Aug 31 2011

Rare Red (California)

Category: BlendEddie @ 10:05 pm
Picked this wine up at Sprouts because it was in the wine rack but did not have a price.  The bottle was super heavy and I considered purchasing it .  Since I could not find a price I decided on another wine.  Then a Spouts employee came out and I could not resist the draw of this bottle.  I asked him for a price check and it came with a very favorable $6.50.  I could not resist so I put it in my shopping cart.  We would have liked to have a vintage on the bottle, that was one of our few complaints about it.  It was a bit sweet for us and we were wondering if it would age well.  The bottle was very heavy and seemed to be built for aging.
$7 from Sprouts
Two and a Half Trophies
  • Aromas of vanilla, and butterscotch
  • a bit of moist Earth as well in the smell
  • A bit of maple syrup on the tip of your tongue
  • Some blueberry on the finish
  • A bit fruit heavy and tannic
  • Really great at first.  Creamy and sweet… a bit much after a while like going out to eat and having a dessert that is really good until about half way through when your stomach starts to hurt.
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Dec 31 2010

Bogle Phantom (California, 2006)

Category: Blend,Red WineEddie @ 8:43 pm
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
Four Trophies
  • 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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Oct 30 2010

Dos Brotos Lake County Ranch Red (California, 2008)

Category: BlendMike @ 1:17 pm
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
Four Trophies
  • 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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Sep 25 2010

Francis Ford Coppola Rosso (California, 2008)

Category: BlendMike @ 2:07 pm
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
Four Trophies
  • 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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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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Mar 15 2009

The California Wine Party Blend (California, 2006)

Category: BlendMike @ 7:29 pm
No Bottle Image Available This is a blend from Paso Robles California.  I picked this wine up at Trader Joes, simply because it had an interesting marketing angle, and it was only $6.  Turns out it was fairly decent, although probably not capable of government leadership if it were a real person.
$6 from Trader Joes
Three and a Half Trophies
  • Fruity aromas with overtones of alcohol
  • Flavors are a bit watered down.
  • Short finish
  • Tastes of blackberry
  • Very easy drinking with good mouth feel.
  • Overall it was not a bad wine.  It was enjoyable while it lasted but it kind of fell off the map with the finish…kinda like the way Giuliani fell off the map after Florida.  If this wine were the Governor of California it probably wouldn’t have much budget balancing success either… but people would still vote for it again.
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Jan 12 2009

Bogle Phantom (California, 2005)

Category: Blend,MalbecEddie @ 5:57 pm
Bogle Phantom (California, 2005) The first time we had this wine was in a wine bar and we really liked it.  We looked all over for it in Phoenix and found two places that carried it.  Cave Creek Wines and BevMo both carried it but BevMo was a little more expensive.  The wine is a blend and it is a special edition that Bogle is known for.
$19 from BevMo
Five Trophies

  • The aroma was rich and juicy with scents of ripe fruit, rosemary and the slightest hint of black licorice
  • Right out of the bottle it was a little edgy but decanting soften it quite a bit.
  • Very nice mouth feel with flavors of oak.
  • A very earthy wine with just a subtle taste of fruit
  • Hints of pomegranate
  • Having this wine for the second time after looking for it for so long must be what it is like to be an Arizona Cardinals fan and tasting the NFC Championship for the first time.  It is a thrill beyond belief…..If you find this wine, we really recommend that you pick up a bottle and enjoy it.
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Sep 26 2008

Columbia Crest Two Vines Vinyard 10 (Washington, 2005)

Category: BlendEddie @ 2:01 pm
I picked up this wine because I have had Columbia Crest Two Vine series before and was never disappointed.  The price is right and the quality has always left me impressed.  Anyway, this one caught my eye because I did not really know what i was in the mood for and since it was a blend I figured I would give it a try.
$7 at Safeway
Four and a Half Trophies
  • Aromas of Strawberry and clove
  • Cranberry and spice in the flavor
  • Somewhat tart but in a pleasant way
  • Slight taste of a really ripe and juicy plum on the finish
  • Interesting,intriguing, and keeps you attentive…like a very good college professor that engages you with so many things that you wonder where the time went in the class….ok..ok..ok…not really…it is more like the class clown that keeps you awake in a boring philosophy class because you never know what he is going to do next…Yup…thats more like.  This wine was a lot of fun!!!!!
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Apr 14 2008

Joe Blow Red (California, 2005)

Category: BlendMike @ 6:48 am
Joe Blow Red (California, 2005) When we first looked at this bottle with it’s funky label we did not have high expectations. We have been disappointed in the past with trendy looking labels. This bottle did not just surpass our expectations….it smashed our expectations. This is a bottle that you must pick up when you get the chance. The price is right and the complexity is so much fun.
$9 from Sprouts
Four Trophies
  • Strong aromas of fresh, and crisp red berries
  • Slight scent of dark moist soil
  • Not very sweet, but has a nice balance of fruit and earthiness
  • Felt soft and velvety in the mouth
  • Flavors of strawberry and caramel with a hint of vanilla on the tip of the tongue
  • Like meeting someone that just rubs you the wrong way at first but then after a while you find that you misjudged them and they have actually become a good friend that you would not trade for the world.
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Apr 07 2008

Recoleta Blend (Argentina, 2007)

Category: BlendMike @ 6:43 am
No Bottle Image Available This is a Malbec Bonarda Blend from Argentina.
$5 from Fresh & Easy
Two and a Half Trophies
  • Very light scents of fruit with a predominant alcohol smell
  • Strong tastes of blackberry at first
  • Hints of pipe tobacco follow the fruit
  • A lot of body but the flavors are not defined….they tend to meld together
  • A bit unrefined and boisterous….like the obnoxious friend everyone has in their circle… You can handle him in small doses and you don’t really hate him….you just need to limit your time with him before he becomes a little too much.
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1 Trophy2 Trophies3 Trophies4 Trophies5 Trophies   (1 ratings, average: 2.00 out of 5)
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