Foris Flyover Red 2008

my first experience with flyover red happened many years ago, and it was fascinating. it has been a favorite of mine for some time and i always try to keep a bottle or two in stock. it is a bordeaux blend of 55% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc. the blend changes from year to year so it is always worth checking out because it is never quite the same. the nose has lots of dark fruit and cocoa, with some earth and a little cigar thrown in. the palate was a bit tight and young. flavors of black cherry, plum, coffee and leather. i was actually surprised that the 08 was already on the shelf, as the folks at foris usually hold there flyover back a few years. this is worth buying two and laying one down for a few years. and at the nice price of about $13, it is worth it.

Peachy Canyon Cirque du Vin 2006

here is another red blend i tried recently from paso robles. it is 25% petite sirah, 23% cab, 19% merlot, 18% syrah, and 15% cab franc. if that mixture of grapes isn't enough to get you interested, then i don't know what will. the nose was currants and spice, mostly sage, with some nice leather and earth notes as well. on the palate, a nice burst of black currant and blackberry with some nice spice notes. throw in some nice mid palate vanilla flavor and finishes off really nice with some leather and cigar notes. a very nice red bland that sells for about $15. i would have this with pasta dishes or maybe a nice steak.

Girard Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

thanks to the crabby grape and the feisty tomato for inviting me over to try this napa valley cab. i in turn brought a bottle of cab which i will review also in my next entry. the 97 cab was purchased in 2001 for about $40. the nose was musty, like old library books, with subtle fruit aromas of black cherry and blackberry. we did a quick taste to see whether the wine needed to be decanted, and the decision to decant was made. on the palate this beautiful old cab was delicate, with what i called a pretty flavor. nothing overpowering, with beautifully subtle flavors of black fruits like black raspberry and blackberry. there was some very nice leather and earth flavors and nice medium tannins, and a very nice finish. we were enjoying this wine with some nice hearty cheeses and salami, and it held up very well, complementing the food nicely. this wine was most likely near it's peak and was a true joy to taste after being in the bottle for 13 years!

Marchesi De' Frescobaldi Mormoreto 2006

i attended the cincinnati wine festival with the comely brunette and tasted quite a few very nice wines. this was a blend that i liked quite a bit from italy. the blend is 60% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 12% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot. the nose was blueberry and plum with spicy ginger and some green pepper. on the palate, blueberry continued to shine through with some blackberry and spice. i also got some real nice leather and tobacco flavors in a long finish with silky tannins. very complex red wine that was a joy to taste. sells for about $60 and works with beef dishes.

Ocaso Malbec 2007

i have tried some decent malbecs and recently have gotten feedback on the low end gato negro. i was not crazy about it. it was nothing special but really there is nothing else in that price category of $4, so you have to move up a few dollars to find something that is better. i would throw this one into that category. selling for about $8-9, this would be something i would spend a few extra dollars on and skip over the low end stuff. the nose is very fruit forward, with black cherry and some blackberry coming through. got a little spice and some earth notes as well. the palate was juicy blackberry, with nice firm tannins and a nice leather note in the finish. this is a wine made for food of all types. nothing over the top. just a good, solid red.

Bodegas Enguera Pelta 2008

tried this red blend at a recent wine tasting. it is 80% tempranillo and 20% monastrell. i am usually very fond of blends. this one had a very fruit forward nose, with blackberry and herbal notes, as well as an interesting sweet blueberry pie aroma. the taste left me hoping for more, as i got mostly fruit in a blackberry flavor and just a subtle hint of leather and spice. finished a bit short and a bit thin also. maybe some time in the bottle would help this to develop into something a little nicer.

Small Gully Robert's Shiraz 2004

tried this interesting shiraz from australia. pretty wine. aromas of blueberries, pepper, and some interesting pencil shaving notes that also carried over into the palate. flavors of blueberry, black raspberry, the pencil shavings, leather and spicy pepper all in a well balanced, long finish. very full mouth feel, but not so bold and overpowering that your taste buds are overwhelmed. try this with a nice steak or stew, or just sit back in front of a fire place and enjoy it on its own. sells for about $16…but two and lay one for a few years, you won't be disappointed.

Banrock Station Merlot 2007

always one to look for a good bargain wine, i found this one from australia at the local grocer for $5. it even had a sticker touting how a wine magazine is giving it rave reviews. so why not give it a try. i was not disappointed. the nose was fruit forward with blackberry and plum, anise and leather notes. good start. the palate was more black cherry and some raspberry, with some nice leather and earth as well. medium tannins and a nice full finish. impressive for only $5. good grilled meat or chicken wine. i enjoyed this with a stir fry of pork and asian vegetable medley.

Foris Rogue Valley Fly-Over Red 2002

the comely brunette and i first tasted this southern oregon bordeaux blend many years ago at a restaurant in asheville. we try to keep a bottle around for a good meal or when we want a really nice blend with some complexity. a grilled steak dinner with baked potatoes and steamed broccoli was on the menu, so i pulled this from the rack in the cellar. first thing i did was decant it for about an hour. i remembered this being a benefit the last tie we drank it. the wine is a blend of 63% merlot, 22% cabernet sauvignon, and 15% cabernet franc sourced from grapes in the southern most appellation in oregon, the rogue valley. the nose was blackberry, cedar and some tobacco notes. the taste was earthy, with flavors of black cherry, leather, plums and spice. this went very well with the steak dinner and at a price of $10-12, it is a bargain! if you can find a bottle or ask your local wine shop to get it for you, it is well worth it! a very impressive wine for the money.

Helix Pomatia Columbia Valley 2005

i was the guest pourer at a recent wine tasting and this was the final wine in a group of six that i poured. this blend of 53% cabernet sauvignon, 31% merlot, 8% syrah, and 8% cab franc from washington received mixed reviews mostly because it needed to be decanted. i took a bottle home and gave it some time to breathe and was rewarded for that. the nose was black cherry, leather, dark chocolate, and some tobacco notes. the wine had promise. during the tasting the palate was overly tannic, but with time in the glass the tannins softened, allowing this wine to open up and really shine. black currant, plum, chocolate, earth and some coffee notes all came through. the tannins no longer overpowered you and the balance this wine exhibited was beautiful. the wine sells for about $20, and will work very well with a nice steak or pork meal.

A-Mano Primitivo 2006

always on the lookout for a budget wine that i can turn to, i saw this italian red for sale at my local wine merchant for $10. primitivo is the italian equivalent to zinfandel, and i like a good zin. the nose was very promising with aromas of raspberries, tar, and leather coming out. i only could hoped the flavor was going to follow suit. i was not disappointed as the fruit flavors of blackberry, raspberry and a little blueberry meshed with hints of tar and leather in a beautiful long finish. the tannins were not overpowering and this wine is well worth the price. i will return for another bottle of this to match with a grilled meat dish in the very near future.

Simi 2005 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

got this california cab as a gift. always love the free wine. i have had bigger and bolder cabs, but this one was not too bad. the nose was blackberry, spice and hints of cedar. the taste was very fruit forward with loads of blackberries. this was followed by leather and spice. the tannins were fairly powerful and they softened just a bit as the wine opened up, but not enough for my taste. my first taste, the impression was positive, but i curbed my enthusiasm the more i tasted this one. like i said, not a huge wine and probably a lot more fruit forward than your typical california cab, but a little too tannic for me. sells for about $20.

2005 Ten Mile "The Broken Road" Proprietary Red Blend

a blend of 64% petite sirah, 18% zinfandel, 8% barbera, 8% malbec and 2% carignane, this california red has a nose of black raspberry. there is also some spice, pepper, earth and leather. the taste was a bit of a let down. the nose gave you the impression there would be more there. it was a whole lot more fruit forward with not much complexity. maybe it just needed more time in the bottle. the taste was blackberry, with small hints of leather, anise and pepper. but these minor players on the palate were very subtle. they remained that way even after the wine opened up. i only paid $12 for this bottle, and i might consider buying a second bottle to lay for a couple years to see what might happen. this bottle was in my cellar for 8 months and didn't do much, so maybe longer bottle time would help.

Animus Douro 2005

i tried this red from portugal at a local wine tasting and picked up a bottle to lay for a while. opening it last evening was a real treat. the nose was very complex with black cherry, raspberry and herbal notes, there was a parsley like aroma and hints of leather also. the taste was big and bold with medium tannins. flavors of strawberries, leather and licorice. a long finish that begged me to take another taste. this wine is a blend of tinta roriz/tempranillo, touriga nacional and touriga franca and sells for about $10-13 dollars. a really nice, bold red that is worth every penny.

Covey Run 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

it is definitely red wine time. cabs are big, bold wines and finding one that is good at a lower price can be difficult. i received this bottle from a friend and it did a pretty good job of living up to expectations. not an extremely complicated cab, but a good one none the less. the nose was dark fruits, like black cherry and blackberry. there was a chocolate aroma as well. i also picked up some floral notes. the palate was loaded with blackberry, hints of leather, anise and spice with fairly bold tannins that eased a bit after the wine opened up. this bottle sells for under $10 most places and is really a nice, drinkable cab for the price.

Evil 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

this australian cab is an interesting wine that i got as a gift recently. and i am probably going to get another bottle to lay down because the potential is there. the nose was blackberry, tar and a coffee note. on the palate, slightly under ripe strawberry, a leather flavor, like animal hide, spice of cloves, and as the wine opened up, dark chocolate came through. the wine being an 07 vintage was young and a bit thin without a big finish befitting a cab, but it got better as it got more air. like i said, the potential was there and at a price of about $8-10, is worth another visit. get a bottle or two, try one now and lay the other bottle for a year and see how much better it is. very drinkable now but it will be much better in a year or more. and yes, the label is upside down. those aussies are funny people.

Toro Spada 2006

another wine in the cheaper category that i had recently, spada is a spanish red that is made from tinto di toro, the local name for tempranillo. from what i have read, this wine spends no time in oak, yet because of the grape, it has some very interesting characteristics that would lead you to believe it was oaked. the nose was blackberry, spice and it had a sweeter cordial note as well. on the palate black currant, leather, licorice with medium tannins and a spicy pepper finish. not a bad wine for the nice price of $10.

Corralillo Reserve 2005

this blend from chile is made of 80% merlot, 12% malbec and 8% cabernet franc. the nose was red berries and spice. there were also hints of chocolate and leather, and a little something that resembled twigs on the nose. the bottle had been laying down for almost a year so i was excited at the chance to taste this interesting blend. if the nose was any indication, this was going to be a very nice wine. and i was not disappointed. very full in the mouth with complex flavors. the taste was blackberry, strawberry, leather and medium tannins. it has a medium length finish and i got more of the berries at the end. the wine sells for $16-20 depending on where you shop and very worthy.

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.

Passing Clouds 2004 Reserve Shiraz

this australian had a nose of blackberry, pepper, leather, and black cherry. the taste was spicy, smokey, leathery and tasted of black and red fruits. only problem was i think it really wasn't ready yet. this comes from a major producer known for their big, beautiful shiraz, so i will expect that with time in the bottle this one will get much better. it was very tight, even after decanting for an hour. way too tannic and green at this point. fortunately, i have a second bottle which i will revisit after at least another year, maybe longer. based on how tight this wine was, i am guessing i could lay this down for at least 4 years and then this wine would live up to the big nose that it displayed. priced at about $27, i would get a bottle of this and lay it for a special occasion and enjoy it with a good filet dinner.