The Good Wine Guru » Medium Bodied Wines

Folatre Carmenere Reserve 2007

George — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:00:11 +0000

Varietal: Carmenere
Region: Chile – Curico Valley
Cost: $8

Winemaker’s Notes: Dark garnet color or great intensity with an aroma of generous ripe red fruit and merged peppers with toasted French oak. A silky, flavorful mouth feel, creamy with great volume. Firm tannins provide an enjoyable finish. Best paired with light hors d’oeuvres and pastas.

My Review: My wife and I are always on the lookout for inexpensive wines that may not excite or inspire us, but are easy to sip on and are more interesting than cheap merlot or cabernet sauvignon from California, Australia, or New Zealand. Chile has become a favored region to get affordable wines that mix it up ever so much. When a friend recently brought over a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon that he had picked up and we enjoyed it we decided to pick some up at the store the next time we went. They were out of the Cab Sauv, but had a healthy supply of the Carmenere that we decided to give a try to.

On Sunday, while watching my 49ers lose to the Giants (frigging special teams!), we opened up the bottle of 2007 Folatre Carmenere Reserve. We had tried another bottle of it before, but there was something different about it this time. The wine is a nice deep red in the glass, and on the nose I got some fruit but a good amount of green peppers and brambles that I didn’t experience the first time we opened one of these bottles.

In the mouth I got more of the same that I got on the nose and a smoother finish than I remembered from my first try at the wine. Since we were watching football I had whipped up some buffalo chicken bites and while I wouldn’t call the pairing a revelation, it certainly wasn’t horrible.

I’m not going to sit here and say this is the best carmenere I’ve ever had – it’s not even the best one I’ve had in the last 6 months, but for an affordable wine you can do a lot worse and if nothing else it was a good bottle to drown my sorrows in while watching Kyle Williams give the game to the Giants.

Ruta 22 Malbec 2010

George — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:00:19 +0000

Varietal: 100% Malbec
Region: Patagonia, Argentina
Cost: $13 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: A deep ruby-colored wine with rich, smooth blackberry flavors and vanilla aromas. Pairs well with red meats, cheeses, and pastas.

My Review: I’ve been a fan of Malbec for some time now, I’ve found it to be, on the whole, a nice inexpensive alternative to numerous other budget wines where you can get far better quality than your dollar would lead you to believe, especially coming out of South America, and it tends to pair well with the foods I like to eat. Because of that, I was pleased to receive a bottle of Malbec as a sample right at the end of the year, and my wife and I finally decided to pop the cork and give it a try last night.

When I usually think of budget Malbec I think of wines with good fruit notes, maybe a bit fruit forward, but with dark notes and some body that can hold up to bolder meals. The 2010 Ruta 22 Malbec exhibited most of those things, but it wasn’t nearly as fruit forward as I was expecting, and that’s not a complaint at all.

As I was pouring the wine into a decanter (my wife and I received a custom etched decanter from my wife’s brother for Christmas and have found ourselves using it for just about every bottle of red we open lately) I noticed a lot of purple notes slashing through the deep red of the wine. On the nose I got a bit of alcohol at first, in no small part because of the 14.5% alcohol content, but that eventually gave way to blackberry notes and a touch of spice.

In the mouth the wine had tons of fruit, but instead of being “fruit forward” there was a nice dryness to the finish that I wasn’t expecting but appreciated. Paired with some pasta with red sauce and meatballs it wasn’t terrible, but my wife and I suspect that it would have paired better had we not thrown crushed red pepper into the sauce. That being said, when sipping on the wine after we’d finished eating it was a nice easy sipping wine with a bit more character than your usual budget Malbec.

If you want to give this wine a try and can’t find it at your local store, just follow this link and you can have it shipped directly to you.

Girard Artistry 2008

George — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:00:30 +0000

Varietal: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon; 19% Cabernet Franc; 11% Malbec; 6% Merlot; 5% Petit Verdot
Region: Napa, California – USA
Cost: $40 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Rich garnet color goes perfectly with the holiday season and it’s aromas of toasted hazelnut and winter spices make this wine the perfect gift for anyone on your list.

My Review: Another of the bottles that I received just before the end of the year, and on an unseasonable warm day on Sunday (pushing 70 in Virginia? Really?) my wife and I decided to throw a couple of steaks on the grill and a bottle of red wine sounded like the perfect pairing.

While there are some violet streaks going through the wine, it was a nice deep red in the glass and I picked up aromas of spice and dark berry. In the mouth there was a ton of fruit, but it was by no means a “fruit bomb”. By that I mean there was plenty of body and depth to the wine that allowed the wine to present nuanced fruit flavors and have a bit of complexity and a medium-smooth finish.

Paired with some steaks, baked potatoes, and asparagus it was great. The body of the wine held up to the steak and the fruit flavors managed to go well with the veggies (potatoes are a vegetable dammit). What I really liked about the wine is that even with the body to hold up to the steak, the fruit flavors were dominant enough to make the wine enjoyable all by itself.

If the wine isn’t available near you and you want to give it a try, you can follow this link and have it shipped directly to you.

Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2009

George — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:00:42 +0000

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Willamette Valley – Oregon – USA
Cost: $22

Winemaker’s Notes: The medium garnet color introduces a bright aroma of raspberry, cherry, and cedar with hints of pie spice, sandalwood, and dried cherry. On the palate it opens to ripe cherry, red and black raspberry, and mocha accents supported by a medium plus body and full, fine grained tannins. Pairs well with grilled meats, flavorful sauces, and rich farmhouse cheeses.

My Review: This wasn’t the first time I’d had the 2009 Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, no that would have been some weeks ago at my local Fleming’s Steakhouse & Wine Bar where Mike, our favorite bartender there, convinced my wife and I to give it a try during a visit there for happy hour. We liked it so much I went online and ordered half a case of it.

The wine is a beautiful light garnet color in the glass and on the nose I got notes of raspberry and cedar that were welcoming and just invite you to take a sip. On the palate cherry, raspberry and earth notes with a touch of spice on the nice smooth finish make this an incredibly easy wine to just sip on. In addition, the wine has been certified biodynamic and organic, so if you’re looking to try a wine that has less of an impact on the environment, this is a great one.

I didn’t pair this wine with food last night, but I did have a bottle opened at my parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner and it went quickly, going well with the spread my Mom had prepared, especially the turkey. If you want to try this wine, and I highly recommend it, and can’t find it at your local store, you can follow this link and have it shipped directly to you…just like I did. http://www.winezap.com/search/searchResults.cfm?r=181364

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

George — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:39 +0000

Varietal: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Syrah; 3% Merlot; 2% Petit Verdot; 1% Malbec; 1% Cabernet Franc
Region: California – USA
Cost: $11 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: The wine has a smooth texture and sweet, red fruit character that distinguishes California’s finest Cabernet Sauvignons, along with smoky oak, vanilla, and roasted nut accents to invigorate the palate and provide a lengthy finish. Enjoy with standing rib roasts, grilled steak, roast duck, spareribs, lasagna, or flavorful hard cheeses.

My Review: An evening where my wife was out and I was home alone with the dog to fend for myself on dinner usually only means one thing – steak, a baked potato, and a bottle of red wine to be enjoyed. There are worse ways to spend an evening. I’d been sitting on this sample until I could get around to cooking up a steak, and as tends to be the case, I’m glad I did.

There’s a line where a line goes from having good fruit to being a fruit bomb. Don’t ask me exactly where that line is, because I think that it’s different for every wine, but the 2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon did a good job of walking the line between fruity and fruit bomb.

On the nose I got dark fruit notes with a touch of roundness to it. In the mouth I got plenty of nice tart fruit, with raspberry and some blueberry being the most prevalent to me. The finish on the wine was surprisingly smooth, though with the extra varietals blended in that should come as less of a surprise than it was.

Paired with a ribeye I picked up at the local store it was a nice simple wine that didn’t try and do too much, but was more than adequate before, during, and after the meal. As value wines go, particularly for a California Cabernet, this is a good choice if you’re looking for something that’s easy to drink, and will make a good choice as a red wine option during the holiday party season thanks to the price.

Big House Red 2010

George — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:00:51 +0000

Varietal: Petite Sirah; Tempranillo; Syrah; Grenache; Malbec; Mourvedre; Nebeillo; Tannat; Souzao; Aglianico; Barbera; Zinfandel; Petite Verdot; Cabernet Franc; Charbano; Nero d’Avola; Sanviovese; Sagrantino
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: This Big House Red lives up to that old Fruit Bomb moniker that you’ve come to expect. It starts with a nose full of blackberries and raspberries, with hints of leather and spices. The palate is clean, exhibiting flavors of cranberries, roses, and a touch of rhubarb. This finish lingers, with flavors of vanilla and a touch of dark cherries in the finish. Pairs well with all grilled meats, lasagna Bolognese, grilled vegetables, or even sashimi grade Ahi tuna.

My Review: The previous version of this wine was one of those that I was torn on. I liked what they were trying to do by creating a table wine with a little bit of everything that could then go with a little bit of everything, but I felt that the attempt created a wine that just fell flat. This vintage was different.

Now, to preface, I’m not saying that the 2010 Big House Red is some revolutionary wine, but I did like it better than the previous years bottles I had tried. They’ve changed the mixture some and I think it’s for the best. On the nose I got mostly raspberry with a touch of spice and in the mouth I got dark cherry and some cranberry with a juiciness that made me feel like the Zinfandel as much as anything was coming through.

With a dinner of pizza after a trip the grocery store to stock up after the Thanksgiving holiday, a simple bottle of inexpensive red was a welcome sight and I continue to be a proponent of what Big House is doing – making nice affordable wines that might not set the world on fire, but are certainly welcome after a long day at work.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir 2010

George — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Varietal: 90% Pinot Noir; 6% Petite Sirah; 3% Syrah; 1% Merlot
Region: California – USA
Cost: $11 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Reflecting the character of a cool vintage, which fostered the development of classic varietal aromas and flavors in our Pinot Noir grapes, this vivacious red wine’s hallmark is fresh, vibrant fruit. On the nose, lovely rose petal, violet, and red cherry aromas mingle with complementary scents of smoky vanilla and nutmeg. Very soft and round with good length and richness on the palate, the wine displays supple, silky berry and cherry jam flavors. Enjoy this delectable Pinot Noir with grilled salmon, herb-roasted chicken, baked ham, or lighter pork dishes.

My Review: So remember yesterday when I talked about the bottle of 2007 Biltmore Blanc de Blancs exploding all over my kitchen? Well, since my wife and I were making salmon to go with that, and since exploding wine meant I was really going to need a drink, we decided to open up this bottle of 2010 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir that I had received as a sample.

A light to medium red in the glass, with hints of some rust coloring, I got aromas of cherry and spice on the nose which lead into a very smooth, almost juicy wine with flavors of berry and a touch of a cola finish that I’m finding more and more on Pinot, and that I’m finding myself enjoying quite a bit.

Paired with the salmon the wines richness was a nice compliment to the fatty fish, making the entire meal just a wonderful, rich experience. For the price this was a surprisingly robust Pinot Noir, and if you’re looking for a budget wine to put out with your Thanksgiving dinner, this is certainly a good choice.

On the off chance you can’t find this wine in your local store, you can follow this link and get some shipped directly to you.

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Blenheim Vineyards Seven Oaks Merlot 2009

George — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:00:19 +0000

Varietal: 100% Merlot
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $18

Winemaker’s Notes: A nose of chamomile, toasted marshmallow, and campfire entice the nose. Hints of red plum, dried apricots, anise, and soft cedar combine for a smooth, lingering finish.

My Review: I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m a big fan of Blenheim Vineyards and the wines that their winemaker, Kirsty Harmon, is making. So it should probably come as no surprise that during my last visit to the vineyard while hitting some vineyards with my wife that I grabbed a couple of bottles, including the 2009 Seven Oaks Merlot.

In the glass the wine was a medium light color, pushing on being garnet in color. On the nose I got an herb note that I enjoyed, and that I would find again on the palate. In the mouth I got the red plum flavors, some cedar, and a eucalyptus note on the finish that I really enjoyed, which surprises me since I’m not usually a fan of eucalyptus in anything – bad childhood memories.

Paired with a dinner of some seasoned chicken it was light enough to match up well with the seasoning I used, but had enough body that it didn’t disappear against the food either. After the food was gone, the medium-light body on the wine made it great for sipping on while watching some TV and relaxing after a long week at work.

I’d be lying if I said you shouldn’t just go out and buy everything that Kirsty is making, and I’m not quiet about trumpeting my enjoyment of their wines. If you’re in the area I recommend stopping in at their beautiful tasting room, and if not, you can visit their website at BlenheimVineyards.com and order some to have shipped to you.

Mandolin Syrah 2009

George — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:00:54 +0000

Varietal: 100% Syrah
Region: Central Coast – CA – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: With its maritime influence, California’s Monterey region has an extended growing season that yields wines with full flavor development and great acid balance. Mandolin Syrah has a dense core of blueberry and blackberry fruit, supported by layers of spice and rich vanilla tones.

My Review: Last month I was impressed by the 2009 Mandolin Cabernet Sauvignon, so when I decided to open up the Syrah last night I had if not high expectations, at least expectations to not be let down. The wine lived up to that…sorta.

A good purple in the glass, I got aromas of spice and blackberry on the nose. In the mouth blueberry and spice were most dominant, with a touch of vanilla on the finish that I almost had to look for. With a dinner of steak, crab legs, and asparagus (oppulence, I has it), the wine was serviceable, but didn’t do anything to either bring out or counter flavors in the food.

The wine wasn’t “bad”, but neither was it something that I would go out of my way to pick up again. Maybe I had too high of hopes for it because I’d enjoyed the Cabernet so much, but the 2009 Syrah from Mandolin was just meh – nothing to brag about, but nothing to really complain about either.

I don’t know that I would necessarily dissuade somebody from getting it for a party or as a different deck wine, but if you’re looking for a Syrah to really knock your socks off, this isn’t it. That being said, if you do want to give it a try, follow this link and you can get some shipped right to you.

Apothic Red 2009

George — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:00:34 +0000

Varietal: Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah
Region: California – USA
Cost: $14 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: The 2009 Apothic Red reveals intense fruit aromas and flavors of rhubarb and black cherry that are complemented by hints of mocha and vanilla. The plush, velvety mouthfeel and smooth finish round out this intriguing, full-bodied red blend.

My Review: Around this time of year I start getting samples offered with Thanksgiving and Christmas not too far away. I have to say that this is the first year of writing this website that I was offered a sample for Halloween. I’d seen the various bottles of wine on shelves that were obviously trying to appeal either to the Halloween drinking crowd or goth kids too stupid to buy something that didn’t have a vampire or other creature of the night, but I’d never picked one up myself, so when I was offered a sample of the 2009 Apothic Red with Halloween coming up, I was interested since I’ve never really done a Halloween feature on here.

First of all, a talk about themed wines – in general, I don’t buy into them. That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate a cleverly named or labelled bottle that is appropriate for a specific event, but when planning my wine offerings for an event, I try not to limit myself to what’s on the label and more to what’s in the bottle to make sure it suits what food is out and also the crowd that will be drinking it.

Now, all of that being said, if I was going to put out a themed bottle of wine for a Halloween party, I could do a lot worse than the 2009 Apothic Red. Nice and dark and purple in the glass with aromas of berry and a touch of spice, in the mouth I got mostly dark, juicy fruit and a cola finish that was smooth. Like really smooth. Like this may be the smoothest finish to a wine I’ve ever had.

This wine was incredibly easy to drink, and will appeal to most palates in a non-critical wine drinking environment (read: drinking without paying much attention to what you’re drinking). There’s nothing particularly fancy about the wine, but I didn’t find it disappointing in any way, and it went well enough with a couple of frozen pizzas that my wife and I cooked up, something I imagine would be offered up at Halloween parties this weekend.

If you’re looking for a themed bottle of wine to put out for your Halloween party, I can honestly say I’d go with this one. It should be available in most of your local stores, I’ve seen it in mine, but if you can’t find it, and you’re not in a rush to try the wine, here’s a link where you can order it for yourself.