Tasting -- Plungerhead Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Plungerhead Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $14.95

Winery review: "We made a very refined Cabernet Sauvignon with great fruit, tannin, and acid balance. Not one element dominates the rest as this wine truly shows harmony. To the blend, we added Merlot for softness and finesse and a little Petit Verdot for color and round tannins. The result is a classic glass of Lodi Cab that will pair well with foods on a white tablecloth setting of a dining room or on a blanket in a park toasting the sunset. --Winemaker."

My review: This is a gnarly red. It is super balanced. Its bouquet is peppery and toasty with a hint of currant. The legs on it are rich and supple. It tastes of mixed fruit with an obvious element of tannins. The finish is long and interestingly tasty.

Tasting -- Foxglove Paso Robles Zinfandel

Name: Foxglove Paso Robles Zinfandel
Variety: 100% Zinfandel
Region: Central Coast
Country: California
Year: 2011
Price: $15.95

Winery review: "90- Points, Robert Parker. Superb, with loads of character, the 2011 Zinfandel delivers beautiful bramble, potpourri and spice-driven aromatics, medium-bodied richness and real depth and class; the fact that it sells for a song is just icing on the cake. Enjoy it over the coming couple of years. Drink now till 2017."

My review: This is an awesomebomb red wine. It boasts a spicy, potpourri, fruity nose. Those same aromatics are tasted with depth in this wine. It has a medium body with beautiful legs--a solid tannic component. Overall a lovely zin.

Tasting-- Foxglove Chardonnay

Name: Foxglove Chardonnay
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Central Coast
Country: California
Year: 2011
Price: $15.95

Winery review: "91 Pts, Wine Advocate. A beauty, as well as an absurd value. Very clean and lively, with classic Chardonnay notes of juiced apple, citrus, and minerality, it is clean and focused on the palate with the richness of the variety , yet also beautiful precision and focus. Classy and well-made, without any apparent oak, it should be purchased by the case and consumed over the coming 2-3 years. Drink now -2016."

My review: Foxglove Chardonnay was a rather tasty white wine. It's nose was clean with apple and citrusy notes. The taste was pretty decent, with apple, fruits, oaky notes. There was a nutty / bready quality to this wine which reminded me of residual yeast. Overall, a decent Chardonnay. 

Tasting -- Moulin de Gassac Blanc

Name: Moulin de Gassac Blanc
Variety: 50% Grenache blanc, 25% Sauvignon blanc, 25% Terret blanc
Region: Languedoc 
Country: France
Year: 
Price: $9.95

Winery review: "Variously described as 'Lafite in the Languedoc'(Gault and Millau), 'The only Grand Cru of the Midi' (Hugh Johnson) and 'exceptional' (Robert Parker), Mas de Daumas Gassac has consistently been the Languedoc gold standard for the past four decades. The 80 hectare, organically-farmed estate is located deep in the sultry Midi, but enjoys a temperate microclimate as a result of altitude, which gives the wines a lovely deftness of touch. Try with coconut fish curry, penne al pesto, seafood gratin or cheese soufflé."

My review: This is a lovely white wine. It's color was semi-gold. The bouquet was very appetizing with hints of apples, peach and floral notes. The taste complements the nose with a bitter semisweet fruit basket of flavor. There is certainly a malic acid factor here, and it tastes awesome!

Tasting -- Alvaro Domecq Cream Sherry

Name: Alavro Domecq Cream Sherry
Variety: 100% Palomino
Region: Andalucia
Country: Spain
Year: N/A
Price: $15.95

Winery review: "The soleras at Alvaro Domecq date back to 1800, when Antonio Maria de Aranda started a bodega in Jerez. His son, Fermin Aranda, a famous medical doctor, inherited the business, which subsequently became "Fermin Aranda". Fermen, in turn, passed the bodega on to his daughter, Pilar Aranda, who inherited the business in 1946. She was a very successful Almacenista, holding her own in a man's world and producing outsanding wines and vinegars. Almacenistas are very rare now, but in former times were a major part of the sherry trade. They aged wines in their cellars and then sold them on to the shipping bodegas. In those days, Fermin Aranda tended to sell their wines to Gonzalez bypass."

My review: This cream sherry was the bomb! It smelled of dessert with coffee and toffee. The taste starts out super sweet with rich decadent caramel flavor and then quickly turns to some heat, which was quite nice considering. The after taste reminded me of whisky in a good way. I would love to have this after any meal.

Tasting Dom La Blaque Provence

Name: Dom La Blaque
Variety: Grenache, Syrah
Region: Provence
Country: France
Year: N/A
Price: $14.95

Winery review: "Explosive blackberry and blueberry on the nose. Very ripe with blueberry, mulberry, raspberry, some mineral character, layers upon layers of fruit, good texture, and with some backbone that should help it age very well. This is definitely more serious than its price tag."

My review: This fruit-bomb of a red is very tasty. It had very nice legs and a bouquet of blackberry, blueberry, and cherry. The taste was full-bodied and had many flavors but the blueberry and raspberry were most noticeable. This wine was quite acidic and reminded me of mixed fruit. 

Tasting-- Gres St. Vincent

Name: Gres St Vincent Cotes du Rhone
Variety: Mostly Grenache, then Syrah
Region: Rhone
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: $13.95

Winery review: "From a unique, organic co-op in the Rhone valley, this delicious Grenache-based blend delivers satisfying weight and erthiness but stays light on its feet. Tough the blend is dominated by Grenache, the Syrah takes center stage on the nose, with classic notes of liquorice, black fruits, and a wonderful whiff of violets. The tannins and acidity are in wonderful balance here, and on the palate the juicy, exuberant fruit from the Grenache takes over, building to a chocolate note on the finish."

My review: This was a lovely red. It's color was rather dark. The nose was full of blackberry, dark cherry, and spices. The legs were predominate. This wine has a very complex flavor with dark fruits, cherry, liquorice, and violet. In the finish I tasted a chocolately almost creamy taste.                

Tasting -- Coto de Hayas Garnacha Syrah

Name: Coto de Hayas Garnacha Syrah
Variety: Grenache, Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: n/a
Country: Spain
Year: N/A
Price: $8.95

Winery review: "Ruby red color. Pronounced red fruit and spice aromas. Medium-bodied, dry and easy going. Fresh, fruity and lightly peppery with mild acidity and soft tannins."

My review: This red has beautiful ruby color. It has medium/light legs and a nose that is full of black cherry and spice. It tasted quite well with flavors dominated by cherry but perhaps some black currant. It had a long and dry finish which was reminiscent of the pepper.

Tasting - Beer - Rogue Voodoo Pretzel Raspberry and Chocolate Ale

Name: Rogue Voodoo Pretzel Raspberry and Chocolate Ale
Variety: 
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $15.00

Winery review: "Hailing from the warm south of France and made with old vines, this richly intense Cabernet offers concentrated flavors of plum, black cherry, lavender, and notes of cigar box."

My review: This beautiful red caught my eye with an intriguing label and a low price tag. Its a rich red wine with nice legs. Strong plum, cherry, currant, and lavender are present in the mouthwatering nose and the taste is similar in respect. This is a medium-bodied wine with a little bit of heat, although it was pleasant. I enjoyed this wine so much that I quickly snatched another bottle.

Tasting -- Vincent Dampt Chablis 2012

Name: Vincent Dampt Chablis 2012
Variety: 100% Chardonnay 
Region: Burgandy
Country: France
Year: N/A
Price: $15.95

Winery review: "100% Chardonnay, from the birthblace of Chardonnay: Burgandy. Pale lemon in colour. The nose shows soft jasmine notes and ripe fruit. The palate is elegant with aclassic, flinty minerality, balanced by soft, creamy fruit."

My review: This is a light yellow wine with classic chardonnay feel. The bouquet kind of smelled like jasmine tea and not much else. The taste was of ripe fruit. The midpallate was dominated by minerality. Behind the flinty taste is a little bit of fruit--kind of citrusy. 

Tasting-- Eudald Cava Brut Familia

Name: Eudald Cava Brut Familia
Variety: Macabeu, Xarel-lo, Parelleda
Region: Catalonia
Country: Spain
Year: N/A
Price: $15.95

Winery review: "From a 9th generation wine maker who is pushing the envelope for quality and value. This tradition-styled Cava is a blend of Macabeu, XarelAlo, Parellada and Chardonnay all grown in organic/biodynamic vineyards. Our first reaction to tasting it was, "Wow- this is really good!" There's plenty of elegant white and even some red fruit set off by a fine yeasty/bready character and a dash of seaside minerality. Creamy, with small, refined bubbles and ready to enjoy anytime you need a little lift."

My review: This white was such an interesting wine to taste. It was a normal looking white with no legs and tiny bubbles. It had a bouquet of pears and ocean air. Tasting this wine was super dry. You notice how salty this wine is, but beneath the salt is a dirt/buttery/nutty taste with some mingling fruit flavors but hard to distingquish. The finish was nice, pretty much a fizz bomb of a finish! Would drink again. I loved the salt in this wine.

Tasting-- Bridgman Cabernet

Name: Bridgman Cabernet
Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Washington
Country: America
Year: N/A
Price: $14.98

Winery review: "Featuring generous blackberry and currant flavors, this Cabernet has soft tannins and a velvety finish. It is a perfect match for prime rib, grilled lamb chops or pork roasts."

My review: This deep red was quite tasty. Blackberry and other forest berries take forefront on the nose. It's taste is cherry, blackberry, plum, and lavender. The finish was long and the tannins were quite noticeable and enjoyable. Would like to try with meat food-stuffs. 

Tasting-- Charles Smith Velvet Devil Merlot

Name: Charles Smith Velvet Devil Merlot
Variety: 100% Merlot
Region: Washington
Country: USA
Year: N/A
Price: $13.99

Winery review: "Balanced, rich and explosive. Think red plums and bittersweet cocoa with hints of smoke and cedar. So smooth, so naughty, and so very, very nice."

My review: This might classify as a slutty merlot. It's bouquet was inviting with hints of plum, blackberry, and oak. The taste was fruit forward with a wide feel and a velvet touch. The mid-palate showed cocoa and oak. The finish was long and lingering but really pleasant. 

Tasting- Spier 21 Gables

Name: Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 
Variety: 100% Pinotage
Region: Stellenbosch
Country: South Africa
Year: 2010
Price: $24.98

Winery review: "Well-focused and pure for the varietal, with blackberry, raspberry and black currant fruit coursing along, studded with licorice snap and singed apple wood notes. The long finish displays solid grip."

My review: This was my first pinotage and first South African wine. This was a medium red wine with slim legs. Its bouquet was of plum, blackberry, raspberry, and currant. It's taste was a little off from the nose. I tasted a rather farinaceous mushroom/barnyard berry mix. It had a dry mid-palate and a long herby finish. I loved this wine. 

Tasting-Domaine de Saint Antoine

Name: Domaine de Sainte Antoine Rosé
Variety: 100% Syrah
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: $12.99

Winery review: (From Label) "The Saint-Antoine Rose of Syrah is made from hand harvested grapes. This dry wine exhibits dark berries fruit and fresh flavors. This wine accompanies summer foods beautifully."

My review: This pink wine was rather light and crisp. The bouquet was floral with cherry and other berries forefront. The taste was dry with currant, cherry, and blackfruit flavors. It had a bitter-sweet finish and overall it was a decent wine.

Tasting -- A to Z Oregon Pinot Noir

Name: A to Z oregon Pinot Noir
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Oregon
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $14.99

Winery review: "This sleek red is tightly packed, with delicate layers of cherry, tobacco and cocoa flavors that mingle against refined tannins, persisting pleasantly on the light-stepping finish. Drink now through 2017."

My review: The color of this Oregon pinot noir was a bit darker than other noirs. The wine is rather light but loaded with flavors. It had a bouquet of cherry and cocoa that was rather tantalizing. It's taste was delicate and deliberate with floods of cherry, strawberry, rose, and perhaps tobacco. Reminiscent of candy.

Tasting-- California Square Chardonnay RRV

Name: California Square Chardonnay
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Russian River Valley
Country: California, USA
Year: 2012
Price: $14.98

Winery review: "Delivers fragrant aromas of butter, pear, and tropical fruit; this full-bodied wine has superb richness on the palate yet it never seems heavy or cumbersome; the finish simply bursts with tropical fruit, butterscotch, and creme brulee..."

My review: The review above is the reason I purchased this Chardonnay. I have been looking for a buttery and sweet Chardonnay and this may be that wine... maybe. It's color is a not-so-spectacular pale yellow. The bouquet is full of fresh fruit and grape. The taste is really smooth as it was drunk chilled. The chardonnay taste was quite prevalent but I was able to taste the butterscotch, oaky, creme brulee flavors in the mid-palate. Crisp and quick finish.

Tasting- Michel Gassier Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Michel Gassier Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $15.00

Winery review: "Hailing from the warm south of France and made with old vines, this richly intense Cabernet offers concentrated flavors of plum, black cherry, lavender, and notes of cigar box."

My review: This beautiful red caught my eye with an intriguing label and a low price tag. Its a rich red wine with nice legs. Strong plum, cherry, currant, and lavender are present in the mouthwatering nose and the taste is similar in respect. This is a medium-bodied wine with a little bit of heat, although it was pleasant. I enjoyed this wine so much that I quickly snatched another bottle.

Tasting - Kestral Lady in Red

Name: Kestral Lady in Red
Variety: 56% Syrah, 29% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Sangiovese, and 2% Viognier
Region: Columbia Valley, WA
Country: America
Year: 2012
Price: $12.95

Winery review: "This wine possess a deep cherry color. In the aroma you will find dark cherry, plum, blackberry and blueberry jam. These are balanced by cola, coco, and coffee. The wines sweet palate ripples with dark and intense fruit flavors, and finishes with lingering silky tannins. "

My review: This brilliantly colored red blend from Washington was quite tasty. It smelled of cherry, currant, and blueberry. It's taste was super-pleasant and I picked out tastes of blackberry and cherry. It was aged in oak so some cedar/tobacco flavors were vaguely present. Overall a decent red blend. 

Tasting-- Rock View Riesling

Name: Rock View Riesling
Variety: 100% Riesling
Region: Columbia Valley
Country: Washington, USA
Year: 2012
Price: $9.99

Winery review: "juicy notes of peaches and apples combined with honeysuckle. Enjoy with fresh fruit, as the perfect complement to spicy cuisine, or as an everyday sipper."

My review: This pale yellow wine intrigued me as I've been trying to taste an American Riesling. It has a bouquet of pear and honeysuckle and a mid-palate that reeks of peaches and honeysuckle. There was some slight minerality in the finish and it was crisp. The body was pretty light and I wasn't really about the overall taste. This wine is kind of meh but I would like to try it with some fruit!

Wine / Food Pairing With the Family

Who: My Family and I
What: Liberty School Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon Vintage 2010 with Ribeye Steak and Bacon Macaroni & Cheese
When / Where: March 11, 2014 at Chops Steakhouse in Virginia Beach

Review: My Family and I had a nice family dinner at Chops steak house where the thought of steak and wine led my step-father to break his New Years Resolution. He picked this low-price (18.99$) California Cabernet Sauvignon for us to enjoy. With my new knowledge of wine, I 'tested' the wine and gave a thumbs up to the waiter. We
received the wine before our main entrees arrived and we had nearly finished the bottle by the time our steaks came. This red has stunning legs and it's bouquet floods your nose with black cherry, plum, and violets. It is a medium-bodied wine with an almost strawberry mid-palate. It has supple tannins and a pleasant, tapering finish. And then the steak came.

I received my bone-in ribeye steak cooked medium-rare and a bowl of savory bacon mac-and-cheese. The wine's flavors certainty morphed into something beautiful. It's somewhat-spicy opening melted away and much more of the subtle fruit flavors leaped out. This wine even reciprocates; the steak was more delicious after every sip! Another bottle, please.

The savory mac-and-cheese also paired well with this cab-sauv. The butteriness of the pasta complemented the body of this wine, making it feel really round. Would pair again!

Tasting- Tournon Mathilda Victorian Shiraz

Name: Tournon Mathilda Victorian Shiraz
Variety: 100% Shiraz
Region: N/A
Country: Australia
Year: 2011
Price: $14.95

Winery review: 91 pts Robert Parker "These Chapoutier wines are sometimes reviewed by my colleagues David Schildknect in his Languedoc-Roussillon report and Lisa Perrotti-Brown in her reviews of Australian wines, so I will just list the wines, my score, and the region from which they emerge. They are of very high quality and deserve readers’ attention. Hopefully my prose has convinced more than a handful of readers to try these remarkable wines from one of the most fascinating and compelling personalities in the entire wine world, and one dedicated to the highest quality."

My review: This brilliantly colored red and intense wine has a very peppery bouquet. The fruit behind it is hard to distinquish. Upon tasting I am hit with black currant, sour cherry, and still pepper flavor. Mixed berries in the mid-palate with a highly satisfying finish. The tannins here are pretty silky. This wine is quite enjoyable and I would recommend  to the guy who uses too much black pepper. 

Tasting- Coppola Diamond Collection Chardonnay 2012

Name: Coppola Diamond Collection Chardonnay 2012
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Central Coast
Country: California
Year: 2012
Price: $15.99

Winery review: "2012 was an excellent vintage across California because of steady, mild temperatures that persisted throughout summer. The fortuitous weather conditions helped our Chardonnay develop very pronounced aromatics. The perfect balance of sweet, luscious fruit and crisp natural acidity make this a standout wine."

My review: This white wine reeks of oak and nut flavor in the bouquet. It's color seems kind of plain. Upon tasting there is a acid bite behind a suggestive fruity flavor. It has a citrusy and somewhat dry taste. There is a malic acid factor here. The finish brings back some of the oak / nutty flavor and it pulls together quite well.

Tasting- Zuccardi Serie A Torrontes

Name: Familia Zuccardi 'Zuccardi Serie A' Torrontes
Variety: 100% Torrontes
Region: Salta
Country: Argentina
Year: 2011
Price: $13.95

Winery review: 
"The 2011 Zuccardi Serie A Torrontes from Cafayate in Salta, is 50% direct pressed and sees no oak. It has a fresh grapefruit, nectarine and passion fruit bouquet that is crisp and well-defined. The palate is vibrant on the entry, with a keen thread of acidity and great focus and poise on the white peach-tinged finish. This is one of the best Torrontes wines I have found. Drink now. "90 Points The Wine Advocate"

My review: This wine smells of peaches, flowers, pears, and oranges. Its a very crisp looking and smelling wine. It tastes like liquid flowers and heaven. There is certainly acid here yet it is well balanced. It's hard to say much more about this wine but it tastes really nice and it is pretty cheap.

Tasting- Seguret Terrasses

Name: Seguret Terrasses Pavee' Cotes-du-Rhone 
Variety: 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre 
Region: Cotes du Rhone
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $13.99

Winery review: "This mouthfilling red displays unctuous plum and boysenberry fruit flavors that course along nicely, thanks to lively spice and toasted anise notes, with a strong graphite streak. Fleshy, but excellent acidity is well-embedded on the finish. Drink now through 2015. 4,600 cases made." Sep 2012Rated Top 100 Outstanding Values of 2012December, 2012. "For high quality at low prices, these wines are the world’s best."

My review: This lovely GSM smells of sweet fruit and raspberry and boysenberry.  A very satisfying bouquet. Upon tasting I am struck by a graphite/pencil taste that is hard to ignore. A spicy and fruity flavor lingers below the lead and this wine is very, very satisfying.

Tasting - Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot

Name: Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot
Variety: 90% Merlot, 10% Syrah
Region: N/A
Country: California
Year: 2012
Price: $8.99

Winery review: "This begins with an an inviting aroma of black cherry, plum and some sweet candy notes. Tasting the wine shows a nice mix of flavors -- black cherry, blackberry and a good dose of cola along with well integrated tannins. It ends with a really wonderful long, spicy and dry finish. At $8 this is a fabulous wine to have on hand as it will pair well with lots of different foods."

My review: This lovely wine has a full nose of dark cherry, spices, plum, with hints of chocolate. Upon tasting I was hit with spice, with a somewhat chocolately mid-palate. I could taste some other dark fruits but it was hard to distinguish. The finish was nice and round and had a delicate plum flavor.