2008 Montes Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Carmenere 30%, Chile

Colored decadence…Deep dark red swirling to black at the center

Aromatically limited…Red plum, pipe tobacco, nail polish

Flavors that fade…I bounce around on pretty much everything Montes has to offer that I’ve sampled. I’ll like one wine but can’t stand the next and the third will be smack dab in the middle. There doesn’t seem to be any consistency in any of their sub-20 dollar bottles. I’m sure the more expensive bottles are amazingly complex, warm and textured, I just wish I could count on their wines to give me some kind of reliability where quality is concerned. This wine is no exception to that rule; except to say that this starts out very inviting but the longer you let it breathe the worse it gets. Wait too long (a few days) and you are left with a wine that doesn’t have anything in common with the wine you sipped upon opening the bottle. Sad to say, but this one doesn’t make the grade. If you drain the bottle before 24 hours goes by then you have a pleasant red wine with an attack personified by plums, grass, tobacco and some smoke. The mid-palate is smooth with tannins that ease in and out while the alcohol just brings a slight tingle to the gums and tongue and the astringency doesn’t really play a factor at all. The finish is long and brings back the plums, but adds dark cherry, blueberry and vanilla to the mix. In all it’s not a bad wine, but nothing spectacular. If you waited a day or two to finish the bottle you will now find the attack is a sickly, sweet mess of sugared plums and candied fruit. The mid-palate is thin, acidic and hot. And the finish is still long, but now shows off unripe berries, sour cherries, backed by plum preserves and a streak of paint thinner. Not a pleasant journey at all.(While I understand letting a bottle sit and get air can adversely effect a wine, a few days in the proper conditions should be possible for a red wine like this.)

Overall, this is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of red wines. You can guzzle it down and have an OK experience with the bottle, but if you wait too long it’s going to make you cringe every time you take a sip. I can’t recommend this wine in the least. It gets a poor QPR at 15 dollars for this bottle I overpaid by 10 bucks and honestly feel ripped off. Even had I finished the bottle that first night I would have felt this wine didn’t live up to its price point. For the money the Montes Alpha is much better. Be glad this is “Limited Selection” because it might just fade out completely and make room for something good on the shelves. Leave this one alone!

Vina Montes 

2007 Hogue Cellars Genesis Meritage(49% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc), Washington

Oh Say Can You See…Ruby red fading to reddish violet at the rim

A Bouquet of…Dark cherry, blackberry, syrup

The Taste buds Tale…This is a Fry’s closeout wine that I found recently on the shelf for 50% off, it rang up at just under 13 dollars. Mostly I bought this in order to get another Meritage sample. While I realize all of the Meritages I have tried up to this point have had differing blends of grapes, it is still my aim to be able to compare and contrast them. A lot of my fascination with Meritage lies in my love of red blend. I believe a good inexpensive red blend can far outshine a single varietal wine purchased for the same price. It’s been my experience that blends in the 10-15 dollar range are more complex than single varietal wines at the same price while also being more balanced. So I popped the cork, poured, and sat back to let it get some air. I returned after 30 minutes, swirled, sniffed and sipped this wine…wow after a good 30 minutes this was still relatively piercing and hot where the tannins and alcohol were concerned. I set aside the glass for yet another 30 minutes. I came back around and repeated my process only to be greeted with the same result. I decided to finish my glass swiftly and return to the bottle the following day. On day two I poured another small glass, swirled and sniffed. The aromas coming off the glass were more well defined on day two; I could smell dark cherry mixed with blackberry, a hint of licorice and at the tail end what I can only describe generically as syrup. Upon the first sip this wine still tastes young and a little rambunctious. The flavors on the attack are big; cherry, blackberry, currant and pepper. Then a wild ride of a mid-palate defined mainly by rough and ready tannins, alcohol heat just a little on the warm side for me and a sourness that I didn’t expect right before the finish hits. The finish is medium in length and brings back the big, bold berry/cherry flavors, adds to them a healthy dose of tobacco, licorice and black pepper, then heaps on a huge helping of oak halfway through the finish that ends up being the main flavor in the aftertaste. I hesitate to call this a full bodied wine, though the flavors and textures would take me in that direction. This is really a medium bodied wine that is still a little young and rough around its edges.

Let Me Sum Up…If you purchase this Meritage make sure you give it ample time to breathe before you start to sip it. In reality you might want to let this sit in your cellar for a good 3-5 years before you pop the cork on it because I truly believe this wine will be good given a chance to mellow with age. Right now it’s just too young, full of tannins and overoaked on the finish. At 13 dollars this barely gets a poor QPR from me. Had I paid full price for this I would be kicking myself all the way into next month, as it stands I still feel like I got taken for a ride. The Genesis looks like an elegant bottle of wine with mature complexity and depth but shows more in common with a rowdy wine that wants to put a knock out punch on your palate. I’d recommend that you pass on this wine.

Hogue Cellars

2009 BrisAndes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

Color – Dark red with a violet-tinged rim

Nose – Strawberry, red currant, slight green bell pepper

Taste – I purchased this while spending some quality time amongst the bottles at Total Wine for under 10 dollars. I wasn’t expecting much from this wine, I just wanted to judge it against other Domaine de Rothschild wines from South America. This one is slightly better than the Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon (not reviewed due to the loss of my tasting notes, sorry.) It has a simple nose of red berries and minimal herbaceous notes. The attack is a little darker, featuring dark cherry, strawberry and green bell peppers with behind the scenes tastes of pepper and oak. The mid-palate is nearly invisible with barely any recognizable alcohol or tannins and light astringency. The finish is medium-long and borders on the unpleasant as the berry flavors turn sour and what can only be described as “dark”. I can taste sour cherries, bittersweet chocolate, burnt molasses and leather. The aftertaste teeters on the edge of overbearing and pungent, but never really falls over. All of that having been said when tasting this wine by itself, the flavors don’t change too much when paired. I did, however, notice nice changes when I paired this with a grilled top sirloin. The rare cut of beef complimented the wine, or vice versa, very well, mellowing the sour flavors and adding a “buttery” characteristic to the finish. It wasn’t good enough to change my opinion of this wine, but it made the wine drinkable.

Overall, I would rate this a poor QPR. It tastes better than the flat and bland Los Vascos, but the flavors here don’t taste good. The overall feeling I got from this wine was that it was too young and pungent, with flavors that made me cringe especially during the finish. I wanted to like this, but even upon revisiting this wine after four days in my wine cellar it was just as unpleasant on day one. I highly advise passing on this wine; you can probably chose another wine while blindfolded and get a better wine than this.

.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.

2006 Veramonte Primus, Chile

Color – Purple with a dark red rim

Nose – Blackberry, brown sugar, black currant, raisin

Taste – This turned out to be a stellar deal that is currently available at my local Costco for 14 dollars. I call this a stellar deal because this wine is quite good and sells for 20 dollars at Total Wine, you do the math. On to the wine review! First off you need to know that decanting or aerating this wine is a must. I recommend a minimum of an hours decanting if you truly want to enjoy this wine, but overnight decanting is probably best. This wine is HUGE in the flavor/texture department and if you don’t let it get some oxygen you will get a kick in the palate. That being said, if you decide to sip this after some decent breathing, this wine tastes fantastic. The attack is full of dark fruit/berry flavors; blackberry, plum, dark cherry and black currant with veins of brown sugar and chocolate present as well. The mid-palate is all about balance. The fine balance of firm tannins, alcohol heat and smoky, astringent leather flavors/textures; all of these blend into a long, pleasing finish. The finish tastes again of dark fruits (mostly plum and raisin) with some spice (vanilla and anise), tobacco, chocolate, brown sugar and just a hint of oak. All of these flavors blend effortlessly together into a very pleasant mélange of playful tastes. I enjoyed the finish so much more than the attack and mid-palate that I would close my eyes as I swallowed every sip and let the tastes wash over me. This is a full bodied wine that benefits from being served at or just slightly above room temperature and the weight of it changes when you serve it warmer, so I advise sampling it cooler and warmer so you know what you are getting.

Overall, this is a really good wine for the money. I wouldn’t hesitate to spend 20 dollars on this bottle and at 14 this is almost a great QPR. For a red blend with lots of flavors, complexity and textures going on this one still manages to take my palate on a journey without being pretentious or losing sight of the final destination. I would recommend this wine to anyone that enjoys big, bold red wines; you won’t be disappointed with this effort.

Veramonte

2008 Chateau Los Boldos Cuvee Tradition Carmenere, Chile

Color – Deep purple, nearly black

Nose – Currant, blackberry, sugared plum

Taste – I was in the mood for a Carmenere and had sampled most everything from Total Wine with a sub-ten dollar price tag; so I picked up this bottle for 13 dollars instead. I was hesitant at first due to my dislike of the Chateau Los Boldos Momentos line of wines, but figured there Cuvee Tradition offerings might be more to my liking. Was I ever right? Whereas the Momentos wines are acidic, alcohol-forward and almost overbearing; this Carmenere is smooth, flavorful and surprisingly complex. The wine sips pleasantly directly after the cork has been pulled with just a little overabundance of tannins and some sharper green bell pepper flavors; if you let it decant for 30 minutes or so the tannins calm down in the glass and the green bell peppers become just hints around the edge of the other flavors. The attack is black currant, blackberry, and molasses with minimal flavors of green bell peppers, damp earth and coffee grounds. What I notice first in the mid-palate is an intense astringency that mingles with perfect tannins and some alcohol heat, but these textures easily blend into a wonderfully long finish that is chock full of blackberry, black plum and dark cherry notes and floating at the edges flavors of vanilla, leather, cut grass and bittersweet chocolate. The wine is medium bordering on full bodied with a very pleasant berry/cherry aftertaste. This may be one of the most balanced Carmenere’s I’ve ever tasted and for the price is my new favorite from this varietal.

Overall, this is a pleasing, complex offering from a grape that is oftentimes too green or barring that too Cabernet Sauvignon-like. The QPR here is good-to-great with the flavors and texture truly being worth more than the price tag. I wouldn’t have picked this up had there been any other options in this price range that I hadn’t already tried, that’s how much I disliked the Momentos wines, but this is a winner. I highly recommend this if you like Carmenere, or just want a balanced red, sipping wine. This is a must try.

Vina Los Boldos

2008 Gooseridge Vineyards g3 Red Wine, Washington

Color – Dark purple edging to black

Nose – Blackberry, black currant, spice box

Taste – Grabbed this on a whim when I was looking through the wines at my local supermarket. The bottle art reminded me of the Horse Hills Heaven H3 Merlot that I’d tried earlier in the year. The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz and that particular blend of varietals grabbed my attention as well. That being said, this wine has everything that I love about a big, bold red. It looks amazing in the glass; dark and inky and when swirled it clung to the glass quite nicely. The aroma wafting from the glass after a good swirl brought to mind everything I loved in the Courtney Benham Cabernet and the Clos Pegase Cabernet; dark berries, spice box hints and musty/earthy compost tinges. On the attack this wine runs through quite the gamut of flavors and textures. Firstly I can taste blackberry, black currant and dark cherry with equal parts jamminess and chocolate riding behind the berry flavors. Second, comes slight flavors of black pepper, vanilla and licorice all mingled together with a butter-like mouthfeel. The mid-palate seemed strange to me, in that is holds little or no astringency, the alcohol shows up as sour acidity, and the tannins show up subdued but still present. The finish is medium-long with stewed berry goodness, semi-sweet dark chocolate, vanilla, licorice, spice box and wet leaves/forest floor flavors. There are textures of warmth, weight and “filmy” butter-like consistency as the finish fades into a rather dark, molasses/vanilla flavored aftertaste. This is a wonderfully full bodied wine that covers all the bases a good red should cover.

Overall, this wine was a pleasant surprise gaining it a good-to-great QPR. I believe I paid 10 dollars for this (it was on sale normally going for 14). Had I paid full price for this I would still be touting the qualities of this wine and how great it is for the money. I enjoy red blends, especially those that don’t bounce all over the place flavor-wise or simply end up bland and flat in the glass. This red blend fits the bill and has the quality/flavor to push the price point closer to 20 dollars without making me cringe. I’d recommend this wine to anyone that enjoys a big, bold red blend with wonderful complexity of flavor and rich textures.

GooseRidge Estate Vineyard & Winery

2009 Courtney Benham Lucca Red, California

Color – Ruby red

Nose – Strawberry, blackberry, alcohol

Taste – Three things influenced the purchase of this wine. The first is that I quite enjoy Courtney Benham’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley appellation. The second is that I have been on a red blend kick lately and after reading the tasting notes provided by Total Wine this wine had my interest piqued. The third is that at 13 dollars I was expecting to get some decent quality at a relatively low price. Having sipped this wine now for a few days and being near to the end of the bottle, I can honestly say that this wine doesn’t disappoint but it also doesn’t amaze. It’s a fairly fruit forward red blend, tasting more of “sweet” strawberry, blackberry and blueberry on the attack with minimal savory or herbaceous characteristics save for a small hint of black pepper right before the mid-palate. The mid-palate is full of playful, young tannins, abundant alcohol and what I like to call “fruit skin astringency” (the flavor of fruit skins followed closely by a mouth drying astringency). The finish is medium in length and carries more of those same berry flavors, with added dark cherry, tobacco, coffee and burnt sugar a la crème brulee. This wine falls right in the medium bodied category, though at some points it seems somewhat “watery” or thin. That doesn’t detract from the wine itself, but it just brings to mind the cheaper red blends I have had recently.

Overall, this wine is not what I was expecting, and I would rate is a mere fair QPR. It is a decent notch above Tres Pinos Three Pines Cuvee or Chariot Gypsy. But it’s also a few notches above those wines where price is concerned. I compare this to those two wines because all three of them are fruit forward, “sweet” red blends. This is the most complex of the three, but this doesn’t show off the level of complexity I had hoped for. For the same price I would much rather buy the Anakena Ona or Veramonte Primus. I advise passing on this wine unless you enjoy a more fruit forward red blend that borders on the sweet. If you like complexity, depth and boldness in your red blends pass on this and grab something else.

Courtney Benham from Martin Ray Winery

2008 Los Nevados Malbec, Argentina

Color – Inky purple with a very dark red rim

Nose – Blackberry, black currant, minerals

Taste – This is one of a few bottles I picked up recently on a trip to Cost Plus World Market. I chatted with their “Beverage Specialist”, and after some time passing wine stories back and forth I decided we had similar tastes in red wines. He recommended this Malbec due to its level of “spicy-ness”, more akin to a Carmenere was my guess and he agreed. So I was pleasantly surprised when I popped the cork, took a first sip and found that to be a very true statement. If you don’t let this decant it does have a lot of spicy, peppery flavors that mix and mingle with dark fruits and berries (plum, blackberry, dark cherry) all of these flavors balanced with firm tannins and a decent alcohol bite. But if you let it decant, the peppery flavors soon fade away nearly altogether and you are left with a somewhat earthy Malbec. Either way this wine is a good one. Right now I am sipping the wine after it’s been open for just over a day and enjoying the flavors of blackberry and black currant on the attack, a mid-palate characterized with nice acid, tannin and alcohol and a medium-long finish personified by flavors of tobacco, dark cherry, pepper, and wet earth. I would have to say this is a full bodied effort as it feels rather weighty in my mouth and with a texture that almost feels like there is sediment, chalk or very find sand mixed into the liquid (which is not the case at all).

Overall, I would have to say this is a fabulously satisfying Malbec with a good-to-great QPR. If consumed right after opening you will be in for a treat, as this wine tastes like a decent blend of Carmenere and Malbec. If you let this sit overnight or decant it for a while this wine taste like a Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend. Neither of those are bad things as this wine has awesome flavors, is priced just right, and is VERY drinkable. I will be purchasing this again at 9 dollars a bottle, it is worth it all the way.

Los Nevados Wines

2008 Kaiken Malbec, Argentina

Color – Inky purple, nearly black

Nose – Blueberry, plum, vanilla

Taste – For our eleventh anniversary, my wife and I went to a restaurant we frequented during our dating years. While sitting perusing the menu, I decided to order a bottle of wine. My first choice, a Carmenere, was out of stock. I took a few more minutes and decided on this wine that I had seen quite a few places but always put off purchasing. Yes I paid three times what I would have paid at Total Wine, but I found out just how good Kaiken Malbec is; and why I should have been drinking it since I started this blog. First off this isn’t some mediocre, supermarket Malbec. This is a great big, amazing flavor, huge depth, Malbec. I am sure you can find it in some supermarkets, if that’s the case buy it now. I tasted it the first night with a plate of gyros and tzatziki; the wine tasted warm and spicy a wonderful complement to the red onions, kalemata olives and yogurt sauce. I finished off ¾ of the bottle and left it in my wine cellar for the past 4 days. Tonight I fired up the grill for some rib-eye steaks I had laying around. I went through two other wines, a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chilean Carmenere blend, before I poured the final glass of Kaiken Malbec to sample with the last quarter of my steak. How I wished I had tried this wine first. Bursting with flavors of blackberry, black plum, vanilla and clove this wine practically jumped up and down on my taste buds when I took the first sip. The mid-palate was firm, ripe tannins, elegant alcohol heat that made my tongue tingle, and dark cherry/blueberry flavors. The finish is medium in length with more dark berry flavors, along with delicate wood smoke, bittersweet chocolate, and tobacco. This is medium bodied, nudging into full-bodied just a little with warmth and texture one would expect from a really good Malbec.

Overall, this is hands down one of the best Malbecs I’ve ever tasted if not the best representation of this varietal. It has everything I love in a wine; depth, character, flavor, heat, tannins and astringency but all of those things are in perfect proportions. Normally I would shy away from non-fruit forward Malbecs, but this is a masterpiece of a wine. I would say this is a great QPR at 10 – 12 dollars a bottle depending on the store you shop at. I would advise making this your house Malbec, as it is inexpensive and amazing. A stand-alone wine or a wine to be paired with just about any dish. Keep this one in your cellar at all times.

Kaiken Wines

2008 Graffigna Centenario Malbec Reserve, Argentina

Color – Dark purple with a black core

Nose – Black currant, blackberry, brown sugar, caramel

Taste – A word of advice before we start, decant this wine for at least an hour before you begin to sip. Once you do start sipping be prepared for very strong flavors. This wine is not a fruit forward Malbec. Instead it starts with flavors of blueberry, blackberry, dark cherry, heat from the alcohol and leather. The mid-palate comes on strong with plentiful tannins, brown sugar, and muted spice box flavors. The finish is long and can seem a little harsh at times due to the tannins and heat that run through the entire wine. There are some dark fruit flavors on the finish (blackberry, plum, currant) as well as tobacco, bittersweet chocolate, and more leather. This is a full bodied wine and not an everyday Malbec as I’ve mentioned previously. There are fruit flavors but they are more even in this wine, blending with the tannins, heat and tobacco/leather flavors rather than overpowering them.

Overall, the wine is not bad when paired well and when sipped slightly chilled. As the wine warmed in my glass the tannins evened out, but the alcohol took a big step forward and really overwhelmed all of the other flavors. If you do purchase this wine (Costco for 8.99), make sure you serve it slightly chilled. This barely makes the grade for a wine that I would recommend. It has a pretty good QPR given that this wine’s quality is definitely there with a nice level of complexity and depth. This isn’t an inexpensive Malbec, but the flavors here won’t work for everyone. I won’t be seeking this out when I want a good all around Malbec, instead I will grab Alamos or Chateau Labrande, but if I am in the mood for something a little more robust and complex I’d buy this again. Let me know what you think.

Graffigna Wines

2008 Kirkland Signature Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Color – Deep, dark red

Nose – Blackberry jam, licorice, vanilla

Taste – I am fast becoming a believer of the Kirkland Signature wines in flavor, quality, and price point. I sampled their Rutherford Meritage to great results and on a whim the next time I was in Costco picked up this delightful Cabernet Sauvignon. From the pour, this wine had me in its grip. The color is a dark, inviting red, the nose is layered fruit and spice, and the flavor takes the best notes of the nose and builds on them. On the attack I can taste ripe (nearly overripe) blackberries on top of the creaminess of vanilla melted into dark cherry and black currant and just a touch of chocolate. The mid-palate is a happy marriage of alcohol warmth, astringency from firm tannins, and dark cherry/vanilla. The finish is medium-long with more cherries, licorice and vanilla but also little hints of chocolate and black pepper. Surprisingly this wine is more medium bodied than full bodied; with its color and flavors I had expected it to be “heavier” but was pleasantly surprised with a medium bodied wine that is very easy to drink. This isn’t a big fruity Cabernet Sauvignon; it’s big and tasty but rather complex as well. Definitely another winner for Kirkland Signature.

Overall, this is a very nice, drinkable Cabernet Sauvignon with an even nicer price point. I think you can pick this up for 11 dollars only at your local Costco, which makes this is good-to-great QPR. The level complexity present means you are getting a wine that can compete with anything you would purchase for 15-20 dollars from the supermarket or even Total Wine. I highly recommend this wine if you want a Cab with depth and complexity but remains drinkable all by itself. Get it while they have it!

2009 Martine Galhaud Moulin “MGM” Pinot Noir, France

Color – Dark, inky purple

Nose – Sweet, dark cherry; red and black plum, licorice

Taste – This is an interesting and I would guess un-Pinot-like Pinot Noir. This is quite dark in color, large in aroma, and heavy in weight for a Pinot Noir. That’s not to say this wine is bad, just not a good representation of Pinot Noir. I will say if you drink this with an open mind, you might like this wine. The flavors on the initial sip are of very ripe plums, and dark cherry fruit; the mid-palate is cinnamon, brown sugar, heat and astringency though none of these are out of proportion. The finish is medium-to-long with flavors I can more closely describe as sweet plum liquor. This surprised me and with the first two glasses I was unimpressed and a little put off. But as I began to drink my third glass I decided to drink it with the mindset that I was drinking just another red blend. The wine went down much easier and I was quite satisfied. The flavor profile doesn’t align itself with any wine I have tasted up to this point. At times it has a closer resemblance to a sweet mixed drink or wine cooler than a red wine made only of grapes. The abundance of plum and dark cherry flavors is so strong that you really can’t avoid them or at times find any other flavors. That can be both a good thing and a bad thing, but in all I think it works in this wine.

Overall, this is another decent QPR from Trader Joe’s. It’s not as good as Trentatre 33, Viriato TInta de Toro or Alexander & Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon but this is still a pretty good wine for the money. It’s better than 75% of the wines from supermarkets that are priced in the sub-eight dollar range. I won’t be buying a lot of this or buying it often but I’d keep a bottle around just in case I wanted a very fruit forward, plum flavored red.

2009 Alexander & Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Color – Dark red with violet hints

Nose – Dark cherry, blueberry, brown sugar

Taste – This is a nice medium bodied Cab with an even nicer price tag. Don’t go looking for a “Big, Bold Red” in this wine. The nose has a lot of dark fruit, some sugary/jammy sweetness, and a tiny bit of spice to it. On the first sip, it feels a lot heavier than it actually is; therefore I set this aside overnight and re-poured the next morning. The heaviness had mellowed out and the flavors that came through were quite pleasant. This is much less jammy than the previous night, it has flavors of cherry, chocolate and green herbs. The mid-palate is composed of a perfect level of astringency that compliments the berry and cherry flavors. The finish is medium-to-long, which surprised me since I was expecting a very long finish based on the color of the wine. I would say this is definitely a 10-12 dollar cab masquerading in a 6 dollar bottle. It has a level of complexity, depth and character that other sub-ten dollar bottles just don’t have.

Overall, I would say pick this up before it disappears off the shelves. Older vintages of this wine have been known to clear out of Trader Joe’s in a few days, and people often pick this up by the case. If you enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon this wine is definitely meant for you. It’s not a great wine in and of itself, but it’s a great QPR and that makes me happy. On a side note this isn’t the typical California Cab that I’ve come to expect; it’s not a big or as fruit explosion-like. It’s more mellow, with a tendency toward an herbaceous mid-palate and the tannins here are a little more subdued. I would advise buying this now and buying a LOT of it.

2009 Tait Wines “The Ball Buster”, 73% Shiraz/15% Merlot/12% Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia

Color – Dark purple with a violet rim

Nose – Blueberry, blackberry, vanilla

Taste – This is one of those monster reds that I tend to like quite a bit, unfortunately this one isn’t as good as most. I taste dark cherry, blackberry, black currant, and oak right from the initial sip. These flavors completely disappear in the mid-palate being replaced with quite a lot of heat from alcohol and just as much astringency from the tannins. The finish is long, holds onto the heat and astringency from the mid-palate and adds flavors of blackberry, oak and leather. The wine is full-bodied with both “weight” and “warmth” to it. It would be quite nice if the alcohol and astringency weren’t so overpowering, as it is this wine is just a middle-of-the-road red blend. Sure it’s bigger and bolder than a lot of red blends, but it’s not necessarily a good thing as this wine is just a little too much for my taste.

Overall, this wine is drinkable and has an OK QPR. In my opinion it’s just a little too much for me, I can’t get past the heat and astringency, and two things I actually like in red wine but here they are just too abundant. I would say you can find better red blends for the same price or just a little more money, the Anakena Ona or Finca Flichman Tupangato are two that come to mind. I wouldn’t say you have to steer clear of this one, it has its good points, but I can’t be honest and say it’s one of my favorites rather this is right in the middle of the pack.

Tait Wines

2010 Trader Joe’s Vinas Chilenas Merlot Reserva, Chile

Color – Dark purple with a violet rim

Nose – Blackberry, dark cherry, green bell pepper

Taste – Having tried the Vinas Chilenas Cabernet Sauvignon and being pleasantly surprised at how a 4 dollar bottle of Cab could possibly be quaffable, I was not surprised that the Merlot passed my test as well. I will admit that this is a little less to my liking than the Cab was. First off the wine has two big flavors that come through on every sip: black cherry jam and green bell pepper. These two flavors vie for dominance through the attack, mid-palate and the finish so there isn’t a whole lot going on in the forefront of this wine. There are some subtle flavors and textures under the surface but you might struggle to find them. The first is a decent amount of chocolate and tobacco in the mid-palate and some nice oaky smoke on the finish. There is also a decent amount of heat that runs through the mid-palate, finish, and aftertaste. This taste much better right at room temperature or slightly warmer, at cooler temperatures the green bell pepper becomes nearly overbearing. The mouthfeel is fairly smooth with near invisible tannins but just the right alcohol. The wine is medium bodied with a medium finish.

Overall, this is an OK QPR. I can’t honestly say this is any better than its price tag of 4 dollars. Sure the other 4 dollar bottles are wines you are going to dump down the drain whereas this one you will actually drink, but it really isn’t worth it. I would say save up 2 more bucks and pick up the Trentatre 33 or Alexander & Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon or if you are desperate get the Vinas Chilenas Cabernet instead.

2010 Concha y Toro Xplorador Cabernet-Merlot (75% Cabernet Sauvignon/25% Merlot), Chile

Color –Dark red

Nose – Green bell peppers, blackberry

Taste – Having sampled nearly all of Conca y Toro’s inexpensive wines and being, for the most part, underwhelmed (besides the amazing Concha y Toro Trio); I was surprised that this wine is as good at it is. Simply put this is a great inexpensive, bulk wine. The flavors are very vegetal and herbaceous but also very pleasant and fulfilling. There are few transitions in this wine as far as flavors go. What transitions there are in this wine are as follows: green bell pepper, dark cherry, alcohol. The mid-palate is all cherry and raspberry, while the finish is rather short and personified with muted tannins, celery, and cut grass. This wine is medium bodied and a little “watery” at times. Normally I would say a wine of this “caliber” is poor, however, this wine is very inexpensive, 8.99 for 1.5 liters. And the quality is actually pretty darn good at that price point. There aren’t any surprises, it lacks anything close to depth, and there isn’t a hint of complexity in this wine at all. But it tastes good, and goes down really smoothly on its own or with food. So I have to say it’s a pretty good wine.

Overall, I would say this wine passes my tests for an inexpensive, bulk wine. It tastes good, a glass of this actually tastes like wine rather than fruit juice with alcohol mixed in. It doesn’t have any of the more off putting flavors that some cheap wines exhibit (jolly ranchers, chemicals, or sugar). While it does have some fruit flavors, it’s balanced by the predominant flavors of green bell peppers and celery and that makes it taste complex even though it is far from complex. All in all this is a good QPR and a wine that you should pick up and store because it is inexpensive and perfect for large parties or as something inexpensive to sip during the week.

Concha y Toro Wines

2007 Vina Falernia Carmenere Reserva, Chile

Color – Dark red, nearly black

Nose – Blackberry, black currant, vegetal notes, alcohol

Taste – I would love to be able to rate this Carmenere right up there with my favorites because it looks good in the glass, it smells pretty darn good, and even the initial sip starts off well, but everything goes downhill from there. There is a lot more fruit in this wine than I am used to in Carmenere; I can taste blackberry, plum, dark cherry right from the initial sip, but those flavors get eviscerated in the mid-palate with a massive dose of alcohol. It is so bad that the aftertaste is one that I am only familiar with in terms of cherry flavored Nyquil. Basically after the first hints of actual flavor the wine degrades into a mouthful of fruit flavored alcohol. You can still catch tinges of brown sugar and cut grass, but they are completely trampled by a long, Long, LONG aftertaste of alcohol. The tannins in this wine might be nice and firm or they might be flabby and flat, I honestly couldn’t tell you because I can’t find them. The only thing my palate can detect after the second sip is alcohol. I tried this over a period of five days and the wine didn’t get any better after decanting or being consumed at higher or lower temperatures. It is a fairly heavy bodied wine and that makes it even harder to slug down.

Overall, I would say pass on this train wreck of a 10 dollar wine. It is not a good QPR, it is a terrible QPR. This wine is overbearingly alcohol forward and not a wine at all but closer to a cough syrup in flavor and nearly in texture. The wine is “heavy” on the tongue and with the predominant flavor of alcohol-cherry-chemicals it brings memories of taking Nyquil when I had the flu growing up. If that is your idea of a good red wine then this one is for you. For everyone else, dump this down the toilet and get ANY OTHER CARMENERE IN THE WORLD (that’s how bad this wine is).

Vina Falernia Wines

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 Alamos Malbec, Argentina

Color – Dark purple

Nose – Black currant, blackberry

Taste – This is a great big WOW! Every sip brings big, bold fruits rushing over my palate. I can taste blackberry, currant, dark cherry and plum. The texture is very smooth and perfectly astringent. The transition from dark fruit, to warm spices (pepper, vanilla, licorice) and a nice alcohol heat, and finally to a long finish with oak, tobacco, chocolate and dark fruit skins is just amazing. If I didn’t know how much a bottle of this cost I would swear this is a 20 dollar wine, but it’s only half that price. This tastes much better right from the bottle, though it doesn’t lose anything after decanting rather the finish can adopt a slightly bitter flavor and the alcohol gets just a little more heat to it; other than that it’s the same wine. This wine is full bodied; it has a decent “weight” and “warmth” on the tongue, with a nice long finish. I would say you can pair this with food (barbecue, steak, hearty stews and game) or enjoy this all alone and either way have a wonderful glass of wine.

Overall, this is one of the best bottles of wine I’ve sampled under 10 dollars. The QPR is fantastic on this wine, just as much because the quality of this wine is so high than because it is so inexpensive. A lot of that has to do with the double manual selection process the grapes go through before they make it into this wine. Each batch of grapes is manually gone through so that only the finest grapes go into Alamos’ wines. I can taste the difference as this is a superior bottle of Malbec, if not the best I’ve tasted then only second to the 2007 Bodegas Flechas de los Andes Gran Malbec. I would have to say this is a MUST buy and probably one you’d want to keep around the house at all times.

Alamos Wines