The Good Wine Guru » vanilla

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.

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.

Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

George — Thu, 05 May 2011 16:00:42 +0000

Varietal: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon; 6% Merlot; 4% Cabernet Franc; 1% Petit Verdot
Region: Napa Valley – California – USA
Cost: $20

Winemaker’s Notes: Rich, ripe, and focused with juicy blackberry and cherry fruit, cocoa and hints of mint all tied together with a creamy French vanilla middle and finish that in a word is…lingering.

My Review: So, full disclosure, I absolutely grabbed this bottle because the label design was interesting. As we all know, we eat with our eyes first, which is problematic when selecting a bottle of wine since we can’t use our nose, and in a bottle, reds in particular all sorta look alike. So, from time to time, I will narrow my selection down to two or three bottles and then pick the one with the most interesting label. Last Saturday was just such an occasion.

Since I was having a steak I knew I wanted either a Malbec or a Cabernet Sauvignon, and since the 2009 Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon had a more interesting label it won out. In the glass the wine was dark, with hints of purple streaking throughout the red, giving it an almost inky quality that I find appealing in wines. On the nose I got a myriad of generic dark fruits – I couldn’t actually pick out one distinct note, but just got a general sense of dark fruits.

In the mouth the wine was jammy and juicy, and while I wasn’t surprised to learn that the wine wasn’t 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, part of me was almost expecting a little Zinfandel in there, though the combination of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot certainly aren’t anything to complain about. While I didn’t get the mint, I did get the blackberry, cherry, and cocoa on the front with a hint of the vanilla on what was a nice smooth finish – no hard tannic bite on this wine.

Paired with a steak off the grill it was great – the juiciness of the wine mixed perfectly with the juiciness of the steak to make my mouth feel awash in juicy goodness. Even without a meal, as I actually drank this wine over two days (a rarity for me I know), the smooth finish and good fruit flavors made it very easy to sip on while preparing another meal that I had no intention of pairing the wine with.

For $20 this wine is a great value, and the fact that they put some effort into designing their label (a design which carries over to their corks) is appreciated by myself, and especially by my wife, as she is a scientist and found the label to be great. The Cabernet Sauvignon made me want to try some of the other wines from the Educated Guess line and if you wan to try some as well, you can follow this link to have some shipped to you.

Franciscan Estate Chardonnay 2009

George — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:00:01 +0000

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Region: California – Napa Valley – USA
Cost: $18 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Pale yellow in color with aromas of Fuji apple, ripe pear, citrus and white nectarine fruit layered with rich notes of cream, toasted hazelnut, and vanilla. In the mouth the wine is silky and round with flavors of pear, apple, citrus, and honey with notes of rich creme brulee, mineral, and cream lingering at the finish. Pairs well with chicken dishes, soft cheeses, and cream based pastas.

My Review: I can always tell when the warmer months are upon us because the samples I receive change from big bold reds to lighter wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. It’s my little way of knowing that winter will soon be over and that I can finally put away my heavy wool coat. The first of such samples to show up at my office this time was a 2009 Franciscan Estate Chardonnay.

As you know, picking out Chardonnay is a bit of a trial in my house as my wife doesn’t like overly oaked Chardonnay. Fortunately I think that a) her tastes are evolving and she’s getting more into oaked Chardonnay, and b) we’re finding plenty of Chardonnay that’s spent time in oak, but doesn’t beat you over the head with the oak flavors. The 2009 Franciscan definitely falls into that category.

With a pale yellow-gold color in the glass, I wasn’t too worried about there being too much oak for my wife, and while I got some of the aromas of vanilla that I typically associate with oaked Chardonnay, and make no mistake that this wine has spent time in oak (7 months in small French and American oak barrels, 20% new oak), the flavors of citrus at the front of the wine were nice and bright and refreshing before leading into a more rounded wine with notes of vanilla and creme brulee on the finish.

Paired with our dinner of seasoned and broiled chicken and roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, it was a great compliment to the food, with the citrus cutting through the initial bit of heat from the spices my wife used to season the chicken, but the creaminess of the finish on the wine complimenting the herbs on both the chicken and the potatoes.

This is definitely a wine I would recommend picking up for anybody that’s looking for a more robust Chardonnay, but isn’t looking for something that’s lived its entire life in oak barrels. If you can’t find it at your local store you can follow this link to have it shipped to you, or you can always go and visit the tasting room if you’re on the West Coast (something I plan to do when I head out there later this year).

Antigal Uno Malbec 2008

George — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:00:41 +0000

Varietal: 100% Malbec
Region: Mendoza – Argentina
Cost: $19.99 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Intense red color with violet tones. Aromas of wild berry and dark plum with a hint of coffee. Berry and plum continue to the palate with smoke and vanilla joining through the persistent finish. Pairs well with red meat entrees, Beef Wellington, roasted leg of lamb, grilled vegetables, and semi-firm cheeses.

My Thoughts: So, if you read my post on what I served during Christmas, you know that I’ve already opened up a bottle of the 2008 Antigal Uno Malbec. However, I wasn’t taking notes, nor pairing it with anything, so I was glad to have a second bottle to review at a later time. This is that later time. Now before I launch into my review of the wine, I want to take a moment to speak on packaging.

I know that there are plenty of websites out there that speak about wines hiding inferior juice behind a splashy label, and I’ll be the first to admit that this is true. However, there’s something to be said for taking pride in your product, and wanting it to look great on the shelf as well as taste good in the glass. Antigal has done a great job of that here, with an attractive bottle design, with the raised copper number one on it, that makes the bottle stand out on the shelf and hopefully entices more people to try it. Now, on to the review.

My wife was spending dinner out with a friend, so that left me home alone to cook up a steak and take some notes for a review of the Antigal Uno Malbec. The wine is a deep red color, but if you manage to get any bubbles from pouring, you’ll instantly see the hints of violet that are present. The nose is full of berry and plum notes, and you do get that hint of coffee at the very end of the nose, but it’s subtle so I actually had to almost actually get some of the wine up my nose to really get it.

In the mouth the berry flavors in particular carried over and were nice and bright. On the back end of the wine you do get a bit of creaminess that I don’t know that I would call vanilla, but I understand how some people would. A bit of smoke and the vanilla stick with a finish that certainly lingers for a while, which is not a bad thing.

With a dinner of a NY Strip and baked potato it was a perfect compliment. The berry flavors were a nice counterpoint to the richness of my steak, while the lingering finish and more robust flavors on the end of the wine helped to compliment the steak as well. This wine is just proof of why Malbec is quickly becoming my go-to varietal for steaks.

For the price, it’s hard to argue against giving this bottle a try, and if you’re looking for a gift for the wine lover in your life, the bottle design on this alone makes it a great present. If you can’t find the 2008 Antigal Uno Malbec at your local store you can follow this link and purchase the wine online, which I highly recommend. This is one of those rare bottles that I would actually spend more than the suggested retail price, so get it while it’s at a good price, because I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Burgo Viejo Crianza Rioja 2005

George — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:00:44 +0000

Varietal: Rioja (90% Tempranillo; 10% Graciano)
Region: Spain
Cost: $11

Ruby red color with notes of violet. Flavors of black fruit, vanilla, and coconut. Pairs well with cheese and red meat.

Recommendations: This wine is a perfect example of wine you listen to your wine guy. While attending the Friday tasting held by The Wine Cellar, the manager recommended the Burgo Viejo, knowing that my wife and I are fans of Spanish wine. Let your wine store know your palate and they will find great wines for you.

It didn’t take us long to get the bottle open once we got home, deciding to pair it with the pork tenderloins we had been marinading for two days in bourbon (ask me for that marinade some time – it’s awesome). Great jammy flavors of black fruit were readily evident on the palate, with a nice smooth finish that belied the 13.5% alcohol.

With the tenderloin it did a great job of bringing out the grilled flavors of the meat while still letting the pork shine through. The only down side to this wine was that the bottle wasn’t bigger, but it’s definitely one that I would recommend picking up if you’re a fan of Spanish wine…or if you’re not.

Root:1 Carmenere 2007

George — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:00:49 +0000

Varietal: Carmenere (75% Carmenere; 15% Cabernet Sauvignon; 10% Syrah)
Region: Chile
Cost: $13

Deep red in color with gentle and silky tannins and rich flavors of ripe plum, blackberry, vanilla and spice. Pair with pasta, grilled meats, spicy entrees, eggplant, or bell peppers.

Recommendations: I’ve been a fan of Root:1 wines for a while, regularly keeping their Sauvignon Blanc on hand. While restocking our wine cellar after the rampant snow we’ve had here in Virginia, my wife and I found a bottle of Carmenere from Root:1 and were quick to grab it.

Paired with a dinner of baked herb chicken and garlic green beans, we were soon ignoring the meal to focus on the wine. Beautifully dark red with aromas of berry and green bell peppers, the spice and bell pepper on the palate are amazing, and reminded me of the Viu Manent Carmenere that I enjoyed during the Wines of Chile Blogger tasting, though the flavors of bell pepper were much more mellow – which was not a bad thing.

The best part of the wine was that the more it was allowed to open up, the better the flavors of bell pepper became, easily masking the high alcohol content (14%), something that I appreciated. If you’ve never had Carmenere before I highly recommend that you try it, and the Root:1 is a great place to start.

Not only do I recommend this wine, but I expect to be picking up more of it very soon.

Gouguenheim Valle Escondido Malbec 2008

George — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:00:15 +0000

Varietal: Malbec
Region: Argentina
Cost: $20

Smooth on the nose with flavors of blackberry, plum, toast, and vanilla. Dark in color, pair this wine with casual foods such as hamburger, chicken wings, pizza, pasta, or steak.

Recommendations: Having enjoyed the 2007 Gouguenheim Malbec, I was excited to receive the 2008. The first thing I noticed about this wine was the deep purplish-red color. On the nose the wine was subtle, which was surprising giving that it carries nearly 14% alcohol by volume.

In the mouth the Malbec was full of fruit flavor, especially blackberry. While I was bad and didn’t pair this with anything (it was movie night in the Perry household), this is absolutely the perfect wine to pair with pizza, as the bold flavors of fruit will be a perfect pairing to the pizza sauce and toppings.

This is a great wine to keep on hand for a casual evening at home making a quick dinner after work as it will go with just about any casual, throw-together meal that you can come up with. The 2007 was good, the 2008 is great. Definitely worth a try.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine for this review.

Friends.Red Sonoma County Red Wine

George — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:00:15 +0000

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc)
Region: California – Sonoma – USA
Cost: $19.50

Deep purple coloring with aromas of berry fruits. Blueberry, blackberry, chocolate, vanilla, and smooth oak are found on the palate. Pair this medium-bodied wine with pasta, ravioli, pork barbecue, meatloaf, and even moderately spiced Middle Eastern food.

Recommendations: Taking a cue from the name, I shared this bottle with my wife and a friend of ours over a meal of cheese and meat pizza. This proved to be wise as the high alcohol content (14.2%/vol) needed the sauciness of the pizza to cut down the alcohol finish and make the wine much smoother and enjoyable.

The blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Franc was very enjoyable, with some pepper coming through, along with ripe berry. The deep purple color was impressive, and reminded me once again that the Cabernet Franc they grow in California is much different than what we grow in Virginia (where I live).

I certainly enjoyed this wine, and would recommend it so long as you’re enjoying it with a saucier meal such as pizza or pasta – the kind of meal that makes you want to invite family and friends over for a big meal – to cut the alcohol on the finish.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine.

Grayhaven Winery Touriga

George — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:23:15 +0000

Varietal: Touriga
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $20

A Portugese grape being grown in Virginia, the Grayhaven Touriga is made from 100% Touriga grapes, which are often used to make Port wines. Hints of vanilla and pepper on the finish follow a flavors of cherry and grapefruit for this medium to full bodied red wine. Pairs well with steak and other rich dishes.

Recommendation: I love Grayhaven Winery for their tasting room and surrounding area alone, but their wide ranging selection of wines, which includes being one of the few wineries in the state to offer a Touriga wine. My wife and I paired this wine with a dinner of grilled bbq chicken and roasted red potatos. I was worried that this somewhat more bold red might overpower the chicken at first, but after a generous basting of bbq sauce while it was grilling, the pepper and vanilla on the finish of the wine were a great compliment to the smokiness of the meal.

Being one of the few wineries in Virginia, if not the only, to offer a 100% Touriga, I almost want to recommend this wine on that fact alone, but the great flavors and ability to pair with more than just red meat means that this is a great wine to pick up when you’re in the area. I also recommend visiting the winery if you’re ever close as everybody there is incredibly friendly and welcoming.