Pirouette - Red Blend

Price: $55
Region: Washington
Year: 2006

Interestingly enough as I sit down to write the review for this wine, I am enjoying a glass of the wine I reviewed last week. We liked the bottle of Petite Petit so much that we went out an purchased another bottle last weekend. ..and it was still just as good. Anyway, this wine is definitely an anomaly when it comes to my usually reviews. It was actually a gift I received a month or so ago that I saved for something better then take out burgers. So, one Saturday we decided to order sushi, and it seemed like a good time give this one a try. Since this bottle of wine is north of $50, I had a little higher expectations then my normal $10 - $15 weekend bottle.

This wine is actually a Bordeaux type blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Two weeks in a row I had a wine mixed with Petit Verdot, which I'm sure is a record for me. When I sat down with a glass, I noticed a very nice purplish wine in my glass. When I gave my glass a swirl and lifted it up to my nose, it was very nice. it wasn't anything I could put my finger on, but it was nice nonetheless. So, before I took my first bite of sushi, I took a nice slow sip of wine. What I tasted was definitely more complex then what I was used to. There were a couple of different fruit flavors that hit me right away, with a touch of vanilla in the middle and a little bit of spice to finish things off. That being said, the structure and feel of the wine was very consistent and enjoyable. So, bottom line was a thought this was a very good wine, and a bit different, it definitely was not one I would spend over $50 for.

Rating: 3.5 corks (A bit too much $)

Michael David - Petite Petit

Price: $18
Region: Lodi, California
Year: 2008

I went for a good stretch of reviews without adding a new wine to my top 5 list. This ended a few weeks back with the Cruz Alta Cabernet Sauvignon. There was really a lot to like about that wine, including the price. I know I am going to give it away early, but it didn't take too long to find another. It could very well be the fact that when my wife goes out and buys wine for the weekend, she usually stays under $20, while I was zeroing in on the under $15 bottles. While it might not seem like a big difference, I have noticed that the wines I choose to pass on are fewer when getting into the $15 - $20 range.

When I got home and there were a couple of bottles sitting on the counter, and this one just jumped out at me. I would think that most likely has to do with the interesting label, but I was also intrigued by the blend. This wine is 85% Petite Shiraz, and %15 Petit Verdot. While we will regularly pick up a bottle of Petite Shiraz, I won't pretend I know a whole lot about Petit Verdot. Based on the primary grape in this blend, I was not shocked to see a very deep red wine pour into my glass. It was already right up my alley, and the kind of wine I really just enjoying looking at in my glass. Not enough to leave it there too long, but it works for a little bit anyway. The aroma was also in line with what I would expect, with a nice floral bouquet. When I sat down with my dinner and took a sip of this wine, I was impressed with a nice bold upfront flavor that was really quite smooth. You could really taste the blackberry, but also right in the middle was a touch of pepper. Those aren't the type of things I usually notice, but as I took another sip, I definitely tasted it again.. This wine was very well balanced, and just kind of lingered on the back of the tongue. This is the kind of wine I'd definite buy again, and was one my my enjoyed as well. I probably would have rated it a bit higher, but I have to take into consideration the price it a bit higher than I would spend on a weekly wine, but good thing my wife is buying these days.

Rating: 4.25 corks (A really good wine)