Tag Archives: 2010

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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Nov 20 2012
6 Comments
2010, Food and Wine Pairings, Italy, Piedmont

2010 Franco Serra Barbera d’Alba DOC

2010 Franco Serra Barbera d’Alba

We had this wine a while back with a minestrone I made. We picked it up at Plum Market for $10, and when I checked some of the reviews on Cellartracker later, they seemed quite unanimous in that this wine is better with food than on its own. So when we had minestrone with our friends, I decided to pop the bottle.

I am still very puzzled by it. I am not very familiar with wines from Northern Italy, and given that we were having a feast, I also did not bother to properly taste it and take notes. What I can say is that it worked marvelously with the tomato based minestrone I had made, giving it an herbal depth and adding distinct earthy flavors. On its own, it seemed quite tannic and acidic and I also found some slight bitter notes, but with the food this bitterness vanished. I simply could not wrap my head around this one, it was intriguing. I will probably pick up some more bottles, because I like to make minestrone throughout winter, and I really thought this pairing worked very nicely. Would not have thought that when I first tasted the wine. I definitely agree that it should be paired with hearty food.

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Oct 29 2012
4 Comments
2010, Argentina

2010 Domaine Jean Bousquet Malbec

2010 Domaine Jean Bousquet Malbec

Another short wine review today, while working on bigger posts for the upcoming posts. Nina is a big fan of malbecs, so we acquired a number of them in the past months. I have no particular opinion on malbec, but there are times when I enjoy bold red wines, and malbecs can have that quality to them.

We received this particular bottle as a gift from friends. It was our first malbec by Domaine Jean Bousquet. The label says the wine was made with organically grown grapes in the Tupungato Valley of Argentina. The neck of the bottle is adorned with a sticker “Best Buy 89 Points Wine Enthusiast New Release”.

The website states that Jean Bousquet is a Frenchman who owned 120 hectares of vineyards around Carcassonne, France, before he bought 110 hectares (265 acres) in Tupungato Valley, Mendoza, Argentina in 1997 and planted vines there. The stated goal is to combine European winemaking with the terroir of Mendoza Valley.

The winery produces three lines of wines: Domaine Jean Bousquet as the estate wines with grapes grown on their property (with reserva and grand reserve), Santa Bax sparkling wines and Cameleon.

Our 2010 Domaine Jean Bousquet Malbec is the basic wine of their estate grown grapes. The website indicates that the 2010 vintage won several bronze medals in international contests. Apparently the 2009 vintage was very good, with a gold medal from Mundus Vini and the above mentioned Wine Enthusiast rating.

I will take this opportunity to state my disdain for this practice: I have no problem with bottles being marketed with prizes they actually won. But here, it is very clear that the Wine Enthusiast rating that is being advertised does not apply to the current vintage. The words “New Release”, which try to indicate that fact, are not very helpful. Ratings are problematic by themselves already, but slapping a rating on a bottle that does not apply to the current vintage (and not stating that fact in clear terms!) in my view is deceptive.

But on to the wine: It poured in a dark, ruby red. The nose was disappointingly green and alcoholic, rather prominent oak and unpleasant memories of cold mulled wine. On the palate, the wine was surprisingly medium bodied, with a nice jammy fruit of red berries with good acidity. It was better on the palate than the nose let on. The finish was short. The 14% ABV were not noticeable, it was easy to drink.

There was really nothing memorable about the wine. The wine seems to retail for around $11, which is an ok price for an unexciting, but drinkable wine. The nose was definitely off-putting and a downer.

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