Gato Negro 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

this is the third wine i have tried from this chilean winery. at $3.99 a bottle, you have to at least give it a shot to see whether it is worth buying as a nice everyday red to have around. much like the now famous two-buck chuck, this wine is not bad for a drinkable red, but if you are looking for bold, complex, hearty cabs, steer clear of gato negro. the nose was blackberry and spice. the taste was raspberry, cherry and spice with medium tannins. the wine was a bit young and green, not nearly as bold as it could have been. not impressed with this one.

DaVinci 2006 Chianti

another chianti from the homemade minestrone soup night. this one was not nearly as full-bodied and complex as the first one we tried. the nose was cherries, plums and some pepper notes. the taste was more plum than cherry, but i didn't get the complex licorice, tar and earthy flavors that i expected. mostly fruity with a little spicy pepper near the end. worked okay with the meal but didn't quite stand up to the full flavors of the soup as the first chianti did. this was actually the more expensive of the two wines, selling for about $15, although i did happen to find it on sale for $12. which just goes to show you that you can get better wines some times for cheaper prices.

Cecchi 2006 Chianti

we were having some friends over for a dinner of home-made minestrone soup, and i picked up a couple bottles of wine to go with the meal. this chianti was one of them. the nose was violets, black licorice, and black cherry. on the palate, cherry, earthy tones, followed by soft, medium tannins and licorice. i haven't had many chiantis so this was an interesting wine for me to try. i am a fan of sangiovese with its tar-like flavors after aging in barrels. this wine was a bit more fruit forward. the wine sells for about $10-11, and really goes well with many foods, including the soup we enjoyed on this cold winter evening. i will definitely try another bottle of this in the future.

Beaulieu Vineyards Pinot Noir 2006

finding a really good pinot noir for under $10 can be difficult. BV from france is not bad at about $8, but it isn't great. the nose is black cherry, plum and spice. not too complex on the nose. the palate is cherries, earthy, slightly mushroom notes and some hints of cocoa and spice in the finish. a very subtle pinot. like i said, not bad, just not great. if you are new to red wines, this might be a nice way to get started, as it won't scare you off with a big, huge taste and a nice price.

Kono Barú 2006 Valle Central Unwooded Chardonnay

here is a chilean chardonnay i tried recently. they refer to it as unwooded, which the general public calls unoaked. it sells for about $7 a bottle, which is a nice price. the nose is tropical fruit, especially pineapple and maybe a little grapefruit. i also got a sweaty note that was a bit surprising. the palate was more tropical, dominated by passion fruit. i picked up some asparagus flavors in the mid palate and a slight apple note in the finish. there were also mineral notes in the medium finish. slightly crisp, very nice white for the price. a definite revisit for this summer. and remember when looking for this wine the label is upside-down.
a sad note on this wine. it is no longer being produced by the don and sons branch of sebatiani. not sure why, but found this out recently. they are apparently going to do an unoaked chard under the pepperwood label from chilean grapes to replace this.

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.

Burnet Ridge 2004 Super Tuscan

back to another outstanding wine from burnet ridge. this is the first time i have tried this wine from chip emmerich. this is 78% sangiovese and 22% of chip's purple trillium blend, which is an excellent wine all its own. the nose was plums, vanilla, and a really nice herbal note. the taste was very complex, with blackberry, licorice, cedar and and some floral notes. i'm sure this wine would pair well with food, but enjoy it by itself first. the tannins were medium and the wine got more complex as it was exposed to air. long, excellent finish and well worth the $25 price.

Gato Negro 2008 Sauvignon Blanc

i tried a red from this wine maker not long ago and it wasn't bad so here is a white. i love inexpensive sauv blancs like barefoot, and this one compares very favorably. the nose is citrus, papaya and floral notes of jasmine? the palate is grapefruit right up front, followed by minerals and then a nice, crisp, slightly spicy finish. it was a bitter cold night when i tried this but it hit the spot as i sat down to have a glass of wine and blog about it. sells for about $4.

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.