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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.

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!

Dancing Bull Zinfandel (California, 2005)

Eddie — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:46:31 +0000

	I picked this wine up because I was looking for something a little different than the traditional Chianti to have with my Penne and sausage that I was making tonight. I normally shy away from Zinfandels but for some reason I figured I would give this a try. The one I picked up is the 2005 and I noticed that they had the 2006 there as well. I am really interested in trying both of them.
	$8 From Fresh & Easy

A bit overpowering at first Sort of vinegary in the beginning Fruit flavors are muddled and hard to pick apart I could taste a bit of black cherry and this may sound weird but I detected a slight hint of kiwi on the finish After letting the wine breathe for a while I began to pick up some raspberry in the taste This is a wine that would really benefit from decanting. This wine is like the new guy at the office. He comes in and is very loud and somewhat obnoxious. You are turned off by his bad breath that smells of rotten pepperoni and you are a little upset over the fact that you have to work with him. In time his hygiene may improve to the point that it is bearable and he is slowly becoming less abrasive…but….you still may not want to have him over for dinner.

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!!!

Tin Roof Merlot (California, 2005)

Mike — Sat, 24 May 2008 02:43:57 +0000

	This is a merlot from Tin Roof. We had this wine with steak on the grill to celebrate the end of the teaching year for Eddie.
	$8 from Costco

Subtle mint and smoke in the smell. Bold and robust. Tastes of prune straight from the bottle, but after decanting more of a plumb taste. More dry than sweet A bit tart on the finish Bold and in your face….like Like the drunk guy at the hockey game…he is loud but at the same time some of the things that he says just crack you up and you hate seeing him thrown out. Our recommendation is that you try this wine out. It may not be for everyone but for someone it will be a very good time.

Foodies Cabernet Sauvignon (California, 2005)

Mike — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:36:25 +0000

	This is a Cabernet Sauvignon from California
	$8 at Cost Plus World Market

Strong floral aromas. Smooth and rounded with good body with tastes of plum and dark berries. Easy to drink with soft tannins. I was really surprised by this wine. I think the packaging lowered my expectations for some reason, but it turned out to be pretty decent. This wine was like going to a movie that you know nothing about, not expecting anything much and then being quite surprised by the quality and depth. Not a Oscar winner, but certainly worth seeing.

Yelcho Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile, 2004)

Eddie — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:09:55 +0000

	I picked this wine up to have with some people who were going to be sitting by the fire pit at our condo this evening. My choice for it was based on finding something new and since I had not had a Chilean wine in some time I figured I would give it a shot. Outside of the high acid content I would not say that I was disappointed. I suppose it would have been much better with a meal though.
	$8 at Frys

Fruity but musty aroma Tastes of blackberries at first and a very slight hint of peaches Raisins and toasted oak mixed some black pepper A little more acidic than I normally like This wine is a little like dating a girl who can be very sarcastic…ya like her a lot but sometimes her sarcasm in front of others kinda makes ya cringe

Calina Merlot (Chile, 2006)

Eddie — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:00:19 +0000

	This is a Merlot I picked up from Fresh and Easy on the way home from work. I was planning on having a nice burger on the grill and was looking for a decent wine to go with it. The bottle really stood out to me for some reason and I was compelled to pick it up.
	$8.00 From Fresh and Easy

Heavy aromas of alcohol Very acidic and harsh in the mouth Slight flavors of oak and berries The alcohol taste kind of masked the fruit and overpowered it *This wine is kinda like kissing a good looking girl who has bad breath…something about the bottle attracted me but once I tasted it I knew that I would not want to go there again.*

Ecco Domani Cabernet Merlot (Italy, 2004)

Mike — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:49:51 +0000

	This is a Cabernet Merlot blend from Italy with 53% Cabernet and 47% Merlot.
	$8 Purchased from Bashas.

Notes of blackberries in the bouquet. Smooth and mild tasting but also a very flat. A medium finish with hints of spice and mild tannins. This is the Budweiser, or Molson of wine. It has been mass produced and marketed so as not to offend anyones taste… kinda like listening to the latest boy band… You know who they are and what they sing but once you hear one of their songs you wonder why you did not change the station.

Concha Y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carmenere (Chile 2006)

Eddie — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:42:38 +0000

	This wine is a Carmenere from Chile. Carmenere used to be grown in the Bordeaux region of France but is now only found in Chile. Carmenere tends to be a mellow grape that produces soft tannins and it is much more mellow than a malbec or cab.
	$9 at Trader Joes

Spicy and peppery with a little bit of smoke and oak. A masculine tasting wine in the sense that it is more earthy rather than fruity. A bit harsh on the tongue at first but decanting mellowed and rounded it out. Once decanted, oak, and a coffee flavors came out followed by slight berry tastes. Not very complex but very easy and enjoyable to drink. A great every day wine. Excellent wine for the price. Much like going into a gas station and buying a $1.00 scratcher and winning $20.00. It is not going to make you rich and will not do cartwheels down the street; but non the less, you are happy you picked up the ticket.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot (California, 2005)

Mike — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:49:11 +0000

	This is a Merlot from the Robert Mondavi Private selection. It is very common wine that can be found just about anywhere. We picked this up on short notice and had it with sausage and peppers.
	$8 Purchased at Safeway.

Hints of toasted oak and red berries in the aroma. Sweet off the start Fruity with berry flavors. Slightly tart with moderately high tannins. Mild strawberry finish. Simple but decent. Kind of reminiscent of watching reruns of Friends. You enjoy it but it does not excite you and you wish something else was on.

Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages (France 2006)

Mike — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:20:02 +0000

	This wine is a Gamay Noir from the Beaujolais region in east central France. Beaujolais is a sub-region of the larger Burgandy region in France, and is known for producing fruit forward and light wines. Nearly all of the wine produced in the Beaujolais region is of the Gamay grape variety. This wine is very common in the US and can be found at almost any store.
	$8 from Trader Joes.

Strawberry bouquet. Light and dry with moderate tannins. Easy to drink with a very short finish. Not complex, simple. This wine is like that song you hear and enjoy right away. After a while though it gets a little boring, because it’s not layered with intricacies that take multiple listens to hear. It still is nice to play once in a while though because it does have a good rhythm.

Panilonco (Chile 2005)

Mike — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:52:47 +0000

	This wine is a Merlot/Malbec blend from Chile.
	$8

Citrus, grapefruit. Very pungent, bold. Spicy and a little peppery. Lots of tannins. Decanting highly recommended. Very good wine and there is a lot to it. *A good wine with a lot going on…drinking it is kinda like watching the game and trying to pay attention to your wife talking to you about changing the color scheme of your kitchen.*