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 

2008 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Easy on the eyes…Intense ruby red nearly black at the core with a crimson rim

Olfactory detections…Black currant, cassis, cigar box, cedar, pipe tobacco

The yum factor…Being a Costco member has never been more pleasant than the last 3 months or so. I’ve been fortunate enough to drink some quite tasty wines and not had to pay through the nose for them. This happens to be one of those wines. I picked this up only because there was a two dollar coupon bringing the total of the wine down to about 11 bucks. Even without the coupon this is in my price range, but I wouldn’t have paid much attention to it had I not already had the coupon. Enough about my shopping habits, on to the review. Decant, decant, decant; unless you absolutely love your red wine to be heavily flavored/scented of wood (cedar, oak and cigar box aromas mainly) then you must decant this wine for at least 24 hours. Even with the aid of a Vinturi this wine was still very wood-y. I absolutely love Cabernets that feature lots of oak and cedar and this one has the perfect amount of those two flavors. Going forward I’m splitting this review into a pre-24 hour and post-24 hour review.

Pre-24 hour – The attack is heavy with a mix of blackberry, cassis, black pepper, cedar, cigar box and tobacco flavors. They are all piled on quite thick and play with my palate just as much as they play with one another. The mid-palate has a decent amount of heat and acidity from the alcohol and the tannins are quite chewy but the level of astringency is less than I’d expect. This is a full bodied wine and the finish is nice and long with mellowed flavors of blackberry, plum, tobacco, vanilla, and licorice with a backbone of wood smoke and cedar.

Post-24 hour – The amount of wood-like scents is much reduced now, though I can still smell cedar and cigar box hints they are not as overpowering as they were previously. The attack shows the same reduction in wood-y flavors now featuring blackberry, vanilla, tobacco, cedar and a lasting buttery flavor that turns into butter-like textures during the mid-palate. The mid-palate itself is far more balanced and mature than formerly; the alcohol is toned down a notch, tannins are still chewy but they don’t seem like they are on the cusp of running amok on my palate, and the astringency is more relevant though not cloying. The finish is still long and this is still a full bodied wine but the flavors on the finish have evolved some as well; licorice comes back strong with blackberry and black plum, then there are some tinges of vanilla and leather and finally a silky layer of smoke, dust, cedar and pencil lead (not pencil shavings just pencil lead).

Overall, this is a two faced wine; the pre-24 hour wine gets a good QPR and the post-24 hour wine gets a great QPR. Yes this wine is just that good. I would gladly pay 20 dollars for this bottle; and the post-24 hour flavors remind me of the Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon I have previously reviewed. It has a balance and depth I’ve rarely come across in a sub-15 dollar bottle of wine. It just tastes of higher quality grapes than I’m used to seeing in anything less than 15 dollars. I’m delighted that I purchased this bottle and saddened that it’s gone, but on my next trip to Costco I’m picking up at least two bottles; one for my cellar and one for drinking. I HIGHLY recommend this wine!

Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery

2007 Anakena Ona Limited Edition Malbec, Chile

On the Crayola chart…Blackish red with a garnet rim

Olfactory allusions...Black currant, brown sugar, Concord grape juice

The taste buds are a-tingling…I have talked up the Anakena line of wines for quite some time now, with the only real disappointment being their Single Vineyard Malbec. So when I saw this on the shelves of my local Total Wine & More, I just had to try it out. I had hopes that I would find a decent Malbec from Chile; sadly that’s not the case here. While this wine does better than the Single Vineyard Malbec, it still falls short of my expectations for an Ona labeled wine. The attack is marked with blackberry, black currant and plum; other than those flavors there doesn’t seem to be any other layers which threw me for a loop to say the least. The attack to mid-palate transition is very smooth; the mid-palate showing shy tannins and over-friendly alcohol heat. The heat lingers into the medium-to-long finish; mingling with darker flavors of molasses, tobacco, black tea leaves and sugared black plums. There is a lingering aftertaste of black plum and molasses, that sours just a tad right before it fades. All of this after the wine had been open for a day. I did sample a glass fifteen minutes after I popped the cork; much like the Single Vineyard Malbec this wine tastes better right after opening than it does after breathing in some air. I don’t know if the terrior in Chile doesn’t favor the Malbec grape or if my palate doesn’t enjoy just how much Chilean Malbec tends to mellow after breathing, but I didn’t enjoy this wine as much as I’d hoped to.

Overall, this rates a mere OK QPR. It tastes big and somewhat herbaceous if you sip it right after opening, but mellows into a rather boring, warm red wine if given the chance to touch some air. That’s not to say it tastes bad, merely that it makes this wine an over-expense when there are much cheaper Argentinean Malbecs that are more pleasing and complex than this wine. If you are taking a journey through the Anakena Wines as I am attempting to do you will still want to sample this wine, but I don’t think you will be keeping it around the house afterwards. This does not earn a recommendation from me unless you just want to try out a Chilean Malbec, all the rest of you purchase something else.

Anakena Wines

2008 Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills H3 Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington

Harmonious hues…Very dark red (nearly black) with a ruby red rim

Sensationally scented…Black currant, blackberry, molasses, cedar

Quintessentially quaffs…Quite some time ago I went on a Columbia Crest kick and picked up just about every red wine with their label on it. At the time I could only find the H3 Merlot at my local Costco which was a wonderful wine and opened my eyes to what a decent 10 dollar Merlot should taste like. This recently showed up at my local supermarket and I just had to give it a taste. I will be honest and admit that I didn’t have a lot of preconceptions about this wine. I knew going in that this is a relatively inexpensive wine (though it is at the mid-to-high range as far as Columbia Crest is concerned). That it might not rate that high against other wines at the 10-12 dollar price range. But most of all I expected this to be a rather straightforward but big, oaky Cabernet Sauvignon that would be pleasantly drinkable with just about any hearty foods. I was right on that last point though I would rate this a little higher than wines in the same price range. That being said; the review…The attack is interesting, layered and more complex than I would expect from a wine that only cost me 10 dollars. There are the obligatory blackberry and currant flavors, “sweeter” than I had expected but they are mixed with warm oak and minimal licorice flavors. Normally this mix would be a little cloying but the mid-palate comes on with a healthy dose of alcohol warmth and rather robust tannins that tone down the fruit and wood flavors of the attack. The mid-palate doesn’t last long; it soon fades into a medium length finish that again brings to mind blackberry and oak, and then adds raisin, plum, vanilla, tobacco and brown sugar. This makes for a pleasantly warm, full bodied wine with a medium finish and an aftertaste of grape skins, vanilla and tobacco. Honestly this wine has more going for it than I had given it credit for.

Overall, this is a good QPR. I want to rate this higher than good, but it’s not great it just doesn’t show the depth that a wine should show for it to be rated that high even when considering Quality-to-Price ratio. It is certainly a more complex red wine for the price; you won’t find many wines that are this layered for less than 15 dollars. But it’s also a pretty big, robust red; so you also won’t find a lot of people seeking out this wine. Those of you that enjoy these types of reds already have your favorites (though this should be considered if you are still looking or just want to try something new). I’d be interested to see how “wine snobs” would rate this if they came over for dinner and you served them the wine without telling them what it was. I would hazard a guess they would guess this was a 15 dollar Argentinean Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec or a 20 dollar California Zinfandel. But they’d probably enjoy the wine in and of itself. I recommend at least giving this a try if not keeping it in your cellar at all times.

Columbia Crest Winery

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

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

Revisiting an Old Friend in a New Vintage

2008 Trentatre Rosso (33.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33.3% Merlot, 33.4% Montepulciano), Italy

Color – Purple with a reddish rim

Nose – Dark brown sugar, plum, fresh pipe tobacco, gingerbread

Taste – While wandering the aisles of a Trader Joe’s that was not very close to my house I found the 2008 vintage of this wine and had to try it. Previously I’ve reviewed the 2007 and 2009 but the two closest Trader Joe’s to my house didn’t have the 2008. I’d read reviews of this vintage all of them calling this the vintage to get if you like this particular blend. On the one hand I was dubious that this would be that much better than the 2007. But on the other hand I just knew it had to be better than the 2009. I popped, poured, swirled, sniffed and sipped…and found out that if this isn’t my favorite vintage of this particular wine, it is the most balanced vintage. Let this get some air (20-30 minutes worked for me) and then take a nice swirl, sniff, sip and let the magic begin. The attack is much like the nose; dark fruit (mainly plum and cherry), brown sugar/molasses and baking spices. None of those flavors truly stand out; they merely blend together nicely and then fade into a beautifully mild-mannered mid-palate. The mid-palate really only features two things, but they work together in perfect harmony; firm tannins and tingly, biting alcohol. The alcohol lasts a little longer, staying as the mid-palate segues into the medium length finish. The tingle from the alcohol evades a long finish and mixes nicely with more fruit (plums again), berries (blackberry and maybe boysenberry) and then a mélange of tobacco, bittersweet chocolate, black pepper, dust and smoke. This is a full bodied wine, with a balanced attack, playful mid-palate and deep, dark finish. The aftertaste is one of burnt brown sugar, smoke and leather, which sounds quite harsh but in reality is extremely pleasing.

Overall, I still prefer the 2007 Trentatre Rosso over this slightly younger version. I admit this is the most balanced in flavor and texture, but it’s also a little more subdued (especially during the attack/mid-palate). The finish here is sumptuous and I would drink this wine if only to get to the finish, but the 2007 is the pick for me. This is still a good-to-great QPR (I challenge someone to recommend a 6 dollar bottle that is as complex or fulfilling as either the ‘07/’08 Trentatre Rosso. I don’t think it can be done); and would recommend this bottle over just about any other Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Malbec, Merlot, Shiraz or red blend out there at a comparable price point. Get this one if you can find it, preferably by the case.