5/10/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

This is an incredible Zin. Depth, body. Full of deep red ripe fruits. A little oak, velvety. Very smooth, not sweet at all, but full of fruit. This is a mostly dry red wine with a ton of character and body. I could drink this Zin every night and be happy. Unless I was pairing it with Cod or Halibut. Then go for a Pinot Gris… different story. This is a great wine. You won’t be disappointed.

5/7/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

This is awfully tasty. Much more flavor than the average Pinto Gris. Deeper and richer. Given the weeds, grasses, and lemon flavors, I would probably have guessed this as a slightly strange Sauv Blanc. But it’s really, really good and strong enough to hold up to a cream sauce, maybe even a light red sauce.

4/25/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Loved this wine. Feel like we stumbled onto a very good wine at half the cost it should be. Smooth, well integrated berry and oak flavors. Maybe some subtle vanilla. Paired perfectly with pork. Just an amazing find for $10 and deserving of a 90 regardless of price.

3/17/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Well balanced wine with a tobacco or vegetal forward nose and flavors on the palate. Smooth. Initially thought it was a little tight, but opened up quickly with aeration.

3/15/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

This is just tremendous. Overly tremendous. The depth of flavors and the complexity. It’s maybe technically a Bordeaux blend, but the percentages are almost inverse, with far more Malbec and Petit Verdot than Cab, Cab Franc, and Merlot than a typical Bordeaux blend. And it works so well. Just love this wine. Have several more bottles slightly younger and I can’t wait to drink them.

2/28/2024 - kmicho wrote:

What a nice surprise. Given the price, I had lower expectations. But no, this is a very drinkable wine. It has the Touriga National grape (30%) that Portugal is so famous for, but also the Castelāo grape (70%) with which I am not familiar. To me, it has many similar characteristics as a Sangiovese. Cherry dominates, with maybe some fig, plum, and spice. It’s a really nice wine, particularly for the price point. Glad we have two more bottles.

2/27/2024 - kmicho wrote:

Still a nice bottle! Wasn’t sure how their wines would age, but this still tastes very good. Good complexity, nice flavors. Good treat with dinner last night.

2/18/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Very, very good Pinot. Still, not Saintsbury’s best for my particular palate. First thing that hits is unripe cherry and unripe berry fruits. Then, earth and maybe some tobacco hits you. It’s a very nice balance. It’s a very good Pinot overall. Near the top. But there are some other Saintsbury’s I’ve liked better. (I’ve written reviews on those as well.) But, realistically, this is in the top 5-7 Pinots I’ve ever had. Very, very good. :-)

2/12/2024 - kmicho wrote:

Minerality, graphite, fig (but had with fig jam to be fair), blueberry, blackberry. Very nice wine.

2/4/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

I know. 94 is an incredibly high score, but this is by far and away the best, most complex, most well balanced Merlot I’ve ever had. On the nose it has graphite, blueberry, maybe plum. Cedar is strong as well. On the palate, it is simply supple. Velvety. It is perfect in its moderate acidity and very soft tannins. The above flavors just burst from the wine plus maybe some vanilla and cocoa.

I’m just floored. I always thought I had had very good Merlots, and I think I have, but nothing comes close to this wine. For the price point, I would put it up against a California cab at 2 or 3 times the price - a $70 - $110 bottle, and I think it would hold its own very well.

If you are familiar with the movie Bottle Shock and the story of Chateau Montelena defeating the French wines in blind tastings in 1976, that’s about how my wife and I felt drinking this wine. It is virtually perfect. And at this moment, I’m so happy I have three more bottles. :-)

1/21/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

A bit lighter for a Cabernet Franc that I expected. But nonetheless a fantastic bottle of wine. Very fresh and bright. A lot of minerality both on the nose and palate, especially graphite. Unripe bright red fruit. Had with a charcuterie plate. Great pairing.

1/20/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Enjoyed this with friends straight up - not paired with a meal. Good sipping wine. Smooth and silky. Got a lot of plum and to my nose, red meat. Definitely cedar wood. Very good merlot.

1/16/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

This wine is ridiculously good at this point. It’s drinking more or less perfectly for a Zin. Lots of fruit: Raspberry, ripe cherry, maybe even some muddled blackberry. Oak, cedar. Just maturing extremely well. Probably good for a number of years more even though Zins tend to not age much past 8 years. It’s just a super solid wine.

1/16/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Decent under $20 Chianti. Nothing exceptional, but pretty easy drinking. Lots of acidity which paired nicely with Italian sausage tortellini soup. But would I drink it straight on its own? No. Definitely pair with something with a little spice, red sauce, a meat pizza. Tart cherry, low tannin, tobacco, maybe some other citrus fruit happening.

1/14/2024 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Nice merlot. Good at the price point. Very middle of the road flavor wise. On the more fruit forward side. Pairs well with a wide variety of foods.

1/14/2024 - kmicho wrote:

I have to echo what Darius Koenig said in the last review. This was a very interesting wine. You can tell it’s a bit older, but great flavors as described. We got a very little bit of green pepper on the nose in addition.

12/21/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Drank this a month ago and thought it was past its prime. This was our only other bottle and wow. It’s a lot better. Must be a difference between bottles. This is a moderately heavy cab, but not jammy at all. Very clean. Strong tobacco leaves, some green pepper, a bit herbaceous, slightly tannic fruits, oak. Really a very nicely balanced wine. Had with prime rib. Awesome.

12/17/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Delicious full bodied Sauvignon Blanc. Citrus, grasses. Interestingly, my wife found it to be crisp and clean. I found it to be oaky and a little buttery. #differenttastebuds. But we both really enjoyed it.

11/28/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

This is a great French wine for the price. Hard for me to judge because I’m not much of a French wine expert. Or even a French wine person. I felt that for the price, as a French wine, this was extremely approachable. I’d drink this again and again. I get lots of oak, vanilla, light acidity, virtually no tannins. Almost a little *extremely* light orangeish citrus tone on the back of the palette, but not in a weird way - a good way. We paired this with a French chicken dish with butter, olive oil, lots of onions and mushrooms. It was a delicious pairing.

11/24/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

I think this is a pretty remarkable white wine. It’s heavy, not light. I get apricot, lemon, honey. (To be fair I get lemon on many white wines when others don’t - so take it with a grain of salt.) We had this with lobster with butter and Puerto Rican Adobo seasoning. It was a great combination of wine and food. This wine would pair great with a chicken lemon/cream sort of dish or a lighter pork and brown sauce sort of dish. Any kind of white seafood pasta or chicken with a cream sauce pasta dish would be great. I would not pair it with red meat or a heavy read sauce dish of any kind. It is a great wine.

11/21/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Drink it now! If you haven’t already, it’s time. I had a collection of about 15 bottles of Balistreri wines in the basement and they are great for about the first 4-5 years. They are made to drink within a few years. Unfortunately, I’ve had to pour some older bottles. And I make that statement based on typical ageing windows for each varietal, not a “blanket” number of years for all wines.

With that all said, this one is just barely still good. I can taste it starting to get very tart like Balistreri wines do when they get too old (again, by varietal). My wife and I both feel this wine drinks more like a heavy, slightly tart Pinot Noir than it does a Cab Franc. No pepper, but some earth tones and a little tart.

It’s still good, but not great as it would have been a couple years ago. Starting to turn. Drink it now if you have it.

11/19/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Agreed with Kevrob822 review from Sept of last year. This has gone flat. The fruit is mostly gone. My wife got some plum, I got virtually none. I got a lot of wet stone, granite, maybe lead. It’s very mineral. But not a ton more. I think it would have been better 4 years ago, which should have been young for this wine, but it hasn’t aged as well as hoped. I’ll drink my other bottle right away.

11/16/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

I get chalk and wet granite on the nose dominated by citrus. On the palate, stone fruits, citrus, specifically lemon, dominates. Very nice. Easy drinking. Had with grilled chicken - spectacular - and cheese tortellini topped with olive oil and a little Parmesano Reggiano and it was a little overpowering to the pasta. But with the chicken, wow!

11/13/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

What a nice surprise for the price. I get a lot of vanilla, cherries, tart red fruit and some stone/granite - with a really nice balance. The tart and the smoothness of the vanilla make a great blend. Extremely drinkable. I would buy this wine again and again. Great QPR.

11/7/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

This is a really good wine. Probably not my favorite grape, but hey, nothing wrong with trying it. The winemaker has created a complex wine which is great. I get a lot of citrus, I think mostly lemon. Apricot. On the nose, wet granite is strong. It is a little peppery. Again, maybe not my favorite grape, but wow, this is great. We paired it with a vodka sauce based chicken pasta dish and it was wonderful.

11/6/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

I wanted to like it more because it’s Turley, but still a good Zinfandel for the price. A bit light. Not jammy. Has leather, fruit, and a fair bit going on, but slightly thin for my taste. But that’s OK. This is Turley “Juvenile” which it is, and it went very well with pork chops, rice, and asparagus.

11/4/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Really special wine. Smooth, bold, yet with some bright fruit characteristics. Was slightly concerned about the Barbera & Syrah grape combination, but the winemaker has done an excellent job with it. A pure pleasure to drink.

11/4/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

What a shame that you can’t readily get this in the US. We brought a single bottle back from the winery in Argentina and it’s an astounding rose. Bursting with flavor, smooth, but with a lot of character. Great with a vinegary tomato/cucumber/feta/garbanzo salad. Sad to see this one go.

11/2/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

I buy this wine to go with BBQ. It goes well with BBQ. Not a great wine, but goes great with a sweet, tangy BBQ sauce on meat. This wine lacks a lot of what a Cab would typically have. It has more earth tones, more like a Pinot, but heavier like a Cab.

10/31/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

This is a very, very good Zin. I agree entirely with CDT’s comments - two reviews back:

“Dark ruby in colour with aromas of sweet black fruit, dusty earth & herbs(sage?). On the palate, full bodied juicy black fruit, boysenberry/blackberry, sweet tobacco, leather, dusty earth, cherry kirsch, medium acidity, medium soft tannins with a long finish to black pepper & chocolate. Very tasty & easy to drink Zinfandel.”

This Zinfandel is so well balanced that it has a great range of pairing and/or can be drunk by itself. Extremely pleased with this wine.

10/29/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Wow. Super tight and tannic. OK flavors, but sort of flat. Kind of mellowed out from what I would have expected from a Chianti. Thinking maybe it’s just a little too old.

10/16/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Had at the winery. Extremely complex. Delicious. Regardless of the atmosphere, it was an entirely drinkable wine. Smooth, rich, low tannins. Definitely pair with a meat dish.

10/15/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Extraordinarily complex and smooth. Lots of leather and berries and other flavors going on in this wine. Currently enjoying it at a wine tasting in Mendoza. Would definitely purchase this back home. Pair with savory meats, or perhaps spicy red sauce.

10/1/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Same comments on flavors from a few days back. Had it with spicy chicken chili tonight and it was able to hold its own. The wine is plenty strong to stand up to the heat. Very happy with this “case purchase” from Costco.

9/27/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

A good daily drinker type of wine. Great QPR. Easy drinking. Nothing super complex, but nothing off either. Just a decent, basic merlot.

9/23/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Strong leather on the nose and palate. Also on the palate: muddled berries - blueberry, black raspberry, maybe plum. Quite nice for the price (We paid $5/bottle at a Costco “case sale”) but I wouldn’t pay $20 for it. It’s a pretty decent table wine.

9/18/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Very nice. Not exceptional, but great for the price point. This has a little bite - it’s tasty - on top of base Pinot Grigio flavors. In this Pinot Grigio, weeds and lemongrass prevail, particularly the lemony flavors which provide the bite. We had with a shrimp and crème sauce which was delicious.

8/29/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

A good, light, Zinfandel for the price. Great in place of a Pinot Noir if you don’t like or don’t have any. I’d call it “thin”, but it’s perfectly fine for a daily drinker. Had this with pork chops and mushrooms and it paired well.

8/19/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Quite the delicious wine. Sweet without the syrup. A nice amount of acidity. I think I get strong apricot and some peach. Honey. It’s just great.

8/17/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Just a great rose. Full of flavor. Clean and crisp.

8/17/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Edwardscellar did a good job describing this wine. Went very well with pizza.

8/10/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Just delicious. Maybe not quite as good as other Saintsbury Pinot Noirs, but awfully great.

8/8/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Same comments as my last review in April. Just delicious.

8/5/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

Tremendous. A nice sweet wine. Well balanced with some zip to it. Not gooey sweet, but sweet. Very light effervescence. Just a little citrus, maybe lemon.

8/4/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

I wanted to rate this higher, even though I rarely give out 90s like this anyway. It just needs another year or two. It is great already, but I think it has potential in a year or two to be even better. Had this with a chicken pasta, creamy sauce with a little marinara and some red pepper flakes. This pairing is great because the wine has a little bite on the back end on the middle of the tongue. It should mellow as it ages, but right now, if you want to drink it, drink it with something spicy. It’s great.

7/26/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

A really nice Chard. Medium color. Lemon, pear, apricot. High acidity. A very long finish. No oak to speak of. (Unsure how it was aged)

Delicious with a misithra cheese and butter chicken pasta. The acidity worked great with the fat in the cheese and the butter.

7/20/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

It’s a good, not great, bottle of wine. Had side by side with a Chateau Ste. Michelle Roussanne and the differences are notable. This wine has what I’d call a bolder color. A little deeper straw color. It has a bit of a stronger flavor. Not as well balanced as it could be and there is a distinct bite of acidity on the back of the tongue just after you sip the wine. Both my wife and I got that. Quite lemony, which I like, but not what I expect from a Roussanne. It also has some buttery oaky flavor to it that I was not expecting. Not bad, just not my preference. We enjoyed the wine, but we paid $35 at the winery for it and that’s too much for this wine.

7/17/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

One of, if not the best Pinot I’ve ever tasted. Saintsbury delivers on their Pinots all the time. Depth, balance, smoothness of flavor, complexity. I have a hard time describing Pinots, some fruit, some earth, but this has a ton going on in the glass. Just incredible.

7/9/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

A pretty stellar Chard. Just a light bit of oaky butteriness. Great flavors. Very well balanced. Definitely a special bottle.

7/9/2023 - kmicho Likes this wine:

We really enjoyed this wine. Inexpensive, but well balanced and a decent flavor. Not stellar, but very drinkable.