2007 Finca el Origen Reserva Torrantes, Uco Valley $10.99

Clear with a tropical fruit nose. high acidity with great balance. WOW, very nice but I hope it does not compete with the other Torrantes in the shop.

Tasted 6/16/09 via winemaker Andrés Caballero

2008 Santa Carolina Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, Chile $11.99

Wine was clear with a great New Zealand nose. All that cat pee that one wants was hitting the right spots. High acidity and great balance was to follow. Nice notes of green ferns on the palate.
Nice wine.

Tasted 6/16/09 via winemaker Andrés Caballero

2007 Finca el Origen Gran Reserva Malbec, Uco Valley $21.99

This Malbec is rich and luxuriant with generous amounts of nutmeg, allspice, blackberry, and Yemeni coffee. I'm not sure it is worth the price as I feel there are other Malbec's at lower prices that are better.

Tasted 6/16/09 with winemaker Andrés Caballero

2007 Finca el Origen Malbec Reserva, Uco Valley $11.99

Deep red hues with a great nose of stone fruit and blueberries. Notes of spices like cinnamon and thyme are hanging around. On the palate the wine is very well balanced with a lot of the nose coming into play. Tannins become pretty soft as the wine turns into liquid silk on the end. I like it.

Tasted 6/16/09 with winemaker Andrés Caballero

2007 Santa Carolina Pinot Noir Reserva, Chile $11.99

This was one of those rare times where you get $27 worth of Pinot Noir for only $12. Clear with a light brown rim. Rich notes of cherry and light brown sugar. Soft tannins with some good fruit notes, very silky on the finish. Wine was balanced very well. I can see this becoming a wine that people will be buying by the case. I'm willing to bet that it will hit at least 89 points by some people. Good stuff!

Tasted 6/16/09 with the winemaker Andrés Caballero

2006 Ancient Peaks Merlot, Margarita Vineyard, Paso Robles $14.99

I'm always kind of staying away from wines from California just for the fact that I'm getting tired of tasting the same of oak-bomb shit. Then my rep from North East Wine comes in a tasted me on this little jewel.

All the grapes for this Merlot come from the Margarita Vineyard in Paso Robles. The Merlot is a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Malbec. The color of the wine is pretty much black or purple. Don't open this with a white shirt on! On the nose there are some great notes of black fruit and a hint of what reminded me od smoking cola sheesha. On the palate the wine was pretty decent in that it was balanced correctly and the tannins were pretty smooth. Light notes of spices and more black fruit finished off this Merlot. Really nice for the price!

Tasted 6/15/09 via North East Wine

2006 Sierra Cantabria Rioja $13.99

I was actually thinking this would have been an oak-bomb, but I was wrong. Wine was dark as night when it came to color. On the nose there were some serious notes of tar and cooked plums. The palate offered more of the rich fruit from the tree and a light layer of inky tar. Finish was a bit rough, but I'll chalk that up to not letting the wine breathe as it should have. I only gave it a few minutes in the glass.

Tasted 6/9/09

2003 Borsao Crianza Selección, Campo de Borja $14.99

The 2005 picked up 91 points by Parker or Spectator. I can't really remember and don't case since I think they are both bullshit. For those who care the 2006 only picked up 89 by Parker. Poor wine, could not even hit 90. Anyway...

The color of the wine was almost black in color. Rich black fruit with loads of spice and tobacco. I like it so far! On the palate was another layer of fun. Rich and full bodied! This wine could sit for another 10 years and still hold its own. On the finish this was a ball buster. Big and firm and ready to let you know that it was going be done when it wanted to be done. I love it. It was not that California tannin oak-bomb crap, but more of an old-world style of wine making. Great.

Tasted 6/9/09

2003 Bodegas Ishmael Arroyo Val Sotillo Crianza, Ribera del Duero $24.99

I've tried this Crianza in the past, but never really gave it its full due. Since I was trying wines from Spain I decided to toss it into the bunch and see how it came out.

There was a nice garnet color with light hints of brown on the rim. On the nose there were a huge amount of spices and some pleasant wood and tobacco notes. The palate was a lot different than what my nose was picking up. More red fruit than anything with light hints of spices and more herbs. Overall it was a really nice Crianza, but I feel that it might be starting to fall apart. The finish was kind of light and it seemed to fade away faster than I wanted. That could be the nerd in me talking though.

Tasted 6/9/09

2004 Savanna Sogno Uno, Montalcino $23.99

Rich red in color with large notes of spice and black cherry. On the palate this wine is showing some nice acidity and balance but the heat seemed to take center stage for a few seconds. The heat does go away and leave some nice fruit but I think the wine was getting more hype because of who is on the label.

Tasted 6/9/09

1998 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley $23.99

Almost brick red in color, the nose still has some nice red fruit on it. Notes of pepper and spice with a light cedar hankering. There are also some nice light floral notes that linger as well.

On the palate the wine seems to have lost some of its youth. Yes, I know the wine is 11 years old now but the nose leads you to think otherwise. Soft fruit with light hints of oak. Finish is quick and leaves nothing to desire. I believe that this wine is 100% Cabernet while aged in oak for about 24 months.

Tasted 6/9/09

2004 Allegrini La Grola, Veronese $25.99

Deep red in color to almost a hair past brick red. On the palate there is some nice rich dried red fruit, but there is something missing. On the palate the missing item was shown. There is a quick spice, but then it kinda just fades away. There is almost a nail polish kind of note to it with some odd earth notes. Tannins are kinda lacking as the wine seems hollow on the end. This is one case where the cheaper of the two is the better one.

2005 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre, Vernese $19.99

With a color of ripe prunes and a nose of black currents and earth, this wine shows great depth and is medium to full bodied. On the palate there is some good pepper and nice rich yet sweet tannins. The finish is pretty long as I think it lasted around 20 seconds. The ripe fruit comes out on the end.

2006 Roc de Lussac, Lussac-St. Emilion $17.99

Wine is deep red in color with hints of light red on the rim. On the nose this wine is HUGE!!! Notes of black ink and lead pencil. Almost too much wine for the price. I would imagine that is see's around 6 months of oak. On the palate it is high in acidity with pretty good balance. Tannins are pretty big as they need to calm down in the bottle. Wine will age for a few more years until its ready to pop.

2005 Mission St. Vincent $14.99

This is one hell of a full bodied wine. Wine see six months in oak barrels, and is mostly a blend of Merlot. Very rich black fruit on the nose with a nice finish of pencil shavings. Only around 13% alcohol.

2006 Saint-Vincent Baron $12.99

Great nose of red berries with a light green bell pepper. On the palate the wine tends to be a full bodied with notes of blackberries and tar. Tannins were actually pretty smooth for being such a young wine. Nice to see a producer making a wine that is under 13% alcohol.

2007 Les Trois Couronnes Chateauneuf-du-Pape $37.99

With a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and a pinch of Cinsault, you know this is going to be a good wine. As for the color, the wine is pretty dark, maybe a bit garnet. Pretty big nose of ripe red fruits, spices and light tobacco Wine is very well balanced wine as if this was a better known producer it would be around $60 per bottle. Very soft tannins with a nice full finish.

2007 Les Trois Couronnes Gigondas $23.99

With a blend of Grenache Noir, Syrah, and Mourvedre, this beauty has a deep almost blackish color to it. Lots of black fruit with some nice earth tones. There are some great dried herbs and hints of vanilla as well. On the finish this wine is long and filling. Wine should be set aside for a few years, but can be opened now only if you give it some time to breathe.

2007 Les Trois Cournnes Vacqueyras $19.99

Talk about a blend of grapes. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault. Wine is ruby red in color with notes of ripe red fruit and light hints of anise or fennel. Pretty full bodied yet soft on the tannins. The finish is kind of spicy with light notes of red fruit on the end. I like it.

2007 Les Trois Couronnes Cotes-du-Rhone $12.99

Wine is clear with a great nose of pepper, spice and black vine fruit. Has some serious body, but not enough to push you away. Wine is a blend of Syrah ad Grenache that see's a little oak that makes the tannins pretty soft and elegant. Palate taste like the nose smells. Great little wine.