Dec 18 2012
5 Comments
2010, California, USA

2010 Babble Mendocino County Red

2010 Babble Mendocino County Red Blend

2010 Babble Mendocino County Red Blend

Let me say this right away after those frustrating last couple wine reviews: I was quite happy with this one, so my bad luck streak is broken!

A while back, my fellow blogger Talk-A-Vino posted a short review about this wine I had seen a couple of times at Trader Joe’s but never bought it. I guess the label was a bit wacky for me…thanks to Talk-A-Vino, I decided to give it a try. Here is what he had to say about the wine’s 2008 bottle:

2008 Babble Mendocino County Red Wine (13.7% ABV, $6.99) – blend of 36% Petite Syrah, 26% Syrah, 17% Merlot, 10% Carignane, 10% Grenache and 1% Malbec. Deep purple color, hint of blackberries on the nose, touch of oak, some cherries and a bit of spice box on the palate, very gentle tannins, good acidity. Paired very well with TJ’s Pulled Beef Brisket in smoky BBQ sauce. The text on the label is priceless and somewhat nicely mocking all the “over-sophisticated” wine reviews. Drinkability: 7+.

Obviously, we did not have the same vintage to try, but I was quite satisfied with the 2010. The wine still costs $6.99 at Trader Joe’s. According to Trader Joe’s website it is a blend of “Petit Sirah, Syrah, Merlot, Carignane, and Grenache, with just a touch of Malbec” which confirms what Talk-A-Vino had assembled in information. According to TJ, it is aged for 24 months in French and American oak barrels.

The wine we poured was of medium dark ruby red color. In the nose I got red fruits, some marzipan (almond), and a slightly salty smell. It was light bodied and silky, with cherry and chocolate notes, low tannins and a nice pepper note paired with good acidity. I thought it was very drinkable and fun. The pizza I had with it brought out more pepper and vegetal notes in the wine.

As the price suggests, this is not a special occasion wine but I think it is a decent, uncomplicated everyday wine that also should go well with a host of different foods. And, as Talk-A-Vino says, the label is priceless.

Thanks for pointing this one out, Anatoli!

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Dec 16 2012
10 Comments
Sunday read

Sunday Read: Wine Myths That Need Shattering

The wine columnist Matt Kramer posted an excellent blog post over on the Wine Spectator earlier in December that I just stumbled upon. In it, he rails against three wine myths. He probably could have found many more such myths, but I like that he took the time to go into more detail for the three he chose:

1) Wine needs “structure”, aka tannins to age well.

2) More expensive wine is better wine.

3) Wine needs to be stored in 70%+ humidity.

None of them are really earth-shattering news, but they do persist so it is nice to have a deeper look at them.

Have a great Sunday!

Wine Spectator: Wine Myths That Need Shattering

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Dec 14 2012
10 Comments
2009, Chile

2009 Veramonte Pinot Noir Reserva

2009 Veramonte Pinot Noir Reserva

2009 Veramonte Pinot Noir Reserva

I seem to have no luck with picking my reds these days…the 2009 Veramonte Pinot Noir Reserva was no exception.

We picked up this Chilean pinot noir a while ago at Costco. You know you lost track of your wine cellar when you come home and realize that you had already acquired that same wine at one of the previous trips. I guess I liked the label. Now, I also had been warned about this wine by our friends whom we tagged along with to Costco at the time. She told me that she had tried it and did not like it. Too unbalanced, I think is what she said…Still, I liked the logo so much. And I like pinot noir. So, the heck…I must have thought.

According to the winery’s website, they have been growing pinot noir since the 1990s and have recruited the California winemaker Paul Hobbs to help them figure out the grape. Apparently, all the winemakers involved either still live or have lived in California before. I guess I should have looked into that before…you find the technical information for the wine here (compare it with my notes, if you care…they are very different).

Well. So we opened the wine a couple of nights ago. It had a lighter red color. On the nose it was quite rustic, alcoholic. I detected some chocolate notes but they were dominated by a pungent earthy-bitter mix. The worst thing on the nose, though, and it took me a couple of minutes to wrap my head around that, was that it reeked of burnt rubber. Yes, burnt rubber. That is a smell that my brain immediately connects with everything that can go wrong with a pinotage, a wine I love when made well, but want to spit out when not.

On the palate, the Veramonte Pinot Noir tasted slightly smoky and a bit green, the rubber continued in the opening. The wine was best in its middle section: there were hints of raspberry and cherry, some nice acidity and it had a decent mouthfeel to it. The end however was slightly bitter and did not leave good feelings. Nina noted early on that the wine also showed significant amounts of sweetness in the middle section which I did not get initially but over time.

All in all a disappointing wine. I should have listened to my friend. To me, pinot noir is best when it is subtle and deep. This one was totally different: in your face, no balance whatsoever and therefore unfocused and unpleasing. It just left me befuddled and disappointed.

Now the only problem is what to do with the other bottle…Christmas gift, maybe? Anyone?

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