d'Arenberg's The Stump Jump 2007

Region: Adelaide, Australia
Grapes: 62% Riesling, 18% Sauvignon Blanc, 8% Marsanne, 6% Viognier, 6% Chardonnay
ABV: 13%
Price: $12

Pale in color with the scent of sweet lemon custard, you would believe this wine to be sweeter than it in fact is. Only slightly sweet with a pleasantly tart acidity. Simple, but a good choice for someone trying to move into drier wines for the first time.

Region: Southern Australia
Grapes: 50% Grenache, 29% Shiraz, 21% Mourvedre
ABV: 14
Price: $12

Light ruby in your glass. Almost bright. Nose of dark fruits and oak with plum and blackberry standing out on the palate with a delicious spice overlay. Wonderful finish. Best $12 red you will buy this year.

Graveyard Post, Part 1 of ?

Here's the thing: I have been slacking. I know to you few who read this blog, this isn't news. Here is the deal: I have a lot of reviews written down, but a great deal of it probably can no longer be found or is phasing out. In an effort to not be wasteful, I am going to cram all the wine that I think may be old news here. Who knows? You may find some of it and this will be of use. No pictures, just text.

Bergevin Lane Syrah 2004

Region: Columbia Valley, Washington

Grapes: Syrah

ABV: 14.9%
Price: $20

Deep purple, spicy and full of jammy blackberries. Pleasant acidity.

Flat Bed Red Zinfandel 2005

Region: Napa Valley, California

Grapes: Zinfandel

ABV: 14.5%
Price: $15

Dry with notes of cherries and strawberries. Punch-In-The-Face flavor.

Mauritson Zinfandel 2005

Region: Dry Creek Valley, California

Grapes: Zinfandel

ABV: 15.1%
Price: $20

Dark, spicy, light in body and flavor with a cherry bite. A little bitter on the finish. Probably not one of their better years.

Weingut Bründlmayer Grüner Veltliner 2005

Region: Germany

Grapes: Riesling

ABV: 12%
Price: $17

Bright, with a nose of grapefruit and melon, this riesling seems to have quite a bit in common with a sauvignon blanc. Light acidity, somewhat sweet, but with very enticing citrus notes.

Chateau Guirauton 2006

Region: Graves, France

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion

ABV: 12.5%
Price: $16

Golden, full of melon, lemon/lime with a mineral backing. Very full-bodied.

Waterbrook Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Region: Columbia Valley, Washington

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 13.7%
Price: $20

Thick and dark with a spicy nose. Bone dry on the palate, spicy, raspberry and an oaky finish.

Longhop Boomerang Shiraz 2005

Region: Adelaide, Australia

Grapes: Shiraz

Price: $14

Ruby, with scents of cherries and tobacco. Spicy, earthy tobacco flavors give way to a lingering cherry finish.

Pillar Box White 2006

Region: Padthaway, Australia

Grapes: 66% Chardonnay, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 14% Verdelho

ABV: 12.5%
Price: $10

Amber in color and incredibly light and crisp in flavor. Cool and refreshing.

Chateau Guirauton 2006

Region: Graves, France

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion

ABV: 12.5%
Price: $16

Golden, full of melon, lemon/lime with a mineral backing. Very full-bodied.

Well, that should start us up. I have a ton more, but I should get back to work. We will continue shortly. Until next time, enjoi!

Hugues de Beauvignac Coteaux du Languedoc Picpoul-de-Pinet 2008

Region: Coteaux du Languedoc, France

Grapes: 100% Piquepoul Blanc (Picpoul-de-Pinet)

ABV: 12.5%
Price: $12

Its a mouthful to say, but worth the effort! Pale gold bliss with a soft tangy-floral nose. Very smooth and mellow, full of ripe pear and lemon with a citrusy-floral finish with just enough oak to give it a slight butteriness. Would compliment seafood or alfredo pasta wonderfully.

Vinterra Chardonnay 2006

Region: Napa Valley, California

Grapes: Chardonnay

ABV: 13.5%
Price: $15

Light and bright at first glance with a pleasant nose of melon, comes across very earthy and oaky, almost, but not completely, masking a background of citrus. Very dry. For oak lovers.

Tin Roof Sauvignon Blanc 2005

Region: North Coast, California

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc

ABV: 13.5%

Price: $7

Pale amber with lots of crisp citrus and tangy tropical fruits. Very acidic, but not unpleasant. Would be great with spicy food.

Bodegas Algareiro Albariño 2006

Preface: Took a break for the Forth, but that does not mean that I wasn't enjoying some wonderful (and not so wonderful) wines. This is my first installment of eleven wines from Spain that I recently got a chance to taste. All will be short, sweet, to-the-point and possibly incomplete due to time restrictions (I was at a company tasting and they moved far too quickly). Enjoy.
Region: Rías Baixas, Spain
Grapes: Albariño
Price: $10

Yellow-green in color. A very dry white wine that seemed more like a Pinot Grigio or a typical Chardonnay than anything special. A nice amount of citrus, but lots of floral overtones that I found mildly unpleasant. Nicely balanced acidity, though.

Carmen Reserve Chardonnay 2006

Region: Valle de Casablanca, Chile
Grapes: Chardonnay
Price: $7
Alcohol Level: 14%

Light amber in color with a sweet nose. This Chardonnay has no oakiness and is very tangy and acidic. I caught flavors of melon, lemon and lime. Citrus flavors linger on the finish.

Auvigue Mâcon-Villages 2006

Preface: This is my chance to clean out a bit of a stockpile I had built up of these things. Call me obsessive...


Region: Mâcon-Villages, Burgundy, France
Grapes: Chardonnay
Price: $17
Alcohol Level: 13%

Chardonnay. The most popular varietal of wine in America. This wine, from the taste, has not seen much oak. If you like a big, woody Chardonnay you need to look elsewhere. This wine is a beautiful pale-gold in color and has a sweet and slightly citrus aroma. Upon taste, you are greeted with a very subtle acidity and a nice fruity (somewhat citrusy) mouthful. The finish can only be described as lemony. Would be great with a seafood meal.

Nothing that really stands out, but a really solid bottle of wine.

Shellback Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Region: East Coast - New Zealand
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
Price: $6
Alcohol Level: 12.5%

This wine is citrus. Like crazy citrus. The scent is very strong (citrus). The flavor is like a hit to the face (with a cornucopia of citrus fruit). I caught the flavors of passion fruit and melon specifically. Very smooth wine with a light acidity.

And its cheap. Like hella cheap. Take this wine to the beach in your cooler. You won't be unhappy. I mean, six bucks? I think you can spare it.