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Price: $10.99 @ Trader Joe's
Recommended by: #64 of Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2006
Comments: Blah, blah, blah, 91 points by Wine Spectator. Blah, blah, blah, best value, blah, blah HOLY SHIT! This is a frickin' good wine!!! Damn! Big, round, smooth and delicious, the 2003 Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz is one of the best buys we've had. Be careful. The year on this one matters. We tried the 2004 and it was good, but not spectacular. But then, recently, we found a bottle of 2003 hiding amongst the rest at Trader Joe's and brought it home, and wow! Big flavors of cherry and vanilla with pepper linger with a much longer finish than you'd expect for a wine this inexpensive. We're going back tomorrow to see if there are any more hidden bottles of this stuff because it is so damn good!
Rating: 8.5/10
Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe's
Recommended by: TJ's large display reeled us in
Comments: We didn't expect much from this inexpensive South African wine, but it's quite enjoyable. It's nothin' fancy, and it benefited from some decanting. The tannins were a bit strong at first, but with some time to breathe, it smoothed out a bit. It's not as bold as a Cali Cab, but it's earthy and well-rounded with flavors of cherry and blackberry. It doesn't have much of a finish, but the taste overall is quite nice. We recommend it over Charles Shaw (3 Buck Chuck). For those on a strict budget, pick up a few bottles.
Rating: 6.5/10
Price: a gift
Recommended by: our neighbors (fellow Buckeyes)
Comments: You never know what you're gonna get with a fruit wine, but we were pleasantly surprised! This wine from Russell Orchards (Ipswich, Mass.) has a really tasty blueberry flavor with a nice cinnamon finish. It's made with wild Maine blueberries, and the orchard's website recommends that you try it with roast beef or leg of lamb. (We had it as a dessert, after our first bottle of wine!) If you're in the Boston area, pay them a visit! (and partake of the amazing Ipswich clams, too!)
Rating: 6.75/10
Price: $9.99 at Trader Joes
Recommended by: It was a gift! Thanks, neighbors!
Comments: Well, the end of the summer is near, but it's not too late to partake of this happy, summery wine. Oyster Bay exhibits many of the traits that make Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs some of our very favorite wines (Matua, Villa Maria, Nobilo, Drylands). It has a bright, bold nose of citrus and grass, followed by crisp flavors of lime, grass, citrus, and kiwi. It is a bold wine, as New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs tend to be, and was a pretty yummy pairing with our spicy Chinese food tonight.
Rating: 7.25/10
Price: $10.99 @ Trader Joe's
