After trying a fun selection of South American wines for my June wedding, I happened across a nice South American wine selection at Hop City Beer & Wine, and I stocked up in preparation for some South American Standoff Tastings! When you’re out to compare new wines, there’s nothing better than cooking something awesome and opening three or four bottles… try them before dinner’s ready, then try them with dinner. Of course, you’ll be drinking these wines for the rest of the week unless you have company to help you with this fun tasting.

Of the selection that I purchased, two were of the French famed Lafite Rothschild. Their Chilean collection is titled Los Vascos, and they have several “regular” varietals, as well as some “reserve” versions. W and I pitted these two Cabernet Sauvignon against each other, with high hopes!

2006 Los Vascos Grande Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley, Chile

2007 Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley, Chile

Surprisingly, we were really disappointed by both wines. Even more surprisingly, especially the Reserve. They just weren’t awesome in any way. They were really tannic, even after letting them sit for a good amount of time and lots of aerating. What a let-down.

Origin: Colchagua Valley, Chile
Where: Hop City
Price: Around $15
Next time: I’ll pass.

W and I enjoyed these two awesome French wines at Le Planteur, our favorite French restaurant on the island of St. Martin, where we spent our honeymoon.

2006 Lacoste-Borie

This wine is wonderful Bordeaux blend from Pauillac (northern part of the Left Bank – see this Bordeaux map).  Sorry I don’t have a picture of this label. I was too busy eating the delicious food!

Origin: Pauillac, Bordeaux, France – left bank
Where: Le Planteur, Oyster Pond, St. Martin
Price: Around $25, according to Snooth
Next time: Get a glass!

2006 Chateau La Tour de Mons

Another great Left Bank Bordeaux blend from France, this wine hailed from the Margaux region (central area of the Left Bank – see this Bordeaux map).

Origin: Margaux, Bordeaux, France – left bank
Where: Le Planteur, Oyster Pond, St. Martin
Price: Around $35, according to Snooth
Next time: Get a glass!

I recently talked about my March wine class that covered Spain and Italy… so much fun, but what a whirlwind. I need a really great wine/geography map already! To pick back up where Italy left off, here I present the Spanish gems that we tasted.

NV Cavas Hill Brut Rosado Cava Reserva Artesania

The Cavas Hill is a beautiful, girly pink color. Delicious bright and crisp strawberry flavor. Goes great with salmon. 60% Garnacha and 40% Monastrell.

Origin: Spain
Price: $13
Next time: Get a case!

2005 Valle de Salinas Yecla

This yummy wine is a blend of Monastrell, Cab Sauv, and Merlot. Dark brick rid with subtle fruit and an earthy smell. Very mild in terms of fruit flavors but still a nice balance with tannins.

Origin: Spain
Price: $14
Next time: Get a case!

2005 Campo Viejo Reserva Tempranillo Rioja

Similar to the above Yecla – the Campo Viejo has a bit more tannins than fruit, but still a nice balance with its blend of Tempranillo, Graciano, and Mazuelo. Still mild, but more acid here as well. Check out their website for some beautiful photos as well as videos about these specific wines, as well as tasting and serving wines in general.

Origin: Spain
Price $15
Next time: Get a case!

2007 Vinos Sin Ley G5 Garnacha Madrid – Puerto Bonita

This delicious Spanish red (100% Garnacha) is a real keeper. It clearly says Puerto Bonita on the label, but everyone seems to know this one as the “G5.” It’s a great fruity red with tannins as well. It’s similar to the previous two wines but lighter bodied but still the same fruit forward spirit.

Origin: Spain
Price $16
Next time: Get a case!

2006 Abadia Retuerta Rivola Sardon de Duero

For a red wine that’s 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, the Rivola has a buttery finish. I liked this better at the last tasting, but wasn’t a big fan of it compared to some of these other Spanish reds.

Origin: Spain
Price $17
Next time: I’ll pass

2008 Bodegas La Cartuja Priorat

This wine was an oaked Grenache blend that was just way too much in terms of tannins for my taste. Beautiful dark ruby red color, but a very tannic wine. Still a great fruit finish.

Origin: Spain
Price $17
Next time: Get a glass!

1996 Faustino I Tinto Gran Reserva Rioja

This Fuastino is a really weird wine. It smells like dirty shoes… leathery, dirty, funky. Crazy enough, the taste is much better… It still has its fair share of tannins, so it’s definitely not a sip on the porch kind of wine. Maybe with the right dish, this wine might thrive. Give it a shot, but I’m not expecting this to be a new favorite.

Origin: Spain
Price $32
Next time: Get a glass!

In March, I went to another wine class by Highland Wine. The topic of this class was Spain and Italy – a huge subject to try to cover in just one class! Here, I’ll just focus on our Italian tastings. Like the majority of Europe, most wines are labeled by the producer and the region, NOT the type of grape(s). So unless you know the area well, you’re not likely to be familiar with the winery and what types of wine they make that are indiginious to that area. The tasting was fun, but to really know Spain and Italy, you better be well prepared with a map and a LONG list of indiginious grapes and their many names. Talk about confusing… Fun though and some of the most versatile wines in the world, especially with food.

2007 Marco Flaco Memo Montepulciano D’Abbruzzo

See this previous post about Memo… extremely yummy and extremely versatile! Lots of fruit but also a nice balance of tannins.

Origin: Italy
Price $13
Next time: Get a glass!

2007 Cusamano Nero d’Avola Sicilia

Zin meets Grenache. Very tannic.

Origin:Italy
Price $12
Next time: I’ll pass.

2005 Lungarotti Rubesco Rosso di Torgiano

Sangiovese blend. Really yummy with a great balance of fruit and tannins. More subtle fruit compared to the Memo above.

Origin: Italy
Price $17
Next time: Get a case!

2003 Gioso Nebbiolo d’Alba

Very heavy fruit and heavy tannins. Too overpowering for my taste.

Origin: Italy
Price $21
Next time: I’ll pass.

2005 Sensi Chianti Riserva

This wine was really interesting. The Sensi Chianti smelled like dirty socks… seriously. But the flavor wasn’t the same (thank goodness)… it was better. Still wasn’t a terribly enjoyable wine for me though.

Origin: Italy
Price $21
Next time: I’ll pass.

2007 Ornellaia Le Volte Toscana

The Ornellaia Le Volte is quickly becoming a new favorite. With 51% Sangiovese, 34% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is simply delightful. Lots of fruit, medium tannins, aged in new oak barrels… it’s a lot like a New World Cabernet, if it’s done right, and not overly ripe.

Origin: Italy
Price $29
Next time: Get a case!

2004 Sartori Rino Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico

Amarone is a unique grape and a really unique flavor – high alcohol and high acid; super jammy and wine from concentrate. Basically, a liquid fig newton. Each to his own, in my opinion. This wine is aged 18 months in oak barrels and 18 months in the bottle before release (as a typical Classico style).

Origin: Italy
Price $36
Next time: I’ll pass.

A while ago, I got a promotional email from Snooth.com, advertising a special on Cameron Hughes wine – a case of 12 (3 each of 4 wines) for a great price, and it included free shipping. I’d never heard of Cameron Hughes, but I decided to give it a shot. This purchase is also my first time ordering wine online and having it shipped – now that the state of Georgia finally allows wine shipments via mail (too bad their other alcohol laws are still 1800s prudish!).

Cameron Hughes bottles a huge amount of wine based on a method they call the Lot Series. Here’s how it works – for several reasons, high-end wines often have an over-supply of grapes from a variety of vineyards. Cameron Hughes strikes a deal to bottle the juice from these premium vineyards. Rather than blending the various lots, they bottle each vineyard exclusively of the others. So, for example, this Lot 147 is 100% juice from only one specific premium vineyard. The various lots and their respective Cameron Hughes wine Lots come in a variety of price ranges and varietals. Interesting concept… but also one that you often can’t really get a lot of information about each specific lot or who the original/primary bottler would be. Cameron Hughes also sells to places like Sam’s Club and CostCo, so check it out.

This Cabernet from Sonoma County was delicious! It’s 100% Cab grapes and just very drinkable – a great balance – not too fruity and not too tannic. I’m glad I have more than one of these very drinkable wines.

Origin: Sonoma County, California
Where: Cameron Hughes Online
Price: $12.75 through the online special
Next time: Get a glass!

Now that we’re a couple of months into 2010, I took a look back at the wines I tried in 2009 and present to you my list of Favorite Red Wines of 2009! Fave 2009 Whites coming soon!

• Pine & Post Cab Sauv – $9
• Simonnet-Febvre Pinot Noir – ~ $10
• Finca el Origen Malbec – $11
• Lucky Star Pinot Noir - $9
• Mark West Sonoma County Pinot Noir – $12
• Memo Montepulciano – $11
• Morande Pionero Pinot Noir – $10
• Spellbound Petite Syrah – $13
• Alexander Valley Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – $?
• Angeline Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – $14
• Oyster Bay Pinot Noir – $15
• G5 Puerta Bonita Garnacha – $15
• Eos Estate Zinfandel and Petite Syrah – $15ish? and $16
• Bliss Cab Sauv – $15
• Chateau Fantin Bordeaux Superioeur – $16
• Big Fire Pinot Noir – $18
• Poppy Pinot Noir – $16
• Rivola Sardon de Duero Cab Sauv – $17
• Vina Robles Cav Sauv – ~ $18
• Le Signal Domaine Ligneres Carignan – $19
• Murphy-Goode Cab Sauv – $20
• Wirra Wirra Church Block Cab Sauv – $20
• Chateau Robin Cotes De Castillion – $22
• Louis M. Martini Cab Sauv – $15-$20
• L’Oustal Blanc Minervois – $21
• Twenty Rows Cab Sauv – $23
• Oberon Cab Sauv – $24
• Molnar Family Pinot Noir – $26
• Douglas Green Shiraz Reserve – $20ish?
• Obsidian Ridge Cab Sauv – $29
• Patricia Green Pinot Noir – $30
• Hartford Zinfandel – $30
• Chateau Rollan de By Medoc – $30
• Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir – $??
• Anne Amie Pinot Noir – $??

I had high hopes for this $13 California Cab. Unfortunately, I wasn’t overly impressed.

According to the website:

Our Rio Vaca estate vineyard lies 10 miles east of the famed Napa Valley, separated only by the craggy Vaca Mountains. Planted in ancient volcanic and alluvial soils, majestic 25-year-old vines produce grapes with complex and concentrated flavors.

The Vaca Cabernet Sauvignon was fermented in small, separate lots then aged in 60-gallon barrels. reserve lots of Syrah were cold-soaked prior to fermentation. Cold-soaking extracts darker, concentrated colors and fruits leaving behind harsh tannins.

The wine was aged 14 months in barrels, 25% new. a blend of 60% American, 20% French, and 20% Hungarian oak adds toasty vanilla, clove, and cedar highlights. the results is a dark wine, ruby in color, with ripe blackberry and plum flavors. Layered with velvety tannins, the finish is long and enduring.

The high acidity as well as the cedar and oak notes are the source of my sub-par opinion of the Vaca Cab, but if those characteristics appeal to you, give it a try.

Origin: California
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $13
Next time: I’ll pass.

This Obsidian Ridge Cab Sauv hails from Napa in California. It’s part of a wine group called Tricycle Wine Company (cute, huh?). I encourage you to check out a cool video on their site – get to know the three top wine dudes and their variety of vineyards.

When I picked up this new bottle at Highland Wine, they likened it to this other favorite of mine: Chateau Rollan de By Medoc. And they were right! This Cab is a little gem. I haven’t tasted these two favorites side by side, so I wonder which one I would like better – maybe that’s an experiment for the future.

This, like the last two posts, was one of my birthday tastings and ended up being my favorite one of the night. This Cab’s a bit on the lighter side for a Cab, but it still has enough tannins to stand up to a meal. Great flavors all around – highly recommended!

Definitely check out their website to view the Fly Over video I mentioned as well as the fun bios of the talented folks involved, as well as the story of how this vineyard came to be in the new Red Hills area of Napa.

Origin: Red Hills in Napa, California
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $30
Next time: Get a glass!

You might remember from some previous posts that I’ve been exploring some new economically priced wines. Lucky Star Pinot Noir has been a winner. Leaping Horse Merlot… not so much. Pine & Post Cabernet Sauvignon, hailing from the Columbia Valley of Washington State is the latest experiment. Pine & Post is a Cab blend with 84% Cabernet Sauv, 10% Sangiovese, 3% Syrah, 3% Cabernet Franc — and it’s absolutely amazing! For under $10, this is an amazing value – stock up!

Origin: Washington
Where: Publix
Price: $9
Next time: Get a case!

More Bald Head Island beach trip wines that made the cut! After a few months, I can’t describe the Alexander Valley Pinot Noir or the Angeline Alexander Valley Cab in great detail, other than they were delectable and I want more of these two wines.

I’m sure words like “supple” and “balanced” and “delicious” would have been floating around the dinner table with these two wines.

Origin: Alexander Valley< california
Where: Smyrna WOB and Publix
Price: ??
Next time: Get a case!