Finca La Linda by Luigi Bosca 2003

This is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine from Argentina. It has a garnet red color with blackish dyes, with aromas to blackberries, black pepper and Moor. It is intense and persistent on the mouth. It is matured for 3 months in French and American oak.

The different varietals harvested on the Luigi Bosca properties, were brought from Europe around 1890. The vines are the result of a very careful selection from the old stock which underwent a slow process of acclimatisation.

I bought this at the Village Market. Good, but still reminiscing about the Menage a Trois from last week

Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2004

One of my favorite labels. Any of the Ravenswood wines generally do not disappoint for this price point $10 or less. Bruno's had this on sale for $7.99 and I had to pick up a couple of bottles at this price! Compared to the Windmill Old Vine Zinfandel - Oh there is no comparision! Ravenswood is so much better! As the label says "No Wimpy Wines".
The Ravenswood website says this about the Vinter's Blend wines:
Since 1983, Ravenswood's Joel Peterson — renowned not only as one of California's best winemakers but also as one of its most talented tasters — has devoted part of each year to the role of negociant. Sifting through hundreds of samples that reach him through brokers, friends, and acquaintances (including soothsayers and secret agents), Joel searches out sound, reasonably priced wines to complement lots made at Ravenswood. Not every vineyard, after all, is worthy of being a labeled designate — but by the same token, not every meal or day of the week is worthy of an expensive wine. Looking again to the European model, Joel wants something modest but delicious to satisfy the palate during the week, in between luxury wines that are unveiled on special occasions.
Enough Said! Buy often and enjoy!

Windmill 2005 Old Vine Zinfindel

Micheal and David Phillips own this vineyard/winery. They also make Don's Lodi Red, blogged by Shawn in January 2006. The Lodi Vineyard website describes the Windmill labels as wines which express true varietal character with an emphasis on fruit at affordable prices.

Their description of Old Vine Zinfandel: Produced from the vineyards of four of our area's top growers, this zin is heady with the aromas of ripe, soft, brambly blackberries, Bing cherries and vanilla, leading to a full-mouth feel with rich chewy tannins and hints of dark chocolate.

It was affordable - purchased at The Pig's Tria Market. It was $10.99 but was not really impressed with this bottle. I don't recall any of the flavors descibed by the vinters. Tria was pouring this during their Friday night wine tasting - initial taste was okay (only Zin being poured other wines were Chilean) so I thought we would try it. After having one bottle there was nothing special about it. For the money there are better more memorable wines in the same price range. It was really a lackluster wine. Probably should have just used it for making some pasta sauce.

Cartlidge & Brown Syrah 2002

We have been pleased with other wines by C&B so we tried this one. The verdict: pleasant. "With its inky color and super rich, ripe fruit aromas of black cherry, plum jam, and fig, the 2002 Syrah is truly a blockbuster. With relatively low alcohol, no harsh tannins and deep fruit flavors, it is surprisingly approachable." - C&B website.

About $10 at Western.

Pillar Box Red 2005

Shawn introduced this one about a year ago and it has caught on big, selling briskly around Birmingham.

From Henry's Drive Winery in Padathaway, Australia, it's a blend of Cabernet/Shiraz/Merlot. Good. $10

Under $20 American Chardonnay not good?

I make a point of reading the Wall Street Journal wine column by John Brecher & Dorothy Gaiter that is reprinted in the "City Scene" section of the Bham News. They write very intelligently about wine - giving suggestions and noting trends. A few months ago they talked about some Zinfandel producers who are making strange wines (e.g. too much alcohol, strange flavors). This week's article deals with their tasting of nearly 70 chards under $20.

They note that vintners are now making it on the cheap and chard has become "a caricature of itself, with obvious tastes of oak, vanilla, alcohol and sugar replacing anything true". As a group they say has the single most notable smell and flavor is pineapple with syrupy sweetness ... nail polisher remover ... acid mixture". Wow. I hope the vintners are listening.

Read the article

Their top six:
Calera Wine Co. 2004 (Central Coast) / $15 / good-vg
Clos du Bois 'Reserve' 2004 (Russian River Valley, Sonoma County) / $14 / good-vg
St. Clement Vineyards 2004 (Carneros, Napa Valley) / $17 good-vg
Bonterra Vineyards 2005 (Mendocino County) / $11.50 / good
Merryvale Vineyards 'Starmont' 2005 (Napa Valley) / $18 / good
Wyatt Wine Cellars 2004 (California) / $8.50 / good

Shooting Star Aligoté 2005

Aligoté is a white grape that is widely cultivated in and around BURGUNDY. It's considered less important and distinguished than the CHARDONNAY grape, and, in most cases, wines developed from the Aligoté are not as rich or long-lived as those from Chardonnay.

From the Steele site: "Our Aligoté is barrel fermented, but we use older oak barrels rather than the 30% new oak that we typically use for Chardonnay. The wine is crisp and clean, a wine with a nice balance of fruit and acidity. Flinty, mineral elements mix with a light floral hint on the nose, followed with the suggestion of tart/sweet apple on the palette, making it a wonderful, versatile food wine."

Mary and I tried this with Shawn's grouper en papillote. It was a good pairing, and comes across as softer and sweeter than a chardonnay. I think it would make a good hot weather sipping white too. About $10 from Overton & Vine.

Borsao Campo de Borja 2005

This is another Spanish red (75% Garnacha, 25% Tempranillo) from the same D.O. as the Campo de Borja / Vina Borgia 2005 posted earlier this month. (It is 100% Garnacha). I couldn't find more of the latter at Western and since we had it in prior years I thought I'd give it a try instead. It's a very decent red for the price but we prefer the taste of the Vina Borgia.

$7.99 at World Market

Menage a Trois 2005

Menage a Trois is a Napa Valley red table wine. I bought it at the Village Wine for aproximately $12.00. It combines Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is silky & soft with berry tones. I like it.

Campo de Borja / Vina Borgia 2005

Five bucks! Smooth balance and nice fruit. Suggests berries with a mild peppery spice. The wine is from Spain and is %100 Grenache grapes (Garnacha in Spanish). You may have enjoyed this in previous years (Mary and I enjoyed lots of the 2003) but the label has changed for 2005. Available at Western.

Compare this to the 2005 Tikalo Alba Liza (65% Tempranillo and 35% Garnacha). It was served at a party I attended in December and I enjoyed it enough to seek it out for another taste. The Alba Liza has a more earthy taste and is better with food than standing alone. $8.29 at Classic Wine Company.

La Legua 2004

Love This Wine!!! I bought it on the recommendation from Village Wine with the gift certificate I got from Vic. It was my cheap wine, $9.99. They told me it wouldn't be around for long and I can see why. Very smooth from the first sip. I was shocked to find that this was the cheapest wine I bought on that trip. For a full writeup visit this link.