Urban Uco Malbec 2008

i tasted this argentinian malbec in the summer and picked up a bottle for both the taste and the price of $11. it is always great to find a really nice wine at this price point and this one is a keeper. the nose is boysenberry and black raspberry, with some licorice notes. the palate was big and chewy, with black raspberry and more boysenberry. the wine spends only a little time (3 months) in oak so it is very fruit forward, but there is some nice floral and licorice notes as well as a little earth in the flavor that really makes the wine more interesting. had this with pizza, and it will work with red meat dishes too.

Edmeades 2006 Mendocino County Zinfandel

the thanksgiving wine for the wife and i was this zinfandel from california. we actually had this same wine last year but it was the 2007 vintage and was quite nice. always good to find a wine that works well with all the different tastes of the holiday feast. nice nose of black cherry and spice. a little bit of cedar and floral aromas in there too. the palate had juicy raspberry and cherry flavors. the wine was very soft on the tongue. i got some smoke, spice, a little floral violet and cedar in the flavor profile as well. sells for about $15. very nice zin at this price.

DiStefano 2005 Sogno

this $16 blend of 98% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon comes from the columbia valley in washington and has a very nice nose of red fruits and some typical cab franc aromas of herbs, mostly thyme, and a little cedar. the palate is loaded with cherry and blueberry flavors, and is followed by some herbal and vanilla notes. i also got some interesting minty flavors at the end. nice tannins and complexity to this red. stews, pasta and red meat dishes with this one.

Glorioso Crianza Rioja 2006

i had this spanish red laying down since march, a purchase made at my local wine shop. and i don't remember whether i had tasted it first or if it was a recommended wine. i do know that i paid about $12 for it. the nose had plum, tobacco, and a little vanilla. the palate was lighter than i expected it to be. flavors of cherry and tobacco with some leather and slightly spicy herb. the finish was a little short with light tannins. not bad but left me wanting a little more. it could have needed a little more bottle time based on the nose. good red pasta or pizza wine.

Ramirez de Velazco Malbec 2008 Reserva

thanks to our good friend vic, the wife and i were given this bottle of malbec from argentina, which we have had laying down for a year or more. we recently opened it to enjoy as an after dinner treat. the nose had lots of black fruit and spice notes, as well as some vanilla. the palate was loaded with bramble fruits of blackberry and black raspberry, followed by some plum and dark chocolate flavors. a little tannic at first, this red opened up nicely and was a very enjoyable wine. sells for about $15 and will work with lots of spicy pasta and red meat dishes. or enjoy it all by itself like we did.

Castle Rock 2007 Syrah

syrah lovers will like this one from the columbia valley in washington. selling for about $10, you can expect a very nice quality wine. the nose has nice raspberry and cherry notes and some spicy earth too. the palate is wonderfully jammy with more raspberry and cherry flavors, followed by some spice and some nice firm tannins. i got a nice licorice note in the finish too. excellent value wine that will work with a wide variety of foods from spicy dishes to red meats.

Vivir, vivir Ribera del Duero 2008

i had this tempranillo from spain recently. it sells for about $15 and had a nose of raspberry, vanilla, coffee, and some slightly earthy note. the palate was just a little thin. maybe more time in the bottle was necessary. flavors of cherry and raspberry, along with some vanilla and oak. the tannins were there but the finish was a bit light. i was expecting more than i got from it. as i said, maybe it was just not ready to be opened. not a bad wine, just left me wanting more.

Harmony Hills Refrain 2007

ohio winery harmony hills makes some very nice wines. refrain is a 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. usually these are both grown on the winery property in bethel ohio. but the 2007 freeze did a number on the cab franc, so the grapes were imported from the west coast. the result was something a little different, but still quite nice. nice nose of black cherry, blackberry and earthy leather. the palate was more of the blackberry, some black cherry and some nice earth and leather. nice tannins and excellent finish. sells for about $14 and works well with hearty stews and pastas.

A by Acacia 2007 Red Blend

i tried this red blend from pinot noir maker acacia some time ago. i purchased a bottle and laid it down until this week. the price was nice at about $10, and the blend was interesting; 90% syrah, 5% grenache, 4% mourvedre, 1% viognier. worth a look see based on the blend alone. the nose has nice strawberry and cherry notes. some clove and vanilla also come through. the palate is a nice mix of plums, blackberries, vanilla, and spice followed by some mocha and earthy flavors. this is nice now but could also lay for a while. and at this price you could pick up a couple extra bottles and do just that. this wine begs for stews on cooler weather days.

Kinkead Ridge River Village Cellars 2006 Syrah

ohio winery kinkead ridge is in ripley, ohio near the ohio river, east of cincinnati. they make some excellent wines and this syrah is no exception. this is under the river village cellars label which is their lower priced, every day wine label. the nose was dark fruit (black cherry, blackberry), some spice notes and that wonderful earthy note i love so much in syrah. the palate had plums and blackberries, followed by spice and earthy flavors. beautifully silky on the tongue, this is a must try wine if you can find it. the winery sells out fairly quickly as they have a very big fan base. count me in as one of them. this one sells for about $12.

Longhop Shiraz 2006

longhop shiraz from australia is a wine i tried some time back at a tasting at my local wine shop. i enjoyed the tasting so much that i bought a bottle to lay down. i opened it up to find exactly what i remembered from the original tasting. beautiful nose of dark fruits, like black cherry, blackberry and blueberry. there are also some tar and earth notes in the nose too. the palate has a nice burst of fruit up front, with black raspberry and black cherry leading the way. more nice earth flavors and some coffee and smokey tar on the palate too. this lovely red sells for about $15. try it with pizza, you won't be disappointed.