Cabernet Sauvignon $10.95
Paso Robles, CA
0.5 stars
Dark red, cloudy, no contrast
Smelled of spicy dark fruits.
Tasted flat, no tannins. Not enjoyable. Will not buy again.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Project Paso 2009
Cabernet Sauvignon $10.95
Paso Robles, CA
0.5 stars
Dark red, cloudy, no contrast
Smelled of spicy dark fruits.
Tasted flat, no tannins. Not enjoyable. Will not buy again.
Night & Day 2007
Red Blend $14.99
30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 20% Syrah, 10% Sangiovese, 4% Grenache, 4% Cabernet Franc
Produced by A to Z Winery
Newberg, OR
2.5 Stars
Dark red, cloudy. No contrast.
Smelled of raspberry, vanilla and dark fruits.
Taste was OK. Almost no tannins, and was not dry. Overall fairly forgettable, but easy to drink.
The Prisoner 2009
Orin Swift
Red Blend $35.99
51% Zinfandel, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah, 3% Charbono, 1% Granache, 1% Malbec
15.2% Alcohol
Napa, CA
4.0 Stars
Deep burgundy color. Nearly opaque
Smelled of blackberries with an oak undertone.
Sweet, extremely smooth and balanced. Long luxurious finish. Concentrated fruit.
I tried the Orin Swift Papillon back in August with my sister and her fiancé. It was extremely good, probably one of the best wines I had tried all year. The Prisoner is the wine that brought Orin Swift acclaim, so I really wanted to try it for myself. It did not disappoint! Now I need to try the Mercury Head!
Clos Du Val 2007
Cabernet Sauvignon $14.99 (375 mL)
Napa, CA (Stags Leap District)
3.0 Stars
Vibrant dark red, very little contrast.
Smells like a barrel room. Overwhelming oak. Dark fruits and hint of violet.
Tastes of dried fruits, a lot of oak. Overly oak. Concentrated flavors with a nice finish.
I bought this after reading so many excellent reviews of the 2007 California cabs. The Stags Leap District in particular felt this vintage was so exceptional that they are actually selling a package of all of the Stags Leap wines. http://www.stagsleapdistrict.com/purchase_collection.php
Foxglove 2008
Cabernet Sauvignon $13.99
Paso Robles, CA
3.0 stars
Dark rich red color, low contrast
Smells like roses, dark fruits, possibly slight licorice.
Fruit forward. medium tannins, dry, with a dry finish.
Main Street 2007
Cabernet Sauvignon $13.99
Napa, CA
2.0 Stars
Dark Beautiful red color, low contrast
Smells sweet and flowery, violets.
Smooth but with a tart finish.
La Joya 2009
Syrah $10.99
Chile
Vina Bisquertt
3.5 stars
Very dark, luxurious color. Low contrast.
Smelled of blueberry, violets and black plum.
Notable tannins but not overpowering. Ripe and smooth. Slight pepper and black raspberry as well.
Medium bodied. Big powerful flavors.
Calathus 2007
Pinot Noir $16.99
Argentina
2.5 stars
Light red in color with notable robe. Moderate contrast.
Smells... like a Pinot! Faint alcohol also on the nose.
Tastes of cherries, but lacked dimension and complexity. Overall disappointing.
Fire Block 2005
Grenache $14.99
Australia
3.0 stars
Smells of vanilla, ripe fruits and plum. Cherry on the palate with a nice finish.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Sola Fred 2008
Sola Fred 2008
90% Carigan, 10% Grenache $9.99
Celler El Mosroig
Spain
3.0 Stars
Medium red color, with low contrast.
I don't have any good notes on the aromas. Not unique is all that was written down.
Spicy after a burst of flavor. We liked this wine.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Willamette Wine Tasting
We did some tasting during a weekend trip to Portland, OR. There were a lot of wineries to choose from, but I chose to go to the Dundee Hills where a number of fine wineries are located. We started with a 1.5 hr tour of Domaine Drouhin followed by tastings at Domaine Serene and Archery Summit Winery.
Domaine Drouhin
I only know of this winery because my sister bought me a bottle as a birthday present. They are a french family winery that bought some land in the late 80's in the Willamette Valley. The tasting consisted of a comparison between the Oregon Wines (referred to as "DDO") and the Maison Joseph Drouhin wines from France. They also served a spanish cheese, Montenebrowhich I highly recommend. We have had some problems finding this cheese locally.
The first tasting comparison was between the 2007 DDO Chardonnay Arthur (prounounced Ar-ture for her son) and its comparable Maison Joseph Drouhin Chardonnay from Chablis. The DDO was a little softer and less flavorful, better paired with food. The Chablis was sharper and more flavorful and able to stand alone. We preferred the Chablis over the DDO Chardonnay.
The second tasting was between a 2008 DDO Pinot Noir Willamette Valley and the Drouhin Burgundy. Sorry I dont have better notes on the French wine, apparently its not available for sale in the US anyway. The french wine was more dry and less balanced. The DDO Pinot was very flavorful and had a delightful long finish. Very delicious wine.
The last wine tasted was the 2007 Laurene. The Laurene is DDO's flagship wine. All of the barrel's of wine are tasted and the top 100 are selected. The top 10 barrels are used to make the ultra rare Louise wine, which is only available to winery members. The other barrels are used to make the Laurene. This wine was very good. As you may expect the overall flavor was very similar to the DDO Willamette Valley but with a more concentrated flavor and elegant finish.
Domaine Serene
We tasted 5 wines at Domaine Serene. The first was a chardonnay, the 2008 Etoile Vineyard Chardonnay ($45). This was OK, but we preferred the DDO and the Chablis that we had at DDO.
The second wine was a 2008 Yamhill Cuvee Pinot Noir which is a blend of Pinot from all of their different vineyards. Each vineyard of the vineyards are adjacent, but are at different elevations and face different directions, resulting in quite different flavors. The Yamhill Cuvee was decent, but lacked the concentrated flavor we were hoping for. Tasted watered down compared to the DDO wines. Vanilla Cherry Blossom on the palate.
The next wine was a 2007 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir ($58). This was a delicious wine. Concentrated flavors of black cherry and raspberry. Fruit forward with a long enjoyable finish. This was our favorite Domaine Serene wine.
We also tasted a 2008 Jerusalem Hill Vineyard Pinot ($75) and it was much more woody and spicy with flavors of smoke, blackberry and dark chocolate. My sister Lauren would enjoy this wine!
They gave us a bonus pour of the 2009 Rockblock Viogner ($35). This was a delicious summer white that we really enjoyed. We will be buying some Viogner to enjoy soon!
Archery Summit WineryOur last tasting was at Archery Summit, which is located at the south end of the Dundee Hills in Dayton, OR. First planted in 1994, the estate is now comprised of 115 acres spread across five vineyards. We opted for the Signature tasting which included four of Archery's pinot noirs.
The first was the 2008 Premier Cuvee ($48). This is a blend from all on the five vineyards, aged for 10 months in 50% new oak barrels. The wine opens to your nose with blueberries and spice. The taste is spicy with dark fruits and molasses. We were not particularly impressed by this wine, but coming from some great wines at DDO and Serene, our expectations were already set quite high.
The second wine was a 2007 Pinot from the Looney Vineyard ($85). This wine was very enjoyable. Super fruit forward with concentrated flavors with a great balance of tannin and texture. Plum, blue raspberry and vanilla bean are apparent, while the wine continues into a beautiful long finish.
The third wine tasted was the 2008 Arcus Estate Pinot Noir. This was the most complex wine we tasted all day. Starts with exotic perfumes, violet, blueberry and cherries on the nose. On the palate there are flavors of spice (sarsaparilla, cinnamon and toffee) all lightly placed on a core of distinct black cherry flavor. Loved how the taste changed from spicy and full to soft and lovely fruit as it evolved into its finish.
The last wine was a 2007 Red Hills Estate Pinot Noir ($85). This was a nice concentrated wine, but was no match for the Arcus Estate. Starts with blue fruits and floral notes on the nose, followed by black cherry and blackberry with star anise and cinnamon flavors. Overall this wine was on par with the 2008 Premier Cuvee.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Valley of the Moon Zinfandel 2007
Valley of the Moon 2007
Zinfandel $14.99
California
3.0 stars
Beautiful maroon color, with good clarity and no contrast.
Spicy on the nose with a lot of alcohol. Slightly rosey.
Tastes peppery and concentrated. Very bold with a dry long finish
Sola Fred Red Blend 2008
Sola Fred 2008
90% Carignan, 10% Grenache $9.99
Spain
3 stars
Medium red color, low contrast
I have very little notes for this wine.
Spicy after the intial burst of flavor. Need to retaste as our notes are lacking! Judy likes this wine.
Meridan Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Cabernet Sauvignon $10.99
Napa Valley, CA
2 stars
Relatively light color for a cab. Low Contrast
Smells of dark berries and spiciness.
Diluted Cherries, Tannins with a short dry finish. Underwhelming wine
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Aquinas Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Aquinas 2007 (produced by Three Loose Screws)Cabernet Sauvignon $13.99
Napa Valley, CA
2.5 stars
Purple color with low contrast
Smells of vanilla and violet.
Spicy, quite a bit of tannins.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Lander Jennings Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Lander Jennings 2008
Cabernet Sauvignon $10.99
St. Helena, CA
1.5 Stars
Moderate clarity, deep red color with very little contrast.
Smelled smokey, dark red cherries and another dark fruit I could not identify. Also smelled tar-like which reminded me of a Barberesco. Not a very floral wine at all.
As it was not floral, it also lacked flavor. Wine was somewhat sour and watered down. Masked flavors and a short uninspiring finish. Not recommended.
Artezin Zinfandel 2009
Artezin 2009
Zinfandel $14.99
Mendocino, CA
2.5 Stars
High clarity, deep dark red color. Very little contrast.
Smells strongly of alcohol, which is typical for a zin. Cherries and ripe red fruits.
Spicy and tangy fruit flavors, medium bodied with a short forgettable finish. Tannins were very strong throughout, so we decanted the bottle. It did reduce the sharpness of the tannins, but didnt really improve the wine much.
Trapiche 2008
Trapiche Oak Cask 2008
Malbec $9.99
Argentina
3.5 Stars
Medium dark red, hint of orange color. Medium clarity, low contrast.
Smells of cedar, and alcohol.
Flavorful, concentrated fruit flavors. Great finish with notable tannins.
Ridge Zinfandel 2007
Zinfandel $32.03
Paso Robles, CA
3 stars
Light colored for a Zin. Very little contrast.
Smelled of tar, not very fruity at all.
Very smooth, slightly spicy. Ended with light red fruits. Flavor not typical for a Zin, expected more power and bolder, bigger flavors. Each bottle has a detailed description of the weather and harvesting conditions for each vintage. Would like to try a different vintage as this one did not seem favorable.
Iron Stone Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Iron Stone 2009
Cabernet Sauvignon $9.99 ($5.99 on sale)
Murphys, CA
2.5 Stars
Medium red color, low contrast and medium clarity.
Smelled strongly of alcohol which made it difficult to smell any fruits or non-fruits.
Tasted of cherry, watery with tannins hitting the back of your tongue. Bitter overtone and short finish.
I cannot find the picture that I took, but the label looks the same as the one above.
Snap Dragon Red Blend 2008
Red Blend $8.99 ($5.99 on sale)
Sonoma, CA
3 stars
Red Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec.
Dark red color with almost no contrast and low clarity. Smelled of dark red ripened fruits.
Sorry, I dont have a lot of tasting notes for this wine, but it was easy an easy drinking decent table wine.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Cabernet Sauvignon $11.99
Columbia Valley, WA
3.5 Stars
Deep red color, very low contrast, high clarity
Smells spicy and woody. Evergreen, ripened blackberry, cherry and currants.
Taste: Fruit forward, well balanced. Very enjoyable.
Guenoc Petite Sirah 2008
Guenoc 2008Petite Sirah $12.99
Lake County, CA
2 Stars
Moderate Red Color, Low Contrast, High Clarity
Smells of ripened cherry, raspberry, birch.
Tastes vinegary, woody and acidic. Overall, not a very enjoyable wine.
Petite Petit Petite Sirah 2007
Petite Sirah $14.99
Lodi, CA
3.5 Stars
Smells spicy, with ripened cherry and pomegranate.
Tastes almost creamy with smokey overtones. Very nice enjoyable finish.
Note: I actually had trouble finding this in the Utah Wine Stores. Its not in the petite sirah section, its actually in the "fat" bottle section.
Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Cabernet Sauvignon $62
Napa Valley, CA
4 Stars
Good Clarity, dark red color. Low to Moderate Contrast.
Nose was smokey, ripe red fruits, overwhelming alcohol.
Taste was a burst of concentrated flavor full of tannins, with a dry finish. Medium bodied. Overall, big flavor, but the finish was shorter and the complexity was lacking for a wine of this price.
Justin Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Cabernet Sauvignon $50
Paso Robles, CA
3.5 Stars
Low Clarity
Not very floral, smells faintly of dark red dried fruits. Additionally cedar and rubber on the nose.
Concentrated flavor,. I don't have much for the tasting notes. Hopefully my sister has some notes written down in her notebook for this wine. Overall a bit disappointing for the price, but still a good easy to drink wine.
Barking Frog Pinot Noir 2007
Pinot Noir $32.95
Oregon, USA
4 stars
Smells of natural earthy smells like soil, maybe tar.
Flavor starts light and flavorful with dried fruits. Surprising complexity.
Apothic Red Blend 2008
Red Blend $22
Modesto, CA
3 Stars
Smells of Spicy fruits and cedar.
Taste was well balanced, with light red fruits. Nice medium long finish.
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