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April 17, 2020 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel 2018
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The Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel 2018 is sourced from vineyards in the Lodi AVA of Northern California. Gnarly Head is one of Delicato Family Vineyard's portfolio of wines.Click on the link above to see their family of wine. Delicato has been around since 1924, they are the sixth-largest winery in the United State. They control 6,000 acres of grapevines in Lodi, Napa, Sonoma, and Monterey.The term Gnarly Head refers to a style of pruning the vines. The branches are trained to come out of the stalk three or four feet off the ground. The branches are pruned back to keep them in shape. After several years, these are Old Vines, the vines become gnarled and twisted.Old vines are not a legal term each winery can come up with their definition, but Delicato says some of the vines are over 80 years old. Which brings us to the next question, "what's the big deal about old vines?Grapevines need to suffer to produce great wine grapes. By suffer I mean they do not need to get too much water or be planted in too fertile soil. Most vineyards are planted on rock-strewn sides of hills on land not suitable for crops.So, the struggle for nutrients and moisture is an integral part of the development of the grapes. Old vines naturally struggle, they do not need to be situated on perfect (well perfect for grapevines, kind of bad for most commercial crops) ground to get the full benefits. The struggle is already built-in.Grapevines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay are pulled out and replanted in commercial vineyards when they no longer are in their prime. These grapes are in demand and the vineyards are constantly being renewed. A new vine may take four or five years to produce wine worthy grapes.Zinfandel has been planted in Lodi for over 100 years and for most of its history there was never the demand for Zinfandel wine to cause the vineyard owners to renew their vines. Vines as they get older, maybe around 25 to 30 years, start to slow down their yield, but few vineyards needed to go through the time and expense to replant.That is a very good thing for the Lodi vineyard owners because these old vines are now in demand and sought after. What may have been good vineyards but not standout vineyards are now exceptional vineyards. Good things come to those who wait.The Gnarly Head label was started in 2004 and includes a full line of drink-it-now wines, both Red and White. The Gnarly Head Old Vines Zinfandel 2018 was aged in/on French and American oak. I am always confused when the tasting notes say racked on oak rather than racked in oak barrels. Racked is a wine term about moving the wine from one barrel or tank to another using gravity rather than some sort of pump. So exactly the sort of oak aging isn't specified, but in a wine that I purchased for $8.99 fancy French oak barrels isn't of too much importance. The alcohol content is 14.5%.Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a dark but still see-thru black cherry red. The nose is rich and weighty, a nice surprise in a sub-$10 wine, there is depth to the aromas. There is ripe blackberry, a hint of herbs, black licorice, smoke from the BBQ, black pepper, black cherry, and spice.
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12 min
April 14, 2020 Wildsong Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018
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The StoryThe Wildsong Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018 is sourced from the Wild Flower Vineyard located in Mangatahi one of the highest elevated regions in the Hawke's Bay growing region on New Zealand's North Island. Most of the Sauvignon Blanc you would typically see on store shelves comes from Marlborough on the South Island.Wildsong is one of Te Awanga Estate line of wines. About half of Te Awanga's vineyards are certified organic with the other transitioning to organic.Hawke's Bay is located on the North Island is more well-known for producing Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon than Sauvignon Blanc. They have more Chardonnay under vine than Sauv Blanc, so if you are used to the wines of Marlborough on the South Island, this will be different.This Sauvignon Blanc was fermented in stainless steel and then aged "on lees" for a few months before bottling. "On lees" refers to the winemaker keeping the dead, spent yeast in the tank with the wine while aging. The lees (dead yeast) can be stirred occasionally to often. The more the lees are stirred more the wine takes on a creamy character.Though they usually do not stir the lees too much with Sauvignon Blanc, they are normally looking for a combination of ripe and tart citrus, not cream. On lees can also give the wine a salty, cashew like flavor. If you pick out a bit of salt with White wine that is a pretty good indicator that on lees took place.I think I found this wine for $12.99, which is an excellent price for a single vineyard, somewhat boutique Sauvignon Blanc. This is a young wine, virtual all Sauvignon Blanc in this price range is made in the drink-it-now style. And that is just fine since Sauvignon Blanc made in a young, bright, fresh style is delicious. The alcohol content is a mild 12.5%.Wildsong Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a pale wheat yellow. The nose is pretty, there are scents of melon, peach, Altoid's mints, tropical fruit, Anjou pear, orange blossom honey, and lime. This Sauv Blanc is a little subdued from the stuff on the South Island, still good, but different.It starts with pineapple mixed of ripe apple, and peach, then a slight slap of spice. The mid-palate offers light melon, tart grapefruit and that salty cashew thing described above. The acidity is very well-balanced, enough to support the flavors and to entice you to take another sip.The Summary* The Wildsong Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018 is a very tasty wine.* It is not big and bold like Marlborough, it does not have that edge, it is softer, more rounded and still tastes great.* This is a Sauv Blanc well worth seeking out, a single vineyard wine priced the same of the multi-vineyard wines.
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10 min
April 12, 2020 Yalumba Y Series Shiraz Viognier 2017
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The StoryThe Yalumba Y Series Shiraz Viognier 2017 is 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier sourced from vineyards in South Australia. In case you are not aware, Shiraz (Syrah) is a red grape and Viognier is a white grape and it is not all that common that red and white grapes are used in a blend.I asked a winemaker why they would add a small amount of a White wine grape to a Red wine since you would figure the Red grape would overpower the White grape. She told me that adding Viognier "puts a shine" on the wine. It is an effect you can only get from adding a White grape to Red wine.Yalumba Family Vignerons is a family-owned and operated winery that was founded in 1849 in the Barossa Valley region of South Australia. They cover the entire winemaking process from the vineyards to cooperage (making the oak barrels), wine production, and bottling. The Y Series is their drink-it_now line of wines.This is the 2017 vintage, but their website shows a 2018 and 2019 vintage that is also available. This is an unoaked wine not meant to be cellared or aged. The 2017 vintage is still very drinkable, especially since it was produced to be bright and shiny in nature. It is usually a good idea to get the newest vintage with drink-it-now wines unless a certain vintage is known to be better than the others.Viognier is known for its bright acidity and its great nose it will add a wonderful fragrance to any wine. Shiraz is the Red wine of Australia, but it is normally found with a decent amount of oak barrel aging. Here is unoaked and blended with a small amount of white wine, so this will not be the typical Australian Shiraz.The Yalumba Y Series Shiraz Viognier 2017 is sustainably farmed and produced, vegan friendly, and natural yeast (the yeast found in the air and on grape skins) was used for fermentation, rather than commercial yeasts. The alcohol content is mild for an Australian Shiraz 13.5%.Yalumba Y Series Shiraz Viognier 2017 Tasting NotesThe color is a clear, shiny, see-thru cherry jelly red with black highlights. The nose is dark berries, lightly smokey, very spicey, with a whiff of mint. This is a medium-bodied Shiraz, with a mix of soft fruit and edgy spice.It tastes of ripe blackberry, black pepper, plum, sharp, exotic spice, and tart cranberry. The mid-palate offers blueberry, orange zest, and a light, rough slap from the tannins.The Summary* This is a wine that I found on sale for $8.99, but it drinks beyond its price point. It reminds me of red wine from the Southwest of France. It is lean and not afraid to show its structure.* This is not a bold and juicy fruit bomb, it has a mix of rich fruit flavors and challenging spices, this may not be a wine for beginners.* But if you are up for the challenge and are not afraid of a little of wines' structural elements you will be rewarded with a tasty wine that offers bang-for-the-buck.
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11 min
April 09, 2020 William Wright Monterey Chardonnay 2018
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The StoryThe William Wright Monterey Chardonnay 2018 is a $7.99 ALDI wine produced for them by Scheid Vineyards in Greenfield, California (Monterey County). It seems that if you see a Monterey County wine from ALDI there is a good chance Scheid Vineyards produced it.Scheid Family Wines has been in business since 1972 and have 12 estate vineyards. They produce a wide variety of wines from expensive single-vineyard wines to highly affordable wines sold in grocery stores. In doing a quick check of the CWF archives I found a good number of Monterey County wines produced in Greenfield, California.Virtual all those wines received positive reviews with terms like bang-for-the-buck and hits above its price tag often used. Which bodes well for the William Wright Monterey Chardonnay 2018. Often wines that are sold exclusively through a store chain attempt to hide their origin.Scheid Family Wines has William Wright wines featured on their webpage complete with tasting notes and professional bottle shots. That means they stand behind their wine and that is a good detail for a $7.99 ALDI wine.The William Wright Chardonnay is sourced from Scheid estate vineyards (they have 12) which again is a positive detail for a $7.99 wine. The tasting notes say this Chardonnay was aged "on" French oak.What exactly does "aged on French oak" mean? Wine is typically aged "in" oak barrels. Are barrels used? The tasting notes are vague, but at less than eight bucks saving some production money with "other" forms of oak aging is understandable and to be expected.So, this a $7.99 estate wine sourced from a single AVA and produced by a well-respected winery. You really can not ask for more than that from wine in this price range. The alcohol content is 13.5%.William Wright Monterey Chardonnay 2018 Tasting NotesThe color reminds me of extra virgin olive oil. The nose is clean and bright, there is lemon, ripe green apple, banana, pink lemonade, peach, pear, a little vanilla, and a touch of spice. This is a crisp, bright Chardonnay with well-balanced acidity.It tastes of a mix of melon, lemon, apple and pear, followed by creamy vanilla, and light oak spice.The mid-palate is tame compared to the body of the wine but adds tart tangerine and lime. The acidity lets the flavors unfold and will get you reaching for another sip.The SummaryIt is getting harder to procure wine during the lockdown. In Chicago, they are asking us to not go to the grocery store this week and next, so hitting a wine shopman be difficult.Being able to go to ALDI for supplies and to do double duty and get a wine that is worth drinking is a blessing.The William Wright Monterey Chardonnay 2018 is the perfect wine for rewatching The Wire for free on HBO during the lockdown. Just remember to get 2 (or more) because safely going to the store to get more may be difficult.
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9 min
April 06, 2020 Bluebird Monterey Pinot Noir 2016
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The StoryThe Bluebird Monterey Pinot Noir 2016 seems to be an orphan wine. All the social media for Bluebird Wines and they had everything, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, all stopped posting in 2015. There is a single webpage, for the 2013 vintage of this wine.They seemed to have produced other wines from past vintages, but this is the only wine still for sale. I also found it selling at a local grocery store, Mariano's, which is a Kroger store in the Chicago region. This is not your typical grocery store wine.For one thing, this is a small production, boutique Pinot Noir, the label says only 52 barrels were produced (about 15,000 bottles). Most of the bottles found in supermarkets (not all) tend to be produced in the hundreds of thousands. Mass production keeps the price down.The second thing is the tasting notes name Garys' Vineyard as a/the source. The only source is for the 2013 vintage and this is the 2016 vintage, I am guessing everything stayed the same.Garys' Vineyard is located in the Santa Lucia Highlands not far from the Monterey Bay, it is one of the premier Pinot Noir vineyards in California. Pinots sourced from this vineyard routinely sell in the fifty dollar range. The Bluebird Monterey Pinot Noir 2016 was found for under $15.The Bluebird label only shows Monterey County as a source, maybe they sourced grapes from other parts of Monterey. Their information only lists one vineyard. If it is sourced solely from Garys' Vineyard this is a wildly underpriced Pinot Noir, even if it is only partially sourced from there it is still very well priced.There are many high-end Pinot Noir brands that show Garys' Vineyard and Santa Lucia Highlands on their front label. The Bluebird Pinot Noir seems to be modestly labeled. This is a 2016 vintage which is a good deal of aging for an under $15 Pinot Noir. This wine was aged in French oak barrels for 16 months, with 40% in French oak barrels and the rest in neutral oak barrels. Neutral barrels have been reused to the point that they no longer have any oak flavoring left to impart. The winemaker could use stainless steel tanks, but oak barrels let a tiny amount of air into the barrel. That minuscule amount causes enough of a change for the winemaker to go through the extra trouble and expense of barrels.The Bluebird seems to be a boutique, small production, well-sourced wine that just happens to be selling at a grocery store. There are interesting bargain wines everywhere if you take the time to search for them. The alcohol content is 13.8%.Bluebird Monterey Pinot Noir 2016 Tasting NotesThe color is a see-thru garnet red. The nose is really good, inexpensive Pinot Noir is usually dominated by fruit on the nose along with the expected herbs and spices. But, here we have an array of exotic scents, herbs, dried fall leaf, unusual spices, cherry, pork cooking on the outdoor grill, a whiff of smoke, this wine has a nose that takes you on a journey.This is a medium-bodied wine with bright acidity and delicate flavors. It starts with tart cherry, a slightly rough edge from the tannins. oak spice, tea, and a hint of chocolate.The mid-palate brings orange zest, sweet blueberry, licorice, herbs, and cranberry. The acidity gives this Pinot a good deal of length. What I enjoy about a good Pinot Noir is that you have to seek out the full display of tastes and textures. Some wines hit you over the head with flavor and that is fine, but I like a wine that does not give up its secrets so easily.The SummaryThe Bluebird Monterey Pinot Noir 2016 is a very fine Pinot Noir. It has features that are not normally found for under fifteen dollars.I think I am going to take my time next time I am in a grocery store searching for a wine and not just grab whatever is on sale. The Bluebird Pinot shows that there are treasures to be found if you take the time to look.
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12 min
April 03, 2020 Anne Amie Rosé of Pinot Noir 2019
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The StoryThe Anne Amie Rose of Pinot Noir 2019 is an estate farmed, produced, and bottled Rose' sourced from vineyards in the Yamhill-Carlton and Chehalem Mountain districts of the Willamette Valley in western Oregon. Anne Amie Vineyards is a privately owned winery founded in 1999.This Rose' is a brand new wine for Anne Amie and they have not gotten around to adding the wine to their website, so I do not have production tidbits to pass along. But this is an interesting wine we will have a fair amount to talk about.Willamette Valley is my favorite Pinot Noir and a Rose' of Pinot Noir is the flip-side of Pinot Noir wine. When a winemaker produces a Red wine they have to take into account the tannins (a chemical compound found in grape skins) and the flavor influence of oak barrels. They concentrate flavors and texture in the wine to seamlessly blend with the oak and tannins, it is a balancing act.Rose' juice only has contact with the grape skins long enough to get the desired pink color (usually a few hours). Rose' wine, especially in this price range (I found it for $14.99) do not have new oak aging. If oak barrels are used they are typically neutral oak, which are barrels that have released all their flavor.Since there are little in the way of tannins and oak influence a winemaker has no need for the same production techniques as regular Red wine (in this case, Pinot Noir). Flavors and textures that can get overpowered in regular red wine are allowed to breathe and come to the forefront. And if you are paying attention, you can pick up flavors in a Rose' that if you look, can now find hidden in a glass of Red wine.If you are a fan of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, a Rose' of Pinot Noir can help you start to find all the interesting nuances in the wine. If you are simply a Rose' fan and Pinot Noir does not really do it for you, then these Rose' wines can be excellent.Another point I want to make is choosing a wine at a wine shop based on the label. Some folks will tell you that that is a bad idea, but I disagree. The label to the Anne Amie Rose of Pinot Noir 2019 is beautiful, very eye-catching. My bottle shot does not capture the entire label it wraps around the bottle. It is a painting of a garden, but not a still-life reproduction. All the elements of a garden are included, but things are placed where the artist chose, not where nature would dictate. The colors are both eye-catching and muted, there are contrasts.At this point, I have the bottle open and a glass poured but I do not know how this Rose' tastes. But if I am right about what the label is signaling to me, this is a bright, fresh Rose', with style and differing contrasts of flavor. It isn't merely a simple almost no manipulation Rose', but has elements the winemaker intended to showcase. The label is a representation of what to expect with your first sip.Now that is my theory on wine bottle labels and it seems to work for me. But then again it may be my imagination fitting square pegs into round holes. The alcohol content is a relatively mild 12.7%.Anne Amie Rose of Pinot Noir 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is pink mixed with apricot. The nose is a mix of bright citrus and slightly husky fruit aromas, candy spice (not sweet), cherry, lemon, melon, Anjou pear, and sour hard candy. This is a sleek, very well-balanced Rose', this is no fruit bomb. It starts with sharp cherry, a little lemon/lime, tangerine, and ripe black cherry. The mid-palate adds nectarine, light spice, and a slightly creamy, slightly salty sensation. The acidity lets the flavors unfold and will get you reaching for another sip sooner than you think.The SummaryThe Anne Amie Rose of Pinot Noir 2019 is delicious, casual, and the same time a little elegant.It is a young wine, vintage 2019, but the flavors have melded together very well in that short period of time.My theory of labels worked with Anne Amie Rose'.
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10 min
April 01, 2020 Bear Bros Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
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The StoryThe Bear Bros Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is an ALDI $8.99 exclusive sourced from vineyards in California. That is about all the information on the production of this Cab that is available.And that is ok because this is a lockdown wine, if you take a chance and head out to ALDI is grab some provisions can you also pick up a decent wine to help make watching Netflix for the 3rd week a row more palatable. ALDI does not have the most attractively displayed wines around, but there are some wines that are well worth drinking.So what do we know or at least guess about the Bear Bros Cabernet Sauvignon 2017? First, a 9 buck store-brand wine is usually equivalent to an $11 or $12 wine at a retail wine shop. There are many variables with that assessment, but that is a ballpark guess.This Cabernet Sauvignon is a 2017 vintage, which gives this wine about two years of aging. That is respectable for a sub-$10 drink-it-now wine, they are frequently produced with methods that allow the wine to come together quickly. That is fine, but you do not want shortcuts and two years of aging is a proper length for this style of wine.The notes on the back label mention vanilla as part of the flavor profile and that is something that comes from some sort of oak aging. I would think that some if not all of this Cab Sauv some barrel aging. With a California Cabernet Sauvignon, we have come to expect oak flavoring in the wine, an un-oaked cabernet can seem a little weird.I do not know for certain, but the actual winery that produced this wine (Bear Bros is an ALDI name) is also responsible for several other ALDI wines that I thought delivered some decent bang-for-the_buck. So on to the tasting notes to see if my quick store run purchase was a wise one. The alcohol content is 13.5%.Bear Bros Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 Tasting NotesThe color is cherry jelly red with black highlights. The nose ripe jammy red berries, extracted blackberry, mint, vanilla, light spice, and just a hint of dark chocolate. This 9 buck Cabernet Sauvignon has a medium body and chewy sweet tannins. It starts with blackberry, milk chocolate, tart cranberry, and black pepper.The mid-palate adds vanilla creme, plum, and soft spice. The aforementioned chewy tannins added some unexpected character, but do not interfere with the flavor profile. The acidity allows this cabernet to be bright and fresh.I am going to skip writing about a wines finish unless it just happens to be extraordinarily good. For the most part, I do not particularly care about what happens after I quit drinking the wine. If it is really good I am constantly taking another sip, so the finish rarely comes into play.The SummayThe Bear Bros Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is a worthy lock-down Netflix binging wine.I tend to prefer the style of Cabernet Sauvignon that they make that sells closer to twenty dollars than ten dollars. The more complex winemaking production gives the wine a little more oomph, which I prefer in my Cabernet.But with that said, this is very drinkable wine that delivers beyond its modest price tag.
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9 min
March 30, 2020 Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2019
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The StoryThe Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2019 is a young wine sourced from vineyards in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. Ken Forrester is one of the leading wineries in South Africa, their farm dates back to 1689 with grapevines first planted in 1694. Ken Forrester bought the rundown derelict estate in 1993 and started producing wine in 1994. he is acknowledged as one of the best growers of Chenin Blanc.The Stellenbosch region is situated in the Western Cape not far from Cape Town. It is one of the oldest wine-producing areas in South Africa and is considered to be an elite growing region. The summers are warm and dry and the climate is considered to be similar to the Mediterranean, think Italy or the south of France. Chenin Blanc is a grape that is originally from the Loire Valley in France. But like how now Sauvignon Blanc is well known from New Zealand, South Africa is the place for Chenin Blanc.The Petit is the wine name that means this is a "young" wine that receives little or no aging. These are the real drink-it-now wines, the sooner you drink it from its release date the better. These are wines that are not meant to be put away for a year or two. In 2020 drink the 2019 vintage, next year in 2021 grab the 2020 vintage. South Africa has its seasons the reverse of the US, these grapes were probably picked last May. Give them a little time to produce the wine, maybe a little bit of aging, a month or two and then the bottles are shipped out. As a young wine, this Chenin should be bright, crisp and fruity/citrus. Chenin Blanc is an extremely versatile grape, it can get the full winemakers treatment with loads of oak barrel aging that will cellar for decades, or made into wonderful sparkling wine, and everything on down to a young drink-it-now wine.That may well be one of the reasons that a delicious wine such as Chenin Blanc is not more popular. It can take on so many personalities that you may love one brand and not be impressed by the next. Chardonnay is also a versatile grape, but most US wine drinkers know what to expect from California Chardonnay in each price range. They are all different, but usually variations on a theme. Chenin is more of a mystery from one bottle to the next. But not with the Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2019, a young Chenin Blanc should have reliable characteristics. the alcohol content is 13%.Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is pale wheat yellow. The nose is pretty, tangerine, peach, pear, apple, lemon/lime, spring flowers, and pink grapefruit. This is a very tasty wine with a more substantial mouthfeel than I was expecting for a young wine. The mouthfeel has a lightly syrupy feel, it tastes of a mix of lime, apricot, orange, and light spice. There are lemon curd and green apple.The mid-palate adds a salty sensation, a little tropical fruit, and tart grapefruit. the acidity is real good, it allows the flavors to unfold and will have you smacking your lips and reaching for the next sip.The Summary The Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2019 is a delicious, reasonably priced (I found it on sale for $11.99) White wine. Yes, it is a young wine, but there are loads of flavors and a ton of personality. This is a very likable wine. This is one of those wine where you need to buy twice as many bottles that you originally intended to, don't worry there won't be any leftovers.
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11 min
March 27, 2020 Cotillion Pinot Noir 2017
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The StoryThe Cotillion Pinot Noir 2017 is a Trader Joe's $9.99 exclusive brand sourced from vineyards in 56% Monterey County, 33% Sonoma County, and 11% Santa Barbara County in California. Under usual circumstances, this is a wine that would show 'California' on the front label as a place of origin since 67% of the grapes came from the Central Coast AVA and 33% came from the North Coast AVA. But since each of the AVAs mentioned are excellent Pinot Noir growing regions Cotillion preferred to brag a little.The Cotillion Pinot Noir is one of my favorite Trader Joe's wines, here is a link to the 2016 vintage, not only do I enjoy the Pinot Noir, but I am partial to the label. The label shows animals at a party and each animal is wearing a head mask of another animal, such as the fox is wearing a chicken mask and chicken is wearing a fox mask. It is all very strange.The Cotillion Pinot Noir 2017 is interesting, it is sourced from some of the better Pinot Noir locations in California. Santa Barbara County is only about an hour and a half drive north of Los Angeles. The surrounding area is too hot in the summer to grow grapes, much less finicky Pinot Noir, the vineyards are located on a section of land that juts out into the Pacific Ocean on two sides. That gives the vineyards cool Ocean winds on both sides and plenty of early morning fog.Monterey County is located near a Bay south of San Francisco, there is a deep spot in the ocean just off the coast that concentrates very cold water, that keeps the Monterey vineyards the right temperatures for grape growing. Monterey also has a diverse landscape, coastal mountains, valleys, and benchlands. They successfully grow a wide variety of grapes and there are some excellent Pinot Noir areas.Sonoma County is well known for Pinot Noir, with the Sonoma Coast AVA, the Russian River AVA and the Sonoma side of the Carneros AVA. While Cotillion does not specify where exactly in these quality Pinot Noir growing regions the grapes were sourced, I am crossing my fingers and hoping that they would not be bragging on the front label if they weren't from someplace good.Another detail in the Cotillions favor is that the current vintage is 2017, which gives this Pinot Noir at least 2 years of aging. The back label mentions vanilla and oak undertones, so some sort of oak aging took place. Value priced wines often keep you guessing if oak barrels were used or not, but since this Pinot needed a full two years plus to reach its balance, that does suggest oak barrel is used and not some other more economical method. The alcohol content is 13.8%.Cotillion Pinot Noir 2017 Tasting NotesThe color is a see-thru cherry jelly red. The nose is pretty decent, it is a little on the ripe fruit side, but still hs plenty of Pinot Noir funk. There is black cherry, herbs, crushed fall leaves, a savory note, vanilla, a little spice, and dusty chocolate powder. This pinot has an excellent silky mouthfeel, the ripe fruit on the nose is much more subdued in the body of the wine. It tastes of tart cherry, soft spice, slightly sharp herbs and plum with vanilla.The mid-palate adds some Altoids spice, cranberry, chewy sweet tannins, and orange zest. The acidity is well-balanced, this is a bright, zesty Pinot Noir. The finish is soft but does stick around for some time.The Summary The Cotillion Pinot Noir 2017 is a throw-back Pinot. There has been a trend lately for more full-bodied Pinots that are blended with Petite Sirah or Syrah. They are very popular the leading brand recently sold for a third of a billion dollars. But the Cotillion is a value-priced version of the best old school California Pinot Noir. It isn't equal to 40 or 50 dollar Pinot, but it does have some of the characteristics of those more fancy Pinot Noirs. AT $9.99 any Pinot Noir that can remind you (if not actual match) of the expensive stuff is ok with me. The Cotillion gives you a real Pinot Noir drinking experience a...
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11 min
March 25, 2020 Monique Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2018
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The StoryThe Monique Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2018 is a Trader Joe's $6.99 exclusive sourced from vineyards in the Central Coast AVA of California. This is a wine made for Trader Joe's by the Central Coast Wine Warehouse which is part of Thornhill Companies. The Central Coast Wine Warehouse has been working with Trader Joe's for years.The Central Coast Wine Warehouse is a winery that produces retail brand wines, store brands, contract wines, you name it and they also own some of the most acclaimed vineyards in the Central Coast AVA. They are a 5th generation wine family with roots going back to the late 1800s. When we first started Cheapwinefinder.com it seemed that every other wine that Trader Joe's sold was either made by Bronco wines (2 Buck Chuck) or the Central Coast Wine Warehouse.Here is a link to a review for another Central Coast Wine Warehouse/Trader Joe's wine, the Flower Keeper Sauvignon Blanc from the Monterey AVA. Which was another well-priced Sauv Blanc from the Central Coast AVA. The Central Coast isn't one of the more well-known Sauvignon Blanc growing regions. Bordeaux, the Loire Valley in France, and New Zealand get more press than the Central Coast, but those locations can't compete when it comes to price.For me, Sauvignon Blanc is a grape that is best when produced with only the winemaking techniques that are absolutely necessary. In Bordeaux, they make Sauvignon Blanc wines (blended with a little Semillon) that can be aged for 25 years. I don't get to drink those wines, but I can get young, bright, fresh Sauv Blanc wines that are Spring-time in a bottle, that is priced very well.And that is what the Monique Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2018 should be all about, beautiful aromas and crisp, bright citrus and fruit flavors, nothing complicated, but nothing not to like either. Like most Trader Joe's wine, there is no technical information concerning the farming of the grapes or the making of the wine. But after all these years of Central Coast Wine Warehouse producing contract wine for Trader Joe's I know to expect a wine that drinks above its price point. The alcohol content is 13.9%.Monique Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a clean, clear, lemon yellow. The nose is lemon, lime, green apple, orange blossom honey, soft spice, canned peaches, and lightly floral. The nose isn't quite as seductive as Loire Valley Sauv Blanc or as bold as New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. This wine has a nice rounded mouth-feel and a solid mix of flavors. The acidity isn't as bright as some Sauv Blancs which makes the Monique Cellars seem slightly subdued. It tastes of grapefruit, pear, peach, and ripe apple. The mid-palate brings a salty sensation, along with sleek guava, a hint of banana, and a late slap of tangerine. The finish is soft but does stick around for some time.The Summary The Monique Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2018 is a wine that grows on you. It is not as big and bold a New Zealand Sauv Blanc and at first sip may seem somewhat lessor. But after a few sips, you start to appreciate it for its own virtues. This is a solid, very drinkable Sauv Blanc that has a bit of personality and sells for a penny less than seven dollars. That is nothing to take lightly. Just the White wine for watching Netflix, plus you can grab it at Trader Joe's while getting other needed supplies. In these days of lock-down getting your wine at a grocery store makes your shopping a little easier. Try to make a wine shop run, they need your business in these strange times.
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