Paso Creek
Cabernet Sauvignon
2012
13.55 ABV



Almost a deep purplish red color, the bouquet is heady and immediate and fruity. Strong berry notes, maybe also plum. Very sweet, with just a little bit of a bite and enough tannin to give it creaminess without going bitter. Refreshing for a red. Great drinking wine, but I'm also having some steak.

Shatter 2012 Grenache

Shatter 2012 Grenache

Maury, France

Joel Gott

Dave Phinney

15.6% alcohol.

I'm really excited to try this wine, because I've not had a grenache before! It's a red wine, and from the looks of it, packs quite a punch. The name Joel Gott is familiar - I have a bottle of their 815 Cab sitting in my wine "cabinet" (really just a drawer in my bedroom). 

The wine itself is a paler red than I had expected. The bouquet is immediate and strong and fruity, I think I'm getting hints of black cherry, blackberry, or black currant. 

The taste is bold, semi-sweet, and spicy. It's rounded off by a nice bitter tannin finish, which isn't too strong. The aftertaste is of dark chocolate. Amazing. After drinking whites for the past few blog posts, it's good to have a nice complex in-your-face red.  

I would drink this wine on its own. 

According to wine.com:

"Dark, deep and rich with ripe, dense blackberry, cassis and notes of chocolate; velvety, lush and balanced with fine structure."

Benziger Family Winery
Chardonnay
2012 Sonoma County
Certified Sustainable Grape growing program

Color: yellow
Bouquet: apples, melon? herbal, like fenugreek
Very very smooth and buttery. Dry finish. Almost nutty.

From label: lemon, pear, apricot, and a hint of meringue while boasting creamy texture.

I didn't know meringue was a flavor!

Recommendation : chill but leave at room temperature for 10 min or so to warm up a bit - it improved the flavor a lot!

Fetzer Gewurztraminer
Monterey County
2013


Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a white wine...and this time it ended up being a sweet white wine at that!

I popped this one into the fridge to chill for about 20 min before uncorking. It's a clear greenish yellow color, slight sparkle, but nothing too noticeable.

The bouquet is fresh and fruity, with honeydew, Japanese car air freshener. It's fairly sweet, but not cloyingly so, like a moscato might be, and it's balanced by a nice bit of acidity. Mostly clean aftertaste, a little grassy which is nice. Definitely fruity, but I'm not used to identifying particular flavors in sweet white wines. However, it has a distinct honey-mead like flavor. Supposedly also fresh peach and apricot.

I chose to drink this with a mild Japanese style curry over rice, and I'm enjoying the pairing. It could stand well on its own as a dessert wine however.

Wild Horse
Cabernet Sauvignon
2012
13.5% alcohol

Deep garnet color,
bouquet sort of swimming pool locker rooms

Immediately fruity, low on tannins, but with a nice spicy finish.
Hints of coffee, mocha, as well.

Would be a great drinking wine, a good casual wine. I can see myself getting easily tipsy with this one. As well as using it in a nice recipe.

From the back of the label:
black berry and cherry with hints of cocoa and clove.

I'm getting better at this.

No mention of swimming pools, though.

4/5.

Geyser Peak Winery 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
$20
13.5% alcohol.

Does an older vintage mean a better wine? Let's find out.
I found this wine among 2012s-2014s at the grocery store, and it was reasonably priced.

Sort of a floral, lavender like bouquet, which is unusual
also getting hints of seeds, wood, pine?

It's immediately smooth and buttery on tasting. Fairly sweet too. Almost has a hint of aged scotch, sort of peaty.

I'm sure the label will say cherry and vanilla, or blackberry - I have a hard time discerning those flavors in general.

And, what do you know? "Black cherry and cassis flavors and vanilla nuances..."

This is a good drinking wine - I would pair it with nuts because of it's richness, and they recommend roasted beef, sauteed mushrooms, and mature cheeses. I think it's the earthiness that it complements.

Layer Cake Shiraz
2013
South Australia
14.5% alcohol
~$15

I've seen this label around and have always been curious to try it. The name put me off at first; cake doesn't really fit my image of wine. But I've been in the mood for a Shiraz, and it was at Trader Joe's on Sunday. Today I decided to crack it open.

Typical of the grape, this wine was a deep opaque purple red. The immediate bouquet gave some toasty notes along with some cherry and blackberry. The wine is immediately sweet on the tongue.  Very nice mouthfeel. Other than that, a solid wine, good for drinking on its own.

The label says chocolate and mocha. I didn't get chocolate at the first couple sips, but I can sort of taste it now. Definitely some bitterness there.

9/10 solid wine for drinking.