Wine tasted, Friday, January 25, 2013 at 8:30 PM

Double Dog Dare, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011, Livermore & Ripon, California. Given as a gift. Priced a bottle at $2.99 (www.totalwine.com). 12.5% ALC.

It was a cute logo on the bottle. This wine tended to be very light of body for a Cabernet. When I opened the bottle, I could smell a hint of oak and blackberry. As I sipped the wine, I could taste a little tannin, but very smooth. That was all this wine had to offer. Unfortunately, it did not offer any character, and it was bland and boring. It also had a lower alcohol content compared to other Cabernets, normally 13.5% or 14% ALC nowadays. I could not find the date of bottling anywhere in the bottle, but it would be good if you have low tolerance for alcohol like I do. However, even for me it was too thin and had no personality. If you want to take a bottle of cheap wine, you can find a good selection under $10  of good quality of red wines at your nearest wine store. If you are not sure what to take, simply ask a store attendant.

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Wine tasted, Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Cortton by Errazuriz, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011, Central Valley, Chile. Purchased a bottle for 7,800 pesos ($17) at Villa del Rio Hotel, Valdivia, Chile. 13.5% ALC.

At the lunch table of a nice hotel restaurant overlooking the Calle Calle River in Valdivia, Chile, the wine ran out and we ordered another bottle of this good red wine. I previously blogged about Shiraz by this winery. I was curious about its Cabernet Sauvignon. It was dark ruby color, a little darker than usual among young reds. The nose was oaky and a had a hint of tobacco, or  perhaps coffee. When I sipped it, it revealed a smooth palate that made it very drinkable. A little tannin, but subtle. It was supposed to taste like vanilla, but I could not separate that taste. The label said this winery promises to make the highest quality Cabernet Sauvignons from the best grapes, but this promise fell short.  This was an OK wine, and it was very drinkable, but not something to run out for and get immediately.

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Wine tasted, Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 7:30 PM

J. Bouchon, Carmenere Reserva, 2011, Maule Valley, Chile. Purchased  a bottle for 4,100 pesos ($8) at Lider, Chile. 13.5% ALC.

Since this wine had a French name, I had some expectations that it might be interesting. The color was a typical Carmenere, but on the light side of a ruby color. The nose smelled of old French oak barrels. If this is the intense aroma they claim, I would rather have not have intense aroma at all on this wine. I thought they used French oak barrels far longer than they should have. I was a little disappointed! When I sipped the wine, I could taste a hint of coffee, which the label claimed. But I could not taste green pepper, which supposedly added complexity to the flavor. Overall, the wine was so so, even flat. I hate to use this expression, and I had tried to drink it  with different foods (cheese and dry salty meat). I really tried to like this wine, but I did not succeed. The label says  the family has produced Bordeuax French style wine since 1892. Really? If you want to try a cheap, barely OK French style wine, you might try this, but don’t blame me if you are disappointed. Let me know!

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Wine tasted, Friday, January 18, 2013 at 2:40PM

Hemisferio by Miguel Torres, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, 2011, Central Valley, Chile. Purchased  a bottle at 4000 pesos ($8) at  small grocery store de Chile. 14% ALC.

After the disappointment of Santa Helena Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, I tried another Reserva wine, this Miguel Torres Hemisferio. It was a little more expensive than the previous one, but not too much. But what a difference when it comes to taste! It had much more complexity and a lovely taste. The nice dark ruby color was very vivid. It had a good nose, but not too strong. When I sipped it, I could taste oak, berry, hints of tannin, coffee and plum. I think this could be a good wine to drink by itself, without food. The label did not provide any information about the wine, but irrelevant information on how they grow their grapes and contribute to the preservation of the Chilean Patagonia (it seems that almost any area of Chile and Argentina is now sold as  part of the Patagonia, obviously a marketing ploy).  I think this is a better wine than most for under $10. Have a try!

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Wine tasted, Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 8:25 PM

Besllum, Red Blends, 2008, Monsant, Spain. Purchased a bottle for $11.99 at Costco, 14.5% ALC.

At the wine section one of sales persons said this was very good wine. It is a blend, and he told me that this was one of the more popular wines at Costco, as customers asked for it specifically. I was a skeptical customer. But my partner was also very excited about this wine. Okay, I thought, if this wine is good, and  we were planning to have a party soon, I should buy a lot of it. In the end, we bought 12 bottles of Besllum Red.

This hopeful thought turned out to be a disappointment that evening. I had high expectations given all the buildup for this wine. Unfortunately, I could detect no nose, it had a very flat, thin red color, no personality, no character! Some people recommending wines obviously don’t know what they are talking about, or engaging in the usual (inaccurate) sales talk. I realize now, of course, that wine drinking is all about personal taste. Even if I disliked this wine, that does not mean everybody else would agree with me. In my humble personal opinion, this wine should be $5, not $12. What a waste of money!

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Wine tasted, Friday, February 1, 2013 at 7:45 PM

Sonoma County for Kirkland by DC Flynt MW Selections, 2010, Old Vine Zinfandel, Kenwood, California. Purchased a bottle for $9.99 at Costco. 15.2% ALC.

This was the first time we purchased Kirkland, Costco´s store brand wines, after watching on TV how Costco buyers go about selecting vineyards to supply its stores. I would normally buy paper and detergent products at Costco, not wines. So I was highly skeptical, but I thought I would invest in a bottle to taste the wine for my blog. I thought that if this is a bad wine, I must sacrifice so you don’t have to buy a bad wine yourself.

The 15.2% ALC surprised me.  This was the first time I saw this much of alcohol content in a normal red or white wine. However, I had heard that the wine industry has been pushing alcohol content higher and higher for a while now.

When I opened the bottle, I smelled a very nice bouquet, and a very smooth nose. My skepticism melted right away! Indeed this was a good wine. It had a very nice deep, dark ruby color, and an excellent balanced complexion. When I sipped the wine, I could taste various complex layers of blackberry, vanilla and other nice fruity flavors. It was very smooth to the palate with a little tannin that must have aged in an oak barrel for more than a year, thus a long finish. This wine can be consumed at a party or with dinner.  What a deal for a $9.99!  If tasted blindly, this could easily be thought of as a $20 to $30 wine. I would buy this wine again and again. Congratulations to Costco! You never disappoint me. I regretted  that I bought only one bottle. I had to wait until my next trip to Costco, but then I bought a case. Try it!

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Wine tasted, Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 1:30 PM

Amauta III, 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet, 2008, Salta, Argentina. Priced a bottle at  $30 (www.wine-searcher.com). 14% ALC.

We were served this wine at Café Felix in Buenos Aires.   We always like the combination of Malbec and Cabernet, and this wine was very good.  Inky, fruity, yet with the steeliness of Cabernet; it made for a great combination – fruity, but not too much so.

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Wine tasted, Sunday, January 24, 2013 at 1:30 PM

DV Catena  by Bodega Catena Zapata, Malbec-Malbec, 2010, Mendoza, Argentina. Priced at $21.29 or $23.45 (in US),14% ALC.

We drank this double Malbec in a restaurant in Buenos Aires.  It was recommended by the waiter for our meal of Lamb Loin and Rabbit in mustard sauce.  Typical of Malbec, it was inky violet, very dark and had a hint of syrup.  The flavor was intense and paired beautifully with both meats.  You can see both the bottle and the wine in a glass in the photos.  We would really recommend this wine if you like Malbecs, because it basically ‘doubled’ the Malbec typical great qualities.

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Wine tasted, Monday, March 12, 2013 at 8:40 PM

Sabor Real,  Toro, 2007 Crianza, Spain. Purchased at Costco for $9.99, 14% ALC.

I did not know much about Toro grapes from Spain, so I wanted to get acquainted with this wine. I also noticed that the vintage was 2007, so it could either be very good or taste like vinegar. First, I did the color test, which was a very dark, very ripe cherry color, but with no cherry taste. Second, I did the smell test. Even though this was a 14% ALC wine, I did not smell too much alcohol. Normally I am not too crazy about an overpowering smell of alcohol. I could  also smell a very subtle fruity aroma, such as blackberry. Last, I did the actual tasting. I could taste some tannins, but not too strong. However, somehow tannins were left on my tongue. I think this is generally a very smooth wine, very nice as a matter of fact. It would go well paired with some meats.

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Wine tasted, Friday, February 22, 2013 at 8:10 PM

Groth, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009, Napa Valley – Oakville, California. Gifted.  Priced a bottle at $55 (www.wine.com). 13% ALC.

I had never heard of this wine until two close friends, who discovered it in their last trip to Napa Valley, brought it for a dinner party. I promptly saved it so I could taste it on my own (maybe this is not OK, but I can’t help it). I finally had a chance. The results are excellent. I am very pleased with this wine. The label on the bottle is not very descriptive, which provides an opportunity for drinkers to express their own view without the guidance of the vintner. I like that. It features a very deep dark red color, and it is silky and velvety to the palate, with low tannins. A delicious wine, albeit a little expensive, to accompany food or to drink alone. I assume that the smoothness comes from it being aged in oak barrels. I tried it while pairing it with beef steak and lamb, and the results in both cases were very good. Try this wine and you won’t be disappointed.

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