La Moneda Malbec Reserva 2016

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La Moneda Malbec Reserva 2016

Such a deal!

I stumbled upon this Malbec while shopping at Walmart last week. I haven’t had a Malbec in years so I picked it up for $6.96. Turns out that the only place it is sold here in the US is Walmart. Now hear me out yes it is a cheap wine but this is what was said about it from Fox News! “A Chilean wine sold exclusively at Asda — a British supermarket chain owned by Walmart — has won a platinum “Best in Show” award at the Decanter Magazine World Wine Awards.”  The judges described it as having “an excellent freshness” with a finish that was “full of energy.”

Having that be said it’s an enjoyable wine. I’m having some as I write this.  It has a refreshing nose that of fresh fruit forward dark cherry/berry and a hint of oak and spicy touch of alcohol, not in a bad way. It is a clear brilliant purple leaving nice thin legs on the glass as it runs down the sides.

The taste is lighter than I expected, it is silky with tastes of cherry/plum and spices mainly black pepper. It has a long fruity finish with mild tannins. At this price point, it is one well worth trying. It may sell out again this year so if your Walmart sells wine give it a try. Not everyone will agree with me but we have to make our own choices of what we like. I’m on Social Security so I don’t often spring for the $30-40 bottles.

Burlwood Cellars Merlot 2016

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Burlwood Cellars Merlot 2016

A few weeks ago we decided to take a trip to Aldi to shop and check out their wine selection. They do have a good variety some popular brands and some more obscure. Staying low bucks we pick up a few bottles of Burlwood Cellars Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Today we will concentrate on the Merlot. This wine was a bargain at $4.49 a bottle. We thought we would take a chance and we were happily surprised to say we enjoyed it. Burlwood Cellars is a sub-label of E & J Gallo wines produced specifically for the hotel and restaurant industry. Gallo is a major player in the wine industry with many labels bottling in Modesto, Ca. This wine does not show in their portfolio.
What I found on opening and pouring a glass is that there is not a big nose on it but you do get dark berry maybe citrus aroma. The colour is a clear burgundy with nice fingers if anyone looks at that any more.  First taste was peppery with burnt oak, not in a bad way. The dark berries-cherry vanilla come thru with a semi-dry finish that was a little harsh. After sitting a few minutes the nose opened up a bit more and flavour smoothed out.

We did enjoy this wine with Pork Ribs and mashed potatoes and applesauce watching the Ravens game and we won!! It is a good everyday wine and the price is a great value.I have seen it online for up to $15.00 a bottle. Cheap wine can be good, Explore!
Lew

2007 Mutt Lynch Zinfandel

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2007 Mutt Lynch Zinfandel

What we tasted today. What a nice Zinfandel, 2007 Mutt Lynch Zinfandel. Born in Healdsburg on the Central Coast of California This wine is 89% Zinfandel grape and 11% Carignane. We found this Zin to be a very nice surprise.

Upon opening, it needed a few minutes to open up but when it did we sensed hints of nutmeg and cherry. The color was a clear plum color with small legs. The first taste brought fruit-filled flavors of Cherry and Apricot. Laced in with that a hint of mild spice.It is dry but not overly. As it goes down the red cherry opens up and you have it all the way down. It is a great finish that stays with you.

We bet that this could set a few more years and get better. This 2007 vintage has won silver and bronze medals in California competitions. They produced 5,380 cases. If you see it try it. We paid $14.99 and will go back for more. Mutt Lynch Zinfandel is a winner.

We will be pairing it with nachos and a football game!

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2013 Domaine Paul Autard Cotes du Rhone

2013 Domaine Paul Autard Cotes du Rhone

We found this bottle in a local fine wine shop here in Hagerstown, MD. and had this wine with tomato, mozzarella and onion salad preparing to watch Matt Damon in “The Martian”. Great movie but that is another subject.

The history of the Autard family is first and foremost a history of winegrowers who pass on from generation to generation a precious sum of knowledge, observations and work of the vine. The Autard family has worked in an old farm in Courthézon and then built a new cellar in 2005 to optimize the wine-making process. Vigneron Jean-Paul has been leading the family business since the age of 17.

Paul Autard Vineyards are located in the village of Courthezon, France at the border of Chataeuneuf-du-Pape and Cotes du Rhone. All the vines are between 40 and 95 years old. It is a blend of Grenache70%, Syrah 15%, and Mourvedre 15%. The wine sees no oak, all aging is in stainless steel vats which keeps the fruit up front.

We attempted to open it with our Screwpull but the cork was dry, dry, dry! Had to break out my old reliable Ah-So cork puller. Worked like a charm. We decanted it into my poor man’s decanter for ½ hour before trying.

The color was a nice clear intense ruby red with no sediment.

First impressions of the nose were of dark berry, cinnamon, and hints of vanilla. Very fresh and fruity.

The first taste was full of fruit, Blackberry, strawberry with a peppery medium long finish. It was dry but not overly. We found this wine to be very pleasurable. The price is $15.00-$17.00 range. We give it thumbs up, try Domaine Paul Autard Cotes du Rhone you will agree.

Lew and Linda  Stay Healthy – Drink Wine!  http://finewinesgazette.com 

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Casa Santos Lima LAB Red

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Casa Santos Lima LAB Red

Today we tried a nice red from Portugal. Casa Santos Lima LAB Red 2013 They make a dry red and a sweet red, this is dry.

A little history about Casa Santos Lima, the vineyard goes back to the late nineteenth century. They were a major producer and exporter of wine. It has been under the control of the granddaughter and great-grandson of the founder. They took control in 1990 and replanted the vineyards and modernized the entire production structure.

The wine itself is from the Quintas da Boavista vineyard just outside of Lisbon. The sunny slopes and clay and limestone soil along with being near the ocean make for perfect grape growing. The mix of grapes in the production include Castelão 35%, Tinta Roriz 25%, Syrah 25% and Touriga Nacoinal 15%.

Linda and I tasted this wine just before watching the Redskins/Bears game. It went perfectly watching the game. When first checking the appearance it was a clear ruby red color. The aroma was that of clove, dark cherry/plum. When tasted we sensed spicy (clove/pepper), and black cherry. It has a dry start and remains dry through the finish. The finish stays with you for a while. We found it to be very pleasant drink. The price is right at $8.99 and have seen it for less online. We would not be afraid to bring this wine to a party. In our opinion, this would be great alone or with spicy foods, BBQ pork or beef, and cheese & crackers. We gave it a 15 on the American Wine Society wine scale. Buy some by all means.

We also had some 2013 Blackstone Merlot from California which was also a nice wine for $ 10.99. It had a blackberry peppery taste , not as dry but nice. We couldn’t give it a fair review as the LAB had us feeling pretty good.

 Fine Wines Gazette your wine place to be  where you can find more great articles.

Alain Jaume Rouge Roquedon Lirac

Alain Jaume Rouge Roquedon Lirac

01/17/2016
Today Linda and I chose a nice Rhone Valley wine 2010 Alain Jaume Rouge Roquedon. Lirac AOC. Lirac is located in front of Chateauneuf du Pape, opposite side of the Rhone river.
The Domaine dates back to 1826, having been founded at that time by Mathieu Jaume. Since 1979, Alain Jaume has run the Domaine and now has the help of his two sons, Sébastien and Christophe, and daughter Helene. The soil is clay and sandy mostly on terraces covered by rocks. Traditional wine-making in stainless still vats, Aged in vats mostly and about 10% in oak barrels. The grape varietals are as follows- 60% Grenache,20% Syrah,10% Mourvedre and 10% Carignan.

What we found

We opened it up and decanted it for approx. 1/2 hour before tasting. The color was a dark ruby red with a bit if sediment. We both found hints of cherry, maybe nutmeg in the aroma. Very pleasant aroma. The first sips were light and fruity black cherry and a bit peppery. Very long dry finish with an aftertaste of cherry. After 1 hr. decanting the second glass the taste opened up to a wonderful very pronounced dark berry/blackberry taste. Tannins were in perfect balance with the acidity. This wine needed time decanted to be a great wine. On the American Wine Society scale, we came up with a 14 out of 20. This is a drink now wine and must be decanted to get the full pleasure from it. Thumbs up!
#wine, #winelover ,#vino
Fine Wines Gazette

Gambino Prosecco

Gambino Prosecco What a great treat!

03/05/16

We recently received a bottle of  Gambino Prosecco from Tomasso Gambino to try and all we can say is Wow!  We had never tried Prosecco before and this was a wonderful treat.

Gambino Prosecco DOC is the brainchild of Tommaso Gambino and Juliann Gold… the cultures of Italy and America come together. And what a job they have done. It is made from Glera grapes, formerly known also as Prosecco, but other grape varieties may be included. 

In the glass we found this wine to be a beautiful light golden color with pinpoint bubbles that last throughout. It is a sight indeed. The nose is of that we noticed was of fresh wildflowers and citrus. We tasted citrus, pear/fresh fruit. Such a pleasant taste. The finish is very dry but the fruit carries through. It is fresh and crisp start to finish.  If you ever get the chance to try this great done Italian by all means do.

Saint Cosme 2013 Cotes-Du-Rhone

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I did my first wine review yesterday. It is Saint Cosme 2013 Cotes-Du-Rhone. it is ( San Kom Kote doo Rone)

The winery dates back to 1490 and has some of the oldest vines in the region. Louis Barruol’s family have owned the estate for generations but it is only he took over that it has started to fulfill its potential.

It was a delightful wine (almost 100% syrah) with a flowery red berry,plum peppery nose. It’s color was a dark red, good clarity with just a touch of sediment. The flavor was plum,pepper,earthy. We enjoyed it to the last drop. I highly recommend this wine, makes a perfect table wine for daily drinking.
Wine Spectator gave a rating of 89 out of 100 to the 2013 St.-Cosme Côtes du Rhône Region: Southern Rhône Country: France, The price varies from $14.00 – $19.00 a bottle. 750ml.

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Lost Canyon Syrah

One great wine

Here was the dinner pairing this evening. 10/04/2015   Grilled rib eye steak, creamer potatoes with herbs and brussel sprouts. The wine is Lost Canyon Syrah  2008  Russian River Valley,Trenton Station Vineyard. Less than 300 cases made. Perfect pairing,very dry with some berry ,cherry ? What a great meal this made. My wife just happened to find this on our last wine tasting/buying trip. If you find it buy it!

Wine Reviews and the latest news

Wine Reviews and the latest news