2009 Angeline Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, California

Complex colors…Dark red with a garnet rim and stars of deep purple

Subtle Scents…Strawberry, cherry, compost

Tempestuous tastes…This was purchased as a way to grade the Kirkland Signature Russian River Valley Pinot Noir that I enjoy and my wife really likes. While that wine is light and floral containing components that I would assign to a white wine; this wine while still being a light red is deep and complex with intense red fruit flavors and characteristics more akin to a red wine. I knew I was in for a treat right after I popped the cork on this as I was greeted with amazing aromas of strawberry and cherry with hints of potpourri and herbs (when swirled there is an added scent of compost and root beer). The first sip was intense and amazing all at the same time; rarely have a I found a light red wine that had this many flavors and textures (2009 Beaujolais truthfully is the only wine that makes the grade until now). On first sip this brings strawberries and molasses mixed with cherries and vanilla and right in the back a semi-sweet black pepper flavor and heat. The mid-palate has alcohol that tingles and slightly warms my gums and just a hint of tannins that dry my cheeks and add a “dark” texture to this wine (I frequently use “dark” to describe a deepening, intense flavor that I would not have expected from a wine. Kind of like a spur-of-the-moment thunderstorm that blows in=”dark”; this “dark” flavor blows into a wine that I had not expected or intensifies already deep and dark flavors). The finish is medium in length and definitely the highlight of this already stellar wine. This finish is bright strawberry/raspberry and cherry, vanilla and brown sugar, roses and wet leaves with a slight trace of cherry cola (I know that even sounds weird to me but right at the end of the finish I get a fizzy Cherry Coke flavor and sensation). As I stated before this is a light bodied red wine that sometimes leans into medium bodied territory. It’s much more complex than similarly priced Pinot Noirs and is one of the least expensive Pinot Noirs from the Russian River AVA. All of that adds up to a great big, tasty wine.

Overall, you can’t go wrong here. At $12.99 a bottle this wine is a freaking steal. It’s smooth; it’s complex; it’s drinkable with or without food; and it’s damn good. I don’t normally rave about Pinot Noir because I think that Pinot Noir in the sub-20 dollar range tends to be rather weak and/or fruity; this wine proves me wrong. It does has some fruit flavors that make this a pleasant drinking experience, but there is an underlying foundation of powerful dark and savory flavors that lend this wine credence and truly make it an outstanding wine. This is a great QPR, no doubt about it this wine is worth WAY more than 13 bucks (I’d pay 20, maybe even 25 for this bottle and feel like I still got a good deal). While I love Beaujolais and the flavors that varietal can bring to a wine, this is just a little more up my alley combining the best of Beaujolais and Malbec, two wines that I love to sip. This is a must buy, and you should add several bottles to your cellar for enjoyment in the coming years.

Martin Ray Winery

2009 Santa Julia Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina

Scintillating shades of…Dark red with a violet rim

Amazing aromatics…Plum, strawberry, teriyaki sauce?

Flavors of fantastic…Not too long ago I took a chance on the Santa Julia Reserva Malbec and was pleasantly surprised, so when I saw this I just had to pick it up and give a try. I sipped a small glass about 15 minutes after I’d uncorked the bottle and came to realize I couldn’t judge this wine against the Malbec. The Malbec was a superior bottle for the price; this wine just isn’t at the same level. I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s review this wine and then I can recap. As of the first sip, I knew this was going to be a medium bodied wine and that I might even struggle to adequately find the flavors and textures because this is a very enigmatic wine. The attack comes on soft (for a Cabernet Sauvignon) and fruity; displaying strawberry, raspberry and perhaps red plum with the slightest hint of black pepper right before the mid-palate kicks in. On second thought, the phrase “kicks in” has no place when describing his wine, rather the mid-palate “slinks in” very smoothly but it “slinks out” rather quickly too leaving behind some tart alcohol flavors and light tannins but that’s about all. The medium length finish comes right on the heels of the short mid-palate and shows off sour cherry, tart blackberry, bittersweet chocolate and over-steeped tea leaves. The aftertaste smoothes out, which is nice since I was expecting more sour/bitter flavors, however I get more strawberry overlaying leather on the aftertaste; a nice end to this relatively messy red wine.

Overall, I would rate this a poor QPR. I think this cost 8 or 9 dollars and I’d have to say this isn’t worth 8 or 9 dollars. It’s a decent 5 or 6 dollar wine. It doesn’t bother me that it start a little soft and light, but it gets confused, muddled and a red mess by the end; giving me the feeling I’m drinking three different wines that have been poured into one glass. I really wanted to like this wine, I absolutely love the Santa Julia Reserva Malbec, but this didn’t even come close to the quality of that wine. Perhaps this is just a little too young, but I would recommend passing on this get the Malbec instead or just about any other Cab Sauv from Argentina at the same price and you won’t go wrong.

Santa Julia Winery

2008 Cruz Alta Chairman’s Blend (85% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Syrah), Argentina

In living color…Deep ruby red with hints of purple throughout

Heavenly aromatics…Blackberry, boysenberry, smoke, clove

Taste sensations…I have enjoyed quite a few wines from Cruz Alta’s catalog, but I always felt they were slightly overpriced for the quality of the wine. Sure they were all good, solid wines; but I had heard them talked up as these amazing, complex wines for bargain prices. It is true that most of them fall into the value wine category, but I have enjoyed other, less expensive wines more than I enjoyed those from Cruz Alta that I had sampled. It was with all of these reservations in the back of my mind, I went out on a limb and took the advice of a Total Wine “expert wine specialist” and purchased this bottle. My palate is truly appreciative of that man’s advice. This is an immensely excellent red blend; combining elegant fruit flavors, subtle savory textures and enough heat and complexity to carry this wine through and bring me great pleasure. The attack flows over the tongue with smooth blackberry, plum, black cherry and molasses. The mid-palate carries the silky-ness of the attack with focused yet subtle tannins, delicate alcohol acidity and warmth and near perfect levels of astringency all mingled together to ground the fruit forward attack. The finish is pleasantly long, characterized by cassis, black pepper, tobacco, bittersweet chocolate and hints of wet leaves. This is a silky-smooth while at the same time somewhat “weighty”, full bodied wine. It moves from attack to mid-palate to finish like a liquid ninja gliding across the tongue and leaving faint reminders of its passing. Truly an exceptional red blend!

Overall, I have to rate this wine a good QPR. I wanted to go out on a limb and say great QPR, but it is a little pricey. However for the quality exhibited here you won’t find many other wines that can compete with this. The Anakena Ona red blend is the only one that comes to mind, all others at the 10-15 dollar mark are decidedly lacking (though still decent in and of themselves). The Kirkland Signature Rutherford Valley Meritage comes close to this wine, but doesn’t have the complexity, balance and smoothness that this wine carries. In my opinion this ties the Anakena Ona as my favorite red blend sub-20 dollars. I highly recommend this wine if you enjoy intense red wines or quality red blends from south of the border.

.2009 Cruz Alta Reserve Malbec, Argentina

Color – Deep red with a purple core

Nose – Blackberry, plum, blueberry, molasses

Taste – Upon recommendation from a Total Wine employee I picked this up. Actually several of their employees have recommended this as their best Malbec under 15 dollars, so I finally bought a bottle. This is a good, balanced Malbec. The attack is warm, with pleasant dark fruit and berry flavors particularly blackberry, dark cherry and black plum. The mid-palate has wonderful texture personified by firm tannins, perfect levels of acidity and easy-going astringency. The finish is medium-long with darker flavors and textures; sugared dark plums, molasses, tobacco, coffee and bittersweet chocolate jump to mind as I sipped the wine. This is a medium bodied Malbec, though it edges into full bodied territory just a little bit on the finish. The weight and warmth of this wine speak to its quality, while the depth and texture are nicely balanced. It’s not overly presumptuous though it shows hints of complexity in the mid-palate and finish. The aftertaste is very smooth berries and raisins with a touch of plum skins. A nice effort, nothing out of the ordinary for a Malbec but of definite quality, depth and flavor.

Overall, I would rate this wine with a good QPR. It’s not an amazing Malbec. The attack is a little subdued for my taste, the mid-palate a touch boring and the wine itself wants to be a full bodied wine but doesn’t make the cut. The finish is the only area where this wine shows its true colors, and it shines at the finish. It’s not my favorite Malbec, but it’s a good, drinkable representation of this varietal. In my opinion for half the price the Kaiken Malbec is a much better wine for the price, but this isn’t bad just not the best.