justagrape.com » Blend

Rare Red (California)

Eddie — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:05:39 +0000

	Picked this wine up at Sprouts because it was in the wine rack but did not have a price. The bottle was super heavy and I considered purchasing it . Since I could not find a price I decided on another wine. Then a Spouts employee came out and I could not resist the draw of this bottle. I asked him for a price check and it came with a very favorable $6.50. I could not resist so I put it in my shopping cart. We would have liked to have a vintage on the bottle, that was one of our few complaints about it. It was a bit sweet for us and we were wondering if it would age well. The bottle was very heavy and seemed to be built for aging.
	$7 from Sprouts

Aromas of vanilla, and butterscotch a bit of moist Earth as well in the smell A bit of maple syrup on the tip of your tongue Some blueberry on the finish A bit fruit heavy and tannic *Really great at first. Creamy and sweet… a bit much after a while like going out to eat and having a dessert that is really good until about half way through when your stomach starts to hurt.*

Barbed Wire (California, 2009) Blend

Eddie — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 06:36:41 +0000

	This wine was purchased to kick off the weekend with burgers on a charcoal Weber grill. The burgers were made with garlic, onion, smoked gouda, and worcestershire sauce. It was a relaxed evening of conversation, dinner, homemade brownies and ice cream for dessert while the kids ran wild. A perfect way to celebrate the 80 degree weather in Phoenix. This wine is a great food wine that is bold enough to stand up to strong flavors yet it is also easily enjoyed on it’s own. I would be interested in having this again with some hard cheeses such as Parmesan and Romano.
	$12 from Target

Rich and deep aromas of cedar, and a hint of vanilla at first. Earthy flavors of moss followed by fruity plum at the finish. Touch of red apple on the tip of the tongue. Really opens up the flavors after decanting but is still slightly tannic. Bold, strong and aggressive yet contains a soft side that fits into every situation. This wine is comfortable at a hockey game as well as a night spend listening to the opera. Versatile and hip it is a wine for just about any occasion.

Francis Ford Coppola Rosso Blend (California, 2009)

Eddie — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 05:42:01 +0000

	This is a wine that we’ve reviewed previously in the 2008 vintage, but we were disappointed with the 2009 compared to the previous year.
	$16 from Fry’s

Aromas of over ripe raspberry and a slight hint of black pepper Very tannic out of the bottle Long finish with flavors of dark cherry A bit plain at first and the finish is where all the flavor is at Hints of rosemary Kind of like going to a Black Angus or a Red Lobster…a recognizable name that you are satisfied with but not overwhelmed. Buy it if it is on sale obut do not go out of your way to pick it up at full price.

Bogle Phantom (California, 2006)

Eddie — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 03:43:12 +0000

	This wine has been reviewed by us before. We have been a fan of this wine since we first tried it in a wine bar in Tempe. We really felt like the 2005 was a lot better but this is still a pretty good wine itself.
	$19 from Total Wine

Aromas of cedar with a hint of vanilla. Tastes of dark chocolate at the start and finish. Flavors of plum and black cherry. Mouth feel is a little harsher than past Phantoms. *This wine is kinda like going to Hawaii and when the plane lands it is raining…sad…but you are still in Hawaii and the longer you are there the warmer is gets.*

Dos Brotos Lake County Ranch Red (California, 2008)

Mike — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:17:31 +0000

	This is a red table wine that we picked up on a recent visit to the ever popular and frequently visited Trader Joes.
	$7 from Trader Joes

Smokey with rich blackberry smells and a hint of vanilla Tastes very smooth and rich with velvety mouth feel Tastes smokey too with more of the blackberry and cherry coming through Nice medium long finish. A great wine to have with a meal. This wine is like the perfect dinner guest… full of great conversation and an appreciation for good food… as an added bonus, they don’t overstay their welcome and leave at just the right moment… welcome back anytime!

Francis Ford Coppola Rosso (California, 2008)

Mike — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 21:07:18 +0000

	This wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Cabernet. We picked it up and had it with some fantastic pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw from the Aarti Party recipe. Overall it was a winning combination.
	$9 from Fry’s

At first open, the smells are sweet and a bit jammy. Grassy, alfalfa summertime smells follow a bit later. Tastes of vanilla, lavendar and honey with peach at the end. Very smooth and enjoyable – improving over time with decanting. Great all around wine for the price… easy drinking and relaxing… like spending a lazy summer afternoon lounging around in a hammock… sure you didn’t accomplish anything productive, but you felt so good doing it.

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.