I do have it on good authority that the most recent vintage of the Earthquake Zin is a better pick then the Seven Deadly.
Showing posts with label value. Show all posts
Showing posts with label value. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
2006 Seven Deadly Zins
Still a pretty decent wine, but the '06 just didn't live up to previous vintages. Great wine for the price, and if you know nothing about wine this is still a great pick to take to dinners, parties, etc.
I do have it on good authority that the most recent vintage of the Earthquake Zin is a better pick then the Seven Deadly.
I do have it on good authority that the most recent vintage of the Earthquake Zin is a better pick then the Seven Deadly.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
2006 Chateau Montelena Potter Valley Riesling
Sara's father bought this from the winery on our last Napa trip. I think it was around $14.
The wine was very yellow with fruit and floral notes. It was dry for a riesling, but still very nice to drink. Today it is supposed to top 100 degrees again here in the Bay Area, so if you have some in the fridge, now would be the time to pull it out and drink it.
The wine was very yellow with fruit and floral notes. It was dry for a riesling, but still very nice to drink. Today it is supposed to top 100 degrees again here in the Bay Area, so if you have some in the fridge, now would be the time to pull it out and drink it.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
birthday smorgasbord
The day of the event we had a pretty good line-up, as you can see for yourself:
Some quick notes on each:
The 2001 Betz Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the star of this bunch. This is a great wine with fruit and veggie notes, acidity and tannins that are a bit rough but are well structured to create a great drinking wine.
The 2002 Red Diamond Shiraz is very similar to the 2001 which I already reviewed. This is still the best wine I have found for under $10.
Second place goes to the 2005 Portteus Zinfandel, which I can never get enough of.
I do not think we got around to opening the Vina Robles cab.
I am not a huge fan of 2006 the ghost of 413 syrah. The name is clever, and the wine is drinkable enough. But if you are looking for value syrah, you can do a lot better than this for $15. Look to Australia.
Still more wines from the Seattle trip to come. Stay tuned.
Some quick notes on each:
The 2001 Betz Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the star of this bunch. This is a great wine with fruit and veggie notes, acidity and tannins that are a bit rough but are well structured to create a great drinking wine.
The 2002 Red Diamond Shiraz is very similar to the 2001 which I already reviewed. This is still the best wine I have found for under $10.
Second place goes to the 2005 Portteus Zinfandel, which I can never get enough of.
I do not think we got around to opening the Vina Robles cab.
I am not a huge fan of 2006 the ghost of 413 syrah. The name is clever, and the wine is drinkable enough. But if you are looking for value syrah, you can do a lot better than this for $15. Look to Australia.
Still more wines from the Seattle trip to come. Stay tuned.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
2003 Fairview JakkalsFontein Shiraz
As a Shiraz purist and having lived in close proximity to a fellow from down under, I get twitchy when people outside of Australia call their wine shiraz. Furthermore, my general preferences for wine regions have always been California and Washington, France and Italy, and Australia. However, like all oenophiles, I am always searching for a good deal on a spectacular wine. Or even a notable wine. Well, at least a drinkable wine.
I do not remember actually ordering this wine, but I did because I have the e-mail to prove it. It must have been an impulse buy. It was $20 from Garagiste.
This wine was hot, running at 15% by volume. Sara and I were quite sloppy after drinking it. We paired it with Mac and Cheese, which does not really soak up any alcohol. We both enjoyed the taste, and as you can see from the photo above, had a good time. And neither of us had head-aches the next day.
The wine itself was not like an Aussie shiraz. At least not the ones I typically buy. The wine was lighter, more medium bodied, and a sort of ruby color. There was no sediment to speak of. It was all bright fruit and supple tannins. Despite being 15%, it did not burn or have a bad finish. It seems like if I had to put it on a spectrum it would be right between your older, brighter Aussie shirazes and some of the California style zinfandels (the peppery ones, not the velvety ones).
If this is a good example of South African terroir, I think we are all going to have to take them very seriously. I highly recommend this one.
I do not remember actually ordering this wine, but I did because I have the e-mail to prove it. It must have been an impulse buy. It was $20 from Garagiste.
This wine was hot, running at 15% by volume. Sara and I were quite sloppy after drinking it. We paired it with Mac and Cheese, which does not really soak up any alcohol. We both enjoyed the taste, and as you can see from the photo above, had a good time. And neither of us had head-aches the next day.
The wine itself was not like an Aussie shiraz. At least not the ones I typically buy. The wine was lighter, more medium bodied, and a sort of ruby color. There was no sediment to speak of. It was all bright fruit and supple tannins. Despite being 15%, it did not burn or have a bad finish. It seems like if I had to put it on a spectrum it would be right between your older, brighter Aussie shirazes and some of the California style zinfandels (the peppery ones, not the velvety ones).
If this is a good example of South African terroir, I think we are all going to have to take them very seriously. I highly recommend this one.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
2005 Union des Vignerons de Saint-Pourcain Domaine de la Croix d'Or
Sheesh, with a name like that, you just know it is going to be good, right?
This wine was tasty. For $12 is was just as good as many $30 frenchy wines I have had. It is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. It is a lighter bodied wine, with interesting mineral and earthy tastes. It would be good with poultry or fish.
A little secret: the French know how to make wines out of Pinot Noir. Americans, with the exception of a few places in Oregon, don't seem to quite get it yet.
This wine was tasty. For $12 is was just as good as many $30 frenchy wines I have had. It is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. It is a lighter bodied wine, with interesting mineral and earthy tastes. It would be good with poultry or fish.
A little secret: the French know how to make wines out of Pinot Noir. Americans, with the exception of a few places in Oregon, don't seem to quite get it yet.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
2005 Cor Cellars Momentum
A cozy blend of cab, syrah and cab franc from my favorite wine producing region: Washington.
The 2005 Cor Cellars Momentum is pretty good. It is one of the best $15 drinkers I have found to date. The wine maker was trained in Tuscany but seems to be doing his best work in Washington. It is a very dark wine, but without the heavy, full bodied taste you expect from the color. It is an agile wine, light on its feet but brooding. It tasted like dark fruit with the classic sort of spice and mineral that seems to be the hallmark of the region.
The 2005 Cor Cellars Momentum is pretty good. It is one of the best $15 drinkers I have found to date. The wine maker was trained in Tuscany but seems to be doing his best work in Washington. It is a very dark wine, but without the heavy, full bodied taste you expect from the color. It is an agile wine, light on its feet but brooding. It tasted like dark fruit with the classic sort of spice and mineral that seems to be the hallmark of the region.
Friday, December 28, 2007
2005 Cor Cellars Momentum
Another entry from Washington, this time Horse Heaven Hills. And another Cab/Syrah blend. Only this time, it is a value wine which I picked up for $17. The 2005 Cor Cellars Momentum hits the sweet spot. It is a great, earthy, full bodied drinkin' wine at a reasonable price. It is a screw-cap, which means you can close it up and put it in the fridge easily to drink over a few days. I give it 3.5 out of 5.0.
Short digression: I am in favor of screw caps for the vary reason I mention above. Sometimes I like to have a glass by myself and don't want to have to finish the whole bottle. I like being able to throw it back in the fridge and not worry about pumping or where did I put the damn cork. It will also free up more cork for higher end wines. When I open an expensive wine, I like the way pulling a cork makes it feel like something special. I realize wine is to be drunk, not worshipped, but I enjoy some ritualization.
Short digression: I am in favor of screw caps for the vary reason I mention above. Sometimes I like to have a glass by myself and don't want to have to finish the whole bottle. I like being able to throw it back in the fridge and not worry about pumping or where did I put the damn cork. It will also free up more cork for higher end wines. When I open an expensive wine, I like the way pulling a cork makes it feel like something special. I realize wine is to be drunk, not worshipped, but I enjoy some ritualization.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
2003 Chateau Beaulieu
You want to drink Bordeaux but you don't want to pay $80 a bottle to do it? This one got 89pts from Robert Parker and you should be able to pick it up for about $16. However, you'll need to buy two. About 60% of the bottles I've had have been great and the rest have been stinkers (one went right down the kitchen sink after a taste).
Saturday, November 24, 2007
2005 Chateau Toulouze
2005 is the vintage for Bordeaux. When Garagiste started getting lots of the lesser-known Bordeaux, I figured when I'd order some here and there to have on hand. The theory was that since prices had gotten so insane on the high end and that you had to be an idiot to make a bad wine in 2005 in Bordeaux, that lots of underrated wines were to be had in the mid-range and value-range.
Well, that sort of panned out. This wine, the 2005 Chateau Toulouze Grand Vin de Bordeaux--at $13--technically fits the above theory. It's not a bad wine, but it is mediocre. Originally I was planning to leave the following as the only comment on the wine "unremarkable but drinkable" but I thought I'd give a bit more of an explanation.
Well, that sort of panned out. This wine, the 2005 Chateau Toulouze Grand Vin de Bordeaux--at $13--technically fits the above theory. It's not a bad wine, but it is mediocre. Originally I was planning to leave the following as the only comment on the wine "unremarkable but drinkable" but I thought I'd give a bit more of an explanation.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
2005 Madcap Pastor Fritz Shiraz
Ben brought this over for a night of grilling and drinking. It was a sub-$20 wine, which means I file this with the value keyword. The wine is a standard big, jammy, Australian affair. It comes with a screw cap, which is the trend in Australia; and normally I wouldn't mention it except I'm about to explain something and mentioning the screw cap plays into that. Most people would have just mentioned the screw cap and then said what they need to say and trust the reader to remember that they had mentioned the screw cap. Not me; this is just how I roll. And I've got lots of white space to fill.
Ben likes the screw cap because he can put it in the fridge after drinking half a bottle and it is still good the next day. So when he got to my house with it, half of it was gone and it had been open half a day. We set it on the counter to allow it to trend upward toward room temperature. In the mean time, we set about preparing dinner.
Seven Flavor Pork Tenderloin was the dish for the night. Step one: remove all the white, fatty bits with a sharp, non-serrated, 3" knife. Step two: coat evenly with just enough olive oil to cover everything. Step the third: go through the spice drawer and find seven different little bottles. Actually, we only found six because the cilantro was fresh. Step the fourth: chop cilantro into little, bitty, bits. E) apply bits of cilantro to pork. F) apply six remaining spices in descending order of size (1) oregano, (2) thyme, (3) dried red pepper flakes, (4) smoked salt spice mix, (5) spicy salt spice mix, (6) cayenne pepper, (7) chili powder. Hmm... I guess it was Eight Flavor Pork Tenderloin. Well, under promise, over deliver. Penultimate step: cook at ridiculous temperature for 10 minutes. Last step: eat with 2005 Madcap Pastor Fritz Shiraz.
Getting to the point, finally: the crazy spicy pork, combined with the fact the wine had been open for 24hrs or so prevent me from really adequately reviewing. So take with a grain of salt the following: I didn't like it, but I would drink it again.
Ben likes the screw cap because he can put it in the fridge after drinking half a bottle and it is still good the next day. So when he got to my house with it, half of it was gone and it had been open half a day. We set it on the counter to allow it to trend upward toward room temperature. In the mean time, we set about preparing dinner.
Seven Flavor Pork Tenderloin was the dish for the night. Step one: remove all the white, fatty bits with a sharp, non-serrated, 3" knife. Step two: coat evenly with just enough olive oil to cover everything. Step the third: go through the spice drawer and find seven different little bottles. Actually, we only found six because the cilantro was fresh. Step the fourth: chop cilantro into little, bitty, bits. E) apply bits of cilantro to pork. F) apply six remaining spices in descending order of size (1) oregano, (2) thyme, (3) dried red pepper flakes, (4) smoked salt spice mix, (5) spicy salt spice mix, (6) cayenne pepper, (7) chili powder. Hmm... I guess it was Eight Flavor Pork Tenderloin. Well, under promise, over deliver. Penultimate step: cook at ridiculous temperature for 10 minutes. Last step: eat with 2005 Madcap Pastor Fritz Shiraz.
Getting to the point, finally: the crazy spicy pork, combined with the fact the wine had been open for 24hrs or so prevent me from really adequately reviewing. So take with a grain of salt the following: I didn't like it, but I would drink it again.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
three wines
2005 Patrice Colin Coteaux du Vendomois - The grape is Pineau, and it is nothing like Pinot Noir. It's a light-bodied wine that was quite smooth and just slightly peppery. I wouldn't go so far as to call it velvety, but it had a nice texture. It was a very dramatic wine, starting out smelling and tasting of nothing but minerals and sort of metallic. However, it evolved quite a lot over the evening and settled down in to a nice, drinkable food wine. ~$15.
2005 Estezargues Domaine Gres St. Vincent Cote-de-Rhone Villages - A silky Syrah that had some intense floral and fruit flavors. It was almost too much for me. Almost. Sara and I did manage to finish the bottle. It's a great wine with a really long name. ~$15
2004 Bellevue la Foret Cotes du Frontonnais Ce Vin - This one is made from another odd Frenchy grape: Negrette. This is 100% varietal, and it was a smooth, tannin-free experience. It reminded me of Bordeaux's that I've had for much larger sums of money. This one is medium bodied and it had the pepper and berry/fruit mixture taste I like so much in French wines. A cheap wine from France, without the heartbreak and disappointment. ~$10.
2005 Estezargues Domaine Gres St. Vincent Cote-de-Rhone Villages - A silky Syrah that had some intense floral and fruit flavors. It was almost too much for me. Almost. Sara and I did manage to finish the bottle. It's a great wine with a really long name. ~$15
2004 Bellevue la Foret Cotes du Frontonnais Ce Vin - This one is made from another odd Frenchy grape: Negrette. This is 100% varietal, and it was a smooth, tannin-free experience. It reminded me of Bordeaux's that I've had for much larger sums of money. This one is medium bodied and it had the pepper and berry/fruit mixture taste I like so much in French wines. A cheap wine from France, without the heartbreak and disappointment. ~$10.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
La Berta Almante Alicante
When I first opened the bottle, I thought it had gone bad, but it opened up rapidly and became drinkable within about twenty minutes. Made from the elusive Alicante varietal, the La Berta Almante is a pepper-bomb. It smells of pepper and spices, and it tastes, oddly enough, of pepper. It's really a bit too much pepper for my taste. However, it seems very much a food wine, so we drank it with dinner. I made Pasta e Fagioli and the wine really stood up to it. Garagiste described it as an "eccentric" wine, and it sure is at that. It's non-vintage, which means they blended wines from several vintages (2001, 2003 and ???). For certain people who really love old-school wines, this would fit the bill. I don't think I'll be buying more of it, even for $14.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
value wine tasting
My colleague Aaron had a wine tasting party on Saturday. The rule was: Nothing over $15. Here are my notes:
2004 Sterling Vintner's Collection Cabernet Sauvignon - Pretty bad. Icky.
2003 Northwest Cellers Cab-Merlot Blend - Pretty bad. Weak, bad color, overly sweet.
(NV) Cheap Red Wine - I can't believe California lets them export this. It's truly terrible. It was bright pink and incredibly sweet. It burned.
2002 Terra Blanca Merlot - A decent winery but an uninteresting wine. Merlot done badly. Don't let that discourage you from trying their other wines. I've actually been to the winery, and it's a beautiful facility. Anyone touring Yakima should stop in.
2003 Chateau Beaulieu - A sleeper of the '03 Bordeaux vintage, but unfortunately not very consistent from bottle to bottle. This is what I brought. I bought a half case, and some bottles have been stellar, one I had to pour down the sink, and this one was okay. It was smooth but lacked structure.
2003 Rabbit Ridge Syrah - A great value wine from Paso Robles. This was the favorite of the night among most attendees. Chewy, dark, smooth, fruity.
2005 Fat Bastard Chardonnay - Not overly sweet like a lot of value Chard, but not buttery enough (or at all) for my taste. A wine that sells mainly due to clever naming.
(NV) Cheap Red Wine - Can you believe two people brought this crap? At least we know it's not consistent because this tasted nothing like the other bottle. This one was absolutely revolting. I had to dump it after one sip. It was like drinking rubbing alcohol that had been flavored with wine-extract (which is a product I just made-up rather than denigrate Kool-Aid's good name).
2005 Seven Deadly Zins - My favorite of the night. I love this wine. It's been consistently good for the last three or four vintages and is a frequent drinker at my house. Some places have started charging over $20 for this wine, but you can still get it for $16 at most respectable wine shops.
This is the point where we left. A few more wines showed up later that I didn't get to taste, but I'm not too worried about it. :)
Overall, it was a rough night. And the rumors are true--I did get set on fire. There were these strategically placed tea-candles...
For pictures of the event, including the burn hole in my shirt, check out Aaron's page.
2004 Sterling Vintner's Collection Cabernet Sauvignon - Pretty bad. Icky.
2003 Northwest Cellers Cab-Merlot Blend - Pretty bad. Weak, bad color, overly sweet.
(NV) Cheap Red Wine - I can't believe California lets them export this. It's truly terrible. It was bright pink and incredibly sweet. It burned.
2002 Terra Blanca Merlot - A decent winery but an uninteresting wine. Merlot done badly. Don't let that discourage you from trying their other wines. I've actually been to the winery, and it's a beautiful facility. Anyone touring Yakima should stop in.
2003 Chateau Beaulieu - A sleeper of the '03 Bordeaux vintage, but unfortunately not very consistent from bottle to bottle. This is what I brought. I bought a half case, and some bottles have been stellar, one I had to pour down the sink, and this one was okay. It was smooth but lacked structure.
2003 Rabbit Ridge Syrah - A great value wine from Paso Robles. This was the favorite of the night among most attendees. Chewy, dark, smooth, fruity.
2005 Fat Bastard Chardonnay - Not overly sweet like a lot of value Chard, but not buttery enough (or at all) for my taste. A wine that sells mainly due to clever naming.
(NV) Cheap Red Wine - Can you believe two people brought this crap? At least we know it's not consistent because this tasted nothing like the other bottle. This one was absolutely revolting. I had to dump it after one sip. It was like drinking rubbing alcohol that had been flavored with wine-extract (which is a product I just made-up rather than denigrate Kool-Aid's good name).
2005 Seven Deadly Zins - My favorite of the night. I love this wine. It's been consistently good for the last three or four vintages and is a frequent drinker at my house. Some places have started charging over $20 for this wine, but you can still get it for $16 at most respectable wine shops.
This is the point where we left. A few more wines showed up later that I didn't get to taste, but I'm not too worried about it. :)
Overall, it was a rough night. And the rumors are true--I did get set on fire. There were these strategically placed tea-candles...
For pictures of the event, including the burn hole in my shirt, check out Aaron's page.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
2005 Columbia Winery Cellar Master's Riesling
Got this for a guest. It was around $10. It's pure sweet, cheap crap.
2004 Domaine de Piaugier Sablet
Lucas and Jen came over for dinner last Sunday. Sara made a crab and ricotta stuffed manicotti (which was excellent). Tradition would dictate that I should open a white wine of some sort, but I just didn't have any. That's not true, I have some, but I didn't want to open them. So I decided to pull a southern Rhone wine out of the cellar.
The 2004 Domaine de Piaugier Sablet (appellation Cotes de Rhone Villages) was perfectly suited for the task. I picked it up for $10 a bottle. The wine was a wonderful drinker; well-suited to accompany the crab. Lots of blackberry in the front and just a hint of pepper in the finish. The wine is aged in concrete casks, so there's no oak to it. Incredibly smooth for a wine at any price point, but especially this one. I'm a convert. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up some more.
The 2004 Domaine de Piaugier Sablet (appellation Cotes de Rhone Villages) was perfectly suited for the task. I picked it up for $10 a bottle. The wine was a wonderful drinker; well-suited to accompany the crab. Lots of blackberry in the front and just a hint of pepper in the finish. The wine is aged in concrete casks, so there's no oak to it. Incredibly smooth for a wine at any price point, but especially this one. I'm a convert. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up some more.
Monday, January 1, 2007
2001 Red Diamond Shiraz
Previously I mentioned the Red Diamond Cab and tonight I was able to try the Red Diamond Shiraz. It is apparently not widely sold in stores but most can order it. Also about $8, this wine is an incredible value. It's a great Washington syrah for the price. It doesn't have any of the burn that the Cab displayed, and it can probably bottle age for a good while only improving.
If you've been drinking the el-cheapo Rosemount Estate, then stop and buy this instead. You'll be buying local and, imho, buying a better wine.
If you've been drinking the el-cheapo Rosemount Estate, then stop and buy this instead. You'll be buying local and, imho, buying a better wine.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
2001 Red Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon
This just might be my new house wine.
As far as daily drinkers go, I have a few staples. You can't go wrong with the 7 Deadly Zins ($15), or the Maramonte Syrage ($11). Raphael and I used to keep about a half case of each on hand for when random people stopped by for dinner. Setting the dial on the way-back machine even further, we would keep Penfold's Bin 128 around, but it's gotten too expensive to keep as a daily drinker.
Now I've found a new wine, the Red Diamond Cab. A very unpretentious Washington cab that costs a whopping $9 at the Safeway near my house. It has good color, good legs, good smell. I'd cook with it, and I'd drink it. My one complaint is it's not the smoothest wine in the world; you can feel a little burn while it's going down.
I heard this was the house red at a very upscale Seattle steakhouse, but I haven't verified this. I could believe it--it's a great by-the-glass wine if you see it on a menu somewhere.
Follow-up: The Whole Foods in Bellevue has The Ball Buster for $17 if you're looking for some.
As far as daily drinkers go, I have a few staples. You can't go wrong with the 7 Deadly Zins ($15), or the Maramonte Syrage ($11). Raphael and I used to keep about a half case of each on hand for when random people stopped by for dinner. Setting the dial on the way-back machine even further, we would keep Penfold's Bin 128 around, but it's gotten too expensive to keep as a daily drinker.
Now I've found a new wine, the Red Diamond Cab. A very unpretentious Washington cab that costs a whopping $9 at the Safeway near my house. It has good color, good legs, good smell. I'd cook with it, and I'd drink it. My one complaint is it's not the smoothest wine in the world; you can feel a little burn while it's going down.
I heard this was the house red at a very upscale Seattle steakhouse, but I haven't verified this. I could believe it--it's a great by-the-glass wine if you see it on a menu somewhere.
Follow-up: The Whole Foods in Bellevue has The Ball Buster for $17 if you're looking for some.
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