14 Hands Hot To Trot Columbia Valley 2010 Red Wine, $8.99-$10.99, 87 points,(Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvedre varietals)is a nice little sweet red wine; I'm sure there will be some poo-pooing it, but sweet is in, and though I'm not traditionally a sweet wine fan, I did enjoy this wine with burgers and by itself. So, Stefanie, if your up for a sweetly done effort of a red wine, I'm going to recommend this one.
Hot To Trot has a beautiful crystalline ruby color, with a broad transparent rim.
The aroma is subtle sweet cooking spice and grape.
A light to medium body carries a sweet juicy blend of red raspberry jam, red cherry, and spice, with a minimal petrol after taste. This wine does not strike me as too acidic, though I found myself salivating. Noticeably tannic, Hot To Trot is yet quite drinkable, but there is a spicy kick of a finish.
Steve, their Merlot is said to be even better; now I understand why you recommended this to me, thanks,
Dennis
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Sean Minor Napa Valley 2009 Red Wine, $14.44-$19.99, 87 points, was the deepest of ruby red in color, welling almost opaque at the core.
The aroma was a rich clove with hints of cinnamon and boysenberry, but with a back draft of forest fire smokiness.
The texture was lush on a full body, dry with ample tannin.
With prominent plum and licorice dominating this red wine, I found it yet a little green with some tartness.
The finish has a fair duration of spice. This is still a young wine and I'm sure it will prove to be a more interesting wine in one or two years.
The 14.5% alcohol was unnoticeable upon opening, but as is so often the case, on the second day there it arose!
Varietals were 30% Merlot, 23% Petit Verdot, 17% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, 10% Syrah, and 4% Malbec.
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Columbia Crest Grand-Estates Amitage 2008 Red Wine is the first of: Three acquaintances influence my wine tasting; they are friend, wine-wise, and penny-wise, or all three.
Columbia Crest Grand-Estates Amitage 2008 Red Wine, $10.80-$12.50, 88 points, begins my exploration into recommended red wines under twenty dollars.
Amitage has a bright cranberry color (most other reviewers seem to find it much darker than I do), a quiet aroma of grape, clove, and a hint of butterscotch (A first for a red-wine with me), the body, to me, is light plus, but others have described it as "full bodied".
The first thing I thought of during my tasting was: "Northwest Merlot" sweet, juicy, a hint of petrol, a soft-side, and with 64% Merlot, that was no surprise, while a floral and spicy Syrah (19%) added a much need element of contrast and character, with 17% of other Bordeaux grapes nicely adding their hidden talents.
There is a juicy combination of plum, red cherry, and strawberry here (Others have "black fruit"), with a fair finish of spicy pepper.
I must admit, that after tasting this wine and then researching what others have described, I wondered if I was tasting the same wine! Either way, I have never gone wrong with a CC Grand Estate Wine, and for so few dollars you won't either, but if you do try this wine, I'd love to hear your tasting comments.
I bought this wine at the Londonderry Hannaford's supermarket.
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Kunde Estate Winery Sonoma Valley 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, $19.99-$59.49, 90 plus points, has a transparent rim, garnet edges, and the color quickly gives-way to opaque.
The aroma is various notes of chocolate, alcohol, black fruit, and cinnamon, gracefully revealed.
Flavors of sharp grape, plum, black cherry, and boysenberry are smoothly carried on a full body, and finishes fairly with peppery spice and some alcohol heat.
This wine could have been decanted.
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Charles Krug 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, $18.00-$25.00, 90 points,
had the color of garnet to purple and inky at the core.
The aroma was prominently cedar and blackberries with hints of cooking spice and earth.
Charles Krug 2007 Cab. is to me more like a rich, round, and an easy-drinking Merlot than a complex tannic Cab. There were hints of black currant and this is a rather dense wine with a near full body.
This is not a disappointing wine, and I'd say a better than average dinner time red wine. I do recommend this Cabernet Sauvignon (Merlot Impostor) at the lower price. Again, I see 'decor' written all over the presentation, and this wine was purchased at Hannaford's super market.
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Hagafen Napa Valley 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, $14.40-$20.00, 86 points, is one of those wines I liked, then I didn't, then I did, then I didn't. It was almost as if this wine didn't really know what it wanted to be: melon or citrus, crisp or mellow.
Mineral tinted water-color, with warm aromas of melon with hints of citrus carried on a light, an almost thin body.
The aroma sums up the flavor profile with considerable grassiness, but finished nicely on pepper and spice.
We paired this wine with shrimp and sea perch.
I bought the Hagafen Sauv-Blanc at Hannaford's super market.
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Robert Mondavi Oakville 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, $33.49-$49.99, ($6.50 less than the 2008) 93 points, is at this point and to me a better wine than the vaunted 2008; maybe in two years I'll change my mind provided I can resist drinking it.
The 2006 has a deep garnet and magenta color, verges on black at the core and has a transparent rim.
The aroma is earth and mushrooms, black currant and grape-skin, and boysenberry with cedar notes.
A medium plus body carries tart red cherry, gentle licorice flavors on lush tannin with bright acidity, and a beautiful spicy finish of some heat and duration.
This is quite a different wine from the 2008 except for the heat, though the alcohol here is 15% compared to 2008's 15.5% for what that's worth.
The rest of this post is glibly stated blah!
Sunday morning after this post I thought I might do some 'Monday-morning quarter-backing' my score on this wine, especially since I've alluded to "hype" and "vaunting". Needless to say the opinions are varied, but note-worthy.
Cellar tracker's upfront 25 showed scores from 86-94 points.
Robert Parker: 91 points
SH: 89 points
Wine Spectator: 90 points
Wine and Spirits: 93 points
The average Jane or John Doe will quickly understand that this wine is too expensive for them, and that personal taste leave scores in the waste bin. Yes and no! I'm sure a $34 present isn't unreasonable to most Jane and John Does. So, when buying a gift for a friend or a family member who likes wine, why not look into a resource that when taken in the context of a history of referenced wine scores can be used as a guide for those looking for ideas or a nudge. I may have said it before, but strangers in the wine isle have asked me what might be a good red-wine for a gift; my answer has often been Robert Mondavi Napa valley (On sale). No, RM hasn't given me anything, I'm not selling this, but it is such a sure bet of a wine, it's hard to go wrong. Yes? No?
see:
Robert Mondavi Napa ValleyOakville 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
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