Tag Archives: cheap and nasty wine

Magistrate Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

20 Monday Oct 2014

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This wine rounded out our trio of Sunday Cabs-with-Football.  I recognized the label right away when my friend poured us a taste.  I wrote my notes based on this bottle and just now looked up the previous vintage that I tasted.  Yup, I hated the Magistrate 2011 just as much as I disliked this offering.  Sorry, but candied plums and oak again make me realize that there are far too many nasty wines out there that are merely juice with oak chips and tannin powder.  This one in particular had a slightly lighter body with purple fruits and wild flowers with slight tannins and a hint of acidity.  83 points and 1 star.  Major pass, yet again for this $13 bottle.  Salut….

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Apothic Red Winemaker’s Blend 2011

15 Sunday Sep 2013

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I am going to do something completely different today.  I am re-tasting the Apothic Red which I despised back in May of last year.  One of the primary reasons for this tasting is  to calibrate my palate.  Right after I tasted this wine, hated it and wrote about, the Big Man himself proclaimed it to be his ‘wine of the day’.  Imagine what a schmuck I felt.  Anyway, that was last year and it was the 2010 vintage. I have the 2011 vintage and am ready to try it again.  This time, I am going to write about it as I am drinking it.  Here we go……

Dark purple in the glass, there appears to be some effervescence.  (That is not a good thing by the way.)

On the nose, that Zinfandel smell of candy again.  Not liking….

My first impression is…. …. …  Candy.  Again with the sickly sweet, overdone sugar water.  This is a wine that will be loved by newb’s.  It is sweet, lacks structure, has no tannins and is off balance with the acidity.  I cannot recommend this wine, to anyone.  A blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon that lacks any fruit characteristics.

Dear Mr P.  I disagree with your thoughts about this wine.  It is junk and should not be on shelves.  The end.  Your thoughts?

 

For $14, there are millions of other wines that are delicious.  1 star and 80 points (I’m being generous).

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Barrel Block Merlot 2011

28 Wednesday Aug 2013

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If you read my post on the Barrel Block Cab/Merlot, you will realize that this bottle was the other half of the BOGO deal, and it’s equally as bad.  A duo of undrinkable, insipid wines that need to be yanked off the shelves.   Here’s what the back label shows:

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The only thing correct is the softness of the wine. It was like candy water mixed with a touch of red dye. Enough said. 70 points and 0 stars.

Barrel Block Cabernet Merlot 2011

28 Wednesday Aug 2013

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I am always leery of BOGO deals, it’s usually a sign….  I was right on this one.  The back label talks this wine up in a big way, I ll let you read it:

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Never did I detect any of the richness, complexity, blackcurrant or oak.  This is probably one of the worst wines I have ever come across.  Light red in the glass, it tasted like sugar water and candy.  70 points and no stars.  A tremendous wave-off on this one.

Chateau Denisiane 2009

19 Friday Jul 2013

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Before we begin, (it’s going to be brief), check out my previous post on the Denisiane.  Not much has changed, it’s still a really bad wine.  The basic profile is nothing more than candied cherries and a sharp retractive initial palate attack..  I was hoping for evolution, perhaps something, anything…..nothing.  A major downer, 80- points and no stars at this point.  Ugh….IMG_2203

Freixenet Mederano Tinto 2010

27 Wednesday Jun 2012

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Look at the label carefully people.

We’ve all had Freixenet sparkling wine, the Brut in the black bottle.  Did you know they also make a red wine?  Neither did I.  Look closer at the picture, it’s a Spanish wine with a German label that I bought in Asia.  Made from Tempranillo grapes and very reasonably priced, this is what we call “cheap-and-nasty”.  If you are looking for a very basic red wine that you can swill at a party, this one may fit the bill.  However, I have a rule- life is too short to drink shitty wine.  So, think about what you want to accomplish if you buy this wine.  It tastes like wine, smells like wine, looks like wine and will get you drunk like wine.  It offers nothing in the complexity department, no tannins to see it through the rest of the month, and no finish whatsoever.  Having thrashed it, I will now sing its praises.  It’s not out of balance, sour, weird or bad tasting.  I will however give it 3 stars, simply because it gets the job done on such a low budget price.  Besides, when your having a massive party and everyone is hammered, who cares?  80 Points….