Plume Bleue Grenache/Syrah 2004

Vins de Pays d'oc, Costieres Soleil, France, 13.5%
50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
Selectionne par Laurence Feraud
Produced and Bottled Domaine Du Pegau
Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA

Scents of berry fruit, lavender and graphite but not a strong nose. Nice tannins mixed with a bit of ink, licorice, and blackberry-cherry. Dry finish with some floral notes (Rose, violets, beets). Rich ruby color. Flavors are soft despite tannic component. Excellent blend that matches well with not too spicy of foods. Good enough that I got 10 bottles and only have 1 left. It cleans your tongue but makes your mouth water. Perfect for everyday drinking with peasants like me.

BV Coastal Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

CA, 13.5%
Vinted by bottled by Beaulieu Vineyard, Sonoma, CA
www.bvwines.com
James Corkin Winemaker

Strong, deep aroma with some alcohol on it. Fair amount of tannin/ink with fruit and tartness. Pretty balanced and well constructed flavors. Not super complex nor too rich but good for the price and level of aging. Nice linger of slight spice/oak and black cherries/jam.

Cellier des Dauphins Prestige Cotes du Rhone

France, 13%
Bouteille par les producreurs Reunis-Tulette-Drome
Imported by Bercut-Vandervoort and Co. Brisbane, CA
www.cellier-des-dauphins.com

Very lean crisp wine (and not in a bad way). Plenty of fruit elements and rich floral notes. Clean yet succulent finish. Not sweet nor overly rich but good strong flavor and aromas. Pretty nice blend of the Syrah and Granache characteristics. Excellent wine.

Fog Bank Vineyards Syrah 2005

Santa Rosa, CA, 13.5%
Fog Bank Vineyards

A real Syrahesque Syrah. Nice smooth fruit. Little ink and violet. Dark color with rosey lips. Not overy fruit forward, pretty balanced. Goes well with Vetiver (the band) and M. Ward.

Castle Rock Pinor Noir California Cuvee 2007

Sonoma, 13.8%
Castle Rock Winery

Nice Pinot. Soft berry fruits on nose. A bit tart and acidic when just opened. Softened with a bit of time. Mostly tart stone fruit and strawberry jam flavors. Not soft mouth-feel. A bit of edge but approachable and fairly balanced. This is my type of Pinot for the low range price. Distinct and not as flat as the cheaper Pinot often can be. Good wine.

(Oops) Cabernet Sauvignon

Valle Central, Chile, 13.9%
85% Cab, 15% Carmenere (This blend is no longer produced it seems from website)
Produced by VIA Wines oopswines.com
Imported by Schwartz Olcott Imports, Manhasset, New York.

Minor nose. A hint of the Cab with slight earth and floral notes. Nothing much there on nose. Flavors of ripe fruit, a bit of ink and tobacco leaf/wood smoke with good balanced tannins. Fairly minor finish. Not much linger of sweet or fruit. Nice blend but lacking in the Cab mocha and vanilla elements. Nice color. Pretty in the glass. Good easy drinking wine but not much to ponder.

Omega Cellars Petite Sirah 2007

LODI, 13.5%
Omega Cellars and Winery

Minor nose, not much but some fruit. Decent heavy Petite Sirah flavors. Some fruit, some ink, but not profound. Nice finish with the smoke and slight perfume of a Petite. Decent yet a little flat.

Montetondo Chianti Superiore 2001

Castello di Monastero, Italy 13.5%
Bottled by Azienda Agricola Castello di Monastero
Imported by Vinum International. Napa, CA.

Not very tannic/dry for Chianti. Ripe fruits and very little tart acids. Pretty standard style but good/fair Italian style wine. Plenty of red fruits and some tannins but not very balanced.

Arco Iris Tempranillo 2006

Apellation Vino de la tierra de Castillo y Leon, Spain, 12.5%
100% Tempranillo.
Produced and bottled by Bodegas Fariña
Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA

Fruit there but subtle. Minor tannins for Tempranillo. A bit floral in taste. Better after a day or two with air in it. Rich fruit with the slight black tea element of good Tempranillo.

Purple Pearl Vineyards Merlot 2002

Solano County, 13.9%
Purple Pearl Winery. Dixon, CA.

Very smokey/oaky for Merlot. Heavy, thick but not sweet. Strange character for Merlot. Some kind of character though. Pretty decent. A heavy Italian style over-oaked Merlot. Don't see that everyday. . .

Queen of Hearts Syrah

Santa Barbara, CA
Produced by Lucas and Lewellen Vineyard 2005 and 2006
(No longer produced)

Nice deep nose (even with my stuffy nose). Good balanced Syrah tones. Inky and just a tad sweet. Herbs and a good linger of fruit.

Mountain View Vinters Clocksprings Zinfandel 2004

Amador County, 13.5%
Produced by Mountain View Vinters, Morgan Hill, CA

Good straight Zinfandel. Not overly rich but good berry and cherry flavors. Good color (rich ruby-crimson). Need another try to judge well.

Maramonte Wines Syrage Red 2001 CA Table Wine

"Sierra Nevada Foothills", 13.2%
Rhone and Bordeaux variety blend
www.miramonte.com

Mild nose. Strange start on palate. Intense berry/cherry with some tannins, inky, nice linger on aftertaste. Decent but. . .Better the second time around. Nice clear flavors. Grenache in there. Perhaps it got better with a bit of breath in there.

Harlow Ridge Petite Sirah 2005

LODI, 12.5%

Produced by Harlow Ridge Winery, Napa, CA
(Harlow Ridge is a Bronco Wine Company Brand, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronco_Wine_Company#Brands)

Mild nose. Nice smooth yet fruit filled flavor. Lingering smoke and berries.

Marques de Caceres Crianza

ROIJA, SPAIN, 13.5%
Imported by Vineyards Brands
vineyardbrands.com

Light, low tannin Spanish red. Some fruit but unfortunately not very dense or deeply robust. Not spectacular. Not bad. I'd like to try it again from a different year. Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Graciano blend.

Peirano Estate Vineyard 1999 Old Vine Zin

LODI, 14.4%

Thin, weakish wine. Nice nose but a bit too much alcohol comes through. Varies by bottle. Plenty of fruit. Some character. Too old to drink perhaps.

Alto de Casablanca "duo " 2004, Cab Merlot Blend

MAIPO VALLEY, CHILE, 14%
77% Cabernet Savignon, 23% Merlot
Imported by International Cellars. Gonzales, CA

Good balanced blend. Sweet and dark flavored but not overly heavy. Also not extremely hard on the tannin.

Blue Moon Wines Non-vintage Rare Red, Valdiguie

NAPA VALLEY, 13.0%

bluemoonwines.com

Light, tight beaujolais type wine from California. Tart with some fruit and a clean finish. The first and last time I have seen this varietal name on a bottle. Too bad. It's pretty good wine.

Indian Rock Vineyards 2004 Zinfandel

CALAVERAS COUNTY, 15.5%

Nice sweet, spice, even tannins. Not super deep nor complex.

(That was the first one in the book. They will evolve to include more.)

Wine Reviews from Tree

I am here to post some words of description about the many wines I have been scribbling notes on in my wine journal. These reviews are not usually of wines that are expensive or very fancy, but I try to be honest about what I smell and taste. And I have to admit that I'm not too sure that a lot of the wines are readily available since many of them are from Grocery Outlet or discount racks in grocery stores. I do keep and will post a bit of label info about the companies and wineries though. I find it fun and interesting to think about and then articulate things about the wines I have for whatever reasons found deserving of my meager funds. I hope reading about them is fun and interesting too.