Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Shiraz

Emeri de Bortoli
Sparkling Shiraz
$9.95
Non-vintage
Southeastern Australia

Winery Review:  A relatively light, fresh style of sparkling Shiraz, with berries and hints of chocolate picking up just a touch of sweet vanilla on the finish.

Personal Review:  Blackberries overwhelm the aroma, with cherries being apparent as well. Chocolate can also be detected in the nose, but only faintly. The carbonation is good and refreshing, but contrasts with the smokey flavors. Overall a good sparkling wine, but tastes as if it would be better just as a sweet red without the carbonation.

Tres Ojos Garnacha

Tres Ojos
Garnacha
2011
$6.95
Calatayud, Spain

Winery Review:  This wine has a brick red color with a bouquet of red raspberries, spice and white pepper. The palate is incredibly concentrated and rich. The modern styles of Garnacha in Spain are continuously being perceived worldwide as wines of extraordinarily good quality. This wine is fruity, juicy and shows a great depth, ripe tannins, length but yet with wonderful elegance and lightness. Enjoy with sausages, roasted meats, aged cheeses, etc.

Personal Review:  Very strong, distinct smell, with a slight smokiness and obvious dryness. Tastes very dry with no apparently dominant flavors. Pepper can be detected at the finish, but overall was not one of my personal favorite reds.

Montebuena Tempranillo

Montebuena
Tempranillo
2010
$8.95
Rioja, Spain

Winery Review:  Ripe cherry and blackcurrant on the nose and in the mouth. Pliant and seamless in texture, with good heft and back-end energy. Finishes smooth and sweet, with fine-grained tannins providing shape and grip. Still on the young side but this wine drinks very well with an hour or so of decanting; it's an excellent value for Rioja.

Personal Review:  Dark cherry, like Cheerwine with a licorice smell. Has been stored in burned barrels, as a smokiness is present. Swisher Sweet cigar taste, with a light smoke and a fruity hint at the finish, definitely of dark fruits like the cherry apparent in the aroma.

Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence

Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence
Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault
2011
$8.95
Provence, France

Winery Review:  Bright salmon pink; typical of the fresh but warm Provence style. Refined and complex on the nose, with summer fruit and floral notes. Dry and crisp, with a delicate flavor and full texture.

Personal Review:  Very herbal smell, like leaves and persimmon. Tastes a lot like the smell, but with added sugar. Reminded me of fresh leaves with a syrupy texture from beginning to end.

Canyon Road Chardonnay

Canyon Road
Chardonnay
2011
$6.95
California

Winery Review:  Medium-bodied wine with notes of crisp apple and ripe citrus fruit with a hint of cinnamon spice. Delicious complement to grilled chicken, lighter pasta dishes or mild cheeses.

Personal Review:  Obviously a chardonnay with its butter smell. A hint of pear can be detected, as well as a little bit of antiseptic, which could be due in part to the alcoholic aroma. A very, very good sweetness, like a light nectar. Excellent smoothness, not excessively fruity and no tartness or bite in the finish. Prime stuff.

Potluck Sweet Malbec

Potluck
Sweet Malbec
2010
$7.95
Mendoza, Argentina

Winery Review:  Deep red brilliant with violet hints. Complex, fruity, and predominant red fruits. Easy to drink, round with persistent sweetness, very well balanced with sweet tannins.

Personal Review:  Smells like Kool Aid. Hints of cherries, blackberries, and strawberries all are present in the aromas. Tastes similar, but with a slight spice. No tartness or bitterness can be detected but the higher alcoholic content of the wine is a little much for such a sweet red, especially one served as a dessert or finishing wine. Would be best served with food rather than alone.

Domaine de Grange de Payan Grenache

Domaine de Grange de Payan
Grenache
2011
$8.95
Cotes du Rhone, France

Winery Review:  Intensely spicy and precise, with lively red berry flavors and a hint of black pepper. The Grenache, which makes up the majority of the wine, is deeper and more powerful, offering cherry and black raspberry qualities lifted by zesty minerality.

Personal Review:  Smells like a wine with high alcohol content, and tastes like it as well with a kick in the finish. A tart smokiness is the dominant impression, with little fruits present throughout. The 15% alcohol content hits the back of the throat with a tinge as it goes down. Not an overly impressive wine, as it is quite dry.