Matteo Braidot Pinot Noir 2007

pinot noirs are a real love and finding a good one at a $10 price point like this is rare. when you take into consideration that this pinot comes from italy, it makes it even more rare. i tried this one at my local wine merchant at a recent tasting. thanks t! nice selection. the nose is black cherry, raspberry, vanilla and a little cocoa. a little floral note at the end after the wine had opened up. the palate was fruit driven with flavors of black cherry, but there was also some nice spice notes leaning towards black pepper mixed in with medium tannins. the finish had some chocolate and tobacco notes. all in a well balanced, beautifully structured wine. very impressive at this price. enjoy this with red meats or a nice dish with mushrooms.

Legado Munoz Merlot 2006

merlot has gotten an unfortunate bad rap since 'sideways', but i have always found it to be an nice food wine. i have heard that it is making a little comeback and this offering from spain is a good reason to try merlot again. the nose is raspberries and cherries and some spice. on the palate, a good burst of black fruit, like black raspberries and a little black cherry. i got some real nice pepper and smoke flavors as well. very smooth with a medium length finish, this wine sells for about $10 and will go with a wide variety of foods, including steaks and even the simple pizza or burgers. cheers!

Columbia Crest Two Vines 2005 Merlot Cabernet

back to the bargain shelf once again brought me in contact with this washington state blend for about $6 a bottle. washington always has really nice merlots so i gave this a try. the blend is 60% merlot, 38% cab franc and 2% cab sauvignon. the nose was full of fruit, with plum, black cherry and blackberry showing through. i also got a little leather aroma as well. the palate was ripe with black cherry and blackberry flavors. i got a little anise and some real nice, subtle smoky notes as well. very well balanced wine with medium tannins and a nice long finish. columbia crest is a great go to wine at this price point. excellent value that will go with many grilled meats and barbecues.

Kings Ridge Pinot Noir 2007

i recently had dinner while traveling with the comely brunette and tried this pinot noir from oregon. the nose was spicy with hints of earth and fruit aromas of strawberry and raspberry. the flavor was an excellent mix of raspberry and spice, with some subtle hints of herbs and earth. this is a bit different than other oregon pinots i have tried, especially in the spice area. more like root beer than most. very tasty with the lobster ravioli i enjoyed for dinner. sells for about $16 and is a very worthy red at that price.

Ventisquero Reserva Pinot Noir 2007

i tried this pinot noir from chile (yes, i said from chile) and i was very impressed. the nose was earthy leather with aromas of strawberry and cherry and a little plum. the palate was very soft with strawberry and cherry flavors and some really nice tobacco and earth notes. i got some nice vanilla and coffee notes as well. this was a complex yet subtle pinot with very nice soft tannins and a long finish. sells for about $13 and is definitely worth a try.

Palliser Sauvignon Blanc 2006

back down under for this sauvignon blanc from new zealand. selling for about $18, this summer time white has a nose of passion fruit, white peach and some nice floral notes. the palate has really nice peach flavors, along with a little citrus and grass notes. this is not a typical grapefruit sauvignon blanc from new zealand, so it is worth a try for that reason alone. nice full finish on this one. good summer food wine or just as a refreshing sipper on the deck.

HRM Rex-Goliath Pinot Noir (NV)

low priced pinot noirs that are worth drinking are hard to come by. i have heard a great deal about this one from friends and fellow wine drinkers and finally bought a bottle for about $7. the nose was red berries, mainly strawberry and a little earthy note. as the wine opened a bit i got some nice licorice and spicy cinnamon aromas as well. so far so good. on the palate, i got an immediate burst of fruit with lush strawberry and cherry flavors coming through. this was followed by some nice vanilla and earthy flavors, along with a hint of spice. silky, smooth tannins and a medium length finish rounded out the whole experience. nothing pretentious about this wine at all. just a nice, every day pinot at a very nice price.

Walnut Crest 2003 Shiraz

on the low priced search once again, i picked up this bottle of chilean shiraz for about $4.50 at the local grocery store. nice price, but would it pass the taste test? the nose was actually very nice with plums and a nice jammy aroma, hints of pepper and spice and a little blackberry thrown in. good start. i actually let the glass sit for a while, came back and smelled again to see if it had changed. everything was still there so it was time for the tasting. jammy black cherry and plums right away with spicy pepper notes thrown in. i got some slight earthy flavor and hints of leather as well. tannins were a bit light and the finish was medium length. overall this one was pretty good for the price. nothing too complex, but very drinkable. try it with your friday night pizza or grilled burgers.

Seven Terraces Pinot Noir 2007

i tried this nice pinot noir from new zealand that sells for about $20. the nose was earthy with lots of raspberry and a little bell pepper. i also got some earthy notes on the nose as well. the flavor was very nice with cherry and blackberry. i also got some nice spice and vanilla flavors as well as some really interesting wet forest floor notes. delicate and subtle, this is a nice, drinkable pinot.