Test Just Wines

Honig 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:37:49 +0000

Our rating:
Wine 101 style: smooth
Look for at: wine.com

2005 was a very good year for Napa Valley Cabernets, but most of them cost more I want to spend on a bottle of wine. The 2005 Honig is a welcome exception to this rule. In the glass, you will notice classic Cabernet aromas of cassis, spice, and vanilla. The wine also offers a well-balanced mouth with smooth tannins and rich flavors of dark fruit and spice. If you are a Cabernet drinker, be sure to save room for this smooth wine in your cellar. ($32-40)

Lioco 2006 Sonoma County Chardonnay

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:36:43 +0000

Our rating:
Wine 101 style: sleek
Look for at: wine.com

Un-oaked Chardonnays have been in the press for the last couple of years, as some have pushed back on all the oak used to make most New World Chardonnays. This 2006 offering from Lioco is a good example. With crisp citrus flavors and a clean finish, the wine is food friendly and would work well with spicy dishes or grilled fish. ($18-20)

Layer Cake 2006 Shiraz

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:35:43 +0000

Our rating:
Wine 101 style: bold
Look for at: wine.com

Barossa valley is famous for Shiraz, and Americans are developing a taste for these very drinkable wines from Australia. The 2006 Layer Cake is made with sweet, new oak, and it is a dark, extracted drink with lots ripe. And true to its name, the wine delivers plenty of mocha and chocolate. ($15-17)

3 Rings 2006 Barossa Valley Shiraz

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:34:48 +0000

Our rating:
Wine 101 style: smooth
Look for at: wine.com

This is another offering by the busy winemaker Chris Ringland. Opaque purple, the wine opens with blackberry, spice, cedar, and a hint of alcohol (15%). In the mouth, this medium bodied wine integrated velvety tannins with dark fruit and spice. Despite the high alcohol level, this wine went down very nicely as an after dinner drink. ($16-20)

Edge 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:33:53 +0000

Our rating:
Wine 101 style: bold
Look for at: wine.com

This Cabernet Sauvignon has a touch of added Merlot and is made from all Napa Valley grapes. It was voted the best Cabernet Sauvignon under $20 by Food & Wine Magazine, October 2007. Aged for 16 months in American and French oak barrels (30% new), it definitely was not over-the-top oak. It smells of pepper and ripe, dark fruit. The wine tastes of fruit less ripe and dark than it smells, and the pepper carries through to the mouth. Mild but pleasing tannins, with a finish not to scoff at, this is probably better as a C&C wine than a food wine. ($17-20)

Marquis Phillips 2006 Roogle Shiraz

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:25:31 +0000

Our rating:
Wine 101 style: smooth
Look for at: wine.com

Like the 2006 Roogle Red (a delicious three-grape blend of Shiraz, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon), the 2006 Roogle Shiraz was rated 90 points by Parker and only cost me $10. This wine is from South Eastern Australia, and like most Shiraz from the area, it is inky, concentrated, and powerful. Kept in seasoned French and American oak for 12 months, the Roogle Shiraz is medium-full bodied, with less tannins and acid than the Roogle Red. Aromas of blueberry, blackberry, and a touch of chocolate make this a great cocktail and contemplation wine. ($10)

Macon-Lugny 2006 Les Charmes Chardonnay

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:24:50 +0000

Our rating:
Wine 101 style: soft
Look for at: wine.com

Les Charmes from Cav de Lugny is the best selling white Burgundy in the US. Produce from a single vineyard of old vines, this Macon is a little richer and rounded in the mouth than most. Showing green apple, a little mineral, and a touch of parmesan cheese, this is a great wine for a simple meal or for simply drinking. ($10)

Marrietta Old Vine Red Lot Number 46

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:24:16 +0000

Our rating:
Wine 101 style: bold
Look for at: wine.com

Marrietta’s non-vintage Old Vine Red is a very popular party wine. Made predominantly from Zinfandel, the Old Vine shows spicy red fruit, sweet oak, and a full bodied finish. The wine carries its 13.5% alcohol without too much trouble. Consider this wine for your next barbeque. ($10)

Sea Smoke 2006 Ten Pinot Noir

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:23:41 +0000

Our rating:
Wine 101 style: bold
Look for at: wine.com

Of the three Pinots that Sea Smoke makes, I have always preferred Ten. The 2006 has a great nose of cherries and blackberries, with notes of toasted oak. This is a full bodied wine with lots of muscular fruit on top of silky tannins with a little dust thrown in. I think the 2006 Ten is a great cocktail and contemplation wine, if you have the money. ($75)

Flat Creek Estate 2006 Super Texan

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:20:19 +0000

Our rating:
Wine 101 style: smooth
Look for at: wine.com

With a name developed as a play on the copyrighted Italian wine moniker, Super Tuscan, Flat Creek Estate’s own Super Texan is a Sangiovese based blend that offers real varietal character. Opening with cherry, smoke, leather, and a little black olive, this wine is all Sangiovese. In the mouth the wine sticks to its Sangiovese backbone with dark, dried fruit, leather, and very fine grained tannin. This wine is definitely food friendly and would be welcome accompaniment for grilled meat or tomato based pasta dishes. ($20)