~$15US 51% Merlot 49% Malbec, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Without warning, this wine blew my freakin’ mind - A kinda-Bordeaux blend from Hawkes Bay New Zealand, that was a bin-end impulse buy. It starts with a complex nose, earthy (sheep? wet wooly socks?), rhubarb, bing cherries and spice cabinet. The palate is juicy, poised and medium bodied - with a beam of liquid-dried-cherries and punchy acidity. There is primal umami / soy sauce / savory edge to the flavors (especially on the 2nd day) that is like catnip to me. A fleeting flavor that also reminds me of mahogany and pipe tobacco, whatever that means. I can’t put my finger on it, the whole wine is a moving target of brilliant red fruit and strange savory goodness. The finish is chock full of stones, saline, and strawberry seeds. Fowl, pork, even pasta could team up nicely.

I called my retailer, and they are sold out. I’m crushed.  Must. Have. More. Anyone have a tip?

Anyway…I had no idea that is what Merlot and Malbec can do in NZ.  I wanna taste a Syrah next?!

I think ‘09 may be the year of the Kiwi. Brilliant wine.

~$15US, 60% Merlot / 20% Cab Sauv / 20% Cab Franc, Côtes de Castillon, Bordeaux, France

Ruby-garnet color. Shy nose, with some black cherry and plum. A little mildew/seaweed earthiness in the mix to - but not detracting. Juicy palate - with a soft approach supported by some fine tannins. An attractive sweetness towards the finish. Quite drinkable now, and probably for the next 3 years.

A solid wine that opened up nicely over the course of 2 days. I can’t complain, and I can’t find many faults for a Bordeaux in this price range. Quality Cotes de Castillon - but for me, many other $15 wines have left a stronger impression on me.

~$15US, Merlot/Cabernet Blend, Montravel (Eastern Bordeaux/ SW France)

Day 1: Too tight. Come back tomorrow.
Day 2: Fresh red cherries with secondary herbal, bramble, and leather notes.  Very refined on the palate - wonderfully  crisp acidity and fine but firm tannins. Refreshing and elegant. High-toned cherry fruits with a noticeable tartness reminding me of Sweet Tarts, without the candy-fied sweetness.  Overall finely balanced and super food friendly - the acidity and tannin structure could complement fattier beef cuts, and harmonize with more robust and tangy sauced white meats.  Ridiculous value - in a perfect world, wines like this should be restaurant house wines. Seek out.

 ~US$20, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Syrah and 25% Merlot

  Dark plum. Densely aromatic nose, with earthy currant, tobacco, cocoa, and black cherries.  Medium-full bodied presenting good structure in the palate - with Tuscany’s firm acidity and integrated tannins being proportionate and in balance - but the wine falls apart halfway through. It disintegrates into bitter green peppery flavors and a awkward oakiness as it moves towards the finish. Not terribly “clean” or pure. Despite the flaw, I can see it pairing well with a pasta bolognese or other rich meat sauces or braises. In sum, great aromas but a letdown on the palate. This may be way too young  - I could imagine the wine putting itself together a little more in the cellar, because from a winemaking standpoint, everything seemed right - except for the spike of bitterness. A decent cabernet blend for the price, but I probably wont be buying again - I’d rather be drinking one of Italy’s more interesting indigenous varieties (Barbera, Sangiovese, Corvina, Negroamaro, Primitivo, etc). 

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot, from a Magnum

A serious cabernet in a read-to-drink style. Deep purple/red. Black currant and blackberry nose; absolutely classic Napa cabernet. Juicy mouthfeel with a framework of fine but nicely perceptible tannins and acidity. Opened over time to deliver secondary spices; clove, cinnamon and rosemary. Thankfully no green flavors, and no oak monster.

A perfect steak wine, and exemplary in it’s flavor profile and character. Really fun to drink, reminding me of a more focused and linear Prisoner. And the larger format was sweet. Worth seeking out.

~$22US, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux, France

2005 in Bordeaux is apparently the-vintage-of-all-time-best-ever-cuz-its-got-the-cures-etc, according to those who know about that sort of thing. I don’t drink too much Bordeaux, so when I saw this, I figures I’d see what the hoopla was about before dropping dime on something bigger to keep for our wedding anniversaries. This is a left-bank Cru Bourgeois, I’m guessing primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, with tad of Merlot and Cab Franc as well. The shop said to give this plenty of air, so I did - it starting putting itself together with 4-5 hours of decanting. Funny thing - it was still improving @ the 8 hour point. Wow.

The color, deep garnet. A rich and opulent nose, with blackberries, red currant, some leather. A tiny bit of grass and earth present, but none of the bell-pepper notes that turn me off with cabernets. Just fantastic in the mouth; velvety, but medium-bodied - lighter than the nose let on. The palate transitioned from ripe black fruit and tobacco, towards a balanced acidity, all held together with fine but firm tannins. Great dry finish, with notes of glycerin and cedar. Masterfully oaked, just a hint of sweetness on the backend showing that this probably saw very little new wood.

Overall, this was a simply a delicious wine and a strong value @ 22 bucks. It offered great elegance for the price, and surprised me with the acidity and structure that make this super-red-meat-friendly. It did not overpower with any 1 aspect, and came together just right with air. This has enough fruit and structure to live a long life in the bottle. I’d love to forget about a bottle of this for 5-7 years and see what dimensions it takes one. Kudos winemaker, I think I could like Bordeaux after all.

~ $45US Cabernet Blend, St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France

I will put it right out there - I might not be a Bordeaux kind of guy, but I’m always willing to try new things, and this seemed interesting. This wine is opaque dense and inky, with a lively nose of currant, blackberries, tobacco, black tea, and damp soil. Truly a fascinating nose - an outgowing mix of fruit and earth. On the palate, very silky and smooth - too smooth that it was hollow and flabby. The middle seemed to have fallen out or closed up - it just disappeared. I felt myself really waiting for some firmer structure - via tannins or acid to support the promise of the nose. It ended with a nice long herbal finish with a touch of menthol.

This had a lot going for it, but unfortunately there was a strange void in the middle of the wine. I am inexperienced with this wine - it could be too young yet, or perhaps it started it’s life on the riper side and now the fruit is starting to wane. It just went soft, and to some that may be elegant or intriguing, but to me it was kinda boring.

~$15US   40% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 20% Syrah, Mendoza, Argentina

This didn’t live up to the hype (Michel Rolland at the helm here, the controversial Bordeaux-magician), at least to my palate. Initially, a mix of black fruits backed by overt wood and rough-as-sandpaper tannins.  After hours of decanting and tasting, the fruit faded but the oak and tannins remained. There seemed to be good potential on the initial tastes, but after time, the wine became more disjointed, awkward, and stiff. Perhaps it will age more gracefully in bottle than it did in the decanter, but for me, this is a major pass.

~$17US Claret blend: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, and 10% Malbec, Columbia Valley, Washington

Nose: Black currant, bell peppers, pine sap
Palate: No doubt the strong suite here: Well-integrated tannins, smooth and round on the palate. Bell pepper again.
Finish: Slightly artificial caramel and vanilla notes detract from the overall restraint and balance

Easy-drinking. Well-crafted, generous, and balanced. A terrific value, but not blowing my mind with any 1 aspect or an overall impression…

~ $18US Paso Robles 50% Cabernet Sauvignon / 45% Merlot / 5% Petit Verdot

This Bordeaux-via-Cali blend poured a bricky-red colour and presented a strong strawberries and cream nose. Tasted very red-fruity and juicy, then a huge burst of super-woody oak. The wood gave some vanilla and creaminess, and there was little structure and balance. The flavors felt very disjointed and awkward - almost like they combined 2 entirely different wines to make it (a fruit monster and oak monster). Definitely a learning experience, and not my favorite in style.

Like eating a strawberry shortcake in the lumber aisle of Home Depot.