2007 Little Penguin Cabernet

2007 Little Penguin Cabernet

Yesss! Good. Cheap. Wine. First notes are borderline SUCK, by the way...but after letting the glass open up a bit - 15 minutes - dang! Nice wine! Very, very heavy on the fruit - finish is more Pinot-ish, but this is cheap wine. Don't expect true Cabernet finish. Geez - it's like the people who bought the Yugo "sport" version and were pissed it didn't corner like a 930. But...this Little Penguin Cab may be Yugo priced but it sure approaches Porsche performance. Tonight, I enjoyed this wine with (drum roll) Tacos! Heavy on the Jalepeno and Onion...brilliant. I'd easily pour this for any crowd on the deck - only hold the bottle back in case some of the poseurs check the label...dang them anyway, they wouldn't know a Porsche from a Pinto.

2006 Fish Eye Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Fish Eye Cabernet Sauvignon

BLECH! No...more like blech. I was just angry for not feeling like I got a better deal at $4 a bottle. I mean - $4 a bottle should be good for just about any wine, right? Well...not here. "Sale $3.99 - regular price $7.99" Sheesh. They're smoking crack between mouthfuls of vodka if the pricing moguls ever thought anyone'd ever pay full price twice for Fish Eye. Anyway, first notes? Alcohol, tinged with current. Mid notes hint of grape and actually promise something good, then the finish leaves a kind of Sour Jolly Rancher™ tang that just isn't good. Why go on? I wouldn't recommend this wine save for cooking - and then, I think it's hearty enough to tenderize steak or pot roast. Onions, potatoes, carrots...bay leaf...horseradish on the side...ok. But as a drinking wine? Blech.

Tasting Tags: yuck

2007 Natura 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Natura 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Do grapes care if they're Organic or not? Dunno. They ferment, make wine, that's good enough for me. Maybe not for you. Dunno. But, I will tell you this...2007 was a "blah" year for organic grapes in Chile. Natura's Cab is fruit forward. Bouquet, however is Plonk-forward...if you were in a taste&spit, the nose wouldn't let you get to the fruit, which is too bad because this Cab IS pleasantly "fruity." Mid notes and finish are ok enough - expect a little bit of Cab furriness, some tart towards the end...but the main selling point of this good-not-very-good wine is that it's organic. This Natura is not complex like some Cabs - in fact, it's rather much like a Temperanillo. As for food pairings...ya know, this is wine. Wine-wine. I'd serve it with burgers, spaghetti, t-bones...it's really not a bad wine but I can't say it's an OMG! like Xanadu, Silver Palm or even certain Bogle wines. Buy it for its Organic-ness.

2001 Xanadu Franklin River Shiraz

2001 Xanadu Franklin River Shiraz

Sweet jimminy, I needed something to go my way today and wow...it did! A local wine shop had this lonely bottle of Xanadu Shiraz on the uber-discount of $4. Feeling the need to write something in the blog, I took the opportunity, walked away and expected utter plonk - fodder to get creative on a scathing wine review. O. M. G. I just STOLE an amazing bottle of vino! Evidently, the Xanadu/Franklin River company went through some intrigue and there's an amount of this wine floating out there...for around $10 a bottle; buy it! Bouquet is warm and fruity - expect a little of that back-nose tang that says, "This is good stuff." First notes promise heavy blueberries and dang, the promise is GOOD! Man...it's like sniffin' muffins at the bakery! Gawd, could a wine be THAT fruity?! YESS! Full, whole - like...blueberry steak! Gasping in shock?! Honey, don't you dare knock it 'till you've tried it. If Ruth's Chris offers blueberry Filet's, I'm game cuz'of this stuff. Finish is niiiice - smooth, no hint of bark or bite from this mellow shiraz...of course, it's an '01 and that has to account for something. There's no flaw in this wine at $15/bottle...and at the $4 price, it's perfect (and may you get the same deal, too). However, if you come across the market price of $20-25 a bottle, you'll get what you pay for. Food pairings - don't settle for anything less than a big, thick, medium rare steak and heavy greens. Follow it up with a great cigar and you're living large. Overall? Good pour, those Xanadu-ians. Good pour!

2006 Louis M Martini Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Louis M Martini Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, if anyone needs proof that wine needs to "breathe" before drinking, buy this bottle. Freshly uncorked, I was struck by how utterly plonky this stuff was - bright alcohol and tinny bouquet made my nose think I was sniffing carpet cleaner. My first thought was that I had a skunked bottle. But, decanting a splash and giving it a few minutes, the bouquet unpacked beautifully! First tastes were very soft for a Cab - a surprising lack of Fur; thought for a minute I was drinking a Pinot! After 15 minutes of being allowed to really open up, this Cabernet turned into one of the softest, mellowest Cabs I've ever had - and it was quite GOOD! Not a lot of oak or heaviness - the finish was easy and sweet. Brilliant wine - definitely a good wine for newbies. I'd pair it with just about anything...except eggs (what wine goes well with eggs?!?) I wouldn't drink it with Cap'n Crunch cereal either...but then again, could you imagine a Cabernet with the Cap'n?! BLECH! Anyway, the Louis Martini Cab is a solid all-round wine. At $12, I think it's about $5 off - if you see it for $8, buy a case. This is one of the few wines I've had of late that I truly look forward to having again...just don't forget to decant and let breathe.

2004 Osborne Solaz Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon

2004 Osborne Solaz Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon

Big wine for such a cheap price. Bouquet is fairly crude - first pour is rough, almost vermouthy (new word!). But after a little breathing, this wine mellows quickly. Lots of berry, tannin - for some reason, I think of that big fat ogre-guy in the Harry Potter movies. This'd be wine he'd drink then smack his lips and say, "Arrrgh." First notes are even, nice - mid notes really bring out the berry, but the finish is too heavy for a wine to enjoy alone. Food is essential with Osborne Solaz and I'd be sure to include bread or crackers with that to soak up the cab-ishness. I wish I knew more about this wine and its vintage so a better comparison could be made. However, I'd say this wine is very much comparable to a stout cab and you'll end up drinking it because A. you like the logo (black bull) or B. you're cheap and got a good deal or C. this was a gift. However, DEFINITELY LET THIS STUFF BREATHE before drinking. Just as I'm writing this, my 20min-old glass is improving...

2004 Osborne Solaz (Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon)

2004 Osborne Solaz (Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon)

Big wine for such a cheap price. Bouquet is fairly crude - first pour is rough, almost vermouthy (new word!). But after a little breathing, this wine mellows quickly. Lots of berry, tannin - for some reason, I think of that big fat ogre-guy in the Harry Potter movies. This'd be wine he'd drink then smack his lips and say, "Arrrgh." First notes are even, nice - mid notes really bring out the berry, but the finish is too heavy for a wine to enjoy alone. Food is essential with Osborne Solaz and I'd be sure to include bread or crackers with that to soak up the cab-ishness. I wish I knew more about this wine and its vintage so a better comparison could be made. However, I'd say this wine is very much comparable to a stout cab and you'll end up drinking it because A. you like the logo (black bull) or B. you're cheap and got a good deal or C. this was a gift. However, DEFINITELY LET THIS STUFF BREATHE before drinking. Just as I'm writing this, my 20min-old glass is improving...

2006 Paul Jaboulet Aine Parallele 45

2006 Paul Jaboulet Aine Parallele 45

This bottle was given as a gift. And, I'm glad we took the time to decant it - out of the bottle, the bouquet is shockingly warm and sweet, but first and fore notes are bitter - more heavy cab than they should be for a wine that's part grenache. After an hour, however, the finish dramatically mellows, leaving a table wine that's sweet, a little fuzzy and perfect for fruity desserts or lively flavors such as salads or tangy cheeses (i.e. swiss). I'd pair this wine with light fare - it's not a heavy garlic or meat wine. In fact, garlic will be heavy-handed; kind of like inviting a great heavy metal band to play at your son's graduation; you find yourself wanting to support one or the other, but not both. This wine is meant for spring nights on the deck, with fruit bowls, canapes and tortes. Avoid heavy milk/creams like cheddars or sour cream or yoghurt as they'll bring out a heaviness in the wine that leaves you wanting to wash your mouth out with...Sprite. You laughin at that?! Ha! Try it yourself! Then call me kooky! :)

2006 Bogle Merlot

2006 Bogle Merlot

Mmmmm. Ok. This merlot feels (yes feels) like a little Merlot that wants to be a big Merlot someday...but today, it's just a little Merlot with a lot of p*ss and vinegar. Bouquet is tinny and strong - heavy on berry and some other woodsy scent more like fresh-cut pine than Oak. (Huh?!) First notes are strong - way too much bite for a Merlot, but the fore notes are very pleasant, fairly begging to be followed by food. Finish is solid - plenty of "good wine fuzz". I think Bogle has a far better Petite Syrah than Merlot, but...nothing to be ashamed over. I paid 7 for this bottle and consider it about right. I wouldn't call Bogle's 06 Merlot a good sipping wine - needs food - and that's because of a lack of mid-notes. This Merlot is either full or thin, depending upon how it sits on your palate. Pair this wine with heavy burgers (buffalo!) or thick, pungent cheeses. Sweet sauces would go nicely, but I'd refrain from chocolate dessert as I think the sugars will accentuate the lack of mid-notes.

2007 Fish Eye Box

2007 Fish Eye Box

Blech. I bought a box a while ago and it was pretty good. This box? Sucks. It sucks so bad, I am struggling to even bother with explaining "why" because frankly, you shouldn't care. It sucks. Do you need to know that it smells like bread dough? Do you need to know that it finishes like cooking wine? Blech. Blech. Blech. The redeeming quality is that it's actually got nice color...but wine isn't home decor. As for food pairings, I'd go with...anything, then not drink the wine. Or get another bottle. It's crap. Don't buy it.