Apothic Red Blend 2008

Apothic Red 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.

Concannon Merlot 2007

Concannon 2007

Merlot $10.99

Central Coast, CA

3 stars

Fruity aromas, light red fruits, very jammy smelling. Cant quite pin down the fruit, maybe huckleberry or plum.

Well balanced and fruit forward. Light on tannins, with a short enjoyable finish.

Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Rodney Strong 2007

Cabernet Sauvignon, $13.99

Sonoma, CA

2.5 stars

I dont have much of a review for this wine, didnt take notes while we were drinking it. Too tannic for our tastes, we should have tried decanting it. Overall not really our favorite.

Bodega Virgen de La Sierra Lo Brujo Roble Garnacha 2003

Lo Brujo Roble 2003

Granacha $13

Calatayud, Spain

3 stars

Smells of plum, very dark rich fruits, dark cherry. A hint of pepper as well.

The wine is extremely concentrated. Fruity and powerful. Almost overpowering flavor with dark fruits and spiciness that leads into a moderate finish. You get a strong dose of tannins with the onslaught of flavor. Finish is slightly on the dry side.

Sweet Cheeks Winery Pinot Noir 2007

Sweet Cheeks Winery 2007

Pinot Noir $17.95

Eugene, OR

3.5 Stars

My mom was nice enough to bring this back from Oregon. Unfortunately its extremely difficult to get this anywhere other than Oregon, as its a really small winery.

The wine has a beautiful light color, and smells reminiscent of a tempranillo. I do not have any good words to describe that, so forgive me for that. The smell is slightly tangy, but more of an herb like tang, maybe lemongrass. You can smell blueberries as the smell tails off.

The wine itself begins with a burst of flavor. Raspberries and other dark fruits with a smokey overtone. The tannins hit halfway down your tongue, but they are not overpowering. The wine then descends into a very long pleasant finish.

Overall a very good wine. Thank you Mom.

Kenwood Jack London Zinfandel 2002

Kenwood 2002

Zinfandel $21.99

Jack London Vineyard, Sonoma

4.5 stars

This Zin is awesome. The color is a tomato/brick red color, with a significant robe (indicating age). Dry Raspberry and dried strawberry along with aromas of coffee and cinnamon were evident on the nose. The wine actually carries a lot more in flavor and body on the nose than it does when consumed. This light-to medium bodied wine has a flavor profile that includes tobacco, dark chocolate and hints of cigar smoke. It's relatively complex, and pairs well with spicy meats or a bold marinara based pasta.

We paired this zinfandel with a supreme, chicago-style dense pizza. The zin paired well with our spicy sausage, pepper, mushroom, onion entree. If you enjoy zinfandel at all, I'd highly recommend trying this wine.

Grayson Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2008