winewaves

Twin Fin California Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

What kind of wine is appropriate for enjoying with a Burger, on the road, in the room, at the Midtown Holiday Inn in Grand Island, Nebraska?  Answer: Twin Fin Cabernet Sauvignon 2002.

This is another varietal from the new Twin Fin lineup. The winemaking team of Hugh Reimers and Sam Burton seem to be making the point that California can produce value at a great price. The color is deep ruby, not quite opaque. The body is light-to-medium, with red cherry and vanilla aromas, a smooth drinkable everyday red with soft tannins and an easy finish. The closure is a screw cap. At $6.99, this is a straightforward good everyday Cabernet. For the price of a glass of lesser wine at a chain restaurant, you can enjoy the whole bottle.

Ca' del Solo Big House Pink 2004

Bonny Doon puts out this California dry rose blend of Carignane, Sangiovese, Charbono, Zinfandel, and Barbera. A very nice complement to "Montgomery Inn" Barbeque Sauce, or any sweet spicy red barbeque sauce. This wine is dry, and a beautiful salmon pink color. The aromas and flavors are bright, spicy, young, cherry, raspberry, grape, and citrus, plus the wine finishes crisp, dry and light. The closure is a screw cap. At $8.99 (Nashville price), this is a Pink wine for the times. Drink now and enjoy with your next sweet, smoky, tomato-ey Barbeque.

Corvo Sicilia White 2003

This Sicilian white is refreshing. Made from Inzolia grapes, it was slow-cold-fermented without the influence of wood. The fruit aromas and flavors are delicate and restrained, and include tree fruits like apple, pear, peach and lemon-lime. There is some mineral as well. The finish is clean, dry and without flaws. The closure is a genuine cork. At $8.99 (Nashville price), you get a more complex Italian wine than you would expect for the price. Perfect for upcoming warm afternoons, by itself or with Havarti or mild cheeses.

Micante Capalbio DOC Red 2003

Micante is a Tuscan blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, from an area South of Florence (North of Rome), near the Mediterannean. Capalbio DOC wines are grown in hilly territories in the South of the Province of Grosseto.

Bottled by Solo Maremma. The flavors and aromas are cherry, cranberry, chocolate, vanilla, and a bit of tobacco and spice. The color is not quite opaque ruby red, and the wine is medium bodied with easy tannins for drinking now. We enjoyed this wine with Lamb Chops and a Bacon-Wrapped Free-Range Beef Ribeye. The closure is a composite cork. (Any other closure would be better!) At $15.99, this is a fairly-priced "Super-Tuscan" styled wine. There may be better deals, but give this one a try.

Wrongo Dongo Jumilla Red Wine 2003

The grape is Monastrell, also know as Mourvedre and Mataro outside Spain. Jumilla is a wine growing region in the Southeastern portion of the country.  Imported by Jorge Ordonez. The aromas and flavors range from cherry and meat to mineral, and the palate has moderate tannins and a round peppery finish. The closure is a plastic artificial cork. At $9.99 (Nashville price), this is a trip to Spain, in a good way, for a song. If you haven't tried any Spanish reds lately, here is a good place to start.

Big Moose California Red Wine 2002

Big Moose is a blend of Grenache and Syrah from California, cellared and bottled by Cult Wines (Oakville). This is typical of a field blend, a "farm red", in that it has lots of juicy red cherry berry flavors, with a bit of tobacco and smoke, some pepper, and not too much tannic structure in the finish. A juicy spicy red for now. We tasted this red with a grilled Maverick Ranch Buffalo Burger. The closure is a screw cap. At $8.99 (Nashville price), this is an attractive American value in a blended red.

Il Brecciarolo Rosso Piceno Superiore 2001

A new Italian red arrival the store, this is produced by Velenosi Ercole. Rosso Piceno (DOC) reds are composed of Sangiovese (at least 60%), Montepulciano (no more than 40%); and each: Trebbiano and Passerina (up to 15%). The term "Superiore" requires at least one year's oak aging.

A light-to-medium bodied red, this wine has a lot of personality without a lot of tannins. The aromas and flavors include cherry fruit, dried fruit (raisins and prunes), and some oak, tobacco and leather. The finish is only a bit tannic, and simple but fruity. We tasted with a homemade Pizza with Tuna Steak, Garlic Chickpeas and Capers and an Italian Red Sauce. The closure is a composite cork. (Any other closure would be better!) At $11.99 (Nashville price), we were glad to buy and try this one, but there are better buys in Italian reds. Still, it's worth a try in a mixed case of Italian reds.

Kim Crawford Marlborough Unoaked Chardonnay 2004

Though it may seem an oxymoron, this is a "crispy creamy" style of Chardonnay, imported by R.H. Phillips.

The wine was not aged in oak (hence the crisp fruit palate), but did get some malolactic fermentation (hence the creaminess). The aromas and flavors are in the direction of tropical fruit, not too prominent, but including hints of pineapple and lime, plus some pear and peach. The "butter" is mild enough to complement the tart fruit, not a "butterbomb". The body is medium, and the finish is dry and refreshing. The closure is a screw cap. At $13.99, (Nashville price), include a bottle in a mixed case of Chardonnay or eclectic whites.

Trevor Jones Virgin Chardonnay 2003

This is the eighteenth vintage for Virgin Chardonnay, and our first bottle.  Dan Philips, of Grateful Palate, imports.  The focus is on the free-run Chardonnay juice, and there is no oak aging. The aromas and flavors are pure Chardonnay fruit, with juicy pear and key lime notes, plus hints of pineapple and creamy vanilla. The palate is juicy and crisp with nice body and mouthfeel. The finish is dry with fruit echoes.  We really liked it with Double Gloucester cheese. The closure is a screw cap. At $18.99, this Chardonnay might win over both non-Chardonnay fans, as well as Chard fans.  The quality is well worth the price in a sea of Chardonnay.

Gloria Ferrer Sonoma County Brut Non-Vintage

Gloria Ferrer Brut is produced in Carneros, by the family who produces Freixenet, the world's leading case-volume producer of sparkling wine (from Spain).

This is an estate bottled bubby, fermented in the bottle traditionally, made from 80-90% Pinot Noir, 10-20% Chardonnay. Nice bubbles and a beautiful pale straw color invited us to dive into this lively wine. The aromas are tart apple, vanilla, toast and a hint of cinammon. The palate was creamy, and the finish was nice and dry. We enjoyed it with a salad. At $18.99 (Nashville price), this is an excellent dry Carneros Pinot-Noir-based bubbly to enjoy.