Wines
of the Week:
Bargains To Be Thankful For
Around
this time of year, the amount of entertaining we do becomes
far more frequent. And, of course, one wants to serve guests
good wine, but who wants to spend a small fortune on it? Luckily,
our trusty tasting panel has some wonderful suggestions of wines
that will fit into your budget and still deliver with their
quality.
Click
on labels to enlarge |
Seaglass
2014 Pinot Noir
Winery:
Seaglass
Grape(s): 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Santa Barbara County, Ca
Year:
2015
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 10-15
Review:
Strawberry and raspberry play nicely together with accents
of earth and spice on the nose. It's light, yet still
rather lively on the palate, as ample red berry notes
blend with minerals and a touch of white pepper. Quite
approachable and hard to beat for the price.
Rating: 88 |
|
Chateau
Ste Michelle 2014 "Indian Wells" Chardonnay
Winery:
Chateau Ste Michelle
Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Year:
2014
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 10-15
Review:
A glass greets one with aromas of pineapple, mango, and
pear that meld with allusions of campfire spice and caramel.
Overflowing with lush tropical fruit on the palate as
well as expressions of caramel and toasty oak, there's
a lovely richness that's balanced by a nice acidity making
it a fine choice to pair with baked sole in a brown butter
sauce.
Rating: 90 |
|
Au
Contraire 2014 Chardonnay
Winery:
Au Contraire
Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay
Region: Russian River Valley, Ca
Year:
2014
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 15-20
Review:
Notes of grapefruit, lemon, white blossoms and custard
can be discovered on the nose. The palate is citrusy and
floral, yet creamy and rich. An opulent, inviting Chardonnay,
it has a nice balance of lively flavors and creamy texture.
Rating: 90 |
|
Dry
Creek Vineyard 2014 "Heritage" Zinfandel
Winery:
Dry Creek Vineyard
Grape(s): 78% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah,
& 2% Primitivo
Region: Dry Creek Valley, Ca
Year:
2014
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 15-20
Review:
A classic Zin nose of dark fruit, spice, and vanilla comes
up from a glass. With a sip, flavors of blueberry, blackberry,
and raspberry emerge alongside suggestions of dark chocolate
and pepper. The wine offers refined tannins and layered
flavors. One could age this for a few years, but it would
drink nicely now paired with your favorite BBQ.
Rating: 90 |
|
Columbia
Winery 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon
Winery:
Columbia Winery
Grape(s): 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13%
Syrah, 3% Malbec, 3% Other
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Year:
2013
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 10-15
Review:
On the nose, plums, cherries, and blackberries play nicely
with hints of dark chocolate and creamy oak. The palate
brings forth flavors of cassis, dark cherry, and blackberry
that mingle with elements of mocha and oak. If you're
in the market for an everyday Cab, it will be a challenge
to find better bang for your buck.
Rating: 89 |
|
Taylor
Fladgate 2011 LBV Port
Winery:
Taylor Fladgate
Grape(s): n/a
Region: Portugal
Year:
2011
Special Designation: n/a
Farming Certification:
n/a
Price: 15-20
Review:
Brilliant fruit on the nose that mingles with nutty, chocolaty,
and caramel elements. This is rich and lush on the palate,
offering black cherry, blackberry, and dark plum flavors
which interplay among nutty, chocolaty, and caramel notes.
Rich, supple, and highly approachable, for the price,
it don't think it can be beat (for ruby port fans).
Rating: 91 |
By
Jason Barlow
Other
Related Links:
96
— 100 |
Spectacular |
92
— 95 |
Outstanding |
89
— 91 |
Great |
85
— 88 |
Good |
81
— 84 |
Solid |
|
*Wines
rated with a "+" need
a bit more time to reach peak quality
but will
do so over the coming years
|