Sean Minor 2007 Pinot Noir - Carneros

I expressed my lukewarm reaction to a couple recent Pinot Noirs purchases and the Wine House proprietor said that she generally doesn't like the Oregon Pinots and suggested I try Sean Minor 4B. Carneros is a region that is known for great Pinot Noirs. Great suggestion! For me the wine smells and tastes of fresh strawberries. Mrs. Vino also gives it an A. There is more spice than I generally associate with Pinots - probably from the oak aging. At $17, this checks in at one of the better valued Pinot's we've tried and we'll look for it again! The vintner provides a detailed description of his wine making efforts on the web site, which I've linked. I found the effort involved impressive. Clearly this isn't some juice purchased on the open market!

Jigsaw - Oregon 2007 Pinot

I'm really starting to believe that price counts when it comes to Pinot Noir. A few nights ago we tried a $10 Pinot that was so marginal that I couldn't write about it. I decided to step it up with this one at $14, but I was still bored. I love the name. Every time I read it that old Stones tune starts going though my head -"I'm just trying to do this Jigsaw puzzle, before it rains any more....." We have this with some fried tilapia and a Spanish rice/bean/tomato dish I experimented with. We like the food, but just found the wine a bit boring and for a Saturday night it went down pretty slowly. This reminds me, next time I'm looking for a Pinto I'll go for the Chalone Vineyards. Don't look for the Jigsaw Puzzle. And if I will channel John McCain for a moment, and say, "my friend(s)" that is 6 wine reviews in 9 days! Not bad. I vowed to do 10 in 10 days - I'm not sure I can do 4 tomorrow - especially since it is Monday:)

Shannon Ridge 2007 Cab

Cut to the chase. I WILL be looking for this $11 cab again! This went perfectly with burgers on the grill and some Mrs. Vino homemade fries. We also mixed in a little fried plantain just to keep things interesting. Mrs. Vino and I both felt the wine needed a bit of air time to open up and were tempted to decant, but decided to just wait. Another indication that we like this one is that the bottle is GONE! The winemaker has a cool web site that I linked up. Lake County looks like a great wine country destination. Holy smokes - the suggested retail on this is $19! I'll be rushing back to my new favorite wine store to pick up more of this bad boy before the end of the week! I'll say it again - look for this one!

Tempra Tantrum - 2

Time to throw another Tempra Tantrum, only this time we're digging into the Tempranillo (60%) and Granache (40%) blend. I immediately like this one better than the Shiraz blend - and I liked the Shiraz. But the Granache creates a softer and smoother wine that goes down easily. This Tempra Tantrum series has got me thinking about the beauty of the Tempranillo grape. The most memorable wine I ever had was a Rioja at Morton's Steak House in the late 80's. Isn't it cool that you remember a great wine from 20+ years ago. That wine was pure velvet and while I've heard many describe a velvety texture in wine, that was the only time I've ever really found it. Whether it is a Rioja (oaked a minimum of 18 months) or just another wine made from Temranillo I've always found them pleasant - and other than the Riojas - very reasonably priced. I digress. Mrs. Vino also likes this wine but says it doesn't have a ton of flavor. She hesitates, but says she really tastes beets. We both agree that we haven't heard anyone describe their wine as tasting like beets, but fresh beets can be pretty sweet and if she tastes it then that's one of the cool personal experiences that wine brings.. I'm thinking of getting a bunch of this one for my Dad who also loves Tempranillo and is especially fond of $8 wine in his retirement:)

Tempra Tantrum 2008

My new favorite wine store - the Wine House in Holliston MA - had an interesting arrangement of three value Spanish wines - all called Tempra Tantrum. Each wine is predominately tempranillo and tonight I'm trying the shiraz (40%) blend. The nose is pleasant and surprisingly floral for most of the reds I drink. The taste is equally pleasant with denser blackberry flavors - which actually matches the vinters description on the back label. Apparently I'm also supposed to be getting hints of chocolate, cherry and spice - well 1 out of 4 ain't bad. Good tannins give the wine reasonable structure. I'm matching this up with some leftover pasta, not quite the paella the vinter suggests, but still pretty good. It is Tuesday, so I'm happy to have only paid $8 - after my 20% case discount. (most wine stores give just 15%) Mrs. Vino is taking the night off from wine tonight. VERY unsual! I will look for this wine again for any night of the week. Three reviews in five days. Not bad.

Borgo - Delle Venezie

I dragged Mrs. Vino to a wine shop I wanted to check out. The Wine House is a free standing house in downtown Holliston MA where the first floor can't be more than 500 cozy square feet. The wines were well organized along one wall and the propietor provided a handwritten description for each wine. Her descriptions were so thorough that I didn't need to ask many questions - but after selecting many bottles, I asked for help finding a drier Pinot Grigio. She said, "Well, many wine producers are actually dropping their prices lately and this Borgo is now $11 when it used to be $14. I really like this one and it is less fruit forward." Considering no ones salary is going up lately this seems appropriate, but I'm also thinking, "Is there a neon flashing sign on my forehead that says, 'I'm cheap and looking for value.'? (This is not the first time I've thought this after asking someone for wine advice.) One day later the green label seemed particularly appropriate on the day they award the Green Jacket in golf. The warmish spring night is also cooperating and I barbeque chicken to pair with it. Very floral scent. The first taste is a bit bland and lacks the acidity I was hoping for. Apple juice. Apple juice. Apple juice. And who doesn't like apple juice - with some pear flavoring as well. Mrs. Vino tastes grapefruit - and on a re-taste I see her point - so there must be some acid - just not quite what I wanted. I would not hesitate to look for this easy drinking wine again - especially on a hot summer day, but if I have a choice between this and the Jermann - the Jermann would get my vote. Just a bit more interesting. Two wines in three days - I'm already behind on 10 blogs in 10 days - but I went to a wine tasting where there were too many wines to even think about writing up! I'll have to catch up - but at least I'm dedicated to my wine!

Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella 2007

A local Italian restaurant had this wine as a special on their wine list and I know this is a style of wine I like, and a vinter I've never tried - so why not. At $37 I swallowed hard but it wasn't much more than the other wines they listed - and he gave it a nice write-up and recommendation. I immediately notice a deep, dark color which in this case matches the wine. Mrs. Vino immediately says she likes it saying it is very smooth. This wine could stand up to any steak but goes fine with my grilled Halibut. Dark fruit flavors and appropriately oaked, I will certainly look for this wine again. Looks to retail for around $12. Not bad considering this is the best Valpolicella I've ever had. (80% Corvina, 10% Sangiovese and 10% Rondinella) Lastly, I gave up wine blogging for skiing and lent, but I'm going to make up for it with 10 wine reviews in 10 days. PROMISE!