Frei Brother's Reserve Chardonnay 2006

I picked this Faei Brothers Chardonnay at Jewel. The bottle looked promising, but it turned out to be only just ok. Very crisp clean taste without a lot of oak. Very typical for a west coast Chard, but nothing I will remember. This is a great bottle in a pinch, but I wouldn't stock this in your cellar.

Inexpensive Wine Review: OK

bascand Pinot Noir

This Bascand Pinot Noir is a good fruit forward Pinot. Rich in both color and sustained flavor, it is a nice bottle of wine most wine drinkers will enjoy. I'm going to rate this as OK because there really isn't anything worth remembering about this bottle. Good quality wine for the value but won't impress. Great for when the conversation is much more important than anything you are drinking.

Inexpensive Wine Review: OK

Alma Rosa Pinot Noir 2006

This wine is very typical California Pinot. Alma Rosa has a nice fruit forward flavor that tails off nicely. To be honest, it isn't really anything special. It is good and I would suggest tying it yourself, but there isn't anything to this wine that you will remember.

Inexpensive Wine Review: OK

A-Mano Chianti 2006

I have always considered Chianti kind of a table wine (probably because it was described to my Dad and I as a table wine why we were in Italy one year). Myth or not, I like Chiantis but do not have high standards for the wine as a whole. This was a good wine. Not complex but still full-bodied flavor all the way through. Very typical for a good quality Chianti.


Inexpensive Wine Review: OK

Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

This Napa Cab is a great wine for the value. Avalon states on its website,

One-eighth the size of Bordeaux, this small little valley is responsible for some of the world's most expensive wines…

Ours, however, is not one of them. We've taken the ego out of the equation and bring you world class wine at a darn good value.

I would agree that Avalon has come up with a great inexpensive cab from an erea that produces a ton of great cabs that are, well, usually no cheap.

Inexpensive Wine Review: Great

IQUE Malbec 2007

This big bold Malbec is a fantastic wine for the money. I admit that I have not explored the world of Malbec all that well. I tend to find them good value wines, but fairly un-complex (read as not much to them). [Side Note, I’m looking for more Malbecs to review if anyone has suggestions]. Ique actually has a great full bodied flavor that paired great with a steak. For the money, this bottle seems like a steal.

Inexpensive wine review: Grab a couple cases

Sofia Riesling 2008

I'm becoming more and more of a Riesling fan. Yes, the wine is sweet...but I have found that good Rieslings don't have to taste like candy. For $20, this is not the cheapest wine to experiment with, but it is a great Riesling to try if your not convinced a Riesling can be a great wine.

This Riesling from Sofia is a pear-esc fruit froward wine fantastic for the summer time. Sofia could also make well with Sushi depending on the type of sushi you favor.

Inexpensive Wine Review: Great

Chateau l'Enclos 1982

Chateau l'Enclos is not a well know French Bordeaux (ok...not as well know as say Margaux), but is still a fantastic wine. The newer reviews usually has this Chateau as a pretty decent wine. According to my dad, it was the same back in the 80's. I have no idea what the wine tasted like back in the 80's (mainly becuase I wasn't allowed to drink yet), but the wine is pretty good now. It is on the tail end of it's prime. If you have it in a cellar somewhere, I suggest you start drinking up. It won't have very many more years in it...but it was well worth the wait. The tannins were all mellowed out leaving way for that great berry flavor. Good wine.

Aged Wine Review: Great

20 Gauge Chard 2007

Gauge wines makes 2 wines. The first was the 12 Gauge Cab and the other is the 20 Gauge Chard. Again, a very traditional California Chard. Not oaky with lots of very crisp clean flavors. For those who love west coast white, this is a great one to try. And like it's Cab brother, this is a "grab a couple cases" wine. Good stuff.

Inexpensive Wine Review: Grab a Couple Cases

12 Gauge Cab 2007

First in a series from Gauge Wines (Might be one of my new favorit wineries...which says a lot about the wine). This cab is a very traditional well ballanced cab. Pefrect with any meat or meal that, I quote, "hat's met its demise as a worthy adversary." At $15, this is a great buy. Grab a couple of cases...but only if you think you will be able to drink them in the next year or two. This is a great wine now, but it won't age well past a couple years.

Inexpensive Wine Review: Grab a Couple Cases