2007 Valserrano Rioja Crianza, Spain

Easy on the eyes…Deep ruby red with a rusty rim

Heaven Scent…Strawberry, raspberry, vanilla

 Oh the flavors…Again and again I am drawn back to Spanish wines, particularly those featuring Tempranillo grapes (which in reds is the most common varietal). The flavors present in these wines are usually very distinct being fruit forward but not necessarily sweet as they are often tempered by hints of vanilla, cedar and spice box notes. This bottle is definitely a winner. The attack comes on with wonderful strawberry and raspberry fruits, followed closely by leather and vanilla and just a hint of smoke. The mid-palate is very smooth featuring mild tannins, perfect levels of acidity and astringency and just a tad bit of sour cherry flavors. This features a medium finish brimming with red fruit jams (strawberry particularly), blueberry, black pepper, burnt sugar and vanilla. This is a medium bodied wine that leaves an aftertaste of cherry, strawberry and oak/vanilla.

Overall, this is an excellent wine that is perfectly priced for the quality that you get. It easily earns a Great QPR. It isn’t immensely complex but it well balanced with layered fruit flavors and enough complexity to keep my palate engaged. More than anything it is very pleasing and easy drinking. I recommend drinking it with meat dishes but it is very food friendly and would do well with salad, macaroni & cheese and pizza. Truly a wonderful wine and highly recommended.

Valserrano

2008 Michele Chiarlo Barbera D’Asti Superiore Le Orme, Italy

Humble hues…Rich, dark red with a garnet-violet rim

Simplistic scents…Berries and cream (specifically raspberry and blueberry), cherry candy

Cheap thrills…I’ve begun to test the waters of unfamiliar wines, this time centering on red wines from Italy. Every three months or so, I get a little bored with the “same ol’ same ol’” and go in search of a new wine. Last time it was Pinot Noir, before that Beaujolais. This time it’s not a particular wine, but a region: Italy. Up until recently my journey into Italian territory had been limited to very inexpensive red blends and grocery store Chianti. Then I went out on a limb on a 20 dollar bottle of Nebbiolo and here I am reviewing a relatively inexpensive Barbera from the same region in Italy, Piedmont. I could write an entire review comparing the two Italian reds but that would be a disservice to both of them; instead I will give this wine the due it so justly deserves. First off this wine is what I would describe as unassuming, rustic even bordering on quaint, but it is a pleasure to drink. There isn’t a whole lot going on; the attack tastes of near-ripe plums and strawberry with just a hint of sour cherry. The mid-palate is very smooth as this is not a tannic wine and that fact shows up in the fact that the focus of the mid-palate is all about subtle alcohol acidity and just a nibble of astringency around the outside edges of my tongue. The segue from mid-palate to finish is seamless and leaves me almost believing this to have a somewhat short finish, which it doesn’t. The finish is medium in length and comes back to flavors of sour cherry, young plum and strawberry, and adds tart raspberry and just a hint of nectarine on top. This is a medium bodied wine that knows just what it’s about and doesn’t try to bring any confusing ideas of grandeur but is pitch perfect just as it is. There is a nice aftertaste of nectarine, plum skins and sharp cheddar (I know that seems weird but after every sip I thought I was chewing just a small bite of sharp Irish cheddar).

Overall, this wine is exactly what it advertises itself to be, a simple but enjoyable Italian red with a small price point. Nine dollars is a bargain for this wine, and that combined with how pleasurable an experience this wine is to drink gets it a solid good QPR from me. I can’t list this as a great QPR only because it really isn’t a great wine, but it doesn’t try to be a great wine all it wants to be is a solid wine that can be enjoyed with food or without. I advise drinking this with pizza or hamburgers though it stood up to a pork roast as well. I highly recommend this wine for just about any occasion especially if you enjoy sweet-sour wines or just about any wine from Italy, this should be right up your alley.

Michele Chiarlo Vini Classici del Piemonte

2010 Gascon Malbec, Argentina

Color – Purple with a violet rim

Nose – Blueberry, strawberry, cherry

Taste – I had the chance to spend an evening out with my wife and mutual friends at The Living Room Wine Café and Lounge. First off this is not to be confused with a wine bar, the difference between them being this was closer to a club/bar than a lounge/wine sipping spot. Regardless the wine list was lengthy though not overly pretentious however they were out of the wine I was interested in trying. They offered me this wine instead at a 12 dollar discount (I shudder to think I could have purchased this bottle for that amount at my local supermarket, instead I paid 20 dollars for this bottle). This wine is young and very fruit forward. There isn’t a lot going on as far as flavor is concerned; sugary blackberry, strawberry and cherry dominate the attack with just a little plum and raisin hints as well. The mid-palate is lacking any noticeable astringency, but does carry limited alcohol and biting tannins. The finish is medium in length with sour cherry, leather and some of that cough syrup flavor I detest in wine (though it’s just a hint of the cough syrup flavor). This wine is medium bodied though it wants to be a full bodied wine. The aftertaste is pleasing enough with flavors of stone fruit and molasses.

Overall, this wine is young, fruit forward and not worth 10 dollars much less 20. It’s a pleasing enough though completely un-complex red wine. It tastes almost like sugared fruit juice. If you don’t like particularly bold red wines or are used to sweet wines this one’s for you. Otherwise I advise passing on this one; it has a poor QPR and for the same price you can get a pretty darn good Malbec if you pick up the Kaiken.

Gascon Wines

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 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

2009 Domaine Pignard Beaujolais, France

Color – Ruby red

Nose – Strawberry, cherry, floral notes, honey

Taste – This is another 10 dollar bottle of Beaujolais that Total Wine now carries. I didn’t see this a couple of months ago, but on a recent trip this was something new and I just had to see how it compares to the other Gamay wines I have sampled. It looks the same in the glass, somewhat thin, but upon swirling it isn’t watery and clings to the glass nicely. It smells of light red berries, cherries, flowers and what I can only describe as honey or sugar cane (that sweet scent that smells unprocessed and fresh). The attack is very similar to the Georges Duboeuf Flower Label Beaujolais-Villages that I have fallen in love with; layered tastes of strawberry, sour cherry, grass, salt and flowers. The mid-palate is all soft textures; tannins that effortlessly slip over the tongue, smooth astringency and alcohol that just barely bites. This is a light bodied wine with an even, medium length finish that carries more complexity in flavors; showing sour (but not puckering) cherry, cranberry, lavender and just a touch of black pepper. In my opinion this is a wine to drink chilled and with a light cheese or just by itself. It is perfect slightly chilled and will refresh you on a warm summer day.

Overall, this one is another winner as far as I’m concerned. It’s a good-to-great QPR with flavor and complexity that keep your palate happy. I paired it with a pork roast and it fared well, but mostly sipped glasses of it all by itself. This is a red wine for summer drinking for those of us that don’t like to switch to white wines. You can’t go wrong here, I’d say get this wine on your next visit to the wine store.

2009 Bonterra “Organic” Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Color – Dark red with a lighter, even red rim

Nose – Raspberry, cherry, blackberry

Taste – Based on the way that the nose presented itself, I was prepared for a fruit bomb or barring that at least something that featured fruit, in what I would consider abundance. That’s not necessarily the case here; yes there are some fruit flavors as the wine touches my palate. I can taste sour cherry, minimal raspberry, and what tastes most like tar and chocolate. The mid-palate is characterized mostly of tannins that are just a little too present and alcohol that is slightly muted. The finish is fairly long with more sour cherry added to leather, chalk and possibly burnt blackberries. The finish is also very astringent, my mouth felt like I’d taken a blow dryer to it as the mid-palate moved into the finish. The wine is medium-to-heavy bodied and not what I’d expected in the least. This wine is absolutely useless without food. It deteriorates into an undrinkable mess of tannins, alcohol and super sour cherry, so be forewarned. That being said, it tastes very good when paired well. I sampled it with a pot roast and it was very satisfying leaving my mouth quite happy.

Overall, this wine is an OK QPR. At 10 dollars there are better, or more well-rounded wines out there, but that doesn’t mean this is a bad wine. It’s just not a very balanced wine at this price. This is a good example of a Cabernet Sauvignon that isn’t too fruit forward or too “green” it’s right in the middle with some spice hints but also a decent level of fruit to it. I would advise trying this maybe as a sixth bottle if you are purchasing half a case or something interesting to try if you are in the mood for something new.

Bonterra Vineyards

2009 Blason de Bourgogne Pinot Noir, France

Color – Translucent, brownish red

Nose – Cherry, cranberry, pepper, earth, celery?

Taste – Pinot is not one of my favorite red wines. To be honest, it’s down at the bottom of my red wine list only beat out by Valpoilicella and Zinfandel. It’s not that I don’t like Pinot, I just don’t know that much about it and according to those “in-the-know” it can be hard to find a decent Pinot for under 25 dollars. But I have been slowly sampling Pinot at the sub-10 dollar mark for a few weeks now. What I can say about this wine is that it is very light, both in color and in weight. It has a strange nose (to me) with the earth, cranberry and what I can only describe as celery. And the flavor is quite mild as well. The first thing I notice when I take a sip is that this wine tastes much better served slightly chilled. As it warms the tart fruit flavors can feel overbearing and there seems to be a little too much pucker for me. When it’s chilled the flavors play well together going from sour cherry/cranberry to earth and raspberry and finally some pepper on the finish. I am hard pressed to find any tannins, though there is some nice acidity here that keeps the mid-palate interesting and follows through to the finish. The finish is medium in length and has more cranberry and this is where I can also taste what to me resembles celery (you know that clean, slightly bitter taste that celery has?). The texture and mouthfeel are pleasant but there isn’t a lot of depth or character in either the flavor or texture department.

Overall, I would call this an OK wine given my limited knowledge and experience with the varietal. It is inoffensive and subdued but that is what you want some times. It has a pretty darn good price coming in at 6 bucks at Trader Joe’s. I would advise to use this as an aperitif or maybe chilled with salad or hors d'oeuvres. It’s not going to amaze you, but it won’t let you down either. Simply put this is a pretty decent light red wine with a very humble price tag. All-in-all something that’s right up my alley.

Blason de Bourgogne Wines

2007 Louis Verge Morgon “Les Pierres Fines”, France

Color – Light, nearly transparent red

Nose – Cherry, blueberry

Taste – I am pretty sure this Morgon is truly from the Gamay grape and an actual Beaujolais Cru though I could be wrong. The bottle does not identify the varietal, however, this wine is quite similar to other wines I have tasted featuring the Gamay grape. That being said this wine does not fare as well as any of those wines. I have read online that 2007 was not a particularly good year for Beaujolais winemakers and this wine definitely shows that. The wine itself needs a chance to breathe, at the very least decant this for 10 minutes, though 30 minutes would be better. If you don’t decant this you will find the wine acidic, bitter, and tannic; three things you don’t want to find in your Beaujolais. After breathing this wine mellows quite nicely and the flavors can actually be deciphered. The wine is light-to-medium in body. There are flavors of cherry, strawberry, and some floral notes as the wine first touches the tongue. These transition quickly into a mid-palate of sour cherry, smoke and grass. Finally the finish is short and features hints of dust and more smoke.

Overall, this wine surprised me. It surprised me where the actual flavor of the wine is concerned. It surprised me that it might actually be a Morgon Beaujolais Cru for under 10 dollars. And it surprised me that it has tannins and acid that actually show up when you drink it. Not all of surprises are good surprises. Sure it’s nice to drink Beaujolais and not have to fork over 15 bucks, but in all honesty I’d rather buy the 8 dollar Georges Debeouf Beaujolais-Villages than this bottle. This wine isn’t bad, I’d drink it again, but not when I want Beaujolais. But if I want a light red that I can pick up for under 8 bucks this is pretty good. It’s not going to win any awards and it’s definitely closer to the” Red Table Wine” on its label than actually being a Beaujolais.

2009 Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages, France

Color – Nice even red

Nose – Raspberry, strawberry, cherry

Taste – Quite some time ago, a wine clerk at Total Wine recommended that I try 2009 Beaujolais Cru as the 2009 vintage is the best to have been produced in quite some time. I shook it off and didn’t think much of it until a few days ago when I picked up a bottle of Beaujolais-Villages at the local supermarket. Now this isn’t the same as the Cru, but its pretty close according to Wikipedia, and boy was I impressed. It’s a very low tannin, high acidity wine with flavors of strawberry and rose petals. The mid-palate has characters of sour cherry but not enough to bring out the pucker. And the finish is medium-to-long with more floral notes. The wine is quite light, but very pleasant. Honestly this is perhaps one of the best varietals I’ve had the opportunity to try. Though this is light-bodied, quite floral in flavor, and astringent, it is a fantastic glass of red wine. It’s refreshing but pairs well with food. You can drink this all by itself or try it with some good cheese. For a decent red that’s not too heavy and more accessible to the average person, you should pick up a bottle of Beaujolais-Villages.

Overall, this is a pretty darn amazing wine with complexity, depth, flavor, and versatility. I would recommend this as a wine to drink just about any time, any place. Sure it’s not a big, bold red like I normally enjoy, but that’s what makes this wine so good. It has TONS of flavor, with hints of flowers that run through it making the flavor very compelling. The QPR on this is quite good at 8.99 a bottle, I would say this is one of the better wines at this price point. Serve this to anyone including those that don’t like red wines, I would be willing to bet they’d like this. Pick this one up!

Louis Jadot Wines

2008 Mouton Cadet Bordeaux (65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc), France

Color – Dark red, with a garnet rim

Nose – Currant, blackberry, flowers, spice

Taste – Beautiful flavors of red currant right from the first sip. This wine is very smooth and easily very accessible. The red currant mingles with some sour cherries, then a mid-palate of blackberry and well balanced acidity. The finish is very smooth, medium in length, with flavors of red currant, leather, floral hints and some creamy textures as well. All in all a very nice quaffable effort. This is closer to a medium bodied wine than a full bodied red. It nicely mixes the three varietals of grapes, Merlot, Cab Sauv and Cab Franc to the betterment of the wine. The red currant flavors and smooth texture from the Merlot come right through and stay from first sip through the finish. The Cab Sauv adds some weight, tannins and acid to the wine and defined flavors in the mid-palate of blackberry and cassis. Finally the Cab Franc helps balance the “heaviness” of the Cab Sauv and the delicate Merlot with hints of floral characteristics in the nose and on the finish. I think this is a great entry level Bordeaux, you aren’t going to find anything cheaper with the word Bordeaux on it or the quality you will find here. But you aren’t going to find the depth, complexity and wonderful character of the terrior you will find in more expensive Bordeuaxs.

Overall, this is a good red wine with a good-to-great QPR. It has nice flavor, texture, and decent depth. It’s not going to suck your wallet dry and it is very drinkable. It will let you get your “toes wet” where Bordeaux wines are concerned but it won’t break the bank. It’s also not going to teach you a lot about Bordeaux wines, but it will satisfy your desires for a good red wine.

Mouton Cadet Wines

2009 Finca Los Maza Coleccion Bonarda, Argentina

Color - Red

Nose - Strawberry, raspberry

Taste - This is nice and fruity on the first sip. I taste strawberry and cherry mostly and they linger into the mid-palate which is a little too full of tannins and heat for me, then on the medium finish the cherry takes on a sour flavor though it's not unpleasant and the heat lessens into a nice even warmth. In my opinion, this is a pretty decent bottle of vino, but it's really at its best if consumed right after uncorking. The tannins don't really mellow and if anything the heat intensifies after this breathes for a while. It's really a medium bodied wine but at times can seem heavier especially at warmer temperatures. Finally, I would guess that this will age well and actually taste better after some cellaring, it has the tannins to carry it and I would like to see what the flavor profile develops into after a year or two.

Overall, this is a decent wine but nothing amazing. It's just a notch under the Maipe Bonarda and nowhere near the Munoz de Toro (but that wine is perhaps an aberration for the Bonarda grape). This is pretty straightforward with little depth but I'm OK with that here. It's a decent refreshing wine if consumed immediately and slightly chilled. I'd definitely buy it again.

Finca Los Maza Wines

2009 Anakena Pinot Noir, Chile

Color – Opaque red

Nose – Strawberry, raspberry, cut grass, celery

Taste – I went into this tasting with an open mind mostly because I’d never sipped Pinot Noir previously, I am quite glad I decided to pick up this bottle as it was a very nice wine though different than anything I’ve tried up to this point. The initial sip has interesting flavors, beginning with raspberry, sour cherry, and chocolate. I know chocolate is a little bit strange, and it’s not small hints of chocolate, but quite a decent taste of chocolate right before the mid-palate. The mid-palate itself is characterized by minimal heat and tannins, what alcohol there is manifests more in the form of pinprick tingles and the tannins show up more towards the finish. The finish itself is medium in length and features more raspberry flavors as well as what I can only describe as “spicy fruit”, something like peppered cherries. The spicy flavor isn’t overwhelming just a tinge of pepper towards the end of the mid-palate. This wine is good, but not superb. As I have never tasted Pinot Noir before I reviewed this solely based on what I like and dislike in any wine. This wine makes the grade but isn’t something I am going nuts about, It’s a good wine for 8 dollars with consistent flavor and depth.

Overall, I would say this wine has a good QPR. It’s nothing fantastic or groundbreaking. You aren’t going to taste a tidal wave of flavors or find a lot of complexity here. It’s rather straight forward in its flavor transitions and while the flavors themselves are strange to me they seem to fit the wine. The rather muted tannins and alcohol do well here as the wine is light-to-medium in body and would not do well with large tannins or an overabundance of alcohol. I wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase this wine if I was looking for something light but would probably find a slightly more expensive Pinot Noir, something to judge this against. It’s a decent wine, not bad, just a solid middle-of-the-pack red wine.

Anakena Wines

2009 Chateau Los Boldos Momentos De Chile, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

Color – Dark red

Nose – Green bell peppers, forest floor, blackberry, wet soil

Taste – This is a very nicely put together wine. I have to say that after tasting the Momentos De Chile Carmenere I was not impressed. So I wasn’t expecting much when I opened this bottle, I got more than I bargained for. This wine is nice and tight, and some might say a little too young. I happen to like the sharp contrast between the fruit and vegetable flavors and the very large tannin and alcohol hints. On the first sip I get a nice flavor of sour cherries, bitter blackberries, tobacco and licorice, the mid-palate is quite tannic with good heat from the alcohol. The former does a nice job leaving my gums feeling nice and clean, while the latter makes my tongue prickle just a little. The finish is medium-to-long with more tobacco and licorice flavors. Pretty decent effort all the way around, I didn’t expect to like this based off the sour and bitter flavors but they work in this wine and are rather pleasing.

Overall, I would say this reminds me more of a Carmenere than a Cabernet Sauvignon, which is funny because the Momentos De Chile Carmenere I tried resembled a Cabernet more than a Carmenere. Maybe it’s just me or perhaps it’s only this vintage that is a little funky but I think these wines are just a little off the normal path for their particular varietals. I do like this wine despite its strange flavor profile. It’s different enough to make me want to revisit it, and it is rather good as well. I’d say you should pick this one up at least once to see what you think and then go from there.

Vinas Los Boldos

2009 Anakena Indo Merlot, Chile

Color - Ruby red

Nose - Plum, black cherry

Taste - This wine has nice dark fruit characteristics on the first sip, but they fade quickly into something less fruit-y and more sour fruit-y. Normally I wouldn't complain but something about the sourness in this wine is a little unpleasant. The sour cherries don't last too long, thankfully, but give way to a decent amount of heat and astringency. The wine is full bodied and a long finish that has dark fruit characters and some rather lively tannins. It's not offensive but it isn't what I was expecting. This is the first Anakena wine that I would say take a pass on. It's just not nearly as "organized" as the other wines are. It's rather disjointed and the flavor profile just does all the wrong things for my palate. The heat is present but the sour cherries really just puts me off when combined with the amount of heat there is in this wine. I think it has to do with the transition from sour to heat to astringent; it's not very pleasant. That's not to say this is a bad wine, by no means is it bad. It's great compared to most of the grocery store Merlots, it's just not what I would expect from an Anakena wine.

Overall, this wine falls short of the rather high Anakena bar. It's pretty plain and at some times rather confused. To be honest I have not tasted a whole lot of Merlot, but if I were to judge this like I judge any other red wine, than this isn't up to snuff as far as Anakena goes. If you want a Merlot, get the Columbia-Crest H3 Merlot, if you want an Anakena red, pick up any one of their other reds and you'll be happy.

Anakena Wines

2009 Cave de Saumur Saumur Champigny Reserve des Vignerons, Cabernet Franc, France

Color - Ruby red

Nose - Cherry, red currant

Taste - This has quite beautiful flavors of cherry and flowers. Yes literally something similar to rose petals that I picked off my mom's roses and ate as a child. This wine is dry but not very astringent though it does go through a lot of changes on the palate. Cherries then flowers meld into sour cherries and there is a slight bitterness in the aftertaste but it is mild and unoffensive. This is a medium bodied wine with a nice long finish and rather subdued tannins though they come alive with the right food (pizza, hearty beef stew, cheese). I like this wine though I'm not used to the peculiarities of Cabernet Franc. This is fruity but it's more floral-forward than anything else. It's like drinking potpourri or one of those "rose hips" teas. While not bad it's definitely an acquired taste.

Overall, this is an interesting wine, but something that will only please certain people. Personally I think it's easier to grow accustomed to Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, or Merlot than Cabernet Franc. I'd say try this or another good sub-fifteen dollar Cabernet Franc, but if you're like me you'll stick ot other wines and varietals. That's not to say this isn't a really good wine, it definitely is, it's just not my particular cup of tea, though it might grow on me. I'd pick it up if I couldn't decide on that last bottle and wanted something different yet pleasant.

Cave de Saumur Wines

Carmenere, Two Sides of the Same Grape

What follows is two vineyards offerings of the Carmenere varietal, a grape thought to be extinct that showed up in Chilean vineyards that had been confused with Merlot grapes. These two particular wines are under 10 dollars a bottle and show the differences in a good bottle and a bad one. Without further ado, on to the reviews.

2009 Panilonco Carmenere Reserve, Chile

Color - Dark red almost violet

Nose - Blackberry, cherry, grass

Taste - I get cherries and blackberries on the first sip, but they fade rather quickly. There is a lot of heat from the alcohol that runs over the flavors and mouthfeel of this wine. The wine starts fruit forward, but it's a flash in the pan as the wine has little or no depth and really no finish to speak of. For a Carmenere it lacks the spice and finish I'm used to. It's not bad if it were a cheap red blend and really not bad for as cheap as it is. It's just disappointing that this grape could be this "bland". It's good if you like some bite with your grape juice, but beyond that, nothing special.
Overall, yet another Carmenere down, too bad this is one was a disappointment. Not bad, just not good either. I'd say this is another mediocre wine, this time one from Chile. It has absolutely no depth or character. It's a step in the direction of Carmenere but you should splurge and get something a little more expensive that is going to have a lot better flavor.

Vinedos Errazuriz Ovalle S.A.

2009 Anakena Indo Carmenere, Chile

Color - Purple, nearly black

Nose - Green bell pepper, blackberry (muted especially after decanting)

Taste - I can describe this in just one word: awesome! I will admit that I've tasted wines rated higher, described as more complex, and with bigger bouquets; but this wine beats them all hands down. This is an exquisite, spicy Carmenere that satisfies every need I have when drinking wine. This hits my palate with a nice burst of dark fruit, but quickly fades to a very spicy, green bell pepper flavor on the mid-palate. Then I get distinct tones of sour cherries and the heat of alcohol on the long finish. The body of the wine is medium-bordering-on-full. There is a strong level of astringency that cleans and dries my mouth, but with a wine that is this bold it fits rather nicely.
Overall, this wine cements why I like South American wines especially when they are made at this caliber. What is even more surprising is just how good every wine from Anakena has been. They are exceptional and of decidedly superior flavor and quality, especially for the money. I would hazard a guess and say that Anakena will become the "go-to" vineyard for me, and it should be for you too.


Anakena Wines


There are several other Carmeneres I've tried recently. I would say only one of them comes close to the Anakena, the others fall somewhere in between, some better and others worse than those I reviewed here. I have come to love the Carmenere grape as much as I love Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. It's different and brings it's own flavors to the table. It goes with different foods, and surprisingly I've found more Carmeneres that I can drink by themselves than I've found Cabs that can be consumed without food. I would say you can find the best selection of Carmeneres at Total Wine & More, though Cost Plus has a few decent offerings as well. None of those I've had from the supermarket or Trader Joe's has been worth the time or the money. So if you want to try something new, I would advise picking up the Anakena Indo Carmenere, Santa Alicia Carmenere Reserva or perhaps the Porta Carmenere Reserva, you won't be disappointed.

2009 Bolla Valpolicella, Italy

Color - Light red with a near pink rim

Nose - Slight cherry, clean herbaceous hints

Taste - Having never had this particular style of wine, I didn't know what to expect, but right off the bat two things hit me. One, this wine is much lighter than I am used to drinking. Two, this wine has an interesting sour cherry flavor that permeates every sip. The wine is light colored and light in body, it doesn't hang around on your palate after you've swallowed though the sour cherry flavor stays with me for several long seconds before it fades. There are hints of grass, herbs or light mint as the wine fades on the tongue and nearly a pucker factor. Though the wine is sour it is still fruity and not particularly dry. The vegetal flavors are quite pleasant in the wine almost enough to balance the sourness. The wine is very smooth as far as mouthfeel goes, the tannins are nearly lost (in my opinion due to the fact that your mouth is dealing with so much sour cherry). It's young and kind of muddled, but not necessarily bad, just different. I usually stick with Chianti or Sangiovese if I purchase and Italian red wine, I tried this out because it was cheap and the back label made it sound like something my mouth would enjoy. There is a slight bite from the alcohol, but not a lot of heat from it, nothing.

Overall, this is a difficult wine for my palate to peg. My gut instinct is to find a different brand of this wine before I discount Valpolicella altogether, but to be quite honest I don't really like the wine all that much. I'm not fond of light red wines. This wine reminds me more of a sour apple Sauvignon Blanc more than it reminds me of a Chianti or other light red. Even the aroma has more in common with the few dry/sour whites I've come to enjoy. It's not an unpleasant wine just not what I would pick. I would hazard a guess and say a person looking to transition from white-to-red might enjoy this wine as an ice breaker into red wines. For the price I'd pick up a Chianti or Tempranillo or even a decent red table wine before I'd buy this again.

Bolla Wines