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Inexpensive Wine Reviews, Ratings and Rants. Use the right column to select your wine interests.
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Amador County Grandmere 2007 Zinfandel
The Kirkland brand from Costco...let's see how it does with wine.
This $12.50 bottle was perfect for the first Spring-infused outdoor dinner and grill-fest of the year. The peppery-chocolate flavors really came out with the grilled chicken (buffalo style). Dark blackberries and spice make this a powerful mouthful.
A great BBQ wine, this is one to have on hand for your next outdoor event where you can relax and enjoy - 7/10 rating. I was skeptical of the Kirkland wine, but this left me smiling.
Michael David 7 Deadly Zins 2007 Zinfandel
Seven growers from Lodi, California combined grapes to bring you this inexpensive zinfandel. $12 at Costco.
Sloth is the deadly sin you'll want to avoid with this bottle. A thick, hearty wine full of tobacco smokeyness was excellent on the first night...but the second night leftovers left me wishing I overcame the apathy to finish it when it was opened. By night two, some of the bitterness came out, as well as a "cheapy" berry flavor, and the delicious smokeyness had resided.
This wine went from a (deadly) "7" ranking to a "5" over two nights, so I'll drop it at a 6/10 and leave you with the advice to avoid sloth and get 'er done the first night. Great buy - big and bold, a great compliment to your Spring grilling.
2006 Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
My wife’s vegetable lasagna brought out the best of this “Italian Dry Red Wine” from Abruzzo, Italy. Quite the surprise as I had only paid $7 for it at Costco earlier today. I believe it’s the first Montepulciano wine I’ve had, so read up on the grape, if interested.
Certainly let it open up for an hour or so before drinking as this one will grab you. In fact, I wouldn’t call this a sipping wine…save this for a hearty pasta dish and let it do it’s thang. Very dry and earthy, and somewhat bitter on the finish. Very dark, dark fruits, very full-bodied. Quite enjoyable and would recommend it with any pasta dish. With the low price point, I’ve got to move it to my ‘best cheap wine category’ with a 8.5/10.
Charles Shaw 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau
Eeek, this is a sweet one. Lightweight and sweet rivaling Kool-Aid. I'm not pouring it out though, so I'll rate it a 3/10. Heck, it's only $3 at Trader Joe's (aka "Three Buck Chuck"). The Nouveau was a limited-availability holiday blend, but don't be taken by the marketing...stick to the Cabernet or Syrah.
The story of Beaujolais Nouveau is pretty interesting as it's a late harvest wine intended to drink soon after it's bottling in late fall. It arrives with much celebration in time for the holidays.
Artezin Zinfandel 2007
This Mendocino zin was purchased from Wine.com for $17 with some highly rated reviews as well as a 90 pt rating from Wine Enthusist. I have to say this, combined with the price, had my expectations higher than what was delivered. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but didn't impress. 4.5/10 rating.
Raspberry, pepper, & spice dominate and leave a harsh, tannin filled finish. My wife mentioned it "left her tounge tingly and didn't taste much like a zin." Not for solo sippin', kill it with dinner.
Mirassou 2008 Pinot Grigio
This Pinot Grigio was purchased for the “1 cup of dry white wine” needed to boil some shrimp for $7.99 at Costco. It was the cheapest non-Chardonnay they had and was rated 90 points by someone who knows more about wine than I. The Mirassou was certainly better the second night as the overly-lemon bite had settled down and the peach came out more. It’s sweet and makes for a good sipping wine without food.
On the first night, I would have rated this at 4, at best, and on night two will raise it 2 points for a 6/10. Good buy for the price…just let it breathe a while. Didn’t know one needed to let whites breathe, but the proof is in the pudding…er, Pinot.
d'Arenberg 2008 Stump Jump Shiraz
This shiraz was purchased from wine.com - mainly because it was only $10 and ranked #82 in the top 100 wines of 2009 by Wine Spectator. What can I say, I'm a sucker for the cheap, ranked wine.
The cherry flavor is quite forward and stronger than expected. This paired well with pasta tonight, but is a bit too sweet and juicy for sipping without food. Earthy undertones make this an interesting wine. It's above average, but didn't knock my socks off. For $10, it's good...but as they say, good is the enemy of great. I'll rank it 6/10. $10 from Wine.com.
Reignac 2005 Bordeaux Superieur
I was turned on to this bottle from Sam's Wine, which was sold a year ago...*tear*. Any 2005 Bordeaux is excellent, but this one was at the top spot on 2008's top wines, according to Sam's. At $28, I splurged and have been holding on to this wine for 3 years. With the wife delivering a healthy baby boy late last month, it's time to celebrate. You can still find this wine online for around $30 - and it's well worth it. I'll give it a 8.5/10 rating...excellent.
First off, the back label wins the award for the most technical wine mumbo jumbo to ever appear on a label; words like maceration, malolactic and enologist make me wonder if this was ever translated from French ;)
As for the wine, it may have one of the finest bouquets I've ever smelled from a glass of wine. Seriously, I could just smell it all night and never drink it...but that would be wasteful, because the flavor is equally brilliant. Smoky oak and floral on the nose.
The Reignac is a 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon blend. The merlot brings the ripe, sweet, and fruit forward beginning and the cabernet leaves a nice bite with a dry finish with medium tannins. The oak barrels leave a wonderful smoky flavor to complement the nose.
Monte Antico 2006 Toscana
This red blend from the hills of Italy was an enjoyable red blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet, & 5% Merlot. Give it at least 30 minutes to breathe. It is much better as a dinner wine versus sipping without food. Very light and sweet with acidic overtones. The sweetness subsides a bit after it opens up, but is replaced with a bitterness on the finish. Wine Spectator gave this 90 points and put it as #61 on their top wines of 2009.
This Super Tuscan bottle was $10 at Costco. While decent, I wouldn't get it again despite Wine Spectator's admiration of the vintage. 4.5/10 rating from this wine spectator.
Falset-Marca 2006 Etim Seleccion
Spain brings it with this inexpensive bottle from the Montsant region. Very complex wine for under $10, with dark berry and a lingering dry-oak finish. A bit minerally as well. Oak on the nose and enough tannins to give a medium bite. Hold it in your mouth for an extra second and you'll taste the blueberries.
This wine was a bit much to pair with the Turkey dish we had with it, but after diner (and the following day) it really came out well. The Etim is 60% Grenache, 30% Carigane, and 10% Syrah.
I will certainly be picking up additional bottles to keep on hand when I visit Costco next - viva la Spain! 7.5/10 rating.
Oak Leaf Pinot Grigio Chenin Blanc
My second Walmart wine installment, although this one is not quite as positive. When a recipe calls for "a white cooking wine", you've found the purpose of this bottle. Worked well with my Thanksgiving turkey...and by with it, I mean as a part of the recipe, not in the glass.
Very lemony, very weak and quite watery. It's like lemon gatorade, including the thick sugary consistency. It's drinkable, but only if out of necessity. With a meal, it's OK...just not for sipping solo. 3/10 rating, $2.99 at Walmart.
2006 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot
This is the second time I'm enjoyed this highly rated $50 gem. Red cherry is the dominant flavor. Full and creamy with a nice spice on the finish. A sweet oak on the nose. Great for sipping - doesn't require a meal.
After drinking so many sub-$15 wines, it's truely refreshing to have a good bottle every once and a while. 6.5/10 rating - 'twas excellent, but think there are better at this price range.
Cloudline 2007 Pinot Noir
 The Cloudline Pinot Noir comes from the Willamette Valley outside Portland, Oregon. Immediate strawberries on the nose and taste buds, with an acidic bite on the finish. There is a slight tartness in the finish which is possibly grapefruit.
Despite my streak of past two reviews ending up in my top inexpensive wines list, the Cloudline is coming in about average. This bottle was a leftover gift brought from a Thanksgiving guest, but looks to be found from $18-20 online. A bit acidic and sour for my tatse…4/10 rating.
Wily Jack 2007 California Zinfandel
First off, hello Marlboro Man, do you come with cigarettes? Second off, great wine website. Clearly a target audience of 21-30, there are features such as “Upload a Picture of You with Wily Jack” and the ability to fan Wily Jack on Facebook. What got me to the website was the back label; there is an odd “Chapter Three” verse which ends with a “to learn more go the site”. I bit. Good hook. There is even a contest on the website to win $5k if you write the next verse of this oddball story. Again, good marketing, Jack. My only complaint about your marketing skillz is how poorly your site is optimized for search engines (hey, it’s what I do)…at least fix your Title Tags.
And the wine…? The best sub-$10 zinfandel I’ve ever had. It came as a recommendation from a co-worker and lived up to expectations. The Wily Jack Zinfandel was $6 at the Harris Teeter grocery store. Very jammy plum flavors with a bit of pepper and tobacco on the finish. Nostrils fill with vanilla and oak. My wife felt it was a bit “grape juicy” and there is a bit of gumminess after a sip, but nothing stopping me from grabbing another bottle to verify a potential new house wine. I will warn you of the hangover…it will bite.
Welcome back, Marlboro Man.
Edna Valley Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Surprisingly strong and flavorful for a $9.99 bottle. Very dry as well - overall a strong 8/10. I found this being promoted on an end cap at the local grocery, Harris Teeter.
This wine hails from the central coast of California, where the warmer climates let Cabernet grapes florish. Blackberries, black cherries, hints of cocoa, with a lightly spiced oaky finish. Slight vanilla in the nose. Tannins are strong and compliment the dry finish nicely. No complaints here - the Edna Valley Cabernet makes the A Wine A Week top inexpensive wine list.
2008 Anakena Sauvignon Blanc
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