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Marietta Old Vine Red (California, Non-Vintage)

Eddie — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:17:21 +0000

	This wine was a request for a review by a visitor to our site. We heard good things about it and figured we would go ahead and give it a try. We actually bought it once before and planned on reviewing it; but then just ended up having it with dinner and missed out on reviewing it. Since we really liked it, we felt like we needed make a point to review it… so here we go!!!!
	$9 From Total Wine

Rich aromas of vanilla and over ripe berries Sweet components yet nicely balanced Very smooth and easy drinking Flavors of plum on the tip of the tongue Subtle sweetness that leads to a pretty good finish A good wine that feels a little like a nice visit from your grandmother. She is sweet and charming but not overly gushing with wet kisses. Her stories charm and you and when she leaves it almost feels as if she is still here.

Santa Ema Merlot (Chile, 2007)

Mike — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:31:32 +0000

	This wine is a Merlot from Chile that we picked up while perusing the wine isles at our local Costco. We couldn’t resit it with a bold “90 points” baked right into the neck label.
	$9 from Costco.

Smells sweet with cloves and strong vanilla Tastes much dryer than it smells Blackberry and very aggressive vanilla tastes that grow stronger as the wine opens up. Like a smooth talking friend who is super nice but then one day suddenly get’s on your case about what is a non-issue and will not let it go… makes you want new friends.

Vola Sangiovese (Italy, 2009)

Eddie — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:23:22 +0000

	This is a limited time availability wine available from Trader Joes. We’re not certain if it will return again this year or if it is gone for good. Very hard to pass up at $1.99 a bottle and we were not disappointed when we opened up the first one at home. This flavor profile and texture of this wine can be found in others for $8 – $10. If you can still find this at your TJ’s pick it up!!!
	$2 from Trader Joes

Smells of strawberries, pepper and sawdust Soft mouth feel and is very smooth after decanting Tastes of cedar and nectarine with a medium finish Changes and evolves as you drink it. This is a wine that keeps you interested all the time… You know its crazy buy you enjoy your time with it… it’s fun because you don’t know what is coming next… but it all makes sense when you realize it is a very schizophrenic wine.

Napa River Cabernet Sauvignon (California, 2007)

Eddie — Fri, 14 May 2010 03:24:45 +0000

	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

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.

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.

The Vine Yard Cabernet Franc (Washington, 2007)

Eddie — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:40:32 +0000

	This is a Cabernet Franc from Walla Walla Wines in Washington.
	$8 from Fresh & Easy

Strong alcohol aroma with a berry background. Harsh in the mouth pre-decanting. Mellows out some after decanting for some time, but still very one dimensional. Undertones of vanilla. Generic and manufactured overall making it a somewhat boring wine. Ordinary and generic tasting… Sort of like a little boy who gets a transformer action figure bit it does not transform… Sure it is still a transformer, but it does not do anything… disappointing.

Berberana Dragon Tempranillo (Spain, 2006)

Mike — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:00:43 +0000

	This is a Tempranillo from Spain that we picked up at Total Wine and had it with homemade tortilla soup with fresh avocado and tortilla strips.
	$8 from Total Wine

Smells like bubble gum initially with dark berries in the middle followed my mint at the finish. Taste is very tart. One dimensional plumb flavors. Improved greatly with decanting. This wine is easy to drink and does not offend… Sort of like a macro-brewed beer… it feels mass produced to appeal to a wide variety of tastes.

Matuco Malbec (Argentina, 2008)

Eddie — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:56:03 +0000

	This wine is a Malbec from Mendoza Argentina and available at Fresh & Easy. We got this wine as part of a three bottle twitter tasting with Fresh & Easy that we did yesterday. We were very excited to try this since the last Malbec from Fresh & Easy was so good.
	$10 from Fresh & Easy

Smells of plumb off the nose. Deep dark and rich colors. Tastes dark fruit and spice with prune at the end. Out of the bottle it was very harsh, but much nicer after decanting. *This wine is like a crazy Uncle that says a lot of outlandish things… yet every once in a while, comes up with a comment that really displays a lot of wisdom.* Justagrape.com was provided a complementary bottle of this wine from Fresh & Easy and was not compensated for this review.

Cardwell Hill Cellars Pinot Noir (Oregon, 2007)

Mike — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:50:42 +0000

	This is a Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley region of Oregon. We picked up this bottle to celebrate the recent gift of some fantastic new Riedel Vinum XL Pinot glasses and enjoyed this wine on Christmas Day.
	$23 from LGO

Aromas of wet moss, cherry, peaches. Very pleasant fruit smells. Tastes very smooth in the mouth with just the right tannins. Oak and natural wood with a hint of pipe tobacco. Black cherry finish. *Exotic and intriguing like a midnight walk on the beach with someone you just met and may never see again… sad but undeniably memorable.*

Sagelands Vineyard Four Corners Cabernet (Washington, 2006)

Mike — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:30:32 +0000

	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

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…

Cellar No 8 Pinot Noir (California, 2008)

Mike — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:00:35 +0000

	This wine is a Pinot from California. Cellar No 8 makes a fantastic Cabernet for the price and when we saw this similarily priced Pinot from the same maker we couldn’t pass it up.
	$8 from Total Wine

Aromas of earth and moss with wood undertones Earthy taste, with toasted oak. Very similar to the Cabernet which was unexpected for a Pinot. Non-typical Pinot, but very enjoyable. Not your typical Pinot, but typical of Cellar No 8 wines. Rustic, hard and very masculine – like a Pinot on steroids. It has the feeling of a female body builder, you know she is a women but muscles are way bigger than yours!

Ambas Malbec (Argentina, 2008)

Eddie — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:56:59 +0000

	This is an Argentinian Malbec that is another one coming out at Fresh & Easy. We have reviewed the 2007 before and liked it so we were looking forward to trying this year out. This wine won the silver medal in Jerry Meads’s New World International Wine Competition.
	$7 from Fresh & Easy

Aromas were complex, interesting, and inviting. Scents of ripe juicy blackberry with a slight undertone of spearmint. Fairly dry but balanced quite well with flavors of fruit. Concentrated and deep and the blackberry aromas continue in the tastes. Medium to long finish that is very pleasant. Much smother in the mouth than the 2007. Great tannins and an excellent value for this price-point. Flavorful and interesting and at such an affordable price. This wine is like walking into a store and finding a 50 dollar bill on the way in. You go in and use that bill and feel so good because it feels like such a bargain. Justagrape.com was provided a complementary bottle of this wine directly from Fresh & Easy and was not compensated for this review.

Saveurs Veritables Pinot Noir (France, 2008)

Eddie — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:45:06 +0000

	This is a Pinot that Fresh & Easy is introducing in time for the holidays. We are going to enjoy this wine after an evening out dining on Thai food and celebrating birthdays.
	$7 from Fresh & Easy

Thin, bland and watery Slightest hint of red fruits such as cranberry Very one dimensional with a finish that disappears immediately Color is very light and the aromas are almost non existent. This is not what a Pinot should be….It is boring and ordinary, bordering on undrinkable. It is kind of like being set up on a blind date and the girl that answers the door is attractive and alluring. The only problem is she says…hang on I will let my sister know you are here and then down walks the ugly duckling of the family…ya want to be nice but you know this is not going to end well. Justagrape.com was provided a complementary bottle of this wine directly from Fresh & Easy and was not compensated for this review.

Virginie Pinot Noir (France, 2007)

Mike — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:47:23 +0000

	This wine is a Pinot Noir from France that we purchased from Total Wine. Although the wine was recommended by Total Wine, we found it to be nothing like the description and very disappointing overall. You can do so much better for $12, and we strongly suggest avoiding this wine.
	$12 from Total Wine

Initially the open bottle gave no aromas after opening. After pouring the bottle into the decanter it smelled like motor oil (yes! motor oil!) Very dry, bland and watery with moderately high tannins in the finish even after decanting. A fraud and a slacker. This wine is like the guy you know that dresses up and acts like he is going to work at his high powered job… in reality it ends up changing its clothes in the car once it is out of sight and spends the day driving around the doing nothing.

Pozzi Rosso (Sicily, Non-Vintage)

Mike — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:07:36 +0000

	This wine is made from the Nero d’Avola grape in Sicily. Definitely a wine built for food, but worked great with just appetizers of pita & hummus and cheese & crackers.
	$14 from Total Wine

Rich aromas of campfire and leather. Hints of vanilla off the start. Tastes of cherry with a nice lingering finish. Real nice balance of fruit & earth. Subtle hint of chocolate. *A great* wine to have with any meal. Hard working and blue collar like a steel town man that gets up every day and provides for his family. He is not pretentious and he does not brag about the job he does…..he just does it and does it well.