Apr 24 2010

Chariot Gypsy Red (California, 2008)

Category: BlendMike @ 9:51 pm
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
Four and a Half Trophies
  • 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.
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Feb 10 2010

Matuco Malbec (Argentina, 2008)

Category: MalbecEddie @ 5:56 pm
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
Three and a Half Trophies
  • 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.

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1 Trophy2 Trophies3 Trophies4 Trophies5 Trophies   (4 ratings, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Dec 01 2009

Cellar No 8 Pinot Noir (California, 2008)

Category: Pinot NoirMike @ 8:00 am
Cellar No 8 Pinot Noir 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
Three and a Half Trophies
  • 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!
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1 Trophy2 Trophies3 Trophies4 Trophies5 Trophies   (3 ratings, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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Nov 24 2009

Ambas Malbec (Argentina, 2008)

Category: MalbecEddie @ 5:56 pm
Ambas Malbec 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
Four Trophies
  • 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.

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Nov 22 2009

Saveurs Veritables Pinot Noir (France, 2008)

Category: Pinot NoirEddie @ 9:45 am
No Bottle Image Available 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
1 Trophy
  • 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.

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1 Trophy2 Trophies3 Trophies4 Trophies5 Trophies   (3 ratings, average: 1.67 out of 5)
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