Mission Sud Cabernet Sauvignon Vin de Pays d'Oc 2008

Gotta love the french, just when you think that the pendulum has swung, in regards to Cabernet Sauvignon, to California's Napa and Sonoma Valley, they step up to the plate, and say in a reserved definitive tone,"We still got the top spot." So without elaborating anymore, I am drinking tonight the, Mission Sud Cabernet Sauvignon Vin de Pays d'Oc 2008. Now, when purchasing this wine, forgo the idea that this is an old-world type of Cab, this is something different for France's royal Bordeaux line. Getting right into this Cabernet, on the nose, I get chalky black cherries, some spice, hints of mulberry, plum and sweet ginger. On the palate, I get Blackberry and Cranberry, and although the Blackberry dissipates in the mid the cranberry, goes all the way to the finish. The tannins in this wine start in the mid and translate to the finish in a rounder delicate style. I also pick some plum in the front to mid and some hints of cedar on the outside of the mid palate. I believe the wine maker enjoyed making this fun wine, and I definitely enjoyed drinking it, because of it's deliciousness and the smooth finish. You can find this wine at your local Grocery Outlet, check it out and leave a comment.

2008 Chariot Gypsy

The wine that I'm drinking tonight is for the red fruit lover. This trader joe's gem is a nice blend of some well known grapes, with contribution from Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Petite Syrah and Sangiovese. So without further ado, I am sipping the 2008 Chariot Gypsy, and on the nose I'm picking up rasberry with hints of peppered licorice. Also under the rasberry and peppered licorice, I get some red cherries. With that last whiff, my nose has finally found it's climax, and I allow my mouth to be entertained. When tasting this wine I pick up mineral ladened rasberries and strawberries on the front end that translates all the way throughout the palate, which continues strong on the finish. Along with minerality and rasberry/strawberry, I also pick up some pepper on the mid palate to finish, accompanied by a hint of red cherry. With the varietals in this wine, it would be easy to be goopy and over the top with heavy fruit, but this wine contains the fruit very well, and is well made. Lastly, for those who are not big fans of Zinfandel from Lodi, this wine includes that grape and is not over the top and is very fresh and clean, especially on the finish, so try it, buy it, and leave a comment.

Les Vignes De Bila-Haut 2008 Cotes du Roussillon Villages

It was a good weekend, I got to hang out with my lady in Capitola, where we enjoyed the beautiful weather, beaches, and cuisine of the area. Oh, and let me not forget, drank some great wine at Cava Wine Bar. If you get a chance definitely check it out, Cava has some great, off the beaten path varietals and producers. One wine that seemed very interesting to me on their menu was the Les Vignes De Bila-Haut 2008 Cotes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan). Although we left too early for me to get a taste, I found a bottle at a nearby wine shop and decided to pick it up. So on the nose, I picked up Black-cherry/Rasberry, sweet Plum, hints of pepper, and stony minerality. The complexities of the nose at the price of 12.00 dollars definitely compelled me to want a taste. With that being said, my tasting notes consist of rasberry, red plum, black cherry, incorporating pomegranate and briar on the finish. Also, some things I enjoyed within this wine's juice was good structured tannins, decent minerality and a adequate length in finish. My advice is buy it, try it, and allow your mouth to take it for a ride. Oh, and leave a comment.

Wine Filled Glass For Valentines Day

Love, love, love, Love is in the air, accompanied by tunes from Sade's
"Cherish The Day." So you might ask, what is a good pairing for a day
filled with an abundance of love, other than just, great music, well,
I'm sure you already know, WINE. My question to you is, for your
inevitable Big V-day, what will you be filling your glass with? If you
are not sure yet, I may have some suggestions for you. Starting up my
suggestions, I'm leading off with a white wine, and because Riesling
is considered one of the most flexible grapes in regards to pairings,
I decided that Clos Du Bois Riesling (found at most supermarkets)
would be a nice precursor wine to start the dinner or your night in
general. So on the nose there is a spicy apple and blue-stone
minerality. When consuming this wine the major highlights are the
spicy pear, jasmine and lemon spritz. Look to pair with seafood, like
shrimp, crabcakes and oysters. After the Riesling, when the night
starts to get a bit more serious, and you want to start turning up the
heat, a great wine, and I've said it before in a former write up, seek
out the Bruno Porro San Luigi Dolcetto di Dogiani 2007 (Trader Joes).
This wine is just smooth and sexy, that's all that needs to be said.
For tasting notes, check out my blog, October 13, 2009 posting. Look
to pair this Dolcetto with skirt steak, and herbaceous chicken dishes.
Now that the mood has been set, there are decisions to be made. For
those looking for a serious bottle that's complex enough to enhance
your dinner and also has enough structure and fruit to stand alone you
may want to check out the 2007 Juan Gill from Spain (World Markets).
On the nose of this wine there are tones of earthy red plums, cassis,
and vanilla. Also in nooks of this nose I pick up blueberries and
tobacco. When tasting the Juan Gill I taste mineral-laden strawberries
and tobacco. Up the middle of the tongue there are also nuances of
green herbs and vanilla with a nice backbone of firm tannins. If
eating is done, and you are looking for a wine, that in my opinion, is
better when not accompanied with food,try the Jade Mountain 2007 La
Provencale. Warning, this is a Fruit forward and palate coating type
of wine. When smelling this wine there is peppercorn, hints of
brocolli, herbaceous red fruit, hints of cocoa notes and an
interesting apricot thing going on. Tasting this wine, I enjoy
black-cherry and black-berries dancing throughout my palate. There is
a enormous fruit in this wine, with some green herbs on the outsides
of the palate and rasberries running up the middle of my tongue. I
even pick up some chocolate in the Jade Mountain from the mid to
finish, and what a long finish. A beautifully complex fruit forward
wine that I hope you get a chance to drink it, and enjoy. So there you
have it, those are my picks for Valentines Day, for those who take my
advice, thank you, for those who don't, whatever you are drinking with
your special person that night, drink responsibly and be safe, I know
I will. Happy Valentines Day.

Spiral Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (Napa Valley)

I rarely say this, but the wine I'm drinking tonight is the opitome of a quality at a low price. And the kicker, which you are gonna love, is it's a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa. I don't know, maybe it's the times we are in, where the economy has declined, but I never thought I would find a quality Cab from Napa under $5.00. So without further ado I am devouring the Spiral Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. This wine starts off well, but the more you drink it, the better it gets. On the nose, I pick up mint, black-cherry, light chocolate, and hints of herbs, although it is a bit closed. When tasting this Cab there is beautiful black-cherry on the front that carries throughout the palate. In the mid the black-cherry is joined with plum and starts to tail off in the finish. There are also great firm tannins rounded out with herbal notes on the edges of the tongue. The only thing is the finish on this wine could be longer, but there is a great quality about this wine and I see potential. For 5.00, and to be a Cab from Napa is unheard of, so visit your local Trader Joe's and snag this wine. As for me, I'm grabbing a case.

Tableaux - Red Table wine 2006

As much wine as I drink on a weekly basis, a person who loves the vino as much as I do, tends to seek out more complex wines. Sometimes, though, a person just wants something fun, you know, something you don't have to think too much about. Well tonight, I'm drinking the Tableaux Red Table Wine 2006 from Southern France (a blend of 50% Syrah, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon). The nose holds Rasberry and cherry notes, along with some floral nuances. On my tongue I definitely translate from the nose the cherry on the initial attack with rasberries joining the party in the mid. The finish get a little watery, but wine is not horrible, and for those looking for a good pizza or party wine, this may be the right bet. Try it and leave a message.

Calcu 2005 Redwine Valle De Colchagua

The bottom line is, there are many areas throughout the world that make exceptional wines, but none that make better wines for the value, than Chile, Period. So, with that, I'm going to get into the wine I'm drinking tonite. This south-american gem I'm drinking to is the Calcu 2005 Redwine Valle De Colchagua. On the nose, I pick up wild

cherry, hints of chalky vanilla, and nice milk chocolate. Something

else that comes through when smelling this wine, is green herbaceous

notes and earthy green pepper with hints of plum, which undoubtly

came from the graceful Carmenere grape in this wine. And with that I

feel I've smelled enough of this wine, so, what I taste in this bottle

is wild cherry, plum and cassis on the initial attack.

There are also heavy tannins well blended into this wine throughout

the mid to the finish, which says a lot about the wine maker.

On the back sides of the palate I also loved the cocoa bean and

long finish of wild cherry. I love wine, and what I love more is wine

I can get at a low price, this is an area that is under the radar

for quality wines, although it should be considered an old wine

area, with quality old vines. So check out Chile, drink and enjoy.

P.S. The blend on this wine is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cab. Franc

and 20% Carmenere.