Gen 5 - Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Gen 5
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California 
Country: USA
Year: 2009 
Price: $11.95


Winery Review: 92 points, Wilfred Wong. Taking Lodi into a whole new level, the finely-tuned '09 Gen 5 Cabernet shows intricate and complex flavors; ripe for sure, yet classy and refined; long finish.


My Review: Right off the bat I can see that the color of this wine is darker than the precious Palo Negro, Cabernet Sauvignon we just tried. On the nose I get a much strong smell of alcohol, but I also get a level of oak. After tasting the wine I found it dry with heat on the back end. 

Palo Negro

Name: Palo Negro
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2010 
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Toasty and forward, with rounded currant and plum fruit backed by a nice weight in the palate. A long sustained finish. Definite quality for an outstanding price. 

My Review: The wine had smell of black fruit on the nose. The color of the wine itself was a very deep dark red. We were told this wine was lighter than a traditional Cab Sauv and I agree. It was much smoother and had a full body mouth feel. I liked the wine did not have a lot of heat of spice to it. It was sweeter than a traditional  Cabernet Sauvignon, and that probably why more untrained palate liked this wine a great deal. I did go ahead and purchase a bottle of this wine and I enjoyed it a lot. It paired well with the meat pasta we ate it with. 

Lamadrid - Malbec Rose

Name: Lamadrid
Variety: Malbec Rose
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2010 
Price: $10.95

Winery Review: Tobacco and black cherry nose; real dark cheery sweet tarts flavor in the mouth; medium body, a touch spicy in the mouth, fairly simple, appealing, dark rose. 

My Review: When I went to smell this wine I could smell a lot of alcohol and some hits of cherry. The cherry smelt sweet. I did not really enjoy this wine because after you were done tasting it there were some heat on the back end. It felt rough on the back of my throat and I thought the alcohol was too potent in the wine. 

Gen 5 - Chardonnay

Name: Gen 5
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2010 
Price: $11.95

Winery Review: 92 points, Wilfred Wong. Superbly crafted, the nifty and poised '09 Gen 5 Chardonnay drinks incredibly easy; ripe and fruit-forward with excellent balance; rounded finish. 

My Review: When I smelt this wine my nose with hit with a garden of flowers. This made me think that wine would not be well balanced, but when I tasted it the wine was smooth and had a great balance of the sweet and Oak flavors. The wine was dry in my mouth, but it did not have the pucker effect which I liked. 

Trinca Espinhas

Name: Trinca Espinhas
Variety: Branco Vinho Verde
Country: Portugal
Year: 2010 
Price: $9.95

Winery Review:Pleasant and mellow, this young white wine will be the perfect accompaniment to all kinds of seafood, salads, mild cheeses, as an aperitif or just by itself. The alcohol content of Famega is 9.5% which makes it the ideal natural low calorie white wine. The grapes used in making Famega are 100% Alvarinho (same Albarino grape over the border in northwest Spain).

My Review:  I liked the smell of this wine because it was light and crisp. There were not a lot of noticeable alcohol on the nose which I liked. The taste was sweet but not fruity. I liked this wine a lot. And we learned that the wine is called a Verde because the grapes are picked before they are fully ripe. 

Ebano Ribera del Duero Tempranillo

Name: Ebano Ribera del Duero Tempranillo
Variety:  Tempranillo

Country:  Spain

Region:  Ribera del Duero

Year:  2007

Price:  $7.95

Winery Review: 87 Points, Robert Parker. The 2007 Ebano 6 is 100% Tempranillo aged 4 months in French oak. Dark ruby red in color, it displays a pleasant bouquet of cedar, spice box, violets, black cherry, and blackberry. Medium- to fullbodied on the palate with savory flavors and plenty of spice, this racy, vibrant Tempranillo has enough structure to drink well over the next 5-6 years and is a very good value.

My Review: The color of this wine was beautiful! And I really like the nose on it too. Although the nose was very acidic and alcoholic I could get some spice and cherry pie smells. I was hoping the wine would be silky and smooth in my mouth, but the mouth feel was pretty sharp and I did not enjoy that. The taste was spicy and burnt the back of the throat and was very dry. 

Lost Vineyards Vinho de Mesa Tinto

Name:  Lost Vineyards Vinho de Mesa Tinto

Variety:  Tinto

Country:  Portugal

Region:  Not specified

Year:  Not specified 

Price:  $3.95

Winery Review:  Pours a light garnet color with a nice crisp zest, with aromas of cranberries and orange peel on the nose. Drinks smooth with a briary of mild cherries, wild strawberries and raspberries along with a note of rhubarb. Pairs particularly well with wild game and heavy fish such as salmon.

My Review: I have had this wine before and am not a particular fan of it. I think it too acidic and not representative of all the fruits it should. I did find the wine to be crisp on my tongue.  On the nose it does smell sweet and almost like a warm pie cooling on windowsill. The taste was very peppery and savory.