The Show 2010 Garnacha

I love grenache, which as everyone knows is called garnacha in Spain.  Grenache is a tough grape to grow, as it requires hot temperatures to fully ripen and is susceptible to mildew.  But when done correctly, it might just produce the best wine available.  I found this particular bottle in my local Target, which is not a typical place to shop for wines but I am quickly finding that excellent wines can be found pretty much anywhere.  Anyway, this bottle, in addition to being grenache, was on sale.  That made it a double bonus!

The wine itself is very dark, with a purple hue fading to dark red at the rim.  Layers of dark fruit arise from the glass.  The alcohol content provides a nice complement to the wine.  The first sip gives an impression of balance, with the tannins and acidity mixing very well.  There is a definite note of astringency, and the finish is long and smooth.  Overall this is a great wine and a wonderful price.

2010 Red Theory Merlot

While at the local wine store I was looking for something that was medium bodied, and typically merlot from Washington fits that description for me.  I literally chose this bottle based on the name and the AVA.  The Columbia Valley usually produces a very good merlot, and while this one was not a single vineyard merlot I thought that generally it would be very good.  Single vineyard wines are difficult to find in "big box" wine stores (like this one), and if they are in those stores then they can be quite expensive.  I usually need to visit the winery to get a single vineyard bottle.  Since this bottle is labeled with the AVA, I am assuming that the wine was either made from grapes harvested among a number of vineyards in the Columbia Valley or it is a blend of wines made from several different vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley.

The first thing that I noticed with the wine was the color.  I was expecting a wine that was dark red to purple in color, clear but with an inky color.  As I poured the wine into my glass I actually thought that it was mislabeled as merlot and was actually pinot noir.  The color was brick red and light, leading to a glass that was red and transparent, fading a bit to orange along the edge.  This is very unusual and led to the impression of a lighter wine.  The nose gave me aromas of cherry along with a bit of spice.  The tannins were supportive but not overly strong.  the wine itself was clean with no apparent flaws.  That is typical of a wine of this nature, where I suspect that the winemaker filtered the wine prior to bottling.  Filtering is ok, as it can provide stability to the wine after bottling.  The issue is that sometimes over-filtering a wine can lead to an uninteresting wine, one that seems to be targeted to the masses.  This wine in particular was tight upon opening, but opened up a little bit after standing.  I started to get notes of caramel and oak upon exposure to air, and that made the wine a little more interesting after standing for a day with a little bit of air in the headspace.

Overall, this wine was a solid merlot.  At $11 per bottle it provided good quality-to-price, but I thought that it was a little bland.

Rubicon Estate Captains Reserve 2005 Syrah

As with the malbec, I am trying an American syrah with the hope of finding something comparable to the Australian syrah that I love. Rubicon has produced very good wines in my opinion, so I am eager to try the Captains Reserve syrah.

This is a big wine. The color is deep purple, so dark that it is almost impossible to discern the true color of the wine. It does not have the slightly sweet flavor of the Barossa syrah, and it was really somewhat tannic. This wine could use a year or two in the cellar prior to drinking. Overall I think that the wine is alright now, could improve with age but is not on the same level with the Barossa wines.

For more information you can find me at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Chateau Ste Michelle 2005 Vineyard Select Malbec

Over the past 2 years, I have found that Argentina produces the best malbec. Don't know why (yet), but they are very good at making malbec. For that reason I usually shy away from American malbecs. However, Chateau Ste. Michelle is a VERY solid wine producer. They seem to be good at almost everything that they make. So, I'll give it a try.

Dark purple with an aroma involving dark berries, this wine is solid. It probably could use a little more time in the cellar but overall a very good choice. The South American wines are still better, though.

I can be found at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Rubicon Estate 2005 Cask Cabernet Sauvignon

I have been dying to try this wine. You all know that I love cabernet, and I am crazy about California cabs in particular. I have had the Captain's reserve cabernet from Rubicon before and really liked it. So for my summer shipment, I received two bottles of Cask cabernet (one for me and one for me). I think that it took me about 7 seconds to open the bottle.

Oh boy. This is a big cabernet, but also very soft and supple. The tannins were provided structure but were not overpowering. This wine stayed very consistent over 4 days. Easily one of the best cabernets that I have had. I need more.......

I am available at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Serengeti 2004 Shiraz

Ok, I did something that I rarely do. I bought this bottle for $16 based on 2 things: I like shiraz (aka syrah) and I liked the label on the bottle. What can I say? I'm a lucky person. Oh, I also wanted to try a wine from South Africa. I had been reading reviews that mention South Africa as an up-and-coming wine producing region.

Usually wines that I drink are ok on the first day and improve over the next day or two. This one was awesome from the start. There was a strong boysenberry aroma which faded over the next 2 days. Interestingly, the color had an orange hue as it was poured from the bottle. I have not found a syrah that is orange. I have found a barolo that was orange (I'll post that one later). The taste was awesome, but the first day was the best. This is a good bottle to serve at a party or for guests. The wine is somewhat heavy, so it should be served with heavier dishes. It also worked well with burgers, so it can be versatile. I'll get this one again.

For questions or comments I can be found at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Les Piliers 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Oh. My. Goodness. This is BY FAR my favorite cabernet. Run, don't walk, run and buy some. On second thought, don't. That will leave more for me. All of this hubub over a mere $15 bottle of wine. Vin de pays, in fact. It's French freakin' table wine, for Pete's sake! Made by Michel Gassier the grapes were harvested in October and aged 12 months in French oak barrels after fermentation. The wine was bottled and made its way to me.



The cabernet is dark burgundy in color. The tannins are subtle and soft. Over a period of four days, the only thing that was wrong with this wine is that the bottle emptied way too fast as the wine aged gracefully over the four days. This is truly the nectar of the gods.



Questions or comments? Let me know at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.