Top rated wines all under $20

Aug 21 2008

Rockcliffe Family Cabernet (Washington, 2006)

Category: CabernetEddie and Mike @ 10:10 am
This is a Cabernet from Fresh & Easy.  We picked this up one Saturday night and enjoyed it with bruschetta.
$12 from Fresh & Easy.
Three and a Half Trophies
  • Slight aromas of nutmeg and other Christmas spices.
  • Slight hint of cherry in the taste with holiday spices.
  • A bit tart on the finish…a bit like raspberry
  • This wine really conjured up images and feelings of Christmas….Felt like going home to family after being away for a long time and laughing together around a big Christmas dinner…..of course sine it is the middle of the summer and fond memories are all that are left we no longer remember all the Christmas fights over politics and sports with drunk Uncle “Larry”
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Jul 29 2008

Gnarly Head Zinfandel (California, 2006)

Category: ZinfandelEddie @ 5:47 pm
Tap We This wine is an old vine Zinfandel from Lodi, California. I picked this up for an end of the summer get together at my condo before heading back to work for the school year.
$10 from Fresh & Easy
Half a Trophy
  • Great aroma in the glass of fresh fruit
  • Heavy, Heavy, Heavy alcohol tastes
  • A bit of spice and oak was noticed after decanting
  • Slight burst of cherry at first but then masked by the overpowering flavor of alcohol.
  • I was all excited about this wine since I was celebrating the end of my summer with friends….Only problem….the wine was not. Drinking this wine was like getting all dressed up and excited for a date you have been waiting for…..only to have the girl call you 15 minutes before you leave to tell you she cannot make it. Huge let down to say the least.
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Jul 22 2008

Ambas Malbec (Argentina, 2007)

Category: MalbecMike and Eddie @ 7:30 am
No Bottle Image Available This wine is a Malbec from Argentina. We picked this up because we saw that it was a fairly new arrival to Fresh & Easy.
$7 from Fresh & Easy
Three and a Half Trophies
  • Aromas of ripe fruit.
  • Masculine notes of leather and spice in the taste.
  • High tannin content makes it a bit harsh in the mouth.
  • Rich and robust tastes of oak and cigar with a lingering finish.
  • This wine is not the like the weight watchers breakfast of fresh fruit and yogurt….this wine is much more like a stick to your ribs country style breakfast of steak and eggs with a side of corn beef hash.
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1 Trophy2 Trophies3 Trophies4 Trophies5 Trophies   (1 ratings, average: 3 out of 5)
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Jul 16 2008

Torres Coronas Tempranillo (Spain, 2004)

Category: TempranilloMike and Eddie @ 8:27 am
No Bottle Image Available This is a tempranillo from Spain. This was another of our 4th of July wines that we had that day.
$10 from Fresh and Easy
Four Trophies
  • Aromas of leather with a hint of peppermint behind it
  • Earthy and woody in the initial taste
  • A lot of tannins, even after decanting for 1 hour.
  • Hearty and robust - would be great with a steak.
  • A very intensely masculine wine would be akin to fighting a bull….or running with them…neither is one you would want to do on our own. So to is this wine…it must be paired with a rich and hearty meal in order to be fully enjoyed.
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Jul 08 2008

Big House The Slammer (California, 2005)

Category: SyrahMike and Eddie @ 1:34 pm
No Bottle Image Available This is a California Syrah from Santa Cruz. This is a cousin wine of Big House Red that we reviewed earlier.
$11 from Safeway.
Two Trophies
  • Smells of cinnamon and wet earth.
  • Hints of peach in the taste.
  • Tastes of boysenberry.
  • This wine would be much better with a good solid 1/2 pound cheeseburger fresh off the grill.
  • While this wine is O.K…..I am not sure that I would be willing to go to the Slammer for this bottle.
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1 Trophy2 Trophies3 Trophies4 Trophies5 Trophies   (1 ratings, average: 2 out of 5)
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Jul 04 2008

Georges Deboeuf Beaujolais-Villages (France, 2006)

Category: GamayMike and Eddie @ 7:02 pm
Georges Deboeuf Beaujolais-Villages This is a Gamay from France.  I picked this up as part of our 4th of July celebration.  I know…I know…why am I buying a French wine to celebrate the birth of America…..well it is in honor of the Marquis De Lafayette who helped our troops overcome the British.  But don’t worry…I also brought some Sam Adams beer to go with the BBQ as well.  Anyways…we enjoyed this as a precursor to our meal with brie cheese and crackers topped with dried cherries.
$8.50 at Fresh & Easy
Four Trophies

  • Fruity aroma with a touch of cinnamon
  • The aroma is very inviting
  • Citrus notes on the initial tasting
  • You must decant this wine for about 45 minutes and it becomes very smooth and mellow
  • Mouth feel is much softer after the decant
  • Flavors of raspberry and strawberry come through at the end
  • I have to admit that I was not to sure about this wine when I bought it.  I was not sure that it would really be as good as it was…kinda like how the British Crown may have underestimated the will of the Revolutionary soldiers.  This wine surprises you with how good it is and you really must try this.
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Jul 03 2008

Duck Pond Pinot Noir (Oregon, 2006)

Category: Pinot NoirMike and Eddie @ 8:52 am
This is a Pinot Noir from Oregon.  I was excited when I saw this wine in Fresh & Easy because I had the 2004 and 2005 vintage about a year ago.  While I would recommend the 2004 vintage over this based on taste alone; you cannot pass this one up because of the price.  Pick this bottle of Oregon Pinot up and give it a try.
$10 from Fresh & Easy
Three Trophies
  • Some strawberry and floral aromas.
  • Quite dry and tannic.
  • The taste was a bit earthy with hints of fresh cut wood.
  • Minor taste of nutmeg at the finish.
  • Very good Pinot for the price…Much like like picking up a filet mignon that has been marked down at half price.  It just seems to taste so much better because you know the price you paid.
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Jun 27 2008

Pine & Post Merlot (Washington, 2006)

Category: Merlot, ShirazMike and Eddie @ 6:51 pm
No Bottle Image Available This wine is a Merlot from Washington. We each had this wine on separate occasions and we both liked it a lot. I had mine with some friends from our condo while we had cigars and all my friends really liked it as did I.  That being said…..the second time I had this wine was tonight and for some reason it did not appeal to us as much as it did before.  It was much to light to go with the meal we had and found it was easily overpowered.
$7 from Fresh & Easy
Two and a Half Trophies


  • Very light and subtle aromas of fruit.
  • Bold cherry off the start, but disappears quickly.
  • Light plumb tastes in the finish.
  • Overall mouth feel is very light and watery.
  • A bit mundane overall but not a bad wine for sharing with friends on a summer day. It is kinda like going to the movies with your sister….sure you may have a good time with her and enjoy the show but it still is a movie with your sibling.
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1 Trophy2 Trophies3 Trophies4 Trophies5 Trophies   (1 ratings, average: 3 out of 5)
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Jun 22 2008

Primarius Pinot Noir (Oregon, 2006)

Category: Pinot NoirMike and Eddie @ 10:00 am
No Bottle Image Available This is a Pinot Noir from Fresh & Easy. The bottle states that this is an an Oregon Pinot, but it was actually bottled by a winery in Washington.
$12 from Fresh & Easy
Three and a Half Trophies
  • Very transparent and light in color.
  • Earthy aromas.
  • Very good mouth feel, silky on the tongue.
  • A hint of blackberries.
  • Black cherry tastes with a short finish.
  • This wine is the NBA in the late 90’s… it has a lot of redeeming qualities (M.J. is still in the league after all). It is still worth your time… but really it’s too watered down with not enough going on… it could have been much better if it were more focused.
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May 23 2008

Tin Roof Merlot (California, 2005)

Category: MerlotMike and Eddie @ 7:43 pm
Tin Roof Merlot (California, 2005) This is a merlot from Tin Roof. We had this wine with steak on the grill to celebrate the end of the teaching year for Eddie.
$8 from Costco
Three and a Half Trophies
  • Subtle mint and smoke in the smell.
  • Bold and robust.
  • Tastes of prune straight from the bottle, but after decanting more of a plumb taste.
  • More dry than sweet
  • A bit tart on the finish
  • Bold and in your face….like Like the drunk guy at the hockey game…he is loud but at the same time some of the things that he says just crack you up and you hate seeing him thrown out. Our recommendation is that you try this wine out. It may not be for everyone but for someone it will be a very good time.
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1 Trophy2 Trophies3 Trophies4 Trophies5 Trophies   (3 ratings, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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