Gnarly sounds like surfer dude language to me, but in this case it describes the 35 to 80 year old gnarled vines that have been pruned in such a way so that they form a knotted, mangled top. Old Vine Zin is an audacious, full-bodied fruit bomb. There’s nothing subtle about the blood red colorContinueContinue reading “Gnarly Head 2012 Old Vine Zin”
Author Archives: J Reilly
Menage a Trois Rose 2012 by Folie a Deux
It’s refreshing to have a chilled wine when the weather is hot but I’m having trouble selling my drinking partner on whites. Maybe a Rose would do the trick? We tried a Tavel Rose last summer that was predominantly Grenache and the “dry minerality” as described in the tasting notes was not our preference. ThisContinueContinue reading “Menage a Trois Rose 2012 by Folie a Deux”
Eighth Wonder Lively Grove 2011
We recently tried a wine called Lively Grove made with the varietal Pinotage. The wine is from Eighth Wonder in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Created in 1920, Pinotage is a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsault that is indigenous to the Western Cape region. The bottle indicates that Pinotage was dubbed “Red Gold” by the MastersContinueContinue reading “Eighth Wonder Lively Grove 2011”
Argiano Non Confunditur Rosso Toscano 2011
I recently wrote about Tosca Rosso Toscano which was a winner for us in the $9 – $15 range. Argiano Non Confunditur Rosso Toscano 2011 is a big hit in the $16 – $20 range. Hues of rich ruby red and dark plum fill the glass. The nose is a subtle balance of currant andContinueContinue reading “Argiano Non Confunditur Rosso Toscano 2011”
Tuscan Favorites
From everyday Rosso Toscano to special occasion Brunello di Montalcino, we love red wines from Tuscany. Our love is due, in part, to our adoration of Sangiovese, the mainstay grape varietal of Tuscany. Sangiovese’s medium-bodied fruity character, high acidity, and moderate alcohol make it an easy to drink, food-friendly companion. If you’re as big aContinueContinue reading “Tuscan Favorites”
Wine Travels Along a Crack in the Cork
Opening a bottle of Duckhorn Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon, the top of the cork breaks off and we need to carefully extract the remaining piece to avoid cork dust and bits from falling into the wine. Observing the cork, we see a line of wine running along a small crack. The purple line stops a millimeterContinueContinue reading “Wine Travels Along a Crack in the Cork”
Benjamin Nieto Senetiner Malbec 2013
We are excited to try a new Malbec, 2013 Benjamin Nieto Senetiner from Mendoza, Argentina, with a hanger steak on a nice crusty Calandra roll for dinner. As the splash of deep-hued purple color swirls around my glass, I detect a woodsy aroma mixed with plum. From the color and nose, I’m expecting a bold,ContinueContinue reading “Benjamin Nieto Senetiner Malbec 2013”
Norton Malbec Reserva 2010
We pour Norton Malbec Reserva 2010 from Mendoza, Argentina and start sipping right away. The nose is pleasantly plum plus something I can’t quite identify. The taste is a tight concentration of fruit and I don’t detect any secondary flavors. The finish is somewhat bitter. At this point the wine hasn’t made a very goodContinueContinue reading “Norton Malbec Reserva 2010”
Eruption 2012
We are a bit wary of wines with wacky or funny labels but we were enticed by a promotional sale at our local wine shop to try a red blend called Eruption. The label indicates that it is a 2012 proprietary red wine from Volcano Ridge Vineyard in the High Valley Appellation offered by BrassfieldContinueContinue reading “Eruption 2012”
Cryptic Red Wine 2011
With wine and desire anything is possible, says the mirror writing on the Cryptic Red Wine label. Like a little kid, I’m excited to look at the bottle in the mirror. I hope I’m as impressed with the wine as I am with the packaging. Cryptic is the latest brand (2012) from Purple Wine CompanyContinueContinue reading “Cryptic Red Wine 2011”
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