2/20/2009 - shirazgirl wrote:

Had this at The Melting Pot some time ago. Distinct tanginess of black fruits, currant maybe. nice acidity with more tannins than expected, but still welcomed nonetheless. Bob thought this more fruit forward than I, but agreed with the other. Bob would not buy this again for 20 bills. Since it's his cash, neither would I...

1/30/2009 - shirazgirl wrote:

the dude at Binnys was clearly stoned to have suggested this was a 90+. Avoid like the plague.

1/30/2009 - shirazgirl wrote:

drank while making chicken and mushroom risotto with a sort of citrus wine cream sauce. I used a whole stick of butter. shame! Obviously not meant to pair with this dish, but fantastic on its own. Sweet on the nose with no expectations of any sort of acid. Mid range acid and soft tannins made this an easy drink on its own.

12/29/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

tart cherry mostly towards the finish, some fruit, quick finish. drinkable on its own. Based on the nose I fully expected all fruit and no spice. Ended up with pretty much the opposite.

11/12/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

Bob brought this home to celebrate the new season of Top Chef. I loved LOVED this wine. Fantastic purple garnet color with a big blackberry nose.(mental picture of fruit inspired Jimmy Durante) I was totally expecting a fruit bomb and that's exactly what I got. But I loved it as it was followed with some tannic mentholated spices on mid palate. So delightful! Silky and cool finish and way more leggy than Svetlana Pankratova! I would like to stock up on some of this for the years to come.

8/10/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

Great nose. Tart grape sort of thing. Lime, juicy and crisp green apple, and a little dry. Perfect balance between acid and sweet mid-way through with a decent finish. Just my type of wine. I've decided I would like to kiss the feet of Jorge Ordonez, but only if he's been stomping grapes in Spain.

8/2/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

Somewhat too sweet for me, but the father-in-law was drooling over it. Big Peach and slight citrus overshadowed the tart/acid that I was longing for. I was really hoping for some sense of minerality, but didn't get it. I'd give it another try if I found it for under $8.00 but not for the $11.00 I paid.

8/2/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

fantastic casual summer afternoon wine sitting on the patio with friends. Found it really easy on the palate. Ultra refreshing with crispy acid against soft sweetness. I think it a decent value at Binnys for $8.00.

5/23/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

This is one of my favs in the white arena. Easy lemony acid with the slight essence of pear. I finally get what the mineral is all about b/c I certainly get the sensation with this wine. Really refreshing and drinkable with a great smooth finish.

4/16/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

I'm wondering how this rates compared to the 06 and how it fares with the sscp. I seriously enjoyed this: tart, crisp, cool, lingering...

3/8/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

tasted towards the end of the night, I think I liked it since I scribbled it down.

3/8/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

5th selection at Paul and Nancy's. I'm really surprised I liked this Mondavi. Super leggy red, smooth mouthfeel, maybe a touch more acid would have made this more well rounded, but not entirely necessary. I indicated the finish "sits on mid palate". I think that was a good thing at the time.

3/8/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

4th at Paul and Nancy's. This was my favorite of the 5 we tried. Beautiful crimson ink tinged color with warm cherry compote on the nose. Perfect tannins on the palate with a clean, smooth finish.

3/8/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

Third selection at Paul and Nancy's. Glass staining deep ruby hue. Some cocoa and cedar. I'm thinking it could have used some decanting due to the astringent mouthfeel. Finish was full and lingering.

3/8/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

Great wine party at Paul and Nancy's. This was the second tasting we had. Deep hue with garnet rim, glass-coating texture with dark berry aroma; not really fruity but intense blackberry to challenge the big tannins. Reasonable finish. I would guess this cab would be great with steak.

10/31/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

Enjoyed this at a Binny's tasting. I remember hearing of Juan Gil from this whacky professor I am aquainted with. While I don't remember the TN's, I do remember both Phillip and I enjoying this down to the very last drop. Quite delish with garlic and brie canape.

1/4/2008 - shirazgirl wrote:

This Pinot was decent. Pretty bright ruby color with slight amber rim in the sunlight. Not sure why that was, it just caught me as being beautiful and delicate. Some sort of sweet spice with hints of cranberry and soft tannins. Very smooth and subtle.

11/18/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

Used this bottle for sirloin marinade for Beef Barley soup. Not worth drinking, but outstanding as a marinade with garlic, evoo, thyme, s & p, bay leaf.

11/22/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

Of course, I ran out of time to follow all of the kind advice bestowed upon me in the forum about Thanksgiving wine ideas. I ended up with this Weber I found in the discount bin. I had absolutely no idea what this German was about so I approached it with huge reluctance. While it didn't make a huge impression on me, my father-in-law loved it. Creamy and light with decent acid, though I couldn't figure out the floral/fruity notes. Slight effervescence. I'm geared towards something way bigger than this. I would imagine a white wine spritzer would be comparable.

11/19/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

Ok, so I'm sitting watching The Bachelor. CHEESE at its best. moving along...I really like the balance of this Tempranillo. Beautiful rich purple color and a soft cherry on the nose. It's light and fresh. Extremely untroubled. At $6.99, you can't beat it with a stick.

10/24/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

I was able to tolerate 1/2 a glass. Nasty. Just plain ol' nasty. I should have known by the stupid looking leaping and bounding cheetah on the label.

10/16/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

In the wake of a difficult break up with a close friend, this cab offered a comforting nose filled with berry and pipe tobacco. Its biting heat on my tongue,however, left me disappointed not only in the day but the wine as well. The following evening, with a little patience and decanting, the cab allowed for smooth and approachable contemplation. I appreciated the nice balance of fruit and acid to lift me from my somber mood. sniff sniff.

9/22/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

Had this PN at a gathering with friends. No presence what so ever. Clearly a close relative to Wild Rosie.

8/26/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

Second time around I recognize the delicious honey dew and pineapple notes. Maybe some slate? Really clean and light on the palate and floral notes on the delicate finish. A beautiful summer wine.

8/25/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

Not sure what this is about, but it's light and clean and rather refreshing. Not really complex. I'm diggin it. It's exciting to finally taste some whites that don't leave me with the aftertaste of Golumpki

8/25/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

Started out peppery and alcoholic. Dark plum, currants, and warm compote. Decanted for an hour. Cleaned up some. more fruit forward with less menthol. Black fruits still prevalent. My maiden Shiraz - this started my love of wine.

8/25/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

It was ok, but not necessarily my type. The epitome of a blind date, eh? Lacked the intricacy that I was looking for and the mouthfeel was slick or basic - and on the topic of basic, this wine lacked acidity. Sweet without any kind of counter balance. Is this what Riesling is all about? Moving on to another...

8/19/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

Shared this selection with the in-laws. Nose reminded me of pear and slight citrus. With my first draw I had the sensation of supple creaminess. Lacking in acidity to offset the buttery mouthfeel-this pino gris is smooth and gentle and drinkable, but a little too tame for my taste. The in-laws appreciated this selection very much. Now I know what to get them for Christmas.

8/18/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

I can't say this was a sophisticated selection, considering the quirky label and canary cork, but I will agree with the majority that this wine is quite lovely. The nose is rather tame compared to the Shiraz we are familiar with, but overall its soft raspberry and pepper align themselves nicely and the finish is gentle and lingering. For $8.00, this is a thoughtful wine to bring to a gathering especially with cooler weather on the horizon. Very drinkable for a variety of taste levels.

8/10/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

After my experience with whites tasting all too much like cabbage (esp. the boxed variety my whacko family insists is a phenom value), this Chardonnay was a hugely refreshing change. Lovely lemon hue with soft peach and tropicals on the nose with a delicate effervescence on my tounge with first draw. My young palate fancies this fine selection. I found it at Costco, go figure.

8/5/2007 - shirazgirl wrote:

I love it. Beautiful garnet with aromas of vanilla and smoke with soft plum. The tannins and acid are in harmony while the beefy finish lingers on. Mind you, this is my maiden TN so I offer this along with a grain of NaCl.