while absorbing the qualities of whatever kind of oak it is aged in.  In Old World wines this is almost universally a sign of quality.  In New World wines it is less meaningful because the use of the terms Reserve and Reserva  are not regulated and some wineries will put the designation on anything.

About THIS Wine:  This wine is opaque in the glass with a dark purple rim.  Chocolate dominates the nose.  The palate is very thick and creamy with chocolate notes present.  Unfortunately this gives way to a sharp, slightly bitter finish.

Drinking This Wine:  The bitter finish makes it a definite food wine.  Have it with something with a sauce sweet enough to counteract the finish.

Overall Impression:  This wine is not very good.  It would be reasonable at ten dollars a bottle.  Anything over that is overpriced.

Crios Rose of Malbec 2011 (about $13)

About the Wine:  If a diligent reader learns nothing else from this blog, they will learn how much wine aficionados hate White Zinfandel.  In this case it is relevant because, to most American wine drinkers, blush wines are synonymous with the light, sweet White Zinfandels that dominate the inexpensive wine market.  Of low quality and often artificially sweetened, White Zin turns many people off to the wonderful and varied world of blush wines.

About THIS Wine:  The center is pink and the wine has a clear rim.  The nose is very floral with strong acidity.  The palate is a curious blend of bright strawberries and potent acidity that fade into an unremarkable finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Definitely a food wine due to the mouth watering acidity.  This would be the perfect companion to a fruit platter of grapes, strawberries, and apples.

Overall Impression:  This is nothing spectacular, but the price is reasonable and I have never a wine like it.  It is reasonable for the price.

Flying Fish Merlot 2010 (about $14)

About the Wine:  Washington State is probably best known for its Riesling, but a number of good Merlots are also produced there.  Washington Merlots tend to be bold and fruit forward to the point that some in the industry describe them as fruit bombs.  The thing about fruit bombs is that while they do not impress connoisseurs, they are very approachable.

About THIS Wine:  The center is violet and the rim is pink.  The color does not fade exactly, it is more like the shades between pink and violet are in circles.  I have no idea why it does that.  Oak dominates the nose, though hints of fruit are present.  Strangely, oak is not present on the palate, which is instead defined by dark red fruit with subtle tannins.  The oak does resurface in a mildly spicy finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This is a very accessible sipping wine.  I think it would also be great with a pork steak.

Overall Impression:  The wine is good and the price is reasonable.  This wine is good for the price.

Renato Ratti Barbera D'Alba 2010 (about $19)

About the Wine:  Barbera is an Italian grape sometimes also cultivated in California.  It makes a red wine that is bold, dry, smooth, in many ways the epitome of Italian red.

About THIS Wine:  The center is violet and fades to a pink rim.  Rich red fruit is heavy on the nose but hints of spice are clearly present.  Just smelling this wine made me think of a meaty red sauce dish.  Red fruit dominates the front palate and gradually blends into a spicy finish that lingers.  The spice is firm, but not overpowering.

Drinking This Wine:  This is good for a hearty sipping wine but I think it is best served as a compliment to meat and cheese dishes such as lasagna or perhaps a Gorgonzola steak.

Overall Impression:  This is a real quality wine that fits in a hipster's budget.  It is good for the price.

Hahn Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (about $14)

About the Wine:  I came across Hahn's 2007 Cab in the execution of my duties.  Which is to say, it was not selling so I tried it, liked it, and was able to recommend it to customers until it sold it.  The label had a picture of a chicken on it, which apparently had no appeal.  The new label for the 2010 vintage looks a bit like a used menstrual pad.  Apparently I just do not understand marketing, and neither do the folks at Hahn.  The 2007 vintage was very thick, heavy and tasted mostly of the charred oak barrels in which it had been aged.  Will that taste carry over to this vintage?

About THIS Wine:  The center is a pleasant dark purple with a garnet rim.  The nose is very thick with jammy raspberry and licorice with hints of smoke.  The raspberry and licorice deliver on the front palate, but somewhere between the mid palate and finish a very sharp oakiness pops that dominates the whole experience.

Drinking This Wine:  The best advice I could give for drinking this wine is to lay it on its side in a cool dark place for six months to a year.  I believe that with the additional aging it will mature well and lose the sharpness in the finish, but it is not ready for prime time.

Overall Impression:  Fourteen dollars for something that might me good in a year if you store it right?  I'll let you figure this one out.

Chateau de Ribebon Bordeaux Supérior 2009 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Bordeaux is a region in France known for its wine blends.  Red Bordeaux wines are blends of primarily either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot along with some combination of Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. 

About THIS Wine: The center is violet and it fades to a pink rim.  The nose is much thicker and heavier than I would have expected with layers of jammy cherry, raspberry, and nutmeg.  The palate delivers with rich, red fruit and supple tannins before easing into a finish of light raspberry.

Drinking This Wine:  This would be great for a sipping wine but would also pair well with lighter red meat dishes such as beef and noodles.

Overall Impression:  The wine is good and versatile.  This is a good value.

Oko Pinot Grigio 2011 (about $11)

About the Wine:  The trend toward organic and sustainable goods is well established but it has a special urgency in the wine world.  If climate change models prove accurate then places like France and California will become increasingly inhospitable to wine grape cultivation. The prospect of moving the wine industry from its current centers in search of new ones does not bear contemplating, so more and more vineyards are doing what they can to slow the trend.

About THIS Wine: Oko is a pleasant straw color and has no distinct rim.  The nose is crisp with lots of citrus and less acidity than I would normally associate with Pinot Grigio.  The citrus delivers on the palate, which ends in a slightly tangy and somewhat mineral finish.  It was much more complex than most Pinot Grigios I have had in this price range.

Drinking This Wine:  This is a perfect compliment to white fish.  I would not really recommend it as a sipping wine due to the strength of the finish.

Overall Impression:  This is a pleasant, complex, organic wine for eleven dollars.  It is a very good value.

St. Urbans-Hof Riesling 2010 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Some time ago I reviewed Urban Riesling, the under brand of St. Urbans-Hof that goes for about ten dollars.  It will be interesting to see if the quality of the over brand supports the fifty percent jump in the price.

About THIS Wine:  It is golden yellow in the glass with a clear rim.  Citrus dominates the nose with hints of green apple.  Mildly sweet honey and citrus make for a pleasant palate, but the finish is very tart and sharp, so much so that it made me wince.  It is not that it was bad, it was just unexpected.

Drinking This Wine:  Enjoy it with spicy food such as Thai or Indian.

Overall Impression:  I actually think the under brand was better.  This wine is good but overpriced. 

Silver Label Chardonnay 2010 (about $!6)

About the Wine:  The greatest challenge for Chardonnay makers is probably figuring out when to take the wine out of the oak barrel.  Too long in oak makes the wine heavy and unpleasant.  Too little time can result in a weak, watery product.  Some makers have simply given up and gone over to stainless steel barrel aging, but some are still trying to find that perfect balance.

About THIS Wine:  It is hay colored and has no distinct rim.  Vanilla, pear, and honey are all present in fairly pleasant nose.  The palate is straight citrus with an oak spice finish that lingers.

Drinking This Wine:  Fine by itself or with chicken or lightly seasoned fish.

Overall Impression:  The price is a little steep but good Chardonnay under twenty dollars is hard to come by.  This wine is reasonable for the price.

Elderton Shiraz 2010 (about $20)

About the Wine:  High end Shiraz has been difficult to come by since Yellow Tail effectively killed the market. Shiraz is very slowly starting to make a comeback with more and more wine makers taking a chance on premium productions.

About THIS Wine:  The center is dark purple with a pink rim.  The nose is heavy with a lot of cranberry and cassis with hints of black pepper.  Thick jam and cassis dominate the palate, which blends into a lingering, peppery finish.

Drinking This Wine:  It is good by itself but it would be better with steak.

Overall Impression:  This is the very top of my price bracket, but it is difficult to convey exactly how good this wine is.  It is good for the price.

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2010 (About $14)

About the Wine:  Beaujolais is a French varietal best known for its role in the making of Beaujolais Nouveau, a very light and fruity wine made from grapes picked early in the season.  The Villages variation is picked later in the season and yields a darker, heavier wine.

About THIS Wine:  The center is garnet with a pink rim, reminiscent of Pinot Noir.  The nose is thick and musky with notes of red fruit.  Tannins dominate the palate and finish, though cherry and licorice notes are present.

Drinking This Wine:  Definitely a food wine.  Enjoy with cheese and crackers or chocolate.

Overall Impression:  This is definitely a wine for traditionalists with an appreciation for the classics.  As such it is reasonable for the price.

Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 ( about $10)

About the Wine: The South African Terroir adds some interesting characteristics to the wines made there.  In particular, the Cabernets are known for having a strong taste of green pepper.  Notes of green pepper are common in wines where the grapes are not removed from their stems before maceration, but nothing nearly as potent as what comes from South Africa.

About THIS Wine:  The center is violet and fades to a garnet rim.  Olive and red licorice combine for an unique nose.  The licorice delivers on the palate along with sharp green pepper.  The pepper lingers in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This would go perfectly with ground meat, especially a hamburger.  It is a bit intense for a sipper.

Overall Impression:  I like the price more than I like the wine, but it is a pretty great price and the wine is okay.  It is good for the price.

Thelema Mountain Red 2009 (about $14)

About the Wine:   Red blends are a personal favorite of mine.  A good wine master can mix wines so that the negative characteristics of each wine in the blend are filtered out while the positives are preserved and amplified.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is a dark, ruby red with a crimson rim.  The nose is heavy and complex with notes of smoke, spice, and red fruit.  On the palate this wine is almost syrupy.  Red fruit and licorice are dominant with green pepper in the background.  The fruits fade and the pepper lingers in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Could work as a sipping wine, but I would rather have it with vegetarian pasta dishes with red sauce.

Overall Impression:  This is not a terribly accessible wine for the novice drinker, but it is fairly good.  It is reasonable for the price.

Accattoli Rosso Del Monte 2011 (about $13)

About the Wine: "Rosso" is a generic term for Italian red wines.  It can be used to describe literally any Italian red (and some American knock offs) but usually refers to blends not covered in the standard definitions of Chianti, Valpolicella, or other traditional mixes.  In this case it refers to a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano, and Pinot Nero.

About THIS Wine:  The center is a deep purple and fades to a violet rim.  The nose is velvety with heavy red fruit and hints of spice.  Spicy red fruit dominates the palate, giving way to soft tannins that make for a mildly dry finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Perfect for barbecue, but not really the best sipping wine.

Overall Impression:  I like the wine and I like the price.  It is a good value.

14 Hands Hot To Trot Red Blend 2009 (about $11)

About the Wine:  14 Hands is a popular maker from Washington State best known for their smooth, easy drinking reds.  Hot To Trot is their red blend.

About THIS Wine:  The wine is violet in the glass and fades to a garnet rim.  The nose is surprisingly heavy with tobacco, spice, and hints of red fruit.  Red fruit is dominant on the palate complimented by mild spice.  The finish is sharp and tart.

Drinking This Wine:  It could work as a hamburger wine.  The tartness on the finish makes it difficult as a sipping wine.

Overall Impression:  It is hard to call and eleven dollar wine "overpriced" but this just is not very good.