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!
YEAR: 2007Labels: 2007, 4 STAR, Mixed Varietal, Mourvedre, Red, South Africa, Syrah, The Wolftrap, Viognier
YEAR: 2006
YEAR: 2004Labels: 2 STAR, 2004, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mixed Varietal, Red, Silver Lake, Syrah, USA
psydr said...
2 OUT OF 5 STARS
Semi-tart. Not very interesting in general. Vanilla. Perhaps a bit overdone. Smells of bad vino, but I don't think it's corked.
Don't know what else to say. I guess I'd just avoid from purchasing in the future. But don't get me wrong. It's not terrible. I just don't like it.
I'd rather go play with my new iPhone than spend any more time on this wine...
YEAR: 2006 psydr said...
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
A very tasty wine indeed. I've had good luck with the Mondavis and particularly enjoy their Syrahs. I'll often order a bottle when out dining if nothing else looks new and exciting. You just can't seem to go wrong purchasing a Mondavi.
I feel like I sound like a Robert Mondavi commercial...
This Syrah is quite dark in color but has a very subtle nose. The palate is struck with a hint of raspberry and cherry... I think. No earthy tones here and no real hint of oak. Just goodness.
YEAR: 2005 psydr said...
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Another good wine, and I enjoy the label. This syrah is a bit on the sweet side. A real raspberry flavor followed by something I can't quite place. Something less sweet. Licorice comes to mind, but that just isn't it.
Anyway, the aroma and palate comes together nicely. It's just not a great wine. It's just a good, solid bottle of vino.
YEAR: 2006 psydr said...
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
This is one tasty beverage! The color: ruby as ruby can be. The nose: very fresh and fruity. The flavor: very, very good. There are hints of darker berries here but not bitter in any way. A really smooth and delicious wine.
The name is kinda groovy too. You really need to give this bottle a try.
Nessa said...
Keep up the good work.
psydr said...
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Okay, this is going to sound bad, but really it's not. This wine was nearly flavorless, which one might associate with "bad" or at least "not-so-great." But, no. This is a very palatable wine. I somehow found its lack of flavor as a plus. I feel like this bottle could be served with anything imaginable and still enhance its flavor.
This wine will neither woo nor disgust. It's a safe bet at any gathering, and therefore I give it a 3 STAR rating. I'd go so far as to recommend this wine at any eclectic social event...
Palate? For lack of better description, I taste Earth. Nothing bitter. Smooth as smooth can be.
Geez. Now I feel like I was raving... I wasn't. What I meant to pass on to you was just this: This syrah is Non-offensive.
psydr said...
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
A good solid Syrah. Not great. My first impression was not good. After a good whiff and a swirl onto my tongue, there was an immediate bitterness I did not appreciate. After a couple more swills, the wine was going down smoother. It certainly mellowed over time. Now, I find it quite palatable.
There are better Syrahs out there for your $7. Try another. I only recommend this particular bottle if you enjoy a very, very strong taste of cherry.
YEAR: 2006 psydr said...
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Again, not too bad. There is almost a hint of licorice here. I'm pretty sure I've never used such to describe the flavor of a wine before. In fact, I rather dislike licorice. But, in this case, it's not bad. I don't really know how that works...
Another smooth wine from Tierra Del Sol. Zero harshness during nor after. This bottle could probably compliment just about anything you stir up in the kitchen... that's red and bloody.
My bottle missed dinner but helped accompany me through a sitting of Goya's Ghosts. Not my favorite film. But not terrible either. Since No Country for Old Men I've been looking forward to viewing another film with Xavier Bardem. He's a fairly convincing actor I'd say...
Is it okay to accompany a Spanish film with Argentinian wine? I'm not sure, but everything seemed to go alright. No complaints.
psydr said...
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
An excellent and very smooth Syrah. A taste of Cherry and perhaps Blackberry... Good stuff.
Get it. Try it. I liked it!
psydr said...
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
There's wood involved in this wine. Certainly an oak flavor. Pretty good stuff. Just not fantastic. I don't even feel like giving it a FOUR. I guess I'd give it a 3.5 since I really feel it's just above average. But "no." THREE stars is what they get.
Word.
YEAR: 2003 psydr said...
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
More Snoqualmie goodness. Not going to be one of my favorites, but a very good wine. Poured a glass of this Syrah, no one is going to complain.
Jay said...
1 out of 5 STARS
Well....I kind of liked the label anyway. It's not often that I don't finish a bottle in a sitting. Just out of principal and polished it off the next day but I didn't enjoy it any more on the second try.
psydr said...
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
On revisit of this wine, I'd like to give it a slightly more robust review. This is a very good Syrah. I can't quite give it a 4 STAR rating, but it's close. There are some great earthly tones here, and a very smooth palate of cherry and raspberry. Very nice indeed. Certainly worth your consideration.
And, as Jay pointed out, the label "pops." I do like it. It has a certain simpleness to it and an elegant use of color without going overboard...
psydr said...
2 OUT OF 5 STARS
Just not very good. Not smooth. No real taste to mention... and not in a good way. Sometimes lack of flavor is okay. In this case, NO. There's just something icky about this wine.
That said, I don't think it will offend most. Therefore the 2 STAR rating. It's just not very tasty.
And, given it was a $17 bottle on sale for $10, I really can't recommend it. I've sampled better bottles here on this blog for less than $5. So, given that information, you make the decision to buy it or not.
psydr said...
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Again, another good showing for Red Truck. My only complaint regarding this bottling is its sweetness. I don't mind sweet, but I don't want to still be pondering it two minutes beyond my last swallow. This wine is a bit heavy on the sugar if you know what I mean. I feel the need to brush my teeth twice before hitting the sack. Make sense?
It's a good wine though. Especially if you're in the mood for a leggy/thick, sweet Merlot with a strong taste of plumb. At least that is what I extract from my sampling.
YEAR: 2005Labels: 2005, 3 STAR, Cabernet Franc, Mixed Varietal, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Red Truck, Syrah, USA
psydr said...
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Another very good wine from Red Truck. For lack of a better description, there's a ton of BERRY in this wine. I mean a ton. That said, it's not overwhelmingly sweet. It's quite good. No bitter what-so-ever. No earthly aftertaste. Just berry without being overly sweet or thick like syrup.
YEAR: 2004Labels: 3 STAR, Columbia Winery, Red, Syrah, USA
psydr said...
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
This is pretty much your standard wine. Good, but not great. The first lips are a bit sour, but this soon fades. Afterwards, it drinks nicely.
There is a dark flavor to this wine. I can't quite place it. It's not fruity or terribly bitter, just dark.
I'm placing this wine in the average catagory.
psydr said...
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
This is a very good red. It's that perfect link between Merlot and Pinot Noir. Not too sweet and certainly not bland. I did not give it a perfect rating only because it's not quite perfect in my opinion. I can not really explain it better than that. BUT it is an excellent Syrah for $7. I mean really good. Pick up a bottle and prove me wrong if you will.
YEAR: 2005 psydr said...
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
A smooth, utilitarian red wine with an ever so slight bitter aftertaste. Serving this wine won't garner you any raves, but it shouldn't warrant you any complaints either. It's a pretty safe bet to bring to the table.
Not fruity in the least. I'm not exactly sure what flavor I'm tasting. I'll call it earthy.
YEAR: 2006 psydr said...
0 OUT OF 5 STARS
Much too sweet for my taste with a bitter, overriding aftertaste. I'm not really sure what other flavors raced across my tongue. But I'm pretty sure they were just doing their best to get away from the rest of the concoction.
I would never serve this wine to a guest. I would probably only purchase this wine again if there was a recent earthquake at my local store and this bottle was the only survivor. Even then I might consider raiding my bathroom cabinets for rubbing alcohol first.
Really, this wine is terrible. Sorry Cycles Gladiator...
said...
Not a star in the sky.
This one isn't so hot. A little funky really. A bit nondescript at this point in my wine reviewing life. Perhaps, later, I'll have words to describe my discontent.
In the interest of not being wasteful I think I'll have another glass.
said...
One star, just for the label really....
Not so keen on this wine. If you like wine that tastes like it's been infused with low-grade vinegar, this is the wine for you. Has a sour aftertaste as well.
A solid C for me...and by solid I mean it might be a C-. But definitely not a D+.
I best can describe this wine as a Kate Moss. A nice label, but dirty and leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.
1 Reviews:
This is a very nice wine. There's a slightly woody/oak palate with a bouquet of cherry and other red berries. Smooth going down, and a nice color. Not too shabby. It even complimented the stir fry I wokked up for dinner this evening. In general this is a good purchase. And even though it's a tad over our proverbial $10 ceiling, I would recommend it to any of you wishing to try a wine from South Africa.
This is our first South African wine review. They're off to a good start!
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