ON THE NOSE:

This nose is not overly generous at first, to be sure, but does offer some cherry and tobacco, some graphite and clay, as well as cream and a hint of bad breath. As it blossoms it adds a richer sense of plum and raisin in a dusty kind of way, so like many other Spanish wines. And you know what? We take simple pleasure in that! This isn’t the most elaborate nose, nor the most concentrated, nor, either, the most pronounced, but it is certainly well worth sticking your nose into, and after our Menguante Roble Tempranillo fiasco, we’ll TAKE this baby! . . . . . . . .
ON THE PALATE:

Nice classic Spanish Tempranillo profile coming through, although a bit on the watery side. Nice fruit here, the ubiquitous cherry, but also other fruits such as raspberry, and perhaps even some plum. Some sexy spice here too, and also a green herb component that is rather intriguing, all coupled with an earthiness that makes this wine more special than it may otherwise be. This is not a very complex wine, however, but it does stand on its own as what it is, making no claim to be something other, which we appreciate. If breathing in enough air while drinking, something Darcey and I now do regularly, one can find a satisfying amount of tannin here coupled with what to us is a well-balanced acidity. A mineral and clay finish completes the experience, but it doesn’t linger terribly long. This wine, we have to say, is exactly worth the $11 we paid for it, which is … well … OK! What we always hope for, of course, is the grand exceptional value, like our favorite Bodegas Tintoralba Crianza 2000 (of which we are unable to locate more, we’re so sorry to say), but that is part of the fun and excitement of trying new wines. This one is a good value as it offers something nice and very drinkable for just $11.

ON THE NOSE:

Crappy sour-cherry nose with tons of fake sweetness followed by a chemical aspect that is not at all enjoyable. . . . . .
ON THE PALATE:

This stuff is awful. . . . . .
Perhaps the bottle was bad? . . . . .

Perhaps the wine is bad! . . . . .

No further words are needed, except: Don't waste your money! . . . . . Sorry!

ON THE NOSE:

Yummy vanilla here, but with a twist: vanilla-pine! This nose is meaty, like a charbroiled steak. There is bacon fat here. There is spice, and oregano. Fresh blond tobacco comes through, and there is fruit here too, fruit soup, primary and secondary fruit. Nectarine flavor pops out too, and so much, and coupled with a rich, creamy aspect that reminds one of a Creamsicle. . . .

This is a fine nose. When you first stick your nose in the glass there is a gauze aroma, and a hint of freshly-laundered bed sheets, when you just jump under the covers, preferably with a friend. . . . . . . .
ON THE PALATE:

Upon opening there is some kind of wall in the back palate that is roaring with some kind of promise of what is to come, but it is stating emphatically that we MUST be patient. OK, we can take a hint! . . . . .

Once this beauty opens up it offers quite a bit indeed: deep, rich and vibrant fruit! Raspberries, both fresh and cooked and, yeah, OK, cherries too – ubiquitous, extant here. A very nice acidic attack that explodes on the uptake, then settles to a rewarding, luscious mouthfeel that hinges on a subtle, thick, whipped-cream aspect where there is not necessarily an abundance of flavor but rather an obvious cream sensation. As “wine first” imbibers Darcey and I like this aspect quite a bit. This wine is very real in this way. Yeah, there is a lot of fruit here, to be sure, but also other nuance that round out the experience in a profound manner. There is no question that this decadent offering should be regarded as jammy, but it is not cloyingly sweet, or fake sweet, it is GROWN-UP, tamed, softened, like it’s too tired to fight back and has retired to its sublimity. Hey, we’ll take that! This is what breaking out of the $12 range can buy you, and I’d rather have one bottle of this great juice than two of some inferior liquid. . . . . .

After some more time in our studio’s environment this wine becomes more yielding. The tannins here are beautiful that respond quite politely to the acidic zeal, which is never out of balance. This is soft and supple wine, more like a lazy ride in the country in the ’68 Benz as opposed to a Chevy SS charging its way down Main Street on Saturday night! Now the attack is more subtle followed by a brief waiting period … … … then the acidic explosion that keeps rising, on up into the nostrils. Not all wine does this, of course, and it is something I look for; I am not speaking of mere retronasal olfaction here, but a distinct tickle in the nose, similar to what one might experience from a carbonated beverage, but unique in its quality. This acidic burst recedes wonderfully slowly into a roundness that leisurely drips to the gums, not coating them, but offering a silky, French clay, slightly chalky, beautifully dry, elegant, mature astringent hint of a dream. . . . . .

Can you tell that we like this stuff? . . . . .

Yes, this wine is good! . . . . .

The finish is, interestingly, moist and reminds me of sucking on a grape popsicle. The complexity of the finish is enticing, making me furrow my brows in contemplation, wondering what is there, deciding how to describe it. Sometimes I can’t find the words [NOTE: I should have come up with more about the finish here, but I was in a state of bliss, ergo lazy]. . . . . .

After four-and-a-half hours, and not drinking for 45-minutes, the mid-palate turns a bit watery and it becomes much more important to bring air into the mouth and swish the wine around the cheeks and gums. This concept is ULTRA important, paramount – I believe people should literally be taught how to drink wine in this way! With practice one can do this without drooling and without choking (having it “go down the wrong pipe”), resulting in a far richer appreciation of what a wine truly has to offer, which is, after all, only fair to all the hard work winemakers put into developing these incredible wines, these works of art, and on occasion, a masterpiece! . . . . .

The 2002 Taz Syrah is one wine not to be missed! Good job!

ON THE NOSE:

Darcey opened this bottle an hour-and-a-half before I got home, but even then it didn’t have much of a nose to speak of. Some light floral notes, some new-belt leather, or a plastic/leather belt, but very faint. A bit later some cranberry, brown sugar, raspberry begin to emanate, but more from the residuals in the glass than from the wine itself. . . . .

I want to believe that there’s more here. As more time passes there are points of aroma that radiate from this juice: sugar and mint leaves, but again, quite faint. There is also a hint of sarsaparilla, but nothing here boasts, all is subtle peace on earth and goodwill toward women. Ultimately one would have to classify this nose as muted. . . . .

Much later there is some added spice and clay. . . . . . . . . .
ON THE PALATE:

As presaged by the nose there is not much at first on the palate. The structure is sound, however, with a great tannic backbone balanced perfectly by a harmonious acidity, but not much in the way of flavor. Early on we must admit that we’re not finding much here to crow about, but, aside from a decidedly weak flavor profile, we also have to admit that we don’t have many complaints either. WAIT A MINUTE! There should be more on the palate than this, so we DO indeed wish to lodge a complaint! Is this bottle perhaps slightly corked? There is, however, thankfully, something here on the finish: well-cooked cranberries and also some strawberry. An odd sensation at the back of the throat, like the wine has lined the top of the esophagus, or more like “ringed” around it, leaving the hole of the throat open and untouched. It’s hard to describe, I suppose, but there it is. One thing I can say here is that this is REAL wine! There is a pure, clean mouthfeel to this wine, like drinking nice cold water on a steamy summer afternoon, sitting in the shade, listening to the bugs. The acidity is bright, leading me to believe that this would be a very good food wine. On its own, however, even after six hours this wine just doesn’t offer enough, not on the nose, and not on the palate. This is s shame, too, because it promises so very much, but, alas, does not deliver. . . . . .

A mattress! This wine tastes like a bare spring-mattress when you turn it over, with that dusty, slightly musty, fabric! Again, cranberries, here poured over dusty rocks. To me this appears to be a very well-made wine in a poor year. Was this particular bottle perhaps a little spoiled? It could have been!

ON THE NOSE:Departing from our usual ritual of sipping a wine from the time of popping onward, today we opened this wine early and left it alone for 4 hours before commencing consumption. In all frankness I prefer the way we normally taste as it likely more represents what an average wine drinker will experience, for who can honestly open a bottle of wine without affording it a preliminary swirl, smell, and sip? . . . . . .

Whatever the case, this fine day we allowed this French candidate to breathe openly in a decanter. Was it worth it? On the nose: Yes. This is an extremely attractive nose, people, that yet again proves that those French truly know how to make good wine. This is a floral bouquet with subtle pastels, a small clean tobacco box, ocean spray splashing on a cream topping covering some small red and blue berries, some black cherry, with vanilla added while smelling clothes freshly placed on the line with a spring breeze blowing through it all. You look down at the ocean below you, at the dairy bucket in your hands carrying the berries you picked on the way back to the house. The sun is just right, that perfect time an hour before dusk, and life, it seems right now, at least, can be good, for it’s been a week since you’ve listened to the news, and you just don’t care what George W. and his crooked cronies are doing anymore, for to you, now, the meaning of your life must be established by you and yours, each day, wringing the most from what you have and honoring the people and things around you. This is you. You are home in your head, in your being, you are centered, and you adore that this wine is not an overpowering fruit-bomb, nor a stinky old French pair of socks stuck in the damp, verdant earth, no sir, no ma’am, this is pretty, fair, balanced, pleasant; this wine reflects your ability to transcend the bullshit of everyday, the realities of so many, the trend and plight of our culture, slowly but surely running itself aground. In short, this wine smells good. . . . . . . . . .
ON THE PALATE:

The subtleties of the nose don’t quite carry through to the palate, all in all, but there are nice things to say. A muted attack is followed by a vibrant acidity that races to the top of the palate before the more interesting flavors develop below, a dance in the mouth that encourages us to keep up this pastime of wine-tasting, this beauty that we afford ourselves. If you just swallow the wine at this point you get some nice dry puckering on the lips, and a mellow yet satisfying finish that lingers, but doesn’t pester. Do take the opportunity, however, to swish the liquid around in your mouth first, let in some air (who the hell cares what it looks or sounds like, this is an EXPERIENCE!), and let this elixir grace your palate with all it has to offer, whatever that may be. Here, with this Cuvée Viva, you get much more fruit this way, and some excellent, smooth, focused tannins; all of this is missed if you simply swallow! There is some orange zest thrown in the mix, and the little berries, red and blue, are still there, dancing and joyous. And the dairy aspect, the cream, is luscious and desirable, forcing us to like this wine more and more with each new pour. . . . . .

This is a relatively simple wine, however, that reminds us somewhat of the 2003 La Fleur de Boüard that we liked so much, yet this one doesn’t quite have the structure to compare, nor the complexity, but it is still a very nice effort, and worth what we paid, especially given the dollar/Euro exchange rate right now (a rate that is giving the Europeans a good opportunity to head to the United States of Northern America and have their dollar go far indeed). We can’t escape the fact, however, that the longer this wine is open the more it offers, so maybe there is more on the horizon? . . . Uh, maybe not, either. We are not astounded by the tastes, lacking much of those secondary and tertiary flavors, but we are pleased as punch concerning the balance, the nose, and the overall elegance this wine exhibits. It does have a watery quality toward the front of the palate, just before the acidic burst, but I wouldn’t call it flabby as it holds together nicely elsewhere. It is interesting that it is neither too fruity nor too earthy/funky, and in that way perhaps it lacks a certain identity, and that is, after all, bothersome. Hell, though, maybe that, too, is unfair. Perhaps we should call it what it is: a very nice 89-point French wine that does its job simply, if not ecstatically, with a fine structure, if not opulent, and with some nice accents, while not approaching hedonism. Many nice things to say, but not quite enough nice things; it feels like it ought to offer more. On the plus side, there aren’t many bad things to mention either, except that this wine really ought to be more. In short, dead-holed at 89-points, but worth every one of those!

ON THE NOSE:

Fruit, fruit, and nothing but fruit. Black currants and dark cherry reside on the nose, and really, folks, not much else. A nice nose, not unpleasant, just not complex as it offers jammy fruit that really just smells like, well, jam. As it opened up it offered more of the same, never changing much, never offering more than fruit. Fruit isn’t bad, just one-dimensional. . . . . . . . . .
ON THE PALATE:

No surprises here ladies and gentlemen, for this wine does one thing and one thing only: it offers fruit on the nose, fruit on the palate, and fruit on the finish. Definitely some of that fake fruity sweetness here, like eating jam from a jar, but not really, REALLY good jam, more the commercial stuff whose second ingredient is corn syrup. This, my friends, is a fruit-bomb, and not worthy of further words. It was pleasant for what it was, and we didn’t mind drinking it, but it is not what we look for in good wine, or even good wine values. Again, mind you, it isn’t bad wine! On the plus side it does have some structure, and while it doesn’t have a very good tannic backbone it does offer a decent acidity that keeps us drinking it. We did decant this bottle because it was rather late in the evening already and we wanted all we could from what this wine had to offer as soon as possible, and I must say that the structure improved over time even if the actual flavor profile never did get beyond the fruit. . . .

This Shiraz was a closeout at our local wine merchant for about $11, and I can’t imagine it ever actually costing more, but, of course, it is from California, which seems to be the land that will charge you more if it thinks it can get it. Unfortunately people do buy it, and that keeps them raising their prices. I am often amazed that I can find far, far better values in wines from Spain, Portugal, Argentina, New Zealand, and even Chile (if selective, of course), but I must spend more dollars when I want to buy a wine from our own shores. That is just plain stupid. . . .

This wine is a pass! However, I did just search the web for this wine and read that this wine can be had for as little as $3.99 at Trader Joe’s, which makes me wonder just who made so much money offering it as a “closeout” for $10.95!!! That’s only $1 below retail! I feel cheated. At $3.99 I might have a few of these around for quaffing, but at $11 it is a major pazz. Actually, this wine kind of SUX.

OK, we admit that Monastrell is not our favorite variety of red wine; even when it is part of a blend we tend to shy away. Still, I bought this wine as part of my last case because Gary Vaynerchuk said it was good, and sometimes that’s good enough for us to give a new wine a try. Plus I always try to add something into a case that will stretch our wine boundaries. I found it interesting to note that it has recently been found that Monastrell is no longer believed to be the same as the French Mourvèdre grape. I quote from Wikipedia, December 17, 2007: “Monastrell was believed to be a Spanish synonym for Mourvèdre, but DNA fingerprinting has shown that Monastrell is in fact the Graciano of Rioja. Considerable confusion has resulted.” . . . . . . . . .
ON THE NOSE:

Yeah, this is a Monatsrell, with a typical sour cherry nose and a pungent chemical overtone. This one has some nice vanilla and a slight cream aroma, sort of like a Pinot Noir, but besides these pleasantries the nose is not very enjoyable to us; ick! I’m so happy that Darcey agrees with me on this wine variety! . . . . . . . . .
ON THE PALATE:

Although this Monastrell does get better with time, it ultimately lets us down, and Darcey even gets a bit annoyed that I would try yet another Monastrell after us not liking any we have tried in the past. It is too sour, basically, for our tastes, and this one cannot escape that “cheap” wine flavor profile. For us this is a major pass, and on this our tastes do indeed diverge from Gary Vaynerchuk. Simply not pleasant, not complex, and not worth the money, in our opinion. To be fair this variety is simply not our cup of tea! EVEN STILL, either this bottle was spoiled a little (I don't think it was, though) or else it is simply not a very good wine; we think the latter. Maybe it's just us!

ON THE NOSE:

We purchased this wine after watching Gary Vaynerchuk’s review (WLTV episode 200), and we must admit that we agree with him on most of what this wonderful little wine has to offer. . . . . .

There is quite a bit of concentrated fruit on the nose with something else surrounding it … ah, the tangerine that Gary talked about, yes GV, that’s it! There is a lot of splendid charcoal here, as well as quite a bit of black pepper, not freshly ground black pepper, but the commercial pre-ground type. You have to pull the bouquet into you, almost chew the aroma. Each new pour is a treat to the nose: rotten cream, butterscotch candy, perfect black licorice, toast. This is a VERY nice nose, dear reader, and before we allow a drop to traverse our lips we have our eyebrows raised quite high indeed. . . . . . . . . .
ON THE PALATE:

The mouthfeel is light, much lighter than anticipated, but it is still very satisfying. Very polished, this wine has no harshness and no cloying sweetness at all. Fruit-forward is an obvious thing to say here, yet I don’t quite agree with GV that this is a “palate destroyer!” The mid-palate is very “fresh,” like flushing the mouth and cheeks with fresh pond-water. The licorice comes through in an obvious way, and REAL licorice, not the fake sweet kind you used to have as a kid, but rather the Panda licorice you find at the health-food stores. The fruit certainly is, as Gary Vaynerchuk noted, black currant and intense blueberries; this is definitely jammy, but again, not cloying. The finish is very long and full of fruit as well. . . . . .

This wine is immediately drinkable, which is nice to know if you need something that shows well just after popping. Again, we feel the need to point out the light body, but there is something about it that is very likable. At first I didn’t really like this wine, however, and made a note about it being disjointed, but as I sat with it I slowly realized just how good it was – Darcey knew it was good right from the start; I have learned to trust her palate even more than my own, though we rarely disagree and are SO LUCKY to have dramatically similar tastes. This excellent offering is rather understated, and is very elegant in that way, like a woman who really knows how to dress. At times, just at times, it reminds us of the Rhone with the earth and the dirt – alligator skin! All in all a very pleasant evening with a high quality wine that we are extremely pleased with, especially given the price. While not cheap, we got this baby on sale (I believe we got the very last bottle!) at the Wine Library for $27, but this little gem was well worth those extremely hard-earned North American dollars. Darcey and I totally agree with GV on the rating as well: a solid 91 pointer! We would both drink and buy this wine again.

ON THE NOSE:

Yeah, you know, some nice dark cherry here, ripe plum, dust and smoke, tobacco, coffee, and later some nice chocolate and some eggnog aspects; all in all this is a very, very nice nose. This smells like a decent quality Cab – classic, typical, yet nothing to make it stand out from the crowd. . . . . . . . . .
ON THE PALATE:

Cherry, some pencil lead, nice and dry, good tannins, though not over the top. Nothing is over the top. There is oak here too, and thankfully that is not over the top either. Somewhat refined, but something about this wine simply refuses to stand up and ask one to notice it. It’s good. It’s pleasant. It’s boring. It is relatively one-dimensional. The nose is wonderful, better than the actual palate, which is a little sour for our tastes. Again, this a nice Cab, but nothing outstanding, and perhaps worth $20, not $36. As the night moves on this wine actually loses some focus as opposed to gaining complexity, although a nice plum characteristic is evident that was only in the nose earlier. This was admittedly a grocery-store buy, one of their top-shelf selections. Once more: pleasant, certainly not objectionable, pretty nose, uneventful!

ON THE NOSE: Shampoo, some sour cherry, green pepper, kerosene and just a hint of cream in the back. Actually this wine smells like something between a cheap Monastrell and a cheap Chianti to me. Neither Darcey nor I particularly like this nose at its first pour. We have decanted the bottle and we’re hoping that with time it will improve. . . .

We have to report that several hours later the nose has not improved markedly, although there is a touch more fruit here, and a smidgeon more sweetness; I also smell something akin to tiger lilies, but we find we are simply not impressed with this nose, not at all! . . . . . . . . .
ON THE PALATE: This Merlot tastes, at first, a lot like what it smells like at first; not that great. I would never guess that this is a Merlot if I were to taste it blind. After a weak attack I get an acidic punch of soap and chemicals: YUK! The finish is extremely soapy, and I know that it is not the glass I am using because I carefully wash each glass ONLY with hot water and rinse with fresh spring water, then hang upside-down in a rack. I am not feeling this wine. I think we’d best give it a couple of hours before going back, but that sucks because we really want to sip it now. Hardly ever have we had a GOOD wine that we couldn’t enjoy right out of the bottle; the only wine that comes to mind that was not immediately drinkable but ended up being pretty darned good was the Pieve Del Vescovo Lucciaio Vendemmia 2002, which was only approachable after three or more hours. . . .

OK … we’ll wait and see . . . .

Several hours later the nose has only slightly improved, but the palate has not. The finish is simply awful. How can anybody consciously release a wine as bad as this at this price? At $6 I would not be complaining quite as much, perhaps, but then again I would likely not have bought it. If this is the quality of wine that you can produce in Long Island, and this is the price you must charge to make a profit, then you are clearly in the wrong business. Your land would be better used to plant organic vegetables for the local restaurants, or some other benevolent exploit, but not Merlot grapes. Sorry guys, but this wine is terrible. I like it only slightly better than the “Protocolo Red” I was forced to try once ($6); I mean, I am continuing to drink it, but largely only because I keep waiting for it to show me something more than this. But I don’t think there’s anything here to show, ergo nothing to wait for. . . .

Another hour-and-a-half and there is some perfume that is starting to mask the chemical smell, and sometimes the smell is not objectionable, but that is not what one wants form a wine: an occasional OK aroma. We do not like this wine; this wine sucks, in all honesty. And that is all that needs to be said. Do not drink this beverage, and if you do, do not confuse it with good, actual wine; it is best to consider it an experiment by those who wish they could make good wine. If this winery wishes for us to give a second opinion, or to try another offering, we are open, but please do not sell this liquid to the general public and call it wine!