justagrape.com » Fresh & Easy

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.

Ora Montepulciano D’Abruzzo (Italy, 2008)

Eddie — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 04:46:14 +0000

	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

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.*

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.

Matuco Malbec (Argentina, 2008)

Eddie — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:56:03 +0000

	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

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.

Ambas Malbec (Argentina, 2008)

Eddie — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:56:59 +0000

	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

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.

Saveurs Veritables Pinot Noir (France, 2008)

Eddie — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:45:06 +0000

	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

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.

Casillero del Diablo (Chile, 2006)

Mike — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 00:45:04 +0000

	Casillero del Diablo Concha Y Toro is a Cabernet from Chile. This is a companion reivew to the 2007 vintage that we also did. We recommend avoiding the 2007 for 1 or two more years. We had this with steak from the charcoal grill and it was a great pairing.
	$9 from Fresh & Easy

Fruit forward strawberry aromas. Earth and vanilla smells. At the right temperature, this wine is smooth and had velvety mouth feel that is even better after decanting. Great mix of fruit and earth. Slight peach taste at the end with flavors of apples on the tip of the tongue. She is spunky yet refined and able to strike the perfect balance between adolescent charm and lady like maturity. She is an example that hopefully her younger sister will follow.

Casillero del Diablo (Chile, 2007)

Mike — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 19:18:17 +0000

	Casillero del Diablo Concha Y Toro is a Cabernet from Chile. We would really like to try this same bottle again after a year or two of aging. This is a companion review to the 2006 vintage of the same wine. We recommend the 2006 for right now.
	$9 from Fresh & Easy

Fruitier aroma than the 2006. Aroma of leafy greens with a bit of fruit. Abrasive harsh bite in the taste. Too harsh and minerally. The harshness diminishes any positives and overpowers everything else. Not quite as refined as her older sister. This wine seems to be stuck in the terrible twos. Maybe with some aging and maturity she will develop and fulfill the promise of her older sibling

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.

La Parra Loca (Spain, 2006)

Eddie — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:56:43 +0000

	I picked this wine up because I was having blackened salmon for dinner. I figured a nice Tempranillo would go great with this spicy fish dish. The wine is actually a blend of Tempranillo and Shiraz. The label even recommended that it be served with spicy fish dishes. The label also informed me that I would be tasting intense black fruit flavors and hints of vanilla and spice. Unfortunately, I did not taste any of these things. The wine was quite bland but it did hold up well to the spicy fish. In fact, the only reason it got 1.5 trophies instead of 1 was because it did hold up to the dinner. The only way I would recommend this wine would be with a meal that was quite hearty, spicy and flavorful. On its own the flavors were boring and muddled.
	$7 from Fresh & Easy

Muddled and indecisive Smooth in the mouth yet harsh when swallowed. Lingering bitter tastes like that of grape seeds On the tip of the tongue it was sweet like blackberries but soured towards the back of the mouth Like going to a nice Spanish restaurant and expecting an exotic and enchanting meal but ending up with fried rice and dried beef.

Rockcliffe Family Cabernet (Washington, 2006)

Eddie — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:10:11 +0000

	This is a Cabernet from Fresh & Easy. We picked this up one Saturday night and enjoyed it with bruschetta.
	$12 from Fresh & Easy.

Slight aromas of nutmeg and other Christmas spices. Slight hint of cherry in the taste with holiday spices. A bit tart on the finish…a bit like raspberry This wine really conjured up images and feelings of Christmas….Felt like going home to family after being away for a long time and laughing together around a big Christmas dinner…..of course sine it is the middle of the summer and fond memories are all that are left we no longer remember all the Christmas fights over politics and sports with drunk Uncle “Larry”

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.

Ambas Malbec (Argentina, 2007)

Mike — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:30:46 +0000

	This wine is a Malbec from Argentina. We picked this up because we saw that it was a fairly new arrival to Fresh & Easy.
	$7 from Fresh & Easy

Aromas of ripe fruit. Masculine notes of leather and spice in the taste. High tannin content makes it a bit harsh in the mouth. Rich and robust tastes of oak and cigar with a lingering finish. This wine is not the like the weight watchers breakfast of fresh fruit and yogurt….this wine is much more like a stick to your ribs country style breakfast of steak and eggs with a side of corn beef hash.

Torres Coronas Tempranillo (Spain, 2004)

Mike — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:27:10 +0000

	This is a tempranillo from Spain. This was another of our 4th of July wines that we had that day.
	$10 from Fresh & Easy

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.

Georges Deboeuf Beaujolais-Villages (France, 2006)

Mike — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:02:19 +0000

	This is a Gamay from France. I picked this up as part of our 4th of July celebration. I know…I know…why am I buying a French wine to celebrate the birth of America…..well it is in honor of the Marquis De Lafayette who helped our troops overcome the British. But don’t worry…I also brought some Sam Adams beer to go with the BBQ as well. Anyways…we enjoyed this as a precursor to our meal with brie cheese and crackers topped with dried cherries.
	$9 at Fresh & Easy

Fruity aroma with a touch of cinnamon The aroma is very inviting Citrus notes on the initial tasting You must decant this wine for about 45 minutes and it becomes very smooth and mellow Mouth feel is much softer after the decant Flavors of raspberry and strawberry come through at the end I have to admit that I was not to sure about this wine when I bought it. I was not sure that it would really be as good as it was…kinda like how the British Crown may have underestimated the will of the Revolutionary soldiers. This wine surprises you with how good it is and you really must try this.