Jun 10 2009

Red Bicyclette (France, 2007)

Category: Pinot NoirMike @ 9:31 am
No Bottle Image Available This is a Pinot from France.  We have tried this wine several times over the years, but for some reason it never made it into an actual review.  We do remember enjoying the earlier vintages a bit more than this one, so if you can find one pick it up over the 07.
$12 from Bashas.
Three Trophies
  • Plumb aromas, followed by a distinct buttermilk smell
  • Tastes of strawberry and apple finish
  • Smooth start in the the mouth but it bites a bit at the end.
  • Mouth feel is not so much soft but slick.
  • Like a sharp witted and slick girl who always seems to have something up her sleeve.  She is quick with answers that sometimes make you wonder if she is being serious….but when she calls you have no reason not to answer because after all, you don’t really mind spending time with her.
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May 23 2009

Campo Viejo Gran Reserva (Spain, 2002)

Category: BlendMike @ 9:34 pm
Campo Viejo 2002 We are excited to say that this wine is our 100th review here at justagrape.com! We couldn’t have picked a more complex or interesting wine that this little Rioja gem from Spain.
$15 from Costco
Four and a Half Trophies
  • Aromas of leather, wood, citrus grove and figs.
  • Flavors are big and bold.
  • Earth, leather and tobacco.
  • Toasted oak and figs.
  • Wild and rambunctious with a purpose… like and old west outlaw who rides into town… shoots up the saloon… steals the women… and rides out of town on a mission.
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May 06 2009

Sokol-Blosser Meditrina (Oregon, Non-Vintage)

Category: BlendMike @ 1:27 pm
Sokol-Blosser Meditrina This is a blend of Syrah, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel from Sokol-Blosser in Oregon.  This is a very unique blend that we liked quite a bit.  We have usually been impressed with Sokal Blosser wines, and that is how this one made it into our reviewing wine glasses.
$13 from Costco
Four Trophies
  • Smells of cherry, candy apple with a hint of tobacco and cloves
  • Flavors of strawberry and subtle vanilla
  • Smooth and velvety after decanting
  • You meet a girl… she initially seems very girly and feminine… then you get to know her more later, and find that she loves cigars, scotch and is a huge fan of video games.
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Apr 04 2009

Campo Viejo Crianza Tempranillo (Spain, 2005)

Category: TempranilloMike @ 9:33 am
Campo Viejo Crianza Tempranillo This is a Tempranillo from the Rioja region in Spain.  We have really been digging Rioja wines recently (even though not all our tastings have made it into real justagrape reviews!), so I wanted to give this one a shot when I saw it on the shelf.
$11 from Bashas
Four Trophies
  • Strong strawberry and vanilla smells; Very sweet.
  • Smooth yet dry.
  • Slightly woody and plumb taste with a nice long finish.
  • Great foot wine, you can eat a solid meal with this one.
  • This wine is a well written plot to a good movie…. it has it’s highs and lows, but in the end it all comes together just right.
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Mar 15 2009

The California Wine Party Blend (California, 2006)

Category: BlendMike @ 7:29 pm
No Bottle Image Available This is a blend from Paso Robles California.  I picked this wine up at Trader Joes, simply because it had an interesting marketing angle, and it was only $6.  Turns out it was fairly decent, although probably not capable of government leadership if it were a real person.
$6 from Trader Joes
Three and a Half Trophies
  • Fruity aromas with overtones of alcohol
  • Flavors are a bit watered down.
  • Short finish
  • Tastes of blackberry
  • Very easy drinking with good mouth feel.
  • Overall it was not a bad wine.  It was enjoyable while it lasted but it kind of fell off the map with the finish…kinda like the way Giuliani fell off the map after Florida.  If this wine were the Governor of California it probably wouldn’t have much budget balancing success either… but people would still vote for it again.
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Feb 21 2009

Albero Tempranillo (Spain, 2006)

Category: TempranilloMike @ 8:30 am
No Bottle Image Available This is an organic Tempranillo from Spain.  I hadn’t browsed the wine isle at T.J.’s in a while and was intrigued to find an organic Tempranillo from Spain there.  There is also a Cabernet from Albero that we want to review as well.  Jason has some more insights as to the origin of this wine and a review as well.  Overall we were pleased with this $6 wine and would buy it again.
$6 from Trader Joes
Three and a Half Trophies
  • Strong cherry aroma with hints of vanilla.
  • Decent balance, with a weak short finish.
  • Simple and pleasant, but lacks any enjoyable complexity.
  • Chocolate on the finish.
  • This wine like having the Monday of a long weekend off… you’re really happy to have the day off but you don’t really do anything really exciting or very interesting.
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Feb 13 2009

Martha Stewart Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma, 2005)

Category: Cabernet SauvignonMike @ 12:30 pm
Martha Stewart Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon This is our second review of one of the wines in the new Martha Stewart line that was released last year.  Earlier we reviewed the Merlot from the collection. The wine is produced and distributed by E & J Gallo Winery, of Modesto, Calif and made from grapes from the Sonoma region.  The wines are so far only available in the select cities of Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Phoenix, and Portland.  The wine is usually sold in the $15 price range, but we recently picked some up on clearance for $6.  It will be interesting to see if they make any changes to the wines this year.  Overall we think these wines should be better if they intend to sell them in the $15+ range.
$15 ($6) from Bashas.
Three and a Half Trophies
  • Aromas of mint and hickory BBQ.
  • Tastes of oak wood and strawberry.
  • Great food wine with a medium finish.
  • This wine is like watching a good movie by yourself… the movie is pretty decent and you find it entertaining… but at the end of the movie, you wish you had someone else there to share it with.
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Feb 09 2009

Martha Stewart Vintage Merlot (Sonoma, 2006)

Category: Chianti, MerlotMike @ 8:15 pm
Martha Stewart Vintage Merlot This is one of the wines in the new Martha Stewart line that was released last year.  There is also a Cabernet and a Chardonnay available.  The wine is produced and distributed by E & J Gallo Winery, of Modesto, Calif and made from grapes from the Sonoma region.  The wines are so far only available in the select cities of Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Phoenix, and Portland.  The wine is usually sold in the $15 price range, but we recently picked some up on clearance for $6.  We have also reviewed the Cabernet and will be posting that review soon.
$15 ($6) from Bashas.
Three Trophies
  • Aromas vanilla and fresh green beans.
  • Flavors are complex, but tend to compete with each other.
  • Strong blueberry flavors that improve after decanting.
  • Smooth and very dry.
  • Very fruit forward but not sweet.
  • This wine is like a “buy one get one free” coupon to a semi-upscale restaurant that you haven’t been to before… you are happy that you went, but wouldn’t go back if you didn’t have another coupon.
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Jan 28 2009

Dancing Bull Zinfandel (California, 2005)

Category: ZinfandelEddie @ 4:46 pm
Dancing Bull Zinfandel (California, 2005) I picked this wine up because I was looking for something a little different than the traditional Chianti to have with my Penne and sausage that I was making tonight.  I normally shy away from Zinfandels but for some reason I figured I would give this a try.  The one I picked up is the 2005 and I noticed that they had the 2006 there as well.  I am really interested in trying both of them.
$8 From Fresh & Easy
One and a Half Trophies


  • A bit overpowering at first
  • Sort of vinegary in the beginning
  • Fruit flavors are muddled and hard to pick apart
  • I could taste a bit of black cherry and this may sound weird but I detected a slight hint of kiwi on the finish
  • After letting the wine breathe for a while I began to pick up some raspberry in the taste
  • This is a wine that would really benefit from decanting.
  • This wine is like the new guy at the office.  He comes in and is very loud and somewhat obnoxious.  You are turned off by his bad breath that smells of rotten pepperoni and you are a little upset over the fact that you have to work with him.  In time his hygiene may improve to the point that it is bearable and he is slowly becoming less abrasive…but….you still may not want to have him over for dinner.
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Jan 26 2009

Wrangler Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington, 2004)

Category: Cabernet SauvignonMike @ 3:53 pm
Wrangler Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington, 2004) This was a review that we did between periods of the 2008 season opener of the Phoenix Coyotes.  We thought it would be a good bottle to commemorate the occasion.
$10 at Bashas
Three Trophies
  • Hints of mint and and a slight scent of alcohol in the aroma
  • Flavors of prunes at first
  • Medium to long finish with hints of clove
  • Red apple on the tip of the tongue
  • Really interesting wine with a great label….but not really what you expected.  It is like picking up a video that you have never heard of before but the cover looked interesting.  While it may not have been the best movie, you stil enjoyed if because you got it on video and did not spend a fortune seeing it in the theater.
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