Wine Reviews

Welcome to the wine roundup!  Below we have listed the wines we have reviewed on this blog or you could just go read all of the wine posts in the categories section by clicking here: the wine rack

Not patient enough to sort through those posts skip to your interest:

Red wine

• Cabernet Sauvignon

Cantarelles “Prestige” Cabernet Sauvignon Vin de Pays 2006

Cellar Mouse wrote: This wine is suppose to be an amazing BBQ wine.  I paired it with a tangy pasta salad and a spicy potato salad and it worked out just fine.  The wine comes from the Rhone Valley in France.  It is a 100% cabernet sauvignon.  I felt like it had a medium body without a hint of alcohol.  This is so rare for my budget.  Usually the wine has to sit open for a day before this happens in my price range.  The flavors of this wine were super smooth and subtle. It was very fresh with a hint of vegetables like green pepper.  It also had a hint of white pepper that hit the back of the tongue just to make sure you were awake during that sunset.

Crocker & Starr Cabernet 2004

Drunk Mama wrote: I was drinking an incredible glass of wine. Chocolately and creamy with absolutely no alcohol or acid on the tongue.

Lakeville Cellars of Napa County’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Cellar Mouse wrote: This is a smooth chocolately and earthy wine.  The fruits are deep and complex.  Much like me. 🙂

• Malbec

La Fortuna Malbec 2007

Cellar Mouse wrote: The wine has a strong start but somewhere around mid-palate it tapers off to a small finish.  It had some plum, chocolate, and a ton of tannin.  This wine is a good deal especially if vegan wine is important to you.

• Merlot

Charles Shaw Merlot, California 2008

Cellar Mouse: Pepper on the nose, thin, see-through, long legs, some kind of vegetable hint, good mid-palate, short finish, like the nose, easy. Does not stand up to food period.

Drunk Mama: inviting aroma, vanilla, lighter red color, bright cherry flavors. Definitely didn’t hold up to cheese.

Mudpie: Bright scent, fruity, thin. It can’t stand up to the cheese.

Mudhoney (Mudpie’s husband): Soapy presentation. Saweet! Smells like a cleaning product.

Ravenswood Vinters Blend Merlot, California 2007

Cellar Mouse: Alcohol on the nose, lovely jewel red and really long legs, big red, lots of alcohol on the palate, gets better the more I drink. Very vanilla

Drunk Mama: Sharp alcohol aroma, soft bite on the palate, mellow flavor slightly bitter at the end. Tastes better after the first sip, warm, mellow, easy to drink. Like this much better with cheese! A wonderful wine with food, don’t taste the alcohol, just full-bodied yumminess.

Mudpie: bitter, alcohol, All I smell and taste is alcohol, Can’t get past the alcohol. Much better with food.

Tilia Merlot, Mendoza Argentina 2008

Cellar Mouse: light mauve wine, jammy

Drunk Mama: More of an alcohol taste, slightly acidic, slightly bitter finish, dry.

Mudpie: Fruit, vanilla, Strong start, full bodied, clean finish, thick and creamy, mmmm so good.

Trellis Merlot, Sonoma County 2006

Cellar Mouse: Jammy, beautiful light color, makes me feel warm, it is tangy.

Drunk Mama: Mellow, warm, vanilla, nice easy flavor, easy finish.

Mudpie: Rich burgundy color, fruity aroma, mellow, very drinkable.

• Petit Verdot

Chateau Morrisette Petit Verdot 2008

Cellar Mouse wrote: It was full of blackberry and spice and probably not the best choice for fish but it still hit the spot.

De Bortoli Petit Verdot 2006

Cellar Mouse wrote: blackberry cobbler.  Sweet, tart, earthy, very berry, very vanilla, creamy and a little chewy.  But refreshing in the same way a cobbler is refreshing on a hot summer day… at a picnic… for a reunion… in the shelter out behind the church by the creek, see what I mean?  Just me?  Well, give it a try any way. PS – When researching this varietal I came upon this note: “When young its aromas have been likened to banana and pencil shavings. Strong tones of violet and leather develop as it matures.”  Weird, pencil shavings?

• Shiraz

Emeri Sparkling Shiraz

Drunk Mama wrote a love letter to the sparkling shiraz.

• Zinfandel

90+ Lot 14: Zinfandel, McLaren Vale Aust.

Cellar Mouse wrote (well actually transcribed what her sister said): She loved the way the Zinfandel reminded her of the earth and something about wanting to lay down in the dirt.

Blends

• Cabernet/Shiraz

Yogev Cabernet/Shiraz
Drunk Mama wrote: A nice big wine, bursting with flavor on the palate, with an easy finish. In my tasting notes I called it the “mullet of wines,” business in the front and party in the back!

• Cabernet, Merlot and Shiraz

Dalton Canaan Red

Drunk Mama wrote:The Dalton Canaan Red was described by my friend Eve as “spicy,” which is often how we describe Mudpie’s favorite wines. I thought it had an interesting flavor profile, kind of like smoking a clove cigarette after eating a blondie bar. Or maybe mixing chai tea with a jelly sandwich. Or maybe I should just shut up and go get some lunch, since clearly I’m getting hungry!

Neil Ellis The Left Bank 2008 Red Wine from South Africa

Cellar Mouse wrote: Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot blend from South Africa. It was so smooth, light, and yet had a full body.  It was just slightly earthy with just the right amount of red fruit with very deep violet color.  Turns out it was the perfect wine with both of our meals.  The perfect wine to share among friends.

• Corvina, Rondinella, and Corvinone

RIO ALBO – VALPOLICELLA by Ca’ Rugate 2007

Cellar Mouse wrote: Ca’ Rugate vineyards are located in the Soave Classico area.  I think I know what the area smells like after tasting this wine.  The nose on this wine is like a breath of fresh air in an orchard.  Ugh shoot me but seriously.  This wine made me long for something I have never experienced.  It is a very pleasing red that is crisp, bright, tart and spicy. It is extremely graceful and paired well with bread and pasta. It is 40% Corvina, 30% Rondinella, and 30% Corvinone with a ruby color and notes of blackberries and cherries.  The second day the wine is super soft and peppery the first sip.  I love smooth and spicy. The second sip was very berry and spicy.

• Moreto, Castelão and Trincadeira

Alandra Red 2008

Mudpie wrote: It is medium bodied, slightly fruity, and very drinkable. I have enjoyed it on its own and served it over the past week with a variety of dinners including pasta and antipasto.

• Shiraz Viognier

Ninety Plus Cellars Shiraz Viognier

Wine Among Friends: We found this a little flat. Great complement to cheese as it does not compete with the flavors of the cheese.

Yalumba Shiraz Viognier

Wine Among Friends: We found the Yalumba astringent at first but had tones of vanilla, very bright notes and it finished strong. A favorite for the group.

• Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Syrah

PromisQous

Drunk Mama wrote: this wine has the boldness of a zin, the fruitiness of a merlot, the dark chocolate yumminess of a cab, and the smooth, velvety mouthfeel of a petite syrah. What’s not to love?

White

• Chardonnay

Pierre Janny Bourgogne Chardonnay Echavon 2007

Drunk Mama wrote: It’s clean, bright and slightly mineral, with just a hint of butter on the finish. The kind of wine that can take you from the salad, through the soup, and on to the main course  — some kind of buttery fish, a nicely spiced tilapia would be best – without making you feel the need to switch vintages.

Our Very Favorites by author or group

• Emeri Sparkling Shiraz – Drunk Mama made us love it.
• Stephen Vincent Crimson – it is love when all three of us agree on a wine.  This one is one to buy by the case for certain.  Cellar Mouse wants to know who is Stephen Vincent and is he single?
• PromisQous – this is our sexy wine.  Enough said.

Drunk Mama

• Pierre Janny Bourgogne Chardonnay Echavon 2007 as mentioned in this post.

Mudpie

• Giacomo Fenocchio Langhe Nebbiolo ’05 as mentioned in this post.