Top 10 Wines Tasted in 2009

10) 2005 Souverain Merlot

9) 2007 Villa San Juliette Petite Sirah

8) 2006 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau (I also had the 2007, which wasn't as good so my recommendation would be to buy when it comes out at Thanksgiving and save it until next year).

7) Mark West Pinot Noir

6) 2006 PETs Petite Sirah

5) 2006 Layer Cake Zinfandel

4) 2006 St George Coastal Chardonnay

3) 2005 GV Cellars Syrah

2) 2008 Chamarre Nouveau Merlot Syrah

1) 2004 Inzinerator (I've read the 2006 is sweeter, so we'll see if I like it as well)

2007 Exclamation Point Sangiovese

Taste: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Price: $12
Produced by Umani Ronchi of Italy, this wine is 100% Sangiovese. The nose is rich dirt and berries and the finish is nice and spicey.

2006 Kenwood Red Table Wine

Taste: 2/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $8

"A blend of 33% Merlot, 29% Petite Sirah, 20% Syrah, 15% Zinfandel, 2% Sangiovese and 1% Barbera" - seriously, what's not to love about a combination like that? Perhaps the fact that the winemaker left out the fact that it tastes like rubbing alcohol, even after aeration! While it did taste moderately better after being open a day, and with food, this is not a bottle I will buy again.

2008 Escape Sweet Shiraz

Taste: 2/5
Value: 4/5
Price $13

I'm just not sure about this one. I don't really like the fact that it was recommended to me based on the other wines I was purchasing at the time, as that would suggest I like sweet red wines. I even asked the wine seller, is it really sweet? He said no. He lied. This is a very sweet red wine, reminiscent of Manichewitz, but a little less cloying. Produced by Mulderbach in South Africa, which is a winery known for their white wine production. With the right food pairing, it could be out of sight, I suppose, but I don't think I'm going to give it another chance.

2005 Charles Krug Merlot

Taste:3/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $24 (although I got for $15 on managers special at Kroger)

This is a Merlot that drinks more like a cab with it's tannic, highly structured finish, likely due to the 4% Cabernet Franc that tightens it up a bit. The Charles Krug website describes "Our Peter Mondavi Family Napa Valley Merlot is balanced, rich and polished with ripe currant and black cherry flavors. This fine wine offers a supple tannin structure and a medley of vanilla, chocolate and spice notes in its lingering finish." Also described as "wild berry and blueberry aromas, with a touch of roasted pecans." At $24, I'd be unlikely to buy again, but if I can find it again for $15 I'd definitely pick up a bottle.

2007 Villa San-Juliette Petite Sirah

Taste: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Price: $15

Petite Sirah is quickly becoming my second favorite red, just after Zinfandel. Like Zin, Petite Sirah is fruity and bold, often a higher alcohol content, lending to a nice body. This Paso Robles wine in particular is reminiscent of inky, tangy blueberries, and is 78% Petite Sirah and 22% Cab. Was especially nice with spicy spaghetti with meat sauce. Look for this wine to be on my 2009 Top 10 list...

2006 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Taste: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $10

I've heard of and seen this wine over the years but had never tried it, until now. The first Gamay wine I remember drinking was a Gamay Rouge from V Sattui in Napa - absolutely fabulous with barbecue! This is a I also never realized that "because Beaujolais Nouveau is released annually on the third Thursday of November -- exactly one week before Thanksgiving -- the two have become as inextricably linked as Champagne and New Year's Eve." I'll have to remember that for this year...also noted to pair well with buttery cheeses such as brie or Camembert, that you may serve before or after! Fresh, smooth and fruity with no bite sums this wine up nicely. Would definitely keep a bottle on hand.

2005 Cigarzin California Zinfandel

Taste: 5/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $24

I bought this wine after describing to my friend who owns The Wine Cellar, a Sangiovese from Delonega GA that had such a divine, smokey taste. He suggested Cigarzin. In comparison, it wasn't really smokey at all, but it was a very good Zinfandel, although not as good as InZinerator from last week. Rich, creamy, concentrated, very fruity, very drinkable, but a bit pricey for everyday drinking.

2005 Souverain Merlot

Taste: 5/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $15-$18

I agree with the winemaker when he describes this wine as, "The core of vibrant fruit balances nicely with the fine-grained tannins, creating a plush and juicy mouthfeel. Baking spice notes from aging in oak barrels meld nicely with the generous black fruit and lead to a long, smooth finish." A very good merlot, but one could probably find a similarly good merlot for a little less.

2004 Inzinerator

Taste: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Price: $18

I discovered this wine at the Smyrna Wine Stroll with my sister-in-law and it was even better than I remembered. From the Scott Harvey website, this is: "A wine made for the “Super Hero”: Forward and luscious, this lively wine almost jumps out of the glass. Briary, blackberry extractive Zinfandel", a blend of 76% Zinfandel and 24% barbera. Tasting Notes: All spice, raspberry, figs, big & user friendly, firm tannins, complete, cherry, lingering finish, mocha. The only other thing I'd add is: fabulous! I'm guessing it's the figs that makes me think of a nice Port, just not so thick and syrupy. And the nice, high alcohol content (14.5%) gives it some sexy legs to boot.

2006 PETs Petite Syrah

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $14.99

Petite Sirah is a grape I'm not as familiar with. My first exposure was with Concannon Petite Sirah, which I liked just as much, but the bottle was awkwardly large and didn't fit well in my wine cooler. As another option, PETs was recommended by Jim at my local Wine Cellar. In general, Petite Sirah is characterised as spicy, bold and full-bodied with inky black fruit. Petite Sirah was historically a blending grape, adding deep color, tannic structure and jammy blackberry fruit to other varietals, most notably Zinfandel. This wine in particular is bold, fruity and yummy - great slightly chilled for the summer or room temp for other months of the year! Reminds me of a nice, jammy old vine zinfandel. Would definitely buy again and recommend. Added bonus for animal lovers: a portion of the proceeds are donated to the San Francisco animal shelter.

2008 Bodega Uno

Taste: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $10

This Argentinian wine is a blend of 60% Torrontes, 40% Chardonnay, and reminded me of a Sauvignon Blanc due to the crispness. A recommended pairing with Torrontes is Asian food. I'd take Gewurztraminer over this. On the nose, this wine is very tropical and sweet smelling, but on the palate, it is very lemony and crisp. If it tasted the way it smelled, or even if the chardonnay buttered up the lemon a bit, it would be a knock out. Overall, a nice, fresh summer white, IF you like crisp.

2005 Robert Mondavi Vinetta

Taste: 2/5

Value: 3/5

Price: <$10

Vinetta is a red wine blend made with Cabernet, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Described as "elegant yet fruit-forward, offering flavors and aromas of black cherry, dark plum and blackberry, a plush velvety texture and a pleasant, lingering finish". I, however, found it to be tight, astringent and hard to drink, even on day two. Won't be buying this one again. I did rate it average on value simply because it was cheap, and just because I didn't care for it doesn't mean someone else won't.

2005 GV Cellars Syrah

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $13.99

This is a fabulous, European style Syrah, produced by Green Valley Cellars (nine miles SE of Napa). I found it to be rich and dense, with a pleasantly sweet and fruity fore, spicy aft and ever so velvety tannins. If I were to have on hand only one Syrah, this very well may be it!

2006 Layer Cake Primitivo (Zinfandal)

Taste: 4.5/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $16

The Layer Cake wines represent countries, people and traditions of craftsmanship. The wines are all rich, lush and complex expressions of a unique varietal from a place like no other; a place winemaker Jayson Woodbridge and his team feel cannot be recreated or replicated.
These places have a sense of history and family; the Layer Cake symbolizes time, terroir and something that can only be handmade. Every Layer Cake wine is a true and distinct reflection of the place, the farmers, the land and our own style of winemaking.

Primitivo, from Puglia (the boot's heel), Italy, is genetically identical to Zinfandel. This wine has the characteristics of Old Vine Zin - fruity and rich. I'd put it on par with OZV and Four Vines, which I also like, but are also a little lower in price.

2006 The Other

Taste: 2/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $12

I was initially drawn to the blend of grapes that make up this wine - 65% Chardonnay, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Viognier, from the "other" appellation, Lodi CA. I selected this wine to have with a Tarragon Chicken dish, as all three wines are a recommended pairing with Tarragon, per my "What to Drink with What you Eat" book (an absolutely wonderful companion to wine and food OR food and wine pairing - whether you're looking for the perfect wine to drink with a specific dinner, or the perfect dinner to prepare for a particular wine). Anyway, I was disappointed by the fact that the wine had acloying artificial vanilla taste that I just couldn't get past. Not a wine I will buy again.

2005 Shingleback Shiraz

Taste: 2/5
Value: 2/5

Price: $15

This Shiraz from the famed McLaren Vale and despite the 90 point Wine Enthusiast rating, was not an enjoyable wine for me. It was very tight, verging on astringent and was no better then next day. This is not a wine I will be buying again, especially since 2005 is haled as a one of South Australia's greatest vintages. My findings are in contrast with reviews I have read, so it's possible I got a skunked bottle, but given that there are many Shiraz's out there that I know I like, I think I'll just move on.

2007 Casa Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc

Taste: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Price: $10-$15

This wine is a light yellow with hints of straw and green. The nose is fresh citrus fruit on entry. I expected to get lychee and fig on the palate, but if it was there, it was overrun by citrus and acidity. I had this wine with Chicken Piccata, which should have been an ideal pairing, but I just can't bring myself to like Saugnignon Blanc that much. I'd rather drink a Fume Blanc, which is softened by oak aging, but keep trying to find a warm climate Sauvignon Blanc with tropical fruit flavors that I love. As much as I try, I keep coming up tart.

2005 Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley

Taste: 3/5
Value: 2/5
Price: $22 (regularly $30)

This Cabernet is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec. "Aromas of cassis, ripe dark cherry and tobacco, with earthy notes of sage and peppercorn and sweet hints of vanilla. Mouth-filling flavors. Well structured palate of deep blackberry, coffee and spice. Rich and vibrant with supple tannins, finishing with notes of cassis, chocolate, and toasted oak." Since my sister and I had visited Franciscan winery in Napa in '07, I thought I would pay homage with this bottle. Frankly, I was disappointed and have had several Cabs for lesser price that I've enjoyed more. It simply was not that memorable. For the price, I'd much rather have a bottle of Rodney Strong Alexander Valley.

2005 Valley of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon

Taste: 2/5

Value: 2/5

Price: $24 list (I got for $14)

Valley of the Moon winery has an extensive wine production. The cab is 57% Sonoma Valley, 43% Dry Creek Valley and is aged 22 months in French and American Oak barrels. Perhaps it is the anise that I don't care for, but I completely missed the rich fruit flavor, livened with black pepper, cocoa and baking spice notes. I got the firm tannins and LOTS of rubbing alcohol flavor that combined for the wine equivalent to bitter beer face. It was no better on the second day.

2006 Habersham Chardonnay

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $15

This is a wine I picked up on a wine weekend getaway with my sister-in-law, and unlike the multiple bottles of Muscadine wines we regrettably bought, this was a great purchase, well worth repeating. It has just enough oak to give a buttery taste without being overpowering, and classic apple and pear flavors. If ever in the Helen/Dahlonega GA area, I recommend picking up a bottle - a sure pleaser! Would most definitely pick up a few more bottles of this, as well as Wolf Mountain Chanteloup and Blackstock Sangiovese.

Mark West Pinot Noir

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: under $10 (unheard of for Pinot Noir)

I still have not jumped on the Pinot bandwagon - more often than not, I find them flat and bland. This particular ruby colored Pinot presents ripe raspberry aromas and delicious cherry fruit on the palate with a dash of vanilla. It is a medium-bodied, silky smooth, red wine that offers a tremendous amount of food versatility. Compared to other Pinots, I found it more structured and a bit heavier on the tannins, and therefore not so ho-hum.

2008 Chamarre Nouveau Merlot Syrah

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5
Price: $8-$9 (Shut-up! I didn't remember the price I paid when I was drinking it, I would have guessed it was one of my $20+ bottles and STILL would have given it a 5/5 value rating)

Unbeknownst to me, there is a new French wine appellation, "Vin de Pays Vignobles de France" which allows blending across regions. This wine is a product of that new appellation. I've had Cab/Merlot blends and Cab/Syrah blends, but not a Merlot/Syrah blend before this. It is a blend of 70% Merlot/30% Syrah. True to the label, this wine is a pleasure to behold! Two words: FRUIT BOMB. Make that three: DELICIOUS! This wine is fantastically fruity without being the least bit sweet. The aroma was delightful, but not immediately recognizable, so I'm going to guess it was the pomegranates eluded to in the description. Also described as red currants and strawberries, elderberry and violet with a touch of banana. Overall, full and ripe in the mouth.

2005 Chateau Frontenac Bordeaux

Taste: 4/5
Price: $13
Value: 4/5

I get e-mails from winechateau.com highlighting a different wine every day. The ones I want to try, I put in a folder and when I have a substantial list, I place an order. I don't typically buy French wines. I find them flat on their own, but generally good pairing wines. This description, however, really caught my eye: "Tasting the 2005 red wines from the bottle, many of them three or four times, confirmed that this is the greatest vintage produced during my 30-year career." -Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #176, April 30, 2008
"Synonymous with elegance and balance, Bordeaux is a wine for everyone. The first AOC produced in France, it is also the most exported due to its universal character. Fruity, ripe, soft, and round, this blend of Cabernet and Merlot offers delicious aromas of red berries, blackcurrant, and violet, with a hint of oak. Thanks to its fruitiness, this delicious wine may be consumed young or cellared for 5-7 years."
Who could read that and not want to try it? So I did. Certainly not as bold or robust as a California Cab/Merlot blend, with very little tannin. I agree with the description of soft and round, but I found the predominant bouquet and flavor to be very earthy instead of fruity. For the sale price of $13, I would buy this wine again, but it would not make my top favorites list. The list price for this wine was $26 - for that price, there are a lot of other wines I would choose in its place.

2006 St George Coastal Chardonnay

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $10

For the price, this is a phenominal Chardonnay. It has layers of apple, pineapple and a hint of lemon and vanilla. Really the best of everything Chardonnay has to offer. Medium body with an attractive toasty richness compensates the crisp dryness and complements the creamy finale. A blend of stainless steel and small oak barrel fermentation.

Rotta Zinfandel Rose

Taste: 4/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $10

I stole this description from redwinebuzz.com, but couldn't have described it better myself. "This wine is a fun, light pink color suggestive of pink sapphires. The nose is perky with notes of strawberry, confected watermelon and spun sugar with rosy, floral notes. The palate is bright and lively and a bit honeyed. Sweet strawberry and peach compote on a slightly sugary but not cloying base. The strawberry notes with a tinge of mineral form the essence of the mild finish. The light minerality, sweetness and moderate acidity make for a fuller mouthfeel that requires adequate chilling. This is a very fun, light-hearted and straight forward wine with lots of sweetness and light, confected fruit flavors."

Why I especially like it: Rosé is a more fitting name for this wine. It addresses the way the wine is made, as opposed to "White Zinfandel". I marked it average in value, simply because it wasn't necessarily any better than wines marked as White Zinfandel that you can get for less, but if you just can't bring yourself to put a bottle on your table that screams White Zinfandel, this may be worth the extra few bucks!

2005 Napa Cellars Zinfandel

Taste: Day of opening 2/day 2-4 rated 5

Value: 4/5

Price: $15

I did not know when I purchased this, that Napa Cellars is a daughter winery of Frank Family! Frank Family makes one of my absolute favorite Chardonnay's, but it's a total splurge wine for me.

About this wine: Much of the fruit for this wine was sourced from the warmer regions of Napa Valley, including Calistoga, St. Helena and Pope Valley. In 2005, the long growing season and moderate harvest allowed the grapes to hang on the vine for longer than usual. In some cases the grapes were not picked until the second week of November. Because Zinfandel ripens unevenly, the extended hang time was a blessing and helped develop the intense fruit characteristics seen in this wine. The Napa Cellars 2005 Zinfandel was tank fermented in separate lots for approximately 10 days. The lots were then separately aged in French and American oak where after eight months, they were blended together for the final blend and aged an additional ten months. In order to retain the big fruit characteristics, only 7% new oak was used. Zinfandel is usually a wine that is ready on release and the Napa Cellars 2005 Zinfandel is no exception. Napa Cellars 2005 Zinfandel is dark purple and opaque in the glass. The nose reveals intense, ripe berries, candied strawberry preserves and cinnamon spice. The palate follows with juicy, rounded fruit flavors that mingle with layers of warm, supple tannins leading to a long, plush finish.

When I first opened this wine, even though I allowed it to breath for about 30 min before pouring, I was blown over by the alcohol fumes and taste. It is a higher alcohol wine at 15%. Not only did I determine I wouldn't buy this wine again, but I wasn't sure I'd even finish the bottle. Well, the next night, it was incredibly better and I enjoyed the extra zing it left on my tongue. So, I would buy it again, but I would open it the day before I plan to drink it, knowing it gets better over the next few days. I still, however, prefer Old Vine Zins for a comparable price.

Top 10 wines of 2008

Since I have only 20 wine review posts in 2008, it was a little challenging to narrow down to 10, but here goes. This list represents what I would stock, if I were to only have 10 wines in my wine cooler. I am currently heavily stocked on Cabernets, so expect several reviews of Cabs in 09!
10) Mandolino Muscato
9) Selena Chardonnay
8) Four Vines Zinfandel
7) Wolf Mountain Chateloup
6) Banfi Centine
5) Red Bicyclette Syrah
4) Banfi Rosa Regale
3) Snoqualmie Riesling
2) OZV Zinfandell
1) Chateau St Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay

2005 OZV Zinfandel

Taste: 5/5

Value:5/5

Price: $15

This wine was featured at a wine tasting I went to a few months ago and was sold out before I got to get my bottle. The wine keeper said it's a wine they sell out of almost weekly, and I can see why. In keeping with what I've come to expect from Old Vine Zinfandel, this wine is fruit forward and jammy. This particular bottle is lush and velvety. Oddly, I found it even better after being open for a couple of days. OZV stands for Old Zin Vines (50-100 years old) and is produced at Lodi's oldest operating winery by Oak Ridge Winery, which started out decades ago as a co-operative of area winemakers.