Tag Archives: $8

Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Colchagua Valley, Chile

25 Tuesday Sep 2018

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Medium purple with a bluish hue.  Dammit, that sugary, oaky nose that I really dislike just hit me.  Red sweets, twizzlers and cotton candy.  On the palate- pretty much the same but with some decent acidity to brighten things up.  Very lithe tannins are barely perceptible. This wine is the quintessential bbq drop.  Easy to quaff, bright fruit, pleasant enough and capable of pairing with smoked or charred meats and sweet/tangy sauces.  It’s not my cup of tea but should appeal to many.  Drink this 86 point wine in the near term.  $8 all day long make this a 2 star wine.  Salut….

Bulgariana Imperial Red Blend 2009, Thracian Valley, Bulgaria

21 Monday May 2018

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Lighter shade of purple.  On the nose I get a strong cassis note which intrigues me.  Black fruits abound along with a cherry wood hint.  The palate is delicious, slightly tannic but very interesting.   Dark fruits galore with some bramble, a mintiness and coffee bean.  I cannot believe the complexity of this $8 wine which made me review my previous notes from October 2016.  I gave it 90 points back then and stated that it was young.  It still is young, but it has developed substantially.  You will not go wrong with this wine if you like grippy, tannic wines, like Tannat, Nero D’Avola or even Pinotage.  Thick and juicy, heavy accented and most definitely made for the longer term.  I am sticking with 90 points and 5 stars.  I think I will be back to buy more.  I served it with chipotle marinated skirt steak, salad and some Alfredo pasta.  Salut….

Dao Sul Quinta de Cabriz ‘Cabriz’ 2014, Dao, Portugal

14 Thursday Sep 2017

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$4….  Yup, even though it’s only 375ML (half a bottle).  I could not help myself to try this Portuguese blend of Touring Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Alfrocheiro.  As much as I love the wines from Portugal, they seldom appear in smaller stores, restaurants or places I would be traveling to.

This wine is inky, which bodes well for me!  The nose is somewhat muted right now, but there are signs of black fruit, tar, charcoal.  The initial palate has very precise flavors of black berry, kirsch and creosote.  The wine is precise, with more black fruits on the mid palate that parallel the fine grained tannins and barely perceptible acidity.  The alcohol is low at 13% which merits mention.  The minerality of this wine pops up towards the finish and shows off graphite, charcoal and licorice.  The finish has a nice ending of blackberry alongside the drying tannins.  I’m going to agree with the 90 point rating it got and give it 5 stars for the value here.  I can think of several pairings, but am enjoying it so much all by itself that I won’t bore you.  Drink till 2022.  Salut….

Vinhos Portada Winemaker’s Selection Tinto 2011, Vinho Regional Lisboa, Portugal

30 Wednesday Aug 2017

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I normally find good value in Portuguese wine.  This one was only $8 and sports a 90 point WE score.  Very impressive.

In the glass, it is thinner than I was expecting, more opaque.  On the nose I get black berries and bramble.  A hint of earthiness peeks through as well.  On the palate is where it’s at.  A much more concentrated wine than I was expecting.  Dark plums, sweet black berries and some very gentle acidity to go along with the very well integrated tannins.  The mid palate is super smooth and delicious, more of the berries plus a hint of capsicum.  The finish is really nice with some very fine tannins that are barely perceptible.  The fruit lingers for a while and the acidity tapers off.  Overall this is an outstanding wine, worthy of the 90 points and for sure a 5 star effort.  I will be buying more.  It is a blend of Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional.  Serve now with grilled Chorizo, eggplant baba ganoush or even a moussaka.  Loving it.  Salut….

The Original Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, California, USA

30 Tuesday May 2017

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Dark, brooding purple in the glass.  The nose is- yuck.  Not my style at all.  Candy, oak and yuck.  The initial palate is candied plum, not much else.  I’m not going to bother much more with this 80 point wine, I suggest you move along too.  Save the $8 for something tastier.  Salut….

the dark horse cabernet sauvignon

Piccini Chianti DOCG Tuscany Italy 2014

09 Wednesday Nov 2016

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I’m in Japan and wanted to enjoy something red in my hotel room.  I found this bottle at what looked like an Import Gourmet shop.  I paid 1280 Japanese Yen for it, but it can be found for $8 USD.  The notes:  See-through pale purple that gives away the extraction of this wine.  On the nose- subdued hints of dark cherry fruit and a touch of leather.  Very hard to discern from a straight glass (no wine glasses in the hotel room!).  On the palate I’m getting some black fruit and telltale Sangiovese notes.  The wine has a refreshing acidity and a slight dryness from the well camouflaged tannins.  The finish is short but decent, leaving behind some tannic components that grip the gums.  This wine is relatively light in extraction, easy to quaff and a decent sundowner.  84 points make this a 2 star wine.  Would I buy it again?  Negative.  Salut….

puccini chianti

Montes Classic Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

07 Friday Aug 2015

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Bright purple. Oaked up nose of blue berries and green peppers. Not my style as it has a strange tinge to it. Much better on the palate with some plums, blue fruits and some mint. A slightly green mid palate with sharp acidity comes through midway. Mild tannins and a shorter finish. 86 points and 3 stars for this $8 offering.  Salut….

montes cabernet sauvignon

The Original Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

08 Sunday Feb 2015

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I figured I should try this $8 offering, I was not disappointed. Black/purple in glass it exhibited chocolate, blackberry and oak on the nose.  Dark cherries and blackberry with crisp acidity and lengthy tannins followed through.  Slightly over-oaked with Maraschino cherry on the mid palate.  I can’t see myself buying it again, but it is a serviceable sub-$10 wine that one could quaff with ease.  85 points and technically it deserves 3 stars.  Salut….

darkhorse cabernet sauvignon

Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

21 Wednesday Jan 2015

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Yes 2003, it’s not a typo.  It was brought over by friends for a party, I was not sure how to embrace this wine.  At $8 back in the day it was a serviceable red from Chile that got hammered by WS with 77 points, ouch.  I decided to open it and prayed for the best.  The cork crumbled halfway through the extraction, not a good start.  I coaxed the rest out and sorted the debris from the glass after I poured.  My initial impression- Cherry and blackberry nose, still fresh (surprisingly).  This wine was probably not stored in pristine conditions, yet I was about to discover a vibrancy I was not expecting.
Bright purple in the glass it showed no signs of aging, remarkable.  Lovely black cherry and black berry notes with great acidity and some nice tannins still lurking around.  Thoroughly enjoyable and quite young with a nice finish.  The bottle did show slight sediment, but then again this wine is 11 years old and not built for the long haul.  89 points and drinking till 2017 perhaps?  5 stars for such a valiant effort to age gracefully.  Wish I could find more!  Salut….

Ps. I accidentally deleted the photo of this yummy Chilean Cabernet.  However, I just read the latest Wine Spectator and they featured the same wine, 2013 vintage.  Priced at $12 it got 89 points.  I may take a punt and stock up on some of dat!  Cheers.

 

Sterling Vintner’s Collection Aromatic White 2011

27 Monday Oct 2014

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Moxie bought this bottle to make some white Sangria, plans changed so the bottle was left untouched.  This past weekend I returned home from Asia for two weeks of staycation and a much needed break from flying.  This bottle was opened on Saturday evening for some friends, Moxie and I finished it the next night.  It’s a blend of several white grapes, reminding me of the Conundrum White, but in a different league.  I’m guessing Viognier, perhaps some Gewurtztraminer with a backbone of Sauvignon Blanc.  There is no info on the label or the web, so I am relying on my palate.  I did not take notes on this bottle, simply enjoying it for what it is.  Refreshing, charming, inexpensive and unique.  Perfect for an afternoon aperitif, perhaps even with some light fare.  This one will please many and for the $8 price it get 3 stars for a modest 84 points.  Salut….

sterling vintner's collection aromatic white