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February 16, 2021 Troublemaker by Austin Hope 13
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The Troublemaker by Austin Hope 13 is not your ordinary Red blend. For one, the 13 stands for the thirteenth edition; this is a non-vintage wine. It is a blend of grapes from three different vintages.Hope Family Wines has been in Paso Robles inside the Central Coast AVA of California, making wine for more than 30 years. They have five labels, including Liberty School and Treana. And for what is the norm for Paso Robles winemakers, they like to do things their own way.The winemaking details for the Troublemaker by Austin Hope 13 will be highly unusual for this price point. It lists on their website for $20, and I found it at the local big-box wine shop for $12.99, this is not an expensive wine.The blend is 48% Syrah, 26% Grenache, 17% Mourvedre, 5% Zinfandel, and 4% Petite Sirah, so it is the ingredients for a GSM blend with some Zinfandel and Petite Sirah added in to spice things up.Most of the fruit was farmed in Paso Robles, with some Arroyo Grande Valley, Monterey, Suisun Valley, and a little (1%) Lodi. So far, this is fairly straightforward for a California Red blend, so here is where things get interesting.The Troublemaker by Austin Hope 13 is a blend of the 2016, 2017, and 2018 vintages. The various vintages are the different varietals of grapes aged in American and French oak barrels from 15 to 27 months.I think that after 30 years in Paso Robles, the Hope Family has some terrific contacts with other vineyards and wineries, so the Troublemaker by Austin Hope 13 portends to be a fascinating wine.I am a wine nerd; I am always trying to figure out who actually made the Trader Joe's wines, checking out trademark websites and such. With the 13, I want to know which grape was aged for 27 months and where it came from, and what wine was its original purpose?A Red blend in this price category is made to fit their price tag. The Troublemaker by Austin Hope 13 seems to be, at least in part, made from wine leftover from more expensive bottles. Austin Hope does not actually say that is the case, but a great deal of time and effort was expended to find these grapes from the various vineyards.The Troublemaker by Austin Hope 13 is a very deliberately constructed Red blend. Not that there is not thought and preparation behind all red blends. But, Austin Hope seems to have taken it to the next level. The alcohol content is 14.5%.Troublemaker by Austin Hope 13 Tasting NotesThe color is seriously purple; it is dark and deep. The nose smells expensive. You can tell the grapes spent time in oak. There is blackberry, licorice, black coffee, black pepper, toffee, vanilla, blueberry, spice, cherry, and plum.The Troublemaker by Austin Hope 13 is in no way flavor challenged. It has a rounded, silky mouthfeel and enough going on in the glass to keep you busy for a while.It tastes blackberry, rich chocolate (more milk chocolate than dark chocolate), ripe blueberry, baking spice, and black pepper. The mid-palate adds ripe raspberry, a salty sensation, cranberry, and a little cola.This is a very balanced Red blend, considering how bold the flavors are. The flavors flow into each other, giving this blend excellent length. The tannins are sweet, and the acidity allows the taste and textures to unfold but otherwise stay in their place.The SummaryThe Troublemaker by Austin Hope 13 tastes expensive.All the oak barrel aging brings elements to this wine that are not typically present in value-priced Red blends.This is a big Red blend that is well controlled. The winemaker and blenders did an excellent job.
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6 min
February 13, 2021 Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019
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The Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 is part of The Den line of wines from the family-owned Painted Wolf Winery of Swartland, South Africa. The Den is their line of every day easy to drink wines.The name Painted Wolf is a reference to the endangered indigenous wild dogs that once roamed freely. A major part of the winery's mission is to raise money to help these animals survive. These wines are also vegan-friendly and certified sustainably farmed and produced.Chenin Blanc was originally found in the Loire Valley and the Languedoc regions of France. Today, South Africa is the largest producer of Chenin Blanc and accounts for 30% of the world's Chenin wines.Chenin Blanc is similar to Chardonnay in that it can be produced successfully with many styles of winemaking. With can be made from young, bright, crisp wines to heavily oaked age-worthy wines to outstanding Sparkling wines. That may be the major reason for Chenin Blanc not being on White wine rotation.Modern wine drinkers have figured out the code to Chardonnay; if it has a reference to butter, it is a well oaked Chard. They know Kendall-Jackson's and Wente's house styles, there are clues in the marketing that let you know what to expect.Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 may well be a mystery to the average wine drinker. Like many other wine enthusiasts, I look forward to mystery wine, but I do not think it helps sales.South Africa is attempting to educate wine folks on the differences between the various SA wine regions. So, if you find a South African Chenin Blanc that you enjoy, keep a mental note of the area because that will go a long way to finding equally enjoyable wine.The grapes for the Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 came from contracted vineyards of a local wine estate. This Chenin was fermented in stainless steel tanks. A small portion of the wine was aged in an oak barrel, the rest aged in stainless steel. The oak-aged Chenin Blanc was added back in during the blending stage.Like a wine from the 2019 vintage, the Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 is a young wine intended to be consumed in the first year to two of release. The alcohol content is 13%.Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is a clear pale golden yellow. The nose is a stew of lemon, apple, melon, peach, and pear, all with a floral background. The Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 is a bright wine of medium weight and full of flavor.It starts with juicy apple, lime, pink lemonade, dried apricot, and a sharp slap of spice. The mid-palate offers just a whiff of butter, a nutty, salty sensation, melon, and muted tangerine.The acidity is excellent; it gives the wine length and entices you to take another sip. The addition of the small portion of oak-aged Chenin Blanc kicks this wine up to the next level. It adds weight and complexity to an already tasty wine.The SummaryThe Painted Wolf The Den Chenin Blanc 2019 tastes great, period.I do not drink enough Chenin Blanc, mainly because I do not always head to the South African or Loire Valley section of the local wine shops.I do not know if I can pick a favorite from, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chenin Blanc when it comes to White wine.Not to self, drink more Chenin Blanc in 2021.One of the reasons that Chenin Blanc can skip your mind is because the US West Coast wines seldom feature Chenin Blanc.I have heard that the Chenin Blanc wines from the Clarksburg AVA (south of Napa, west of Lodi) have great potential, so hopefully, there is a Chenin Blanc awakening on the horizon.
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7 min
February 11, 2021 Bortolomiol Bandarossa Prosecco 2019
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The Bortolomiol Bandarossa Prosecco 2019 is an extra dry, DOCG designated, vintage-dated Prosecco from a family-owns winery with roots dating back to the mid-1800s.The central Prosecco region in Veneto is rated a DOC, but a section in the middle of Prosecco called Valdobbiadene is where the DOCG wines are located.The Italian wine authority ranks the various wine regions and issues designations. There are rules and regulations concerning the grapes' farming and the wine-making for each tag.Many value-priced wines are issued an IGP ranking, which has less strict regulations. Then DOC and at the top is DOCG. The G stands for guaranteed, not that you are assured that you will like the wine, but that the highest standards were met.The Bortolomiol Bandarossa Prosecco 2019 is from vineyards in Valdobbiadene, making it a DOCG wine, but it is traditionally the best Extra Dry Prosecco from each vintage.In the US, most folks like their Sparkling wine to have a Brut sweetness rating. Brut means not sweet. In Italy, Extra Dry is favored, which means the Bubbly is slightly sweet. Prosecco has enough acidity to counterbalance the natural sugar in the wine. The effect is then more fruit-forward than sugary.The Bortolomiol Bandarossa Prosecco 2019 label of wine was the winery owner's private stock. Bandarossa translates to red stripe, and these bottles were the best Prosecco of that year and were given to friends and family.Most Prosecco you see on store shelves are non-vintage. They take Prosecco made in different years and blend them to the House Style. A green deal of effort goes into developing a House Style. They want a Bubbly that you can return to year after year and be assured of the same quality and dinking experience.A vintage Bubbly does not get blended with other vintages. It is meant to showcase the finest attributes of that particular vintage. As the flagship wine of the vintage, this Bubbly gets all the finest winemaking techniques.The Bortolomiol Bandarossa Prosecco 2019 is intended to be the finest Prosecco of the vintage. Bortolomiol also has another high-end specialty vintage-dated Prosecco, but the Bandaroosa highlights the current vintage.Prosecco is Bubbly made with Industrial Age technology, while Champagne is produced with Renaissance area tech. Prosecco uses the Charmat Method, which has 2nd fermentation happening in giant pressurized vats.The pressurized vat forces the CO2 released in fermentation back into the wine, and the result is bubbles. The Bortolomiol Bandarossa Prosecco 2019 is in the tank for 3 months (a long time for Prosecco), then aged in a bottle for two more months. The alcohol content is 11.55.Bortolomiol Bandarossa Prosecco 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is very pale platinum, with a flurry of bubbles. The nose is dominated by citrus, grapefruit, lime, and lemon, along with apple, faint pear, and peach, all with a floral edge.The Bortolomiol Bandarossa Prosecco 2019 has an interesting flavor profile, tight and sleek upfront, and a little lump and juicy on the mid-palate. It tastes like a mix of green tart apple, lemon, grapefruit, and spice.The mid-pale adds dried apricot, lime dipped in sugar (but not sweet), and a late hint of peach. The acidity is excellent; it will get you to reach for another sip, but it is balanced and does not bite.The SummaryIf you are looking to go beyond grocery store Prosecco, the Bortolomiol Bandarossa Prosecco 2019 is an excellent place to start.I do not know how widely it is distributed. It may be hard to find. But other Prosecco producers have similar offerings.I think the Bortolomiol Bandarossa Prosecco 2019 can be found, where available, for around twenty bucks
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6 min
February 08, 2021 Trader Joe’s Reserve Oak Knoll Zinfandel 2019
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The Trader Joe's Reserve Oak Knoll Zinfandel 2019 is a $9.99 Trader Joe's exclusive sourced from grapes farmed in the Oak Knoll AVA inside Napa Valley. This is a one-off wine; when it sells out, it is gone for good, so if you like it, buy all you need.Oak Knoll is located in the southern part of Napa Valley, just north of Carneros. Carneros, located in both Sonoma and Napa, is situated on the northern shore of San Pablo Bay.The San Pablo Bay is inland; both San Fransisco and Oakland are on the Bay's west side. The cold ocean bay water allows Carneros, Napa, Clarksburg, Lodi, and other inland regions to be major wine grape growing areas.Oak Knoll is cooler by up to 10 degrees than most of Napa Valley and is primarily known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Zinfandel is down the list of grapes grown, but the Zinfandel producers here make very high-end wine.So, what exactly is the Trader Joe's Reserve Oak Knoll Zinfandel 2019? The average price range for Oak Knoll AVA Zinfandel starts at $25 and goes to $70 and higher. Is this an expensive Zin sold off at a bargain price?Probably, not. First, this is a 2019 vintage, which would make this a young, drink-it-now wine, not meant for aging. The vineyard land in Oak Knoll is expensive; wineries will not make ends meet with ten-dollar wine.The famous regions of Napa are well-known because the vineyards produce grapes with specific, desirable qualities. The winemakers are aware of this and do their best to extract all the grapes' goodness. Intensive winemaking production practices lead to longer aging for the wine to balance before releasing for sale.A 2019 vintage selling in the ten dollar range like the Trader Joe's Reserve Oak Knoll Zinfandel 2019 uses different production techniques. This style of wine is made to have bright acidity and juicy fruit-forward flavors. It is also intentionally produced to require less time in barrel and over-all aging.Winemakers know that the Zinfandel from the Oak Knoll AVA is well suited for the more elaborate winemaking style. This type sells for far more money than the simpler Zinfandel styles, $9.99 Oak Knoll Zinfandel is rare.So that is where Trader Joe's comes in; they sell affordable wines, not $70 boutique wine. Like Trader Joe's Reserve Oak Knoll Zinfandel 2019, offering an affordable wine from a high-end growing region is a treat for value wine drinkers.The Trader Joe's Reserve Oak Knoll Zinfandel 2019 is not a $45 wine selling for $9.99, it is a ten buck Zinfandel featuring grapes that are almost never found in inexpensive wine. Bright and juicy wines are the most popular category of wine, so having and bright and juicy wine made from high-end grapes is an interesting drinking experience.Occasionally these TJ's Reserve wines are expensive wines being liquidated for cheap; it does happen. But they are typically drink-it-now, young wines that feature grapes usually found well out of this price range. I am fine with that. The alcohol content is 14.8%.Trader Joe's Reserve Oak Knoll Zinfandel 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is a see-thru cherry red with black highlights. The nose is rich and ripe; there are scents of blackberry, toasty oak spice, vanilla, black pepper, and light herbs.This is a dark, juicy Zinfandel with some interesting character and bright acidity. It tastes like extracted blackberry, molasses, licorice, plums, and spice. The mid-palate adds a sharp slap of spice, a salty, chewy sensation, and blueberry.It is funny, but a typical $10 Zinfandel may feature grapes from 10, 15, or 20 vineyards, but the Trader Joe's Reserve Oak Knoll Zinfandel 2019 figures to have been sourced from a much smaller selection. So, not only are you getting more expensive sourcing for the grapes, you are getting what the French call "terrior." That is a wine with a unique sense of place.The SummaryThe Trader Joe's Reserve Oak Knoll Zinfandel 2019 is a wine well worth exploring.
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6 min
February 06, 2021 Lakeville Napa Valley Brut Rosé 2019
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Lakeville Napa Valley Brut Róse 2019 is a $9.99 Trader Joe's exclusive, a Sparkling wine made from the Pinot Noir grape sourced from vineyards in Napa Valley.There are a couple of odd details concerning the Lakeville Napa Valley Brut Róse. First, if you look at the title, the "o" in Rose has the punctuation, not the "e." I checked Google to see if that is actually a thing and came up empty.This is a Sparkling wine that is supposed to have been made by a big name Napa Sparkling wine producer, so is the misplaced accent some clue?The second odd detail is that this wine is labeled as a "carbonated Róse wine." That can mean any wine from Champaign to wine spritzers. Or the dictionary definition of a carbonated wine is one that obtained the bubbles artificially.Artificially as in not some fermentation process, more like the Soda Stream you can but at Target. The bottle is then topped by a cork and cage, used with Sparkling wines that have a great deal of pressure inside the bottle.The bottle is a heavy-duty Sparkling wine bottle; it has thick glass and a good-sized punt; the indentation on the bottom of the bottle adds strength.Is Trader Joe's simply being coy about the real producer of the Lakeville Napa Valley Brut Róse 2019? Carbonated soft drinks, which are artificially carbonated, do not need a cork and cop enclosure. So who knows what the real story is?Trader Joe's Frequent Flyer says this wine is from Napa Valley's premier producer of Sparkling wine. Several wineries fit this description. Still, the Lakeville Napa Valley Brut Róse 2019 label name is owned by a family-owned winery from Lodi, California, that also produces Bubbly. They show a Brut Rose' made from Pinot Noir on their website that lists for $16.That does not mean that the original winery did not pass this wine through another winery to get to Trader Joe's finally. The lack of any useful information concerning this Bubbly leads me to believe that TJ's is hiding the winery's identity.Here is what we know, the grape is Pinot Noir, from vineyards in Napa Valley, that may be from a fancy Napa Bubbly producer, or it could be from a fine Lodi family-owned winery and it is a vintage-dated wine. And it still sells for $9.99.The alcohol content is 11.5%, which puts in the Traditional Method (Champagne) and Charmat Method (Prosecco) territory.Lakeville Napa Valley Brut Róse 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is serious pink with a hint of peach, and it has plenty of energetic bubbles. The nose is strawberry hard candy, faint tomato, cherry, light herbs, and roses. This is an interesting, unexpected aroma for a Pinot Noir based Sparkling wine.This is a bright Sparkling wine with good acidity. It tastes like a mix of cherry and lemonade, tart cranberry, a chewy, lightly yeasty sensation, and tangerine and raspberry.I have not had a Sparkling wine that tasted like this for as long as I can remember, but I like it. The Lakeville Napa Valley Brut Róse 2019 has bright acidity and is equal parts flavor and texture. It is a unique drinking experience.The SummaryThe Lakeville Napa Valley Brut Róse 2019 is an interesting drinking experience. I am not sure if it is tasty or delicious; it is new or a sensation. But I do know I want another sip.$9.99 Pink Bubbles is just the ticket for Valentine's Day. It may be different, but it does drink well.
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6 min
February 03, 2021 Tribunal North Coast Red 2018
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The Tribunal North Coast Red 2018 is a $9.99 Trader Joe's exclusive. A blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Barbera, and Grenache. The North Coast AVA includes Napa, Sonoma, Lake County, Mendocino, and Marin Counties, and Solano County.The Tribunal North Coast Red 2018 has been a Trader Joe's wine for at least a decade; CWF wrote a review of the 2008 vintage, and here is a link to the 2010 vintage.Unlike many Trader Joe's exclusive wines, we know who made this Red blend. Vintage Wine Estates has an excellent portfolio with other wines also seen at Trader Joe's and retail wine shops and grocery stores.The Tribunal is a "kitchen sink" blend, but there is a bit of history to give this wine some context. In the late 2000s, The Prisoner Red Blend was the hottest selling wine around.It was not inexpensive, it sold for around $35, and it still sold out each vintage. They would hold release parties when the new vintage became available. The winemaker became rich and famous; he sold his brand off for hundreds of million dollars. The Prisoner spawned knock-offs and competitors.That Red blend was a trendsetter; it did not follow the old rules or conform to the Red blends of Bordeaux or the Rhone Valley in France. It did not conform to the rules of anywhere, except maybe the Shiraz wines coming out of Australia at the time.South Australia is a hot growing region that produces ripe, rich grapes. The winemakers seemed to delight in pushing the boundaries to what a balanced wine was. Less is more did not work over there.These Australian wines set the edges of what modern, new school wine should be. The Australian wine boom fell apart during the economic collapse of 2008, and that is where the Prisoner wine comes in.The Prisoner was California cool rather than Aussie bombastic. It was still big, ripe, rich, spicy, and bold, but more reserved than Australian Shiraz. The Tribunal North Coast Red 2018 was one of those wines that were following the example set by the Prisoner.After all, a tribunal is the setting where you would judge a prisoner. Finding grapes in California that can produce a wine that can be cellared for twenty years is not easy and expensive. Finding rich, ripe Red grapes in California is easy.Making a ten-dollar copy/tribute wine/competitor to the Prisoner was not impossible. The grapes were available, and winemakers had the skill, and if the result was not exactly the Prisoner, at least it was in that popular style.It has been a decade but as I recall the Tribunal North Coast Red 2018 did a solid job of getting the Prisoner vibe. There were years where the Tribunal sold out.The ensuing years have not slowed the Tribunal North Coast Red 2018 down. It is still 15.1% alcohol, it is still rich, ripe, and bold, and it is still $9.99.So, let's head to the tasting portion. I have not tried it since the 2010 vintage and see how things go.Tribunal North Coast Red 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a see-thru cherry red with black highlights. The nose is dark berries, a whiff of smoke, dark chocolate, pepper, faint herbs, and spice.This is a medium to full-bodied, rich, slightly complex Red blend. It tastes of extracted blackberry, licorice, black pepper, and 80% cocoa chocolate. The mid-palate brings softer cherry, a slap of spice, jammy raspberry, orange zest, and blueberry.The combination of the spice and the tannins give the Tribunal North Coast Red 2018 a nice, chewy texture. The acidity is well-balanced; it does its job and stays away from the flavor profile.The SummaryThe Tribunal North Coast Red 2018 is an excellent California-style Red Blend.It drinks better than its ten dollar price tag (actually $9.99).Good wine is a good wine; the price tag is secondary. The Tribunal North Coast Red 2018 is a good wine.
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7 min
January 31, 2021 Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019
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The Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is a $6.99 Trader Joe's exclusive sourced from grapes farmed in Napa County in Northern California. The Vintjs brand and the Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc have been around for over a decade, which is good staying power for a store brand.This Sauvignon Blanc is not actually blue, the bottle was photographed against a blue backgroundIt seems the same Napa winery has been making this wine for Trader Joe's the entire time. Here is a link to our review of the 2016 vintage. Even though this Sauvignon Blanc seems to have been produced by an entity of a well-respected Napa winery, that does not mean that this is a wine they would have produced independently.First of all, Napa County/ Rutherford AVA wineries do not produce wine that sells for $6.99. Well, at least under their own label. The winery makes the wine does so with the style of wine and price point specified by the contract store brands.If a winery does not put its name on the label, it is not their wine. Yes, one of their subsidiaries produced the wine but to someone else's specifications. The one very positive issue is that the producing winery will not skimp on quality. They will make the wine as well as the price point will allow.So the Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 may have been produced by a fancy Napa winery; it is a Trader Joe's wine. That is not a negative since Trader Joe's is highly skilled at offering very drinkable, highly affordable wines. And highly-affordable is not a phrase you would associate with Napa wine.I know I sometimes get caught up in being a wine detective and try to figure out who made which Trader Joe's wine. But how much does it really matter? The Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 was made by a company that typically produces wine $20 and up. Are they better at making $6.99 wines than a no-name producer that specializes in value-priced wine?The answer is a definite maybe. It is not a black and white issue. So, let us talk about the Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019. Does having a well-known Napa winery make the wine help or hurt? (The winery in question is named in several posts on the web, they have not come out and take credit for producing this wine, so I am not naming them) They seem to have a steady supply of quality Napa Sauvignon Blanc grapes, and the winery has a history of producing quality Napa Sauvignon Blanc wine.For a $6.99 wine, that is about as good as you can hope for. As a 2019 vintage, the Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is a young wine. Most likely fermented and aged in stainless steel vats. It should be bright, crisp, fruit-forward, with a good amount of acidity. The alcohol content is 13.5%.Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is clear, clean sunshine yellow. The nose is pretty, grassy, with lemon, green apple, grapefruit, pear, melon, ripe peach, and a floral edge.This is a Sauv Blanc with a syrupy mouth-feel and strong flavors. It tastes of lemon and Anjou pear, melon and stone fruit, along with grapefruit and apple.The mid-palate brings a salty/nutty sensation, light spice, faint dried banana slices, and peach. In looking back at the 2016 vintage, I had an issue with its acidity. The 2019 acidity is well-balanced and behaved.The SummaryThe Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is an excellent value.I sometimes discount California Sauvignon Blanc, it is OK for the price, but I prefer New Zealand and/or Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc.But I think the California stuff is growing on me. I want to do a taste test, but I think I would choose the Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 over New Zealand or France's super value offerings.
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6 min
January 28, 2021 Evanta Malbec 2019
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The Evanta Malbec 2019 is a $4.49 Aldi exclusive sourced from vineyards in Argentina's Mendoza region. Considering that Aldi had to pay an importer and ship the wine from Argentina, this Malbec falls well within Charles Shaw/Two Buck Chuck range.The Evanta Malbec 2019 is a store brand (Aldi), and store brands have price advantages over standard retail wines. No marketing and advertising, along with paying for the wine upfront, all contribute to lower costs. I sometimes think that there is not any way that a wine this cheap can be good. More often than not, I am pleasantly surprised at the quality of super cheap wine.Then I am reminded that people from countries with a wine tradition where they have a bottle of wine with every lunch and dinner rarely pay more than a few euros for the wine.That is something that I, as a somewhat typical wine drinker, forgets. A wine that enhances the daily meal, that has those characteristics to improve the meal, do not always work well as a sipping wine.Not all wine is produced for the same purpose; a food wine and a wine made for sipping or an alternative to beer or a cocktail can be the same but do not have to be. I have yet to taste the Evanta Malbec 2019, but very inexpensive wine does far better as a food wine than expected.Mendoza in Argentina is generally excellent for Malbec, and decent grapes to produce a young, inexpensive wine should be plentiful. Finding room in the budget for a $4.49 wine is nearly impossible—some oak flavoring is generally expected in a bottle of Red wine.The Malbec grape has plenty of tannins, and tannins can add the texture and structure that replaces some of what oak aging provides. A Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot without oak flavoring can seem somehow off. A Malbec without oak is ok; added oak is good but not mandatory.I do not have any details concerning the production of the Evanta Malbec 2019. At the $4.49 price point, I imagine the main production detail was "keep it simple." The alcohol content is 13.9%.Evanta Malbec 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is a dark, opaque black cherry red. The nose is blackberry, slightly smokey, a hint of mint, lightly herbal, and black coffee. The nose is interesting, and it makes you look forward to taking a sip.The Evanta Malbec 2019 has a rich flavor; it is not complex, but it is tasty. It tastes blackberry, toasty vanilla, and an oak barrel flavor that is not expected in a $4.49 wine. How the oak flavoring got into the wine does not necessarily indicate that oak barrels are used. But at this price, the added flavor is appreciated.There isn't a mid-palate; what is upfront runs along the whole body of the wine. The continuation of flavor shows black pepper, light spice, and tart cranberry.The tannins are soft and sweet, while the acidity is balanced.The SummaryIn a blind tasting, you would never guess the Evanta Malbec 2019 sells for $4.49.It would pair well with pizza, burgers, or good carry-out food.
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6 min
January 26, 2021 Love Noir Pinot Noir 2018
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The Love Noir Pinot Noir 2018 is one of the new, bolder styles of Pinot Noir sourced from grapes farmed in several regions of California. This Pinot Noir is one of The Wine Group's families of wines.Love Noir Pinot Noir 2018, as a brand wine, is not tied to a single winery. Brand wines are typically aimed at a certain niche of wine drinkers in terms of style and price. If you are the focus group, they are looking to reach, and you may well have an enjoyable wine at a very nice price.I would say that the Love Noir Pinot Noir 2018 is aimed at folks who helped make Meiomi Pinot Noir a huge success. The new style is bigger, bolder, juicier Pinot Noir.Bigger, bolder, juicier Pinot Noir is fighting words for old-school Pinot Noir aficionados. Traditional Pinot Noir is all about the small details, which grape clones are used, which vineyards in what AVA. Aromas such as crushed fall leaves and mushrooms are priced. Flavors like tea or tar looked for.The new bold Pinot Noir ain't about any of that. They are rich, juicy, and full of flavor, not full of nuance. Me? I really love old-school Pinot Noir, but I also have some love for rich, bold, juicy wines. It is hard to complain that a glass of wine has great flavors.I picked up a bottle of Love Noir Pinot Noir 2018 for one reason. Valentine's Day is coming up, and the Love Noir's two main flavors are black cherry and chocolate. I have absolutely no problem with chocolate-covered cherries, so I wanted to see how well Love Noir pulled off its flavor profile.The Love Noir Pinot Noir 2018 is not the kind of wine with detailed production technical notes, so I do not have much to rely on how the Pinot Noir was made. The tech notes, mostly marketing notes, made me very interested; cherry, chocolate, espresso, toasty vanilla, and spice sound good. Let's hope they pull it off.The last tech notes available on the Love Noir website were for the 2016 vintage, not for the 2018 vintage, we are discussing here. But if the 2016 details remained the same, this is a dry wine, and often juicy wines slide into the off-dry sort of sweet category. The alcohol content is 13.5%.Love Noir Pinot Noir 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a clear, see-thru garnet red with some black highlights. The nose is black cherry, vanilla, soft spice, light chocolate, and light herbs.This is a medium-plus bodied wine with bold flavors and a generally smooth character. It tastes ripe cherry, coffee, and chocolate (so here is truth in advertising), and vanilla. The mid-palate mirrors the wine's body but adds a sharp stab of orange zest, tart cranberry, and baking spice.The tannins are soft and sweet and the acidity does its job and otherwise stays out of the way.The SummaryThe Love Noir Pinot Noir 2018 Is not the wine I would choose if I wanted to enjoy a California Pinot Noir. But it is a wine I would consider if I wanted a smooth, tasty, rich Red wine. This is not a flavor challenged wine.This wine would do well as a Valentine's Day red wine. It has the word Love in the name, and the flavors would really pair well with a box of chocolates.
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5 min
January 23, 2021 Burgans Albariño 2019
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The Burgans Albariño 2019 is sourced from vineyards in the Rias-Baixas DO in northwest Spain's upper corner. This White wine is made by Bodegas Martín Códax, a wine collective formed in 1986.Collectives or communes are common in Spain. Bodegas Martín Códax has 600 members, all small farmers with relatively small vineyards. One of the odd things about vineyards in the poorest soils and rocky, hilly land is often the prized location for grapevines.The farmers typically have other crops and use grapes to add income. They individually do not have the ability or know-how to create their own wines. Banding together allows them to pool their resources and compete globally in the wine industry.Burgans Albariño 2019 is imported by Eric Soloman Selections/ European Cellars. With imported wine, the import company is important. Most of the major, nationwide importers have a House Style. That does not mean the wines they feature are the same, but they often possess similar characteristics.Following the importer is a useful method of discovering new imported wines. I have a handful of importers whose wines I almost always enjoy. They have an excellent track record that matches well with my tastes. It is one of those things that you will have to find for yourselves. I can tell you which importers have wines that I like, but I can not tell you which wines you will like. Seek, and ye shall find.Albarino, I think, is an under-loved grape. Every time I drink a glass, I wonder why I do not drink it more often. I think of it along the lines of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling. Not so much in flavor, but when and where it can be enjoyed.The Burgans Albariño 2019 is sourced from 20 year old plus vines from vineyards located around a local hill named Burgans. It is fermented in stainless steel tanks and then aged an additional three months on lees, stirred.As a refresher, on lees is a French wine term that indicates that the spent yeast and grape residue is left in the tank during the aging period. It can give the wine a nutty, salty characteristic. When the less are stirred, the wine can take on a creamy texture depending on how often it is stirred. The alcohol content is a mild 12.5%.Burgans Albariño 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is wheat beer yellow. The nose is a pretty blend of melon, apple, lemon, and honey, along with tangerine, peach, and a whiff of spring flowers.The Burgans Albariño 2019 sleek, silky wine, with interesting, balanced flavors. It starts with Green apple, lime, apricot, orange, and peach. The mid-palate adds pear, grapefruit, nectarine, and light spice. The acidity is plentiful but balance and stays in its lane.The SummaryThe Burgans Albariño 2019 is a delicious White wine, and it is both familiar and exotic.It has an excellent mouth-feel, which greatly adds to the drinking experience.This is a wonderful wine; I found the Burgans Albariño 2019 for $14.99, it truly drinks great. Why don't I drink Albariño more often?
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