A boatload of wine
2012 Joel Gott “Alakai” Grenache (California)…$18.
Aromas of rose petal, bark, strawberries, dark cherries, eucalyptus and licorice. Dark cherries on the palate all day with a back-drop of black licorice and chocolate. Smooth and structured with a touch of white pepper coming through on the back of the mid-palate. Finishes with notes of strawberries, cherries, licorice and chocolate that lingers. This Grenache definitely has California love handles and is a “10” in the delicious category. (B-)
2013 The Federalist Cabernet Sauvignon (Lodi, California)… $15.
This baby smells like tomato plant and blackberry bushes with a little black tea and currants thrown in. Very full and juicy on the palate loaded with notes of raisin juice with a splash of licorice and cherries. This is what we call a fruit-bomb front to back with tobacco, licorice and raisin juice lingering. You would never pick this out as a cab in a blind line-up. (C-)
2013 The Federalist Zinfandel (Lodi, California)… $15.
Currants and Beauty bark on the nose with a little pencil lead and a touch of tobacco. Round currant notes on the palate with a backdrop of ripe dark cherries. Very smooth and delicious with a little alcohol heat on the finish and hits of white pepper. A little hot for me, but I think there will be a lot of you that will like it. (C)
2011 Epicurean Bistro Grenache (McLaren Vale, Australia)… $13.
Aromas of strawberries, mint, Eucalyptus and cherries with hits of tobacco…Very interesting. Very spicy on the palate with hits of white and black pepper, joined by notes of strawberries and cherries. Very smooth and delicious. The tannins are smooth, but this little red has a lot of guts. Nicely integrated and layered. If you want to know where to look for interesting Grenache, look no further than the Oz. (B+)
2011 Shingleback Red Knot Cabernet Sauvignon (McClaren Vale, Australia)… $13.
I love the nose on this little cab…Notes of black tea, tomato stem, black currants, licorice and rose petal. Currants all day on the palate mixed with a little spice, tomato stem and black tea. Leather and rose petal notes sneak in on the mid-palate, joining the tomato stem, black tea and spice notes on the finish. For thirteen bucks you get a pretty interesting cab with nice complexity and balance. (B+)
2012 Heron Winery Chardonnay (California)… $12.
A little funkified on the nose with hits of spicy pear coming through. Very dry on the palate with light notes of pears and pear skin coming through. There is an interesting mineral element with citrus notes sneaking in on the finish. This is true to the Chardonnay fruit with very little if any malolactic fermentation. I’m thinking a Chardonnay for shellfish. Some will love it, and some won’t like it at all. (C+)
2012 Heron Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (California)… $13.
A ton of violets on the nose with a little eucalyptus, currant and cherry. Cherry notes come through big time on the palate with hits of licorice and tobacco. Nicely integrated with a nice flow across the palate with violet and tobacco notes lingering on the finish supported by smooth structured tannins. Nice cab for under fifteen bucks. (B-)
Non-Vintage Saint-Cosme Little James Basket Press Red (Vin De France)… $12.
Aromas of tobacco, roasted meats, black olive and underlying currant notes. Mineral notes support currants tobacco and baked earth with hits of red flowers. Tobacco and roasted meat notes linger with mingled currants on a medium to long finish. This wine is produced with the solera method, blending barrels from different vintages to give it the flavor profile the wine maker is looking for. Made from 100% Grenache (which is not always the case with this wine). A great bang for the buck. (B-)
2012 Heartland “Spice Trader” Shiraz (60%)/Cabernet Sauvignon (40%) (Langhorne Creek, Australia)… $15.
Aromas of black licorice, currants, eucalyptus and hits of root beer (excuse me, sarsaparilla). Dark cherry notes dominate on the palate with a black currant undertow. Silky tannins and solid structure. A touch of bark, supports the fruit notes (I love bark in my wine…Seriously), with black olive notes joining the party on the mid-palate. A touch of tobacco and black pepper on the looong finish. Serious cab from the land of Oz…Please do not blow-off wines from Australia just because of YellowTail or other cheap juice. They make some seriously good wine at more than reasonable prices. (B+)
2013 St. Hallett “Faith” Shiraz (Barossa, Australia)… $15.
A blend of currants, boysenberries and plums on the nose with underlying rose petal and tobacco. Nice and spice driven on the palate with notes of white and black pepper. Char and tar notes support Currants and blackberries up front with a nice backbone of acidity. There is a very meaty tar element to this wine finishing with tar/tobacco and charred currant notes with hits of white pepper. Nicely structured and balanced, this is well made Shiraz that needs food. (B)
2011 Tait “The Ball Buster” Red (Barossa, Australia)… $19.
A little raisany on the nose with hits of plum and tobacco with dark cherries underneath and a little warm. Round and polished on the palate with notes of black currants, black pepper and tobacco with a little wood coming through. Black plum notes join in on the mid-palate blended with cherries and currants leading into the finish with tar and tobacco notes and a hit of white pepper that lingers. This is what most folks expect from a Barossa Shiraz, but this is becoming the exception rather than the rule these days. 75% Shiraz, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. (B-)
2012 Mas Lavail Terre d’Ardoise (Cotes Catalanes, France)… $15.
Aromas of Licorice, raspberries, blackberries, plums and red flowers. Crushed rocks all over the palate, with notes of bark, tobacco and underlying cranberry and raspberry. This is a light bodied red with good acidity finishing with crushed red flowers. Old vines Carignan. (C+)
2012 O.S. Winery Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $15.
Cranberries and blueberries on the nose with a hit of cedar and rose petals. Very interesting on the palate with notes of blueberries, cranberries and beets with a little stewed meats and white pepper thrown in. Nice acidity front to back with bark and earth notes joining in on the finish. (B)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
