4/27/2024 - Sid G wrote:

An easy drinking wine with no complexity or distintive qualities but also lacking in offensive features. Priced attractively. Okay as an everyday red.

4/19/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

An illustration of the wide variety of styles of well made California Pinot Noirs. This Baileyana is a light bright wine with abundant red fruit, particularly strawberries and ripe red cherries. It has moderate acid and a touch of sweetness. It has a smooth texture, a clean finish, and a reasonable pricetag. Just don't expect a Richebourg or an Oregon Pinot Noir or even a Napa PN. This is a different kind of PN.

4/15/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

I have long been a fan of Sancerre wines and this is a good examle of their charms. Pale yellow with a lovely light citrus bouquet and moderately acidity. Reasonably priced and enjoyable with food or just for sipping.

4/5/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

Clear dark red wine with the characteristic Zinfandel dark fruit flavors. Black cherry, plum, blackberry. But not excessively fruity and with a nice moderate acidity and a clean finish. A very enjoyable wine for not a lot of money.

4/2/2024 - Sid G wrote:

Bouquet is faintly flowery. Moderately acidic and devoid of sweetness, it has the austere mineralic style of good viogniers. But it lacks flavor and its bright astringency would benefit from a touch of fruit.

3/22/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

Initially, rather closed but opened up into a wine with nice blueberry fruitiness. Medium body, more tannin and structure than is typical for a Zinfandel, and moderately high acid. Long finish. A more interesting and complex Zin than most, although perhpas not as much easy drinking fun as the typical Zinfandel "fruit bomb."

3/17/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A flavorful Zinfandel from the Mendocino region of California. I would have thought Mendocino might be too cool for good Zinfandels, but this one is a winner. It has the usual Zinfanel fruitiness, but with more structure and complexity than most Zins. Could benefit from a year or more of age, but is very pleasant to drink now.

3/1/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

I posted about the 2016 vintage: A very easy to like Chianti Classico. Smooth texture, moderate to light body, pleasant fruit flavors of cherry and blackberry, clean finish.

The 2018 is very similar with a bit more body. A nice enjoyable and affordable wine and a great accompaniment for pasta.

2/25/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A Merlot made in the typical Opolo style of fruit forward, smooth texture, light on tannins, and very accessible. Sort of the definition of "easy drinking." It has more structure and flavor than most Merlots with bright red fruit flavors of strawberries and red cherries.

2/21/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A nice Chardonnay for those who don't like the California style of oaky buttery Chardonnays. It approaches a good Sauvignon Blanc in style with a citrus nose and stone fruit flavors on the tongue. Crisp and clean with a Chardonnay body but a lighter touch. A very enjoyable wine.

2/14/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

An excellent Chianti Classico. I also detected a chemical whiff initially but it blew off quickly. This is a more complex chianti than most with astringent red fruit flavors of pomegranate and currents. It has a good medium weight body and a lovely smooth finish. I plan on buying more.

1/15/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

Very closed when first poured, but as it warmed up a nice balanced wine emerged. It is very dry and somewhat acidic, without much in the way of fruit flavors with only a hint of lemon and some grassy notes. The texture is slightly oily but with a nice clean finish. A rather austere wine, but a nice accompaniment to a flavorful meal. We had it with a pork loin roast and it worked admirably.

1/9/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

While I am very fond of Rhone style Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre blends, I generally do not like Grenache as a 100% varietal. This Grenache with a pretty light red color and an equally light body would seem meant to be perfect for blending with stronger partners. But it also works pretty well on its own --- a nice acidic taste and a clean smooth finish make it a pleasant wine for lighter meals.

1/5/2024 - Sid G Likes this wine:

Second bottle, tasted 6 months after the first one, and it was much better. It opened up immediately providing a nice smooth texture. Apparently the additional bottle age smoothed out the rough edges.

12/31/2023 - Sid G wrote:

A bargain bin Chianti Classico. Smooth and well balanced with a good clean finish, but without much fruit or other distinguishing flavors. A decent wine at an appealing price. The very attractive label does not affect the taste but succeeded in catching my attention. Then I saw the $11 price and bought it.

12/24/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

An excellent South African red wine in the style of a Bordeaux. The large components of Cabernet Franc and Merlot lend smoothness while Cabernet Sauvignon makes it taste like a claret. Dark red color is matched by dark red fruit flavors. Full bodied but still smooth. A very interesting and worthwhile wine.

12/24/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A remarkably easy drinking wine. Smooth as silk and yet retains moderate body. Not as complex as the best Pinot Noirs, but a very well made and enjoyable wine.

12/21/2023 - Sid G wrote:

A bit rough, but basically a typical Malbec. Very dark red/black color and a big body. Not a subtle wine, but a good choice to accompany a hearty and flavorful meal.

12/19/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

I have tried three earlier vintages of this wine and the 2020 is consistent with them. Primarily a Grenache based wine, it is well crafted with good body and lovely dark fruit flavors of black cherries, plums, and blackberries. The finish is smooth. An excellent example of the fine Rhone Valley style wines now available in Central California.

12/19/2023 - Sid G wrote:

Pronounced oak, resulting in an easy drinking wine with a smooth finish. No complexity and not much flavor. Inoffensive but not very appealing.

12/11/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A chewy Zinfandel with surprising body. Not the typical "fruit bomb" Zin but a bigger and less fruity approach. Personally, I like this style but it may be a surprise for those who like the sweeter, fruit heavy version.

12/1/2023 - Sid G wrote:

A disappointing Beaujolais nouveau. It has the bright fruit and light body characteristic of the Nouveau style, but it is marred by a bitter aftertaste. Not a bad wine, but just not what I expect in a Beaujolais Nouveau.

11/30/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A very fruit forward Pinot Noir. A little too fruity for my taste in PNs, but it is an easy drinking wine with a light body and smooth finish. Not particularly complex but attractively priced and widely available. It is a good choice for a ready to drink and pleasant Pinot Noir.

11/15/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A high quality 100% Tempranillo from a very small California Central Coast winery. Dark red in color with good legs in the glass. The nose is semi-sweet fruit. It is a mouth filling wine with good body and tastes of dark fruit, especially plums. The finish is a bit acidic. Some sediment in the bottle. Shale Canyon specializes in varietals that like hot weather and their Tempranillo is one of the best I have had that is not from Spain. If one gets to Carmel-by-the-Sea in Monterey County CA, a visit to the Shale Canyon tasting room is a fun way to spend a little time.

11/11/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A rather atypical zinfandel. Instead of the usual robust fruit bomb, it is a subtle and gentle wine. Clear medium red color, restrained nose, and pleasant red fruit flavors of raspberries and strawberries. It is light in body without being watery. A nice wine that can go with fish or meat but not recommended for very spicy or strong flavored meals.

10/28/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

Typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc -- heavy on citrus flavors, especially grapefruit, dry, clear pale yellow. A nice crisp wine without much depth. Attractively priced at Costco at $12/bottle.

10/23/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A very light Pinot Noir, about half way to a Rose. Nice fruit, smooth finish, a good wine to accompany a light meal.

10/6/2023 - Sid G wrote:

A mild red wine without much distinction or complexity. Inoffensive but also uninteresting. Smooth texture and affordable pricing save it from an outright negative review.

10/8/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

An interesting wine. Some Sauvignon Blanc style citrus on the nose, but a soft, creamy mouth feel that is more like a California Chardonnay. A typical I. Brand wine -- attractively priced, interesting, and unlike what other wine-makers are doing. Went very well with sea scallops.

9/4/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A new offering from winemaker Sabrine Rodems at Scratch Wines. A full bodied and tasty Syrah, with 25% Grenache for smoothness and spice. So far, it appears to be available only at the winery tasting room in Carmel Valley CA.

9/4/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A new offering from winemaker Sabrine Rodems at Scratch Wines. A full bodied and tasty Syrah, with 25% Grenache for smoothness and spice. So far, it appears to be available only at the winery tasting room in Carmel Valley CA.

8/30/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A fine Chianti Classico. Lovely rich color, very fruity nose, smooth and tasty. Not particularly complex but with some body and a clean finish. Good drinking now and perhaps a bit better with some more age.

8/2/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A typical and very pleasant chianti. Went well with pasta and held up over several days.

7/31/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

My second vintage of this fine 5th Cru from Pauillac. The 2015 was superb and this 2018 was nearly as good, although it will benefit from more age. It was surprisingly smooth with no rough edges but the full complexity has yet to emerge. Give it a few years and it will be an outstanding wine.

7/23/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

Similar to previous vintages. A well made wine, resembling the New Zealand style of Sauvignon Blanc but less astringent, with some fruit flavors more typical of the better California SDs.

7/19/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

An excellent Chianti Classico -- good color, clarity, bouquet, flavor, finish. A perfect wine to accompany an Italian meal. For Chianti lovers, this is a must buy as it is also reasonably priced.

6/30/2023 - Sid G wrote:

A 75% Grenache, 25% Syrah blend from Folktale Winery. Initially tightly closed but it opened over the course of a meal. However, the bouquet remained suppressed. Light to medium body and a pleasant texture, but lacking in flavors and complexity. Not a bad wine, just not a very interesting one.

6/29/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A nicely crafted wine. Good fruit, light body, excellent finish. A good example of the style of the Central Coast Pinot Noirs.

6/25/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A distinctly "peachy" Sauvignon Blanc with notes of pear, citrus, and a touch of vanilla from the neutral oak barrels. Reminiscent in style to the pioneering Fume Blanc of Robert Mondavi in the 1970s but not as creamy and lesser in body. Still, a well made wine and a nice diversion from the strongly citrus flavored SBs that are so common on the market now.

6/13/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

An unusual but enjoyable Syrah. A noticeable but not excessive "spritz" of carbonation, along with a pleasant but light bodied fruitiness. Not a typical full bodied Syrah but more like a Rioja or Sangiovese. We had it with pasta which was probably a better match than with highly spiced food or red meat.

6/10/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

Very fruity in smell and taste. Not the typical Cabernet flavors but a lot of red fruit -- red cherries, currents, maybe a touch of blood orange and of course a strong grapiness. Moderate body and a very nice clean dry finish. Not bad for a reasonably priced CS from Sonoma.

5/23/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

Past its prime, but still a nice wine. I would have loved this wine if I could have tasted it a few years ago, but now it lacks body.

5/9/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A lovely wine. Crisp and mineralic in the style of a good French Chablis, but with some light fruitiness that makes it softer and more flexible. It is finished in stainless steel except for 2% in new French oak, thus avoiding the oaky "butter trap" that makes so many California chardonnays so cloying while gaining some softness. A very well made and well balanced wine.

5/9/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A solid South African Syrah. Dark color, dark fruit.

5/7/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

The usually consistent Opolo is once again very consistent. A fruity easy drinking PnP Zinfandel. An excellent wine in the "affordable everyday red" category.

4/26/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A nice crisp Chardonnay with a distinct mineralic component. Like most New Zealand whites, it has a touch of citrus. Not the oaky buttery Chardonnays of California but more like the wines of Chablis with a touch of lime. Would be nice as an aperitif, or with cheese, or perhaps with shellfish.

4/19/2023 - Sid G wrote:

Not bad for a bargain bin supermarket wine. Dark red and slightly cloudy, it has a nice fruity nose of strawberries and blackberries. The taste is nothing special -- a nondescript generic red with a touch of Cabernet flavor but no body or complexity.

4/9/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A good quality tawny port. Amber in color with nice flavors of fig, cloves, and cinnamon. Nicely balanced but a bit lacking in body.

4/9/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

Typical Opolo Zin --- fruit forward, flavorful, accessible, reasonably priced, easy drinking.

4/8/2023 - Sid G Likes this wine:

A somewhat unexpected Barbera. I am used to Barbera wines that are robust, big wines. This is a rather delicate wine with a smooth texture and a soft, pleasant finish. The fruit is uofront but not excessive, I very much enjoyed this wine when paired with pasta, but I would not pair it with spicy food as it would be overwhelmed.