2007 Fairvalley

2007 Fairvalley

Iron/rust, black fruit, oak, vanilla, and...what is that? Some kind of orchid on the nose?

A dente, rich, bright red strawberry and oak on the top end (a very present oaky vanilla), black cherry and plum on the back end and finish. Pretty one sided, but you could do worse with 10 dollars.

Tasting Tags: black cherry iron oak plum rust strawberry vanilla

2006 Thomas Henry Zinfandel

2006 Thomas Henry Zinfandel

Disastrous. Nose features a bit of stink, joyless berries, heavy alcohol, and air freshener.

Taste is simplistic red fruit, one-dimensional and thin, with zero finish; only the aftertaste of Benadryl. Aquafina has more complexity.

2006 Juno Cape Maidens Shiraz

2006 Juno Cape Maidens Shiraz

I've been undertaking a personal venture trying to find quality wines under or around $10.00 for folk like me who want to keep good wine in the house on the cheap. It's unfortunate that the first wine I've tasted out of the current batch might end up being the best out of all of them.

For a nine dollar wine to show this much complexity and quality is criminal - and gives hope to a person like me who's convinced that too much cheap, oversimplified shiraz chokes the entry-level market.

The nose masquerades like an old country classic with plenty of fertilizer and manure, offset by blitzy tannin with the prick of red fruit and vanilla.

Against all odds, the taste follows in quality suit. Fronted by dark fruit and strawberries, exotic shades like warm apple cider and canned mandarin oranges weave throughout, with oriental pepper kicking teeth at noon and into the evening. Oh, and call me crazy, but I get random waves of barbecue chicken glaze.

For wines this good I've often paid upwards of 250% of this bottle's price. This Shiraz remains a testament to broadening ones horizons, and not judging a wine by just the label or price tag.

Tasting Tags: apple cider dark fertilizer fruit mandarin manure oak orange oriental pepper red strawberries vanilla

2002 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2002 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The heralded Alexander Valley Silver Oak is a wine with a heavy handed rep - so there's some impressing to do. Alas, such things will not come to pass.

The nose is a real strong lead: a ring of strawberry and raspberry heavyweight boxers refereed by a ripe plum dripped in rubbing alcohol. It even seems like things are going well, that is until the ref calls the fight on account of an extremely sour cherry reporter jumping into the ring and knocking out both combatants with a folding chair - while oak, asparagus, and red onion look on at the finish.

Although this isn't the most terrible wine, for it's price point it's worth almost no entertainment. Unless you have a ridiculous amount of cash to blow on over-hyped Cab's (already a hatred of mine), keep on walkin' stranger.

Tasting Tags: asparagus cherry onion red sour strawberry

2004 Tenuta di Lilliano Chianti Classico

2004 Tenuta di Lilliano Chianti Classico

Exciting nose of strawberry and raspberry jam preserves and pure mineral-filled earth.

And the mouthfeel is not to disappoint. Supported by a real hardcore backbone of dirt (seriously, a lot of dirt), the wine bites with tannery flavors and boot leather, fine and aged meats on the midpalate, and tart asparagus rounding out the period on this very fine shot of a wine from downtown.

Honestly it's a real bargain steal amongst a collection of Chianti classicos that are not quite a bed of roses.

Tasting Tags: aged asparagus boot leather meat mineral raspberry strawberry tannery

2003 Pont d'Avignon Cotes du Rhone

2003 Pont d'Avignon Cotes du Rhone

The Pont d'Avignon comes off with the hubris it should. The nose is a vigorous aroma of aging vegetal-rot, coupled with cooked beats, green beans, and cured beef.
On the mouthfeel, the body is relatively light, and uncomplicated. Standard blackberries and strawberries make an appearance, with coffee grounds dancing about the edges. An interesting finish of brussel sprouts and petrol caps the general experience. This wine is moderately interesting - but considering it's price, and it's nature of being a lightweight fighter - isn't quite the experience one can purchase for this level of spending.

Tasting Tags: beans beats beef blackberry brussel cooked cured green petrol rot sprouts

2005 BenMarco Malbec

2005 BenMarco Malbec

This Malbec just pulled a Colorado Rockies sweep and won 20 of my last 21 sensory impulses.

The nose is astoundingly abound with the musk of aging meat and salt, fine prosciutto, chorizo, and very lush dark fruits. Mouthfeel is intense, pillared by coffee, cocoa, and white pepper, more meats, and presented in full with the blackest of black cherries and blackberries. The finish ends quickly with sour cherries and bell pepper. This is all you could really ask for in a Malbec, a wine that up until only recently in Argentina was consumed en masse with no regulated production. The finish disappears rather quickly, but does not detract terribly from the overall enjoyment of this wine - meaty and voluptuous.

Tasting Tags: blackberry cherry chorizo cocoa coffee pepper prosciutto salt sour white

NV Fonseca Porto Bin 27

NV Fonseca Porto Bin 27

Interesting nose consisting of boysenberry, and other dark fruit jams, a hint of ginger and peppermint, and a bit of that blueberry cake that came in the small blue boxes your mom used to stock up on (just add eggs and milk!).

Mouthfeel is quite obstinate, crowded by fruitcake, jello chocolate pudding, and a complete sideways tilt of just a hint of cedar. Unfortunately brings quite the overall idea of bathtub brewed cough-syrup.

Considering this is my first venture into port, I can't necessarily say this is a bad buy, but perhaps it's just better to save up the cash to purchase a fine vintage port for that special occasion.

Tasting Tags: blueberry boysenberry cake cedar chocolate fruitcake jam jello pudding

2003 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape

2003 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape

This is a wine to behold - a truly addictive nose of newly-tanned leather, tar, tobacco, petrol, and even a bit of manure. The mouthfeel is eclectic and excellent, delicate on the palate with flavors of hide, roasted game, spinach, and strawberry jam - finishing with a silky flourish of cigar smoke and dark chocolate - the unsweetened, barely sinless dark chocolate.

This is the ancient wine tradition, the good 'ole country, wrapped up in a bottle; a true steward of wines' ancient European court. A caveat: be sure to match this wine with lighter faire - as many a stalwart flavor could overpower the grace of this old fossil.

Tasting Tags: chocolate cigar hide leather manure petrol strawberry tar tobacco

2006 Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc

2006 Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Spy Valley's sauv blanc sports a fabulous mellow nose of grapefruit, cantaloupe, and of course...cat pee. Mouthfeel is delightfully subtle with exotic fruits, pineapple, melon, lemon and lime, with honeysuckle taking the crown on the mid-palate. Finish is gentle with the lingering acidity of oranges and other citrus fruits, with a bit of that lovely New Zealand mineral deposit.

Honestly the best sauv blanc I've had to date. Wonderfully crafted, both quaffable and enjoyable over time, and a definite recommendation. Hunt this down!

Tasting Tags: grapefruit honeysuckle lemon lime melon mineral pineapple