Category Archives: Under $50

Chateau Hanteillan 2010 | Costco Wine Reviews

Chateau Hanteillan Haut-Medoc 2010 | Costco Wine Reviews

Chateau Hanteillan

I’m surprised I’m just now trying the Chateau Hanteillan 2010. Considering it received a solid 92 point score from Wine Enthusiast and is frequently touted by one of my favorite wine wholesalers: Wines Til Sold Out. They offer it for half of it’s $30 retail and have marketed it as a ‘very impressive “stock your cellar” wine.’ But when I happened upon the Chateau Hanteillan 2010 in the Costco Wine section at under $12, I couldn’t resist any further!

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Gary Farrell Chardonnay Review | Russian River Selection

Gary Farrell Chardonnay | Gary Farrell Winery

Gary Farrell Chardonnay

On my most recent trip to California wine country in October, I started out my trip in Napa and then made my way to the quaint yet trendy town of Healdsburg in Sonoma. It was my first time visiting this incredible town and it surely won’t be the last. There were so many fine restaurants and wineries I wanted to visit yet I had only a few days there to explore.

While Garry Farrell Winery was on my list of respected producers to visit, I was sadly unable to make it there during my trip. So I was more than delighted to receive the Gary Farrell Chardonnay Russian River Selection as a media sample.

The Gary Farrell Chardonnay is a cool-climate Chardonnay, sourced from select vineyards in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley during the 2012 growing season. Without as much heat as say Napa Valley, the grapes don’t ripen quite as much resulting in lower alcohol and higher acid wines. The result is a Chardonnay like you might find in Burgundy with good balance and mineral character.

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La Finca Malbec Review | Trader Joe’s

La Finca Malbec | Trader Joe’s Wine

La Finca Malbec

If you recall from my recent review of the Grifone Primitivo I am on the hunt for the best wine values in the Trader Joe’s Wine Section. According to their in-store wine specialist the Grifone Primitivo topped the list and the second best value available is today’s feature: the La Finca Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina.

The La Finca Malbec is produced from the vineyards of Finca La Cecilia which lie in the foothills of the Argentine Andes. While the increasingly popular Malbec varietal might trace it’s roots to the Cahors region of Southern France, it is Argentina that has succeeded in resurrecting Malbec.

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Champagne Delamotte | Salon Quality | Affordable Price

Champagne Delamotte Brut Review | Salon Quality at an Affordable Price

Champagne Delamotte

If you’re anything like me, when you start to hear Christmas music,  your inner child gets excited while the grown-up part of you gets instantly stressed with everything the holiday season entails. Not the least of which entails finding elegant, well-crafted Champagne that will impress without also depressing you due to it’s price. But fortunately I may be able to help in at least this one critical area. In terms of sheer bang for the buck, the Costco Kirkland Signature Champagne I recently reviewed is an excellent option but sometimes you want something a little more special and prestigious to celebrate with. Today The Fermented Fruit is actually celebrating a small milestone itself (more on that later). These special occasions call for the Champagne Delamotte Brut.

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Costco Champagne | Kirkland Signature Brut Review

Costco Champagne | Kirkland Signature Brut Review

Costco Champagne

If this is you’re very first visit to The Fermented Fruit then welcome and thanks for visiting! I hope you come back and visit often. If you’re one of my totally incredible regular readers though, then you probably know just how much I love sparkling wine, especially Champagne!

Despite my profound love of Champagne, I can’t bring myself to regularly spend upwards of $40 on a bottle of bubbly; hence why I drink wines like the La Marca Prosecco, Lunetta Prosecco and Roederer Estate Brut more often. But sometimes you just want to drink real Champagne so today we’re tasting an affordable option that blends both my love of Costco and Champagne: The Kirkland Signature Brut, otherwise known as Costco Champagne!

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Grifone Primitivo Review | Trader Joe’s Wine

Grifone Primitivo 2012 | Trader Joe’s Wine

Grifone Primitivo

While checking out the incredible wine selections at Trader Joe’s I asked the knowledgeable wine specialist on staff what he thought were the absolute top values and the Grifone Primitivo was at the very top of the list. Out of hundreds of wines, the Grifone Primitivo topped the list you say? And so I had to try it myself…

Despite being called “A California Original, grown nowhere else” by wine writers in the late 1970’s , Primitivo, also known as Zinfandel, existed long before Zinfandel ever did in California. In fact, its origins can be traced to a single vine in the garden of an elderly lady’s Croatian Garden as early as the 15th century.

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Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Review

Kirkland Signature 2011 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Review

I’m perennially tempted and intrigued by Costco’s Kirkland Signature wines so I thought I might give the Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2011 a try. Alexander Valley is the northernmost part of Sonoma County and is known for producing Cabernet’s that are slightly softer and more elegant in style.

It’s generally cooler temperatures produce a different Cabernet than you get in Napa, where wines are often riper, fruitier and more tannic. Often I find myself more inclined to drink Cabernet that is less fruity with good balance and acidity and Alexander Valley fits the bill at a better price point. Several notable wineries you might recognize produce sought after Cabernet’s from Alexander Valley including Silver Oak,  Jordan and Lancaster Estate.

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Domaine Lafage Cuvee Nicolas Review

Domaine Lafage Cuvee Nicolas

Domaine Lafage Cuvee Nicolas

The Domaine Lafage Cuvee Nicolas 2012 really caught my attention when I received an e-mail offering from The Wine Library. Not only was it fashioned by the same talented winemaker who produces the Novellum Chardonnay, but at only $13 it had scored a whopping 93 point score by Jeb Dunnuck of the Wine Advocate.

The Novellum Chardonnay is an excellent value, consistently over delivering for it’s modest price point at the hands of winemaker Jean Marc Lafage. He is also responsible for producing the wildly popular Las Rocas Garnacha for power-importer Eric Solomon.

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Dr. Wagner Riesling Review

Dr. Wagner Riesling ReviewI don’t drink many Rieslings, mostly because I’m not a huge fan of sweetness in my wines. Rieslings are however considered to be amongst the greatest age-worthy white wines, and they aren’t always very sweet, if at all. I very much enjoyed a Riesling recently while visiting Long Island Wine Country at Paumanok Vineyards so when I spotted the Dr. Wagner Riesling Kabinett at my local Costco I decided to give it a try.

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Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc | Costco Wine Reviews

Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc | Costco Wine Reviews

Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc

Chances are that you’ve either seen or know of the Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. It’s usually prominently displayed in every supermarket wine section across across America. So today at The Fermented Fruit my mission of unearthing the wine bargains we’re all searching for continues. I love these missions; and I love Sauvignon Blanc too.

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