10/18/2015 - Alain Harvey wrote:

A bit thin but a good choice for an average table wine. Serves well for an aperitif or pairs with grilled meats or mild cheeses.

Color: open and bright garnet.
Nose: sweet red fruit, chocolate and sweet spices.
Palate: round and structured, have also fruit jelly and cinnamon notes. Finally very fresh and invigorating in mouth.

10/18/2015 - Alain Harvey wrote:

Overall a decent table wine that matches well with red meat, appetizers and mild cheeses. A bit thin overall, lacking an assertive body.

Color: open and bright garnet
Nose: sweet red fruit, chocolate and sweet spices.
Palate: round and structured, have also fruit jelly and cinnamon notes. Finally very fresh and invigorating in mouth.

2/7/2015 - Alain Harvey wrote:

Imagine a ripe bowl of cherries in the center of an old farmhouse kitchen; you get the old wood, the warmth of spice mixed with ripe richness.

The dark, brooding nose suggests black currants, chocolate, cedar, pepper and camphor. This wine is styled like a Bordeaux, with bold Cabernet flavors and a dusty sense of Italian earth underneath layered flavors of blackberry, cigar box, green herbs and vanilla. Universally liked.

1/17/2015 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Pale straw yellow. Beautiful nose with white peach, citrus, and floral aromas. White peach and lime come through on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a very long, refreshing finish.

1/2/2015 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Smooth and decadent, possessing layers of complexity and subtlety. Showing lively, saturated, bright garnet red in the glass; perfumed with notes of cedar, ripe roses and nutmeg. Starts out soft and elegant offering notes of Bing cherry, black fruit, sweet leather and cocoa. Finish is long, lush and velvety. Softly integrated tannins provide structure and offer longevity. This wine is beautifully balanced.

1/3/2015 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Big and beautiful, this Carmenere-Cabernet Sauvignon blend has ample fruit, oak, tannins and length with herbal and tobacco notes adding complexity to concentrated red fruits. Surprisingly youthful impression bodes well for aging as well.

1/1/2015 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Strawberry, small fruits and plump red roses. It stands out net for drinkability and clearness, savoriness and balance between subtleness and fresh acidity.

The Groppello grape, native to the westerly part of Lake Garda in the Valtenesi area lends structure to this wine, which is never overpowering, providing a certain elegance, length and making for a very drinkable table wine with nice acidity and balance.

1/2/2015 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Big and beautiful, this Carmenere-Cabernet Sauvignon blend has ample fruit, oak, tannins and length with herbal and tobacco notes adding complexity to concentrated red fruits. Surprisingly youthful impression bodes well for aging as well.

1/1/2015 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

This is an excellent value pinot noir that demonstrates why, even on the lower end of the Burgundy spectrum, the region sets the world standard for complexity and elegance in pinot. It’s a vibrant wine with subtle tastes of sour and black cherry along with spice and earth notes, a good deal of minerality and refreshing acidity. The average price on Wine Searcher is $24 but the importer, Espirit du Vin, told me that some stores may offer it for as low as $20.

12/28/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Medium bodied wine which reveals beautiful black cherry aromas with a hint of vanilla. Has well-balanced tannins and a long finish. Displays a mature character. Drink in the next year or two.

12/28/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

On the nose a dense wall of minerals with black berries, black currents, pencil shavings, dark plums and earthy notes. Well structured and balanced wine with smooth tannins. Impressive spicy richness.

11/29/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

A smooth, approachable red, Barnard Griffin Cabernet-Merlot provides nuances of dried fruit and spicy vanilla to a nose of raspberry, rose petal and cherry.perhaps from having been aged in both French and American oak barrels. The medium bodied, fruit-forward palate offers vibrant notes of plum, cherry and orange which are complemented by a touch of white pepper on the finish.

11/27/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Vibrant, still slightly uptight, and bursting with youthful energy. The 2011 is packed with lively red and black berry fruit, wild herbs, dried flowers, sweet spice and a distinct clove/licorice note.Should cellar well for the next ten years or more.

11/25/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Deep red in color with well formed legs; dry, medium full-bodied with balanced acidity and lightly chewy phenolics. Supple and soft but focused. Offers ripe red fruit with some black fruit. Accents of cola, coffee, black pepper, and dark spice. Elegant but rich. Ready to drink now or hold for 2 to 3 years. Enjoyed with grilled leg of lamb.

11/25/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Lively cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is a bit wilder than some, with wet horse and stable straw mingled with savory sea salt and balsamic warmth, and some greenish accents. Not much fruit. On the palate it's ample, with moderately rich cherry fruit supported by moderate acidity and by tannins that are ample and smooth, working more from below the surface than from above it; I would have liked more acidity, because it is a bit settled and lacks the definition that brisker acidity brings.

11/21/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

This blend of 85% Carmenere and 15% Syrah is a tasty wine best consumed with food. It has an herbal and earth character with fresh black cherry on the palate.These aromas and flavors combined with good natural acidity helps it complement many dishes. Dark rich garnet color. Pleasant aroma with dusty earthy notes. Medium tannins, with nice fruit coming through. Pairs well with grilled meats. This wine requires something rich to stand up to the tannins. The Natura Emiliana Carménère represents a good value for an everyday value wine.

11/20/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Rich notes of blackcurrant, dark cherry, meat and woodsmoke. Ripe tannins and bright acidity offer great balance and structure. A good food Cabernet, but also has enough upfront freshness to be enjoyed on its own as a sipper.

A plush wine with dark fruit notes and a smoky finish. Viñedos Emiliana is the largest organic grower in all of Chile and has been farming organically since 1998. Emiliana has more than 1700 acres of vineyards certified organic and biodynamic, the largest organic winery in Chile. This full-bodied, smooth red wine has some terrific notes of cassis and blackcurrant on the finish. Try it with grass-fed beef dishes.

11/16/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

Ruby, garnet color. Gorgeous nose of blueberries and cassis. Elegant, well-balanced, great acidity & tannins. Wonderful flavors of blackberries, blueberries, cassis and black current with notes of pencil lead and tobacco. Nice finish.

10/17/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Vivid red. Intense, spice-accented aromas of raspberry and rhubarb with a floral overtone. Juicy and precise, offering vibrant red fruit flavors that pick up sweetness and power with air. Closes on a bitter cherry note, with nervy cut and lingering floral character.

10/14/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

The 2010 Bodegas Caro begins with strong and pleasant violet aromas when first opened and then turn into smoky, gamy notes plus some blackberry and spice. The more time it has to breath, the more the fruit comes out. It makes for quite an interesting evolution of the aromas on this wine. The wine tastes of dark fruit and has earthy tannins and a little spice. A bit of the smoky and gaminess from the nose carries over as well. The dry finish has a little spice and lingering cocoa notes. Pretty good by itself, but would be really good with a steak. This wine definitely needs lots of air to fully open up and was at its best on the second day.

10/13/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Deep ruby in color, Ombrato is full of super-ripe plum, spiced raisin and dark chocolate, with notes of tobacco. Harmonious, food-friendly tannins make it a winner for your dinner. Do like they would in Puglia and pair it with specialties like cutteridde (oven-braised lamb with greens) and braciolini (beef rolls). Buon appetito!

9/30/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Anyone who enjoys big, bold red wines will love the 2012 Bodegas Borsao Garnacha Campo de Borja Tres Picos. This full-bodied beauty boasts a deep ruby color as well as loads of vibrant blueberry, black cherry, black raspberry, white pepper and woodsmoke flavors and smooth floral notes accompanied by hints of lavender and crushed rocks, sweet tannin, and a broad, savory mouthfeel. Fresh and seamless, it's rare to find a value wine this good.

9/29/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

A very nice Rioja. Ripe fruit aromas well balanced with complex spicy notes elegant vanilla tones that persist. This is a rounded and well-structured wine with a presence of ripe fruits and cocoa.

9/27/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

The 2013 Château de Thauvenay Sancerre possesses a light straw-green color. Fresh and crisp on the palate with pear, peach and apple frolicking about. A softer-textured Sancerre with great minerality and complexity and a nice refreshing finish. This Sauvignon wine will pleasantly surprise you and is a must have at your dinner table tonight.

9/27/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Light, booth, delicate and citrus scented Prosecco with good mousse and a long dry finish made in the Friuli region of northern Italy. Refreshing with mineral and earthy notes, along with tangy apple and peach scents. Made from the Glera (Proseco) grape. Excellent as an aperitif either served plain chilled on its own, as a cocktail or Bellini.

9/20/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

Bright, ruby color and fresh aroma of dark cherries. On the palate, this is medium body red with lively fruit, bright flavors. I like the fact that the wine has enough weight on its own to accommodate even heavier meals, although it?s not supported with oak. An excellent value.

9/13/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

This wine possesses a deep red color and a fruity nose, the latter being dominated by black cherry with some hints of violets. It had a smooth but firm tannin structure. I can't imagine a much better $10 wine. Enjoy!

9/13/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

I love good Provençal rosé; it is one of those rare wines that, at their best, combine fun with seriousness. This is a lovely introduction. Pale pink, it nods to the fresher side - roses, mandarine orange and southern French herbs such as thyme and a salty inference of the sea on the nose, before showing a textured, balanced jammy fruit side. This combination makes for a glass that is dangerously easy to drink, but will also hold your attention for the duration of the bottle.

9/13/2014 - Alain Harvey Does not like this wine:

Smokey and meaty aromas and flavors jump from the glass, ripe plum, and fig and dried under brush. On the palate you’ll find giving, generous notes of vanilla, toast, a smoky edge, black pepper and ripe dark fruits blueberry, plum and dark cherry; great body and length, balanced acidity, which all fold nicely into the long and generous finish and no, not even a hint of flabbiness on its sleek exterior.

The label on La Fuente Winery’s bottles is a reproduction of Léon Bonnat’s “Roman Girl at a Fountain,” which hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In fact, La Fuente Winery is the only wine to be in the Met.

La Fuente Winery is located in Houston and is owned by Rogelio de la Fuente, also known as the “Wine Doctor.” Don de la Fuente was born in Florence, Italy to an Italian mother and a Mexican father. His family moved to Spain and then to Mexico. He came to the United States at age 16, later joined the Marines and served in the Korean War. Today don de la Fuente is 82 years young.

I learned that Don de la Fuente has been making wine for many years. He used to work for E & J Gallo Winery and made the former Boone’s Farm apple wine. In the 1970’s the Italian government gave him the name of the “wine doctor.” After joining some financial partners, don de la Fuente started working on his first releases of wine in Chile’s Maule Valley. La Fuenta Winery was opened in 2003. Don de la Fuente’s partners make wine they prefer and he makes wines like he wants. The exception is Carmenere which they both make the same.

Don de la Fuente does not use oak barrels for their white wines. The red wines are 100% single variety, no blends, and are aged three months in French oak. La Fuente Winery also sells their wines in Holland and England. The partners sell in the rest of Europe. Between La Fuente Winery and the partners, they produce 100,000 cases of wine a year.

9/6/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

An easy drinking red wine that has abundant warm, crimson fruits with spicy edges and a smooth, subtle finish.

8/30/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

This 2011 Carpe Diem Pinot Noir has lots of rich raspberry fruit with nutmeg spice and forest floor complexity; it is smooth in texture and has a mouth-watering finish. Ripe aromas and very jammy, but with limited oak expressions. Acidity levels show off the Anderson Valley climate.

8/30/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

This is a pinot with flavors of dark fruit and nutmeg-clove spice showing how place really influences the flavors of Pinot Noir.

8/28/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

A dense, dark red and intense bouquet of dark fruits with hints of black berries and a smoky tinge. The wine is full bodied with concentrated fruit flavors that border on juicy sweetness yet with enough tannin and acidity to balance. Enjoy with very full flavored dishes, especially those cooked over a fire. Drink now.

8/23/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

This is a lovely, earthy, juicy example of what a good traditional Barbera can taste like. The nose offers earthy, slightly smoky bright fruit tones. The palate is really juicy in the attack, exposing red cherry and strawberry notes. Integrated oak and vivid acidity bring structure and freshness to this consistently good, quaffable, traditional Barbera. Drinkable now, matched with salumi, antipasti, roast chicken, pork, game or veal. May be aged for up to 6 years. The wine will benefit from being decanted before drinking.

8/16/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Dense ruby red with a purplish rim, it is immediately intense on the nose with marked aromas of ripe and fleshy red fruits, notably cherries followed by spicy notes of cinnamon and nutmeg; in the mouth it is full, powerful, smooth and very long, with a well defined acid streak which makes it fresh and pleasing.

8/15/2014 - Alain Harvey Does not like this wine:

Medium-light body, has more clarity than most cabs. Nose is inviting with restrained but present fruit and some spice and flowers. Mouth weight is light as is the flavor profile. The wine is nice if not especially varietal. Certainty more feminine and elegant than powerful, deep or extracted.

Improved after an hour or two with the bottle open or in my glass and the profile more closely resembles a Napa cabernet. Unfortunately, when returning home from work or craving a glass of red, it's hard to let this wine sit and develop. Sometimes you just have to drink a glass right upon opening. Either way this is a very average cabernet.

8/14/2014 - Alain Harvey Does not like this wine:

An opulent nose with black currant and licorice with some oak (but not overwhelming) at the back. A lively follow through on the palate with soft tannins singing low harmony to a higher range of slightly bittersweet chocolate and dark plums. Finishes with perfect pitch. Very approachable now. Match with grilled steak, just as they would do in Argentina. A lovely wine and a superb value.

8/14/2014 - Alain Harvey Does not like this wine:

You can find this for under $12 a bottle

Appearance: black plum with a purple rim

Aroma: juice black berry; soil earthy tone; herbal note followed by a fine grind black pepper with a hint of pink peppercorn; sweet cedar

Flavors: black berry; red cherry; soil; spice; toasted vanilla; herbal tea; hint of brown spice

Mouthfeel: nice acidity; tannins under control; nice depth to the black fruit; good variety of flavors to make it interesting; the berries and spice coat the palate

To the Point: for the price a very nice buy; pleasing to drink.

8/10/2014 - Alain Harvey Likes this wine:

Lovely grapey, aromatic nose with some melon notes. The palate has tangerine and grape with some herby notes and a dry, pithy finish.

8/9/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

Bright yellow-gold. Bright aromas of mango, lichee and smoked pork. Rich and suave in the mouth, with rich tropical fruit and spice flavors leavened by stony minerality. Enticing, balanced and persistent. Drink now.

8/9/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

The 2009 Vina Eguia Reserva is picked from 30-year-old vines in Alavesa and sees 24 months in American oak. It has an attractive, very aromatic bouquet with dried herbs, leather, fennel and a touch of peppermint that is natural and very pure. The palate is very well-balanced with supple tannins, crisp acidity and a refined, mocha-tinged finish that is focused and persistent.

8/9/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

Mint and fresh black fruit on the nose balanced by fragrant vanilla and a touch of cigar box with firm tannins.

8/9/2014 - Alain Harvey Does not like this wine:

The nose is austere, perhaps some black fruit notes and the hint of barrel but it does not sing much–yet. In the mouth, the tannins are gripping and backed by some structure. Meaty, muscular, wild. Extrapolating five years, I imagined how as everything melded together and the tannins softened a little, this could become a delicious wine.

The Snooki of Forgotten Grapes - Carignane in the US, Carignano in Italy, and Cariñena in Spain. Carignan is a curious red wine grape that provokes strong reactions in those who know about it. Yet, despite the fact it was the single most common vine variety planted in the world's most important wine producer France until it was overtaken by Merlot at the end of the 20th century, most wine drinkers have never heard of it.

8/8/2014 - Alain Harvey Does not like this wine:

This wine is a blend of 92% Merlot, 4% Syrah, 1% Petit Verdot, and 3% "other" red grapes. To the eye a deep garnet color. On the nose aromas of dark fruit, black cherry, ripe plum, spice, mocha with soft vanilla notes and good structure and acidity. The black cherry, chocolate, and integrated toasty oak flavors are well balanced and concentrated. The rich finish is highlighted by supple tannins. Drink now.

8/8/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

The wine has a clean, brilliant cherry red color. The nose is very attractive, on morello cherry and ripe berry fruit aromas with a highly elegant floral touch. From a round and smooth attack with well-integrated tannins, the wine remains silky while developing a muscular structure on the palate, complex, substantial and full of fruit, with juicy fresh fruit flavors reminiscent of raspberry and black cherry. The refinement, volume and length of the seductive finish show perfect balance in the varietal mix and the typical characteristics of the appellation. Drink now.

This red wine is a delightful assemblage of 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc grapes.

8/8/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

Golden straw yellow. Wine displays floral notes (acacia) with vanilla and fruity aromas when agitated. Demonstrates a good balance between crispness and smoothness. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Recommend serving at 10- 12°C. Drink now.

8/8/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

This well-balanced cuvée (58% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc) offers notes of cassis, raspberry, spice, black cherry and chocolate.

8/8/2014 - Alain Harvey Does not like this wine:

On the nose hints of blackberry, chocolate, cherries, anise, vanilla. On the palate this wine is tannic and full-bodied. In the end, I feel this is a barely average wine that has the notable virtue of a clean finish. Not recommended.

8/8/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

Deep ruby red. Subtle and aromatic, dominated by smoky, toasty and spicy notes on the nose. Opens up on aeration to reveal blackberry and blackcurrant aromas. Full bodied and fleshy, with an attractive sweetness on the front palate, ripe and velvety tannins, and a fresh and spicy finish.

8/8/2014 - Alain Harvey wrote:

A well-integrated blend of syrah, grenache and mourvèdre. It has deep, dark color, with rich aromas of black fruit and strawberries, wisps of spicy black pepper and a touch of savory, leathery notes. On the palate, it has luscious berry and strawberry fruit, vanilla and hints of herbs such as anise and thyme. It is medium bodied with supple tannins, and it would make a great companion for a lamb roast.