WineLife365

Archive for the ‘4-Star’ Category

Like a lot of other people this past Sunday night, we were glued to the TV set sayin’, “Man, she looks terrible!” or “Wow, she looks really great!”  We were also wondering if James Cameron and Jon Landau’s 10 year project, “Avatar”, would runaway with all of the Oscar trophies.  But just like so many other past Oscar nights, there was that dark horse in the bunch that surprised everyone.  This year, it was a night to remember for the folks involved with the film “The Hurt Locker”, which won six Academy Awards including “Best Picture”.

As we watched “The Hurt Locker” put a hurtin’ on fellow nominees, we were putting a hurtin’ on a couple great bottles of wine!

The first of the evening was the 2009 Finca La Linda Torrontes bottled by Luigi Bosca.  This wine was produced in Argentina and consists of 100% Torrontes grape.  Torrontes is the wonderful and distinctively aromatic signature white grape of Argentina.  If you’ve never tried a Torrontes before, this one will certainly make a great first impression on you!  There’s a lot of interesting layers of flavors swirling around in this wine.  It’s a bombshell of racy, crisp acidity, packed full of tropical flavors, that reminded me of a Pina Colada.  The 2009 Finca La Linda Torrontes was a big winner and left us wanting more.  Costing less than $10, it secures a lofty 4 star WineLife365 taste rating and also earned itself many repeat visits as the weather in our neck of the woods continues to warm up.

Next up was the 2006 La Corte Solyss Negroamaro.  This red wine is from the South of Italy in the Puglia (Apulia) region.  Negroamaro, also known as Negro amaro, is one of the most widely planted native red grapes grown in the Southern regions of Italy.  It’s grown almost exclusively in Puglia (Apulia) and also in Salento, which is located at the “heel” of Italy.  The Negroamaro grape and the winemakers in this region tend to allow these wines to express rustic, earthy, and natural tasting characteristics.  This particular Old World red showcases some really interesting mineral, herbaceous and cherry twists that will undoubtedly make you question whether you’re a fan of it or not.  We were fans of 2006 La Corte Solyss Negroamaro and give it 3 stars out of 4 on our taste scale.  One final note on this wine – I paid $12 for it at a local retailer, but I’ve seen it as high as $25 online.  I’m not sure whether or not I’d be willing to fork over 25 bones for it, but if you can find it for less than $20, it’s certainly worth a shot!

With the 2010 Oscars behind us, I can’t say that there were many moments that will replay in my mind for any length of time.  However, I did find some winners that will have repeat performances in my glass.

Share and Enjoy!

Hide Sites

From: France
Price: $9.99

Is your white wine up to the Challenge?

Looking for that perfect crowd pleasing white wine to bring to a Christmas party?  Or, maybe just a great inexpensive wine to give to someone as a gift this holiday season?  Here’s the answer my friend to your holiday dilemma, and it’ll only cost you $10 bucks.  This little treasure comes from France – which of course means that you’ll be instantly greeted by a label in all of its French splendid glory, chock full of unfamiliar French words that will undoubtedly have your brain muttering the words of Mr. Grinch, “How-be Who-be What??” .  After a little label intimidation game, you’re then distracted by the look of the bottle.  It is long and slender and has a Grinch-looking body that by this point has you saying, “Pooh-pooh to the Whos!”, and has you heading back to your ‘ole familiar wine boundaries.  But wait, before you go running back to that safe haven in aisle 3, do yourself a favor and taste drive one of the most heavenly killer values on the planet right now for under 10 smackers.  Here’s all you need to know about this stunning wine before having your taste buds bustin’ loose under the mistletoe with excitement. 

Picpoul is the grape and Pinet is the village within the Languedoc region of France for which this wine calls home.

This white wine pops with gigantic acidic fruit flavors like grapefruit, lime and pineapple from start to its glorious zesty finish.  Not only is the Le Jade great on its own, but it’s also extremely food-friendly and has the chops to stand up to anything from say bacon-wrapped scallops over Southwestern seasoned mixed vegetables to a melted Manchego cheese and Italian Sopressata quesadilla (I speak from experience on these two).

My question to you and every white wine making winery out there is this:  Can your $20 or less white wine do that?  I personally believe that the Le Jade, at just under $10, might very well be the most exceptional and versatile inexpensive white wine on the market right now.  To this point, I’m making a challenge to all wineries around globe – If you think that your less than $20 white wine is better then this French beauty, then I’d like to hear about it!

As for the 2008 Le Jade, Picpoul de Pinet – It’s the tops in my book!  Pour it, enjoy it, or just get crunked (if that’s your thing) this holiday season – 4 Stars.

Cheers!

WineLife365 Rating: 4-Star

Share and Enjoy!

Hide Sites

With hundreds of wines to choose from in most stores, what factors do you consider when shopping for wine?  Do you look specifically at a wine’s place of origin, do you consider price, or do you base your wine purchases on the points awarded by large wine publications?  Chances are there are probably many factors that go into your wine buying decision.  One marketing tool that is catching on in the wine industry is the utilization of unique and eye-grabbing labels that will ultimately make a wine shopper take notice of it and head straight to the checkout counter.  Wine marketers believe that many shoppers are influenced by a wine’s label.  They point to the enormous success that the Australian brand Yellow Tail has enjoyed since 2005 with its familiar kangaroo on the label.  As a result, many other wineries around the world have tried to replicate this success with their own unique, one-of-a kind label to help them standout from the crowd.

One wine brand that knocks the ball out of the park, as far as wine labels go, is Wine Guerrilla.  Just one look at these exquisite looking labels is reason enough to purchase these wines.

I recently had the opportunity to sample both of these red Zinfandels, and it made me a believer that it is possible to pick up a delicious tasting vino based entirely on the label alone. 

Both of these stunning labels were created by Sean Colgin.  Mr. Colgin is a Los Angeles, California based artist.  He is also responsible for the creation of all of the beautifully made Wine Guerrilla labels.  After checking out Mr. Colgin’s artwork, I’ve decided to start a Sean Colgin Savings Account so that one day, I can purchase one of his masterpieces.

After salivating over the impressive packaging, I was really hoping that these two Wine Guerrilla Zinfandels would speak to my sense of taste just as much as these bottles spoke to my sense of sight. 

My wife and I first tried the 2007 Forchini Vineyards ‘old vine’ Russian River Valley Zinfandel.  Only 145 cases of this Zinfandel were produced.  It is made up of 83% Zinfandel with a 17% splash of Petite Sirah.  On a side note, both grapes used to make this particular wine came from the same ranch.  This beautiful looking bottle of Zinfandel retails for $30.

How did it taste?

The 2007 Forchini Vineyards ‘old vine’ Russian River Valley Zinfandel put my taste buds into pure black cherry bliss.  This wine starts with a big semi-sweet block of ripe cherry and closes out with the same wonderful cherry flavors through its finale.  This Zin is unfiltered and unfined, and it has an alcohol level of 15.4.  Surprisingly, you’d never guess that the alcohol level was so high, because it’s not in the least bit hot on your palate. 

The bottom line on this terrific tasting Zin:  If you like a big fruit-forward Zinfandel with a bit of sweetness, you won’t be disappointed!

I award the 2007 Forchini Vineyards ‘old vine’ Russian River Valley Zinfandel 3 stars out of 4. 

Next up for us, was the 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel.  This Zinfandel is a blend of 86% Zinfandel, 6% Malbec, 4% Cab Franc, 4% Petite Sirah, and 1% of an unfamiliar grape called Alacante Bouchet.  This wine retails for $22.00.

How did this equally beautiful looking bottle of Zin taste?

Touchdown!  The 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is perfectly proportioned like having an appetizer, dinner and dessert all rolled up into one.  Where the 2007 Forchini Vineyards ‘old vine’ Russian River Valley Zinfandel was more fruit forward and ripe, the 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel delivered a constant thumping stream of ripe berry flavors accented with spices and sweet oak from the beginning to the end.  Just as impressive as this Zin was and the bottle’s label, I also took note of the long tears or “legs” that ran down the inside of my glass.

Bottom line on the 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel:  The folks at Wine Guerrilla have done an amazing job of complementing this impressive packaging with a commitment to filling the bottle with some killer juice that is equally as impressive!  The best part - they have released it to the public at a very attractive price!  “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!”  It’s a no-brainer on this wine – 4 stars out of 4!  I absolutely loved it and would pretty much drink it and stare at the label for as long as my leisure time would allow.

One final note about the awesome Wine Guerrilla Zinfandel wines:  The holidays are just around the corner, and a Wine Guerrilla Zin would make for a great gift or a great bottle to share with family and friends.

You can checkout the entire Wine Guerrilla portfolio here: http://www.wineguerrilla.com.

Share and Enjoy!

Hide Sites

Last week’s Fancy Dinner Friday was one to remember for my wife and me.  If you’re joining us for the first time, we have a family tradition in our house that takes place just about every Friday night called “Fancy Dinner Friday”.  Our oldest son coined the phrase “Fancy Dinner Friday” about two years ago, because on most Friday evenings, you’ll find my sons and me transforming our dining room into what he calls a “fancy restaurant dining room”.  We start by dressing the dinner table with a nice tablecloth, placemats and real napkins.  We finish off the look of the dining room by adding lots of candles all around.  Our Friday night dinner menu is always the same – a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs that my sons and I make especially for Mom.  Chopsticks are always available and may be used in place of a fork if anyone desires.  Don’t ask – I’m not quite sure how chopsticks came into play.  My wife and I also use these Friday evenings to become acquainted with new wines – usually red. Why?  Well, we think red wine goes pretty darn well with a plate of hot spaghetti and meatballs.

On this particular Friday evening, there was some excitement swirling around in our house prior to dinner being served, as our two children prepared for their unveiling of the “Fancy Dinner Friday Mascot”.

Act 1: The Fancy Dinner Friday Mascot pays us a visit

This summer, our sons have become quite fascinated with mascots; particularly how mascots dress up in costumes, make an exciting entrance, and know how to electrify a crowd.  Last Friday, my wife and I were paid a very special visit by the “Fancy Dinner Friday Mascot”.  All that I can tell you about this funny looking mascot was that it looked like a much younger Chef Boyardee, with a mixture of the little burger chef from the classic 1980’s arcade game called “BurgerTime”, and bared a striking resemblance to our youngest son.  As the little chef-looking mascot ran wild throughout our house to his specially selected mascot music, he made sure to give everyone lots of high 5’s and some cool jumps before exiting.  Shortly after his departure, our youngest son made his way to the dinner table and we told him that he just missed the mascot.  He told us, “Oh man…maybe I’ll get to see him next time!” (Wink-Wink).

Act 2: One Cabernet Sauvignon Coming Up

Tonight’s spaghetti and meatballs couldn’t have asked for a much better red wine than this one, based on the label and the price tag alone.  We were drinking the 2004 “Estate Bottled” Michel-Schlumberger Cabernet Sauvignon from the Dry Creek Valley in California, and the cost was an astounding $18.99 a bottle!  The last time that I had an opportunity to taste a Michel-Schlumberger wine was back in early 2000 when the price of a bottle of wine from this outstanding producer was under $20 bucks and Enron was the stock to buy.

Prior to the current economic global meltdown, a California Cab of this stature would have easily run you $30 dollars or more.  But, I was fortunate enough to see the “blue light special” flashing in aisle 3 at my local wine retailer and had the option of either buying this wine – 1 for $18.99 or 2 for $30.  Having never tried this particular Michel-Schlumberger wine before, I decided against the very enticing two-fer offer and settled on one bottle.

I sure am kicking myself now for not taking advantage of that 2 for $30 special, because this Cab is good!  In fact, it’s very good!   My advice to you:  If you see this Michel-Schlumberger Cabernet Sauvignon marked down from $29.99 to $18.99 like I did, BUY IT! 

The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is a remarkable bold blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot made in a French Bordeaux meets New World style.  This outstanding, well made Cab doesn’t have one element per say that pops out at you – it just delivers a consistent heady and seamless punch of spicy dark fruit and rich spices that is perfect from the time that it hits your taste buds until its long terrific finish lingers away.  This is a wine that offers Cabernet Sauvignon lovers something to cheer about from the beginning, to the middle, and through the end.

I award the 2004 Michel-Schlumberger “Estate Bottled” Cabernet Sauvignon 4 stars out of 4.  It was like drinking a 3 course meal!

Share and Enjoy!

Hide Sites

Origin: Napa Valley, California

Price: $38.00

I can only think of three words that describe this “Estate Bottled” Cabernet Sauvignon – Pure Napa Gold! 

I had the pleasure of sampling this wine a few nights ago, and it completely knocked my socks off!  This monstrous full-throttle Cab doesn’t waste any time grabbing your attention and holding it until the very last drop.  It explodes with dynamite ripe-cherry, blackberry, and spices that are skillfully intertwined with sweet oak.  As you continue drinking it, the wonderful flavors of the 2004 St. Supéry Cabernet Sauvignon just grow bigger and burst all over your palate like a fireworks finale.

In my humble opinion, the 2004 St. Supéry Cabernet Sauvignon is about as close to perfection as it gets.  It also made me consider changing my wine rating system to a facial expression rating system because it only took one sip of this big Napa Valley Cab for my wife’s face to look like the cat that just ate the canary!

I award the 2004 St. Supéry Cabernet Sauvignon 4 Stars out of 4.  It’s gutsy, powerful, and flat out awesome!

Share and Enjoy!

Hide Sites