Root:1 Cabernet Sauvingnon

If you've read this blog before, you know what a big fan of the Root:1 Sauvignon Blanc I was.  While poking around my local Whole Foods (or Whole Paycheck as many affectionately call it), my wife and I found a bottle of Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon.  We quickly snatched it up.

Part of me was worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations, as I had quickly fallen in love with the Sauvignon Blanc, but at $10.99, what did I really have to lose?  I shouldn't have worried as the Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon was everything that I could have hoped for.

The hints of vanilla were great, but didn't overpower the fruit flavors of cherry and plum.  The tannins were just right, and it was very easy to drink and enjoy.  In short - it was great.  If you've tried the Root:1 Sauvignon Blanc, I can't think of any reason not to go out and try the Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon.  I give the Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon 4.75 stars out of 5.

Rockbridge Cabernet Franc

I live in Virginia, and while there are pros and cons to that, one good thing is that here in Virginia, we're big on making wine.  While we do some varietals better than others, one that seems to thrive here is the Cabernet Franc.  For my wedding my wife and I were given a subscription to a Virginia wine of the month club.  This past month we recieved a pair of wines from Rockbridge Vineyard.  One a white that was far too sweet for our tastes, and the other a Cabernet Franc.  

The Rockbridge Cabernet Franc has a nice earthiness to it that I find quite enjoyable.  A very dry Cabernet Franc, this red wine went great with a very sauce-heavy pasta and red sauce meal I prepared.  The one thing I did notice was that after my meal was finished and I was just drinking the wine, it was a bit too dry to be enjoyed by itself.

This is a great wine to eat with a hearty red sauce or juicy steak, but if you're looking for a wine to drink by itself, I think you can find a better Cabernet Franc for that purpose.  I give the Rockbridge Cabernet Franc 2.5 stars out of 5 since it'll go great with a meal, but leaves something to be desired by itself.

Campo Viejo Rioja

Today I review what is quickly becoming one of my favored types of wine: rioja. This Spanish varietal does a great job of combining the tannins that I love from cabernet sauvignons and adds great vanilla and plum flavors.

The Campo Viejo Rioja that I enjoyed was purchased for $9.99 at my local store, but can be found for not much more than $13 in other stores when I searched online. I paired this wine with a pasta dish featuring a spicy red sauce with sausage and onions in it that was a great compliment to the taste of the wine.

As I said, I've really been getting into rioja's lately, and while this is certainly not the best I've had to date, it is certainly a great buy for the price, and one that I'm sure to purchase again when I'm in the mood for a rioja and would rather spend $10 intead of $20. While this isn't the best example of the rioja, it's still a great wine for those interested in trying this particular varietal. I give the Campo Viejo Rioja 3 stars out of 5 for it's great vanilla flavors and smooth plumb finish.

Find Campa Viejo Rioja online at WineZap.com

Yellow Tail Shiraz

This is easily one of my favorite wines for just sitting around and enjoying a glass of wine. The Yellow Tail Shiraz does an excellent job of being a middling wine. While the low tannins won't really appeal to the true wine lover, the same lack of tannins and the nice berry flavors are great for those that are just getting in to wine, and are wonderful for parties, relaxing, or when you and your friends are having a movie night.

Ranging in price from about $9 to $13, there really are few bottles of shiraz that will satisfy your desire for a medium-bodied red wine for this price point. While the Yellow Tail shiraz certainly won't change your world view, if you're in the market for a middle of the road shiraz that you can keep on hand without breaking the bank, this is a good one to go with. I give the Yellow Tail shiraz 2.75 stars out of 5 - it's not great, but you won't regret buying it.

Find Yellow Tail Shiraz at WineZap.com

Vino Curioso 2006 Franc the Tank

Today I review what is, in my opinion, one of the more interesting vineyards to recently open. Vino Curioso. The highlight of this new vineyard is certainly their cabernet franc, which they refer to as Franc the Tank (a great refrence to Old School).

The first thing I noticed about this wine was the peppery flavor. The spice from that first sip was surprising and yet quite enjoyable, especially when coupled with the low tannins and smooth finish, something that Virginia cabernet francs are not known for. The smooth finish and low tannins allowed me to actually enjoy the pepperiness, which went well with some chips and salsa.

The wine aside, Vino Curioso is doing an excellent job of producing a series of wines that are both high quality and that are being marketed in a way to draw in a younger crowd that is either unfamiliar with wine as a whole, or at the very least with good wine. Having seen Vino Curioso at a wine festival, the majority of the patrons at their booth were between the ages of 22 and 30, a crowd that is yet to be tapped by the majority of vineyards. Vino Curioso is well on their way to establishing themselves as a quality vineyard with a wide base. I give the Vino Curioso Franc the Tank 4 stars out of 5, a definite buy for the cabernet franc lover.

Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz

Moving to Australia, today I review the Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz from South East Australia. I've become a big fan of wines from Australia, and especially this region, and the Rosemount Diamond Label is no exception. A wine that I've enjoyed in numerous restaraunts (for much more than you can find it at retail for), I was more than happy to purchase this shiraz for $12 (though I've seen it as low as $10 and as high as $15). With a nose featuring hints of spice and intense black fruits, the complex flavors of this red wine will stay with you, but in a good way.

A velvety, soft finish compliments the spices that make this wine so enjoyable. What I've found so enjoyable about shirazes, especially those that come from this region, is their versatility, and the Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz is no exception. Whether you're looking to drink this by itself or with a nice meal, if you haven't tried this wine before, now is the time to go and pick up a bottle. I easily recommend this wine and give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Find a bottle of Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz for under $20

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.

Bell'agio Chianti

I'll be the first to admit that I picked this wine up on a whim because I was in the mood for a chianti and the bottle caught my eye. Fortunately, it turned out to be really good for the price. Coming in at around $8.99, this Italian Chianti reminded me of exactly what it is I like out of a chianti - a simple wine that I can enjoy by itself or with a nice meal.

I enjoyed this chianti with a meal of Italian style meatballs over rice with a brown gravy - nothing fancy, but nice and hearty and warming on a day when I was, admittedly, feeling a bit under the weather. The nice tannins and dryness were exactly what I was craving, and while there was nothing complex or pretentious about this wine, it was the perfect compliment to the simple meal that I was enjoying.

If you're looking for a chianti that will redefine the varietal for you, this wine isn't it, but if you're looking for a nice house chianti that you can enjoy at home with a nice simple meal and that will add a bit of ambiance to your meal, this is absolutely the wine you want to go for. I give this bottle of wine 3.5 stars out of 5 because it's a good, solid chianti, but it won't blow your mind.

If you're looking for a bottle of Bell'agio Chianti, look here to see what you can find.

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.

2005 Evil Cabernet Sauvignon

Every once in a while a wine comes along that manages to combine my love of quality red wine, humorous names, and great value. The Evil Cabernet Sauvignon from Southern Australia is arguably one of the better wines that I’ve had in a long time, possibly made even better by the fact that it was given to me as a gift. Before opening the bottle featuring a screwcap, I was immediately amused by the bottles design. When held upright the label seems to make no sense, but when placed in a wine rack, the label is quickly read as EVIL. Doing my research into the wine, I found that their slogan of “It’s Just Wrong” couldn’t have been more off. Nearly every place I looked at gave it a 90/100 rating.
The big nose on the EVIL Cabernet is wonderful, and I took a couple of minutes to just enjoy the aroma of the wine itself. Within a few sips of the wine I was completely sold. With great flavors of plum and berry, and a spicy finish with a hint of tobacco, this is a great wine to go with a good steak, a hearty pasta dish, or just because you felt like a glass of wine. The friend that gave me the bottle said she paid only $8 for it, but the most I’ve seen it listed at is about $11, so either price is a steal for this high quality Cabernet Sauvignon. I cannot recommend this enough, and quite happily give it 5 stars out of 5. You don’t be disappointed if you get this one.

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.

2004 Barboursville Cabernet Sauvignon

In honor of the launch of this blog, I’ve decided to do two wines this week. Since I’ve already talked about a white wine, I’ll go to the other end and mention a quality red wine. The 2004 Barboursville Cabernet Sauvignon is a top quality cabernet that will entice both those just getting into the drier reds, and those that have established a long relationship with them.

Barboursville is a Virginia vineyard and winery located just outside of Charlottesville, or UVA for those not familiar with Virginia geography, and has a tradition of producing quality wines in the New World that respect their Old World ancestors. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is no exception.
While I have visited the Barboursville Vineyard, the bottle of wine that I drank for this review was purchased at a local wine store for $14.99, and for those that live in Virginia, Barboursville is available at most ABC locations. While I have long been a fan of the cabernets, this one has quickly become one of my favorites for its versatility. The tannins work well with red meat and pasta, but the bite that you get on the back of your tongue with good cabernet isn’t so overpowering that this wine can’t be enjoyed without a meal.

The meal I prepared to go with this wine was a baked pasta including ground beef, Prego brand spaghetti sauce with garlic and sausage flavoring, wheat penne pasta, and a splash of the wine itself into the sauce to add a bit of flavor and to help compliment the actual wine itself. You will find that I usually cook with wine…and sometimes I even put it in the food.

While the meal was delicious, something I make rather frequently, the Cabernet Sauvignon did an excellent job of bringing out the richness of the meal without overpowering it. Even after the meal was over I found myself sipping at an extra glass of the wine as a nice way to end the evening. In fact, as I write this I am finishing the bottle in the middle of the afternoon, and still find the wine to be an excellent sipping wine for when I have a taste for a red. This is one of the few straight Cabernet Sauvignons that my fiance will drink, so I can’t help but give this particular Cabernet a good review.

I give the 2004 Barboursville Cabernet Sauvignon 4 stars out of 5 because it’s a great red wine that will compliment most meals…and I reserve the final star for the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve that Barboursville also makes…even though it doesn’t fit into my $20 budget.