Finca Flichman Malbec Mendoza
Price: $9
Type: Malbec
Cork: Plain Jane Artificial
Rating: 2
Purchased: Jungle Jim's
I really wanted to like this wine. The scent comes rolling out the bottle the moment you pull the cork. The first sip is crisp and rich.
Then the aftertaste hits you.
I couldn't finish a glass. If you enjoy sticking your tongue into a glass then rinsing your mouth with water before you swallow, this is the wine for you. Actually, this is probably a good wine for people who enjoy tar-thick turkish coffee with no milk or sugar. I found it too bitter and tart to drink.
Cosme Palacio y Hermanos Cosecha 2002
Price: $9
Type: Rioja
Cork: attractively decorated natural
Rating: 10
Purchased: Jungle Jim's
I am so sad this bottle is empty. I want more. Right now. If the bottle wasn't empty, I'd probably be able to tell you why. Suffice it to say I am eternally grateful for our fantastic local cuban restaurant, Havana Rumba, for introducing me to Rioja wines. If you like Tempranillo's and Malbec's, you'll enjoy Rioja's.
Price: $9
Type: Mead
Cork: Natural with conservative decoration
Rating: 9
Purchased: Liquor Barn
A friend recently brought a couple bottles of Chaucer's Mead to a party. It was quite the hit, being something a little different. I decided to pick up some more for my next party and found Oliver Winery's Camelot Mead on the shelf right next to it.
I've heard wonderful things about Oliver Winery. The Wall Street Journal rates it as one of the 12 best winerys to visit in the US. They've won a slew of awards for several of their vintages. On top of that, it's only a few hours away in Indiana. One of these days, I really want to visit.
The Chaucer's Mead is tasty - and has the advantage of coming with a packet of simmering spices in case you want to make warm spiced mead during the winter. Oliver's Camelot Mead is better.
All meads are sweet. If you prefer dry wines, stay far far away. If you like Rieslings or Gewurtztraminers, you'll probably like mead. Camelot's mead is a clear, straw colored wine (unlike many meads which are the color of amber and almost as dense.) The flavor is surprisingly light (again, a pleasant contrast to the more standard heavy meads), far less sweet than a soda, and makes a great chilled sipping wine for hot summer afternoons. I will definitely buy this one again.
Price: $10
Type: varietal blend
Cork: green marbled artificial
Rating: 8
Purchased: Liquor Barn
In sampling my way through $10 wines, I've discovered I'm partial to red blends, and "Frontier Red" is no exception. I think the thing I like about blends is they all have a taste of their own. Oh, sure, every Pinot is different, every Cabernet is different, but they still taste like Pinot and Cabernet. A good blend tastes like creativity - you can find the sources of inspiration, but those sources don't define it.
Frontier Red is a dark, almost heavy wine, nearly red-black in the glass. The scent is a little mild for my taste (or else it would've rated a 9). I like a little more flirtation before I dive right in. The wine is smooth on the tongue, coasting over the tastebuds without drying, but still lacking any excess sweetness. There's a hint of bitter in the aftertaste, so this wouldn't be a good wine for friends new to drinking reds. For those who've enjoyed reds for awhile, this is a great, inexpensive table wine for a hearty pasta dinner rife with fresh tomatoes and lots of garlic. It would also make a smooth accompaniment to grilled burgers and brats, as long as you ladle on the black pepper and grill seasonings.
I think it tastes better with food, which is another reason it gets a 8 rather than a 9. This is a wine that can hold its own against strong European spices, like an excess of pepper and garlic. I don't think it would do so well paired with curries, and it would totally overwhelm lighter fare. It's an adequate sipping wine, but really shines when paired with dinner.
Price: $14
Type: Merlot
Cork: attractive red artificial
Rating: 8
Purchased: Jungle Jim's
I bought this wine as a joke present for a pair of Goth friends. They invited us over to sample it, again as a sort of horrific joke. To our mutual surprise, it's a surprisingly drinkable wine, especially for the price.
In fact, I liked it so much I not only replaced their bottle, but picked up a couple for myself the next time I visited Jungle Jim's. The label is very eye catching. After all, who wouldn't be tempted by "Vampire" wine made in Transylvania? Okay, people with taste. Those of us with a sense of humor want a bottle just for display.
I suspect most Merlot drinkers would disagree with my 8 rating. My problem with Merlot is I don't like a heavy oak taste in my wine. While Vampire Merlot is allegedly aged in American Oak for six months, it somehow doesn't have that overwhelmingly oaky flavor that makes me turn my nose at most Merlot. In this case, I can taste the grapes, which are mellow and smooth. The wine has a mild nose to go with the mellow flavor.
If you like the taste of a usual Merlot, you'll hate this wine. If you dislike Merlot, give this bottle a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Solaris Special Release Pinot Noir
Price: $12
Type: Pinot Noir
Cork: plain jane natural
Rating: 6
Purchased: Jungle Jim's
This wine is almost worth it for the bottle alone. Of course, I write Science Fiction, so of course I'd be tempted by a bottle with a giant solar flare on the front.
The scent is disappointingly mild. You have to stick your nose deep into the glass before you can smell it at all. The flavor itself is pretty uniform from the tip of the tongue to the back, though it has a sharp tangy aftertaste. The wine itself isn't all that exciting, but at the same time, it's not bland or vinegary or sugary sweet.
All in all, I'd say this is an inoffensive but unexceptional wine, not bad for a second or third bottle if you can't afford to get your friends drunk on the good stuff.
5 reds to try again
I'm afraid I was lax in my April reviews. I've got five empty bottles here which I vaguely enjoy drinking. I should buy them again and give them real reviews. At least one of them was really good, but I can't remember which. This is a good reminder why I write reviews. :)
LoTengo Malbec
Alamos Malbec
Rubens Tempranillo
Jindalee Cabernet Sauvignon
House Wine brand California Red
Two bad wines
Price: $7
Type: Talus Pinot Noir
Cork: Artificial
Rating: 4
Purchased: Meijer's
Price: $13
Type: Wrongo Dongo 2003
Cork: cute yellow artificial with logo
Rating: 4
Purchased: Jungle Jim's
These two go to show an artificial cork can't protect a bad wine. I'm so disheartened by three tainted bottles and two just plain bad ones that I don't have the heart for a full review. Suffice it to say you'll get better quality out of a box.
Cork Rot!
This has not been my month for wine. I've lost THREE bottles to tainted corks. This is why I list cork type in my reviews. I've never had a bad bottle of artificially corked wine.
My three misses this month were a white, a rose, and a red:
Alta Vista Torrontes 2003,
Huber Winery Indiana Traminette, and
Vestini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2003. Hubery Winery is only half an hour from my home. I've enjoyed their wines in the past, so I'll probably try them again. I was looking forward to the Torrontes, as I've never tried one before, but alas. As for the Vestini, well, I only bought it because of the adorable label, so I doubt they'll get my money again. If they were sensible enough to use artificial corks, there is a chance all three of these brands would have new business.
Tainted corks make me angry. Wine snobs who insist plastic alters the flavor are welcome to lose 10% of their hundred dollar purchases. For those of us looking for $10 - $15 table wine, the manufacturers have no such excuse. Move to artificial corks or screwtops already!
Price: $7
Type: Pinot Noir
Cork: plain cork with name written on side
Rating: 7
Purchased: World Market
This is really good for a seven dollar wine. It's not the most exciting Pinot Noir I've ever had, but it's also $7 a bottle. Most $7 wine is nasty, so I'm impressed. I think it would be a good second or third bottle after starting the night with the good stuff.
It's got a mild nose, so if you're really into a good, rich scent, this isn't the wine for you. The taste is surprisingly level. It tastes the same on the front of the tongue as it does on the back. Now, I prefer a wine that's got a little more complexity, but again, this is a seven dollar bottle. A single glass costs more than that in most restaurants these days.
Unlike most cheap wines, there's no sugary sweetness to this wine. The aftertaste is as mild as the scent, so this would be a good wine for people who complain about the bitter flavor of reds.
If you're looking for a level, drinkable, inexpensive wine, this is an excellent choice.
