Chris Coad
Chris Coad
I don't deal well with change. The flipside of what I like to think of as consistency is an unwillingness to allow room for the new and unexplored. So it is that the transition from Wine therapy to Wine Disorder was a difficult one for me. The grey-and-black interface, the astounding lack of a preview function, the not-the-sameness of it all unnerved me and tamped down my impulse to annotate for a good while. Ask Lisa, who had to dynamite me out of my nineteen-year hole in Jersey to our much finer digs on America's Isle of Hospitality, how well I handle the new. We joke that our cat Perdita, who hid in the closet for four days and wouldn't come out, took only the silver medal in the Ninnyhammer Category, Our Household Division.
However, once the inevitable finally does arrive, I think I do manage to bounce back nicely in time. So it is that I creep out from under my desk and crack open a few of my trusty pink Hello Kitty notebooks to see what kind of cheap crap we've been consuming over the past few months.
Jeez, it's been building up. Okay, here we go....
CHEAP CRAP FROM EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD THAT IS WHITE
A. Baman S.I. Peneds Blanco 'Savia Viva Clsico' 2007 (24% macabeo/45% perellada/31% xarello) ($10). Sweet honeysuckle hints hover over some lightly applespicey-honeyed yellowfruit. Middleweight wine, tart and lemony-crisp, with a gentle dustiness emerging in the middle and hanging around on the finish. Fragrant, stolid wine with good perellada fruit and a nice dash of xarelloishness. [Buy again? Yeah, okay.]
Chteau d'Oupia Minervois Blanc 2004 ($11). Very whitefloral-smelling, honeysuckle and gardenia and a touch of pineapple. Tastes bright and crisp, with a kind of mineral-oil richness giving some nice midpalate weight. Very pretty, very smooth wine. I love my Oupia red, but oh you kid! [Buy again? Yes, lots.]
Domaine Tour Boise Minervois Blanc 2007 ($9). Medium-pale lemon-tan color. Calm lemonblossom hints, touch of pineapple. Medium bodied, a bit heavier than the Oupia, lacks the lightness and precision and minerality. What it has is a pleasant weight, tangy-tart yellowfruit and a gently rounded pieholefeel. Very straightforward and unadorned, Minervois plain and tall. I like its plainspoken, slightly bland character. Bland? Maybe not, maybe more... nondemonstrative? Anyway, it's mouthfilling and crisp and easy to drink, although it's no Oupia. [Buy again? Sure.]
Domaine Duffour Vin de Pays des Ctes de Gascogne 2007 ($9). Lightly floral and very citric, smells like lemonblossom mixed with lemon oil. Tastes quite tart right up front, loosens and turns a bit watery in the middle, but crispness and lemoncitric nervosity help to iron that out. Pretty nice, not complex but cheerful and has a friendly delicate heft that I like. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Yes.]
Domaine de la Fruitire Loire Atlantique 'Jardin de la Fruitre' (chardonnay 50%/melon de bourgogne 50%) 2006 ($8). Light aromatics, gently pear-appley hints, touch of vanilla. Medium-lightbodied and loose. If there's any melon character here it's flying under the radar, as this comes off as a light, cool-climate, slightly watery chardonnay. It's loose and gently yellow-apple and bartlett pear-flavored stuff. The structure is shy at first, but rises quietly in the middle and firms up, allowing the gently fleshy fruit to slip down my throat buoyantly. Loosely wrapped but amiable and quaffable in the heat. Lesson: chardonnay trumps melon de bourgogne. FAKE CORK! [Buy again? Sure.]
Domaine des Trois Toits Muscadet Svre etc. 2006 ($10). Quiet chalky-applestony aromas, tastes soft and gentle, a quiet, expressive little Muscadet. Not exactly what I was expecting, lacks some mouthgrab, but I warm to it. Maybe some chardonnay in the blend? I kid, I kid. But really, it's very decent if not terribly memorable, a bit diffuse but pleasantly drinkable. [Buy again? Yup.]
Remy Pannier Vouvray 2004 ($8.44). Gently chalky pear-almond aromatics, light whiteflorality. Tastes easy and watery, lightly sweet, low acidity, kind of like Vouvray-flavored Kool-Ade. [Buy again? No.]
Neptune Island Chardonnay South Eastern Australia 2006 ($6). Lightly creamy vanilla-laced pear-apple aromatics, smells like generic New World chardonnay. Tastes soft and loose, low acidity and round texture, with a slight solventy or medicinal taste and an Everclearish burn rising in the middle. Not very nice. [Buy again? No.]
California's Jewel Collection Chardonnay Monterey 'Unoaked' 2005 ($12). Sweetly poached-pear-ripe aromatics, light tropical lilikoi and fig notes, nutmeg, smells kind of gonzo to tell you the truth. Tastes slightly like stewed yellow apples and pears, there's some acidity, there's a spine, but the kind of baked quality of the fruit gives it a somewhat bloppy feel. This reminds me of nothing so much as the '99 Scott-Clark 'Pigeon,' which if I recall correctly was squishily-overripe Central Valley chardonnay. FAKE CORK! [Buy again? No, not really.]
Tasca d'Almerita Sicilia 'Regaleali' 2007 ($10). Rather lemony-neutral, but has a pleasantly velvety texture. I have absolutely no opinion on this wine. [Buy again? I have no idea.]
Indaba Chenin Blanc South Africa 2007 ($8). Gently fruity honeydew-lemon aromatics. Tastes overly tart, oddly shrill acidity swims around aimlessly in the gently fleshy yellowfruit. There's not a lot of character here, which might be okay if it weren't for the WHAP of wire-hanger acidity on my tongue. There's a certain melted-Jello quality to the fruit that's amiable enough, if not compelling, then WHAP again. I find it decent at first, then quickly grow cross with it as the welts on my palate become bothersome. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? No.]
Rietvallei Estate Wine Rhine Riesling Robertson (South Africa) 2007 ($8). Quiet lemonfloral-vinyl aromatics, smells shy but pleasantly rieslingish. Tastes small and softish, gently fleshy with some lemony acidity at the center, but also decently flavorful and kind of fun. It's simple, but it's also fresh-tasting and amiable, and the price is certainly right. Not bad, not bad. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Yes.]
Charles Smith Wines Riesling Columbia Valley 'Kung Fu Girl' 2007 ($12). Cheerfully aromatic, light pineapple and pear with a touch of beanbag chair, a hint of peachblossom and a light mineral streak. Tastes just barely off-dry, with bright limey acidity and a firm, compact mouthfeel. There's a friendly obviousness about this wine, it just seems really happy to see you. I'm not sure what's up with the Kung Fu thing--there's a logo of a rice bowl and crossed chopsticks on the back label, I guess it's meant to suggest the wine would be good with Asian food? Which makes sense, it seems like it would. No, it's not Clos Ste. Hune, but this is a really nice, fresh, happy riesling with a lot of flavor and fine, nervy balance. In fact, it makes me want to do a silly little dance. Great summer picnic wine. (As I'm typing this, Lisa, who is usually fairly mum on everyday wines, comes up behind me and says "This is really good!" I respond "I know! I'm writing a glowing review right now!") SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Enthusiastically, yes.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS RED AND COMES FROM FRANCE
Domaine les Genestas Ctes du Rhne Villages Signargues 2006 ($12). Interesting aromatics--plums, licorice and a pronounced lavender streak. Rich, chewy wine, crisp acidity, lots of flavor and character, nice complexity, a fun mouthful. Good stuff. [Buy again? Certainly.]
Domaine Grs St. Vincent Ctes du Rhne Villages Signargues 2006 ($12). Leathery plum-berry fruit laced with hints of barnyard, touch of Band-Aid brand bandage strips. Rich-tasting, chewy-meaty and rough-edged, with middling-firmish acidity and some rough tannins giving good support to the roughish-ripe fruitiness. It's got a sort of Grizzly Adams wild-wine appeal to it, all brawn and rakish aromas and very little couth. [Buy again? Yup.]
Chteau Tour Boise Minervois 2007 ($10). I have no idea why the white Minervois from this producer is from 'Domaine Tour Boise' and the red from 'Chteau Tour Boise,' but whatever. Gentle aromatics, dark berry, saddle leather, earth. In the piehole it's a bit thin and tart, but there's some nice flavor here, medium bodied wine, compact and crisp. Not a whole lot of depth or complexity, but some nice earthy notes help give it some interest. Very decent. [Buy again? Sure.]
Jean Orliac Coteaux du Languedoc Clos du Prieur 2001 ($15). Medium garnet color. Dark raspberry-rhubarb aromas, touch of dark smokiness. Tastes fleshy and loose, a plush little thing without much focus or mouthgrab. It's amiable enough, but a bit blowsy and nondescript. [Buy again? Nah.]
Chteau Saint-Martin Coteaux du Languedoc 2004 ($10). Slightly funky scorched-milk/mousey hints over dark smoky plum-raspberry hints. Thin and tart and short. [Buy again? No.]
Chteau les Vergnes Bordeaux 2000 ($12). Softly spicy cherry-berry aromatics, shy hint of toastiness, light graphitey undertone, touch of oregano. Fleshy up front, watery in the middle, medium acidity, wan on the finish. Smells decent, tastes vague and generic. [Buy again? No.]
Chteau Bournac Mdoc 2000 ($15). Smells robust and dark, hearty plum-cassis aromatics laced with a warm-gravel stoniness, touch of cedar. Tastes rich and chewy, well-honed, stony and taut red- and blackfruit. A big, surprisingly intense wine, ripe and rocky but nicely composed. Very nice indeed. [Buy again? Absolutely.]
Chteau la Mouliniere Bordeaux 2005 ($9). Smells of shy berry-cassisfruity redness laced with traces of cedar, graphite, oregano--the aromatics are rather basic and straightforward, but recognizably Bordeauxish. Crisp and a bit hollow in the middle, with a trace of spiritousness, but rallies somewhat on the finish around a taut redfruity core. Simple at heart, but easygoing and solidly constructed. Pretty decent. Lisa takes a sip, cocks an eyebrow: "Not bad." We approve. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Yup.]
Chteu ds Ducs Bordeaux Superieur 2005 ($12). Smoky, velvety-cassis aromatics, lightly graphitey, hint of oregano herbaceousness. Medium bodied and gently fleshy, with middling acidity, watery in the middle. It has a merlotish feel to it, gently fleshy and plum-cassised. Frankly, it's fairly agreeable in a kind of generic, supermarket Bordeaux sense. You could do worse. [Buy again? Nah.]
Chteau Champs des Sables Montagne St. Emilion 2005 ($15). Not much in the way of aromatics--quietly smoky dark redfruit... mmm, yeah, that's about it. Hard wine, ungiving and overstructured. Medium bodied, tart and a bit sour, with a quick finish. Not much fun. [Buy again? Nope.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS RED AND COMES FROM ITALY
Lungarotti Rosso di Torgiano 'Rubesco' 2002 ($13). Shy aromatics, sour cherry, tar & leather, hot gravel. Tastes taut and nervy-stony, tart cherry-earthy fruit, gritty tannins, bright acidity. A lean, coiled wine with a velvety-red skin, not giving a whole lot right now. Interesting, though. Maybe needs time? [Buy again? Um, yes, I think so.]
Masi Campofiorin 2003 ($15). Slight brownish color, smells sherried, brown-herby. Cooked.
Le Chiantigiane/Saggio Chianti 'Governato' 2006 ($8). Quiet cherry-plum aromatics, lightly laced with smoky-barky traces below and a hint of mintiness up high. Medium-bodied and rather basic tasting, almost stripped-down. There's enough acidity to get by, but the overall feel is a bit softish and innocuous. No finish, not much character, it's not bad, exactly, but it's not much of anything else either. [Buy again? Nope.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS RED AND COMES FROM THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
Bodegas y Viedos Casa de la Ermita Monastrell Jumilla 'Monasterio de Santa Ana' 2006 ($8). Sweet candied berryfruit, smoky hints, but mostly just ripe dark berry candy-smelling. Tastes loose and ripe and squishy, medium-low acidity, gently fleshy mouthfeel, pleasant and grabless and juicy and um, I dunno, routine. [Buy again? Not really.]
La Yunta Cabernet Sauvignon (28%)/Malbec (28%)/Bonarda (28%)/Syrah (9%)/Torrontes (7%) Tinto 2005 ($10). Shy, dark plum-cassis aromatics, smells plain and rather blandly smoky-ripe, with an odd cement note in the mix. Medium bodied, medium acidity. Nothing terribly objectionable, but tastes stripped of character, given the goofy cepage. How can you pour all those grapes into one bottle and get kinda generic red wine? Plus, if I hear 'tinto' I'm thinking something lean and fresh, this is fairly weighty and dense. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Nah.]
Monte Oton Garnacha Campo de Borja 2006 ($7). Soft, squishy, spineless fruit jam. Plum-raspberry reduction sauce. Ripe, very shy on acidity, just ripe jammy fruitpunch. I don't have anything against fruit punch, but if I want fruit punch I order fruit punch, not wine. [Buy again? Nope.]
A. Baman S.I. Peneds Tinto 'Savia Viva Familia' 2004 (61% merlot/31% cabernet sauvignon/8% cabernet franc) ($10). Smells Bordeauxish--warm cassis, tobacco, oregano and cedar. Tastes kind of fleshy but with enough spine to give it cohesion. There's a light hint of roasty-pruniness, but overall it's a very pleasant if not terribly distinctive mouthful of warm meritage-style redfruit. Whatever happened to the word 'meritage' anyway? Did it finally die the ignominious little fake marketing-speak death it deserved? Used to be ubiquitous, haven't seen it in ages. Kind of reminds me of a slightly riper version of a decent little supermarket Bordeaux that would've cost ten bucks ten years ago. Nice value. [Buy again? Yessiree.]
Marco Real Garnacha Navarra 2005 ($8). Smoky, slighly balsamic-edged berry redness, tastes gentle and slightly squishy, medium acidity but quietly fleshy as well. Loose and red and rather plain, nothing compelling to recommend it. [Buy again? No.]
Santa F de Arraiolos Vinho Regional Alentejano Tinto 2006 ($8). Woof, serious amounts of VA, smells like mucilage. I don't mind me a bit of VA, but this level overwhelms the wine's aromatics. There's some decent blackberry-black raspberry fruit underneath, but it's hard to get past it. Tastes nice, though, like a dry vintage port; medium-low acidity, rather rough, rustic sense about it, would probably be a buy again if it didn't smell entirely like glue. [Buy again? No thanks.]
Monte da Ravasquiera Vinho Regional Alentejano Tinto 2004 ($9). Dark brambly blackberry-black raspberry aromatics, earthy and lightly smoky. Tastes much like it smells, ripe dark fruit laced with earthiness, rough edged and chewy-tasting, a medium-sized wine with firm acidity and a brief dirtfruity finish. Straightforward, rustic and very nice, I like this a lot. [Buy again? Yup.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS RED AND COMES FROM THE AMERICAS
Lan Zur Cabernet Sauvignon Valle del Maule (Chile) 2007 ($9). There's a weird funkiness about the aromatics here, sometimes it seems scorched-milky, sometimes kinda whiskey-barrelish. I can't quite pin it down, but it's not very appealing. Underneath that there's some quiet smoky red-blackfruit. Medium bodied and gently fleshy, with some Vitamin C-tablet acidity drifting up in the middle and slapping wanly at my tongue. Not a train wreck, exactly, but the wine seems to have some issues. [Buy agaIn? No.]
Carlos Basso Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza 2001 ($13). Dusty plum, sawdust and green pepper aromatics. Tastes plummy and bland, medium-low acidity, glossily wooded, hollow middle, aggressive tannins. Not very interesting, tastes concocted. Maybe even a touch of RS as well. Bleh. [Buy again? No.]
Lot 205 Winery Petite Sirah California 2005 ($10). Grapey blackberry-boysenberry aromatics, hint of tarriness. It's a bit plush, but there's enough acidity to get by. Simple, dark and fruity-grapey, with a quiet licorice streak down low. The classic 'burger wine,' broad and juicy and dark. Actually, as I drink this I find it growing on me--it's the kind of cheap California wine that tickles my tingly parts--richly fruited and blowsy, easygoing, requiring no thought, just happy gulping. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Yes, several.]
Mountain View Vintners Zinfandel Amador County 'Clockspring' 2004 ($9). Medium-translucent garnet color. SImple fruit-punchy black cherry aromatics, amiable and straightforward. Tastes like it smells, loose raspberry/blackcherry flavors, easygoing and middleweight, a bit of spiritous heat on the finish. Decent enough but simple and froot-punchy. [Buy again? Nope.]
Beringer Syrah Central Coast 'Third Century' 2005 ($14). Smoky plum-blackberry aromatics, laced with a good dose of cracked black peppercorns. The rather plump ripeness doesn't quite jibe with the rather overly tart acidity, and there's no finish to speak of, but it's got a lot of syrah character under the lightly candied veneer, and actually tastes better than I suspect I'm making it sound. It's been a good long time since I've had a Beringer wine, but I remember them as mostly being seriously oak-scarred and clumsily outsized. I'm not sure if they've just changed their style, or if this is too cheap to see new wood, but it's a pleasant surprise. [Buy again? Yes.]
Edna Valley Vineyards Syrah San Luis Obisbo County Edna Valley 2006 ($14). Smoky baconberry aromatics, hint of burnt rubber. Tastes crisp and lightly smoky, but disjointed and short, with more of that burnt rubber on the finish. Some nice flavor, but a mixed bag that's hard to cotton to. [Buy again? Don't think so.]
Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley 2006 ($15). Wow, I haven't seen this wine in awhile. If I recall correctly, the 1994 version was briefly the single most-annotated wine on the internet, before being dethroned by a certain Cerdon de Bugey. I remember the price wandered up into the mid-$20s for awhile, but here it is on the shelf of Long's Drugs for $15. Anyhoo, it smells very wood-marked, smoky caramel-vanilla-cassis notes. Medium bodied, crisp acidity, tart cassis-wood flavors and a curiously thick midpalate texture, almost seems muddy. That '94 is drinking better these days, maybe it just needs time, I dunno, but I don't find it terribly interesting. [Buy again? Nah.]
Rebel Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon California 'Newman's Own' 2006 ($15). Smells gently herbal--oregano and cedar-laced cassisfruit. Crisp and juicy, loosely wrapped but firm at the core, velvety up front, tangy acidity wells up in the middle, light smokiness lingers on the finish. Straightforward, honest-seeming cabernet sauvignon, smooth and easy to drink. Good on you, Paul. [Buy again? Yup.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS RED AND COMES FROM MISCELLANEOUS NEW WORLD VENUES
The Crossings Pinot Noir Marlborough 2006 ($15). Simple pleasant cherry-clove aromatics, gentle plaster underpinnings. Bright, cherry-cheerful and simple, it's medium-lightbodied but tart and sour-cherry flavorful. Basic and nicely focused, there's not a whole lot of complexity, but nicely zippy and brightly structured. Nice enough. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Yes.]
Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon Wine of Western Cape (South Africa) 2002 ($9). Smells of muted cherry-cassis, tea and earth. Tastes thin and overly tart. Where's the fruit? Seems strangely barren, the tea note makes me wonder perhaps poor storage? Finishless. [Buy again? Nope.]
Kronendal Shiraz South Africa 2006 ($8). Deep purple-black color. Smells of plum jam and shoe polish, it's shiraz all right. Tastes strangely loose and light, though, gentle watery plumminess in the middle, smoky-tarry notes underneath that linger on the finish. Oddly unsatisying--with all that Oz-style smelliness, you expect a hefty bruiser, this is oddly light and watery stuff, with some firm acidity. Not bad, even kind of drinkable, but strangely discordant. There are some things to like here, but I'm not sold on the big picture. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? I don't think so, but maybe.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS SWEET
Edmeades Zinfandel Mendocino Ridge Alden Vineyard Late Harvest 2004 ($14/.375). Gently sweet, just past demisec sweetness, a zin doux naturel. There's a pleasant inconsequentiality about this wine, it seems happily haphazard, like they had a stuck fermentation and decided to make the best of it and bottle it as late harvest. Me, I find it amiable, happily offbeat. Not sweet enough to be a true dessert wine a la Dashe or Ridge, it's lightly volatile and gently zinberried. Okay, maybe a bit more than lightly volatile, but I have a high threshold. Medium-tart acidity, enough crispness to get by, whoops the bottle's empty. [Buy again? Happily.]
Chteau Filhot Sauternes 2001 ($15/.375). Vanilla-pineapple with hints of apricot. Sweet-smelling, rich but tritonal. Rather thick, rich and sweet, low acidity, it's Sauternes all right. Basic but rich and rather decent. The only '01 Sauternes I've tasted with no discernable hint of botrytis. [Buy again? Mmmm, I guess, but only for Lisa.]
That's all for now, kiddies. I think I'll go write up some overpriced swill now. See you next time!
However, once the inevitable finally does arrive, I think I do manage to bounce back nicely in time. So it is that I creep out from under my desk and crack open a few of my trusty pink Hello Kitty notebooks to see what kind of cheap crap we've been consuming over the past few months.
Jeez, it's been building up. Okay, here we go....
CHEAP CRAP FROM EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD THAT IS WHITE
A. Baman S.I. Peneds Blanco 'Savia Viva Clsico' 2007 (24% macabeo/45% perellada/31% xarello) ($10). Sweet honeysuckle hints hover over some lightly applespicey-honeyed yellowfruit. Middleweight wine, tart and lemony-crisp, with a gentle dustiness emerging in the middle and hanging around on the finish. Fragrant, stolid wine with good perellada fruit and a nice dash of xarelloishness. [Buy again? Yeah, okay.]
Chteau d'Oupia Minervois Blanc 2004 ($11). Very whitefloral-smelling, honeysuckle and gardenia and a touch of pineapple. Tastes bright and crisp, with a kind of mineral-oil richness giving some nice midpalate weight. Very pretty, very smooth wine. I love my Oupia red, but oh you kid! [Buy again? Yes, lots.]
Domaine Tour Boise Minervois Blanc 2007 ($9). Medium-pale lemon-tan color. Calm lemonblossom hints, touch of pineapple. Medium bodied, a bit heavier than the Oupia, lacks the lightness and precision and minerality. What it has is a pleasant weight, tangy-tart yellowfruit and a gently rounded pieholefeel. Very straightforward and unadorned, Minervois plain and tall. I like its plainspoken, slightly bland character. Bland? Maybe not, maybe more... nondemonstrative? Anyway, it's mouthfilling and crisp and easy to drink, although it's no Oupia. [Buy again? Sure.]
Domaine Duffour Vin de Pays des Ctes de Gascogne 2007 ($9). Lightly floral and very citric, smells like lemonblossom mixed with lemon oil. Tastes quite tart right up front, loosens and turns a bit watery in the middle, but crispness and lemoncitric nervosity help to iron that out. Pretty nice, not complex but cheerful and has a friendly delicate heft that I like. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Yes.]
Domaine de la Fruitire Loire Atlantique 'Jardin de la Fruitre' (chardonnay 50%/melon de bourgogne 50%) 2006 ($8). Light aromatics, gently pear-appley hints, touch of vanilla. Medium-lightbodied and loose. If there's any melon character here it's flying under the radar, as this comes off as a light, cool-climate, slightly watery chardonnay. It's loose and gently yellow-apple and bartlett pear-flavored stuff. The structure is shy at first, but rises quietly in the middle and firms up, allowing the gently fleshy fruit to slip down my throat buoyantly. Loosely wrapped but amiable and quaffable in the heat. Lesson: chardonnay trumps melon de bourgogne. FAKE CORK! [Buy again? Sure.]
Domaine des Trois Toits Muscadet Svre etc. 2006 ($10). Quiet chalky-applestony aromas, tastes soft and gentle, a quiet, expressive little Muscadet. Not exactly what I was expecting, lacks some mouthgrab, but I warm to it. Maybe some chardonnay in the blend? I kid, I kid. But really, it's very decent if not terribly memorable, a bit diffuse but pleasantly drinkable. [Buy again? Yup.]
Remy Pannier Vouvray 2004 ($8.44). Gently chalky pear-almond aromatics, light whiteflorality. Tastes easy and watery, lightly sweet, low acidity, kind of like Vouvray-flavored Kool-Ade. [Buy again? No.]
Neptune Island Chardonnay South Eastern Australia 2006 ($6). Lightly creamy vanilla-laced pear-apple aromatics, smells like generic New World chardonnay. Tastes soft and loose, low acidity and round texture, with a slight solventy or medicinal taste and an Everclearish burn rising in the middle. Not very nice. [Buy again? No.]
California's Jewel Collection Chardonnay Monterey 'Unoaked' 2005 ($12). Sweetly poached-pear-ripe aromatics, light tropical lilikoi and fig notes, nutmeg, smells kind of gonzo to tell you the truth. Tastes slightly like stewed yellow apples and pears, there's some acidity, there's a spine, but the kind of baked quality of the fruit gives it a somewhat bloppy feel. This reminds me of nothing so much as the '99 Scott-Clark 'Pigeon,' which if I recall correctly was squishily-overripe Central Valley chardonnay. FAKE CORK! [Buy again? No, not really.]
Tasca d'Almerita Sicilia 'Regaleali' 2007 ($10). Rather lemony-neutral, but has a pleasantly velvety texture. I have absolutely no opinion on this wine. [Buy again? I have no idea.]
Indaba Chenin Blanc South Africa 2007 ($8). Gently fruity honeydew-lemon aromatics. Tastes overly tart, oddly shrill acidity swims around aimlessly in the gently fleshy yellowfruit. There's not a lot of character here, which might be okay if it weren't for the WHAP of wire-hanger acidity on my tongue. There's a certain melted-Jello quality to the fruit that's amiable enough, if not compelling, then WHAP again. I find it decent at first, then quickly grow cross with it as the welts on my palate become bothersome. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? No.]
Rietvallei Estate Wine Rhine Riesling Robertson (South Africa) 2007 ($8). Quiet lemonfloral-vinyl aromatics, smells shy but pleasantly rieslingish. Tastes small and softish, gently fleshy with some lemony acidity at the center, but also decently flavorful and kind of fun. It's simple, but it's also fresh-tasting and amiable, and the price is certainly right. Not bad, not bad. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Yes.]
Charles Smith Wines Riesling Columbia Valley 'Kung Fu Girl' 2007 ($12). Cheerfully aromatic, light pineapple and pear with a touch of beanbag chair, a hint of peachblossom and a light mineral streak. Tastes just barely off-dry, with bright limey acidity and a firm, compact mouthfeel. There's a friendly obviousness about this wine, it just seems really happy to see you. I'm not sure what's up with the Kung Fu thing--there's a logo of a rice bowl and crossed chopsticks on the back label, I guess it's meant to suggest the wine would be good with Asian food? Which makes sense, it seems like it would. No, it's not Clos Ste. Hune, but this is a really nice, fresh, happy riesling with a lot of flavor and fine, nervy balance. In fact, it makes me want to do a silly little dance. Great summer picnic wine. (As I'm typing this, Lisa, who is usually fairly mum on everyday wines, comes up behind me and says "This is really good!" I respond "I know! I'm writing a glowing review right now!") SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Enthusiastically, yes.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS RED AND COMES FROM FRANCE
Domaine les Genestas Ctes du Rhne Villages Signargues 2006 ($12). Interesting aromatics--plums, licorice and a pronounced lavender streak. Rich, chewy wine, crisp acidity, lots of flavor and character, nice complexity, a fun mouthful. Good stuff. [Buy again? Certainly.]
Domaine Grs St. Vincent Ctes du Rhne Villages Signargues 2006 ($12). Leathery plum-berry fruit laced with hints of barnyard, touch of Band-Aid brand bandage strips. Rich-tasting, chewy-meaty and rough-edged, with middling-firmish acidity and some rough tannins giving good support to the roughish-ripe fruitiness. It's got a sort of Grizzly Adams wild-wine appeal to it, all brawn and rakish aromas and very little couth. [Buy again? Yup.]
Chteau Tour Boise Minervois 2007 ($10). I have no idea why the white Minervois from this producer is from 'Domaine Tour Boise' and the red from 'Chteau Tour Boise,' but whatever. Gentle aromatics, dark berry, saddle leather, earth. In the piehole it's a bit thin and tart, but there's some nice flavor here, medium bodied wine, compact and crisp. Not a whole lot of depth or complexity, but some nice earthy notes help give it some interest. Very decent. [Buy again? Sure.]
Jean Orliac Coteaux du Languedoc Clos du Prieur 2001 ($15). Medium garnet color. Dark raspberry-rhubarb aromas, touch of dark smokiness. Tastes fleshy and loose, a plush little thing without much focus or mouthgrab. It's amiable enough, but a bit blowsy and nondescript. [Buy again? Nah.]
Chteau Saint-Martin Coteaux du Languedoc 2004 ($10). Slightly funky scorched-milk/mousey hints over dark smoky plum-raspberry hints. Thin and tart and short. [Buy again? No.]
Chteau les Vergnes Bordeaux 2000 ($12). Softly spicy cherry-berry aromatics, shy hint of toastiness, light graphitey undertone, touch of oregano. Fleshy up front, watery in the middle, medium acidity, wan on the finish. Smells decent, tastes vague and generic. [Buy again? No.]
Chteau Bournac Mdoc 2000 ($15). Smells robust and dark, hearty plum-cassis aromatics laced with a warm-gravel stoniness, touch of cedar. Tastes rich and chewy, well-honed, stony and taut red- and blackfruit. A big, surprisingly intense wine, ripe and rocky but nicely composed. Very nice indeed. [Buy again? Absolutely.]
Chteau la Mouliniere Bordeaux 2005 ($9). Smells of shy berry-cassisfruity redness laced with traces of cedar, graphite, oregano--the aromatics are rather basic and straightforward, but recognizably Bordeauxish. Crisp and a bit hollow in the middle, with a trace of spiritousness, but rallies somewhat on the finish around a taut redfruity core. Simple at heart, but easygoing and solidly constructed. Pretty decent. Lisa takes a sip, cocks an eyebrow: "Not bad." We approve. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Yup.]
Chteu ds Ducs Bordeaux Superieur 2005 ($12). Smoky, velvety-cassis aromatics, lightly graphitey, hint of oregano herbaceousness. Medium bodied and gently fleshy, with middling acidity, watery in the middle. It has a merlotish feel to it, gently fleshy and plum-cassised. Frankly, it's fairly agreeable in a kind of generic, supermarket Bordeaux sense. You could do worse. [Buy again? Nah.]
Chteau Champs des Sables Montagne St. Emilion 2005 ($15). Not much in the way of aromatics--quietly smoky dark redfruit... mmm, yeah, that's about it. Hard wine, ungiving and overstructured. Medium bodied, tart and a bit sour, with a quick finish. Not much fun. [Buy again? Nope.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS RED AND COMES FROM ITALY
Lungarotti Rosso di Torgiano 'Rubesco' 2002 ($13). Shy aromatics, sour cherry, tar & leather, hot gravel. Tastes taut and nervy-stony, tart cherry-earthy fruit, gritty tannins, bright acidity. A lean, coiled wine with a velvety-red skin, not giving a whole lot right now. Interesting, though. Maybe needs time? [Buy again? Um, yes, I think so.]
Masi Campofiorin 2003 ($15). Slight brownish color, smells sherried, brown-herby. Cooked.
Le Chiantigiane/Saggio Chianti 'Governato' 2006 ($8). Quiet cherry-plum aromatics, lightly laced with smoky-barky traces below and a hint of mintiness up high. Medium-bodied and rather basic tasting, almost stripped-down. There's enough acidity to get by, but the overall feel is a bit softish and innocuous. No finish, not much character, it's not bad, exactly, but it's not much of anything else either. [Buy again? Nope.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS RED AND COMES FROM THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
Bodegas y Viedos Casa de la Ermita Monastrell Jumilla 'Monasterio de Santa Ana' 2006 ($8). Sweet candied berryfruit, smoky hints, but mostly just ripe dark berry candy-smelling. Tastes loose and ripe and squishy, medium-low acidity, gently fleshy mouthfeel, pleasant and grabless and juicy and um, I dunno, routine. [Buy again? Not really.]
La Yunta Cabernet Sauvignon (28%)/Malbec (28%)/Bonarda (28%)/Syrah (9%)/Torrontes (7%) Tinto 2005 ($10). Shy, dark plum-cassis aromatics, smells plain and rather blandly smoky-ripe, with an odd cement note in the mix. Medium bodied, medium acidity. Nothing terribly objectionable, but tastes stripped of character, given the goofy cepage. How can you pour all those grapes into one bottle and get kinda generic red wine? Plus, if I hear 'tinto' I'm thinking something lean and fresh, this is fairly weighty and dense. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Nah.]
Monte Oton Garnacha Campo de Borja 2006 ($7). Soft, squishy, spineless fruit jam. Plum-raspberry reduction sauce. Ripe, very shy on acidity, just ripe jammy fruitpunch. I don't have anything against fruit punch, but if I want fruit punch I order fruit punch, not wine. [Buy again? Nope.]
A. Baman S.I. Peneds Tinto 'Savia Viva Familia' 2004 (61% merlot/31% cabernet sauvignon/8% cabernet franc) ($10). Smells Bordeauxish--warm cassis, tobacco, oregano and cedar. Tastes kind of fleshy but with enough spine to give it cohesion. There's a light hint of roasty-pruniness, but overall it's a very pleasant if not terribly distinctive mouthful of warm meritage-style redfruit. Whatever happened to the word 'meritage' anyway? Did it finally die the ignominious little fake marketing-speak death it deserved? Used to be ubiquitous, haven't seen it in ages. Kind of reminds me of a slightly riper version of a decent little supermarket Bordeaux that would've cost ten bucks ten years ago. Nice value. [Buy again? Yessiree.]
Marco Real Garnacha Navarra 2005 ($8). Smoky, slighly balsamic-edged berry redness, tastes gentle and slightly squishy, medium acidity but quietly fleshy as well. Loose and red and rather plain, nothing compelling to recommend it. [Buy again? No.]
Santa F de Arraiolos Vinho Regional Alentejano Tinto 2006 ($8). Woof, serious amounts of VA, smells like mucilage. I don't mind me a bit of VA, but this level overwhelms the wine's aromatics. There's some decent blackberry-black raspberry fruit underneath, but it's hard to get past it. Tastes nice, though, like a dry vintage port; medium-low acidity, rather rough, rustic sense about it, would probably be a buy again if it didn't smell entirely like glue. [Buy again? No thanks.]
Monte da Ravasquiera Vinho Regional Alentejano Tinto 2004 ($9). Dark brambly blackberry-black raspberry aromatics, earthy and lightly smoky. Tastes much like it smells, ripe dark fruit laced with earthiness, rough edged and chewy-tasting, a medium-sized wine with firm acidity and a brief dirtfruity finish. Straightforward, rustic and very nice, I like this a lot. [Buy again? Yup.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS RED AND COMES FROM THE AMERICAS
Lan Zur Cabernet Sauvignon Valle del Maule (Chile) 2007 ($9). There's a weird funkiness about the aromatics here, sometimes it seems scorched-milky, sometimes kinda whiskey-barrelish. I can't quite pin it down, but it's not very appealing. Underneath that there's some quiet smoky red-blackfruit. Medium bodied and gently fleshy, with some Vitamin C-tablet acidity drifting up in the middle and slapping wanly at my tongue. Not a train wreck, exactly, but the wine seems to have some issues. [Buy agaIn? No.]
Carlos Basso Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza 2001 ($13). Dusty plum, sawdust and green pepper aromatics. Tastes plummy and bland, medium-low acidity, glossily wooded, hollow middle, aggressive tannins. Not very interesting, tastes concocted. Maybe even a touch of RS as well. Bleh. [Buy again? No.]
Lot 205 Winery Petite Sirah California 2005 ($10). Grapey blackberry-boysenberry aromatics, hint of tarriness. It's a bit plush, but there's enough acidity to get by. Simple, dark and fruity-grapey, with a quiet licorice streak down low. The classic 'burger wine,' broad and juicy and dark. Actually, as I drink this I find it growing on me--it's the kind of cheap California wine that tickles my tingly parts--richly fruited and blowsy, easygoing, requiring no thought, just happy gulping. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Yes, several.]
Mountain View Vintners Zinfandel Amador County 'Clockspring' 2004 ($9). Medium-translucent garnet color. SImple fruit-punchy black cherry aromatics, amiable and straightforward. Tastes like it smells, loose raspberry/blackcherry flavors, easygoing and middleweight, a bit of spiritous heat on the finish. Decent enough but simple and froot-punchy. [Buy again? Nope.]
Beringer Syrah Central Coast 'Third Century' 2005 ($14). Smoky plum-blackberry aromatics, laced with a good dose of cracked black peppercorns. The rather plump ripeness doesn't quite jibe with the rather overly tart acidity, and there's no finish to speak of, but it's got a lot of syrah character under the lightly candied veneer, and actually tastes better than I suspect I'm making it sound. It's been a good long time since I've had a Beringer wine, but I remember them as mostly being seriously oak-scarred and clumsily outsized. I'm not sure if they've just changed their style, or if this is too cheap to see new wood, but it's a pleasant surprise. [Buy again? Yes.]
Edna Valley Vineyards Syrah San Luis Obisbo County Edna Valley 2006 ($14). Smoky baconberry aromatics, hint of burnt rubber. Tastes crisp and lightly smoky, but disjointed and short, with more of that burnt rubber on the finish. Some nice flavor, but a mixed bag that's hard to cotton to. [Buy again? Don't think so.]
Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley 2006 ($15). Wow, I haven't seen this wine in awhile. If I recall correctly, the 1994 version was briefly the single most-annotated wine on the internet, before being dethroned by a certain Cerdon de Bugey. I remember the price wandered up into the mid-$20s for awhile, but here it is on the shelf of Long's Drugs for $15. Anyhoo, it smells very wood-marked, smoky caramel-vanilla-cassis notes. Medium bodied, crisp acidity, tart cassis-wood flavors and a curiously thick midpalate texture, almost seems muddy. That '94 is drinking better these days, maybe it just needs time, I dunno, but I don't find it terribly interesting. [Buy again? Nah.]
Rebel Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon California 'Newman's Own' 2006 ($15). Smells gently herbal--oregano and cedar-laced cassisfruit. Crisp and juicy, loosely wrapped but firm at the core, velvety up front, tangy acidity wells up in the middle, light smokiness lingers on the finish. Straightforward, honest-seeming cabernet sauvignon, smooth and easy to drink. Good on you, Paul. [Buy again? Yup.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS RED AND COMES FROM MISCELLANEOUS NEW WORLD VENUES
The Crossings Pinot Noir Marlborough 2006 ($15). Simple pleasant cherry-clove aromatics, gentle plaster underpinnings. Bright, cherry-cheerful and simple, it's medium-lightbodied but tart and sour-cherry flavorful. Basic and nicely focused, there's not a whole lot of complexity, but nicely zippy and brightly structured. Nice enough. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? Yes.]
Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon Wine of Western Cape (South Africa) 2002 ($9). Smells of muted cherry-cassis, tea and earth. Tastes thin and overly tart. Where's the fruit? Seems strangely barren, the tea note makes me wonder perhaps poor storage? Finishless. [Buy again? Nope.]
Kronendal Shiraz South Africa 2006 ($8). Deep purple-black color. Smells of plum jam and shoe polish, it's shiraz all right. Tastes strangely loose and light, though, gentle watery plumminess in the middle, smoky-tarry notes underneath that linger on the finish. Oddly unsatisying--with all that Oz-style smelliness, you expect a hefty bruiser, this is oddly light and watery stuff, with some firm acidity. Not bad, even kind of drinkable, but strangely discordant. There are some things to like here, but I'm not sold on the big picture. SCREWCAP! [Buy again? I don't think so, but maybe.]
CHEAP CRAP THAT IS SWEET
Edmeades Zinfandel Mendocino Ridge Alden Vineyard Late Harvest 2004 ($14/.375). Gently sweet, just past demisec sweetness, a zin doux naturel. There's a pleasant inconsequentiality about this wine, it seems happily haphazard, like they had a stuck fermentation and decided to make the best of it and bottle it as late harvest. Me, I find it amiable, happily offbeat. Not sweet enough to be a true dessert wine a la Dashe or Ridge, it's lightly volatile and gently zinberried. Okay, maybe a bit more than lightly volatile, but I have a high threshold. Medium-tart acidity, enough crispness to get by, whoops the bottle's empty. [Buy again? Happily.]
Chteau Filhot Sauternes 2001 ($15/.375). Vanilla-pineapple with hints of apricot. Sweet-smelling, rich but tritonal. Rather thick, rich and sweet, low acidity, it's Sauternes all right. Basic but rich and rather decent. The only '01 Sauternes I've tasted with no discernable hint of botrytis. [Buy again? Mmmm, I guess, but only for Lisa.]
That's all for now, kiddies. I think I'll go write up some overpriced swill now. See you next time!