Sunday, February 25, 2007

Michael Pozzan Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Price: $13.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: We really enjoyed the Beringer Knights Valley Cab, so we wanted to try this one.
Comments: Oh, happiness! This wine was a nice surprise. It's a young wine, but it doesn't taste immature (that sounds pretentious, doesn't it?). This wine exhibits a complex flavor dominated by cherry, blueberry, and plum. It's a fruity wine, but not overly so. Instead, it is very smooth and balanced; really amazing for the price!
Rating: 7.5/10

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Smoking Loon Pinot Noir 2005

Price: $8.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: the price

Comments: Paying less than $10 for a domestic Pinot Noir is a little scary. When Rob poured the wine into the decanter, we were not reassured. It looked a bit watery. The initial taste wasn't bad, however. But that's as good as the wine got. It has light flavors of strawberry and cherry, but there is little spice to give it an extra oomph. We will not be in a hurry to try this again.

Rating: 5/10

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Foris Gewurztraminer 2003

Price: $14.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: We wanted to try an Oregon Gewurz
Comments: We had this wine with Indian cuisine, and it was a perfect match. The spiciness of the food really brought out the spice in the Gewurz. The Foris is a bit flowery with a hint of citrus, which together hide the dryness of this wine behind sweet flavors. It's not as spicy as the Chateau Ste. Michelle, but it is definitely worth trying. If you are new to Gewurz, try the Chateau Ste. Michelle, but if you want to try a new American one, we recommend this!
Rating: 6.75/10

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Marqués de Cáceres Crianza Rioja 2003

Price: $9.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: on sale at Luke's!
Comments: We've had a fair number of Spanish reds now, and this one rates in the middle. It has a nice raspberry flavor and a decent, lasting, dry finish, but it lacks some complexity. We prefer Vina Alarba and Cortijo Crianza, to name a few Spanish blends.
Rating: 6.25/10

Meridian Merlot 2004

Price: $6.98 @ Gary's Liquors
Recommended by:
the price

Comments: The best thing we can say about this wine is that it is worth the price! Of course, it didn't cost very much. However, we're stuck on a troubling question: is it any better than 2 buck Chuck? It's a toss up. This wine is your basic merlot. The taste is pleasant and simple, but it certainly won't blow you away. It's a good pizza wine that we'd consider having again, but we're not in a hurry to do so.
Rating:
6/10

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Estola Reserva La Mancha 2001

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe's
Recommended by:
no one!

Comments:
Reviews of this wine on other sites offer strikingly different pictures. While some find it mediocre and inoffensive, others find it watery and bad. Of course, in either case, we don't recommend this wine very highly. It has a fairly bearable flavor, but one that doesn't last very long at all. The dry finish is not too bad, but that's the best we can say about it. What a shame--we usually like Spanish wines. For the money, you can do better with Se
ñor Dos Buck Chuck!
Rating:
5/10