Psydr Short & To-The-Point Wine Reviews
Below are reviews of fun little finds purchased locally. The typical cost per bottle is $10 or less, and the label probably has a little more pizazz than your traditional Barolo. But don't judge the bottle by the label. These reviews are personal and certainly non-professional evaluations of wines we've tried. Enjoy!
July 31, 2008
March 25, 2008
2005 Michele Chiarlo Barbara d'Asti
YEAR: 2005WINERY: Michele Chiarlo
FLAVOR: Red, Barbara
ORIGIN: Piedmonte, Italy
PURCHASED: Trader Joe's, Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $10
NICKNAME: "Chiarlo Barbara"
1 Reviews:
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At
March 25, 2008 5:44 PM ,
psydr said...
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5 OUT OF 5 STARS
An excellent Barbara and for only 10 bucks if you can believe that. Hurray for TJ's for bringing us yet another great wine from the Piedmonte.
This wine would go well with practically any food you were to throw at it while at the same time making that food better. The palate is simple and smells delicious. A very, very smooth wine with virtually no aftertaste minus the slightest hint of oak just to let you know how it was aged... And aged properly it was.
2005 was a magnificent year for Chiarlo. I'll be scooping up several more of their varietals in the near future. However, first I will be heading back to Trader Joe's to acquire a few more bottles of this stuff. I love it!
March 18, 2008
1 Reviews:
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At
March 18, 2008 11:27 PM ,
psydr said...
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4 OUT OF 5 STARS
This is a damn good wine. Personally, I was incredibly surprised to find a Barbera for under $10. From Alba, in the region of Piedmonte, this is a great wine. Eat with steak. Eat with pasta made by a redhead. Anything red is good with this bottle. I just can't believe I found a bottle for $7! Cheers to Trader Joe's.
Now, don't get too excited. It's by FAR not the best Barbera I've consumed. But for under $10 it IS. Who sells a Barbera for less than $10? Well, Trader Joe's. That's who.
What is it I want to see in my near future? A bottle of Barolo for $10 or less. Please, please let it be. Yeah, right. One day. We ALL hope for it. While we're at it, let's hope for under-twenty Nebbiolo and/or Gatinnara.
Of course the day THAT happens dogs and cats will be sleeping together and I won't actually have to travel to the wine store to purchase a bottle of my favorite vino. My favorite bottles will just start appearing before each meal via some sort of teleportation device... Ah, welcome good "vino" future. Welcome.
March 16, 2008
1 Reviews:
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At
March 16, 2008 4:44 PM ,
psydr said...
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4 OUT OF 5 STARS
Of course this was a good wine. It's from Piedmonte - home to the grandest grape known to mankind - the Nebbiolo.
While Barbara is no Nebbiolo, it IS a very tasty varietal if aged appropriately in oak. Coming from Alba, one of the smaller producers of Barbera, this particular bottle is an excellent example of what can be achieved with a Barbara.
Yum!
This bottle is almost double our theoretical maximum here on my blog. But I've been reconsidering my price ceiling. I may just raise the bar to $20 to allow for reviews of a greater percentage of wines I enjoy... I'd like to hear some feedback on that...
2 Reviews:
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
I do enjoy Barberas, and this particular selection is no exception. However, the bottle is the first example I've sampled from the hills of California rather than my family's homeland of Italia. I say, "it's great!" Very smooth. Full of light-bodied flavor and ruby-red color. An excellent Barbera indeed.
I believe I gave a similarly shining review of Renwood's Syrah. To date I am very happy with their offerings and will continue to sample more of their varietals as time allows. A pat on the back to you Renwood Winery.
Very impressed with this full-flavored wine. It was a real hit with our friends over for dinner. 5 stars.
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