2009 Tikal Patriota (60% Bonarda/40% Malbec), Argentina

My Crystal Balls Shows…Rich, dark purple that barely fades to violet at the rim

After a Sniff or Three…Blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, vanilla

The Taste Forecast is…I just about jumped up and down with glee when I saw this at my local Costco for 17 dollars this past week. Previously I’ve only been able to find this wine at Total Wine and at a price range that was a little above that at 20 dollars.  Needless to say I didn’t hesitate to place this in my cart; the resulting shopping trip was a nightmare because I was so impatient to get home and crack open this wine. We finally reached the house; I quickly unloaded the groceries, helped my wife put them away and then uncorked this bottle. Let me first say that this bottle could double as a deadly weapon. It’s heavy, made of thick glass, with considerable width at the base. I have read many articles that also comment on the cost of bottle and labels that wineries choose for their wines; this one is seems to be in a bottle that is of a higher quality than most other red wines I’ve tried. After this had decanted for a good 30 minutes I couldn’t help myself and finally swirled, sniffed and sipped. The aromas coming off this wine are complex but they are also very fleeting, you have to search to untangle the scents because they blend together so well. On the first sip my palate was absolutely overwhelmed with massive flavors of black fruit, dark berries and savory herbs and spices. I sipped down the rest of my glass and let the bottle get some air overnight before I returned to see if it had mellowed any. My second glass went nearly as my first did; the wine had mellowed slightly but not much. So this wine is just going to be a HUGE, DEEP red wine. The attack is complex, with bold strawberry and blackberry flavors that fold into creamy vanilla which melts into what I can only describe as peppery, oaky leather. These flavors dissipate like smoke leaving a slightly cracked window into a mid-palate of pitch perfect alcohol heat and tannic astringency. The mid-palate is so smooth on this wine that is almost makes me want to say bad things about the attack and the finish; while those are both complex and pleasant the mid-palate is so extremely balanced and smooth that it almost seems to be invisible. Yet when you spend a few sips experiencing just the mid-palate; you find it isn’t invisible it is merely so evenhanded and silky that it doesn’t seem to exist amongst the massive flavors of the attack and the finish. Speaking of the finish, it’s long and luxurious. It brings back the blackberry, oak and vanilla flavors; then adds to them grape skins, bittersweet chocolate, coffee and anise. There is no doubt in my mind or palate this wine is a full bodied wine. It pours dark and thick in the glass, evinces aromas that are blended but very dark and tastes just as warm, dark and heavy as you would expect from any full bodied red wine.

Overall, this wine is right up my alley; a big, bold red wine. Actually describing this is a big and bold is doing it an injustice. This wine is enormous in flavor, amazing in complexity, varied in texture and superbly priced. Had I paid 25 dollars for this bottle I would rate it a Good-to-Great QPR, at 17 dollars it’s as if I committed highway robbery and got away with it. Don’t misunderstand me; this wine will only satisfy a small portion of the population, those of you that like really LARGE tasting/feeling wines. If you fall into that category, as do I, you will love this wine and hopefully agree with my descriptions. As it stands I plan to return to this wine soon and frequently while Costco still carries it. I also plan to cellar at least 2 bottles of this wine; I think it will hold up well to cellaring for quite some time. I highly recommend this wine; buy this now!

Tikal 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

2008 Kirkland Signature Series Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, California

*You may notice that I have changed my "style" of reviews to be just a little more amusing. I don't know if this will prove to annoy my readers or amuse them, but I wanted to enjoy writing my reviews a little bit more and this is one way where I have found more pleasure in writing. On to the review.*

The Nose Knows…Blackberry, forest floor, compost, pencil shavings

Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory…Dark red swirled with purplish-black notes

Taste a Rainbow of…Balanced fruit and berry characteristics (blackberry, black currant and plum) mixed with pepper and vanilla; nicely rounded tannins dance with subdued alcohol heat and astringency; finishes big, bold and pleasant with more blackberry/currant flavors, black pepper, oak, vanilla, licorice and wet soil.

Survey Says…This is a surprisingly pleasant wine that’s pretty darn close to my price limit ($17.99 at Costco). This bottle is my first foray into Stag’s Leap territory of any varietal. After I’d purchased this bottle I read a few reviews of the previous vintage of this wine and found ¾ of them rated this wine poorly. Perhaps they have more experience with Stag’s Leap wines in general because I don’t have any experience with them but I found this wine to be quite a pleasant drinking experience. It’s smooth and balanced with a nose that makes me want to sit and sniff it for hours on end. It didn’t need a lot of time to decant (though I gave it about an hour after sipping a very small glass straight after opening). It opened up a little after an hour and smoothed out just a hair more than it had been upon the initial pour. It’s safe to say you can enjoy this right after popping the cork. The attack is full of ripe blackberry, currant, black plum, vanilla creaminess and peppery tingles. The mid-palate shows off near perfect tannins, rather subdued heat and acidity from the alcohol and mild astringency that suits this wine just fine. The finish is big and bold, the berry/fruit flavors come back strong to be joined with black pepper, oak, vanilla, wet soil/forest floor, and lastly licorice that runs deep in this wine but comes on strong in the finish and aftertaste. This is a full-bodied wine with a long finish and a pleasant licorice-y aftertaste. Based on what I’m used to drinking this is way up there as far as quality goes; it’s so smooth and balanced it’s hard to believe I was drinking a 2008 vintage it seemed older and more aged. It is a little pricy as far as I’m concerned, but to my knowledge this is the least expensive Stag’s Leap AVA Cabernet Sauvignon you can purchase right now. If there is one at a lower price point I can’t find it in Arizona. That being said I would really only drink this on special occasions or if I had wine snooty friends over because I think this would pass their tests. I plan to cellar a bottle of this for a later date just to see how well it ages, but it’s not going to be an everyday or even every month bottle for me. Despite not being an everyday bottle it still gets gets a good Quality-to-Price Ratio and a passing grade. Let me know what your palate says about this wine.

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

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 Domaine Du Riaz Cote-De-Brouilly, France

Color – Very dark purple

Nose – Strawberry, blueberry, flowers, leaves, bubblegum?

Taste – Again I’ve come back to sample another Beaujolais Cru, this one a Cote de Brouilly that sells for 15 dollars at Total Wine. I didn’t rely on the advice of a member of their staff but read through their offerings and randomly chose this wine. All of Total Wine’s Beaujolais Cru’s are between 13 and 20 dollars, and of those most are rated 90 points by one of the “Wine Journals”. This particular wine is rated 90 or 91 from one such magazine. First off the wine is definitely good. It has wonderful depth of flavor from the beginnings of the first sip. I can taste strawberry, grass, dirt, lavender, dandelion, sage and salt. These flavors simply edge into a mid-palate of perfect alcohol tingle mixed with some sour berry flavors and intense astringency. The finish is medium-to-long and made up mainly of leftover sour berries, salt, floral undertones, and of all things grape. I hesitate to call this wine complex, the flavors are diverse, but the wine itself doesn’t feel complex. It is medium bodied and the aftertaste is pleasantly cherry and grape-ish. But the wine seems a little watery, without any real weight. The astringency is just a little over the top, though the alcohol and sour berries are perfect. I began this wine liking it, but by the end of the bottle this particular bottle of Gamay grapes had soured on me.

Overall, this is an OK QPR, certainly a good wine for the price. Are there better examples of this wine? You bet, and quite a few are much cheaper. I’d take a bottle of Georges Du Beouf Beaujolais-Villages or Morgon Flower Label over this wine and both of those are cheaper. This wine has too much going on and not enough connecting all the dots. The flavors taste great and are the only saving grace for this wine, but it’s not enough for me to buy it again. I’d say pass on this one.