Red Wines We've Tasted

Finias Scores Classic + Outstanding    Very Good Good -  but not worth buying again Not to our tastes - Could be to someone else's

 

Barolo/Nebbiolo

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Massino	1997		$20	We found this at Sam's Club.  Anytime we can find an inexpensive good Borolo We count it a big win.  We tasted this up against a $40 that a friend bought and this was significantly better.
LA Cetto Nebbiolo - Reserva Limitada	1996		8.00	We bought this in Mexico and tried it up against a $40 bottle.  Of course it didn't equal but it held it's own which is quite a complement.
Marcarini Barolo La Serra	1993	+ W.S 86	41.00	Clean and pure, with lovely, complex accents of earth, spice, barkand wood.. Great Valentine's Day Wine. Make sure you let it breatth.

 

Cabernet Sauvignon

Notes on our February '99 Wine Tasting

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Talus	1995	WS - 80	5.99 on Sale	Light cherry and oak flavors combine to produce a simple, pleasant wine.   Amaziningly this wine wasn't blown away by its competition.  John liked the heavy tannins.
Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley	1995	+ WS - 93	80.00	This is dark and ripe, with exotic aromas and flavors -- dense, earthy currant, black cherry, wild berry and plum with a cedary oak edge. Well-integrated tannins and pretty fruit flavors provide elegance.  (I gave it 4 glasses John gave it 3)
Spring Mountain 1994 Miravalle-Alba -Chevalier	1994	+ WS - 90	38.99	Good fruit, with a chocolatey taste.  Good nose but seemed to get almost non-existent on the finish.  The Talus was more popular.

 

Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Jamieson's Run (Austrailia)	1995	+  W.S 86	9.99	A chunky wine, firm in texture, with pretty currant and floral flavors that persist on the open-textured finish. We linked this wine a lot..
Rosemont shiraz/cab	1998	WS NR	7.99	This was a very young wine.  Had a definite fresh fruit taste but John felt it was mediocre.  I'd give it another 1/2 point but that's about all
Oxford Landing Cabernet-Shiraz South Eastern Australia	1997	+ W.S. 84	7.99	Fruit, Fruit and more Fruit all dancing around on your tongue.  It was the hit of the superbowl party

Carignane

Winery

Vintage Year

Rating

Price

Comment

Cline

1991

+

Medium weight, with flavors of earth, wild berry and cherry. Finishes with gritty tannins.  Not bad but not sure it's going on our must have list

 

Merlot

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Charles Shaw	2002	++	2.99	Fondly referred to a 2 buck chuck.  Great stuff for the price - very fruity.
Blackstone	1997	+		Wonderfully rich fruit flavors that are soft and smooth.  The is a blend from all over California and the wine maker did a great job.
Niebaum -Coppola	1994	WS 92 case buy @ $24	24.00 Retail, we paid $39 at  Silks where we went for John's Birthday	Remarkably supple and elegant, with a juicy core of ripe black cherry, plum and currant flavors that pick up nuances of spice and herb. The tannins are soft and fleshy and the finish lingers on and on.  It also had a wonderful nose.
Parducci	1995	WS 82	10.00	Pleasant plum and spice flavors. Finishes with grainy tannins. This wine was awful when we first opened it.  It improved after we'd let it breath for about 15 mins and  it was actually very nice with dinner. NOT AN 82
Talus	1995	WS 82	10.99	Good all around wine.  Good nose, flavor (black cherry, cedar and leather) and goes very well with food.
Talus	1996	WS 79	7.99	Simple, with well-oaked, light cherry and herb notes. Seemed very berry tasting to both of us.  Nice guzzle wine
Turning Leaf	1996	WS 72	5.99	Good cooking wine. Not quite as strong a flavor as the Talus but it was great as the base for the beef stew.

 

Merlot Blend -

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Kestrel -Drop dead red 1	NV	++	10.00	This wine possesses a sensual ruby-red color. Brilliant sweet cherry, violets and rose petals, sweet vanilla bean and chocolate aromas and flavors expose themselves in one's glass. A slight yet delicious cedar note is found in this wine's plush finish. 47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec
Kestrel - Drop dead red 3	NV	++	10.00	This wine possesses a sensual ruby-purple color. In the aroma you will find luscious ripe straw-berry, cherry, currant and blueberry fruit flavors that expose themselves in one's glass. The wine ripples with structure and finishes with a lingering cherry, cedar, and cigar notes. 55% Merlot, 30% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Kestrel - Drop dead red 2	NV	++	10.00	This wine possesses a sensual ruby-red color. Brilliant sweet cherry, violets and rose petals, sweet vanilla bean and chocolate aromas and flavors expose themselves in one's glass. A slight yet delicious cedar note is found in this wine's plush finish. 58% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cab Franc, 3% Malbec

Merlot Late Harvest

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Kestrel -Late Harvest Merlot	2002	+		We sucked this down in one setting -- It was absolutely delicious. The color is that of a dark rose or garnet possessing light color. Flavors and aromas are honey, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries and a fabulous streak of ripe mango.

 

Pinot Noir

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Pepperwood	NV	++	6.99	We've been delighted with this - Yes it's jug wine but who cares.  It's the best value pinot we've found - we usually keep it stocked
Sanford - Santa Barbara County	1998	+	30+	A friend served this one night -- we loved it and we're still hanging on to a bottle which we opened 10/30/05.  Still a complex well balanced wine but to my tastes slightly past its prime

 

 

 

Sangiovese

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Atlas Peak	1994	+ 1/2 case buy WS 87	17.99	This was our wine with Thanksgiving dinner this year.  It was fruity, smooth, and a hit with the white zin group as well as the rest of us.  It's pricey but it's the first wine everyone has liked.
Atlas Peak	1995	+ WS 78	11.99	Not in the same class as their more expensive bottle.  We served it as our second bottle at Thanksgiving dinner and it was fine in that capacity.

Shiraz/Syrah

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Chandler Reach Syrah	2001		20.00	Picked this up at the winery on one of our annual thanksgiving trips to Yakama -- very good
Wyndham Estate Bin 555	2001		8.00	Rich and spicy with flavors of plum and raisin.  A best buy in our opinion

 

Zinfindel

Winery	Vintage Year	Rating	Price	Comment
Francis Coppola	2003		12.00	Luscious flavors of black cherry, boysenberry, cassis, and mocha with just enough spice to still taste like a zin
Cline - Ancient vine	2004		13.00	Dusty raspberry, blackberry, white pepper and spice, with coffee and chocolate characters.
Cline	1995	WS N/R	10.99	Nice big spicy wine.  A good example of what a zin should be. Note the 96 might not be as good
Cline	1997	+	9.99	Good fruit but not enough spice to really qualify as a good Zin.
Tessera	1995	WS 82	8.99	Intense fruit (black cherry and anise) but no sharp edges.  No spice.   An interesting wine but not a true Zin.  It picks up .5 a point if we judge it as a red table wine.
Ravenswood	1996	WS N/R	9.99	Bought this on the recommendation of a wine buyer I dealt with in Milford.  Spicy, full of fruit but not so overwhelming you can't drink it by itself before dinner.