La Crema 2006 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

Vanilla...lemon...butterscotch. You?

I've had this Chardonnay previously, but remember liking it much better than tonight. I suppose I'm a bigger fan of the buttery chardonnays, where this one is more on the acidic side. Oddly, when the wine becomes more acclimated to room temp, it's a bit more buttery & creamy and more to my liking. My reco is to not serve wine until it's been out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

The La Crema (that's 2 "the"s, for my int'l readers keeping score at home) was nice with the wild turbot from Trader Joe's, found in the frozen section. A good whitefish that cooks in 10 min on the broiler or grill.

Found this somewhat inexpensive chardonnay at Costco for $14. I'll give it a very average 5/10. Nothing wrong with it, nothing mind blowing.

2005 Napa Valley Wine Works

With a name like "Napa Valley Wine Works" it feels like it came from a factory or something...it just doesn't give me that small family vineyard feel. This Cabernet Sauvignon was a good one for $15. It's very strong and certainly needs some time to breathe. The spice makes this inexpensive vino stand out from the pack. Worth a try if you have having a juicy steak or other red meat. 6/10 rating from Sam's Wine.

2007 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc

Far from Marlborough New Zealand, in the shadow of the Sears tower (that's it in the background of the pic), this wine is being enjoyed with some grilled chicken, broccoli, and cous cous. Sauvignon Blanc is not really a fall wine, but the immediate sweetness and intensity reminded me of a riesling, which is far more appropriate for this time of year.

The citrus acidity brought a nice zing in the finish, but left a bit of a gummy palate after the finish. The label speaks of a bell pepper flavor, which is a bit of a stretch. For $10, I'll put this at average with a 5 out of 10 ranking. A bit sweet for me. The wife gave it a 6.5...but it's not her blog ;)

2005 Relativity Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

With a lot on my mind, this wine puts a smile on my face. Dark red color, wonderful nose full of smells. A strong cab, with a nice dry finish. Strong dark fruits like blackberry and plumb. I'm very happy with this $18 bottle from Sam's Wine. 7/10 rating. I'll end with the quote on the bottle:

You don't have to be a genius to drink good wine.

...and thanks to A Wine A Week, you don't have to pay a lot either.

Fruit Machine 2006 Shiraz

I'm not sure what audience they are targeting with the Tin Man on the label and the name "Fruit Machine", but children everywhere would enjoy this over-fruited kool-aid. This South Eastern Australian sugar bomb is just waiting to give you a headache tomorrow (as it did me). Also, drink the entire bottle the night it's open, as it didn't quite last until the second night. Maybe I'll cut it with a few ice cubes tonight and make a nice spritzer ;)

I figured this was worth $6 just to make fun of the label when I purchased it at Sam's last month...little did I know the contents were equally laughable. This one's for the kids (er, birds); the Tin Man has no heart. 2/10 rating since I didn't pour it out.

2006 Amador County Zinfandel - Shenandoah Vineyards

Blackberries and strawberries bring out the best of this fine Cali Zinfandel. A great spicy finish with hints of cocoa. I noticed some earthy flavors came out in the second day this was opened, which made it slightly better on the first day. The Amador County Zin was probably the lightest zin in color I've ever come across, similar to a pinot. That said, the flavors will quickly remind you it's a zin.

I forgot to write down the price of this one, but it looks to be around the $10-12 mark - and worth every penny. 8/10 rating - and excellent find at Sam's Wine.

2005 Ten Mile Red - "The Broken Road"

I've been busier than Sara Palin's debate advisors. From several business trips to placing 13th of 200 in the Urban Assualt Ride and now heading to MN for a wedding tomorrow, apologies for the gap in postings.

This inexpensive Californian red blend was $10 at Sam's Wine. It gets an "eh" rating of 4/10. It's a blend of 64% Petite Sirah, 18% Zinfandel, 8% Barbera, 8% Malbec, and 2% Carignane, which gives it a powerful flavor with strong cherry flavors. The dark color is also quite noticeable.