Clos du Bois Riesling

This weekend I partook of numerous wines, but right now I want to talk about the Clos du Bois Riesling that I drank with some friends for dinner on Thursday night. First of all, while the name might be misleading (it's French for "enclosure in the wood"), this is actually a wine from California. I picked this wine up at my local store for $13, as my fiance' and I were having friends over for dinner and our taste in wine differs greatly from theirs.

The Clos du Bois Riesling had plenty of citrus flavors, but leaned more towards the sweet side of the Riesling varietal (which was part of the reason I had purchased it for our guests). While it wasn't sickly sweet like some German Rieslings can be, it certainly wasn't crisp and dry. I paired this dinner with grilled chicken covered in BBQ sauce, and while it wasn't bad, I think I might have enjoyed it more had I paired it with something spicy, like Asian cuisine. All in all it wasn't a bad wine, but unless you're more into the sweeter Rieslings, I'd say you might want to avoid this wine unless you plan to pair it with something spicy. I give this wine 2.5 stars out of 5.

Find the Clos du Bois Riesling online at WineZap.com

Mirassou Chardonnay

Having already tried and reviewed the Mirassou Pinot Noir, I thought it would be a good idea to try one of Mirassou's white wines. This, it turns out, was a mistake. I really wanted to like the Mirassou Chardonnay, I tried to like it, the nose was good, the initial taste was crisp and refreshing....and then I swallowed and got a rough finish. A rough finish on a dry red can be somewhat acceptable, not great, but acceptable, however, a rough finish, the kind that hits you right on the back of the tongue and almost makes you do the bitter beer face, on a white wine is not acceptable.

Thinking the wine just needed food I paired it with a pasta dish I had made (wheat pasta, grilled chicken, and sun-dried tomato alfredo), only to find that the meal did nothing to help me enjoy the wine any more. While I spent less than $10 on this wine, I still feel as though I wasted my money for the simple fact that I didn't enjoy the wine.

If you're in the market for a chardonnay with hints of oak and you can get past the rough finish, then this might be your wine, but if you're anything like me and you like your steel aged chardonnay's to be crisp and clean, than you should really avoid the Mirassou Chardonnay. I give this wine 1 star out of 5. It's just not worth the eight bucks you'll spend on it.

Find Mirassou Chardonnay at Wine Zap

2006 Target Wine Cube Sauvignon Blanc

This is the second boxed wine that I've reviewed on this blog, and I have to say, I'm much more impressed with this one that I was with the Fisheye Shiraz. Target has taken the idea of the boxed wine and completely reimagined it. Not only have they redesigned the box, they've created a series of accessories including a stand that raises the cube high enough to easily place a glass beneath it for serving, but a cover that both insulates the wine and hides the "box" appearance beneath a stylish black covering with openings for the spout and the type of wine listed on the box.

The Sauvignon Blanc offered by Target is a good selection for anybody looking to either move away from the sweeter whites with something safe, or throw a party. In fact, the first thing that came to mind when I saw the Wine Cube setup was how convenient it would be for a party. While the wine itself is nothing to write home about, neither is it something I would be ashamed to offer at a huge outdoor picnic or informal cocktail party. It's easy and convenient and the subtle citrus flavors should be enjoyable to most white wine drinkers.

I'm not saying that this wine is anything even approaching amazing, but for around $15 for 3 liters of wine (that's roughly 3 bottles), you really can't go wrong with this wine when looking to entertain a number of people or just to have a basic "house" white on hand for your own enjoyment when you don't want to open up the good stuff. I give this wine 3.5 stars out of 5 for presentation alone.

Mirassou Pinot Noir

I'm a big fan of pinot noir. A really big fan of pinot noir. Because of this, I'm always happy to find a pinot noir that fits into my budget, which is exactly what I did with the Mirassou pinot noir. I drank this particular wine over Memorial Day weekend with a NY Strip that I personally seasoned and grilled to perfection. It was great.

The combination of the flavors from the meat and the smooth, rich flavors from the wine made for a truly enjoyable meal. Finding a pinot noir for under $10 ($8.99 at my local store) is a great find in itself, but finding one that can compliment a fine meal and be enjoyed well after the meal has been finished is an amazing find.

If you're in the market for a pinot noir that's smooth with no after taste and will compliment a good steak dinner, you can't go wrong with the Mirassou pinot noir from California. For the price, there really isn't any beating it. I give Mirassou Pinot Noir 4 stars out of 5. A definite must buy.

Ravenswood Vintner's Blend Zinfandel

I had been hesitant to try a red zinfandel based on the name association with white zinfandel, a wine I have a long distaste for (nothing personal, just not something I can get into). While shopping at my local market, a table had been set up for tasting some wines, and the Ravenswood Zinfandel was among them. Never one to turn down free samples, I tasted the wine. To say I was surprised would be an understatement.

The pepper at the finish was what caught me off guard the most, but in a good way. Finishing my far too tiny sample, I enjoyed the smoothness of the front end of the wine, but looked forward to the pepper at the end. Buying a bottle, I took this wine home and eventually enjoyed it with a meal of homemade jambalaya that had been made with shrimp and andouille sausage that possessed a smokey flavor that went very well with the pepper of the Ravenswood.

I cannot recommend this wine enough, and with a price range of $9 to $11, you really aren’t going to find a better deal on a very high quality zinfandel. This is a must buy and I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Go try this one today.

2004 Fisheye Shiraz

This weekend I tried a California Shiraz that I found…interesting. The 2004 Fisheye Shiraz that I purchased wasn’t actually a bottle, but a box of wine. While boxes of wine have certainly carried a stigma for many years, thanks in no small part to Franzia, more and more vineyards are starting to offer their wines in a 3L box that allows for more wine to be purchased without the need to store multiple bottles of wine.The 2004 Fisheye Shiraz that I bought retailed for around $17 at my local grocer, much less expensive than buying 4 bottles of a similar wine, and I paired it with a pigs in the blanket meal that was cooked in au jus and served over cooked pasta. The Fisheye Shiraz did an good job of adding a bit of flavor to the meat that had been slow cooking all day, but when sipped by itself it did nothing to inspire me. While it wasn’t bad by any means, it didn’t do anything to make me sit up and take notice either. It was sort of just…eh.While I would still recommend this wine to somebody looking for a middle of the road Shiraz that they might drink one to two glasses of a night, I can’t help but give the 2004 Fisheye Shiraz 2.5 stars out of 5. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either.