Posts Tagged red wine

Now here’s the perfect bargain. Its something that Italy has been doing more consistently than all other countries with the exception of maybe Australia. This Tuscan red wine blend is a mixture of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot, and can be found for anywhere from $8 to $10. I’ve had this brand many times over the years as it tends to deliver a decent wine at a good price. This vintage is no exception. The other thing that makes this wine a winner is accessibility. I’ve been able to find this at most wines stores and better grocery stores, making it more impressive that they can mass-produce a quality product like this. Quality was higher across the board in 2006 and this wine definitely benefited from the ideal growing conditions.

Monte Antico 2006

Medium-bodied, this wine has a good cherry and plum core. The nose is fragrant and pure, with hints of lavender and spice. The mouth-feel is fairly rich due to the Cab and Merlot, giving this wine some body, however it never feels too heavy. It has a cool, lithe quality that makes a good wine for everything from pizza to pastas, and maybe even a little bit of bar-be-que chicken. The finish is smooth and enjoyable. Its by no means a deep, intellectual wine, but for the price it really delivers a solid wine with an interesting flavor palate, and pairs well with alot of foods. I’ve got to stay this is a Brick Solid Plus wine that I’ll go back to again and again.

Here’s a quick review of a really reasonably priced Pinot. I was shocked at the value and quality for $14. Purchased from Wine Library, I’m hoping they get this back in stock as it hit the perfect balance of a wine worth drinking and one worth savoring. Here are my notes:

Very pretty scents of cranberry and sandlewood – a very distinct pinot smell and flavor. Some acidity and earthiness mixed from the beginning. Has cranberry and strawberry flavors. Earthy mushroom and tobacco intermixed. Good balance on the wine and a little acidity helps from making the wine have that candied fake taste that alot of the Pinots in this price range suffer from.

Yealands Pinot Noir

Overall this is an extremely well made wine for the price. I’ve not seen many pinots for $14 match this quality. The body and flavor plus the nose make this a good buy. My rating on this wine is a Brick Solid! I’d definitely go back for more.

It’s got to be raspberries! I’ve just finished another glass of the Pillar Box Red from 2007. This blended wine, which I purchased for around $12, is made up of Shiraz, Cab, and Merlot, and usually delivers a great wine for the price. This time is no exception. I’ve had the Pillar Box roughly 4 or 5 times over the last year or so. Each time it offers up soft approachable fruit, a little bit of tannins and a very drinkable wine that fits the budget. Its also not over the top which means you get a wine that has a little mineral qualities to go with the earthiness. Basically, the wine seems to have that little extra that makes you want to score it just a point or two higher.

Pillar Box Red

So back to raspberries – some wines tend to have flavors that remind you of fruits and other bits of nature. Then there are wines like this that actually taste like crushed up fruit, in this case raspberries. Big fruitiness upfront, and then there are the other components like tobacco, mushroom, and tea spices. The nose is fairly simple and straightforward. The finish is a decent length, and good grip and a decent amount of tannins to hold the flavor through. There’s a little bit of chocolate as well to coat those raspberries in and add a level of richness.

Overall, this wine really continues to deliver and its readily available at a decent price. I’ve got to score this on the high end of a Brick Solid. It’s a perfect wine for barbeque or for even a simple steak, but also good on its own. Enjoy!

So I’m usually out looking for a good deal along with a great bottle of wine when I get the chance. I’d had the 2006 version of this wine, paying around $20 for it and it was quiet good at the time, though I didn’t get any notes on it. So when I was in need of a wine to bring over to friends for dinner, I happened upon the 2007 at Whole Foods for about $25, and thought “it seems like a little more, but oh well”. Anyway, the wine turned out to be a hit with the friends, I knew I had to seek out more, this time at my favorite discount mecca, The Wine Library. Sure enough, they sold it for $15.98. Cringe!

Schild Shiraz

Oh well, I snapped up a few extra bottle at that price and have been enjoying them since. Here’s notes on this wine, which at 15 is far a better deal that I would have expected. This is a big extracted wine, with a solid nose yielding blueberries, raspberries, coffee, mushroom and tea scents. The taste initially is firm and tannic, but that smoothes out with 30 minutes. Rich fruit and chocolate-tobacco core dominate the palate and the finish is full and long. I’ve now tasted this a few times with consistent notes. I’d have to say based on the price I’ve got to go Borderline Outstanding on this one.

So from the get-go, this wine just feels right. The smell is strong, bold even after a half-hour decant. However, in the first hour, the taste hasn’t quiet caught up with the nose. The pencil shavings and cherry core come through with a little bit of nutmeg and tobacco on the nose. The taste however is hard and still very tannic.

Given another hour or so to wake up, and this wine really starts to come alive. Now its singing with fruit and body, and the nose has a rich aged oaky smell, with charcoal and mushroom. The taste, still with a bit of grippy tannins now opens up to reveal a softer under body, rich cherry fruit and a long balanced finish. Not overly long by any means, maybe 25 seconds. Being that I originally picked this up for $25, it seems to be in that sweet spot for a wine that gives you a little more, but doesn’t go over the top.

2001 Haut-Bages Liberal

What I really dig about this wine right is it doesn’t try to overpower you or make you cry uncle cause its got too much alcohol. It weighs in a 12.5 percent which makes it easier to drink and enjoy through the night. It does seem to lack a little bit in the finish, and the rasiny texture tells me the fruit might not hold up too much longer. But as far as classic aged Bordeaux goes, this seems to be a great example at this stage.

Now open for about 3 hrs, its still got some grip, but the softness continues to come through. The mushroom, tobacco, earth, and oak blend really nicely together. I was looking to open something that would both make be contemplate the wine, but also a nice drink throughout the evening. I’m not going to say this is a perfect wine, but it really delivers for me. Price was good, though I guess it runs more like $40 now. The taste (hey there’s actual taste here – rather than just oak, or fruit) provided a number of subtleties that you don’t see from alot of other wines. I really enjoy the taste of terrior here and a definete sense of place. Anyway, I’ve ranted on long enough – overall I’d give this wine a borderline outstanding. While not a mind blowing, with the age on the bottle, and the wonderful characteristics, it was a thoroughly enjoyable wine.