| Wine of the Week May 14 - Red Blend May 7 - Malbec-Tempranillo April 30 - Trader Joe's April 24 - LBV Port April 17 - Sparkling Wine April 10 - White Bordeaux April 2 - Amarone March 26 - Super Tuscan March 19 - Fume Blanc March 12 - Rhone |
If you have a favorite wine, drop me a note and I'll check it out! May 14 Tamas Estates Double Decker Bus Red Central Coast 2008 $9.99+ Some nights I just want an easy red to sip. Nothing that requires a lot of thought or concentration (is that black currant or red currant? Leather or Pleather?). Here's a wine for just such occasions. The Double Decker Red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Barbera. It's a pleasant ruby in the glass, aromas of black cherry, blackberry and cassis. Tasting mirrors the scents - nice black fruit flavors, a little blueberry but not overextracted. This is a great Tuesday night burger wine. I found this at Safeway. =back to top= May 7 Urban Uco Valle de Uco Malbec-Tempranillo 2008 $7.99+ OMG!! I'm so excited about this wine I'm not even waiting until Friday to tell you about it. 50% Malbec and 50% Tempranillo from Argentina. First, a look - the deep ruby color holds promise for what's to come. Then, a sniff - it's like sticking your nose into everything purple: lavender, violets, plums, blackberries. A little smoke, tea and spice harmonize. Finally, a sip - Yowza! This is a bonanza of fruit, yet much much more. A deep berry intensity, a hint of minerality, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, leather, lavender with some grippy tannins and a nice acidity to balance it all. For the price of 2 large lattes, a beer at the ballpark or 1 matinee movie ticket. Available at Costco (South San Francisco) - get it while they still have it. I almost cleaned them out today. =back to top= April 30 Trader Joe's Petit Reserve Central Coast 2008 Chardonnay $9.99 I always check the producer when looking at Trader Joe's branded wines. This delightful and balanced Chardonnay is vinted by Talley in Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo. Let's start with what it isn't. It's not overoaked, oversaturated in buttered popcorn notes, nor cloying on the finish. What we have here, for two Lincolns, is a lovely bright gold delight in the glass. Ripe apple, melon, vanilla and tropical notes of pineapple unfold as one swirls the glass. Sipping reveals more apples and citrus, caramel, a subtle spiciness from the oak and a crisp refreshing finish. Yum. =back to top= April 24 Dow 2001 Late Bottled Vintage Port $9.99 for 375ml Port is my deathbed drink of choice. If it didn't seem so morbid and weren't so prohibitively expensive, I'd buy a bottle from my birth year just to open for that occasion. What a way to go! For most folks, Vintage Port is pricey. There are several decent alternatives under $20. This is priced around that, and far below the $50+ entry on a current release Vintage, and you don't have to wait 10 to 20 years to enjoy it. Recently, I had the luck to try this "LBV" from Dow. If you like the deep stewed fruit flavors, inky blackness and chewy tannins of vintage ports, give this a try. There's a luscious mouthfeel and long finish, making it the perfect ending to a perfect day. =back to top= April 17 Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut Non-vintage $14.99 Sparkling wines don't have to saved just for celebrations. Sparklers make a nice predinner cocktail when in the mood for something a little different. Generally a little lower in alcohol than still wines from the same grapes, a little bubbly won't put you over the top. This sparkling wine is made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the traditional champagne method. A toasty, bready aroma is mirrored on the palate. The bright green apple and citrus flavors coast in on small persistent bubbles. A creamy mouth-filling texture and toasty finish keeps me coming back. Widely distributed. =back to top= April 10 Chateau L'Avocat - Graves 2006 $14.99 Someone poured this wine for me without telling me what it was. A light straw color in the glass, it smelled of apple, melon, honey and citrus. A sip revealed more citrus and apple with a hint of butteriness and minerality and a nice crisp finish. Hmmm, I thought. Looks like Sauvignon Blanc, but the butter and apple make me think Chardonnay. Wrong again: this white Bordeaux is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The Semillon has been aged in wood, which rounds out the more racy Sauvignon Blanc. Very quaffable. If you think you're not a Sauvignon Blanc drinker, give this Bordeaux a try. Available at K&L Wines. =back to top= April 2 Cesari Amarone della
Valpolicella 2005
$39.99
Every now and again, you run across a wine that makes you sit up and take notice. Maybe even give you a little chill down your spine. You say to yourself, now this--THIS--is how wine should taste. Like fruit - well, fruit leather - with notes of tobacco, spice, baked cherries and raisins. The molasses of shoofly pie, the depth of port, but a dry wine to sip and savor. Consider the 2005 Cesari Amarone della Valpolicella. Amarone is made from the same Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes as regular Valpolicella, but first the grapes are dried and then fermented and pressed. If this wine were music, it would be Chicago-style blues. Serve with hearty meats or big stews, or maybe just a little dry Italian cheese. I found this at Mollie Stones on Portola. Perfect for a special occasion. =back to top= March 26 Ruffino Il Ducale - Toscana IGT 2006 $9.99 + Admit it. You bought a Chianti, brought it home and, upon opening it, realized you made a terrible error. Thin, bitter, not much fruit taste. Eh. Next, you're at Trader Joe's and see this label on the shelf, and it beckons to you. Do you dare risk it again? Give your heart and wallet over to another Italian? This time, the answer is yes. Try the Super Tuscan: The Ruffino Il Ducale isn't technically Chianti even though the predominant grape is the Chianti grape Sangiovese. It's filled out with 20% Merlot and 20% Syrah to make it drinkable now. Smells great: cherries, blackberries, plum, a little spice and herbs. Tastes great: This wine is friendly to those used to drinking the fruitier wines of California and beyond. But it's not a 'fruit bomb' - there's structure and some tannins to anchor the fruit. Look for baking spices and tobacco, along with the fruits found in the bouquet. Less filling: It's better with food, but unlike a lot of Italian wines, food is not required for enjoyment. Available at Trader Joes and Bevmo. =back to top= March 19 Ferrari-Carano 2009 Fume Blanc $11.99 + Ferrari Carano does it again. Like the 2008 Vintage, this Sauvignon Blanc is crisp yet mellow, with hints of tropical fruits and bright citrus. Not your grassy, cat-pee Sauvignon Blanc. A little time in wood helps to tame the wilder side of the grape and the easy opening screw cap makes it the perfect wine to take to the Mime Troupe this summer. Widely distributed. =back to top= March 12 Les Terrasses d'Eole 2007 Cotes du Ventoux "Mountagniero" $10 This value wine is from the Southern Rhone, with a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre and Carignane. It's a pretty garnet in the glass. Swirling reveals pleasant scents of red berries: cherries and raspberries with hints of herbs and mushroom/earth. In the mouth, it's a lighter style red with red cherry and raspberry fruit to start and a slight smokiness and earthiness on the finish. Available at Blackwells Wine & Spirits. =back to top= |
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