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This wine had a huge special display at Traders Joe’s so we grabbed it as we walked by. It had a really cool label and we figured that with the price being so good and the label being so cool we would give it a shot. The wine is very harsh out of the bottle so we decanted it in order to see if we noticed any difference. |
| $5 from Trader Joe’s |
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- Harsh aromas of alcohol to the point that it burns your nose
- Very acidic at first
- A slight tart aroma similar to green apple
- Decanting opens up the aromas and we are getting hints of berries
- A bit of prune and strawberry on the finish
- High tannins and MUST BE DECANTED!!!!!!
- Harsh and cruel like death at a young age… just like the age of this wine. You would be better off hoping that your benefactor left you a six pack!
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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 |
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- 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.
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I went to Trader Joe’s to find a wine but they were out. I did not want to waste a trip there and figured I would look around for something else. I came across a section where much of the wine was gone and a lady scooted by me grabbed a bottle of Napa River while exclaiming “Good, they have some left” she proceeded to tell me that it was the best cheap cab I would ever have. Well with a recommendation like that, how could I resist! |
| $6 from Trader Joes |
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- Floral aromas, bright and fresh with a slight undercurrent of coffee
- Decent tannins and a little sharp on the finish
- Hints of licorice, some pipe tobacco and strawberry on the tip of the tongue
- A little chocolate on the finish as well
- Overall it is not bad for a $6 bottle of wine, but I don’t think it is big enough to stand up to the food it says it pairs well with on the back. It is sorta like losing in the playoffs… ya knew your team was good but just not good enough to match up with the elite team. Your still happy and continue to support them though.
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This is a Cabernet from the Columbia Valley in Washington. We really enjoyed the Merlot from the same winery so we were really looking forward to trying this wine when we spotted it on the shelf. |
| $12 from Total Wine |
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- Aromas of earth and deep dark berries
- Soft and smooth in the mouth
- Strong tannins in the finish giving it a tart cranberry taste
- Interesting yet unrefined. Like a sports car that is a little too loud both in engine sound and color…it may put some people off yet who knows…in a few years it has the potential of being a classic…
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This is a Cab from South Africa producer Golden Kaan. We haven’t done a lot from this region of the World, so we thought we’d give this one a shot. It would be really interesting to cellar this one for a few years. |
| $15 from Fresh & Easy |
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- Strong cherry aromas with a hint of pine.
- Flavors of oak and smoke with the pine coming in at the end.
- The label says that the tannins linger – and they really mean it!
- Decant this bottle for as long as you can!
- Like the person who you think is really cool when you first meet them… but not so much when you get to know then… They are only tolerable with many other people around.
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Casillero del Diablo Concha Y Toro is a Cabernet from Chile. This is a companion reivew to the 2007 vintage that we also did. We recommend avoiding the 2007 for 1 or two more years. We had this with steak from the charcoal grill and it was a great pairing. |
| $9 from Fresh & Easy |
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- Fruit forward strawberry aromas.
- Earth and vanilla smells.
- At the right temperature, this wine is smooth and had velvety mouth feel that is even better after decanting.
- Great mix of fruit and earth.
- Slight peach taste at the end with flavors of apples on the tip of the tongue.
- She is spunky yet refined and able to strike the perfect balance between adolescent charm and lady like maturity. She is an example that hopefully her younger sister will follow.
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Casillero del Diablo Concha Y Toro is a Cabernet from Chile. We would really like to try this same bottle again after a year or two of aging. This is a companion review to the 2006 vintage of the same wine. We recommend the 2006 for right now. |
| $9 from Fresh & Easy |
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- Fruitier aroma than the 2006.
- Aroma of leafy greens with a bit of fruit.
- Abrasive harsh bite in the taste.
- Too harsh and minerally. The harshness diminishes any positives and overpowers everything else.
- Not quite as refined as her older sister. This wine seems to be stuck in the terrible twos. Maybe with some aging and maturity she will develop and fulfill the promise of her older sibling
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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. |
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- 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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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 |
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- 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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This is a Cabernet from Chile. We reviewed the 2005 in January and thought we would compare the 2007 to that vintage. Once again this wine falls below the 04 that we really liked. It is not a bad wine but just not up to the level of the 04. Give it a try with some grilled red meat and you might find this to be a decent wine that is worth the price. |
| $12 from Trader Joe’s |
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- Hints of citrus with a strong alcohol scent
- Jammy aromas with spicy notes.
- Tastes of grapefruit
- A bit sharp on the tongue
- Overall mouth feel is a bit harsh and big with has a long finish
- This wine is definitely a food wine that would be great with a porterhouse steak and twice baked potato
- Bold and in your face like a school yard bully….taking it on by itself can be a bit overwhelming but pairing this wine with a hearty meal will take some of the edge off and reveal its softer side.
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