Posts Tagged ‘dark cherry’
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.
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California – USA
Cost: $7 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Black pepper notes and berry aromas for this full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with blackberry fruit, dark cherries, and a long, lingering finish. Pairs well with New York strip steak, spinach ravioli, or Portobello mushrooms.
My Review: This one has been sitting in my rack for a while, and I’m regretting that I took so long to get to it. When I see an inexpensive California Cabernet come my way, I have certain expectations – fruit forward, medium-bodied, and not too dry. With FlipFlop Wines having sent me several samples, I knew they were making nice, approachable wines, but nothing that was going to change the way you looked at a particular grape, which is perfectly fine. Opening up the bottle of 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon didn’t change my outlook on the grape, but it may have changed my outlook on inexpensive California Cabernet.
Varietal: Tempranillo
Region: Spain
Cost: $4
Dark garnet in color with aromas of berry and dark cherry. On the palate, dark cherry, spice, and bittersweet chocolate. Pairs well with grilled lamb, olives, and rich cheeses.
Recommendations: So I don’t remember where or when, but somewhere, on some blog or website, I had read about the Lucky Duck line of wines. Unfortunately I don’t remember what that blog/article/website said. So, when I came across the wines at my local Wal-Mart while poking around after buying new glasses (the eye kind, not the drinking kind), I knew that I was familiar with the wine’s name, but not much else. However, since I’m always looking for something new to try, I grabbed some.
The wine itself was a dark garnet color in the glass, and the aromas of dark cherry were pretty in your face. That cherry and some berry carried into the palate in what was a very bright, fruit forward wine, but also very clearly a Tempranillo. With a dinner of beef stew that the wife had been cooking all day it was a nice bright note against the heartiness of the meal. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Blended Red Wine (50% Malbec; 20% Cabernet Franc; 20% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Petit Verdot; 5% Merlot)
Region: Argentina
Cost: $13
Deep purple in color with a hint of smoke and tobacco on the nose at first that quickly dissipates. Dark cherry flavor with a slight tannic finish that will pair well with red meat, pastas, and BBQ.
Recommendations: Stop reading this review and go buy this wine right now. I’ll wait. You’re back? Good. I picked up this wine at one of my local wine shops after an evening tasting and Tuesday night was my chance to finally open it. I shouldn’t have waited so long.
Deep purple in the glass with a hint of smoke and tobacco on the nose at first that fades after a bit of swirl and turns into crushed fruit aromas from the Malbec. Dark cherry flavors that just barely hit you in the back of the jaw with just the right amount of tannins before moving into a smooth finish. You’d never believe that this wine has 14% alcohol/volume. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Monastrell
Region: Spain
Cost: $9
Dark violet color with aromas of spice on the nose and fresh fruit on the palate. Pairs well with roasts, steaks, and BBQ.
Recommendations: I will admit that the name of this bottle alone caught my eye when I was in the store. I had never heard of Monastrell before (though apparently it’s the same thing as Mourvedre, which I have heard of), so I decided to give it a try.
Opened the same night as the Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir, we paired this wine with the same cheese and crackers. Far more robust than the Pinot, the Wrong Dongo had aromas of cherry and spice with the same cherry on the palate.
While only paired with the cheese and crackers, I can see how this would pair well with a dinner of grilled or roasted meat, and certainly some BBQ. The big surprise for me was that even with the high alcohol content (15%/vol), I didn’t get a heavy alcohol taste, which has been a sticking point for me lately. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Malbec
Region: Argentina
Cost: $12
Deep red color with aromas of berry and tobacco. Dark cherry, blackberry, and spice on the palate allows this wine to pair well with BBQ.
Recommendations: My wife had picked this wine up a while ago, and since we’ve been snowed in and our selection is starting to wane, we paired this wine with a meal of lemon-mustard chicken and mac n’ cheese. The wine was fairly dark in the glass, and while I did grab a hint of berry and tobacco on the nose, the alcohol (13.5%) was what I really picked up at first sniff.
In the mouth, I was able to taste dark cherry and blackberry, but again the alcohol was prevalent until the wine was allowed to open up, helping to mellow it out. While it went well enough with our meal, it would have paired much better with BBQ of some type, and if you pick this bottle up I would recommend that you do just that. Read the rest of this entry »
