Tasting - Jam Jar Sweet White

Name: Jam Jar Sweet White
Variety:  %100 Muscat

Region:  Western Cape

Country: South Africa

Year:  2011

Price:  $8.95

Shop Review:  Soft floral hints add depth to the otherwise straightforward ripe peach and nectarine aromas.  There's a good balance in the mouth, with a nice acidic lift and slightly lime edge to cut the sweetness on the finish and close with the faintest hint of honeydew melons.

Tasting Review:  Exactly what you'd expect from the name. Strong honeysuckle with white peach, citrus lemon and lime. Ok in the mouth. Very sweet acid seemed low but excellent lime finish.

Tasting - Entrada Malbec

Name: Entrada Malbec 
Variety:  %100 Malbec

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year:  2013

Price:  $5.95

Shop Review:  Firm and structured, this solid wine, laced with mineral acidity and tight tannins.  It has a juicy, blackberry fruit component cutting through the texture.

My Review:  A deep colored wine with a very vegetal character. Strong notes of green peppers overlaid on blackberry. Medium plus acid and tannins with blackberries becoming the prominent note in the finish.

Tasting - Vina Borgia

Name: Vina Borgia
Variety:  %100 Grenache

Region:  Campo de Borja

Country: Spain

Year:  2012

Price:  $6.95

Professional Review:  Also mode from %100 Grenache, the 2012 Vina Borgia was fermented and aged in stainless steel.  Its medium dark ruby color is followed by abundant notes of strawberries and black cherries offered in a straightforward, medium-bodied, soft, hedonistic, round style.  Its hard to believe a wine this good can sell for $7 a bottle.  Enjoy it over the next 1-2 years.
Robert Parker - 86 points

My Review:  Great, strong cherry on the nose followed up by blackberries. An interesting palate of beef, earth, and minerals that in conjunction almost have the a juicy feel and a blood like component. Medium acid, Medium plus tannins, and a lingering blackberry finish.

Tasting - Peter Lehmann Chardonnay

Name: Peter Lehmann Chardonnay 
Variety:  %100 Chardonnay

Region:  Eden Valley, California

Country: USA

Year:  2010

Price:  $9.95

Shop Review:  The 2010 Chardonnay presents subtle notes of spiced apple slices and ripe peaches with hints of freshly baked bread and melon.  Light bodied, clean and refreshingly crisp in the mouth, it offers just enough apple and pear flavor concentration, finishing with medium long persistence.  Drink it now to 2014.  

Tasting Review:  Good. Toasty on the nose, sort of a butter parchment scent that gives way to a peach aroma. The palate is much the same all though more buttery. Medium acid, medium dry and finishes well with a crisp snap.

Tasting - Protocolo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla

Name: Protocolo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
Variety:  White table wine (Airen + Macabeo blend)

Region:  La Mancha

Country: Spain

Year:  2012

Price:  $6.95

Shop Review:  Greenish gold.  Subtle aromas of mint, lemon, and orange, with a hint of honeysuckle.  Dry, understated, and focused, offering clean citrus and melon flavors and slow building sweetness.  Finishes dry and brisk, with an echo of lemon.  As usual, this is an outstanding value.

My Review: Good. Subtle nose, definite citrus with a strong honey smell. Semi-dry, Medium acid with a strong citrus note at the end.

Tasting - R Wines Eco.Love Riesling

Name: R Wines Eco.Love Riesling 
Variety:  %100 Riesling

Region:  South Island

Country:  New Zealand

Year:  2009

Price:  $7.95

Shop Review:  Our South Island Riesling has a range and combination of flavors unlike and other.  These flavors span citrus, root ginger, white peach, spices, and florals.  Eco.Love Riesling is made in balance to an off-dry style.  Food pairing: Asian Fusion, Seafood, Curry, and anything spicy

My Review: Probably my favorite white varietal and up until now I had never had a Riesling from down under. It was mostly what I anticipated with tropical fruits and minerals making up most of its character. It was boarding on too sweet for me but the strong tart acidic component reigned in the sweetness. Somewhat short finish but with a strong mango flavor left lingering. 

Tasting - Toschi Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Toschi Cabernet Sauvignon 
Variety:  100% Cabernet Sauvignon 

Region:  California

Country:  USA

Year:  2011

Price:  $8.95

Shop Review:  Well-balanced flavors of dark berries and plums.  Spicy fruit finish.

My Review: Deceptive but maybe good. This wine starts of very herbaceous. It smells of green pepper, thyme and spice. One would expect to find a sort of earthy character on the palate however the wine veers off on a completely different course with what can only be described as a pungent and fruity jolly rancher flavor. Structurally it is very smooth but tingles with a high acidic quality but the super sweet fake fruit flavors make this wine a no go for me. 

Tasting - Canyon Road Pinot Noir

Name: Canyon Road Pinot Noir 
Variety:  100% Pinot Noir

Region:  California

Country:  USA

Year:  2012

Price:  $6.95

Shop Review:  Rich, fruit forward cherry flavors, soft tannins, a medium body and a smooth velvety finish.  Pairs well with creamy soups, salmon, and savory pork dishes.  

My Review: Excellent for the price. Very cherry jam on the nose with a super smooth, silky mouthfeel but not lacking in structure. Medium acid with a penultimate flavoring of wild-berries and raspberries closing with a final note of cherry. 

Tasting - Wine Men of Gotham

Name: Wine Men of Gotham 
Variety:  80% Chardonnay 20% Semillion

Region:  South Australia

Country:  Australia

Year:  2008

Price:  $7.95

Shop Review:  Chardonnay Semillion is a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Semillion.  It gives a moderate intensity of melon, guava, apricot, and butterscotch aromas.  The medium bodied palate provides attractive acidity along with plenty of tropical fruit flavors and a medium-long finish.

My Review: Great name. Simple balanced wine. It starts with aromas of melons and grass that changes to a more malic component in the mouth. Very tart towards the end with medium alcohol and a pleasant medium acid.

Tasting - Indwe Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Indwe Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Western Cape

Country: South Africa

Year: 2012

Price: $7.95

Shop Review: Grapes are meticulously sourced from our grape producers along the Coastal region of the Western Cape ensuring complexity and freshness in the wine. Indwe Sauvignon Blanc is full of layers, balance, and persistence. The wine is imbued with tropical and citrus notes, with hints of melon and gooseberry flavors.

My Review: Crisp. On the nose grassy, floral, citrus with hints of peach and pear. It has a semi-sweet palate a medium alcohol with a citrus finish. Good spring/summer wine. 

Tasting - Waterbrook Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Waterbrook Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, 8% Syrah

Region: Walla Walla Washington

Country: USA

Year: 2011

Price: $9.99

Shop Review: Bold and rich with developed aromatics of blackberry, cherry, cedar, leather and cocoa powder. The palate continues with deep blackberry jam, huckleberry and black currant. The oak structure guides the way to lingering cocoa powder on the finish.

My Review: MUST BE ALLOWED TO OPEN. I can't stress that enough. Straight out of the bottle you will be disappointed. Let it breath. Once it's sat for a time the complexity of this wine soars. The nose sails through, currant, blackberry, and cocoa with the palate reinforcing those notes and adding a jammier component. Finally it crescendos with a hit of oak and fades away leaving behind the cocoa note you knew from before. Sensational wine. 

Food Pairing: I paired it with a dry rubbed top sirloin steak, twice baked potatoes and fresh broccoli cooked al dente and seasoned with a chipotle spice.

Tasting - Vega Douro

Name: Vega Douro
Variety: 40% Tinta Roriz, 40% Touriga Franca and 20% Touriga Nacional

Region: Douro

Country: Portugal

Year: 2009

Price: $9.99

Shop Review: 90 DFJ Vinhos 2009 Vega (Douro). 
Smooth and wood aged, this has a polished texture. Fruit flavors of blueberry and red cherry combine with the rounded tannins and a spice note to give a rich feel. Full yet elegant, age this for the next two years. Dionysos Imports Inc. -R.V.

My Review: Very spicy. The fruit flavors were very mellow hard to distinguished but the body and tannin component were spot on.

Tasting - Finca del Castillo

Name: Finca del Castillo
Variety: 100% Tempranillo

Region: La Mancha

Country: Spain

Year: 2011

Price: $8.99

Shop Review: 88 Points - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (September 2013)
 "Bright red. Dark cherry, cassis, licorice and black pepper on the nose. Firm, slightly bitter dark berry flavors gain sweetness with air and pick up a smoky quality. Finishes with good length, lingering bitterness and an echo of cherry pit. - JR"

My Review: A good tempranillo. Old world for sure. Rich cherry and blackcurrant with a spicy pepper for the ending. Smoke is predominantly the palate's make up with underling berries, which combine to a sort of blackberry cigarette. Long finish with a snap at the end. 

Tasting - Rubus Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Rubus Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Napa Vally, California

Country: USA

Year: 2012

Price: Regular $100 Sale price $24.95

Shop Review: Its long finish displays full mature flavors of blackberry, currant and chocolate with just a hint of toasty oak and black cherry. The tannins are refined and polished, allowing the fruit to be the focus. Serve this Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with a variety of bold preparations ranging from Osso Bucco to grilled red meats and cheeses.

My Review: Ok. I would have been disappointed if I had bought this wine at full price. The above description is accurate but the intensity of all the flavors was flat, the acids seemed low and the wine was flabby as a consequence. If it were an instrument it would be out of tune. Perhaps that was why it was on sale something seems to have gone wrong. 

Tasting - Evodia Old Vines Grenache

Name: Evodia Old Vines Grenache
Variety: 100% Grenache

Region: Calatayud 

Country: Spain

Year: 2012

Price: $9.95

Shop Review: 88 Points - Robert Parker
An Eric Solomon custom cuvee, the 2012 Evodia is 100% Grenache from a vineyard planted at more that 2000 feet in pure decomposed slate soils. Some of the Grenache vines are over 100 years of age. The wine exhibits good density, plenty of richness, not the complexity or ethereal qualities of several of his other custom cuvees, but beautiful fruit, a luscious texture and a hedonistic mouthfeel as well as finish. Enjoy this remarkable value over the next 2-3 years.

My Review: Great. Ruby red color with an exceptionally sweet nose. Strong aromas of strawberries. I was braced for an overly fruity wine when I smelled it but the switch was much better. It dropped to smooth and strong berry and earth body with good acids and great tannins. The balance was one of the best mouthfeels I've gotten from a wine. 

Tasting - Dos Fincas Cabernet Malbec

Name: Dos Fincas Cabernet Malbec
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 60% / Malbec 40%

Region: San Carlos (Altamira) and Tunuyan, Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2011

Price: Regular Price $20 Sale price $12.95

Shop Review: 90 Points - Wine Enthusiast
An excellent wine for the money. All of Basso's current wines are rock solid, including this blend of Cabernet and Malbec, which shows jammy berry aromas backed by plump blackberry and strawberry flavors. Solid and flush throughout, with nary a flaw. 

My Review: Good. The shop review got it right just a solid wine. It doesn't really blow me away in any one aspect. It is simply well rounded with balanced flavors. 

Tasting - Molly Dooker The Violinists Verdelho

Name: Molly Dooker The Violinists Verdelho
Variety: N/A

Region: McLaren Vale

Country: Australia

Year: 2010

Price: Regular Price $30 Sale price $14.95

Shop Review: 90 Points - Robert Parker
A blend of 1/3 Adelaid Hills fruit and 2/3 McLaren Vale, the 2010 The Violinist Verdelho gives intense aromas of lemon juice, white pepper, coriander seed and a touch of grapefruit peel. Crisp, rich and very full in the mouth (15.5% declared alcohol), this Verdelho provides a great intensity of spiced citrus flavors with some poached pears and apple slices coming through in the long finish. 

My Review: I have never tasted a wine like this before. It was heavy on the palate and you could feel the alcohol but not the burn which was seemingly canceled out by the fullness of the creamy citrus flavors. It was like drinking pie with a medley of fruit flavors. 

Tasting - Bouchaine Bouche de Buerre

Name: Bouchaine Bouche de Buerre
Variety: 100% Chardonnay

Region: Napa Valley, California

Country: USA

Year: 2009

Price: Regular Price $50 Sale price $24.95

Shop Review: The 2009 Bouchaine Bouche de Beurre Chardonnay from their Estate vineyard is a classic crowd pleaser with all the glory of the rich, buttery California Chardonnay but stylishly balanced with brigh tCarneros texture and acidity. It belies the cloying opulence so frequently associated with this style of Chardonnay. Bouche de Buerre pairs superbly with any rich cuisine accented with cream or butter, but also offers sufficient restraint to serve with well-seasoned sauteed shellfish or flavorful-accented roasted poultry. 

My Review: Loud and Strong. This is definitely a California Chardonnay. The creamy butter is powerful but there is still wine behind its vanilla facade. The acid structure is there to hold this wine up and the sweetness fades just in time so as to not overwhelm you. The above suggestion of pairing this buttery wine with more butter or cream seems a bit outlandish but a more reserved sauce and definitely flavorful poultry would be spectacular. 

Tasting - Manos Negras

Name: Manos Negras
Variety: 95% Torrontes 5% Viognier

Region: San Juan

Country: Argentina

Year: 2010

Price: Regular Price $15 Sale price $5.95

Shop Review: 2009 Review 91 Points - Robert Parker
Blended 5% Viognier; fragrant with restraint, lively acidity, citrus notes add complexity.

My Review: Refreshing. Fruity on the nose, very bright to taste. High acid makes the flavors dance. They come and go so quickly its hard to nail them down. Very crisp with a citrus finish.

Tasting - Petrucco Ribolla Gialla Friuli

Name: Petrucco Ribolla Gialla Friuli
Variety: Ribolla 100%

Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Country: Italy

Year: 2009

Price: Regular Price $20 Sale price $11.95

Shop Review: 87 Points - Wine Enthusiast
This well priced Friulano would pair nicely with spicy Indian or Thai food thanks to the creaminess and richness of its mouth feel. In addition, the wine offers a solid bouquet of peach and melon that would not compete with fragrant ingredients.

My Review: A good white. Definitely peaches on the nose with melon creeping in as it warmed up. The mouthfeel was also something more than just creamy. It was very interesting and it definitely coated the mouth but was more of a thin cream very fleeting.