Montevina- Zinfandel 2008

Name- Montevina Zinfandel

Variety- Red Zinfandel

Region- Plymouth, Amador County, California

Country- United States
 
Year-2008

Price-  $14.80


Wine critic review-  This is a big departure from the wonderful 2007. Unusual, atypical Amador Zin fruit of licorice and generic smoky dark fruit. Strangely, I woke in the middle of the night thinking smoke taint. The fruit has very slight, almost sour smokiness which doesn't fit and may (or may not?) be the reason for the odd fruit expression. It's light/medium in the mouth, very lively and bright, reasonably together but not quite as poised as the 2007. Overall, disappointing because of my experience with the 2007 but objectively an average/good wine although not a pure Zin benchmark.

My review- Saw this in Kroger the other day and figured I'd give it a whirl. I was not turned away from the twist cap, but maybe I should have been. I got a black cherry nose and also a hint of blackberry. I began drinking the wine and was very disappointed by the taste. I do not know what the hell the wine critic above me was talking about regarding "smoke taint," but I did notice a smokey and musty aftertaste. It was not a pleasant smokey aftertaste either. I also noticed that the tannin structure was not very strong and that wine itself felt "empty." I would not recommend this wine to anyone.

Lindeman's- Bin 50 Shiraz 2012

Name- Lindeman's Bin 50 Shiraz

Variety- Shiraz

Region- Eastern Australia

Country- Australia

Year- 2012

Price-  $6.80

 Wine critic's review-
Someone once told me, “if you’re a fan of the Yellow Tail Shiraz, you’ll love Lindeman’s Bin 50 Shiraz!” Even though I don’t love the former, when I saw the latter at Trader Joe’s for less than $10, I figured that I should give it a shot. After all, Australia is a pretty cool place. Kangaroos are sweet. Lindeman’s Bin 50 Shiraz is from Australia too, so I hoped it’d be as awesome as a kangaroo.
Lindeman’s Bin 50 Shiraz is not as cool as a kangaroo. It wasn’t anything special. I was left with the lingering feeling that if I was blind testing this compared to the Three Buck Chuck Shiraz, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, which doesn’t speak well to this shiraz which claims to be something fancier.
I will not be buying another bottle of Lindeman’s Bin 50 Shiraz. It’s nothing exceptional, and for that price I’d rather shoot for something more.

My review- I decided to give another one of Lindeman's wines a shot again after enjoying their Bin 40 Merlot. I began with the nose and I could sense some plum and blackberry. The first taste reflected the nose. The tannin was solid but I was left wanting more from the wine. After letting the wine open up a little bit it did taste and smell better, but not significantly. I was not as pleased with this wine as the Bin 40 Merlot, but I still enjoyed it.

Opera Prima Pink Moscato NV

Name- Opera Prima Pink Moscato NV

Variety- Moscato

Region- Vinos de la Tierra

Country- Spain

Year- N/A

Price-  $5.95

Winemaker's notes- Premium sparkling wine. This fine sparkling presents and intense aroma of fresh berries and tropical fruits with hints of white flavor petals. Delicate bubbles caress the palate offering a silky and pleasant sweetness well balanced by a crisp, refreshing finish. Ideal on it own, as an aperitif or with all types of sweets and desserts. Alc. 7% by vol. Bottled by: J. Garcia Carrion La Mancha, S.A. Daimiel (Ciudad Real), Espana. Produce of Spain.

My review- Well, it's a Moscato, so I could not say I expected much. It was fizzy and very sweet like a typical Moscato.  With minimal tannin, it is very easy to drink and great for people just getting into wine. I'm more for a wine that will put lead in your pencil but this one did taste good. Overall, I cannot say I particularly liked this wine.

Black Opal Shiraz 2011

Name- Black Opal Shiraz 2011

Variety- Shiraz

Region- Southeastern Australia

Country- Australia 

Year- 2011

Price- $5.95


Wine critic's review- When I bought this, I was not expecting a blockbuster, concentrated and layered Shiraz. What we got was a typical rotary fermented, pressed before completely dry, soft, tasty, and easily approachable red wine. One of those wines made to a recipe, the acid, tannins, fruit, alcohol, and oak are all well managed. But, I'm not complaining. I wish it had more of that mouth filling, teeth staining Shiraz richness. I think they filtered out a lot of the tasty stuff. I've had lot's worse.

My review- I definitely liked this wine from the get-go. A peppery nose with a hint of blackberry was what I initially caught from this wine. My first taste was spicy with flavors of blackberry and plum which I really liked. It has a stout tannin, which I also really liked. This while sort of caught me off guard with its $5.95 price tag. I was expecting something that was not flavorful. Thankfully I was proven wrong. This wine is definitely a good one for the price and I would highly recommend it to a friend. 

Sokol Blosser Meditrina NV

Name- Sokol Blosser Meditrina NV

Variety-Blended Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel

Region- Oregon

Country- United States

Year- ???

Price- $7.95

Winemaker's notes-  A core of rich, lush raspberry from the Syrah. The Zin brings spice, tannin and structure. And the Pinot Noir brings flowers, earth and elegance. It all adds up to a luscious, juicy, easy-drinking mouthful of red wine that's both bright and vibrant yet round and soft.

My review-The nose of this wine really brought me in. Hints of raspberry and cherry were in the nose followed by a sort of spicy undertone. This wine has a very solid tannin and a good medium palate. This is followed by a raspberry after taste. This being said, Sokol Blosser Meditrina NV is a very solid wine for the price.

Wine Men of Gotham - Chardonnay/Semillon

Name- Wine Men of Gotham - Chardonnay/Semillon

Variety- Chardonnay/Semillon

Region- South Australia

Country- Australia

Year- 2008

Price- $5.95

Wine critic review- After falling in love with the Wine Men of Gotham's red wines in recent times, we are delighted to have on board this cutting edge Chardonnay. A completely unoaked style, the Wine Men's Chard has fragrant, perfumed aromas of tropical fruit and cashews and a palate that is mouthwateringly textured and rich with a sublime mouthfeel. The Wine Men of Gotham continue to astound us with their value-for-money offerings.

My review- The initial nose of the wine was very fruity and sweet, almost a tropical smell. With the first taste I could taste the tropical flavors that were in the nose of the wine. I tasted melon, apples, and maybe even guava. The wine's tannin was weak to moderate, but with this wine I was fine with it. This wine was very nice to drink and I regret not buying the wine after my tasting. Would definitely recommend this wine to a friend.

Beringer Riesling 2009

Name- Beringer Riesling 2009

Variety- Riesling

Region- California

Country- United States

Year- 2009

Price- $5.95

Wine critic review- Almost clear in color but with beautiful, surprising big aromas of lime, and pungent sweet guava with oriental 5 spice! Really nice!

Palate--Nice structure with off dry flavors of citrus, lemon rind, lime and a finish that holds.

I wrote in my review book, "R U kidding me?" This was $6 at Sam's Club and it is really a great value! If here is more I will definitely buy more!

Beringer was a producer of some pricey wines years ago and then made a decision to essentially forsake the higher end wines and just produce popularly priced table wine. Their change of focus has been our gift. They are consistent producers of super value wines so raise a glass.

My review- The first aspect about this wine I noticed was the the fruity and smooth nose. I sensed some guava, as the wine critic mentioned, but also some hints of melon. I anticipated a very sweet taste, but I was disappointed. The strongest taste was semi-sweet peach but besides that the other flavors were weak. This weakness came from the mid-palate, which was almost non-existent. Overall, this was decent and would be better with some sort of chicken or fish.