Jason’s Wine Blog

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

As always with this winery nothing to be found here. I do know these wines are made by the same winemaker that does the Kalyra Winery offering which runs for $14.50. That would make me think this might be a discrete second label if it weren’t for the fact that this URL can be found on the back of the bottle.

What I Think:

When bottlings from this winery first hit Trader Joe’s a few years back I tried the lot which at the time was Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer. The latter was the only that made an impression. After being blown away by their Cabernet Franc (#2 in the TJ’s Top 10 of 2007) I decided to revisit a few of the others. This was the first of those to find its way into my refrigerator.

As mentioned, when a friend showed up with this Groth we had an ideal chance to do some side by side tasting. As I also mentioned, these wines could not have been more different. This one seemed atypical of what I expect from this grape. The color was a richer, golden yellow rather that the pale, straw color I am used to. The wine was much heavier on the tongue and tended towards being syrupy though there were some traditional melon flavors. Not at all what I expected, but not bad either. Will I buy it again? Doubtful, If I am buying a Sauvignon Blanc that is what I want to get.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per quaffability “Ever drive by a vineyard late in the season - I mean really late, after the kids have finished off the last of their Halloween candy - and seen vines still laden with fruit, even though the autumn colors of the leaves are fading to brown. And yet you still see a full crop of red grapes hanging from these vines, and if you look closely, you’ll see that the fruit is losing its plumpness, shriveling, and turning into raisins. What the heck are they making here? Late-harvest zin? Maybe, but more likely they’re going for a super-ripe style like this wine, which I found last week on a big end-of-aisle display at Trader Joes?

So how is it? Kinda like liquid Raisinettes. Never had them? Well, if you like wines that taste like chocolate raisin juice mixed generously with toasted oak, then this is the swill for you.”

What I Think:

After seeing the write up above I am actually visibly upset that this wine has ended up in my house. Funny how these things work, you know how often that movie all your friends bag on thus lowering your expectations tends to lead to you being pleasantly surprised? That is what happened here. Rich in fruit and heavy in alcohol this wine makes itself known. Not that I thought it was great but it was decent, though tasted of being created in the winery rather than in the fields. Give it a try if you feel the need. At this price point I’ll be looking elsewhere.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per webwine.com “Made for casual enjoyment, Red Horse Ranch wines offer bold, rich flavors in a fruit-forward style that is immediately appealing. Sourced entirely from the finest Central Coast grapes available, these wines truly express the character of the land in which they are grown.”

What I Think:

This one I grabbed from an end cap placement down in South San Francisco. Research found that it is the second label of Silver Stone winery which seems to produce high quality wines under their own label, does that mean I can hope for the same here…. Further research found this one selling on webwine for $13.30 a bottle versus the $5 at TJ’s. Oh the poor person who gets connived into buying there.

With the cork out the nose is on the earthy side. On the palate you get loads of chocolate and plums but overall this wine come off on the manufactured side. At the same price point I’ll stick to the Chalk Creek. That said if you are interested in trying something new feel free to give this one a go.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the winery, well nothing on the ’05 which appears to be from Haus Creek but I did find an ’06 that is likely a different bottling here

What I Think:

A sangiovese in Napa Valley? If you are like me you’re thinking WTF? On opening the question is not answered. The wine is light and seems thin, almost pinot-ish. More fruit forward than its Italian brethren it started to show some cherries on day 2. Still so light that it is better without food which overpowered this diminutive wine. Perhaps this would be better chilled like a rose, which this winery does make from sangiovese.  I’ll let someone else find out. 

Rating: Skip It

Price: $2.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the winery “I’m incredibly proud of this 2004 Pinot Grigio,” said Proprietor Steve Cousins. “The back bone of this blend is fruit from ultra premium vineyards in Monterey and Santa Barbara counties including vineyards in Arroyo Seco, the Santa Lucia Highlands and Santa Maria. Our 2004 Pinot Grigio is Italian in style with abundant California ripe fruit expression. It has classic Italian mineral character, which I attribute to the river rock and gravel soils of the vineyards around Arroyo Seco in Monterey County.” This vintage of Pinot Grigio has excellent weight and complexity on the palate, with generous fruit character - apple, citrus and lemon zest - woven with mineral, floral and spice nuances. The crisp, dry flavors culminate with a burst of tangerine in the finish and the Tocai Friulano and Chardonnay in the blend bring body and elegance to the texture. This wine begs to be paired with oysters or sushi.

What I Think:

Pinot Grigio from California for $2.99 it seems liked it was worth a try, you with me so far? Knowing that La Famiglia was a former Mondavi brand I figure it was worth a go. Getting it home a little research showed me that the blend was as follows: 87% Pinot Grigio, 10% Chardonnay, 3% Tocai Friulano and I found a Monterrey only bottling on the winery web site priced at $15. Expectations were being tempted; drink it now so I can get more? It was a thought but it faded quickly and I only recently pulled it from the back of the rack.

My notes as of always recently were less than extensive but in a nutshell I am glad I didn’t hurry on this one. Nothing seems to shine through; it seemed to taste mostly like nothing. You could at times feel stones or minerals and at others light fruit and floral notes but it never resulted in anything. I tried to think it was more like a Sauvignon Blanc but couldn’t get that to work. Not knowing what else to try I gave up. Even at this price I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, not when you can get a much nicer Italian version such as this 2006 Gaetano DAquino for a dollar more.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $8.99 @ K&L Wines imported by Premier Wine Company

What They Said:

Per K&L Wines “Giovanni Blason and his consulting enologist Andrea Rossi have turned this 37-acre property into a juggernaut of affordable quality wines. Giovanni and his wife Valentina own this winery in Gradisca d’Inzonzo, 3.75 miles from the Slovenian border and about 20 miles north of Trieste. Generally I write about the easier-to-sell wines before the more difficult-to-figure-out. This time, I have to write about the 2005 Blason Cabernet Franc. This one is so good you won’t believe it! The flavor just bursts out of the glass, spice laden, black pepper, red fruits, vivacious, fresh and curvy all at the same time, and at an unbelievable price. Please try this wine if you haven’t or even if you have had Italian Cabernet Franc. (Greg St.Clair, K&L Italian buyer)”

What I Think:

I grabbed this one when my wife told me we were having hamburgers for dinner but by the time I got to the table the plans had changed. Not sure that it mattered…This wine was funky! On the nose the earthy, barnyard aromas seemed fairly typical but that is about where it ended. The wine seemed hot on the tongue and had a tart sour finish. Perhaps I need some food after all I thought. Not much difference. Still sour in the mouth, let me try and cleanse my palate to ensure the Amaicha Torrontes wasn’t throwing things askew.

Is it tart? Hot? Musty? Where is that wine aroma wheel. Unfortunately there is nothing pleasant resonating here. Chemical? Microbiological? Not even vegetal. It is bad but what is it? Nary a hint of fruit here. Headed towards the worst in a while. I’m even thinking I may dump the rest. I resisted and a few days later it started to show some fruit. Glad I didn’t dump it as it improved. That said it only made it to so/so by the end.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $9.02 @ BevMo imported by PWG Vinters USA (retails at $17.99 a bottle)

What They Said:

Per the winery “To the eye, vibrant crimson with ruby hues. To the nose, aromas of liquorice, thyme and herbs lead to a sweet lift of vanilla oak, mocha and plums. On the palate, mocha and plum aromas follow from the nose onto an inky palate redolent of spicy fruit and pepper. A fresh, vibrant and youthful wine with well integrated tannins and an elegant finish.”

What I Think:

This one was nicer than I remembered from my last go round. Perhaps my inclination that it needed a bit more time to settle down was proving correct. This bottle showed mint & licorice on the nose. The palate showed some chocolate flavoring though the finish was fast and tannic. All in all seemed a bit light for a Shiraz, in my opinion you are better off trying something else. I would look for this Yalumba “Y” Series as a potential alternative.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $7.99 @ The Wine Club imported by Joshua Tree Imports

What They Said:

Per The Wine Club “This has an impressive McLaren Vale appellation and the quality of fruit shows it as well. This bottling goes to show you how competitive things have gotten and how much really good juice is out there ”” a great thing for the punter. The nose is lifted and pretty complex considering its price, with notes of black plums, blackberries, spice, licorice, loam and dusty chocolate. The palate is fuller bodied, supple textured, with good fruit purity offering juicy, spiced, dark fruit flavors backed with ripe, almost powdery tannins and a tinge of chocolate richness on the finish. Upfront and forward this still has the structure for short term aging, but at this price and flavor profile, who would want to wait? This has value written all over it!

The Wine Spectator Bright and appealing for its clarity of plum and blackberry flavors, persisting on the finish against firm tannins. Best after 2007. 15,000 cases imported. Score: 87. —Harvey Steiman, December 15, 2005.

The Wine Advocate This dark ruby/purple-colored, compact, straightforward, simple 2004 Shiraz exhibits sweet blackberry fruit, medium body, and a pleasant finish. Drink it over the next 2-3 years. Score: 86. —Robert Parker, October 2005.”

What I Think:

Hmm, must have been impressive marketing around this one at The Wine Club. I was surprised to see the scores above based on my short term memory. Perhaps it is a by product of them having the best of the best available from Australia. Of course for that you have to open your wallet a lot further than this. Thinking back to my all time favorite Aussie wine for $8 bucks on once bought a case of the d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Red from Cost Plus. Interestingly the two I have posted here are also blends, the Henry’s Drive Pillar Box Red and the Oxford Landing GSM. But I digress…

Back to the matter at hand, the notes on this offering are sparse but fair to say the product wasn’t compelling me to pick the pen up. All in all what I tend to refer to as a ho-hum effort. It was nice to have a glass of wine this evening, but beyond that not much compelling about the experience. From the notes we got a bit of barnyard on the nose. On the palate the wine had fruit as expected but was also hot and likely high on the alcohol side (forgot to check) which lead to more tannins on the finish than I care for. Not a bad wine, just not a compelling one. At this price point I’m buying some of the wines mentioned above.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the winery “Spicy notes of clove and black pepper enhance blossomy aromas of cherry and blackberry. The flavors of freshly picked raspberries and blueberries explode in the mouth leading into a lingering finish of smoky oak with hints of tobacco.”

What I Think:

Not sure what led me to grab this bottle. Most likely I saw it, knew it was a newer label at TJ’s and wanted to give it a go in case it was a gem. Getting home I find a whole new world. This wine is made by EOS. I had a few bottles of their Zinfandel during the BevMo 5 cent sale. I found that the blend was mainly based on Petite Sirah (62% Petite Sirah, 19% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and minute amounts of others). Not sure how this adjusted my expectations but found it all interesting while the cork was in the bottle.

The notes are a bit sparse. On opening the nose seemed hot and spicy. On the tongue it started the same with cloves leading the way. Towards the middle it showed some darker berry flavors that were on the weak/flaccid (when is the last time that has been used when not discussing ED) side before ending even a bit tart. After a few days it showed a bit more. The fruit was a bit richer, a bit bolder tending towards chewy. The nose still seemed hot with some subdued dark fruit lingering. On the palate the fruit was apparent but the overall profile tended to the generic side.

All in all a typical manufactured type red, trying hard to please everyone which while usually making a decent wine also limits the upside as it can only be so good. At $7 it is tough to reconsider. At $5 it would be worthy. Even with all that this is a wine that someone else could love. Give it a go if it suits your style. For me at this price I am buying Carmenere.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the winery “Explosive dark cherry and blackberry aroma. Complimented with blueberry, clover and dark chocolate with a hint a cedar. Medium body with balanced acidity and a long delicate finish.”

What I Think:

I snagged this one a short while ago on a run to TJ’s. The prominent placing got me to give it a whirl. Didn’t track when/what I opened this with but have many notes. The first day on the nose this wine seemed big, with loads of fruit and perhaps a hint of mint. It seemed as if something slightly great might be lurking. In the mouth the wine was heavy, guessing the alcohol (14,5% think that is middle-ish, no?) may be the same. In the mouth, the fruit seemed fat and not much changed through the palate until some tannins appeared at the very end.

The second day the nose seemed “hotter” and the fruit “purpler. Now I find myself wondering what the mix (42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Syrah, 19% Petite Sirah, 5 % Grenache and 3% Cabernet Franc) may be. Given that knowledge the purple makes sense but the small amount of Grenache that I would usually attribute hotness to seems off.

Here nor there, this wine is slightly not bad. It is big but definitely manufactured. If you like bang for your buck this is your wine. As for me, at this price point, I’ll be sticking to the Casillero del Diablo Carmenere.

Rating: Skip It