Name: Bogle Petite Sirah
Variety: Petite Sirah
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2010
Price: $12.95
Critic Review: Nose: Red berries dominate here, though our blind tasters differed on whether they were over the top. There’s also a nice smoke note. Mouth: There’s a strong blackberry flavor, as well as herbs. It’s not as tannic as some Petite Sirahs (the tannins are still noticeable), and there’s some nice acid thrown into the mix as well.
My Review: While smelling this, I could not think of anything other than blackberries, very sweet too. On the taste, I also got the blackberries, but they came together with a leather taste, and slight coffee and spices. The finish was slightly hot with a lot of tannins. I liked this wine a lot, but I feel like a still have some more tastings to go until I can appreciate such a bold tasting wine as this one.
Name: Bokisch Tempranillo
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2010
Price: $21.95
Critic Review: Purple-black in color, with crimson hues, our Tempranillo has hit its stride this year. Its robust aromas of blackberry jam, forest fruit, cocoa and spice, coupled with its long finish, complete this wine. Enjoy the dry, dusty Tempranillo tannins, that combine with juicy flavors of blueberry pie and dark Bing Cherry.
My Review: A sweet cherry smell on the nose that comes at you with strong tart flavors and with enough tannins to pucker your mouth. Dark cherries and spices were also present, offering a very complex taste. I wasn't very fond of the long and dry finish of this wine, but it was still a rather good wine for me, I wouldn't mind having this wine some other day again.
Name: Domaine La Ricoune St. Gervais
Variety: 70% Grenache, 30%S yrah
Region: Rhone
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $15.95
Critic Review: Inky. Intense and complex nose, fruity and spicy. Aromas of berries, garrigue, licorice, cinnamon, cloves. The palate is intense and fresh. Red fruits. Seductive and lingering finish.
My Review: Strong notes on the nose of plums and especially spices. Strong taste of spices and pepper with a slight hint of cinnamon, with a very dry finish. I can see myself drinking this wine with a steak.
Name: Chateau Les Tuileries Bordeaux Blanc
Variety: 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Semillon
Region: Bordaeaux
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $12.95
Critic Review: From the Bordaux Blanc heartland of Entre-Deux-Mers Chateau Tuileries is a fantastic entry level white Bordeaux. Crisp with a boysenberry fruit note rounded out by notes of honeydew and white flowers.
My Review: With a bouquet of flowers on the nose, and a a very distinct taste of grass and herbs, this wine was very unpleasant to me. On the finish, I could taste a little bit of honey and a taste I would find closest association to what flowers must taste like. I will not be drinking this type of wine anytime soon (unless given for free at a tasting, to see if it is any different).
Name: d'Aremberg The Stump Jump
Variety: Blend
Region: McLaren Valley
Country: Australia
Year: 2011
Price: $13.95
Critic Review: An intoxicating mix of ripe, yellow peaches, guava and hints of honey blossoms on the nose. The tropical stone fruits are also evident on the palate but give up a little territory to some lovely, zesty lemon, lime citrus characters which really add to the freshness of this wine.
My Review: As I take a smell on this wine, I immediately get hints of honey and just slightly fruity. I felt confirmed fruity flavors upon tasting this wine, with a hint of citrus. This was a very good smooth wine, I can imagine drinking this on a summer day.
Name: Taylor Tawny Port
Variety: Blend
Region: New York
Country: United States
Year: No year on bottle, maybe 2011?
Price: $5.99
Winemaker's Notes: Taylor Tawny Port, with its smooth caramel flavor and nutty aroma, is perfect as a cocktail or an after dinner drink. This tawny colored, medium bodied port is delightful and rich in flavor. Serve at room temperature.
My Review: My first impression of this wine was the color, it has a very particular relatively pale color to it that makes me think of liquid caramel to an extent. The nose is very potent, as I can sense the alcohol content, but in the mix, I can sense a mix of caramel and nuts. Its mid-palate is very sweet, with more caramel coming in, but not as much nuttiness to it. The finish is different, as there is a lot of heat that comes in, but the nuttiness comes back stronger here. It is a very delightful dessert drink, that could go well after a big, filling dinner. I can see myself possibly buying more of this wine, as it is a great way to finish a meal.
- Name: Yellow Tail Sweet Red Roo
- Variety: Blend
- Region: South Eastern Australia
- Country: Australia
- Year: 2010
- Price: $6.99
- Winemaker's Notes: Sweet Red Roo is an easy drinking red wine, with a delicate sweet inside. This is our most versatile wine - enjoy over ice, in a wine [tail], or all by itself. Discover all the sweet possibilities! Aroma: Berries, vanilla and chocolate. Flavour: The blend is Shiraz-based with a mixed blend of other red varietals.
- My Review: Upon smelling this wine, I sensed a strong smell of raisins and plum. The taste was a sweet earthy berries, with a chocolaty finish. I was expecting the wine to be a lot sweeter than what it actually was, but it was still sweet-tasting. I can't say I liked it enough to have it again, I wouldn't particularly recommend this wine to anyone, unless they really like sweet wines.
- Name: Apothic Red
- Variety: Blend
- Region: California
- Country: United States
- Year: 2010
- Price: $7.99
- Critic Review: The nose is a pleasant, inviting blend of vanilla, butterscotch, red berries, and black cherry. In the mouth it has sweet flavors of ripe raspberry, chocolate, maraschino cherry, and boysenberry syrup. However, it finishes dry, with a balanced level of mild tannins and puckering acidity. Without a question, a crowd pleaser, bring it to your next party where people will be drinking wine as though it were a cocktail.
- My Review: It hits the nose with pleasing sweet flavors, like dark chocolate and cherry. On the mid palate, it carried a leathery, earthy, woody taste with tannins floating around. The finish was more acidic and dryer than anticipated, with a chocolate aftertaste following it. It was an interesting wine to taste, can't see myself drinking it with anything in particular, but it was good on its own. Also, I'd like to point out that the bottle had been opened for a while by the time that I got to taste this wine.
- Name: Frontera de Concha y Toro
- Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
- Region: Central Valley
- Country: Chile
- Year: 2012
- Price: $8.49 (1 Liter)
- Winemaker's Notes: Fruity character with red plums and chocolate aromas, a soft flavor and medium body. Ideal to serve with red meats, cheese, spicy stews and pasta with spicy sauces.
- My Review: On the nose, I got cherry, with a hint of leather, berries, chocolate, and dirt. Reassured taste from the nose in the mid-palate, with a higher leathery and earthy taste. It went down with a smooth dry finish. This was a very good wine in my opinion, would have loved to have had it while eating red meat, definitely a wine that I will keep on drinking in the future.
- Name: Peter Brum Liebfraumilch
- Variety: Liebfraumilch (blend of white wines)
- Region: Rheinhessen
- Country: Germany
- Year: 2008
- Price: $7.99
- Critic Review: Bright yellow-straw hue. Subdued, minerally pineapple nose. A crisp entry leads a ripe, moderately sweet light-bodied palate with modest sweetness. Acidity balances the fruity finish. A nice aperitif style.
- My Review: Acidic, floral smell, with a semi-sweet mid-palate. A slightly acidic finish with very low heat. Overall, I felt it tasted a little to plain, watered down to a certain extent. I don't see myself drinking this style of wine again in the near future.
