Benmarl Winery DeChaunac 2008

i visited benmarl winery in the hudson valley region of new york a while back and wrote about their proprietor's reserve. this red is a hybrid and is a very hearty grape that is grown in the northeastern u.s. and canada. the folks at benmarl do a nice job and have some very nice wines. the dechaunac has a nose of red fruit and lots of earth. i love a good earthy smell in a red wine. the palate had cherry and more of the earthy notes as well as a nice vanilla finish. this is a great red meat and pasta wine that sells for about $12.

Saurus Pinot Noir 2007

i think this is the first pinot noir i have tried from patagonia, argentina. never thought i would be talking about a pinot from argentina, and really liking it. the nose has some nice vanilla and berry aromas, along with just a subtle hint of earth. the palate is a nice, light mixture of cherry and floral violet notes. a little earth and some slightly spicy flavor in the finish rounds out this subtle beauty. a nice price of $17 on this one makes it a worthwhile wine to try. excellent wine for salmon (a go to with most pinot noir) or chicken in mushroom sauce.

St. Innocent Pinot Noir Villages Cuvée 2009

nothing like a good willamette valley pinot noir to go with a salmon dinner. the comely brunette and i enjoyed this on recently after having it recommended by my local wine store (thanks pete!). i stray from the budget wines every once and a while and this one is a bit more than i usually spend. it retails for about $35, but it can be found quite a bit cheaper than that on-line. the nose has lots of cherry, strawberry, floral notes and some spice. the palate is a delicate blend of cherry and red raspberry, with some nice floral notes and a beautiful spicy, peppery finish. the wine definitely needed to be decanted first for about an hour. well worth a try if you can find it. it is popular and sells out quickly.

Il Bastardo Sangiovese 2008

i have to admit, i bought this one solely because of the name and the label. and the price was right too. selling for about $8, this tuscan wine is actually quite nice. the nose had some cherry and blackberry, a little earth and some light spice notes. the palate had most of the same, with blackberry and cherry flavors and just a little earth. the tannins were medium and the finish was long and fruity. this is a good pizza or pasta wine, especially at this price. this won't knock your socks off by any means. it is a fun, easy drinking every day table wine.

Enotria Barbera 2006

enotria, which means 'the land of wine' is an off shoot from the graziano family of wines. this label is dedicated to varieties from the piemonte region of italy. the barbera sells for about $15 a bottle and does very well in the medocino region of california. this is a fairly bold red and will go well with many foods, including pizza. the nose has nice cherry and red raspberry notes, some earth and sweet tobacco, and just a hint of violet. the palate is medium-bodied with tart cherry and plum, and raspberry flavors, nice earth notes, and some cedar. all in a wine that delivers boldness with nice, soft tannins. this is a very nice wine and at this price, a real steal. i highly recommend giving this one a try.

Paumanok Merlot 2005

it is always fun to try new wines in different areas of the country. since relocating to new york, i have been able to try some wines from the area that are very nice. this merlot is definitely in that category. the wine has a little bottle age on it and stands up very well. the nose has lots of black cherry, some nice earth and a little cedar. the palate was fruit forward with bing cherry and some plum dominating. after a little air, the flavor profile changed a bit with some nice earth and dark chocolate flavors. good food wine. try with some nice cheese, chicken or meat dishes, or maybe a pasta with red sauce. sells for about $20.

14 Hands 2008 Merlot

to merlot or not to merlot. so many people i talk to just don't want to get back into this classic grape, which is too bad. there are many very nice merlots out there, including this one from washington. 14 hands sells for about $10 and is 82% merlot, and the other 18% is a mix of grenache, cab, cab franc and syrah. because of those other grapes mixed in, it gives you an interesting nose and palate. it is a fruit forward, easy drinking red that has a nose of cherry and blackberry, some spice and a little earth. the palate is mostly cherry and a blackberry. i got some subtle spice and nice earth flavors too. nice and full on the palate with soft tannins and a velvety finish, this will work with pizza, grilled meats, milder cheeses, or pasta dishes. nice red for every day drinking.

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.

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.

Maryhill 2008 Winemaker's Red

i am always intrigued with red blends. when they are priced in the under $15 area, like this one is, you catch my attention fully. and when it is good like this one, i am very pleased because i found a go to bargain. maryhill red is a blend of 40% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 20% syrah and 10% cabernet franc. the nose had cherry, some plum and some spice, along with a little earth. on the palate, lots of tart cherry and soft tannins. the wine gave me the impression that it might benefit from some more bottle time. nice chocolate, earth tones and spice were also evident in the finish. we had this with some pizza, and it would work with red sauce pasta dishes or red meat as well. very good wine at an even better price.

Hob Nob Pinot Noir 2008

had dinner with the family at a local restaurant chain before my recent move. i was ordering salmon so a pinot noir was my first choice for wine. never tried this one before and it flies in the face of the typical hard to read chateau this or that from france. fun name. so i said why not!? selling for about $8, it was hard to believe that this is really in that price range. the nose was cherry and floral, with some spice notes and vanilla too. the palate was fruit forward, with more cherry and some violet and spice notes. also has some nice earthy flavors that are usually present in french pinot noirs. this went very well with the salmon i had and will be a definite try at home bargain wine. well worth a look by you pinot noir lovers out there.

Indaba Merlot 2009

the second south african wine is another offering from winemaker bruwer raats and his indaba collection. indaba is the zulu word for a meeting of the minds. indaba makes five different wines all priced at $10. the merlot spends 6 months in french oak and has a nose of cherry, dark chocolate, some plum and a little smoke. the palate is a nice burst of plum and cherries followed by some really nice dark chocolate flavors. there was a little earthy, spicy flavor too. i enjoyed this with some grilled bratwurst and corn on the cob. nice red wine for those friday nights with friends and pizza.

Bodegas Aragonesas Castillo de Fuendejalon Crianza 2006

this red blend was a wine tasting discovery at my local wine store. a blend of 75% grenache and 25% tempranillo that sells for a nice friendly price of $8. nose of black cherry and hints of violet and vanilla. the palate was filled with cherry and raspberry with firm tannins and vanilla and a little earthiness in the finish. finding decent every day reds at this price is always a joy. try this with pasta, which is how i enjoyed it. worked very well. it was also quite nice by itself both before and after the meal.

Bohemian Highway Merlot 2007

always on the lookout for a bargain red, i picked up this bottle for $6 at the local grocery store. i have tried the chard and sauv blanc from this label and both were nice budget wines. the merlot is in that same category. the nose had lots of plum and black fruit notes with a little touch of pencil lead. the palate was fruit-forward with cherry and plum flavors. a bit tight at first taste, the wine opened up and revealed some nice vanilla and cordial flavors. on the second day i also picked up some interesting eucalyptus notes in the finish. good with pizza, burgers or pasta dishes. nice every day, budget red.

Devil's Lair Fifth Leg Red 2006

another blend, this one from australia, combines cab, merlot and shiraz. not sure of the specific % of each (sorry). very fruity on the nose with cassis and black cherry aromas being very pronounced. i also got some nice chocolate aromas as well. on the palate a juicy cherry, blueberry experience. very fruit forward with some spice from the shiraz. soft tannins and hints of chocolate in the finish, this is a good wine for burgers, cheese or pizza. sells for about $14. good every day red blend.

Domaine Valdernier 2005 Coteaux d'Aix en Provence

french wines always seem to fascinate me. some times they are so subtle that i don't really appreciate them. this one was not so subtle and i guess that is why i was drawn to it. nose of raspberry and a nice licorice note. i also got a little dark chocolate and a very interesting herbal aroma as well. good start. the palate was at first very tannic, so i let the glass sit for a while. i was rewarded with some really nice flavors of raspberry and tart cherry. got some spice notes and herbal flavors also. the finish was medium and the price was nice at about $10. try this with a red meat dish or possibly pasta dishes.

Domaine De Rugusse Pinot Noir 2008

i tried this pinot noir from france at a recent wine tasting. the nose was fruit forward but was not as expressive as other pinots i have tried. very subtle, with some slightly green notes. on the palate, plenty of cherry and raspberry fruit, but it was a bit thin. not much substance. subtle hints of spice and maybe a little earth. i was a bit disappointed as a pinot noir lover. it sells for about $12. i have had other pinot noirs in this price range that i have liked more. could be this one just needs more bottle time and may be worth a revisit in a year.

Alice White 2008 Pinot Noir

australian pinots can be interesting and fun wines. and you can find nice bargains also, like this one for $8. the nose is strawberry and raspberry with some vanilla notes as well. the palate was not bad with flavors of cherry and toasted oak. i also picked up a little tobacco as well. tannins were medium and the finish was medium in length. a drinkable every day pinot noir that will pair well with many foods. if you are trying to impress someone, this would not be the wine i would buy. just want an easy drinking red on a budget, this is worth a look.

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.