Wine Reviews – Reds
Mike’s Bottom Line Wine Reviews
Mike has tasted each of these wines. Each review contains the appearance; the smell; the taste; and a bottom line evaluation of the quality.
The quality is rated on a scale of:
Poor – don’t recommend (run!)
Acceptable – okay (close your eyes and hope)
Good – high quality (I think)
Outstanding – among the best (The best of what? That’s another question.)
Listed by Variety and Price from Lowest to Highest
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2007 Ironstone Cabernet Sauvignon (Murphys California – Sierra Foothills USA) (Cabernet Sauvignon Grape) $6.99 – deep garnet color; medium smell of spice and pungent black pepper and black cherry; medium taste of black pepper and black cherry; Poor to Acceptable California Cabernet Sauvignon (Good luck, hope you like it)
2007 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon (California, USA) (Cabernet Sauvignon Grape) $9.99 - deep purple color; medium to strong smell of blackberry, cherry, plum and spice; medium taste of plum, blackberry and spice; Acceptable California Cabernet Sauvignon (Like the State of California, it’s fruity)
2007 Gallo Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County, California, USA) $11.99 – dark ruby color; smells like blackberry, blackcurrant, some pepper; tastes like blackberry, some cherry, some pepper; acceptable Sonoma County Cab (“Frankly my Dear, I don’t give a damn”)
2005 Domaine Zede (Margaux Bordeaux France) (Cabernet Sauvignon Grape) $28.99 – medium to deep ruby color; medium smell of chocolate, blackcurrant leaf, black cherry and oak; medium taste of blackcurrant leaf and chocolate; Good Classic Cabernet Based Bordeaux Red Wine (I don’t know what a leaf tastes like but this stuff tastes good)
2005 Chateau Sorbey (Haut-Medoc Bordeaux France) (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Grapes) $15.99 – medium to deep ruby color; medium smell of black cherry and plum; medium to fuller body taste of black cherry and plum; Acceptable to Good Leftt Bank Bordeaux (With this one you think you’re going Merlot but you’re really taking a Cab)
2005 Devil’s Lair (Margaret River Western Australia) (Cabernet Sauvignon Grape) $29.99 – deep ruby color; medium smell of black cherry and eucalyptus; medium taste of green pepper, black pepper and black cherry; Good New World Premium Cabernet (What’s eucalyptus anyway?)
2003 Panza Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley California USA) (Cabernet Sauvignon Grape) $54.99 – ruby color in middle and garnett on the edge, medium intensity smell of blackcurrent, vegetal and herbaceous (hay); full body and tastes like blackcurrent and hay with medium acidity and tannins and short length; Acceptable Full Bodied Red Wine But Not Worth The Price (How much???)
2005 Rosenthal The Malibu Estate Block M Cabernet Sauvignon (Malibu Newton Canyon California USA) (Cabernet Sauvignon Grape) $70.00 - deep ruby color; medium smell of cedar, oak, cherry and spice; medium taste of cherry, spice, some blackberry; Outstanding Malibu Cabernet (Smooth as silk, excellente, amigos y amigas, by any standard)
MERLOT
2007 Blackstone Merlot (California USA) (Merlot Grape) $7.99 – medium ruby color; medium smell of blackberry and spice; medium taste of blackberry, spice and plum; Acceptable California Merlot (It’s OK…OK)
2008 120 Merlot (Santa Rita Chile), (Merlot Grape) $7.99 – dark purple to ruby color; smells like plum, vanilla, some strawberry; heavy taste of spice, oak and plum; acceptable Santa Rita Merlot (I’m a fan of Chilean reds so keep your eyes peeled, there’s value here)
2006 Camelot Merlot (California USA) (Merlot Grape) $8.99 – medium ruby color; medium smell of plum and blackberry; medium to full body taste of plum, blackberry and black pepper; Acceptable California Merlot (not Dr Pepper, just pepper)
2007 Firefly Ridge Merlot (Central Coast California USA) (Merlot Grape) $8.99 – deep purple color; medium smell of blackberry, spice and black cherry; medium to full taste of spice, blackberry and black cherry; Good Central Coast Merlot (another one from Deep Purple)
2006 Toasted Head Merlot (North Coast, California USA) (Merlot Grape) $9.99 – medium ruby color; medium smell of plum, cherry, vanilla and spice; medium taste of plum, cherry and spice; Acceptable California Merlot (It’s December so sing “Drink Merlot, Drink Merlot, Drink Merlot”)
2005 Wente Sandstone Merlot (Arroyo Seco, Monterey, California USA) (Merlot Grape) $9.99 – deep ruby/garnett color; medium smell of plum, spice and blackberry; medium to full taste of spice, blackberry and plum; Acceptable Monterey Merlot (Hey, it’s an ‘05. Usually drink within 2 years of harvest)
2007 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot (California, USA) (Merlot Grape) $9.99 - deep purple color; medium to strong smell of plum and spice; medium taste of plum, berry and spice; Acceptable California Merlot (It’s another Merlot, what can I say)
2007 Kenwood Vineyards Merlot (Sonoma County, California, USA) (Merlot Grape) $10.99 - medium to deep purplish, ruby color; medium smell of plum, cherry and blackberry; medium taste of plum, some blackberry; Acceptable Sonoma Merlot (It just plum wore me out)
2004 Firestone Merlot (Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County California USA) (Merlot Grape) $11.99 – light to medium garnet color; medium smell of black cherry, blackcurrant and tar; medium to full body taste of black cherry and tar; Acceptable Santa Barbara Merlot (Sometimes tar can taste good…like I know)
2005 Gnarly Head Merlot (California, USA) (Merlot Grape) $11.99 – dark ruby color; smells like plum, blackberry, a little spice; heavy taste of blackberry, blueberry, and plum; acceptable California Merlot (It’s not actually gnarly at all, it’s pretty decent)
2006 Kennwood Merlot (Sonoma County, California, USA) (Merlot Grape) $13.99 – deep ruby color; medium smell of black currant, cherry and tobacco; medium taste of cherry, black cherry and spice; Acceptable Sonoma County Merlot (When in Sonoma County, do what the people in Sonoma County do – I don’t know exactly what that means)
2005 Errazuriz Max Reserva Merlot (Aconcagua Chile) (Merlot Grape) $14.99 – medium ruby color; medium smell of earth, blackcurrant, blach cherry, spices and oak with complexity; Very Good to Outstanding New World Premium Merlot (I don’t know what blackcurrant really is but this stuff is a BARGAIN!)
2005 Chateau Cazat-Beauchene Bordeaux (Bordeaux, France) (70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes) $16.99 – medium to deep ruby color; medium smell of black cherry, smoke and nuts; medium taste of cherry, black cherry and smoke; Good Right Bank Bordeaux (I tasted this at a blind tasting and thought it was a Syrah/Grenache Blend…aahhh!)
2005 Stuart Cellars Limited Estate Reserve Merlot (Temecula Valley, California, USA) (Merlot Grape) $24.99 – deep garnet color; medium smell of black cherry and raspberry; medium taste of blackberry and black cherry; Good Temecula Valley Merlot (I am no longer a Temecula virgin)
2005 Chateau Joanin Becot (Bordeaux France) (Mostly Merlot with Cab Franc Grapes) $34.99 – deep purple to ruby color; smells like liquorice, raspberries and blackcurrant; full body taste of jam, raspberry and blackcurrant; Good Right Bank Bordeaux; (You gotta love the liquorice…did I spell that right?)
2005 Chateau Rolland Maillet St Emilion Grand Cru (St Emilion Bordeaux France) (Merlot Grape) $42.99 – medium ruby color; medium smell of liquorice and red cherry; medium body taste of blackcurrant and oak; Good Classic Right Bank Bordeaux (I’m NOT drinking any #$*! Merlot…okay, I’ll drink this one)
SYRAH, SHIRAZ, GRENACHE & HERMITAGE…AND GAMAY (WHY NOT?)
2008 Lindemans Bin 50 Shiraz (Australia) (Shiraz Grape) $6.99 – deep ruby color; medium smell of red cherry, plum, white pepper and perfume; medium body taste of red cherry, plumb and redcurrant; Acceptable Australian Shiraz (Try sprinkling white pepper into vodka and see what THAT tastes like)
2008 Valreas “Cuvee Prestige” (Cotes Du Rhone Villages) (Grenache and Syrah Grapes) $6.99 - medium ruby color; medium smell of bubble gum (yes, you read that right), and spice; medium taste of candyish (?), spice and maybe some pepper; Barely Acceptable Cotes Du Rhone Villages Grenache blended with Syrah (Maybe I just opened it too early but I just didn’t like it. Too light and a little flabby…I know, a contradiction)
2007 Arrow Creek Coastal Series Meritage (California USA) (Various Bordeux Red Grapes) $7.99 – deep purple to ruby color; medium smell of blackberry and red cherry, medium taste of blackberry and cherry; Acceptable California Meritage (I don’t know what to say)
2007 DnA Vineyards Rootstock North Coast Syrah (North Coast California USA) (Syrah Grape) $7.99 - deep ruby color; medium smell of red cherry, plum and mineral (?); medium taste of red cherry, spice and plum; Acceptable to Poor North Coast Syrah (I didn’t really dig it and Syrah is probably my favorite grape)2008 Folie a Deux Menage a Trois Red Wine (California USA) (Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes) $8.49 - deep purple to ruby color; medium smell of blackberry and spice; medium taste of blackberry, spice and blackpepper; Acceptable California Meritage (I’m a sucker for power red blends and the name of this winery and wine makes it sound so sophisticated…it’s pretty good stuff)
2006 Clos Du Bois North Coast Shiraz (North Coast California USA) (Shiraz Grape) $8.99 – deep ruby color; light smell of blackberry and white pepper; light to medium taste of blackberry and raspberry; Acceptable, not that great, North Coast California Shiraz (Isn’t Shiraz supposed to have some umpf (is that spelled right?) to it)
2007 Columbia Crest Two Vines Vineyard 10 Red Wine (Washington State USA) (Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Grenache and Mouvedre Grapes…wow, anyone else want to join the party) Acceptable to Good Washington State Red Wine (Washington led the charge across the Delaware and Washington State seems to be leading a charge into the wine world…this is pretty good stuff)
2003 Chateau Ste Michelle Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington, USA) (Syrah Grape) $9.99 – deep ruby/garnet color; medium smell of black berry and spice; medium taste of black berry, jam and spice; Good Columbia Valley Syrah (For the price, you can hardly every go wrong with Chateau Ste Michelle)
2008 Mommessin Beaujolais Villages Nouveau (Beaujolais France) (Gamay Grape) $9.99 – pale purple color, medium intensity smell of tropical fruit (banana mango) and bubble gum; light body and tastes fruity with light tannins; Acceptable to Good Fruity Red Wine (Fruity bubble gum…what more do you want?)
2006 Clos Du Bois Shiraz (North Coast, California, USA) (Shiraz Grape) $10.99 - deep purple color, medium to strong smell of blackberries and black pepper, medium to strong taste of raspberries, blackberries and black pepper; Acceptable North Coast Shiraz (I sneazed every time I took a sniff)
2007 Chateau St Cosme (Cotes du Rhone France) (Grenache and Syrah Grapes) $13.99 – medium to deep purple color; medium smell of spice and plum; medium taste of plum and black pepper; Acceptable Cotes du Rhone Red Wine (“Deep Purple” put out a couple of classic albums in the 70’s)
2006 Dom Balaquere Cotes du Ventoux (Northern Provence France) (Syrah and Grenache Grapes) – $14.99 deep purple color; smells like spice and black pepper; full body taste of black pepper, spice and ginger; Acceptable Rhone Red; (call me biased but I usually love the Syrah and Grenache combo)
2006 Red Car “Boxcar” Syrah (Sonoma California) (Syrah Grape) $20.00 – deep ruby color; smells of blackberries, black cherry and white pepper; full body taste of black cherry, white pepper and maybe some pine; Acceptable to Good California Syrah (Little known secret that sometimes black cherries grow on pine)
2006 Marc Sorrel Crozes Hermitage (Rhone France) (Hermitage and Syrah Grapes) $24.99 – pale ruby color; light smell of petrol, mineral and leather; light body taste of earth and green pepper; Poor Crozes Hermitage From Rhone (Usually, petrol and leather in the same review can’t be good)
2003 Domaine La Roquette Chateauneuf du Pape (Rhone France) (Variety of Grapes) $32.99 – medium ruby color; medium smell of prunes, earth, cloves and black pepper; light to medium body taste of cloves, earth, black pepper, black cherry and raspberry; Acceptable Chateauneuf du Pape but not enough fruit (and too many cloves…what do cloves taste like anyway?)
2006 Fetish “The Watcher” Barossa Shiraz (Australia) (Shiraz Grape) $39.99 – deep ruby color; medium smell of black cherry, black pepper and yeast extract; medium body taste of vanilla, black pepper and oak; Poor Australian Shiraz (Yeast extract and black pepper never works)
2006 Clos St-Jean Chateauneuf du Pape VV (Rhone France) (Variety of Grapes) $39.99 – deep ruby color; smells like liquorice, spice and cherries; full-bodied taste of liquorice, spice, cherries and possibly meat; Good Chateauneuf du Pape; (This Chateau can’t make e-neuf of this wine…okay, real bad play on words)
PINOT NOIR
2006 Adelaida SchoolHouse Pinot Noir (Paso Robles, California, USA) (Pinot Noir Grape) $17.99 – light to medium ruby color; medium smell of cherry, spice and oak; medium taste of cherry, spice and oak; Good Paso Robles Pinot Noir (It’s only Paso Robe but I like it, I like it, yes I do…channeling the Stones)
2007 Domaine Desertaux-Ferrand (Burgundy France) (Pinot Noir) $18.99 – medium ruby color; medium smell of cherry and white pepper; medium body taste of cherry and white pepper; Good Smooth Burgundy Pinot Noir (Sprinkle some white pepper on those cherries…quite the combo!)
2005 Frei Brothers Vintage Reserve Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA, USA) (Pinot Noir Grape) $23 - medium ruby color; smells like cherry and blackberry; light to medium body taste of cherry, earthy, blackberry, some vanilla; very good Russian River Pinot (my sister really liked it and I’ll take her word for it…Dune liked it too)
2006 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir (Carneros California USA) (Pinot Noir Grape) $28.99 – medium to pale ruby color; medium smell of red cherry and strawberry; medium taste of red cherry and oak; Acceptable to Good But Lacking Complexity New World Premium Pinot Noir Red Wine (Sometimes, complexity is actually a good thing)
2003 Louis Jadot Pernand Vergelesses First Cru Clos de la Croix de Pierre (Cote de Nuit Burgundy France) (Pinot Noir Grape) $42.99 – pale to medium ruby color; medium smell of cream, spice, black cherry, cherry; light taste of cherry, strawberry, spice, white pepper and black cherry; Good, Complex, Classic Cote de Nuit Pinot Noir Red Wine (Just give the clerk the 43 bucks and let’s go)
ZINFANDEL
2006 Fetzer Valley Oaks Zinfandel (California USA) (Zinfandel Grape) $7.99 – deep ruby color; medium smell of plum and cherry; fullbody taste of plum and cherry; Acceptable California Zinfandel (For eight bucks, just drink it)
2007 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Red Label Zinfandel (California, USA) (Zinfandel Grape) $11.99 – deep garnet color; medium smell of spice and vanilla with a touch of perfume; medium taste of strawberry and spice; Acceptable California Zinfandel (Sometimes perfume works and once in a while it doesn’t)
2005 Haywood Estate Zinfandel (Sonoma Valley, California, USA) (Zinfandel Grape) $22.99 – deep ruby color; medium smell of pepper, blackberry and spice; medium taste of pepper, blackberry and spice; Good Sonoma Zinfandel (I tasted this at a blind tasting and thought it was a Syrah…aahhh!)
TEMPRANILLO (SPAIN)
2004 Lorinon Crianza (Rioja Spain) (Mostly Tempranillo Grape) $12.99 – darker pale ruby color; medium smell of red cherry and redcurrant; medium body taste of red cherry, redcurrant and plum; Good Rioja Tempranillo (Bueno Vino!…like I speak Spanish)
2001 Lorinon Rioja Gran Reserva (Rioja Spain) (Mostly Tempranillo Grape) $27.99 – pale ruby to garnet color; medium smell of black cherry, leather and meaty aromas; medium body taste of black cherry, leather, black pepper and has oak aging; Good and Complex Rioja Tempranillo (Complexity has been very, very good to me)
TINTO RORIZ AND TARIGA (PORTUGAL)
2005 Altano Duoro (Duoro Portugal) (Tinto Roriz and Tariga Franca Grapes) $6.99 – medium ruby color; medium smell of plum, petrol and black pepper; light to medium body taste of plum and black pepper; Acceptable Duoro Red Wine (Hey, what’s wrong with petrol and black pepper?)
CARMENERE (CHILE)
2008 Montgras Carmenere Reserva (Colchagua Valley Chile) (Carmenere Grape) $9.99 – deep purple to ruby color; light to medium smell of toast, cedar, black pepper and spice; medium to full body taste of black pepper and spice; Acceptable Chilean Carmenere (Hey, put black pepper and spice on toast and what do you think it’s going to taste like?)
2007 Casillero del Diablo Reserve Carmenere (Rapel Valley, Chile) (Carmenere Grape) $12.00 – deep purple color; medium smell of plum, blueberry and maybe cranberry (maybe); medium taste of blueberry, blackberry, plum, some chocolate; Good Rapel Valley Carmenere (I’m no longer a Carmenere virgin either)
ITALIAN REDS
2005 Masi Masianco (Veneto, Italy) (Corvina and Rondinella Grapes) $13.95 - looks medium ruby; smells of cherry, a little earthy and vegetal; medium body taste of cherry and herbal; Acceptable Veneto Italian Red; (Cherries do grow on the earth, don’t they?)
2005 Firriato Chiaramonte Nero D’Avola (Sicily Italy) (Nero D’Avola Grape) $19.99 – medium purple to ruby color; medium smell of cherry, redcurrant and cloves; medium to full body taste of black cherry and liquorice, Acceptable and Has Some Spice Sicilian Nero D’Avola Red Wine (If you like ‘em spicey, drop the twenty)
1997 Terreno Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany Italy) (Sangiovese Grape) $34.99 – pale garnet on sides and ruby in middle color; medium smell of earth, petrol and black pepper; medium body taste of black cherry and petrol; Good Chianti With Some Complexity (Earth and petrol IS a good combo)
ARGENTINA
2008 Maipe Bonarda (Mendoza Argentina) (Bonarda Grape) $8.99 - very deep purple color; powerful smells of white pepper, plum and spice; very full body taste of plum, black cherry and white pepper; Acceptable to Good Argentinian Bonarda; (You could practically spread this stuff on bread)
2007 Kaiken Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina) (Malbec Grape) $10.95 – deep ruby color; smells like spice and black cherry; tastes like spice, black cherry and cedar; good Argentinean Malbec; (you gotta love Mendoza Malbec…you gotta!)
TANNAT (URUGUAY)
2007 Domaine Monte de Luz (Uruguay) (Tannat Grape) $12.99 – deep garnet color; medium smell of plum, red cherry and mineral; medium body taste of plum and red cherry; Acceptable to Good Red Wine from Uruguay (Never had a Uruguay wine before…you taste something new every day)
