WineLife365

Posts Tagged ‘Wine Reviews’

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.

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At some point in this lifetime, I see myself falling head over heels in love with South African wines.  I want to love them – I really do – but it sure is difficult when you feel like you’ve been shot out of a hookah pipe when tasting them.  However, I’ll be damned to write off an entire varietal, let alone the wines from an entire country!  My tastes have evolved over the years, so I won’t let my reservations – most notably towards smoky South African wine - stand in the way of finding some exciting South African wines to share with you.

Last night…

There we were, the two of us in our little bat cave in the basement, enjoying a stack of burritos topped with charred and fried sweet corn niblets (I’ve been dying to use the word niblets in a post ), green chilies, spicy salsa and a mound of sour cream.  Not a pretty sight for a Kodak moment, so I’ll spare you the picture.

I grabbed two South African wines from Partnership Vineyards.  Partnership Vineyards is the result of a partnership between farmers and Riebeek Cellars in South Africa’s Riebeek Valley. Since 2004, they have planted nearly 60 hectares; 15 hectares dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc plantings on the farm they aptly named Partnership Vineyards.  This fair trade venture is divvied up 40% farm and cellar workers, 40% farmers and 20% Riebeek Cellars. Riebeek Cellars serves as the marketing and production arm of this unique, empowering initiative.

Our first wine was the 2009 Partnership Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc (Sample, MSRP: $13).  I’ll sum this wine up in a few words:  a mouthful of fresh pineapple laced with an herbaceous smoky undertone.  A piece of advice:  don’t over-chill this Sauvignon Blanc like I did.  Once it warmed up, the flavors really shined and paired well with those spicy burritos.

2 Stars out of 4 for the 2009 Partnership Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc.

The second wine of the night was the 2008 Partnership Vineyards Shiraz (Sample, MSRP: $13).  Unfortunately, this red gave me flashbacks of my less than stellar encounters with other South African reds.  Right off the bat, its savory smokiness had me gasping for air.  The combination of Slim-Jim, tobacco, vanilla, menthol and a slight hint of plum was all a bit much for me at first.  This wine needs a lot of time out of the bottle to let off some smoke before consuming.  It was much more approachable and appealing on the second day.

2 Stars out of 4 for the 2008 Partnership Vineyards Shiraz.

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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!