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I love the weekends because I can and frequently do drink lots of wine with no regrets (unlike those 3 bottle events on Tuesday nights when the roosters crow too damn early the next morning). This weekend was a great one for discovering 3 new, excellent wines one of which is fantastic.

The first excellent wine came during dinner on Saturday night. We were out to eat with some friends to celebrate - kinda (more details later in post). One of my wine buddies (read: wino) ordered a bottle of Liberty School Syrah (tried to find another blog to give some link-love to for this wine and couldn’t!). We each had different dinners so there was only one thing we had in common that we all liked very much and that was the wine. I didn’t have the facilities to do an official review and I don’t like to do reviews from memory but just know that this wine will probably hit the < $11 List when I do buy and review it.

I also had a glass of Peirano Estate Lodi - The Other Red 2005. I found it very satisfying and my wino buddies were jealous that I always seem to pick the wine that they should have ordered. I’m really in to Syrah/Shiraz lately. We jokingly call it a “phase” but unlike the Merlot “phase” which I don’t think I will ever drink again, I can easily add Syrah/Shiraz to my repertoire and still drink Cabs, Zins, etc. Again, I couldn’t do an official review of this one but I hope to in the future. For now check out this review on Peirano Estate Lodi - The Other Red 2005.

Not to be outdone by Saturday night, Sunday night had the debut for me of a truly spectacular wine. I will be doing an official review on it this week but as a teaser - suffice it to say that this wine has me questioning the ratings on all my previous reviews. It too is a Shiraz and I think will be seen as a milestone in my wine education when I look back a few years from now in much the same way that the Le Volte Meritage was for me nearly 2 years ago.

Last week I told you about 4 wines I was going to review. I did review 3 of them but the 4th will go un-reviewed. Reason being that we are right in the middle of moving and all we had to drink wine out of last week were plastic cups. I’m usually not snooty and would normally get off on doing a review of a wine from a Dixie cup instead of some fancy, really expensive glass. However, in keeping to true and honest, usable reviews I couldn’t bring myself to slam the PETS Petite Syrah as a wine that tastes like the purple stuff you get at church, or grape juice with a kick or any other non-flattering correlation. I’ll try it again some other time in a real wine glass and see if it’s any different.

Anyway, to finish up the celebratory remark early on we are relocating back across the country to Colorado Springs, CO. As I said earlier all of our stuff is packed up, living in a PODS box currently being transported to our new residence there. We are currently staying with a wino buddy and she has an excellent selection of wines - one of which is the forthcoming review of the spectacular Shiraz. We’ll be hitting the road on Friday morning and I should be back up and blogging by Sunday night if not sooner. The celebration was a send off by all of our friends here in San Antonio, TX. For those that were there - Thanks for a great night!!

In the meantime keep a close eye here this week for several new reviews including the spectacular Shiraz and the first review on this blog of a Barbera.

Cork:Authentic
Name: Ravenswood Vintners Blend
Type: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Region: California
Country: USA
Producer: Ravenswood
Price: 9.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/15/2007
Served With: Pepperoni Pizza
Appearance: Pours thinner than a cab, active legs, deep color
Aroma: Just uncorked can smell a bit of alcohol though it quickly fades. Nice berry aromoas
Taste: BOLD, strong, makes a statement. Could be a bit raw and overpowering.
Comments: This makes an excellent 2nd bottle of wine among friends. Why? Because it can be a bit in-your-face for a novice wine drinker and if you’re not eating anything with it - even more so. However, after the first bottle of wine your palate is a bit numb (maybe your nose is too) and this is a nice pick-me-up. I like to drink this wine with extra-sharp cheddar cheese, blue cheese and anything else that has a very distinct flavor to it.

If you look at the Ravenswood website you’ll see that their slogan is “No Wimpy Wines!”. This wine certainly is NOT wimpy!

Buy the 2004 Napa version here.

Cork:Authentic
Name: Peachy Canyon - Incredible Red
Type: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2005
Region: Paso Robles
Country: USA
Producer: Peachy Canyon
Price: 11.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/15/2007
Served With: Pepperoni Pizza
Appearance: A bit thin, looks of medium body, weak legs
Aroma: Black raspberries, oak
Taste: This has the distinct taste of a raspberry Jolly Rancher. Definitely medium body, ok tannins
Comments: In keeping with “all wines are good” I didn’t particularly dislike this wine…it just didn’t stand out to me. It was of pleasant taste and medium body and the ladies loved it. Even with the Jolly Rancher liking it wasn’t particularly sweet. I supposed I’m just used to Zinfandel’s being bold, rich and strong. This Incredible Red was more like a Zinfandel Lite.

You can see some reviews from the 2004 version of Peachy Canyon Zinfandel here.

Cork:Authentic
Name: J. Lohr
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Region: Paso Robles
Country: USA
Producer: J. Lohr Winery
Price: 9.99 (on sale)
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/15/2007
Served With: Pepperoni Pizza
Appearance: Deep Purple Man
Aroma: Smells high in alcohol content, oaky
Taste: Bold but smooth. Gets better after decanting. Pairs with just about anything to compliment the food.
Comments: I like this wine a lot. Its one of my favorites but is typically more than my $11 self-imposed limit for everyday wine drinking. This is one wine that I notice that benefits from decanting. I run it through a funnel with sprinkler-like opening at the bottom and let it sit in the decanter for 10-15 minutes. You can buy that funnel here but you can definitely find it much cheaper elsewhere. It virtually eliminates the alcohol smell and takes the edge off. This is a very versatile wine in that it will enhance just about any food you’re eating. It brings out the spiciness in a pepperoni pizza and is also a nice companion to chocolate after dinner.

Cork:Authentic
Name: Liberty School
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2004
Region: Paso Robles
Country: USA
Producer: Liberty School Winery
Price: 10.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/09/2007
Served With: Chicken Fajitas
Appearance: Very rich, deep purple color, excellent legs
Aroma: Vanilla, chocolate, berries…mmm, mmm!
Taste: Even, unoffensive, smooth and tasty! The vanilla comes through in the taste as well. Strong berries and cherry undertones.
Comments: This has become one of my all-time favorites in the Cab category. For smoothness in a cab its tough to beat this wine. It truly is unoffensive allowing you to serve it to just about any level of wine drinker and they will probably enjoy it. The vanilla and cherry flavors in this wine make it very tasty but don’t be fooled, its not a sweet wine. It fits the dry category but these other tastes smooth the edges of what can sometimes be pretty sharp in a Cabernet Sauvignon.

The same producer also makes a Syrah that I’ve not tried yet but look forward to checking out.

Look here for a couple of other reviews on this Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon.

To digress slightly on the ‘unoffensive” remark, in my opinion many non-blend wines such as Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah can have a very strong flavor. For someone that doesn’t drink wine often this can sometimes be overpowering and cause newbies not to like it. When I say unoffensive I mean that its very smooth and most likely won’t overpower even the novice wine drinker.

Buy it here.

Cork:Authentic
Name: Santa Rita Reserva
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2003
Region: D.O. Maipo Valley
Country: Chile
Producer: Santa Rita Vineyards
Price: 8.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/09/2007
Served With: Chicken Fajitas
Appearance: Medium body, decent legs
Aroma: Spicy, alcoholy
Taste: Very dry, even flavored yet thin. The finish reminds me of a Carmenere with a somewhat spicy finish.
Comments: My first impression upon opening and pouring is that this wine is a bit thin for my tastes. When I say thin I mean strong alcohol overtones. However, with time and/or decanting this bottle turned out very nicely. We didn’t drink the whole bottle on Monday, having had only 1/3 of the bottle. We finished it on Tuesday night (along with an entire bottle of Liberty School Cab, review coming tomorrow, but there were 3 of us!) and it was much smoother the second day. I find that this happens frequently with South American wines and I should know to just decant them but if I only end up drinking one glass I have to pour from the decanter back into the bottle and its always a mess.

Just to finish up the Carmenere thought, I think that most carmeneres have a less than ripe taste on the finish. At first it can be troubling if your mind can’t get over the under-ripe visions. However, I’ve learned to appreciate the taste and quite enjoy most Carmeneres these days. Because I’m just a redneck its probable that this flavor that I’m contributing to Carmenere is just more common in South American wines though so far I’ve only attributed that taste to Carmeneres and this Cab.

For another take on this Santa Rita Cab check out the weingolb site.

Cork: Authentic
Name: Wyndham Estates Bin 555 Shiraz
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2003
Region: Hunter Valley
Country: Australia
Producer: Wyndham Estates
Price: 8.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/09/2007
Served With: Homemade Cheese & Sausage Pizza
Appearance: Deep, dark, rich purple
Aroma: Spicy, ripe red fruits
Taste: Slightly sweet compared to most cabs I drink, plummy, full-bodied with a peppery finish.
Comments: I first had this wine at a local restaurant called Bin 555, imagine that. I like this wine on occasion as it offers a change-up from the usual cabs I drink on a weekly basis. To my palate its sweeter and fuller compared to some other choices in the same varietal. The peppery finish kills the sweetness at the end and makes easy to want the next drink. It is a bit richer than most of the other wines I drink and therefore I don’t drink it in excess. Hah! Who am I kidding! I’ll drink it all night long, every night of the week if its there!

If you’re looking to buy some of this wine look here.

For another brief review of Bin 555 Shiraz on about.com it only takes a second to read it.

A much more humorous review of the same Wyndham Estates Bin 555 Shiraz from 2002 look here. Gotta love this site just because of the name!

Anyone keeping track out there? Can’t think of a good reason why you would. Its only been a year or so since my last post. Geez, you’d think I fell off the face of the earth. In fact, I have not. Why, I even made a trip to Napa and Sonoma last Summer. If that doesn’t give you something to blog about I don’t know what could! Oh, time! Yes, time is the key.

Recently made a trip back to Colorado Springs and while I was there I visited some old friends and drank some good wine. One of the bottles we drank one evening was a 2003, Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. It was very good and a hit with all in attendance. I couldn’t wait to try it out back at home.

Cork:Real
Name:Louis M. Martini
Type:Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage:2003
Region:Sonoma
Country:USA
Producer:Louis M. Martini Winery
Price:12.99 (on sale)
Purchased at:HEB
Date:03/16/2007
Served With:Kraft Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese Stick
Appearance:Dark and rich, excellent legs
Aroma:Oaky, strong, rich…
Taste:Very smooth with a hint of spiciness and a dark berry foundation.
Comments:This is a very affordable wine with an above average taste. In these days of decorative, eye-catching labels and silly names Louis M. Martini may not stand out on the shelf but it does in taste. In my book there are few non-blend wines that even amateur connoisseurs can appreciate and this is one of them. Typically, cabs or zins can be overpowering and difficult to enjoy unless its the 3rd or 4th glass but LMM comes through with a mellow, easy-to-enjoy cab.

Often times the real test of a good wine in my experience is - does it hold up outside of the atmosphere? I think I’ve posted about this before where the wine or other alcohol tastes very good as a result of the company, mood or overall atmosphere. I found this LMM cab to be just as good the second time around!