Etoile Rose NV

Etoile Rose - NV from Domaine Chandon, Sonoma and Napa Counties $40. This is a fairly decent sparkling rose. The wine has some age to it. The wine was bottle in 2001 and Domaine Chandon ages the wine in the bottle for 5 years before releasing it, so this particular bottle has been out since '06. The length of time spent aging is probably the biggest reason that American sparkling wine costs so much. The longer a winery ages their wine, the more it cost the winery, so they in turn have to recoup this money. I did like this wine, it needs to be served well chilled, when the wine warms a bit it becomes too tart. It's a nice rose but nothing special. I thought it was much better than the Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut Rose ( a comparable American sparkler). This wine is definitely unique. For the closure there is not the traditional cork, but a cap that is best described as a beer top ( I opened the wine with the beer opener on my key chain), this might be a turnoff to many sparkling wine buyers. The benefit of such a top is that there is no cork failure or cork taint, but there is not they traditional pop, it's definitely different. If you like sparkling rose you should check out this wine.

www.chandon.com

2005 Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

2005 Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - Maipo Valley, Chile $12. The nose smells of plum and dark grapes, kind of grapey smells coming through, along with some wood aromas. Not to be worried this wine is balanced, the oak complements but does not overpower. At first the wine is acceptable but a bit on the harsh side. This wine is a definite candidate for decanting, it needs some serious time to breathe, approximately 45 minutes to show it's true colors. This cabernet is straight forward, it's not going to tell you a story but what it covers the basics very well. The tannins are very smooth and soft. For the price this is a real solid value. The wine is not complex but what is does, it does well. I recommend it.

2005 Clancy's Red

2005 Peter Lehmann's Clancy's Red - Barossa, Australia $15. This is an interesting full bodied wine from one of the top producers in Australia, it is a blend of mostly Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Merlot. This is the entry level bottling from Peter Lehmann wines all of which come from grapes grown in the Barossa valley, considered the most prime growing region in Australia. The nose of the wine is a bit tart as well as the initial taste of the wine. At first the wine comes across as too tart. But the key to this wine is to let it breathe. This wine definitely takes time to open up, 30 minutes at the very least. I didn't start enjoying this wine until I dropped it into a decanter. Once in the decanter the wine definitely soften. The Clancy's Red is a rich and full bodied wine that once it has opened is soft and just a touch on the tart side. This wine is good but not great, it is worth a shot though but only if you have the patience to let this wine come around and soften up, once it softens it is quite enjoyable. This wine is easily found in grocery stores, and wine shops.


www.peterlehmannwines.com.au

2006 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon - Apalta vineyard, Colchagua Valley, Chile $20. This is the best Montes wine that I've had yet. It is a smooth rich cabernet, it is very well made. There are very few cabernets from California at this price point that pack the quality of this Chilean Cabernet. I definitely recommend this wine, it should be relatively easy to find, at wine shops, and grocery stores with better wine sections. Check it out


www.monteswines.com

2005 Rosemount The Show Reserve Mudgee Cabernet Sauvignon

2005 Rosemount The Show Reserve Mudgee Cabernet Sauvignon - $2, Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia. This wine generally sells for about $15, but occasionally grocery stores and retail stores will miss price a wine, drastically, and this is how I got this wine for $2. I have not had this best luck with Australian cabernets, but I think this is a decent bottle of wine. It is a bit lighter for cabernet but it still has enough tannins, and depth of fruit to be a decent cab. It's probably the best Australian cabernet that I've had, but I haven't had many. I recommend this wine, it's good but not great. It should be easy to find this wine, Rosemount wines are in most grocery stores. The Show Reserve wines are a bit harder to come by and be careful cause there are around 10 different "The Show Reserve" wines, they are made from different grapes and can come from different areas. The '05 vintage is probably hard to find because the vintage is old for the shelves. It's got a screw top and that's a good thing.

2004 Bodegas LAN Reserva

2004 Bodegas LAN Reserva - Rioja, Spain $15. The wine is a blend of mostly Tempranillo 80%, Mazuelo 10%, and Garnacha 10%. I have no idea and have never heard of Mazuelo but whatever it is it makes part of a very nice blend from Rioja. This wine is really smooth and juicy, an easy drinking wine. I really like this wine especially when you consider all this quality for only $15. Spain is the only country in the world that has legal definitions attached to the word Reserva (Reserve). In Spain wines with the Reserva designation have to have a minimum of 12 months aging in wood and 24 months aging in bottle. I like this wine on it's own but it will serve you nicely if you're looking for something different to drink, you won't find a wine like this anywhere but in Spain. A thoroughly good wine for a great price, check it out. It also goes excellent with loaded cheese fries, fried chicken tenders, and a nice sunny afternoon.

www.bodegaslan.com

2005 St. Clement Merlot

2005 St. Clement Merlot - Napa Valley, California $20. This wine is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the majority of the merlot grapes come from Los Caneros, a cooler climate for merlot. My main reaction to this wine is that it is overoaked. The nose is oakey, and on the palate it is very oakey. It seems like there might be some good fruit to the wine but the oak overpowers all, and that is unfortunate. This wine came recommended to me as a merlot that cabernet drinkers might like due to the wine having more to it than your average merlot, maybe it did but all that really came through is the oak, so I couldn't tell. It would be interesting to taste the St. Clement Cabernet to see the oak influence on that wine. I'd pass on this 'un.