Drink the Bottles

  One of the rewards of writing about and reviewing wines from all over the world, is the satisfaction we take knowing that not all wines have to be a one-hundred fifty dollar, ninety-five point, single estate stunner.  Since 2011, we have maintained that we write about wines of all varietals and price points with an emphasis on, "if we like the wine, then you will see it here."  And the wine we are discussing today is a perfect case in point. This is the 2022 Vint California Merlot from Robert Mondavi .  This bottle was born to commemorate thirty years of the Robert Mondavi Private Selection series, which is more of an "every day budget concious" offering that is still full of flavors and attention to detail from the Mondavi winery.  Raspberry jam colored and medium bodies. Aromas of black cherry , plum and whisps of campfire smoke lay a foundation to the straighforward flavors.  Blackberry , coffee bean , vanilla , brown sugar and mild spices play w...

  Located in the Jamieson canyon region of Napa Valley are some vineyards producing some very tasty and affordable wines under the Maldonado Family Vineyards label and also a second label dubbed Farm Worker.  Owner and winemaker Hugo Maldonado created this Mexican-American family owned winery was previously a vineyard manager at Newton, providing him the tools of the trade to eventually leave his footprint in the valley. The 2021 Maldonado Family Vineyards Proprietary Red Wine is a secret blend of reds and it provides a satisfying and extremely approachable expression for those who tend to shy away from a 100% bolder Cab.  This one suggests that it is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, but the important thing here is how this wine makes you feel.  Scarlet red in the glass with shades of plum skin, the aromas of juicy plum, marzipan, petrichor, flower boquet and spice dance together wonderfully.  We gave this some time in the glass without de...

  Huddled in the Vaca Mountains is an AVA that is sparesly planted compared to many others in Napa Valley, but it is one that is creating delicious fruit.  The Chiles Valley AVA is home to Maxville Winery's 1000-acre estate, proudly possessing some vines that are now over 50 years old!  While this is extremely impressive, what garners our attention more is the wines produced that are strangely both delicate and bold when they need to be.  The soil in the estate vineyard is well-drained and the dry farming style provides the perfect pressure on the vines, forcing them to produce berries that are flavorful, colorful and memorable. Maxville Estate Vineyard - Chiles Valley AVA courtesy of Maxville Winery Over the next few weeks we are going to taste and share a handful of wines from Maxville.  But today we are concentrating on two wines - the 2021 Maxville Estate Oranos Red Blend and the 2021 Maxville Estate Merlot . While the specific details of the composotion fo...

  In a tucked away corner of Napa Valley sits it's 16th AVA, Coombsville, and a very welcoming winery that is producing small lot, huge taste wines!  The Certified Organic property produces the  2018 Ackerman Family Vineyards Memoir Red Blend , which they say reflects their legacy of creating wine in Napa Valley for nearly three decades. This smartly-constructed wine is made up primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%) but is also joined by some red favorites - Petit Verdot (5%), Malbec (10%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Merlot (10%).  The Petit Verdot fruit comes from Coombsville.  These grapes blend beautifully to create a medium-bodied, fruit-balanced and polished wine that would stand on its own accord or be enjoyed with some prime rib. Dark red, juicy fruits in a medium garnet liquid are joined by book leather and dried spice on the nose.  The palate re-introduces the fruit but doesn't throw it in your face.  It's more of an introduction that presents pl...

The history of Pope Valley Winery goes back 1897, when it was founded as Burgundy Winery and Olive Oil Factory by Ed Haus.  One hundred years later, a new lease on life was granted to the property when the Eakle family purchased it.  Brother and sister David Eakle and Diana Eakle Hawkins took the reigns in 2009 as the forward thinking, next generation owners to build on the legacy that had been created.  Today, Pope Valley Winery is creating some stunning wines under the esteemed Director of Winemaking, Jean Hoefliger. We tend to sometimes provide spoiler alerts in our reviews and this one is no exception.  If this wine is any indication how 2025 is going to be, then we are in for a delicious and rewarding year!  First of all, if you're one of those people who turned their nose up to Merlot after watching Sideways  over twenty years ago, please move on.  You're missing out on one of the most versatile and rewarding grape varietals in existence. ...

  On the north end of Napa Valley in St. Helena, California sits a wine estate that until recently, has been unassuming for fifty years.  Sullivan Rutherford Estate was the dream turned into reality of James O'Neil Sullivan, a visionary who became passionate about wine in the 1950's when and his wife received a grape arbor as a wedding present.  Home winemaking eventually led to a move to Rutherford where Sullivan would plant roots - literally. The 2021 Sullivan Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vigne wine consists of Cabernet Sauvignon (80%), Merlot (14%) and Petit Verdot (6%).  We initially did not decant this wine and allowed only "air time" in the glass.  A unanimous decision to decant for about thirty-five minutes made the difference with this one.  Homemade strawberry jam color solid to the rim.  This "heart of vine" Cabernet offers plum, graphite, wet gravel road, and toasted baguette on the nose.  The decanting brought the...

  The Red Mountain AVA of Benton County, Washington produces some of the finest grapes of the region, cultivating into wines that have unique expressions and Old World charm.  The  2019 Hedges Family Estate La Haute Cuvée is a fine example of terroir and the feel of a wine that could be cellared for 15+ years.  Winemaker Sara Goedhart has nearly 10 years as head winemaker at Hedges Family Estate and her twenty plus years in the business is evident in the bottle we have today. Gorgeous, deep eggplant color that oozes to the edge of the glass.  This wine was not decanted but it was provided about twenty minutes of air time in the glass prior to tasting.  The first thing we noticed about this wine was how herbaceous it is and not the fruit bomb we may have been expecting.  Again, Old World style here all the way.  Fresh blackberries, dark chocolate shavings, pencil lead, mocha and leather blended effortlessly, each trying to take their turns to shin...

  Situated in McLaren Vale which happens to be one of Australia's most exciting wine regions, here are things you would want to know about the Penny’s Hill Winery . History Established in 1988, this promising winery is named after the hill at the base of which it is located. Considering this winery has all the elements of a great vineyard in place, the vines were planted in 1991 at the property in a unique narrow-row configuration to amplify vineyard productivity along with grape and wine quality. In the year 1993, the newly-planted Malpas Road property was purchased, followed by an adjacent highly prized hay-producing paddock in 1996 that was planted to vines and named Goss Corner. After wo years, the original Goss family homestead, ‘Ingleburne’ was added to the Malpas and Goss properties to reconnect to make it an entire holding. Ownership & The Team Founder Tony Parkinson passed on the ownership and management of the business to his good friend and fellow Sou...

We were recently introduced to Hamel Family Wines and their 2018 Isthmus red blend.  This wine is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon (64%), Merlot (18%), Cabernet Franc (14%) and Petit Verdot (4%).  This wine is very rich up front with dominant blackberry, plum and pomegranate fruits.  Clove, grilling spices, river rock and ripe dark fruits blend to create a stunning and memorable wine that is approachable now and will also drink very well for the next 15+ years.  Wonderful texture with the medium to heavier mouthfeel.  We decanted this wine for about 90 minutes prior to tasting and that helped bring this selection to a compelling and delightful finish.  Ruby red in the glass to the rim.  While we don't often taste wines with food, we do think that this would be a delicious accompaniment to a bone-in ribeye steak. ABV:  14.5% Sonoma Valley, CA 2,698 cases produced Suggested retail price:  $90.00 Drink The Bottles score:  93+/100  

  This was our first experience with the wines offered by Scout & Cellar of Texas.  They seem to have a little bit of something for just about everyone, especially if you are budget-minded, as most of their offerings are in the $19 - $36 range.  At those prices you can find a daily drinker, no doubt!  This wine is the 2020 Fieldhouse 301 Red Wine (blend) from California.  You would typically find Cabernet Sauvignon in a red blend, but this one is a combination of Zinfandel (48%), Merlot (23%), Petite Sirah (12%), Carignan (9%) and Barbera (8%).   You don't find Carignan in too many California wines, even as a blending grape, so that was interesting to us.  This wine had a great medium purple color with blackberry, coffee bean and menthol nose.  With a lighter-to-medium mouthfeel, flavors of sweet blackberry preserves, roasted coffee beans, pepper and red licorice.  This is not a sugar bomb (if we have given that impression) but it i...

Here's a another winner from a winery that we were introduced to about 13 months ago.  The  2017 Patel Napa Valley Red Wine is a luscious and aromatic offering that offers a dark purple and mouth watering welcome to the palate.  Ripe dark cherry, pencil lead, cocoa bits and cherry tobacco on the nose.  In the mouth is a powerful blend of red fruits, barn wood, black tea and cherry licorice.  This wine is framed with a solid acidic backbone and pulled together nicely for an amazing finish.  Tips the scale at nearly 15% alcohol but the balance is in check.  There were only 150 cases produced, but this one should be in your cellar while you can grab it.  Enjoy it optimally for the next 12-15 years.  Well done! ABV:  14.9% Napa Valley, CA Suggested retail price:  $75.00 Drink The Bottles  score:  93/100

  The  2017 LOBO Wines Custom Red Blend is a wonderful example that delicious wines don't have to break the bank.  This Napa Valley stunner blends Syrah (69%), Cabernet Sauvignon (26%) and Merlot (5%) , creating dark and bold aromas of blackberry, cigar smoke and grilling spices.  You get amazing mouth coating flavors of blackberry cobbler, tobacco leaf, vanilla and black cherry. The tannin is powerful yet polished and the finish is one that makes you turn your head and smile.  We filtered and decanted this wine as there was a moderate amount of sediment.  It is absolutely delicious and while it will likely age well for a decade or more, we like this one now or within in the next 3 years for best enjoyment. ABV:  14.8% Napa Valley, CA Suggested retail price:  $70.00 Drink The Bottles  score:  92/100

  We were really taken back by the 2018 vintage of this wine and the 2019 doesn't disappoint!  This is the 2019 Caprio Cellars Eleanor Estate Red Wine .  The wine is a Bordeaux Blend that consists of Cabernet Sauvignon (62%), Merlot (20%), Malbec (12%) and Cabernet Franc (6%).  This is not an "in your face" type of wine but rather one with a graceful introduction to blackberry and cherry aromas framed with cedar plank.  In the mouth is a glass-like feel with very polished tannin against flavors of plum, blackberry, cherry cordial and baking spices.  The closing moments of the wine linger and this young wine will surely continue to provide more depth with some time in the bottle.  Simply lovely!  700 cases produced. ABV:  14.5% Walla Walla, WA Suggested retail price:  $60.00 Drink The Bottles  score:  90+/100

We have been fans of Washington wines for many years but this was our first introduction to Caprio Cellars.  This winery not only produced solid and memorable wines, but they are also involved in many philanthropic activities as well.  If this  2018 Caprio Cellars Eleanor Estate Red Wine from Dennis Murphy is an indication of how impressive all of their offerings are, then these Walla Walla wines are a definite "must add" to your cellar.  Powerful with the first sip before decanting and medium purple in the glass.  Distinct red berry mixture with cedar plank, plum and red licorice.  This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (59%), Merlot (19%), Malbec (15%) and Cabernet Franc 7%) is a smart blend that helps create some structure throughout the entire glass and beyond.  The flavors mirror the aromas and after decanting for about 90 minutes, the tannin softened considerably and led us to a velvety and balanced finish.  We detected a bit more woodsy notes af...

  We were recently in Chicago visiting family and, of course, we had to check out the local wine store.  It's always fun shopping for wines and bourbons in a "new" city.  You never know what you may find.  Since it can be tough to find Mollydooker close to us (it is hit-and-miss) we decided to grab this bottle.  We have long been Mollydooker fans but had yet to write about any of the 2019 vintages. The 2019 Mollydooker Two Left Feet is a fun way to step outside of MD's famous 100% Shiraz offerings.  This is a blend of Shiraz (69%), Merlot (16% and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%).  Dark magenta in the glass with wonderful, long legs, the wine permeates the air beautifully with fresh raspberry, cherry and spices.  At 16% ABV this wine isn't for the faint of heart.  But it isn't fumy or bear any unpleasant hints of menthol that you can get from other high octane wines.  In the mouth is a effortless and polished feel of a wine that boasts hearty r...

If you are looking for a wine that pairs with just about anything in your pantry or freezer, you have found it in the 2018 Baldacci Family Vineyards Fraternity blend.   Don't roll your eyes and scoff about red blends....certainly not this  one!  The picture above should really be all that you need to know about how much we enjoyed this wine.   The bottle is empty!  This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Merlot (36%), Cabernet Franc (10%), Syrah (7%) and Petit Verdot(2%) is exceptionally balanced and a real palate masseuse!  This wine opens with grandma's homemade preserves, dried spices and some incredible hints of earthiness.  It is absolutely full of fruit flavors like juicy bing cherries, ripe plum and multi-berry cobbler, including the taste of spice racks flavors in the crust.  It is always incredible to sip a wine like this, sit back and just laugh at how wonderful it is at this price point.  This wine is young but it drinks ...

Why would you buy a bottle of wine for $2.49 you ask?  I honestly don't have an answer.  Curiosity probably got the best of me.  Flashbacks of "Two Buck Chuck" bounced around in my head as I passed this at Aldi several times yesterday.  But I like to keep an open mind and I'm always up to a challenge so I figured at this price, I'm really no worse for wear.  This bottle is less than a cup of coffee at most restaurants and I've spent far more money on less satisfying objects in my lifetime.  So, without further ado, I present the non-vintage Winking Owl Merlot..... I should start by saying that I am generally perplexed by anyone  who can put wine in a bottle for this price.  After all, sans juice, you still have the bottle, the cork, the label, the capsule, the outer packaging, the marketing, etc, etc to take into consideration of the total cost at checkout.  So when you remove those items from the cost of the bottle of wine, what do you have?...

Here's a brand new wine label that I frankly, hadn't heard of but of course, I'm always eager to learn something new.  This 2015 MERF Cabernet Sauvignon is staight out of Columbia Valley, Washington, where many of my favorite red blends were born and raised.  A combination of Cabernet Sauvignon (81%), Merlot (17%) and Merlot (2%), this easy-to-imbibe red is a little fruity on the nose and at first sip.  Blueberry, vanilla and sweet spices predominantly fill the glass and if you like a softer, more subtle Cabernet blend, this is your jam!  In the mouth is more of the same but black raspberry and sweet tobacco round out the flavor profile with a very short finish.   My recommendation is to drink this with a bloody, salty, bone-in slab of beef or some hot Virginia ham and Swiss cheese sandwiches with spicy mustard.  It would be a match made in heaven. ABV:  14.5% Columbia Valley, Washington Suggested retail price:  $12....

This wine makes me super happy.  I'll be honest, I had to look up the meaning of the word Bodacious to even see if it was a legitimate word.  I found very quickly that Bodacious should not be the name of the wine, but rather the wine review.   Bodacious.   That's all you need.  Holy cow, this wine from Jon Nathaniel Wines is a head turner!  I'll tell you what's in it soon, but what you really need to know is how it tastes and feels.  This wine pops in the mouth with cherry cola, black raspberry jam, chocolate bits, some hints of coffee and what I can only describe as dust from an old book depository at the tail end of the finish.  Weird?  Sure.  But accurate?  You bet.   Aromas of ripe red fruit, funky earthy dampness, cedar, vanilla and mocha are most prevalent.  This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Syrah (29%), Cabernet Franc (19%), Petit Verdot (11%), Merlot (10%) and Malbec (1%).  ...

It had been a spell since I had enjoyed any wine from Frog's Leap Winery , so I was really pumped about the opportunity to taste their latest Cab.   The 2015 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (78%), Merlot (13 %) and Cabernet Franc (9%).  Selfishly, I wish I had a case of this wine and if you want to invest in something that will pay you back ten fold in taste over the next 10-20 years, this wine is for you.  It's super young now, but you can discover some great  mocha, saddle leather, dark plum and medium spice on the nose.  Some might find full bodied flavors that you usually expect from a Cabernet at first, but thing wine is young and the Merlot addition adds structure and balanced flavors of black cherry, gravel, licorice and grilling spices.  I found this finish to be very long with a hint of peppery spice.  I'm loving this wine and I think it will continue to be fine polished if you give it some time....