justagrape.com » California

Rare Red (California)

Eddie — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:05:39 +0000

	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

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.*

WineWrights Pinot Noir (California, 2009)

Mike — Sun, 01 May 2011 06:14:57 +0000

	Picked up this wine from Fresh & Easy and had with corned beef, potatoes, soda bread and our favorite brussels sprouts with bacon.
	$11 from Fresh & Easy

This wine has herbal smells from the opening. Fruity hints of strawberry and strawberry tastes. Smooth and easy, nice mouth feel with low tannins Blackberry tastes at the end. This wine is a little like the lower end contract player that is signed for a low to mid range dollar amount and does what expected by filling a role that is needed, but does not exceed any performance expectations. It would be nice if they performed above their contract level, but they don’t so that’s what you get! Still a great bargain that does what it needs to.

Barbed Wire (California, 2009) Blend

Eddie — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 06:36:41 +0000

	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

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.

Francis Ford Coppola Rosso Blend (California, 2009)

Eddie — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 05:42:01 +0000

	This is a wine that we’ve reviewed previously in the 2008 vintage, but we were disappointed with the 2009 compared to the previous year.
	$16 from Fry’s

Aromas of over ripe raspberry and a slight hint of black pepper Very tannic out of the bottle Long finish with flavors of dark cherry A bit plain at first and the finish is where all the flavor is at Hints of rosemary Kind of like going to a Black Angus or a Red Lobster…a recognizable name that you are satisfied with but not overwhelmed. Buy it if it is on sale obut do not go out of your way to pick it up at full price.

Dos Brotos Lake County Ranch Red (California, 2008)

Mike — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:17:31 +0000

	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

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!

Francis Ford Coppola Rosso (California, 2008)

Mike — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 21:07:18 +0000

	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

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.

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 you and when she leaves it almost feels as if she is still here.

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.

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!

The California Wine Party Blend (California, 2006)

Mike — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:29:23 +0000

	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

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.

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.

Gnarly Head Zinfandel (California, 2006)

Eddie — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:47:20 +0000

Tap We	This wine is an old vine Zinfandel from Lodi, California. I picked this up for an end of the summer get together at my condo before heading back to work for the school year.
	$10 from Fresh & Easy

Great aroma in the glass of fresh fruit Heavy, Heavy, Heavy alcohol tastes A bit of spice and oak was noticed after decanting Slight burst of cherry at first but then masked by the overpowering flavor of alcohol. I was all excited about this wine since I was celebrating the end of my summer with friends….Only problem….the wine was not. Drinking this wine was like getting all dressed up and excited for a date you have been waiting for…..only to have the girl call you 15 minutes before you leave to tell you she cannot make it. Huge let down to say the least.

Big House The Slammer (California, 2005)

Mike — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:34:12 +0000

	This is a California Syrah from Santa Cruz. This is a cousin wine of Big House Red that we reviewed earlier.
	$11 from Safeway.

Smells of cinnamon and wet earth. Hints of peach in the taste. Tastes of boysenberry. This wine would be much better with a good solid 1/2 pound cheeseburger fresh off the grill. While this wine is O.K…..I am not sure that I would be willing to go to the Slammer for this bottle.

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.