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.