WineLife365 » Wines under $10 http://www.winelife365.com Enjoying Life with Wine 365 Days a Year Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:43:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 The Deadly Rock http://www.winelife365.com/the-deadly-rock-trio-wine-review/ http://www.winelife365.com/the-deadly-rock-trio-wine-review/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:15:08 +0000 Mark http://www.winelife365.com/?p=7472 As I was drinking the 2004 Oriel Setena, the 2007 Vina Gormaz Tempranillo and the 2007 El Jamon Tempranillo, one word that came to mind:  Kryptonite.

All three of these red wines are products of Spain and all three tasted like minerals and rocks to me – more specifically, wet metallic stone.  Not that I’ve spent much time with rocks in my mouth, but there was an almost flinty kind of thing stirring around that completely overpowered any fruit and spice components that these wines might have possessed.  Although I embrace the infinite tastes and qualities offered by different types of wine, I have to admit that I’m a bit challenged by this characteristic.  For now I’ll keep an open mind, but in the case of the 2004 Oriel Setena  (MSRP $18.50*), the 2007 Vina Gormaz Tempranillo ($9.99) and the 2007 El Jamon Tempranillo ($9.99), the metallic quality was acting more like kryptonite robbing these wines of their ‘super powers’.

2 Stars out of 4.
* Sample

]]> http://www.winelife365.com/the-deadly-rock-trio-wine-review/feed/ 0 Party Down This 4th of July Weekend http://www.winelife365.com/ampakama-syrah-2007/ http://www.winelife365.com/ampakama-syrah-2007/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:29:38 +0000 Mark http://www.winelife365.com/?p=7358 The 4th of July Holiday happens to fall on a Sunday this year, which for many means a much deserved 3-day break (Woo Hoo!).  This long Independence Day Weekend also means heaps of charcoal, an avalanche of meat being charred on the grill, ice-cold beer, smoking funny things and drinking copious amounts of cheap wine in the backyard with your favorite people in the whole wide world!

When it comes to cheap wine these days, the choices are endless:  One can choose from boxes, jugs, magnums – heck, there’s even wine that comes in a one-gallon paint can!?  And it’s all right there in aisle 10, waiting to be picked for one long and twisted weekend with some good friends.

One of my most recent and pleasant discoveries in this aisle of broken dreams was the 2007 Ampakama Syrah from San Juan, Argentina.  For those who wouldn’t dare drink wine from a box or touch a wine bottle with a screw cap, fear not, it comes packaged in a 1.5L glass bottle with a real cork closure!  It sells in most parts of the US for less than 10 bucks, and the best part – it actually tastes pretty darn good!

The 2007 Ampakama Syrah is a bottle rocket of juicy red-berry flavors fueled with a respectable amount of black pepper and herbal spices.  My only complaint is that it comes up a tad short before the expected big finish.  Nonetheless, the 2007 Ampakama Syrah is far from being a dud and should rise to the occasion with anything off the grill, or whatever else you’ve got cooking in your backyard this weekend.

3 Stars out 4.  For what works out to be less than $5 per 750ml, this juice ain’t half bad!  BTW – the 2008 is also a safe bet.

So…What inexpensive wines are you bringing to the BBQ this 4th of July weekend?

Cheers!

]]> http://www.winelife365.com/ampakama-syrah-2007/feed/ 0 Sexy’s Back http://www.winelife365.com/altovinum-evodia-old-vines-garnacha-2008/ http://www.winelife365.com/altovinum-evodia-old-vines-garnacha-2008/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:41:17 +0000 Mark http://www.winelife365.com/?p=7065 Sexy from head to toe is the best way of describing the 2008 Altovinum Evodia Old Vines Garnacha.  I discovered and fell in love with the 2007 Altovinum Evodia Old Vines Garnacha last year.  But oh, oh, oh, oh – the 2008 edition is truly something special and just pure gold in the under $10 wine category.  Produced from 100 percent Garnacha vines, some up to 100 years old, from an altitude of 2400 – 3000 ft. in the village of Atea in Calatayud, the 2008 Altovinum Evodia is rock solid from start to finish.

The word Evodia comes from a Greek word that means “aroma”, and yes, the 2008 Altovinum Evodia Old Vines Garnacha certainly smells quite nice with its mineral, earthy essence; but the real X-factor with this Spanish red is the major POW that it delivers in the taste department with its sweet, dark fruit flavors laced with black tea and peppery notes.  And get this:  It achieves its delicious smack down without ever spending any time in an oak barrel – a truly remarkable feat considering its complexity and affordability!

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that the 2008 Altovinum Evodia Old Vines Garnacha just might be the best tasting red wine on the planet for under $10.  To this end, if you’re reading this review and know of a red wine that’s as good as or better than this beauty (for less than 10 bucks), I’d sure like to hear about it!

4 Stars out of 4.

($9.99)

]]> http://www.winelife365.com/altovinum-evodia-old-vines-garnacha-2008/feed/ 5 Oh Baby…What a Terrible Fall! http://www.winelife365.com/san-telmo-esencia-torrontes-2009/ http://www.winelife365.com/san-telmo-esencia-torrontes-2009/#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 22:36:42 +0000 Mark http://www.winelife365.com/?p=6687 In the immortal words of ABC’s Wide World of Sports announcer Jim McKay,

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat…

 

Was I so naïve to think that it was impossible to have a bad Argentinian Torrontes wine?  I know it must have been foolish thinking on my part, but it almost seemed automatic that whether it cost 8, 10, or even 20 dollars – I knew I was going to have a beautifully floral, fresh and electrifyingly acidic bottle of wine.  I believed this because I’ve been batting nearly a thousand with this fantastic type of wine for over a year.  With this in mind, I was really looking forward to opening the 2009 San Telmo Esencia Torrontes. 

As the saying goes, “there’s a first for everything” and inevitably I would have to taste the agony of defeat with my beloved white wine.  The 2009 San Telmo Esencia Torrontes really let me down.  It’s odd, uneven, lacks mile-high acidity and possesses tropical banana and coconut flavors that reminded me more of Tropical Flavored LifeSavers (in a bad way).  Incidentally, it also didn’t possess the signature floral bouquet of Torrontes wine.  Crash!

 

1 Star out of 4.  Shaken by the experience, but not deterred.
(Price: $8.99)

]]> http://www.winelife365.com/san-telmo-esencia-torrontes-2009/feed/ 4 Abandoned Halfway Up The Mountain http://www.winelife365.com/snowline-pinot-gris-2008/ http://www.winelife365.com/snowline-pinot-gris-2008/#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 22:51:28 +0000 Mark http://www.winelife365.com/?p=6597 It’s from Oregon, it’s Pinot Gris, it’s got a pretty picture of snowcapped mountains on the label, but unfortunately the 2008 Pinot Gris from the peeps at Snowline Vineyards just doesn’t quite hit the same elevation as many of its Oregon peers.  The 2008 Snowline Pinot Gris dials up the right acidity, but doesn’t quite muster up enough crisp fruit flavors to get your taste buds all the way to the top of the mountain – it dumps you off the lift somewhere in the middle.

 2 Stars out of 4.
(Price: $8.99)

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