2004 Guenoc Petite Sirah 2004

2004 Guenoc Petite Sirah 2004

Dark Purple color and nice nose of brambly fruit. Reminds me of a red Zinfandel. Palate is about what you'd expect - black fruit, minimal tannins and acidity. One dimensional but enjoyable, cheap and low alcohol all recommend it for an every day red.

Tasting Tags: day every

2000 Argyle Reserve Pinot Noir

2000 Argyle Reserve Pinot Noir

Tasted Oct 2006. Decanted about an hour before tasting. Light color with no browning. Nose of candied cherry fruit is quite pronounced, almost like a young OR pinot. Unfortunately, very little taste of fruit remains in the wine. Acidity is pronounced giving the remaining fruit a sour zing.

Tasting Tags: cherry sour

2004 Aaku 2004 Shiraz

2004 Aaku 2004 Shiraz

Tasted Oct 2006. Deep red color, correct shiraz nose. Nice berry flavors of medium length. Minimal tannins. Dry with no sweetness beyond the fruit. Excellent for $7/btl.

2001 Mas Doix "Salanques"

2001 Mas Doix "Salanques"

Tasted Oct 2006. Dark red color. Red fruit nose. Extremely tannic and drying, but red fruit comes through for a long finish. Needs more time time in bottle for the tannins to soften. Try again in three years.

2001 Mas de Gourgonnier 'Reserve du Mas'

2001 Mas de Gourgonnier 'Reserve du Mas'

Tasted Sept 2006. Beautiful deep purple-red color. Nose has red fruit with a trace of herb. The palate is a bit short, but nice dark fruit flavors. Medium bodied. Syrah in the nose, but grenache on the palate. Acidity is drying. A good food wine.

Tasting Tags: organic provence syrah

1999 Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Real

1999 Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon Casa Real

Wow! Tasted Sept 2006. Wine in fine shape. Garnet color. No significant sediment. Exuberant black cherry and floral (geranium?) nose that persisted 5 hours after opening/decanting. The nose is more powerful than the flavors in the glass. Aged cabernet flavors of tobacco and cedar. Tannins are fine, probably low to begin with, and the acidity is balanced to the flavors. Very drinkable.
Picked this up as a $15 close-out.

Tasting Tags: aged cabernet soft

2005 Château Ducasse blanc

2005 Château Ducasse blanc

Clear yellow color, light, citrusy nose and a zing of acidity on the palate - not the sourness so often encountered in less expensive dry wines. Light white fruit flavors. Dry and no oak. A lovely, enjoyable wine. I bought some more and will share it with friends.

Tasting Tags: blanc bordeuax citrus

2000 Domaine du Gros Noré rouge

2000 Domaine du Gros Noré rouge

Tasted Sept 2006. Decanted about half an hour. Dark red color, no purple. Nice blackberry nose. Good black fruit flavors, but a bit hollow on the mid palate. Acidity is present but not sour. Tannins are light. Very enjoyable. It would be fun to try a more recent release.

2004 Target Wine Cube - California Red

2004 Target Wine Cube - California Red

Lovely, red/black fruit nose, but (horror) sweet. Yech. No oak. Tannins? Can't find'em. Would have been so great (4 stars) if it wasn't sweet! I guess you could sip it after dinner...
Get the Cab/Shiraz blend if you have to buy something while you're in the store.

Tasting Tags: berry cheap

2000 Domaine du Mas Blanc "Clos du Moulin"

2000 Domaine du Mas Blanc "Clos du Moulin"

Tasted Sept 2006. Decanted about an hour before initial taste. The cork was fine, but wine a bit cloudy. No sediment. Dark red color. Great blackberry nose that persisted several hours after opening. Good fruit on the palate, but not strong. Acidity a but sour and persist longer than the fruit. No significant tannins. For what it cost, I'd skip in the future.