Discovering Great Red Wines, One Glass At A Time
Septima Malbec is a slightly dry wine with a burgundy color. It was a mediocre Malbec for it’s inexpensive price point – enjoyable but not a favorite.
This is a medium to light bodied malbec made with grapes from Mendoza’s Valle de Uco and Agrelo in Lujan de Cuyo.
It’s flavor didn’t stand out as much as other Malbec’s do, which makes a passable bottle at $12. It had a somewhat weak finish (especially for this varietal) despite it’s 14% ABV.
Another offering from our favorite winery, Michael David’s 7 Deadly Zins is an amazing blend of Zinfandel’s from seven hand picked Lodi growers.
This medium bodied Zin has a touch of Petite Sirah blended in. It carries a rich red color that shows some purple tones and has a great flavor that nicely balances it’s 15% ABV.
Read The Full Review of 7 Deadly Zins
Bogle Phantom, the seasonal offering released each fall by Bogle Family Vineyards, is fairly well known in it’s category. A red blend from Lodi, Clarksburg, and the Sierra Foothills, this wine meets the expectations that are set by it’s popularity, but doesn’t really exceed them.
Between it’s unusual name and bright, busy label, Freakshow is a wine that promises to be different from the moment you lay eyes on it.
Come from Michael David Winery, who have always been a favorite of ours, Freakshow is a wine we’ve been looking forward to trying for quite some time now.
Ghost Pines Cab, in it’s slim, tall bottle is a decent offering for it’s $18 price point.
Medium bodied with a rich purple color, the 2012 vintage has a very strong bite for it’s ABV of 13.9%. Made with a blend of grapes from both Sonoma and Napa Counties, this cab has decent flavor.
It isn’t dry and it’s not really much of a cocktail wine – much better with food than by itself.
Dominio del Plata’s BenMarco line is designed as a tribute to traditional Argentinian wines, focusing on the grapes and flavors of the region.
The BenMarco Malbec is a decent wine for the price. It’s very well balanced, with subtle fruit flavors and a bold finish.
Read The Full Review of BenMarco Malbec
The Dreaming Tree’s Crush Red Blend is a pleasant surprise, from first sip to last.
At $15 a bottle, it’s a vibrant, full bodied blend that really delivers. Composed of 54% Merlot, 20% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, and a small amounts of some others, this wine blends grapes and regions beautifully, combining fruit from both Napa and Sonoma.
Bogle’s Old Vine Zinfandel is an inexpensive wine that – unfortunately – lends credence to the old adage “you get what you pay for.”
Coming from 60 – 80 year old vines in Lodi and Amador Counties in California, this Zin falls a bit short of the what you expect from wines of that region.
Read The Full Review of Bogle Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel
This Cab, currently the only offering from Ironside Cellars, does a great job of what it set out to do – delivering a good Cab to the under $20 market.
To put it more simply, a Cab like this is a steal at the $15 we paid for it.
The 2012 vintage offers a nice 13.9% ABV. It’s full bodied with a deep ruby red color, but has a very gentle finish – perhaps a little too gentle, depending on your taste.
Read The Full Review of Ironside Cabernet
Klinker Brick’s Old Vine Zinfandel is a wine that comes in an absolutely gorgeous bottle. A simple brick pattern and minimal text all painted directly on the glass without a paper label really makes this one stand out on the shelf.
If you like wines with a nice bite and high acidity, this is a good Zin for you, thanks to it’s 15.8% ABV.
Read The Full Review of Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel
