Oakwood Hollow 2006 Lodi Zinfandel

Oh la la - this was a great wine of the week! Great oaky flavor...I guess I should have expected that based on the name. Spicy vanilla robust finish. Per the label, this wine was "specially selected by the talented staff at Sam's Wine & Spirits", so I guess you won't find this one at your local grocery store. It was on their top 100 wines of 2008 list.

I'll rank this a strong 7.5, but have to knock it down a half point and keep it off of my top tier list due to it's limited availability. If you are prone to buying wine from websites, this one is truly worth the shipping costs. For the record, I've still never bought wine over the 'net - but am still looking for an excuse to buy the negroamaro I had in Seattle.

Paul Jaboulet Aine 2006 Parallele 45

Avoid licking envelopes while sipping this wine. This Cotes du Rhone was helping me get through some bill paying, and I couldn't think of a worse combo that what I tasted.

60% grenache & 40% Syrah; these grapes grew around the 45th parallel, hence the name. Very dry, very berry. Not many discerning flavors to speak of. 2/10 rating. $9.99 at Costco. Leave it there.

Muirwood 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

I'm enjoying this glass of celebration after purchasing my first mower, washer/dryer, and much much more today at Lowe's (thank you, 10% off coupon!). I'm a new homeowner now (I moved to NC, BTW), which I finding comes with much more responsibility than living in our city apartment in Chicago - like yard work. At least there is room for a wine fridge in the new place ;)

Total Wine is the local wine "warehouse" (nothing compared to Sam's in Chicago though). I picked up this bottle for $13 and am pretty happy with it; 7/10 rating. This was ready to drink immediately after opening, no need to wait around. The bold oak flavors made the Muirwood a quick favorite. The berries flavors are full and somewhat sweet. The tannins were quite muted, which made this a good sipping wine that didn't require a meal with it. An easy-drinking crowd pleaser.

Montoya 2006 Zinfandel

Hailing from Paso Robles, CA, the Montoya Zinfandel did not meet my expectations. Not that it was a bad wine, it was much lighter than I expected. It still had those spicy tannins on the finish, but the start was much lighter, similar to a pinot noir. There were some slightly sour cherry and cranberry flavors in there as well. I think the Montoya Zin needs a nice spicy meal to bring out the full experience of this wine.

I was drawn to this wine as a bottle had been previously gifted to me by a Mr. & Mrs. Montoya (no relation to vineyard), who thought it was pretty cool to tote around bottles of wine with their last name (all the Campbell name gets me is scotch). She was a college friend and he was my manager from an internship and first job. They met when I hired Nikki to work for me (er, us). Awkward for a bit there. They are still happily married after meeting 10 years ago and have two kids. The relationship worked because it fit the formula: half your age plus 7 is the youngest you can date. Well done Mr. Montoya.

I give this wine a 6/10. Above average, but no socks were blown off. Cheers to my first purchase from Total Wine in NC - $13.

Portrait 2005 Reserve Pinot Noir

The perfect time of year for this inexpensive pinot noir. It's light, full of spring fruits, and fun. She's on the sweeter side with strawberry being the major takeaway. You don't need a steak or big meal - just open it up on the porch after 20-30 min in the fridge. The Portrait is from South Eastern Australia and made Sam's Wine Top 100 wines of 2008. At only $15, I'll rate this a strong 7 out of 10. I'm quite happy as this is the first wine I'm reviewing from my new state of North Carolina.