justagrape.com » Blend

Chariot Gypsy Red (California, 2008)

Mike — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 04:51:50 +0000

	This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Sangiovese. This popular yet limited availability Trader Joe’s wine is once again available at this time (or at least it is here in Arizona). This is our first review of a Gypsy vintage and it did not disappoint. Overall providing fantastic value from a $5 bottle. If you do see it your local Trader Joe’s, don’t leave without buying at least a couple!
	$5 from Trader Joe’s

Smells of all spice, cedar, fire and smoke! Smooth texture with a great overall mouth feel. Sweet start with a dry medium finish. Tastes of charcoal, earth and wood with fruit undertones of dark berries and raspberry. Fascinating, deep and complex… like a book you pick up from a garage sale because you need something to read on vacation… yet once you start it you cannot put it down and it is more engrossing than the vacation itself.

Campo Viejo Gran Reserva (Spain, 2002)

Mike — Sun, 24 May 2009 04:34:46 +0000

	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

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.*

Sokol-Blosser Meditrina (Oregon, Non-Vintage)

Mike — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:27:31 +0000

	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

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.

The California Wine Party Blend (California, 2006)

Mike — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:29:23 +0000

	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

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.

Columbia Crest Two Vines Vinyard 10 (Washington, 2006)

Mike — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:04:21 +0000

	We’ve reviewed the 2005 vintage of this wine already, and because it was such a great wine for the price we couldn’t pass up the 2006 vintage as well. Once again we were not disappointed as this wine proved to be excellent once again.
	$8 at Bashas

Sweet strawberry and spice in the aroma Tastes of vanilla and rich berries flavors Overall very smooth and easy drinking Great balance with just the right amount of tannins and sweetness This wine is the perennial playoff team… always very competitive… always able to put together a team that goes deep into the playoffs year after year. Pick this wine up, you won’t be disappointed… it’s a winner!!!

Bogle Phantom (California, 2005)

Eddie — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:57:30 +0000

	The first time we had this wine was in a wine bar and we really liked it. We looked all over for it in Phoenix and found two places that carried it. Cave Creek Wines and BevMo both carried it but BevMo was a little more expensive. The wine is a blend and it is a special edition that Bogle is known for.
	$19 from BevMo

The aroma was rich and juicy with scents of ripe fruit, rosemary and the slightest hint of black licorice Right out of the bottle it was a little edgy but decanting soften it quite a bit. Very nice mouth feel with flavors of oak. A very earthy wine with just a subtle taste of fruit Hints of pomegranate Having this wine for the second time after looking for it for so long must be what it is like to be an Arizona Cardinals fan and tasting the NFC Championship for the first time. It is a thrill beyond belief…..If you find this wine, we really recommend that you pick up a bottle and enjoy it.

Waterbrook Melange (Washington, 2005)

Mike — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:27:10 +0000

	This wine is a Melange from Washington. This Melange is a blend that contains Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. We ended up with this bottle by accident. We had another bottle of wine but when we opened it up the cork was destroyed and part of it disintegrated away. So what were we to do but go to the store and get another bottle. We found this one on sale from its original (perhaps inflated) price of $19 so we figured we might as well try it.
	$12 from Bashas.

Light aromas of spices and red berries. Mouth feel is very smooth and silky. Cherries on the tip of the tongue Dark chocolate and oak towards the end Medium finish A very good tasting and easy drinking wine. Refined and complex with enough characteristics to keep you interested. Like hanging out with the cellist of the New York Symphony. You know that you may not have a whole lot in common with her but you imagine that she would be very interesting and deep.

Columbia Crest Two Vines Vinyard 10 (Washington, 2005)

Eddie — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:01:46 +0000

	I picked up this wine because I have had Columbia Crest Two Vine series before and was never disappointed. The price is right and the quality has always left me impressed. Anyway, this one caught my eye because I did not really know what i was in the mood for and since it was a blend I figured I would give it a try.
	$7 at Safeway

Aromas of Strawberry and clove Cranberry and spice in the flavor Somewhat tart but in a pleasant way Slight taste of a really ripe and juicy plum on the finish Interesting,intriguing, and keeps you attentive…like a very good college professor that engages you with so many things that you wonder where the time went in the class….ok..ok..ok…not really…it is more like the class clown that keeps you awake in a boring philosophy class because you never know what he is going to do next…Yup…thats more like. This wine was a lot of fun!!!!!

Red Flyer (California, 2003)

Mike — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:20:54 +0000

	This is a red table wine from California. A blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache, and Carignane. I saw this on display at Trader Joes and couldn’t pass up the $3 price tag for a review on justagrape.com. My expectations were low, considering the bottom barrel price and our past experience with “Red” labeled wines (see Cheap Red, Red Truck, Big House Red and Red Guitar), but it turned out to be a half decent bottle. We recommend it if you can find it for the $3 price, but if you have to pay closer to $9 you could probably do better.
	$3 from Trader Joes

Very dark deep purple/red hues. Apples and cherries in the aroma. A little sweet and jammy off the start. Bold smokey berry flavors with a short finish. This wine is light hearted and bold at the same time. It’s that fun lovin friend you have that always speaks it’s mind and is an all around good time when you hang out.

La Vendimia Rioja (Spain, 2006)

Mike — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:07:18 +0000

	This wine is a Rioja from Spain and is a blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo.
	$16 from Dish in Scottsdale

Smells like flowers. Sweet off the start but ends up being very well balanced. Great for lighter dishes, wouldn’t hold up well to steak or pasta. Smooth and flavorful, not overpowering. Light, happy, and enjoyable all on its own…like taking a nap on a hammock in your backyard it is easy to do and so refreshing.

Joe Blow Red (California, 2005)

Mike — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:48:36 +0000

	When we first looked at this bottle with it’s funky label we did not have high expectations. We have been disappointed in the past with trendy looking labels. This bottle did not just surpass our expectations….it smashed our expectations. This is a bottle that you must pick up when you get the chance. The price is right and the complexity is so much fun.
	$9 from Sprouts

Strong aromas of fresh, and crisp red berries Slight scent of dark moist soil Not very sweet, but has a nice balance of fruit and earthiness Felt soft and velvety in the mouth Flavors of strawberry and caramel with a hint of vanilla on the tip of the tongue Like meeting someone that just rubs you the wrong way at first but then after a while you find that you misjudged them and they have actually become a good friend that you would not trade for the world.

Recoleta Blend (Argentina, 2007)

Mike — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:43:15 +0000

	This is a Malbec Bonarda Blend from Argentina.
	$5 from Fresh & Easy

Very light scents of fruit with a predominant alcohol smell Strong tastes of blackberry at first Hints of pipe tobacco follow the fruit A lot of body but the flavors are not defined….they tend to meld together A bit unrefined and boisterous….like the obnoxious friend everyone has in their circle… You can handle him in small doses and you don’t really hate him….you just need to limit your time with him before he becomes a little too much.

Barking Sheep Malbec Bonarda (Argentina, 2006)

Mike — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:25:50 +0000

	This is a Malbec, Bonarda blend from Mendoza Argentina.
	$10 from Target

Vanilla and blackberries with a hint of cotton candy in the aroma. Moderate tannins Fruit forward taste yet not too sweet. Soft smooth mouth feel with a nice dry finish. This wine is like a mid-summer day… in the pacific northwest. It’s refreshing and cool in a summery way but not too overpowering.

House Wine Blend (Washington, 2005)

Mike — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:44:38 +0000

	This wine is a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec and Cabernet Franc from the Columbia Valley in Washington State. Overall it was not too bad. though for the price you could do a lot better than this. It tended to ba a bit on the boring side.
	$10 from Fry’s

Aromas of sulfer and dark berries Quite tart at the beginning. Hints of green apple. Simple, smooth and medium bodied. A little generic and run-of-the-mill tasting. It did not offend but did not overly excite either…a few posts back we talked about a wine being like a plain looking librarian that when she took her hair down and glasses off you said Wow ……well….this wine is like the librarian that takes her glasses off and lets her hair down and you say….Yup…still a librarian.

The Big Kahuna Cabernet Shiraz (Australia, 2006)

Mike — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:56:35 +0000

	This is a Cabernet Shiraz blend from Australia.
	$3 Purchased form Fresh and Easy

Strong fruit forward aroma with strawberry. Burst of strawberries right of the bat followed by blackberries. On the sweet side, but not too sweet or jammy. Simple thin and light with a medium finish. Like a piece of candy or a slice of cake is good after a well balanced dinner….so to is this wine…Not big or bold enough to rely on to supply all your nutritional needs; but definitely something you don’t mind having every once in a while….especially considering the cost.