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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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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 |
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- 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.
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Ora Montepulciano D’Abruzzo from Fresh & Easy. This is a new wine that we picked up to have after a great Thanksgiving Day meal. The price led us to not expect much but we were very surprised by the depth and character of this wine. |
| $5 from Fresh & Easy |
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- Pepper and Spice smells
- Earthy with damp hay
- Tastes of sour cherry with plum at the end
- Smooths out a lot after decanting
- Intense, deep, complex, yet at a price point that is undeniably perfect… like ordering Monday Night Football tickets online and ending up with Bowl Game tickets by accident.
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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 |
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- 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!
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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 |
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- 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.
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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 |
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- 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 you and when she leaves it almost feels as if she is still here.
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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 |
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- 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.
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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 |
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- 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.
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This is a Tempranillo from the Rioja region in Spain. We have really been digging Rioja wines recently (even though not all our tastings have made it into real justagrape reviews!), so I wanted to give this one a shot when I saw it on the shelf. |
| $11 from Bashas |
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- Strong strawberry and vanilla smells; Very sweet.
- Smooth yet dry.
- Slightly woody and plumb taste with a nice long finish.
- Great foot wine, you can eat a solid meal with this one.
- This wine is a well written plot to a good movie…. it has it’s highs and lows, but in the end it all comes together just right.
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This is a tempranillo from Spain. This was another of our 4th of July wines that we had that day. |
| $10 from Fresh & Easy |
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- Aromas of leather with a hint of peppermint behind it
- Earthy and woody in the initial taste
- A lot of tannins, even after decanting for 1 hour.
- Hearty and robust – would be great with a steak.
- A very intensely masculine wine would be akin to fighting a bull….or running with them…neither is one you would want to do on our own. So to is this wine…it must be paired with a rich and hearty meal in order to be fully enjoyed.
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