Tag Archives: $10

Trivento Reserve Malbec 2022, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina

28 Monday Oct 2024

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Deep purple colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of crushed red raspberry (ripe), super ripe strawberry compote, candied red cherry, baking spice, vanilla thread and red licorice- it’s really not my favorite set of descriptors btw.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins sitting on a medium body.  The tannins are a touch unripe and the flavors are somewhat more tart than I was expecting.  Red fruit, but not the macerated, stewed or ripe ones I smelled plus some rooibos tea.  It’s a bit unripe and disjointed tbh, not something I was expecting from this winery.  The finish is tart and a bit astringent.  This is not what I was hoping for by a long shot- 85 points instead of the 90 that JS gave it.  I paid under $10 for it and will go with 3 stars.  Drink soon as I doubt there is much cellaring capacity.  Salut….

Trivento Reserve Malbec

Ballatore Cellars Gran Spumante NV, California

22 Saturday Jun 2024

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Pale to medium lemon/golden colored with big bubbles and low viscosity (8% ABV). The nose has medium intensity aromas of yellow apple, melon, grapefruit pith, honeysuckle, apricot and peach. On the palate it is semi sweet with medium acidity, a nice mousse and light bodied. Flavors of pineapple, peach, melon, apple, grapefruit, and honeysuckle. The finish is delightful with some sweet notes and good vibrancy from the acidity and the mousse. It lasts short to medium and begs for another sip. The provenance of this particular bottle is actually quite poor yet it has survived years of abuse and neglect in somebody’s garage. I’m quite impressed and give it 86 points.  At $10 a go, this cheery sparkler gets 5 stars- we are pairing it with Vietnamese rolls tonight.  Salut….

Casillero del Diablo Reserva Carmenere 2021, Central Valley, Chile

15 Wednesday May 2024

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I just got back from a week in Florida where I got to taste a few wines, albeit not under the greatest conditions or with the correct glasses.  Here goes nothing…

Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  Medium (-) intensity aromas of capsicum, bilberry, fresh cut oak, juniper and white raspberry.  On the palate I get medium acidity, medium (-) body and medium (-) tannins.  Medium (-) intensity flavors of the aforementioned aromas resulting in a short finish.  Pleasant but not complex or memorable- good if you’re looking for a greenish Carmenere without being too vegetal.  85 points for this $10 bottle made by Concha Y Toro makes it a 3 star effort to drink soon.  Salut….

Trapiche Oak Cask Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Mendoza, Argentina

13 Wednesday Mar 2024

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Deep ruby colored with slight staining and a medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  Ugh nose has somewhat muted aromas of black plum, blackberry, cedar, charcoal and baking spice.  The palate is dry with a medium body and medium tannins.  The lush black fruit is laced with baking spices and charred wood notes.  I get a hint of coffee and a licorice note.  The finish is surprisingly long for what started out as a fairly basic wine.  What it lacked in complexity on the nose, it makes up for on the palate with some decent structure and ripe fruit.  89 points from me for this $10 effort gets it 4 stars.  Drink till 2026 with burgers, pizza, grilled steak or even some charcuterie.  Salut….

Mirassou Vineyards Riesling 1998, Monterey County, California

20 Tuesday Feb 2024

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Another bottle from my buddy’s garage is this 25 year-old Riesling.  It is medium gold colored, a stunning looking wine with a watery sheen (11% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe pear, apricot, honey, petrol, lime curd, vanilla thread, white and orange blossom, honeysuckle and candied tangerine.  The palate is off-dry with high acidity and a medium body.  Unfortunately the flavor intensity is a little lacking compared to the nose but I do get petrol, candied apricot, honey, pear, lime, candied ginger and blossom.  There is a slight bitterness on the mid palate that carries through to the medium (+) length finish.  I must say- I’m impressed that this wine is even drinkable considering its provenance and quality level, perhaps a testament to the longevity of the varietal and the agglomerated cork.  You can purchase a current vintage for $10.  This one got 86 points and a Best Buy rec from Wine Enthusiast back in the day.  I can see why.  Speechless to say the least.  Salut….

Specially Selected Shiraz 2021, Barossa, Australia

06 Friday Oct 2023

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Medium ruby colored with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has aromas of candied cherry, blueberry pie, pomegranate, red currant and baking spices.  It’s a little bit fake smelling tbh.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins but there’s a sourness not associated with acidity that bothers me.  The body is medium and the flavors are pretty bland- consisting of smoky wood, blueberry and baking spices.  This wine is quite unbalanced with a high dose of heat on the shortish finish that is really bothering me.  Overall this $10 offering from Aldi is disappointing me as I had good luck with other bottles in their lineup.  It gets 82 point from me and 1 star.  Drink now.  Salut….

Egervin Egri Bikaver Bulls Blood 2020, Eger, Hungary

07 Monday Aug 2023

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Next up at our tasting was this interesting red from Hungary.  I have read in numerous books about the Bull’s Blood, a blend of Blaufrankish, aka Kekfrankos, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Oporto. In the glass- medium ruby colored with low viscosity which belied the 12% ABV.  On the nose we got butterscotch, super ripe cherry, new leather, vanilla, caramel, licorice, cedar funk and a medicinal note (quite complex with lots of wood derived notes).  On the palate it had medium acidity, medium (-) tannins and a light body, as was to be expected.  Sour cherry dominated the palate along with grape, licorice, funk, neutral white oak and burnt raisin. It finished medium and had several people scratching their heads.  It was way more complex than I was expecting and was a real treat- especially at $10.  I gave it a respectable 14 points and on a technical side- 90.  5 stars for sure and a must try if you’ve never had this blend.  Drink now.  Salut….

 

Luis Vieira Montaria Red 2020, Portugal

22 Thursday Jun 2023

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Medium ruby colored and slightly hazy with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has an interesting funk, like asparagus, dill and blackberry.  Imma let it blow off a few minutes.

Nope, still there.  Greeness with some pine and black fruit- very bizarre.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins.  The flavors of this medium weight wine are more in line with what I was expecting.  Black fruit, some green notes of asparagus and a touch of oak.  The wine is rather thin and one dimensional and a major pass for me.  I would rate this blend of Tinta Roriz, Touring Nacional and Syrah at 83 points.  For $10, it gets 2 stars from me.  This might be an off bottle, or it might need lots more air.  Drink now, Salut….

Carmen Stevens Angels Reserve Shiraz Grenache 2021, Western Cape, South Africa

17 Saturday Jun 2023

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Medium ruby colored with slight wall stains and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose of this 82/18 Syrah blended with Grenache has medium intensity aromas of ripe black raspberry, black cherry, coffee bean, bacon fat, lavender, baking spices and a hint of greeness- perhaps some mint?  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium intensity tannins that are smooth.  The body of this tasty wine is medium to full and I get the dark raspberry/cherry and oak nuances with a meaty streak that syrah brings to the table.  The floral component is more prominent on the palate than it was on the nose but a re-sniff reveals that is is opening up in that direction.  The finish has a touch of heat that quickly blows off, otherwise it is short to medium in length and mainly fruit driven with raspberry and some black plum notes.  You could pair this delight with pretty much any meat dish, it’s flexible and has a nice, easygoing mouthfeel.  89 points from me with a drink by 2027 window.  For $10 it’s worth stocking up on- 5 stars.  Salut….

Arabella Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Robertson, South Africa

11 Thursday Aug 2022

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Medium lemon/lime colored- this South African Sauvignon Blanc has characteristic aromas of cut grass, gooseberry, lemon and grapefruit.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and distinct flavors of the aforementioned aromas.  The body is medium (-) and the wine finishes long with a tart crispness.  It’s delicious stuff that makes me want to keep sipping.  88 points from me make this $10 wine a surefire 5 star effort to drink in the short term with seafood, perhaps a poached chicken salad or even grilled salmon.  Very refreshing in the summer heat.  Salut….