Here’s wine in your eye, FishEye Shiraz 2008

Those of you who frequently read my reviews know I have a few avoidance wines, one of them being FishEye. Back in October I reviewed Fish Eye’s Cabernet Sauvignon and was quite pleased but for whatever reason have not tried any other varietals. I just tend to shy away from some wines. But in the name of providing good wine information I must face my fears, again. I decided it was time to pick up a bottle of FishEye Shiraz 2008.

The glass is filled with smoky oak and black berry aromas. Flavors are a little sweet but the oak and berry flavors carry over as well as cassis and spice with a nice soft, balanced finish.

From the website you get the feeling FishEye isn’t about wine snobs but more about having fun with wine. The wines also seem geared towards the 22-27 year old age bracket. In my book, that that qualifies this line of wines as starter wines. In 2007 FishEye was named Hot BRAND by Market Watch. They even boast you can write about their wines in value wine columns. Hey, I’m all for fun, and inexpensive wine and at $5.99, you can’t get much more inexpensive and still be drinkable.

So what’s my take on FishEye Shiraz, I wouldn’t serve it at a dinner party nor would I give it as a gift but if you’re looking for something to sip outside in the upcoming summer months, this wine may be a good one to try.

2010© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

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Columbia Crest Grand Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

I decided to take a break from my Chili wines and focus on some US wines. Last nights wine, 2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estate, has the esteemed honor of being just one of the lines producing Wine Spectator’s 2009 Wine of the Year, Columbia Crest Reserve. Since this writer concentrates on wines priced under $9.99, we’ll be talking about their value line, Grand Estate.

Colors are a deep ruby red, aromas full of oak, plums, rich ripe red berries and vanilla. Flavors mirror the aromas along with a spiciness swirl around in a velvety smooth mouthfeel and leave a nice lingering finish. Very nice and easy drinking wine, it’s easy to see how this vintage scored 98 points by Wine Spectator.

Blend - 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah
Total Acidity - 0.54 g/100ml
pH - 3.78
Alcohol - 13.6%

Columbia Crest is the Pacific Northwest’s largest winery located in Columbia Valley, Washington east of the Cascade Mountains. At 14,000 feet high, the mountains block eastward-moving wet weather systems from the Pacific Ocean. This leaves the region with just 6-8 inches of rain per year and the perfect growing climate for the Cabernet grape.

Columbia Crest’s history begins back in 1978 when the first 500 acres of vineyards were planted in what would eventually become Columbia Crest Winery. By 1983 the winery is officially open for business just one year before official appellation (AVA) status is granted to Columbia Valley, WA. By 1997 the winery has one several accolades as well as being listed under Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines, an honor they now receive year after year.

This wine is just further proof you really can find excellent tasting wines for less than $9.99.

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A tale of two wines, BV Coastal Merlot and Pinot Noir

Maybe the title of this review should be good versus bad as I had one good BV Coastal and one not so good BV Coastal. Let’s start with the good, always good to kick things off on a positive note.

2007 BV Coastal Merlot
The color in the glass, is a brilliant dark ruby, aromas boasting of strawberries and black pepper. Flavors swirling around the palate consisting of succulent berry flavors and cassis. Medium bodied with dry but smooth mouthfeel.

2008 BV Coastal Pinot Noir
Aromas are a little too grapy and flavors are flat and thin. Almost tastes like it hasn’t been stored properly, just tastes a little off. The website says this wine has a “rustic” style, rust flavored style would be a better descriptor. This wine truly falls under the “not good budget wine” category. I don’t think this will be a repeat purchase.

BV Coastal, produced by Beaulieu Vineyard, got its start in 1900, when Georges de Latour's and wife, Fernande, named the vineyard "beau lieu," or "beautiful place. De Latour’s vision was to create Napa Valley wines rivaling French wines from his home land. By importing Phylloxera-resistant rootstock from Europe, Latour vineyards were able to thrive while other California wines were being destroyed by Phylloxera. One other success factor was Latour was able to remain open for business during Prohibition by selling wine to the Catholic Church. BV Coastal is considered the “value” line in Beaulieu Vineyard’s five wine collections. sourcing wines from more than 1,100 acres throughout some of the best areas of Napa Valley.

Tampa wine lovers, you can find both wines at Total Wine at 1720 North Dale Mabry Highway, each are priced at $6.99.

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Maybe the title of this review should be good versus bad as I had one good BV Coastal and one not so good BV Coastal. Let’s start with the good, always good to kick things off on a positive note.

2007 BV Coastal Merlot
The color in the glass, is a brilliant dark ruby, aromas boasting of strawberries and black pepper. Flavors swirling around the palate consisting of succulent berry flavors and cassis. Medium bodied with dry but smooth mouthfeel.

2008 BV Coastal Pinot Noir
Aromas are a little too grapy and flavors are flat and thin. Almost tastes like it hasn’t been stored properly, just tastes a little off. The website says this wine has a “rustic” style, rust flavored style would be a better descriptor. This wine truly falls under the “not good budget wine” category. I don’t think this will be a repeat purchase.

BV Coastal, produced by Beaulieu Vineyard, got its start in 1900, when Georges de Latour's and wife, Fernande, named the vineyard "beau lieu," or "beautiful place. De Latour’s vision was to create Napa Valley wines rivaling French wines from his home land. By importing Phylloxera-resistant rootstock from Europe, Latour vineyards were able to thrive while other California wines were being destroyed by Phylloxera. One other success factor was Latour was able to remain open for business during Prohibition by selling wine to the Catholic Church. BV Coastal is considered the “value” line in Beaulieu Vineyard’s five wine collections. sourcing wines from more than 1,100 acres throughout some of the best areas of Napa Valley.

Tampa wine lovers, you can find both wines at Total Wine at 1720 North Dale Mabry Highway, each are priced at $6.99.

2010© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

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Castillo de Molina 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

Hope you’re not getting tired of the Chilean wines yet. With such a large selection now available, I’ll try to keep it interesting. I picked up a bottle of Castillo de Molina’s 2007 Cabernet during a recent Bottle Rack visit for $8.99.

The nose presents vanilla, peppery spices and oak along with a high alcohol smell. Flavors are fruity with strong tannins and it takes my palate a few sips to adjust to the dryness. Tastes of cassis and smoky oak with a very long and dry finish. It seems most of the inexpensive wines tend to be on the sweeter side, although I do not prefer overly sweet wines, my palate takes some time to get accustomed to this full bodied tannin structure.

Castillo de Molina is produced by Viña San Pedro founded in 1865 by the Correa-Albano brothers Chile’s Curicó Valley. San Pedro with their 1200 hectacres of vineyards is Chile’s second largest exporter of wines. The winery contracts with producers in seven of the country’s viticultural region producing a number of different brands.

The wine is labeled as a "Reserva", what does this mean exactly? Generally there is no regulation on what defines a wine as Reserve but it’s generally accepted rule if a wine is labeled as “Reserva” the wine has undergone special aging techniques. For Castillo de Molina, the grapes are hand harvested picking only the best Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The wine then is treated to an extended maceration period that begins prior to and continues 2 or 3 weeks after fermentation. This allows the fruit to achieve a higher concentration of flavors.

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No need to conquer this Conquista Malbec, just sit back and enjoy the wine

I decided I needed to give Argentina a chance to redeem itself after the Don Mazo fiasco so this time I opened a bottle of 2008 Conquista Malbec.

Dark ruby color, Aromas are a bit on the jammy side with hints bell pepper and smoky oak. Creamy mouthfeel with lots of fruit flavors consisting of raspberry and cherry followed by a touch of earthiness. Nice pop in the end as the well balanced flavors and high tannins create a lingering finish. I tried this wine both with and without aeration and it truly benefited from the aeration.

The wine takes its name from the early Spanish Conquistas that settled Argentina in the 16th century. The new land’s hot, arid climate was ideal to wine cultivation. In the late 18th century the Governor of Cuyo in Mendoza, requested Malbec, a classic French grape that was struggling in the cooler climate of Bordeaux, France. Conquista celebrates Argentina’s Spanish heritage and the Spaniards that started a heritage of Argentinean wine cultivation.

Varietal make up:
88% Malbec6% Bonardo3% Shiraz3% Merlot

For $7.99 at Total Wine, this is definitely drinkable and worth purchasing again.
Remember to keep buying those Chilean wines, with yet another earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2, the wineries and the country need all the support we can give. This way, you get to enjoy the wine and help a great wine region and country get back on their feet.
2010© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

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How can you go wrong with a name like Vicious Red?

One word to describe this Sobon Family wine, WOW! I’ve had this wine for quite a few months and finally decided to give it a try and it was well worth hanging onto.

The aromas wafting out of the glass consisted of intense oakiness and rich red berries, bold fruit flavors with a hint of spice and the finish is absolute Umami. The wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Syrah and Petit Syrah. All pack quite a punch up front but finish with smooth soft, elegant tannins.

Vicious Red is just one of the labels under the Sobon Family Wines. The Sobon Family own Shenandoah Vineyards and Sobon Estates both located in the Shenandoah Valley, CA. Shenandoah Vineyards was founded Leon and Shirley Sobon in 1977 and was one of the first four wineries in the Shenandoah Valley appellation. The couple added the Sobon Estate winery in 1989. Both wineries emphasize high fruit, low tannins and are made with their own sustainably-grown grapes.

The Vicious label has several other varietals all under $10. I found this little gem at Total Wine and will be scouting out some more of these bad boys.

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Don Maza Cabernet Sauvignon did nothing but step on my toes during our brief Tango

In continuing with my Chilean wine quest, I figured I would branch out to some neighboring countries. Argentina is known for some world class Malbecs and I took a chance on a 2009 Don Maza Cabernet Sauvignon. Maybe the young vintage should have been a clue but this wine was like dancing with an eggplant…no personality.

When I say no personality I also mean, very little to no aromas or flavors. I’m not sure I’ve ever come across a wine that was lacking actual aromas. I’ve had wines with flavors I didn’t care for but not wines that just didn’t have any flavor. If I were doing a worst of, this wine would be on the list.

Aromas in the glass, well none. Flavors intermingle with nothing. Maybe this is a wine for non-wine drinkers. I do get some grapy flavor but it’s very light.

Well, I was able to find a website, may as well cover a little bit about the winery. Let’s start with the picture on the home page of the website, most winery owners and workers have huge smiles on their faces, like they really enjoy what they do. These two guys look nothing but arrogant and pissed off, almost like they’ll kick your butt if you don’t like their wine. Hmm, good thing Tampa is pretty far from Argentina, may have these two thugs showing up on my door step with some grape vines and a crusher.

Oh, let’s checkout the picture gallery. What’s with the wine case/checker board? Are you supposed to buy these on their website? I am looking at the English version of the website, maybe it’s a language thing I’m missing. Nope, I checked out the Spanish version too. Oh well, we may never know the intent of those pictures but if you want to drink wine and play checkers, well now you know where to go.

Well this was fun, hope I don’t have two angry Argentina wine makers showing up anytime soon. Here’s a fun fact: I have the Malbec by this winery at home too, yea, fun times ahead… Let’s hope that wine has a little more to offer.

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Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot , hey you could do worse

In continuing on my Chilean wine focus, I decided to go to the very inexpensive side, the Frontera wines. I admit, for a few years I did purchase quite a bit of this very inexpensive wine, but hey it’s sold at any supermarket and you can usually pick up a bottle for less than $4.99.

Ruby red colors and strong citrus aromas. Fruit forward with red plums but this is about all you get, no real complexity to the wine. Medium dry with medium body. What you get up front is what you get on the finish. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. I did find the wine benefited from a run through the Vinturi aerator as it softens the edges.

Frontera is just one of the many brands produced by Chile’s Concha Y Toro. The Concha Y Toro history begins in 1883 when local politician and businessman, Don Melchor Concha Y Toro introduced French Bordeaux grapevines to the Pirque region in Maipo Valley. The wine company now exports to more than 130 countries and is one of South America’s largest wine companies. The uses wine estates located throughout the region providing for diverse soil and diverse climate conditions. This allows the company to have a wide array of wine varieties in the Chilean wine industry.

As a result of the recent earthquake, Conch Y Toro suffered no personal or employee loss but has experienced extensive damage to their wineries which are located in the hardest hit areas. This includes the loss of wine and production capacity. At this time, Concha Y Toro is forced to suspend operations for at least one week.

The lack of complexity doesn’t make this a bad wine and for $3.99-$4.99, hey I’ve had a lot worse. It’s definitely drinkable, just not something I would serve at a dinner party or to guests.

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How will I help the country of Chile get back on their feet; I’m going to purchase more Chilean wine

In the wake of the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday, I asked myself how can I help. The answer was easy, buy, support and promote Chilean wine. Chile's wine industry was severely affected by the devastating earthquake that struck the southern part of the country early Saturday morning. Wineries in both the Curicó and Maule valleys were hard hit, and wineries to the north in Rapel and Maipo also reported damage. Many wineries report damage to equipment, tanks destroyed, millions of liters of wine spilled on the floor and bottles strewn everywhere.

In January I tasted 120 Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon and it was divine. Later that month I picked up a bottle of 2006 Santa Rita Reserve Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon at my local BJ’s Wholesale Club. No better time to crack it open then now.

The color is a ruby red with aromas consisting of plums, blackberries, vanilla, oak and herbs. Flavors are complex, and well balanced. Hitting the palate first is the taste of cassis, oak and black pepper. Fantastic lingering finish makes me go back for sip after sip. Wine Spectator rated this wine with 89 points for Top 100 Best Buys of 2007 and 87 points for Great Values under $20 or less, not too shabby.

Santa Rita was founded in 1880 by Domingo Fernández Concha in the area of Alto Jahuel where the main winery is still located. He introduced French varieties and the most advanced winemaking techniques. In 1980, Grupo Claro acquired the Santa Rita property, introducing technological improvements and wine elaboration techniques unknown in Chile at that time. Checkout the Santa Rita Cares section on their website where you can nominate a hero in your life or support the troops.

Chile’s viticultural history dates back to the 16th century. In the mid 18th century, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were introduced to the region. In the 1980’s, Chili experienced a winemaking resurgence due to the use of steel tank fermentation and oak barrel aging, low cost of labor, mostly disease free conditions and the mild climate that is described as a climate between California and France. All of these factors allowed the region to produce and ship inexpensive wines to the United States with the familiar Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay labels. The number of wineries has grown over time with just 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005 and is now the fourth largest exporter of wines to the United States.

Wine is a leading industry in the two regions around the epicenter, Maule and Bío-Bío, and wineries will be crucial to the area’s long-term economic recovery. The timing of the quake couldn’t have been worse as harvest is about to get underway, but with roads and bridges damaged, damaged facilities and no electrical power, it will be difficult for wineries to process grapes.

So do your part and go drink some Chilean wines, who knows when we’ll get a plentiful supply on store shelves again.
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