VinoForLess.com

Klinker Brick Old Vine Zin

robonzo — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:34:10 +0000

Treasure hunts have become a regular affair at VinoForLess this Fall. We believe we’ve discovered yet another. While we think that we originally picked this one up at Trader Joe’s, we looked up pricing at another local seller. Here’s what we found.

Klinker Brick Winery
2005 Lodi Old Vine Zin
Where to Buy: K&L Wine Merchants
Price: $14.99

Named after a uniquely colored brick found on many buildings in Lodi, this wine has a serious nose that reminds us of spicy pumpkin pie. It’s great dark fruit flavors give it an elegant finish. K&L got it right in saying that it also has a nuance of mint and clove. We found it to be delightful with a bittersweet dark chocolate, which brings out the berry notes. Decant this one and serve it at Thanksgiving dinner.

Steve and Lori Felten are fifth generation grape growers in the Lodi region and owners of Klinker Brick. Winemaker Barry Gnekow crafts the wines, and is considered part of the extended Felton family. Klinker Brick has a Lodi tasting room that we hope to visit soon. Maybe our friends at TheCaliforniaWineryExperience.com can give us a hint what to expect.
~r

The California Wine Party

robonzo — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:10:11 +0000

We found an interesting Franc/Merlot blend with hint of Petite Sirah at TJ’s this weekend.

The California Wine Party
2006 Paso Robles
Price: $4.99 at Trader Joe’s
Varietal: 70% Cabernet Franc, 26% Merlot, 4% Petite Sirah

Although not very fruit forward, it’s super drinkable and has an interesting nose that perhaps someone can help us out with. We got cocoa, although I found others on Cork’d picked up a number of herbs including rosemary, basil and oregano. I tend to agree with one of those reviews in that it’s not as earthy as a typical Cab Franc. Definitely more than you’d expect out of a $5 wine. I’m not sure what the inventory on this wine is, so look for it soon. We liked it so much, that we’re planning a run back for more.
~r

Château Beau-Sejour Grand Vin de Bordeaux

robonzo — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:07:21 +0000

Let me start by saying that this wine will be a hard find, but if you happen to be in the San Francisco bay area and act quickly, you may score a bottle. At a tasting hosted by The Wine Club, I browsed the store selection and thought to myself that I really need to branch out of California. Lying in a “While Supply Lasts” bin, I luckily chose this one.

Château Beau-Sejour Grand Vin de Bordeaux
Vintage: 2004
Region: Montagne Saint Emillion Appellation
Price: $13.99
Where to Buy: The Wine Club, and hopefully your local wine retailer

I was looking for something that could take me back to 2007 in Paris. On this particular trip, a great friend graciously let me and the wife stay at his flat, while he was on honeymoon. Said friend also left us with a great selection of French wine. I’ll be honest in saying that I really don’t know French regions as I should, and that I’m not sure how or if to compare this find to what he left us. This wine was marked as being best after ‘08, and I figured, what the hell; we’re almost there, right? After about an hour of breathing time, I was definitely reminiscing about the Champs-ElysÈes.

The nose is earthy, yet floral, and there are some very subtle elements that reminded me of cranberry, ash and a slight mustiness. It’s not as fruit forward as reds that I typically drink, and it struck me as lightly tannic, but I found it most drinkable. I didn’t kill the bottle last night, and I’m so looking forward to tasting it again this evening! Hopefully you can find this gem at your local spirits store. I’m envious if you happen to have a bottle lying down in your personal cellar.

Beringer Founders Estate Sauvignon Blanc

Sami — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 02:27:20 +0000

Another great summer white wine. I found this at Safeway on sale for $7.36 per bottle (with my Safeway card).

2006 California Sauvignon Blanc
Beringer Vineyards
Where to buy: Safeway and various other places
Street Price: $11.00

It has quite a bit of citrus in both the nose and on the pallet. The nose also offers up notes of pineapple that lead to a subtle melon finish on the pallet. A strong salty cheese really brings out the fruit, which makes this the perfect wine for a long, lazy summer afternoon. This wine also pairs well with grilled artichoke and portobello mushroom.

Beringer is still too much associated with White Zinfandel in my mind, but their reserve wines keep reminding me that this winery has a lot more to offer than the pink stuff! (Not that there’s anything wrong with the pink stuff.)

Sami

Cypress Vineyards Central Coast Charonnay

Sami — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:07:11 +0000

This wine is one of my favorite Wednesday night wines. Although it is in fact a Tuesday night, I just enjoyed this Chardonnay with a delicately spiced Spaghetti Squash dish and it was the perfect complement.

2007 Cypress Vineyards Chardonnay, Central Coast
J. Lohr Vineyard and Wines
Where to Buy: J. Lohr Tasting Room
Street Price: $10.00

This is a richly flavored Chardonnay with zesty citrus, orange blossom, and lime custard aromas. It has lively fruit flavors of lime, nectarine and pear, with hints of vanilla and butterscotch. The refreshing acidity and silky palate texture give this wine a clean finish that keeps you wanting more. Enjoy!

Sami

Mondavi 2006 Fume Blanc

robonzo — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:20:32 +0000

There are entire blogs devoted to Trader Joe’s bargain wines, but we couldn’t resist writing about this exotic pickup from TJ’s.

Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc
Napa Valley
Robert Mondavi Winery
$10.99 at Trader Joe’s

This gem has scents of citrus and melon. We happened to be snacking on white peach, honeydew nectarine, soft Gouda and dark chocolate at the time of first opening, but on the following night found it to be a triumph with spicy Mexican food.

This is a great wine to take to dinner with friends this summer. What a find!
~r

Perfect Summer White

Sami — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:12:37 +0000

OK, it’s 95 degrees outside and I needed something cool and refreshing. Cinnabar came to my rescue! You may recognize Cinnabar’s flagship wine, the red Bordeaux blend called Mercury Rising, but you may not have known that they have a white version named (very creatively I might add) Mercury Rising Blanc.

2006 Mercury Rising Blanc
Cinnabar Vineyard & Winery
Where to Buy: Cinnabar Vineyard & Winery Tasting Room on Big Basin Way, Saratoga
Street Price: $14.00

This 2006 vintage is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Semillon, all grown in California. The wine is rich in aromas of melon and honeysuckle with just a hint of grass (to remind you of that lawn you just finished mowing!) The flavors are citrus and melon with a clean finish. This wine would pair well with spicy summer fare and will keep you cool all summer long. At $14 per bottle, don’t miss this wine to beat the heat!

Sami

Mercury Rising, Another Gem of the Santa Cruz Mountains Appelation

robonzo — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:37:12 +0000

A new tasting room favorite of mine is the Cinnabar Winery tasting room in Saratoga Village. Having tasted their Mercury Rising a number of times, it struck me that it’s not mentioned on VinoForLess. Here we have it.

2005 Mercury Rising
Cinnabar Vineyard & Winery
Where to Buy: Cinnabar Vineyard & Winery Tasting Room on Big Basin Way, Saratoga
Street Price: $19.50

A pleasantly consistent and always drinkable wine, Mercury Rising is a Bordeaux style red that has great berry notes and a subtle peppery aspect. Its varietal nature (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Petite Verdot) make it appealing for both seasoned wine lovers and those just venturing into the world of nice red wines. This is definitely a wine to share with friends and one worth breaking open on weekends.

If you enjoy knowing a bit more about the making of your wines, check out the informative tasting notes at Cinnabar’s website. Even better, visit their tasting room. I promise, you’re in for several treats.

2004 Zinfandel, Bellicitti Vineyard, Saratoga

robonzo — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 03:40:49 +0000

Tonight, we were treated to a wonderful Zin from Picchetti Winery.

2004 Zinfandel
Bellicitti Vineyard, Saratoga
Where to Buy: Picchetti Winery, Cupertino CA
Price: $29.95 / Club members $25.46

We started with some $2.99 Trader Joe wine, and OMG we’ve stepped it up! To the nose this lovely Zin has notes of anise, tobacco and licorice. On the palate essence of black cherry. This Zin is so smooth, that it’s tough to put descriptors on. It’s simply elegant. My good friend Will says it’s great with Italian food, and we know it’s a great glass all on it’s own.

Vinas Chilenas 2006 Cabernet and Merlot

robonzo — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 05:04:19 +0000

My lovely wife picked up a couple of why-not’s from Trader Joe’s recently.

Vinas Chilenas Reserva Merlot 2006
Vinas Chilenas Reserva Cabernet Savignon 2006
Products of Chile
Price: $2.99
Where to Buy: Trader Joe’s

I must start by saying that the Cab was palatable on day three, having been vacuum pumped each day. The Trader Joe’s Holiday version of the Fearless Flyer offered up some great notes. I’ll give them the vanilla and blackberry jam, but not on day one! Please do try it out and let me know what you think.

We opened the Merlot just this evening–definitely needs to breath. The nose was soft but rather grape-juicy with a mild scent of white pepper. For $2.99, take this to a party where there are no real wine enthusiasts. I’ll check back in with comments on day-two or three.

They both certainly live up (or down) to their price tag. Way to go Joe.