Ravenswood - Petit Shiraz

Price: $9.99
Region: California
Year: 2006

A pretty average Friday evening, but we just happened to order pizza from a different pizza shop, which is no where near my favorite wine store. In fact, the store I ended up stopping at has a good selection, but just way overpriced, so definitely not my favoroite. However, I didn't have much of a choice unless I wanted to go out of my way, so I figured I'd stop by and see what I could find. I really didn't have anything particular in mind, but found something in the first aisle I walked down. It happened to be the aisle with a few bottles of Petit Shiraz. I just haven't been able to find a bottle, for the price, that meets or beats a bottle of Bogle Petit Shiraz (on my default list), but I'm always willing to take a chance just in case I get lucky.

In this instance, the brand was very familiar, as I have had many bottles of Ravenswood Vinters Blend Zinfandel, but was very surprised to see a Petit Shiraz on the shelf. I had never seen a Ravenswood Petit Shiraz before, but at just under $10, and probably cheaper at more reasonable stores, it was worth a try. Again, nothing to exciting for dinner, just a ham and spinach pizza, but it was Friday, and there could be worse things then a quiet evening with pizza and wine. So, when I sat down, and poured a glass, I was not surprised to find a very dark, purple glass of wine. That definitely seems to be the trait of any Petit Shriz I have ever had. A very nice color for sure. When I went to take a smell, I was a little surprised to find it was kind of dull. It was pleasant enough, but not as bold as I was expecting. So, at this point I was thinking that I might have found a decent, inexpensive Petit Shiraz to have every now and again, but the most important aspect was still left. When I took my first sip, my first impression was, bland. Not the adjective I was thinking I would use after first seeing the wine. I know this next word might not make a whole lot of sense, but overall the wine just seemed shallow. I was expecting big, and bold, and that is not what I got. So, the search goes on for another quality, inexpensive Petit Shiraz, but I didn't find it here.

Rating: 2.25 Corks (Will pass on this one)

7 Deadly Zins - Zinfandel

Price: $12.99
Region: California
Year: 2006

Sometimes it takes a gentle nudge. I received an email from a friend the other day, nicely reminding me that I haven't reviewed a Zinfandel in quite some time, and he was exactly right. I must admit, it is a wine I walk past more often then not, and I'm not 100% sure why. I think in general, I have just had a couple bottles that make me think twice about it, and I have found that the more inexpensive Zinfandels seem to stand out as just that, cheap. Anyway, there were a couple of suggestions for ones I might like, but when I saw "7 Deadly Zins" on the list, I knew what my next purchase was going to be. I have seen this a couple of times before, but just never pulled the trigger, and this time I had no excuse.

The interesting things about this night, was that I had to figure out a way to buy a Zinfandel for a dinner I was planning for my wife's birthday, when I know full well i is one of her least favorite wines. So, in addition to grabbing a bottle of this, I also picked up my default white wine, (http://winereviewsyoucanunderstand.blogspot.com/2008/11/pine-ridge-chenin-blanc-viognier.html) which I know she loves. So, I was covered all the way around. I wasn't sure exactly how much this wine was going to cost at my favorite wine store (which has some great deals), but when I saw it was $12.99, I was actually happy because I was hoping it wasn't a $8 bottle of Zinfandel for reasons mentioned above.

I made a mixed grill of chicken, steak, and vegetable ka-bobs for dinner, so I was actually looking forward to the pairing. i was going to wait until dinner was ready, but something about a glass of wine out on deck while grilling that is very enjoyable, so there was no time like the present. I poured a glass, and was none to surprised at the nice deep, dark color. When I raised the glass to swirl & smell, I was impressed by the very nice smell, that was a touch earthy. So, far, things were looking good. So, when I took my first sip, I continued to be impressed. It immediately hit me how smooth and well balanced the wine was. No big bite that I have sometimes experienced with less expensive Zins, but still bold, and a touch spicy. Kind of similar attributes to what I love about Shiraz, but clearly a different wine (and 14.9% alcohol to boot). I'm not going to say it was my favorite wine, but definitely on top of my Zinfandel list at this point. I am definitely going to have to pay more attention to the emails I receive from Roland in the future.

Rating: 3.5 Corks (A really good Zin)

Mendoza Station - Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $9.99 (1.5 liter)
Region: Argentina
Year: 2008

Obviously another selection that I didn't have much luck finding a picture for. So far they've been few and far between, so I'll stick with my default picture. This would have been a weekend where I took the time to look for a little nicer bottle of wine because it was for my father-in-laws birthday dinner. That would usually coincide with a nice cut of steak or one of his other favorite meals, however, it was a super busy weekend, so we decided to make it simple, and have hamburgers instead. Whatever we ended up having, I really wanted to try out my new grill, so hamburgers worked for me. I will admit, my original intent was to run in and grab a 1.5 liter bottle of my #1 default wine, Yellowtail Shiraz. When I went to the aisle with the 1.5 liter bottles, this wine just jumped out at me. It was definitely a new selection in this store, and I could pass up the opportunity given the excellent price.

We started out with a simple appetizer of chips and guacamole, and I figured it was time to give the new wine a try. Everyone else was enjoying Corona and lime, as it was a warm spring afternoon, but I was really looking forward to giving this wine a try. I poured my first glass, and I was thinking the color was a bit lighter then I was expecting. Not weak looking, but not as deep as I was thinking it might be based on previous Cabs from Argentina. I then took a smell, and thought it was very pleasant. Again, not overly bold, but nice. So, after I swirled it around a bit more, I thought it was time to give it a try. I took a sip, and the first thing I noticed is that it was very smooth. Sometimes with wine hovering around this price for a 1.5 liter bottle, you get some bite, but this wine was definitely not bitter. It also had very good length, as the taste hung around for a second or two, and finished nicely. It was a not a big, bold Cabernet by any stretch, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I would especially think based on the price, this would be an excellent wine to but a bunch of when you have a large gathering of friends. This could also be one of the inexpensive every day wines that you keep around the house. Overall, and wine with a few different uses for sure.

Rating: 3.0 Corks (Nice, especially for the price)

Sebeka - Cabernet/Pinotage

Price: $9.99
Region: South Africa
Year: 2007

This week I happened to be in one of my less favorite wine stores, and I must say it is mostly because of the price, but nonetheless it was convenient. So, I would say you could easily buy this wine for around $7.99 at stores that have more competitive pricing, but for now we'll go with what I paid. When I walked into the store, I just made the decision I was going to find a wine from South Africa this week. I have worked with some colleagues from South Africa for quite some time now, and on a visit a few years back, one brought me over a couple of very nice bottles of wine. So, every once in a while I see if I can find something that matches up. So far, very few have, but it could very well be the price point I keep sticking to. Anyway, this one looked different, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I can't really say I know exactly what a wine made from the Pinotage grape should taste like, but based on the brief write-up on the label, it seemed like I wasn't going too far out on a limb. Things started off well enough. The wine had a very nice bold color to it when I poured my first glass. I would say it was more a dark purple, then dark red, but either way, I was impressed. The smell on the other hand, was not quite as bold. It was pleasant enough, with what I would say was a hint of floral background, but in general it was a little weaker then I anticipated. As always, the important piece was the flavor. Based on a plus, and a minus so far, I really didn't know what to expect. Unfortunately, it definitely didn't "wow" me. My first impression was that it had a bit of an odd tasting bite at the onset, but then that went away quickly. It didn't have great length, and wasn't what I usually expect from a California Cabernet.

I would say overall, it wasn't horrible, but nothing I'm going to rush out and buy again. Interestingly enough, the 2nd glass I enjoyed more then the first. It may have been that the bite I epxerienced with the first glass was not as noticeable with subsequent glasses. I also saved a couple of glasses for another day, and also thought it wasn't too bad a couple of days later. Again, nothing to write home about, but if it sticks out on the shelf someday, might consider giving it a try.

Rating: 2.25 Corks (When you run out of others to try)

L de Lyeth - Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $10.99
Region: California
Year: 2006

Nothing too exciting for dinner, but somehow just decided that I was in the mood to try a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Sometime I go into the wine store looking for a wine from a particular country, and other times it is a specific variety. Most times I do it just to make my search for a new bottle a little less time consuming, although this time it didn't seem to work very well. I must have looked at a dozen different bottles of Cabernet that I hadn't tried before, and I just couldn't make up my mind. Anyway, I settled for this bottle of L de Lyeth, and I can't exactly say why. Maybe it was the interesting name, who knows.

Nothing too out of the ordinary for dinner, just something from the Italian eatery we seems to hit every other week. So, I sat down and poured a glass. As I would have expected from a Cab, the color was deep and rich. Sort of a dark purple with a hint of red. When I took a smell, I was pleasantly surprised. It had a very nice aroma. Actually, I decided to give it a couple more twirls because I really found it appealing. So far so good with this one. I took my first sip, and I quickly noitced that it was very smooth, with a slightly subdued taste. It was not overly bold for a Cabernet, but it was by no means bad. So, the inital flavor was good, overall it was very smooth, but it did not have great length, or that type of taste that lets you know you just tasted a Cabernet Sauvignon. I think I will put it on the list of wines to give another try some day.

Rating: 2.75 Corks (More good then bad)

Shoofly - Shiraz

Price: $9.99
Region: Australia
Year: 2005

This was not a typical take-out and wine Friday evening. Every so often we take the kids to my sister's for the weekend, so they can spend some time with their cousin, and Aunt and Uncle. We were planning on a night out with some friends on Saturday, so it seemed like a good weekend for that. On the way home from dropping them off, I stop at my favorite wine store with the knowledge that I was picking up sushi for dinner. Without a doubt, it is hard to top sushi and wine in my book. Usually I would buy a more expensive bottle to enjoy during a quiet dinner like this, but I wanted to stick with my original plan, which was a review a week for a bottle under $15. Therefore, I went to the aisle that usually never lets me down, and that was the Shiraz aisle. I had this wine on my list to try for quite a while, so I thought there was no time like the present.

After getting home, and setting out our sushi dinner, I poured a glass, and my first impression was wow! I do not think it could be any deeper, or darker red. It looks just like the bottle in this picture, almost black. The wine just looked smooth from the get go. When I brought the wine up to take a sniff, I was almost equally impressed. Now, I will always admit I love the smell of Shiraz to begin with, smooth with a hint of spiciness, and this one did not disappoint. At this point, I was very much looking forward to taking a sip, but was just hoping it was even close to the expectation I had now set based on the sight, and smell. I did this all while still knowing I only paid ten dollars for this bottle of wine. So, when I took a sip, I knew I had found a very good wine. it was smooth, with an excellent flavor, and great length. It hung around just enough to entice another sip. I usually don't use this next word because it is part of what I have always found confusing, but one word that did come to mind was structure. This wine, from the beginning to end, was just well structured, and very much worth the price. I will definitely add this one to the list.

Rating: 3.75 Corks (A $10 gem)

Avalon - Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $9.99
Region: California
Year: 2006

I'm a bit behind, so I have a couple of weeks of reviews to catch-up on. Sometimes life gets in the way. Not unlike many weekends, I was picking up take-out at one of the two Italian eateries we frequent on Friday evenings. This particular one has a wine and beer store right next store. It isn't my favorite place, but it isn't too bad, and is very convenient. Anyway, I wasn't looking for anything in particular this week, just something I hadn't tried before. I actually walked around for longer then normal because I just couldn't make up my mind. After a couple of times around, I finally decided to try a Cabernet I have never seen before, but at $10, wasn't too much of a gamble.

On Fridays in Lent, I usually try to remember not to eat meat, so I actually ordered an eggplant parmigiana sandwich, and stole a piece of two on my son's pizza. Again, not necessarily what I would buy a Cabernet Sauvignon for, but that's just how it played out. So, I poured a glass, and sat down ready to eat dinner. My first impression was that there was a hint of "clearness" to the wine. It wasn't as deep dark red as I would usually picture a Cabernet, but still had a nice color to it. When I went to have a smell, again, it was a little on the soft side. It wasn't bold at all, but not unpleasant. So, when I went to take my first sip, it was generally well balanced with no bite or aftertaste, but just a little thin. All the way around, the wine was pretty good, just didn't stand out liek many Cabernets tend to do. I will say though, as I ate my dinner, and pured another glass, it grew on me a bit. This is the case of the 2nd glass pull up the score just a touch.

Rating: 2.75 Corks (Nothing great, but a solid buy)