Chateau du Rouët Cotes de Provence Rosé 2010

a good rosé is always a difficult thing for me to find. it isn't a varietal that i am too crazy about so when i find one i like, i get pretty excited about it. i tried this french rosé at my local wine merchant recently and liked it well enough to purchase a bottle. it is a blend of 60% grenache and 40% syrah and maybe that had a great deal to do with why i liked it so much. the wine sells in the $10-12 range and has a nose of rose petals, red berries and a little dusty spice. the palate has lots of strawberry, some earthy herbal notes and some spice. the finish has some good floral notes. this should be slightly chilled, but not as much as you would a white. it needs a little more warmth to bring out some of the earthy floral flavors. good sipper on a warm day.

Apollo Creek Pinot Noir 2009

this is a first for me. a wine from moldova. formerly a part of the soviet union, moldova is now a separate nation and has a rich wine growing history. this one sells for about $8 and is a very light bodied, dry wine. the nose has berries and some slight earthy notes. the wine took a little time to bloom after opening, so if you try this, decant it first. the palate had lots of berry flavors, including strawberry, raspberry, a little cherry and an interesting green pepper note in the finish. only a little earthy flavor in this one. interesting and very subtle, i will have to revisit this one in the future, and look for more wines from this country, as they export quite a bit of it. we enjoyed this with salmon and salad dinner.

Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2009

the south africa wine tour continues with this rosé. mulderbosch is known primarily for their white wines, but don't let that stop you from trying this one. while i am not a big fan of rosé, i do find one every now and again that peaks my interest as this one did. the nose is very floral, with rose petals followed by red berries and some nice spice notes. the palate was strawberry and floral with the rose petals showing again. there was also some nice spice and a little earth in the finish. this sees no oak and is a real bargain for around $11-12. try with seafood, salad, veal, or turkey burgers.

Starr Hill Winery 2009 Trovato

another wine from pennsylvania winery starr hill on the ground hog wine trail. this one is a nice red wine for someone just venturing into reds and can help transition into things that are bolder and more full bodied. a blend of pinot noir and dornfelder (the german pinot noir grape), this red has a nose of cherries, spice and some earth. the palate has strawberry and cherry notes, followed by some peppery spice and some earth flavors too. this falls in line with some of the other pennsylvania wines i have tried. it is a sweeter, fruit forward wine that sells for about $13. pizza or burgers on the grill with this one are in order.

Sogrape Vinhos Gazela Rosé 2008

i have never been a big rosé lover but i think i found one that will work for me. this one comes from portugal and is really priced nice at about $7. with just a little effervescence, this can be a nice, refreshing warm weather deck wine. on the nose, strawberries and floral aromas with a little sweet candy smell. the palate was crisp and somewhat dry with flavors of strawberry, citrus and a little mineral note near the finish. i enjoyed this with baked fish and veggies. it would also work well with light summer meals like salads and also with dishes with some spice as well.

Delatour Cuvée Premier Pinot Noir 2007

french pinot noir is a bit different from the u.s. variety in that it tends to be much more subtle and a little more fruit forward, lighter bodied, and to some, maybe a bit less complex. i tend to think that the french pinots are  just more subtle and you have to train your palate to appreciate the difference. finding a bargain priced french pinot can be a bit difficult as well. i discovered this one at a wine store for the really nice price of $8. the nose was filled with red raspberry and cherry, along with some nice dirty earth aromas. the palate was fruity ripe strawberry, more of the raspberry, along with some subtle herb and earthy forest floor notes. this wine comes from languedoc, a southern french region, long lightly regarded as the source of simple table wines, more recently gaining recognition for wines of interest and value. nice grilled salmon wine, or maybe some cheese and salad fare. nothing too over the top, just a nice subtle pinot.

Domaine Chêne 2007 Bourgogne Pinot Noir

i wrote about the 2005 vintage on this wine some time back and decided to do a comparison with the 2007 vintage. very similar nose on the 07, with strawberries and spice notes. i picked up a hint of the earthy aroma, but the spice was a little stronger this time. i also picked up some nice rose petal notes as the wine sat in the glass. the palate was also very similar to the 05 vintage. strawberry flavors were very strong up front. i wasn't getting as much red raspberry as before, but the spicy clove notes was there, along with some nice floral notes. nice medium tannins and once again a good overall impression. sells for about $12 and works well with salmon or a good roast.

Castillo de Monseran Garnacha 2007

tried this grenache at my local wine shop recently. very fruit forward wine. the nose was strawberries and raspberries, with some spice notes thrown in. got a little anise note as well. the palate was very fruit forward with lots of raspberry and strawberry, and a little plum. not as much of the earth and peppery spice as i would like, this one was a little short in overall depth. light tannins and a medium finish, this wine sells for about $10. i was just a little disappointed with this one. not a bad wine, just left me wanting a little more from it.

Debonné Vineyards Pinot Noir / Syrah

ohio does make good wine. don't believe me? try this 50/50 blend from madison, oh in the grand river valley appellation near lake erie. the nose was blackberry, vanilla, earthy wet forest floor and tobacco. everything you would expect from these two grapes. on the palate, strawberry, cherry, vanilla and more earthy flavors. but this is not a big, bold overpowering wine. it is very delicate with just enough tannins to let you know they are there. this wine grew on me as i tasted and it opened up. very nice wine. sells for about $14 and will pair well with many foods, especially chicken dishes.

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.

Sea Smoke Southing 2005 Pinot Noir

every now and then you have to pull one of those really nice bottles of wine fro the cellar. this one has been begging to be opened for about two years. the comely brunette and i were in need of a little pampering so i opened this up. all i can say is wow! this wine comes from the santa barbara county area. the nose was cherry, spicy cinnamon and sorry if i offend anyone, a sexy, body aroma. the kind of nose you expect from a pinot noir. the taste was red berries-strawberry, a little cherry and red raspberry, followed by some really nice spice flavors and earthy, damp forest floor notes. the tannins were a little bold at first, but decanting softened them up. the wine changed considerably over time and was very smooth and well balanced with subtle flavors of pepper and vanilla coming through as it opened up. i paid $60 for this bottle and it was worth every penny.

Black Box California Merlot 2007

back to the box wines. when you are on a budget, as many people are these days, and you want a decent wine when you expect company, boxed wines can work. but you have to know which ones will be good. i have written about bota box and how they tasted. black box, which sells for a bit more than bota at $24 a box, can be a good choice for you. the merlot has a nose of cherries, cedar and spice. the taste was fruit forward with flavors of cherries, strawberries, spicy notes and some chocolate flavors as well. it had a smooth, medium length finish with medium tannins. this wine also gets high marks in wine magazines as a best buy. i have to agree. good choice for an every day red to keep on hand when you have company.

Domaine Chêne 2005 Bourgogne Pinot Noir

i decided to stay in the lower priced area in a recent search at my local wine store, and ventured down the french aisle. i found this pinot noir for about $11. now french pinots tend be very different, more subtle, than many of the pinots from the states. they are actually more true to the grape, and picking up the subtle tastes can be more difficult. the nose was strawberries, subtle tones of earth and damp straw and spice. on the palate, strawberries and red raspberries, followed by some spice of clove and i also picked up a slight eucalyptus note. there was also a slightly earthy, herbal flavor. the tannins were medium during the first tasting of the bottle but softened into a nice, silky feeling on the tongue as the wine opened up. overall impression was pretty good on this one. definitely worth another try.

Ménage à Trois 2007 Rosé

back to the bargain bin and this under $10 rosé. just enjoyed this with a few friends and while i am not a big rosé drinker, i was pleasantly surprised with this one. it is an interesting blend of merlot, syrah and gewürztraminer. the nose was fresh red berries and floral notes of rose petals. the taste was strawberries, raspberries, some spicy plum notes and the floral rose petals as well. not overly dry as some rosés tend to be, this will make a perfect patio pounder for the coming warm weather. this could be a nice way for a white wine drinker to take the leap into red wines.

Stone Cellars by Beringer 2006 Merlot

here is another offering from the beringer stone cellars group. this is a nice, inexpensive merlot that should please most red wine drinkers. the nose is cherries, spicy notes and earth. the flavor was strawberries and blackberries. i also got a bacon note and a spice note of cinnamon. this wine got better the second day, getting more complex, with more earthy flavors coming through. all for the nice price of about $8 a bottle. well worth the price when you are looking for budget wines that are worth more than their selling price.

Talus Collection 2006 Pinot Noir

the quest for a good pinot noir under $10 is always difficult. saw this one at my local grocer and decided to plunk down the $7 for the bottle and give it a try. nose was cherries and floral notes of violet and a little earth. the taste was actually not bad, with strawberry and spice as the main highlights. tannins were medium and the finish was fairly long. the wine was subtle and a bit green, but opened up nicely as i drank it. if you are looking for a decent pinot at a low price, this is one to start with. you will find better pinots at higher price points, but this is not a bad every day wine.

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.

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.

Ponzi 2005 Pinot Noir

i received a gift card for a local wine merchant and this was one of my selections. oregon produces some of the best pinot noirs i have tasted and this one was no exception. the nose was very nice with aromas of strawberry, black currant and earth. the palate was velvety with soft tannins, flavors of strawberries, earthy, mushroom and spice. i also got some chocolate flavor as well. a very nice pinot that sells for about $30-35. this would easily lay for 5-10 years, but is very good now.

Mirassou 2005 Pinot Noir

back to the budget conscious wines with this pinot noir. sells for about $9. this one is not a very complex pinot, but it has a nice fruit forward flavor. nose red berries and vanilla. palate is mostly strawberries. there are hints of spice and vanilla in the end. the finish is moderate, but just not very complex. for the price, a nice pinot noir, just not great.