The Good Wine Guru » crushed fruit

Blenheim Vineyards Meritage 2005

George — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:00:02 +0000

Varietal: Meritage (58% Merlot; 40% Cabernet Franc; 2% Petit Verdot)
Region: Virginia – Charlottesville – USA
Cost: $10

Light to medium red color in the glass, with aromas of cherry and crushed berries. Flavors of cherry and fresh berry with a hint of pepper on the finish. Pairs well with grilled or roasted chicken and prime rib.

Recommendations: It’s been raining for three days here in Virginia, at least in my part of it, and nothing makes me want to drink some good red wine quite like a dreary rainy day. Because of that, last night my wife and I opened up a bottle of the 2005 Blenheim Vineyards Meritage. I’d picked this one up during our March trip through Virginia wine country, and with a dinner of some chicken out of the oven and orzo pasta it just sounded right.

It would have been right with anything. If you haven’t guessed already, Blenheim is hands down one of my favorite vineyards, both in and out of Virginia. Wines like this are the reason. The blend of Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot gave a great wine that was full of fruit, but had just a hint of pepper on the end that was tempered by the Petit Verdot. Cherry and raspberry flavors were smooth, and the wine was light in the mouth.

If I had to describe this wine to somebody I’d probably call it a more fruit forward Cabernet Franc, but it’s really so much more than that. This is a great wine to just have around, and at $10 a bottle it’s arguably one of the best values I’ve come across. Sadly I don’t think it’s available anymore, though if you’re out at the vineyard (which I recommend) and they do still have some available, I do recommend snapping up as much as you can.

Urban Valle de Uco Mendoza Malbec 2008

George — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:00:57 +0000

Varietal: Malbec
Region: Argentina
Cost: $20

Deep purple color with aromas of spice and berry that leads into flavors of crushed fruit, with licorice and tannins on the finish. Pairs well with pasta, smoked meats, pizza, and really anything but seafood.

Recommendations: When I received a box of samples from the International Wine of the Month Club, I’ll admit that I was eager to open up this bottle. My wife and I are big fans of Malbec, mostly because of how versatile the wine is. The Urban Uco Malbec did not disappoint. The deep purple of the wine in the glass was inviting all by itself, and the aroma of spice made it hard to take a moment before sipping the wine.

Crushed fruit and berry was immediately obvious in the mouth, which quickly faded into a licorice flavor with a subtle tannic finish. It was great. Paired with a dinner of pepperoni pizza, it was the perfect compliment to a simple dinner, and enjoyable well after the pizza was gone. What was most impressive about this wine was that if I hadn’t read the label, I wouldn’t have known that the wine had 14% alcohol/volume. Excellent job of masking a high alcohol content behind amazing flavors.

This wine has continued my growing obsession with South American wines, and if you’re a fan of wines from the region, I certainly recommend this one. If you’ve never tried a wine from South America then I definitely recommend this one – it’s a great wine to introduce you to the great wines that our neighbor south of the Equator is producing.

Bodegas Bilbainas Vina Zaco Rioja 2006

George — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:00:16 +0000

Varietal: Rioja
Region: Spain
Cost: $21

Dark color with aromas of crushed red berries, anise, and sandalwood. Fruit, nut, and spice flavors in the mouth will pair well with meats, Mediterranean food, savory pasta dishes, and world class cheeses.

Recommendations: I have a confession to make, a mea culpa if you will. I was a bad wine writer and drank a bottle of this several months before and dropped the ball by not writing about it. That’s why I was so thrilled when the International Wine of the Month Club sent me a bottle to try out. Redemption, thy name is wine.

I’ve always been a fan of dark wines, and the Vina Zaco Rioja is certainly that. Crushed fruit on the nose lead into great flavors of dark fruit and spice that paired well with a dinner of slow cooked beef roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions in au jus.

As far as versatile wines go, this is certainly one to keep in mind. It pairs well with a lot of different foods or is great just on its own. It’s at a good price point (and I’ve often seen it on sale at stores), and even received a 90 point rating from Wine Spectator for those that put stock in those things. The only problem you’ll have with this wine is deciding whether to enjoy it with food or by itself. If only all decisions in life were so hard.

Marques de la Real Defensa Navarra 2006

George — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:00:56 +0000

Varietal: Navarra (50% Tempranillo; 25% Merlot; 25% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Region: Spain
Cost: $11

Robust color with floral and fruit aromas. Flavors of ripe fruit that pair well with meat, pasta, or cheese.

Recommendations: I’ve become a huge fan of Spanish wines over the last few years, and so I never pass up the opportunity to enjoy one. I let the bottle open up a bit before pouring the first glass, and that’s definitely what I would recommend with this bottle. The 13% alcohol/volume of this wine could have been overwhelming if I hadn’t allowed the wine to open, and even after letting the bottle stand for a bit, I found that the wine was better after I let it sit in my glass for a few minutes.

Paired with a meal of herb-lime chicken and garlic green beans, the wine held up well without overwhelming the dish, something that I’m always wary of when pairing red wine with white meat. The flavors of crushed fruit were enjoyable without being too bold, and as the wine opened up, I definitely found myself enjoying it more and more.

For somebody looking to get into Spanish wine, this is a great one to consider, especially at this price. I’m always in the market for a good value wine, and this certainly fit the bill. Worth checking out.

Special thanks to Wine & Beer Westpark for supplying the wine for this review.

Il Valore Sangiovese 2008

George — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:00:39 +0000

Varietal: Sangiovese
Region: Italy
Cost: $6

Garnet colored in the glass with aromas of cherry and crushed fruit on the nose. Cherry, crushed fruit and a spice finish in the mouth. Pair with pasta or meat.

Recommendations: Given that my wife and I have been snowed in for the better part of two weeks, our supplies of wine are starting to run low. While watching a movie (The Neverending Story for those that care), we opened up a this bottle of Sangiovese that I had picked up at our local Trader Joe’s in anticipation of the coming snow storms.

Fairly light in the glass and on the palate, I got flavors of cherry and spice, along with a little fresh crushed fruit. In typical Sangiovese style, the wine was rather dry and would have paired great with a pasta dish or some red meat, though it was a good compliment to the realization that the movies from my childhood may not have been as good as I thought they were.

While certainly not the best Sangiovese I’ve ever had, not even the best in the last 30 days to be honest, it’s really hard to argue against a passable bottle of wine that’s less than $10. Worth it to keep around the house for cooking/pairing with quick pasta dishes, but not good for much else beyond being a cheap table wine.

Vignali Roccamora ‘Carlo Alfano’ Nero d’Avola Merlot

George — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:00:38 +0000

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (50% Nero d’Avola; 50% Merlot)
Region: Italy – Sicily
Cost: $14

Intense red colors with hints of purple featuring aromas of cherry, sweet spices and tobacco with balanced tannins on the palate. Pairs well with pasta with meat sauce, braised beef, juicy steak.

Recommendations: When this wine showed up for me I instantly started thinking of what to pair it with. The bottle itself recommends pasta with meat sauce, and given my love of Italian-style food, I was quick to agree. More purple than red in the glass, with a good tannic structure, the high alcohol content (14%) does demand that you pair the wine with something to help take the edge off.

That being said, allowing the wine to open up (either by decanting or just letting the bottle sit for a bit) takes the edge off the wine and makes it a very enjoyable sipping wine, especially with the flavors of crushed fruit that came through for me after it opened up.

While I’ve never been shy about making it clear that I’m not a Merlot drinker, I would recommend this wine for anybody looking for a good red wine to pair with either an Italian-style meal or red meat. It’s a great value and certainly meets my criteria of being good with and without food.

Special thanks to The Wine Chateau for supplying the Vignali Roccamora ‘Carlo Alfano’ Nero d’Avola Merlot for this review.

Little Chica Tempranillo Garnacha

George — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:00:10 +0000

Varietal: Tempranillo (55%); Garnacha (45%)
Region: Spain
Cost: $12

Dark purple wine with flavors of blackberry and fresh crushed fruit. Medium bodied wine that pairs well with chicken, pork, red meat, or by itself.

Recommendations: Still drinking while entertaining my brother-in-law and his wife, we opened up this blended Spanish red. Dark purple in the glass with a bit of smoke on the nose, the flavors of black berry and crushed fruit were enjoyable for a wine that we were enjoying by itself.

If you’re like me and enjoy both Tempranillo and Garnacha, this is definitely one worth picking up, especially for the price. With food or by itself, it’s a good wine to keep on hand for friends, family, or by yourself.

Chateau Bianca Pinot Noir

George — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:00:58 +0000

Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: Oregon – USA
Cost: $16

Light color with crushed fruit flavors and a bit of pepper on the finish. Pair with turkey, ham, cheese.

Recommendations: I’ve had this bottle since Thanksgiving and it finally got opened for Christmas. The light color actually reminded me a bit of a Virginia Cabernet Franc, as did a bit of pepper on the finish.

That being said, the wine was great. Good flavors of crushed fruit on the palate were very enjoyable with a dinner of ham for Christmas dinner, and the slight pepper on the finish was almost refreshing as it didn’t let the fruit overwhelm the palate.

If you like Pinot Noir this is certainly one worth picking up, especially if you’re looking to branch out into the wines of Oregon.