Yellow Tail, or [yellow tail] as they write it, is one of those brands that many people view as the epitome of cheap wine. In fact, when I tell people about this website I’m often asked if I drink a bunch of Yellow Tail. Actually, I don’t. This is the first time we’ve reviewed a Yellow Tail wine. It’s not out of spite for the brand or anything like that, there’s just sooooo many different wines out there to choose from that we haven’t gotten around to a [yellow tail]… until now.
I have to admit, that Australia isn’t on the top of my list when I’m shopping for sparklers. With so much good Italian Prosecco, Spanish Cava, Alsatian Cremant and Californian bubbly out there, I’m just not that likely to make it to the Australian section. But why not? They make some great wine in Australia! They can probably make some great bubbly too.
This one has a fairly tight nose, with slight apple aromas. The palate is off-dry with slightly sweet yellow delicious apple flavors. It’s fairly simple, but it’s pleasant tasting. The bubbles in this wine feel like those from a soda. The bubbles might come from a gas injection method versus the traditional fermentation in the bottle method. I could not find any statement about their method anywhere in their literature, so I don’t know for sure. Regardless of whatever method they used, it has some bubbles but the texture of those bubbles isn’t quite cutting it for me. It finishes with more apple flavor and a touch of lemon. While I wouldn’t say this wine totally knocked my socks off, it was still enjoyable and a bargain for the price.
One thing that I did love about this wine is the cap. It came with a resealable, plastic cap. This allows you to cap the wine if you don’t want to drink the whole bottle in one evening. And the cap will fit most other sparkling wine bottles too, so you can keep it and use it over and over with other bottles of bubbly.
Wine: Yellow Tail
Variety: Sparkling wine
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 11.5%
Rating: 84
Price: $10.00
Want another opinion? Here’s what some other’s thought of [yellow tail] Bubbles:
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
Holiday season is upon us and it’s the time of year when many people have some sparkling wine, although you really can and should enjoy it year round. Nonetheless, since I know many of you are looking for some good, cheap bubbles these days I thought we should do some reviews to help you out.
One of my favorite budget-friendly sparklers is Prosecco. When it comes to bang for your buck — or bubbles for your buck, in this case — it’s hard to beat Prosecco. Like many Italian wines, the name is as much about the style of wine as it is about where the wine was made. Prosecco comes from either the Veneto region or the Friuli–Venezia Giulia region, both in north-eastern Italy. This one is from Veneto. The grapes in this are also called prosecco, although they are sometimes called, glera.
This Prosecco is made by Casa Vinicola Zonin, a producer with vineyards throughout Italy.
Apple and pear aromas with a twist of citrus give this wine the aromas I’d expect from a Prosecco. The palate shows a lot of mineral, with a prominent salty characteristic. It also shows shows quite a bit of apple flavor, so I guess you might say it tastes like salted apples. Although it has some apple flavor, it doesn’t have the sweetness of apples, rather it’s quite dry. You can taste a little bit of yeast on the mid-palate, which adds a nice touch of complexity. It finishes with mineral, apple and a little bit of lemon flavor. This is a relatively simple Prosecco, but tasty and quite a bargain.
Wine: Zonin
Variety: Prosecco
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 11%
Rating: 86
Price: $12.00
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
I imagine that for many American wine consumers, particularly those who are relatively new to wine, the question, “What is a Claret?” is the thought that crosses your mind as you see this bottle on the shelves. “Is it a varietal? Is it a location? I know I’ve heard James Bond refer to a wine as a Claret.” These are all legitimate questions and thoughts to have. I too once thought, “What’s the difference between a Claret and a Bordeaux?”
Well, it’s really quite simple. “Claret” is a British term that has been used for centuries as a generic name for Bordeaux. It’s not indicative of a particular part of Bordeaux or a specific varietal, it’s just another name for Bordeaux. The French historically haven’t used the term themselves, although I’ve read that they are reclaiming the word in 2012 to describe wines that are “light and fruity, easy to drink, in the same style as the original claret when it was prized by the English in former centuries.”
So, the next question you may be pondering is, “Is this wine from Bordeaux?” The answer to that question is, “no.” In the case of Francis Coppola Winery they are using Claret to indicate this wine is the style of a Bordeaux. It’s a Bordeaux style blend from California with 81% cabernet sauvignon, 9% petite verdot, 5% malbec, 3% merlot and 2% cabernet franc. You may notice that the wine is also labeled as a Cabernet Sauvignon and although it’s a blend, American wines can technically be labeled as a varietal if they are made from 75% or more of a single variety.
In addition to the blend, another touch that adds to the Bordeaux-like nature of this wine is the fact that it was aged for 15 months in French oak.
Harmonious is the first word that comes to mind when smelling this wine. Complex is the second word, as there’s a lot going on here with black cherry, blueberry, plum, vanilla and toasted oak aromas. The palate is elegant, with a silky mouth feel serving up plum, blackberry and black currant flavors. The finish offers a touch of spice and black tea, with the fruit flavors sustaining and balancing the bitterness of the tannins. This is a very approachable and pleasant-drinking claret, or cabernet sauvignon… whatever you want to call it.
While the suggested retail price of this is $20, a quick online search turned up prices as low as $14.
Have you tried it? Let us know what you think.
Wine: Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret
Variety: Bordeaux-style blend
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 90
Price: $20.00
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
One of the exciting things about wine is the almost endless variety you can find in types of wine. I think too often we gravitate toward something we know well, like a cabernet sauvignon or merlot and don’t explore enough. If you’re looking to branch out from the everyday wines and taste something unique, you may want to try a Ripasso, like this one from Zonin.
Ripasso is a wine made using a technique where the dried grape skins leftover from a batch of Amarone are added to a new batch of juice to go through a second fermentation. In case you’re not familiar with Amarone, it’s a really rich Italian wine made using exceptionally ripe grapes that are partially dried out prior to winemaking. This results in a wine that is extremely concentrated, high in alcohol and has flavors of dried fruits (e.g. raisins) and chocolate. It’s a really tasty wine, but it also tends to be a rather pricey wine. You can think of Ripasso as a “baby Amarone.” It has some of the same flavor characteristics, but it’s lower in alcohol, a little bit lighter-bodied and more affordable.
The Zonin Ripasso is made with 70% Corvina, 20% Rondinella and 10% Molinara grapes. So, in addition to the style of winemaking being unique, these may also be some new types of grapes for you. The wine is aged in Slavonian oak barrels for 1 year and in the bottle for another 6 months before distribution.
The nose is really enjoyable on this wine, with aromas like raisins, spicecake, black cherry and black pepper. The palate is nicely balanced with flavors like plum and black cherry up front and a touch of chocolate coming in on the mid palate. The acidity is sufficient, although a touch more wouldn’t hurt. I’d say the same thing about the tannins. The finish is decent, although a tad bit short. I like just a slight chill on this wine, serving it just below room temperature.
Those comparing this wine to an Amarone may find it a bit thin. Although there’s plenty enough structure to the body to make this an enjoyable wine, it’s just not as big as it’s bigger brother.
Wine: Zonin Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso
Variety: Ripasso
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 86
Price: $18.00
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
This week we’re doing some odds and ends. Reviews of wines that we don’t have a full line-up to do a full series, but we have one or two we want to highlight. Today, it’s a double-header review with two wines from Soave.
Soave is a relatively small wine appellation in the Italy’s Veneto region, which is in northeastern Italy. It’s a beautiful region, with rolling hills, churches, bell towers and even some castles. Soave is primarily made with two grape varieties. The primary grape is garganega, which is the only grape is some Soave. And Trebbiano di Soave is the second most-used Soave grape. Both of the wines we’re reviewing today are 100% garganega.
There are actually four different designations for Soave, but we’re only tasting two of them today, a Soave DOC and a Soave Classico DOC. I know… the non-wine-geek readers are already going cross-eyed reading about DOC’s. You just want to know if the wine is good or not, so let’s get to that.
2009 Cantina di Monteforte “Re Teodorico” Soave DOC
As a Soave DOC, this is an entry-level wine from the Soave region. And it’s a pretty tasty one too.
This wine has a straw-like aroma to match its straw color. It also shows some pear aroma and some yeast, like a loaf of rising bread. The palate has a distinct honey flavor, but without the sweetness of honey, along with some pear, and green apple. The acidity is sufficient and gives it a vibrant tanginess. The finish is like a salted green apple, bringing out a touch of mineral on this wine. Long into the finish the yeast adds an aromatic note to the aftertaste. This is a nice wine. It’s interesting, fun, distinct and enjoyable.
Wine: Cantina di Monteforte “Re Teodorico” Soave DOC
Variety: 100% Garganega
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 86
Price: $7.99
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2009 Le Albare “Il Casale” Soave Classico DOC
Soave Classico DOC is considered a step up from the Soave DOC and tends to have a little more structure and ageing potential.
Some consumers may find this wine similar to a chardonnay, although it certainly has it’s nuances that set it apart. It is light, fruity and refreshing on the nose, with peach and pear aromas. The palate also shows some peach and pear flavors, along with some melon. The finish brings a touch of almond flavor, which is a common trait in Soave and one of the things that sets it apart from other wines. It also shows a bit of mineral on the finish. It’s a nice wine and would pair well with a pork tenderloin.
Wine: Le Albare “Il Casale” Soave Classico DOC
Variety: 100% Garganega
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $12.99
Find Le Albare “Il Casale” Soave Classico DOC with Snooth
Disclosure: These wines were received as a sample.
Today we’re taking a look at another Californian red blend. This one is a blend of 46% syrah, 31% malbec and 23% petit verdot from Ancient Peaks Winery in Paso Robles.
This wine is a deep, dark purplish-red color with incredible density. It’s almost inky in appearance. The nose is just as powerful as the wine is dark, with intense aromas of nutmeg, cedar, plum and chocolate covered cherry. The palate continues the bold theme of this wine, with jammy fruit flavors, like cherry and plum. And I do mean jammy. Wowee, this wine is so dense it’s almost chewy. There’s plenty of spice on the palate to make this interesting too. The acidity and tannins are good, and the wine finishes with intense cherry flavors, almost like a cherry cough drop. It’s a very big wine, which won’t be everyone’s thing. But if you’re into bold, rich wines, this one is a winner.
The suggested retail price comes in just north of our typical $20 limit, but I’ve seen it for sale as low as $16.00. And at that price, this wine is a steal!
Wine: Ancient Peaks Winery Renegade
Variety: Red blend
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 90
Price: $23.00
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
Some of the most interesting wines I’ve been coming across lately are blends. Pure varietal wines are fine, but putting together a blend allows winemakers to leverage the characteristics of different grapes to create balance and complexity.
The Concannon Conservancy Crimson & Clover is a new release from Concannon and is a petite sirah blend. Concannon has quite a history with petite sirah as they were the first to produce it in America. The blend here is 50% petite sirah, 25% cabernet sauvignon, 15% syrah and 10% zinfandel, which sounds to me like a uniquely Californian blend.
The “Crimson & Clover” name isn’t an homage to Tommy James & the Shondells or to Joan Jett. Rather, it is meant to represent the Concannon family history with wine (Crimson) and their Irish heritage (Clover). And if you didn’t know, the “Conservancy” name, which is part of a portfolio of wines at Concannon, comes from the fact that the land where the grapes are grown is part of a conservancy. Specifically, the grapes come from the Livermore Valley in the Tri-Valley Conservancy, which is an area of over 3,100 acres protected from urban sprawl by a conservation trust.
The nose on this wine is absolutely beautiful, with licorice aromatics leading the experience. It also shows some plum, candied fruits and cedar on the nose. The palate is very nice too, with a perfect blend of abundant, ripe fruit flavors and spice. The fruit shows expressions of plum and cherry, while the spice is a combo of nutmeg and black pepper. The spices really come out on the finish, which also brings out the tart side of the fruit. The mouth feel is slightly silky. This is a very approachable and exciting wine. Good stuff!
Wine: Concannon Conservancy Crimson & Clover
Variety: Petite sirah blend
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.7%
Rating: 90
Price: $18.00
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
Oh, and just in case you have a certain song rolling around in your head after reading this, here you go…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdhonK8NMm8]
I’ve commented in previous reviews that not all malbec comes from Argentina. Today we have the opportunity to check out one from Chile, the Maule Valley region to be more specific.
This malbec is from Apaltagua, not an unfamiliar brand to us. We’ve reviewed a few of their other wines and found them to be nice, so we were certainly curious to see what they would do with a malbec.
This malbec is definitely different from the Argentine ones we’ve tasted. The nose has a pronounced vegetal/herbal characteristic that I would describe as a cross of green pepper and mint. I often appreciate the complexity and character that an herbal or vegetal aroma will add to a wine, but in this case it’s a little out of balance, making it detract from rather than add to the wine. On the positive side, it also shows some clove, plum and cherry aromas which are quite nice.
The palate offers up plum and cherry flavors with some black pepper toward the finish, which is a touch on the bitter side. The fruit is nice, but I still find myself questioning the balance in this wine. I’m starting to sound a little negative, so to be clear I don’t hate this wine. But at the same time, I don’t love it. It’s a drinkable malbec, but it just doesn’t have the balance and harmony needed to make it a great malbec.
Wine: Apaltagua Reserva
Variety: Malbec
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 82
Price: $12.00
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
Ricardo Santos is one of those brands that doesn’t do a lot of marketing, and doesn’t do a lot of storytelling. Which means it’s a brand that we just don’t know much about, other than what the wines tell us.
Last year, we reviewed the 2008 Ricardo Santos malbec and we weren’t blown away by it. But the 2009 has opened our eyes as to what this producer really has to offer.
The nose of this malbec is lively and interesting, with aromas of black cherry, blueberry, mocha and tobacco. It’s all very harmonious too, which is important. The palate is delicious, with juicy plum and black cherry flavors up front, followed by a spicy mid-palate and long finish. The mouthfeel is nice, and the acidity is just right.
Putting the fancy descriptors aside, the equation that matters here is lively+interesting+harmonious+delicious = a really nice malbec.
Wine: Ricardo Santos
Variety: Malbec
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.9%
Rating: 90
Price: $19.00
Find Ricardo Santos Malbec with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
With a history going back to 1890, Pascual Toso is one of the oldest wineries in Argentina. But similar to many of the older wineries in Argentina, they’ve seen a lot of growth and development in the past ten years or so. They have a couple different lines of wine, including an Estate line and a Reserve line. The Estate line wines are their entry-level offering, while the Reserve is a step up in price. This wine is from the Estate line.
This is one of those wines that was OK, but didn’t totally knock my socks off. We get that a lot. Since we generally taste bargain wines, it comes with the territory. It’s not that it’s a bad wine. I certainly wouldn’t turn a glass down. But at the same time, it didn’t offer much to get excited about.
This wine shows plum and raspberry on the nose, with a touch of clove adding complexity and character. Yes, that sounds interesting, but the intensity is lacking a little bit. The palate shows blueberry, plum and raspberry flavors with good acidity, but for a malbec it’s a little on the light side. The tannins are soft. It’s a very drinkable malbec, just a little underwhelming for this varietal.
Wine: Pascual Toso Estate Malbec
Variety: Malbec
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 84
Price: $12.00
Find Pascual Toso Estate Malbec with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
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