2009 Chateau Liversan Haut-Medoc Bordeaux, France

By now I am fully on board with the 2009 Bordeaux craze. After sampling several of them, I have figured out that even the most economical Bordeaux is quite satisfying and there are exceptional values to be found between 15 and 20 dollars. This particular bottle is available at my local Costco for 13 dollars among a few other bottles ranging in price from 10 to 20 dollars. This pours dark red into the glass, with a subtle violet rim. It carries aromas of black currant, chocolate, caramel and smoke with delicate nuances of brown sugar and anise. The attack starts with focused black fruit (blackberry and black currant mainly), followed by leather, cocoa and cedar. The mid-palate features chewy tannins, near perfect astringency and some nice acidity that takes the form of semi-sweet, chocolate and caramel dipped cherries. The finish is beautifully long, washing over my palate with flavors of plum, currant, smoke, damp earth, licorice and leather. This is a full-bodied wine that brings a whole lot in the flavor department and leaves an aftertaste of chocolate and black cherry. 

Overall, this is yet another great bottle of wine from Bordeaux, France. This particular bottle features 50% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc. The fruit is definitely the best part of this wine; each fruit is represented wonderfully though none of the fruits lean too heavily towards the “sweet” area. This is beautifully complex though not on the same caliber as the Chateau Malrome, but it’s darn close. I give it a soli, good QPR, and would recommend it above most bottles of Cab or Merlot at the same price point. This really is a must buy.

2009 Cincuenta Ugarte Rioja, Spain

I’ve been wondering for quite some time what has been happening to my Total Wine & More mailers. I hadn’t received one since the first of the year and wondered what good deals they were offering. I figured my daughter was probably hiding them from me or they had ended up on the bottom of a stack of junk mail. So it was with great surprise that I found the latest mailer when I was cleaning off my kitchen table of a few days worth of mail. Low and behold, such deals on some great wines. 2009 Bordeauxs under 15 dollars, 92 point Rhone blends for 12 and 90 point rated gem for less than 10 dollars. I have grown to love Tempranillo when it’s done right and that means from Spain, usually from Rioja. This wine fits that bill perfectly. It pours dark into the glass with swirling rubies, garnets and purples that at times edge into midnight black making for a mesmerizing glass to look at. The nose wafts strongly of sugared black plums, blackberry jam, vanilla and licorice with subtler elements of dust and charcoal. The palate itself is elegant and layered; stacking dark fruits (blackberry, currant and cherry) on top of caramel and cocoa in the attack. The mid-palate is wonderfully focused; featuring perfect tannins, crisp acidity in all the right places and beautiful astringency that pull the caramel and cocoa flavors through into the finish. And what a wonderful finish it is; long and luxurious where the fruits mix and mingle with sugars and savory flavors. Chocolate covered cherry and caramel tinged plums, with sweetened coffee and vanilla laced milk leave my tongue feeling as if I’ve gone on a pleasure cruise through a box of designer candies. Underneath these flavors are more pungent tastes of cedar and smoke with hints of ash and dirt, but they all build a wonderful flavor profile that is extremely gratifying. This finishes strong and though it feels heavy it is in fact a medium bodied wine that pairs well with just about any grilled meat, some spicy barbecue, sausages and especially hamburgers.

Overall this wine was phenomenal. I was amazed at the flavor and texture that it produced and just how complex this bottle really was. It paired so well I went through the bottle in three consecutive nights and came back on the fourth night disappointed I hadn’t saved a little for a few slices of pizza. At 10 dollars this is an amazing QPR. Sure it got 90 points from The Wine Advocate, but this one was a surprise to me. I frequently sample 90+ point wines (those that ring up at the register under 25 dollars and there are quite a few); this bottle is right at the top of the list of those wines. Complex, daring, with a depth that is hard to find; it is a truly wonderful wine that will slake your thirst and have you coming back for more. Highly recommended and if you find it purchase more than one because you are either going to want to add it to your cellar or you are going to want to sip it for several weeks!

2009 Courtney Benham Courtney’s Angels Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Tempting tints…Very dark red with a garnet rim

Wild whiffs…Blueberry, cherry, plum and baking spices

Typical tastes…I thoroughly enjoy Courtney Benham wines, though they are mostly out of my price range. The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is one of my favorite wines and their Sauvignon Blanc is one of the few North American Sauv Blancs that I’ll drink. That being said, I’d not given this wine much thought when I shopped at Total Wine & More. It’s a 10 dollar bottle sourced from Paso Robles grapes. I figured it would be a fruit forward Cabernet Sauvignon with few redeeming qualities and absolutely no complexity or depth. I was 100% right about it being fruit forward but dead wrong about complexity and depth. The flavors here are blackberry, plum, black cherry and raisin with underlying nuances of cinnamon, anise, vanilla, all spice and chocolate. The mid-palate is light on tannins and astringency, though there is a vein of acidity that runs throughout this wine that shows up stronger in the mid-palate giving this a slight sour alcohol flavor. The finish is medium in length with returning cherry and blackberry flavors mixed lightly with grass, cocoa, and mint leaves. This is a medium bodied wine with a fresh fruit skin flavored aftertaste that will compliment just about any dish from salad to pizza to steak.

Overall, I’d purchase this wine again. It’s a little above average in flavor and complexity and about average in price. I give this a good QPR, though I’d say this has typical California flavors for a 10 dollar bottle this might hold just a little more depth than your average grocery store red wine from California. This is an easy drinking Cabernet Sauvignon, not too heavy but very food friendly. Pick up a bottle on your next visit to TW&M.

Martin Ray Winery

2000 Anciano Gran Reserva Tempranillo, Spain

Color – Dark, ruby red

Nose – Cherry, vanilla, raspberry

Taste – I popped the cork on this one, poured a small glass, swirled, sniffed, sipped and thought to myself “Hmm, this really isn’t anything special”. So I set the glass aside to get a little air, recorked the bottle and went off to do some chores. After an hour or so of sitting, I returned to my glass of “10 Year Tempranillo”, took another swirl, sniff, sip, and was amazed at how the wine had both mellowed and gained flavor. The flavors are of cherry, vanilla and licorice and are very pleasant and smooth. The mid-palate has the perfect amount of acidity, astringency and heat and the cherry comes through as well as some cocoa hints. The finish is medium in length with more vanilla and light dusty oak tinges. This is one of the smoothest Tempranillos I’ve been fortunate enough to sample. It’s a completely different wine than the Condado Di Oriza Crianza, whereas that wine exhibits big, bold red wine tendencies; this wine is a wonderful mellow red wine that is easy to sip and tastes absolutely fabulous at warmer temperatures. The mouthfeel, complexity and character that follow every sip brings a contented smile to me lips every time.

Overall, this wine has a great QPR. At $7.99 at Costco you can’t go wrong here. This medium bodied red wine is perfect for any occasion. I would suggest you pick this up in large quantities while you can find it. The flavors here are absolutely immaculate, you won’t be let down.

Anciano Wines

2007 Santa Rita Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

Color – Ruby red

Nose – Plum, blackberry, cherry

Taste – I picked this up at Costco recently, having already tried the Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Sauvignon, I was curious what it’s slightly more expensive older brother might offer. This doesn’t disappoint, I expected good things and this definitely has good things. On the initial sip, I can taste plum and cherry with a nice tinge of green bell pepper, these flavors fade into a mid-palate that tastes of sour blackberries and a little more alcohol than I would have liked, this leads to a long finish of cocoa and possibly some tobacco. There is a strong aftertaste of fruit skins (most likely the tannins coming through) though it’s not unpleasant. The wine itself lacks the depth I expected here and the mouthfeel is a closer to medium-bodied than full-bodied; I had hoped that this wine would be much better than the Santa Rita 120 unfortunately it’s not that big of an improvement. Don’t get me wrong, this wine is still good. Is it better than the Santa Rita 120? Probably not enough to make this have a better QPR, but it’s still a really good Cabernet Sauvignon for the price.

Overall, I’d say this is just a fraction better than the Santa Rita 120 and it’s about three dollars more expensive. Is it three dollars better? That depends on your palate. For me I’d say it’s about dead even. Depending on where I’m shopping and my budget, I’d be just as likely to pick this up as the Santa Rita 120. This is slightly more complex, but that’s to be expected from the differences in the vintages and grapes. Compared to other Cabs at this same price I’d rate this one just slightly above average. I enjoyed it even though it’s not perfect; it’s still a solid wine.

2008 Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Malbec, Argentina

(I do not own the rights to this picture)

Color – Light purple with a red rim

Nose – Raspberry, dark cherry, red currant

Taste – This is a really good Malbec for the price, easily one of Costco’s better Malbecs behind the Bodega Flechas de los Andes Gran Malbec. This isn’t nearly as “big” as that Malbec, but what it lacks in over-the-top-flavor it more than makes up for in quality. On the first sip I can taste blackberry, dark cherry, tobacco, and chocolate in good amounts. The initial sip is quite good and nicely complex, and the flavors smoothly transitions into a mid-palate that tastes of dark cherry and cocoa, then a nice medium-to-long finish that shows off the perfect astringency and tannins of the wine with light flavors of tobacco and cut grass. I quite like the level of complexity here. It’s not overpowering and is easy to distinguish the flavors that are transpiring here. The wine is full bodied with a very nice mouthfeel and perfect heat from the alcohol. I would say this is one of my favorite Malbecs I have come across lately. It is amazing by itself or with food (I had it with roast Cornish game hen and it fared quite well).

Overall, this wine has a good QPR and is very pleasing on the palate. I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a glass of red or a decent Malbec. It is a little more fruit forward than I normally like, but that didn’t hinder the wine as it is also rather complex for a wine at this price point. Its pros balance out its cons and make this a very affordable and drinkable wine. Go sample this now!

Terrazas de los Andes Wines

2009 Maipe Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina

Color - Purple with a red rim

Nose - Dusty cherries, blackberries, grass, cocoa

Taste - I was pleasantly surprised the minute this wine touched my tongue. It's big and bold, has nice texture to it, especially for a 10 dollar wine. It's remarkably complex, I can taste black currant, blackberry, with some bittersweet chocolate in the mid-palate that gives way to a quite long finish and an aftertaste of grass and cherry. The tannins are perfect in this wine as is the alcohol which balances this wine giving it just a small bite right before the finish. Full bodied with surprising depth and character for a wine at this price point, every sip was an adventure. This wine fares better with grilled meats or by itself, don't try to drink it with a lot of other foods they'll play hell with how the tannins, texture and taste of this wine work. It has a nice even mouthfeel and full body. This is a near-perfect Cab in my opinion.

Overall, this wine has GREAT QPR. This easily competes with the 20 dollar Courtney Benham having just a little less complexity but it's a lot less expensive. I'd say it's now reached my top 3 Cabernet Sauvignon's List. This wine is perfect by itself, or with a well thought out dish. Drink this wine all the time.

Chakana Wines

On Tonight's Menu...Two Red Blends

So tonight I thought I would stray from the strict review of a single wine and review two red blends. I don't specifically seek out red blends, though I will pick them up now and again if they jump out at me. These two piqued my interest when I was shopping, both from their descriptions and their prices. Let's see how they faired.

NV Oreana ? 55% Cabernet Sauvignon/45% Syrah, California

Color - Dark red

Nose - Cherry, blackberry, spices

Taste - Be warned, straight off this has BIG BOLD FRUIT flavors. This thing is the closest to a fruit bomb of a red wine that I have ever tasted. The Cabernet Sauvignon seems nearly invisible, while what I can only imagine is the Syrah bombards my palate. Sure there are underlying tones of Cab goodness like vanilla, cocoa, blackberry and black pepper but you really have to search for them on every sip. I would love this wine if the cherry/blueberry/cranberry/gooseberry/(insert any other berry here) flavor didn't flood my mouth with every sip. The mid-palate holds all of the Cabernet Sauvignon flavors but they last for only a few seconds before they fade into a 20 second tannic and alcohol filled finish. The wine is medium bodied with a completely unremarkable mouthfeel. I don't doubt that the Cab in this wine would be a magnificent wine by itself but for this doesn't work at all. Overall, this is way too fruity for my tastes. This wine might be what some people are looking for, I'm not one of those people. It doesn't have the depth or complexity I'm used to. It's still a decent wine despite it's faults, even I can see that it's not a bad wine. I just can't see buying it again, but you'll have to choose for yourself.

Oreana Winery

2009 Thistle Dew Cabernet Sauvignon 65%/Petit Verdot 35%, Australia

Color - Purple with a dark red rim

Nose - Cherry, raspberry

Taste - There's some nice jammy, cherry fruit that jumps right out at me on the first sip. Though I will say this tastes way better a day or two after opening. The cherry hints fade into a nice mid-palate of tannins with a slight hint of heat. This wine is absolutely nothing spectacular; it's right in the middle of the pack of average, sub-ten dollar wines. It has a rather unimpressive nose, medium body, and medium finish. The aftertaste has tinges of clean fruit skins. I'm not even close to being familiar with Petit Verdot, this is only the second wine I've had that featured the grape. I would hazard a guess and say that this wine would probably be overwhelming and too young to drink if it didn't have a healthy dose of Petit Verdot. As a blend it's pretty decent. Reminds me of the Notro only this is more balanced and not as fruity. Overall, this is an OK wine. It's not too hot which is nice in a blend. I'd say it makes a nice sipping wine, food tends to run over it though it might hold up to fish, poultry and salads. Try it if you want to sip something new and don't want anything too complex, as this is a rather simple red blend.

2009 Nbed 2gether Carmenere, Chile

Color - Dark red

Nose - Raspberry Jam, green bell pepper, cocoa

Taste - This is smooth, slightly fruity with hints of acid from the tannins which are just present on the tip of the tongue. I detect some creamy raspberry tones on the sides of the tongue and vegetal notes on the finish. The wine wants to be a heavy hitter like a Cabernet Sauvignon but falls short though not in a bad way. This is a pleasant wine by itself, though a little too vegetal at times. It has a very nice creamy flavor and texture when paired with cheese. The wine tastes better above 60 degrees. It tastes somewhat bland when served cooler. It's both fruity and vegetal upon my second drinking a few days later, though it remains rather one-dimensional. It has such a light "weight" on my tongue that I am left feeling as if I've just sipped water instead of wine, and sometimes it tastes nearly "flat" I'd say drink the bottle in one sitting as it loses most of it's limited complexity if given time to breathe.

Overall, this is an everyday run-of-the-mill medium-bodied red wine, you can find a thousand out there just like it. If you pick this up when it's on sale for 5.99, then you got a decent price, anything more than that and I'd pass. I would also advice that this is not what you will get if you pick up nearly any other bottle of Carmenere. This doesn't have the Carmenere spice, though it does have the green bell pepper hints that a lot of Carmenere has. It just tastes like a regular red blend, nothing special. You can keep it around for your friends that aren't wine snobs and bring it out a big social events, but I'd pass on it and pick up anything by Columbia-Crest, Redwood Creek or Concha y Toro for the same price and much more (though still rather limited) complexity and depth.