“Garagistes” is a name given to a group of Bordeaux winemakers who produce wines in small batches, often in garages — hence the name. These winemakers are often producing wines designed to be consumed soon after production and not aged, being a bit less tannic and more fruit forward than what is typical of Bordeaux […]
Red Wines
Domaine Bousquet, Gaia, Red Blend
It’s always nice to come across a wine producer with a feel good story. Such is the case for this wine from Domaine Bousquet in Argentina. The history of Domaine Bousquet began in 1990, when a third-generation winemaker from Carcassonne, France visited the Tupungato district in the Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina. He found there what he […]
Matt Parish Cabernet Sauvignon – Stellar
Honestly, I don’t drink a lot of Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s that it’s often priced at a point that’s beyond what I want to pay for a bottle of wine. For most good Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon you’re looking at $50+ a bottle and if that’s what […]
O’Vineyards, Trah Lah Lah
I often review wines sent to me as media samples and always include a disclosure of that fact in those reviews. In this case I need to provide several disclosures, so let’s get that out of the way up front: This wine is produced by the family of a friend of mine, Ryan O’Connell The […]
Mac Forbes, Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
Lately, I’ve been reviewing a number of wines sent to me to review from Lidl grocery stores and I have yet another one for you today. This one is a pinot noir from the Yarra Valley region of Australia. Pinot noir is one of the most lauded grape varieties for wine. It also has a […]
Live Blogging Red Wine @ #WBC17
This week is the 10th annual Wine Bloggers Conference, being held this year in Santa Rosa, CA. Yes, even though there have recently been some devastating fires in California’s wine country, the region is open for business again and they want you to visit. Every year there is a live blogging event which is a […]
Trivento, Argentinian Blend, Cabernet-Malbec
I’ve previously had cabernet sauvignon from Argentina and I’ve certainly had plenty of malbec from Argentina. But this is the first time I’ve had a 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and malbec from Argentina, or from any other region for that matter. The idea of it had me curious what it would be like. You’ve […]
Les Parcelles de Pierre, Chinon at Lidl
One of the tricks to being a wine bargain hunter is to know where to shop in order to find good bargain wines. Many people tout Trader Joe’s as the place to go for good cheap wine. I’ve actually been rather critical of some of my finds there in the past. I’ve also previously written […]
Extremely Rare Black Blend
The PR materials I received with this wine describe it as “elegant and refined, with sophisticated nuance and delicate balance.” I would use none of those descriptors for this wine. From my perspective this is an in-your-face, aggressive wine that’s bold, wild and jammy. With one taste of this wine I can tell it is […]
Ferraton Père & Fils, La Matinière, Crozes-Hermitage
When beginning to write this review I was surprised to realize this is the first time I’ve reviewed a wine from Crozes-Hermitage. I’m a big fan of Rhone wines and have found many great value wines from the region over the years, but most of those have been from the southern Rhone while Crozes-Hermitage is […]