J Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon | Top Cabernet’s Under $15
Judging by the number of searches I have for the J Lohr Cabernet on my site, the great folks who regularly read TheFermentedFruit would like to know whether it’s a good value. I was once pretty fond of J Lohr’s Cabernet for it’s accessibility and sheer drinkability but thought quality had dropped off until I tasted the 2012 J Lohr Cabernet at a party recently.
Ruston Cabernet Sauvignon Valley 2010 | A Cabernet for Pinot Lovers?
When I received an e-mail offering from Last Bottle Wines touting a hyper-limited Napa Cabernet from the stellar 2010 vintage at 50% off, I began clicking away feverishly. I discovered that the wine on offer was the 2010 Ruston Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon produced 100% from notoriously expensive and character-laden Rutherford fruit.
As is often the case with any great wine region, many of the best wines – the hidden gems, rarely leave the region. They are enjoyed without abandon by in-the-know locals, who don’t subscribe to clever marketing prowess and highly-commercialized wines. I love finding these local favorites, and I just had to see for myself if the Ruston Cabernet Sauvignon itself is worth seeking out.
Protocolo Wine Review | Do Affordability & Drinkability Mix?
So let’s say you’re heading to the Wal-Mart of wine stores, Total Wine, to search for some reasonably priced wine, say under $8. After splurging at Ovid recently myself, that’s exactly what I found myself doing!
Maybe you’re throwing a party or maybe you’re just looking for something decent to pour at home without having to worry about when to drink it, how long to decant it or how you’re going to pay off your hefty credit card bill after drinking it.
Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Review | Elyse Winery
A few months ago I picked up Elyse Winery’s Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel from Last Bottle Wines and it was excellent – rich, pure and balanced with great Zin character. It was also a really great value at $16 shipped, so when I received another e-mail from Last Bottle offering Elyse Winery’s Napa Valley Cabernet I jumped at the opportunity to give it a try.
It’s tougher and tougher to find good Napa Cabernet without draining the checking account, and Elyse Winery is a respected, somewhat under-the-radar producer who sources their fruit from top vineyard sites throughout Napa Valley.
Chateau Cantenac Brown | Making It’s Mark in Margaux
A Grand Tasting in The Big Apple
Recently I had the incredible honor of being invited to attend the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2012 vintage release tasting at Cipriani’s in New York. The weather outside was frightful – they were calling for 3 feet of snow on that 26th day of January, and it was quickly accumulating outside.
But inside members of the wine media, restauranteurs and wine buyers from all over were warm with excitement. Why? Over 100 of the most prestigious Chateau in Bordeaux were on site to showcase their newly released 2012 vintage wines, either represented by their Chateau owners themselves or their representatives. Amongst the representatives in attendance was Mr. Jose Sanfins, the accomplished and passionate Technical Director of Chateau Cantenac Brown.
A Successful Vintage and a Great Find
Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava | Trader Joe’s Wine
The Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava has become a perennial favorite amongst those looking for a nice bargain bubbly. Is it’s success due to the clean and elegant label? Or possibly because the catchy name sounds an awful lot like the awfully expensive Cristal Champagne?
Or is it fittingly because the Jaume Serra Cristalino is simple a great sparkling wine for the money? I spotted the Cristalino Brut while browsing my local Trader Joe’s Wine Section and decided to answer those questions for myself. I mean it can’t be all that bad if Wine & Spirits Magazine has rather impressively named the Jaume Serra Cristalino the ‘Value Brand of the Year’ for three consecutive years!
Altano Douro Review | Costco Wine Review
The Douro wine region of Portugal has a history of producing wines for over 2,000 years. On the label of the Altano Douro 2012 I spotted in the Costco Wine Section you’ll see proudly displayed that the Symington family has been producing wine in the Douro for an impressive 125 of those years. That’s a long time and they’ve likely learned a thing or two about winemaking.
While the Douro is most commonly associated with it’s notable Port wine production, roughly half of the wines being produced there are actually not fortified. I’m not a huge fan of Port myself, but I am a fan of excellent table-wine bargains and the Altano Douro 2012 rang in at under $9 while boasting a commendable 91 point Wine Spectator score for the previous 2011 vintage. Needless to say I had to try it!
Have you seen my tips on Where to Buy Wine so that you’re not overpaying?
Famiglia Bianchi Malbec Review | World’s Best Red Wine?
Last year the annual wine competition known as the “Vinalies Internationales’ took place in Paris. The event is organized by the French Winemakers Association with the intent to identify the best wines in the world. Over 3,500 wines were presented from 41 countries to be evaluated blindly by 150 members of the international judging panel. Amongst the contestants: the Famiglia Bianchi Malbec 2012 from Casa Bianchi Winery in Mendoza, Argentina.
The results were shocking: Not only was it the first wine from Argentina to receive the top honors from the prestigious panel, but the Famiglia Bianchi Malbec 2012 was awarded the Grand Trophy of “World’s Best Red Wine”.
Korbel Champagne | A Controversial California Champagne | Trader Joe’s Wine
Made famous by it’s controversial yet wildly successful Korbel Champagne, the Korbel Winery in California’s Russian River Valley was founded in 1882 by the Czechoslovakian Korbel brothers: Francis, Joseph and Anton.
The producers of Korbel Champagne sold their winery in 1954 to Adolph Heck and then in 1974 Adolph’s son Gary took over the winery. While in charge at Korbel, Gary succeeded in increasing production of the now ubiquitous Korbel Champagne from an already healthy 150,000 cases per year to today’s impressive level of 1.3 million cases per year.
Today, by volume, Korbel Champagne is the most popular sparkling wine produced in the United States using the traditional ‘méthode champenoise’ method. The incredible success and popularly of Korbel Champagne surely only adds to the frustration of the French officials and Champagne producers in Champagne, France. What’s the rub? Korbel has insisted on marketing themselves as Champagne when in actuality it is merely a California sparkling wine.
Contadino Pinot Grigio Review | Trader Joe’s Wine
I rarely drink Pinot Grigio and am somewhat guilty of partaking in the widespread belief that most low-end Pinot Grigio’s are insipid, watery and just plain boring. Having said that, there are certainly times when you want a wine that is crisp, refreshing and light and the popularity of the Contadino Pinot Grigio in the Trader Joe’s Wine Section piqued my interest.
Hailing from Northern Italy and ringing in at under $6, the Contadino Pinot Grigio is certainly priced like a value-oriented offering. But just by virtue of being inexpensive does not necessarily make it a good value, and I’m quite curious to see just how good the Contadino Pinot Grigio really is!
