Jason’s Wine Blog

Price: $8.99 @ K&L Wines imported by TGIC Importers

What They Said:

Per K&L Wines ”91 points and the #1 wine on the “Top 100 Best Buys of 2007″ from Wine Enthusiast: “A year or two ago when Paul Hobbs began consulting for Toso things changed for the better. This is the rare Best Buy that can swim with the big fish and give them a run for the money. Pop the cork and enjoy lusty dark aromas of Turkish tobacco and berry compote. In the mouth, there’s a riot of fruit flavors to ponder followed by a smooth, lusty finish.” (12/1/2007) 90 points and a “Best Buy” in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. (no tasting note given, Dec. 2007) That’s right we can actually offer you a #1 wine from someone’s list. Those end of the year best lists are so frustrating for us. We usually have our stock answer, “Sorry, it sold out months ago.” But not this time, this time we can say, “How much would you like?” And I couldn’t think of a better wine to give to any customer looking for sheer value. This Malbec is attached to Paul Hobbs and it shows. His trademark velvety texture and boisterous fruit flavors are all on display here. The solid tannins keep everything held together while the sappy boysenberry fruit, clove spice and vanilla laced finish are sure to please. (Bryan Brick, K&L)”

What I Think:

I had been meaning to grab this one for a while. Ever since K&L sent out an email proclaiming this the “Best Red Available under $10” it has been hard to come by. Couple that with being ranked the “#1 wine on the “Top 100 Best Buys of 2007″ from Wine Enthusiast and you can imagine it is getting difficult. The third feather in the cap was Paul Hobbs involvement who made this “Cocodrilo” that I just had to grab a case of. And I still haven’t mentioned a price tag of single digits ($9). And uh, oh yah, it is a single vineyard offering. It’s been a struggle but recently a friend of mine scored me a bottle and it was worth the wait!

Loads of dark fruit and smoke on the nose, on the palate the fruit delivers with hints of vanilla and barrel spice making the finish as velvety as can be. The combination makes this a hands down winner. To be fair, value wines are plentiful coming out of Argentina. I’ve had offerings from Alamos and Terrazas de los Andes that blow the quality to price ratio straight out of the water. That said those two were enjoyable based on the forwardness of their fruit and didn’t display near the complexity of this one. Wonder if I can find anymore! I’ll sure be looking…

Rating: Bulk Buy

Price: $7.99 @ K&L Wines imported by Kysela Pere Et Fils

What They Said:

Per K&L Wines According to Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar: “Ruby-red. Jammy blackberry and mulberry on the nose; reminds me of a zinfandel. Fresh, juicy dark berry flavors display a nice combination of poise and sweetness, with mocha and candied licorice notes adding complexity. Soft, silky and sweet on the concentrated, persistent finish. There are no apparent tannins to get in the way of the vibrant fruit. This is one serious bargain.” (Jul/Aug 07) 89pts

The Wine Advocate Wine Advocate # 173 Oct 2007 Jay Miller 89 Drink - $8-$12 (12) “The 2006 Shiraz contains 6% Nebbiolo. Crimson-colored, it has an attractive nose of spice box, blueberry, and blackberry. Medium-bodied, it has more than ample ripe fruit, good depth, and solid length. It is a Best Buy in savory Shiraz. The Milton Park label is produced by Thorn-Clarke. The wines have been Best Buys year after year and the current releases continue the pattern.”

What I Think:

I’ve long heard good things about Thorne Clark’s offerings, at this price I was more than willing to give it a try…Good decision! Very fresh with bursts of light, ripe fruit on the palate over a nice mulled spice background. I liked this one enough to get a case for office Xmas gifts. Now I just have to get myself some more!

Rating: Buy It

Price: $8.99 @ K&L Wines imported by Winebow Brands International

What They Said:

Per Wine Advocate “The 2005 Mesache Blanco is an intriguing blend of 35% late-harvested Macabeo, 35% Gewurztraminer, and 30% Chardonnay fermented and aged in stainless steel. Light gold in color, the bouquet of this crisp, refreshing effort is given a lift by the Gewurztraminer component. In addition to the lychees, there is a hint a banana and other tropical fruits. On the palate, this dry, medium-bodied wine is surprisingly ripe, rich, and long. Drink it over the next two years. 2/28/2007″

What I Think:

Wow! Nice stuff! I was shocked here…A very unique mixture that attracted me as something new. This was a winner, a lovely combination. Chard usually leads to my dismay but provided great balance here vs. the sweet, crispness of the gewurzt which introduced the hints of citrus fruits. Amazingly full bodied with a long finish. Like nothing you have ever had before, get some now.

Rating: Bulk Buy

Price: $15.99 @ K&L Wines imported by Paul Hobbs Imports

What They Said:

Per K&L Wines “The big pull for this wine has always been that it is made by the seemingly infallible Paul Hobbs, and that surely hasn’t changed. The other big pull is that it has always been the tastiest of Cabs from Mendoza. Full of the polish and sweet ripeness that Hobbs is know for this is packed with slick, creamy currant puree, unsweetened black chocolate, and loveable mouth-filling texture. Compare this to his cabs out of Napa for $60+ and you have yourself a bargain.” (Bryan Brick, K&L)

What I Think:

As easy sale for me, everything Hobbs touches goes for a mint. To get my hands on this one even at the upper end of my personal price range was a no brainer. The first bottle knocked my socks off. Robust and smooth at the same time if that even makes sense. Loads of dark fruit on a chocolate back bone that last forever. The finish could not be smoother or longer. I put another case in the cellar. This could compete with the Ridge for the best bottle I’ve had since starting this blog!

Rating: Cellar It

Price: $14.40 direct from the winery

What They Said:

Per the winery “The vineyards are located at the foot of Mt. Diablo at the edge of San Francisco Bay. This wine exhibits a great jet black color with aromatics and flavors of ripe blackberries, plums, chocolate, black pepper, violets and spice. This is the perfect wine to pair with hearty fare such as barbecue smoked prime rib, leg of lamb with thyme or grilled sausages. Drink now or cellar for 3-10 years.”

What I Think:

Before we get too far on this one, especially considering my recent comments in regards to Rosenblum, I want to quickly disclose that I have nearly three cases of the 2004 of this wine in my cellar, which accounts for roughly a third of the total quantity. By the way, I recently pulled a few out so maybe you will be seeing that write up soon. I’ll save my big spiel on what attracted me to this wine initially for then.

Now that I have highlighted my bias, let’s get on to this wine. As my wife was making me a nice steak dinner for Father’s Day this seemed like a good bottle to grab.  After popping the cork and pouring it in the glass the first thing you immediately notice is the color, actually I’m not sure that is it. I actually think that you notice the density, or perhaps viscosity. I am not even sure what it means as I say it but this wine seems thick. On the nose you get loads of blackberries with darker things that I have difficulty, with cheating from above maybe it was the chocolate, identifying lingering in the background. On the tongue you are immediately hit with a burst of dark fruit that slightly sours to plums before again rounding out in the mid-palate and giving way to a combination of smoke, spice and vanilla. This trio, along with a bit of tannins, makes for a long, smooth (and again) dark (or thick) finish. At this price point not sure you can hope for much more

My initial reaction was that I should have grabbed a case at the tasting when they were offering 25% off. The winery listed this at $18.00, even with 25% off, I would have saved $4.50 a bottle, the price would have been $13.50. Given that K&L has it for $13.95 I am not as disappointed as I thought I may have been.

I feel as if my wine budget is pretty close to tapped based on recent spending but I think I will dig a little deeper, initially for at least a few more bottles. I need to try this side by side with the ’04 to see if it is as good as the previous vintage. Ideally the results there would leave me wanting more and I could start a nice library of these bottles as they seem to age for some time. Try a bottle of the rich, layered, luscious wine if you have a chance. And if you do let me know your thoughts because I think this is something special. Especially at this price point!

Rating: Wow!

Price: $8.99 @ K&L Wines imported by Ole Imports

What They Said:

Per K&L Wines “90 points from the Wine Advocate! They say, “The 2005 Carro is an unoaked blend of 50% Monastrell, 20% Tempranillo, 20% Syrah, and 10% Merlot. Medium ruby-colored, it has a lovely perfume of damp earth, pepper, cassis, and blackberry. This is followed by a sumptuous wine with layers of ripe, sweet fruit, excellent balance, and no hard edges which totally belie its ridiculously silly price point. The wine is an awesome value. I had thoughts of a higher score but readers might think I’d lost my mind. The Bellum project, in which Ole Imports is involved, started in 2002. It is dedicated to showing what can be achieved from 100% old-vine Monastrell in the up-and-coming D.O. of Yecla. It goes without saying that the price-to-quality relationship of these wines is extraordinary. 2/28/2007″

This winery owns what amounts to among the oldest Monastrell vineyards in Spain. This rich and mouth-filling red, made from a blend of 50% Monastrell, 20% Syrah, 20% Tempranillo and 10% Merlot, offers that value that is almost our of this world!”

What I Think:

Monastrell is known as Mourvedre over here in the states. 100% bottlings of Monastrell have made appearances at TJ’s before and they are usually enjoyable and on the cusp of being good which made this one quickly attractive to me. Coupled with my pleasurable disposition to all things Spanish, especially wine, and it was pretty easy to see this one finding its way to my house. Boy, am I glad it did. On pulling the cork I was immediately greeted with a blast of berries with peppery and wooden/vanilla barrelish aromas in the background. On the first sip it seems somewhat unremarkable, you don’t immediately recognize what a nice wine it is but it grows on you…In the mouth up get blueberries, or berries of some type that certainly aren’t brambly. The texture is nice and smooth, almost a bit chewy; it makes you want to smack your lips. The wine has great depth and balance, no tannins to be found. The long, lingering, smooth finish last and lasts, ending with almost a hint of sweetness.

This was the fifth bottle from the two cases I bought at K&L a few months back and four of them have been remarkable wines. Let’s hope the trend continues. I bought two bottles of this one from the get go so I already have another one to look forward to.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $8.99 @ K&L Wines imported by The Grateful Palate

What They Said:

Per K&L Wines “91 points Robert Parker: “There are 70,000 cases of the 2005 Red, a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot from young vines. However, this is no wimpy wine at 15% alcohol. An unbelievable value, it boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as an uplifted, projected nose of sweet red and black fruits, earth, and spice box. Supple-textured with a voluptuous mouthfeel and unbelievable richness, this wine clearly over-delivers. Enjoy it over the next 2-3 years.” (10/06)

K&L’s notes - Another amazing Aussie red value for less than $10. As good as the 2004 is, I think the 2005 is even better! (Jim Chanteloup, K&L Aussie buyer)”

What I Think:

This one I had read about in a few different venues over the last few months. Given that I was actually surprised it was still available when I went to track it down. This wine is a blend, not unlike one I tried a while back from Penfold’s (the Koonunga Hill, it was a disaster), of 53% Shiraz, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon & 12% Merlot. Balancing my spotty history with blends versus the accolades I twisted the bottle open. Wow, very strong odors of plums and mint on the nose, real hot must be loaded with alcohol. It seemed dark and brooding. In the mouth, the texture could be characterized as supple and perhaps a bit inky. The intense lighter fruit flavors (plums, cherries) were so strong they make you think it is all dark fruit. At least, I always equated intense with dark so I found this a difficult hurdle to clear. This wine still has a “hotness” running through it in the mouth that seems like a combination of spices, wood and alcohol. This is certainly a lot of wine for the money. Each sip seems to be a slightly different representation of the contents. Can you appreciate a wine for its uniqueness? If so this is the bottle for you. Really everyone should try this wine. You may not like it but you can surely appreciate it and someone out there will certainly love it. Besides how often do you get a chance to try something Parker gives 91 points for $9?

Rating: Buy It

Price: $5.99 @ K&L Wines

What They Said:

Per K&L Wines “Tin Roof is produced and bottled in the Alexander Valley by Murphy-Goode Winery and introduces a style that is more similar to New Zealand or the Loire Valley S.B. than the whites normally made at Murphy-Goode. The focus here is on the aromatics and the fresh lively fruit that is typically Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is perfect with delicate dishes, highly flavored and spicy foods or is lovely when served as aperitif.”

What I Think:

This one is a winner! Real nice, zippy, minerally start in the mouth followed by lively lemon and grapefruit citrus flavors. A great value. This one may have been a bulk buy but since they have sold out I guess I won’t have a chance to decide with my wallet. If you see this one though make sure to grab two and if it is in the SF area tell me where!

Rating: Buy It

Price: $13.99 @ K&L Wines

What They Said:

Per K&L Wines “All of the Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon was whole cluster pressed. Whole cluster pressing gives us juice of incredibly high fruitiness and softness. 30% of the blend is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks; this aging process allows the juice to retain its fruitiness, flavors and aromas. The remaining 70% of the juice was moved to small oak barrels where it was put through a long, cool fermentation. Within two weeks, the wine completed fermentation and were allowed to age “sur lie” for a total of five months in the small oak barrels. This fermentation and aging program adds rich complexity to the aromas and flavors.”

What I Think:

We had some friends bring this over for dinner the other night so I wasn’t able to take as good of notes as I liked. This was the one of two bottles they brought over and it was the first to be opened. I had long wanted to try the Groth Sauvignon Blanc but had yet to have a bottle make it to the house so I was certainly happy to see it. This wine is very fresh and dry in the mouth, quite refreshing. The nose and palate are zesting with mainly lemon and perhaps a trace of apples coming to the front. I wasn’t even able to identify the semillon until after I checked my tasting notes. The winery said this vintage is a “keeper”. If you want to spend some money on a bottle of sauvignon blanc, especially from the US, I couldn’t think of another one to get!

Rating: Wow!

Price: $14.00 direct from the winery

What They Said:

Exceptional. Perfect floral, spice and rose petal/gardenia aroma. Drier than most prior vintages, a classic. Do not miss. Winery only. Gold Medal Winner. - Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences, July 21, 2005.

Wine of the Week. An off dry, showy, spicy gewürztraminer. Has a good concentration of peach and citrus fruit. Aroma of rose petal. A lively, refreshing finish. Great pick for Thanksgiving dinner. - Santa Rosa Press Democrat, November 9, 2005.

What I Think:

This is a bottle that I always look forward to opening. Navarro makes their gewurzt in the Alsacian style so it is not of sweet variety that you typically find when grabbing a local bottling of this grape. It has a very nice boquet of flowers that I can’t distinguish but you can recognize the mineral undertones even in the nose. We typically pair this with a spicy dish, something Indian or Thai and it is wonderful, though given its dryness it has far more versatility than your typical Gewurzt. Keep your eye open for this bottle in the local San Francisco ethnic restaurants I have seen it quite a bit. If you find it order without hesitation and enjoy!

Rating: Wow!