WineLife365

Posts Tagged ‘3-Star’

Sometimes you just want a red wine that tastes great and doesn’t make you feel like you’re drinking another meal with your meal.  That’s what the 2010 Apaltagua Reserva Malbec (Sample, MSRP: $12 US) is all about.  There’s nothing heavy or overblown in the least with this estate-grown juice from Chile.

It’s a little quirky with its smoky herbs, mixed with violets on the front palate, but then it changes up on you with a silky-smooth kick of black cherry, plum and black pepper finish.

3 Stars out of 4 for the 2010 Apaltagua Reserva Malbec.  It’s light on its toes for an Chilean Malbec, but being lean and just a little bit mean ain’t a bad thing!

After all the holiday gorging, it actually feels good to raise the white flag and yell “Mercy!”…returning to some (much needed) healthier eating habits.  After plowing through so many plates of food and downing enough tannic reds to fill a barrel, I’m excited to be taking steps in the right direction to get back on my ‘A’ game.  And I’m just as excited to find some white wines that send my taste buds racing with crisp and zesty acidity, which will be perfect for my post-holiday detox.

What better place to start than a place that breeds these types of mouthwatering champions:  Marlborough, New Zealand.  My first pick for 2012 is the 2010 Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc (Sample, MSRP: $14 US).

The 2010 Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc is like a breath of fresh air:  it’s lively, vibrant and intense with a full charge of grapefruit, orange peel and lemon/lime flavors.  One interesting thing to note about this New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is that it doesn’t possess an overwhelming grassy/herbaceous element that oftentimes is the giveaway that you’re drinking a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  So…if that’s something that has been a turn off for you, you may want to give this New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc a shot.

3 Stars out of 4 for the 2010 Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc.  A perfect pairing with some much needed lighter fare; it offers a rewarding kick of fruit flavors to thrust you straight into a healthier state of mind.

Check out our top rated wines under $20 and save!

With what seems to be everlasting gloom and doom in the US economy, it’s nice to come across a feel-good story that offers a glimmer of hope.  I don’t have a story for you, but I do have a good piece of info to pass along.

Quite tasty is how I would describe the 2010 Concannon Vineyard Glen Ellen Proprietor’s Reserve Pinot Grigio from California. (Sample, MSRP: 1.5L = $9.99 and 5 bones for a 750ml).  Not being someone who typically grabs for a bottle of Pinot Grigio, I was pleasantly surprised:  For about a buck a glass, you’ll get a refreshing wine with a slightly sweet burst of citrus and honeydew melon flavors that makes for a nice sipper.

3 Stars out of 4 for the 2010 Concannon Vineyard Glen Ellen Proprietor’s Reserve Pinot Grigio.   Whether you’re a Pinot Grigio fan, or just like a light white wine – this is a low budget flick worth checking out.

Looking for something Low Budget AND Scary to watch after the trick-or-treaters have stopped banging on your door?  Check out SlasherCast and The Flickest for movie reviews that will be your guide to the scary stuff!  Happy Halloween! 

Ok, what word in this title doesn’t quite fit?  If you said, “Bordeaux” – give yourself a big attaboy (or girl) and slap yourself on the butt!  Most wine drinkers (at least the ones I know) wouldn’t include ALL of these words in a sentence meant to describe wines from one of the most storied wine regions.  In an effort to change this perception and to elevate awareness about reasonably priced (i.e., under $20) Bordeaux wines available in the US, the folks at Planet Bordeaux initiated a campaign to educate, share and showcase examples of what Bordeaux, and in particular Bordeaux Supérieur AOC wines, has to offer consumers in the under $20 category.

Yesterday, we decided to try the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge and the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge with grilled salmon and a thick piece of grilled steak .  

The first wine we tasted was the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge (Sample, MSRP: $13 US).

Right off the bat – before ever seeing the vintage date on the label – I thought to myself, “this wine has seen a few moons.”   Reason being that the color of the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge was a tad cloudy and had a dull ruby color to it.  That being said, though, we don’t judge any wine by how pretty it looks in the glass – it’s all about how it tastes.  As my wife and I tasted the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge, I commented several times that it tasted a bit tired; it was not at all vibrant and tasted one-dimensional to me.  Made of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, it lacked any interesting herbal and spice flavors.  I kept it open for a few hours, in hopes of tasting some violet and black currants; unfortunately, over the course of the evening, I just couldn’t find them.  2 Stars out of 4 for the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge.

Our second rouge of the evening was the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge (Sample, MSRP: $15 US).

Like the Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge, the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge is comprised of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Unlike the first red, though, the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge exhibited a beautiful vibrant ruby color.  How did it taste?  This claret coats your entire palate – front, middle and end – with raspberry, strawberry, cloves, violets and black current.  AND…I absolutely loved the chewy tannins gripping my teeth and gums with every sip!  Now this is what I was hoping to discover in an everyday-sipper, red Bordeaux!  3 Stars out of 4 for the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge.

For more information on these and other Bordeaux wines check out Planet-Bordeaux.com.