Pinecrest 2005 Pinotage

the nose was the first thing i noticed on this south african beauty. leather, black cherry, tobacco, tar. huge aromas and the wine had not even opened up yet. smooth, medium tannins and a full mouth feel. tastes of black currant, long lingering finish with some nut or meat like undertones. very nice wine. i had read a few things about pinotage not being a very good grape, but this sure didn't come across as a bad wine. quite the opposite. and for the price of about $17, this is worth buying a few and laying them down for a while. i have had this bottle for about a year and it is very nice. and it gets better as it opens up.

d'Arenberg The Stump Jump 2006 White Blend

poolside after a hot day out doors and this was a real thirst quencher. 64% riesling, 16% sauvignon blanc, 13% roussanne, and 7% marsanne. aroma was floral and grassy. crisp. taste was honeysuckle, lime, and some earth. had the dry characteristics of the riesling, but not overtly. a little of the sauv blanc citrus which added to a crisp, medium finish. almost an effervescent quality, which made it taste so good on this particular hot day. and the price was nice at about $9 a bottle. worth every penny.

Señorío de P.Peciña Cosecha 2006

a first time for the baldwinegeek with this blend. i couldn't find a lot of info about it and the label told me next to nothing, but the blend seems to be primarily tempranillo with a little garnacha and graciano. interesting nose of black cherry, dark chocolate and a hint of licorice and spice. maybe a little bay leaf??? on the palate, the currant and pepper come through. medium tannins and a spicy finish. hints of leather and a cherry cordial flavor. i will revisit this one after it sits out a bit to see if it opens up a little more. it is a little tight at first taste. it opened up a bit more after a while in the glass. more of the leather and some hints of vanilla came through. overall, a very nice red for the nice price of about $12.

Veramonte 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Reserva

this was a nice sauv blanc from chile. once again, another summer fare wine that paired well with the grilled foods. nose of grapefruit, honeysuckle and minerals. the palate was crisp, but not too acidic. flavors of honey, citrus, especially lemon, followed by some herb notes. nice zingy, medium finish. it sells for about $9-10 and is definitely worth another taste.

Coppola Yellow Label 2007 Sauvignon Blanc

i was not impressed with this one on first taste. and it really didn't get any better. citrus on the nose along with a bit of mineral. on the palate, way too acidic. tart lemon and some grapefruit that just never seemed to ease up. if you like a tart wine, this one is for you. just not to my liking. about $15.

Sterling Vintner's Collection 2006 Chardonnay

food wine. that would best describe this chardonnay. i actually had this with a steak, corn on the cob, and grilled veggies, and it worked very well. nose of honey, vanilla and toast. taste were typical chardonnay. floral fruit, buttery but not too much, with some oak and vanilla. nice creamy mouth feel that went well with the food, especially the corn. all for the nice price of about $11. and well worth it. i'm not a huge fan of chardonnay's, but this one was very nice.

Orogeny 2005 Pinot Noir

this wine was given to me by a friend in exchange for a similarly priced bottle. it has been laying for about a year in the cellar and i finally pulled it for a taste. the friend had given it rave reviews and i was anxious to see how it had held up with some time in the bottle. the nose had some mushroom and bell pepper as well as blackberry and black cherry. it was a bit green on the palate, but fruit forward. cherry being the dominant flavor. there was a green pepper note that came through that didn't really impress me. time in the glass helped draw out a little more of the earthy, mushroom quality, but my overall impression was a bit disappointing. this sells for about $38. it didn't quite live up to the price.

Meeker Pink Elephant #4

i'm not a big fan of rosé, and i get the chance to try them at least once a month at our local wine tasting, and until this one came along, i've never really wanted to buy one. we enjoyed this pool side with some friends and some pizza. meeker had a little earthy quality that i had not picked up in any other rosé. on the nose, floral notes along with red fruit, especially strawberry. on the palate, crisp with soft tannins, more strawberry, a little pepper, and the mineral/earth medium finish. and for the price of $12, a worthy buy for a summer quencher.

Poggio ai Ginepri 2006 Bolgheri DOC Rosso

enjoyed this wine at an italian restaurant in the suburbs of chicago recently. my meal was a spinach ravioli and this worked quite well with it. on the nose, ripe cherries and spice. a little green on the first taste but the wine opened up nicely after sitting in the glass for a bit. taste of cherry, pepper and some chocolate with soft tannins and a nice long finish. the blend was 50% cabernet sauvignon, 25% syrah, 25% merlot. it sold for $55 in the restaurant but you can pick this very nice red up at your local wine merchant for about $25. well worth the money as this was a big, beautiful wine.

Silver Beach 2006 Sauvignon Blanc

here is another beautiful summer time white from new zealand that will pair well with seafood dishes or many other summer foods. tropical fruit notes on the nose like grapefruit and lime. citrus, grapefruit, celery and some grassy notes on the palate. very complex wine but very easy drinking. some acid at the finish. for the nice price of about $12, this is one i will definitely be purchasing again before the summer is over.

Kendall-Jackson 2003 Meritage

this is a first release of this bordeaux style blend (49% cabernet sauvignon, 47% merlot, 4% cab franc) from kendall-jackson. the nose was black cherry and a little earthy. taste was tight, even after sitting and swirling for a bit. tasted of black cherry, dark chocolate, maybe a little vanilla. it was a bit green and thin with not as much finish as i expected. i will revisit the bottle in a couple days to see if some time and air will open it up some more. the nose gave me the impression that this would be really good, but maybe it just needed to be decanted for a while longer. about $15 so it could be worth the price with more time in the bottle.

Boxhead 2005 Shiraz/Cab Blend

nothing like a live tasting. usually, i take notes when i am tasting wine and then write the next day, allowing myself a day to think and reflect on what i have tasted. sometimes i go for it right away, like tonight. boxhead is an australian blend of 74% shiraz and 26% cabernet sauvignon. sounds like it could be a big wine. i have had this bottle laying in my cellar for almost a year, figuring it could use some time. the nose was a bit disappointing. blackberry and maybe a hint of pepper, but not nearly as big as i thought it would be. taste was somewhat tannic, with pepper and black berries, but it didn't have much of a finish. maybe it needed more time in the bottle, but i don't think so. not enough nose to it that might give you a glimpse of what could be. about $10-12.

Beringer Founders' Estate 2006 Pinot Grigio

we are definitely white wine happy during these warm weather months. we had this sitting around a pool with friends, some cheese, veggies, and crackers. not a bad wine. nose of apricot and some citrus. taste of citrus and apples. wasn't a great pinot grigio. i think i have had much better ones that i have reviewed in the past week or so. this one sells for about $7, so the price is nice. not sure i could go back again for more of this. it was just a bit too simple for my taste. i prefer a more complex flavor and this fell short in that category.

Burnet Ridge 2005 Sauvignon Blanc

this is a "local" ohio wine in name only. winemaker chip emmerich has his operation in a cincinnati suburb, importing his grapes and making his own blends. this is 100% sauvignon blanc with the grapes coming from russian river valley. if you like new zealand and australian style sauv blanc, this may not appeal to you. it is more chardonnay like in mouth feel and taste. the nose is peaches and melons. the taste is full and round with grassy notes and a long soft finish. by itself it was good, but the wine really showed with the enchiladas that we enjoyed with it for dinner. the chardonnay like character really lent itself to the spicy mexican meal. sells for about $15.