published Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 at 9:20 pm by
perry227
Name: Pico
Type: Red
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Origin: U.S. – California
Year: 2007
Producer: Zunio
Price: $10.99
This is another of the wines I ordered online with the Groupon. It’s a deep red color, almost purple. It has a nice aroma of blackberry and spice. The flavor isn’t up to par though. Some off flavors and tannins hit you almost immediately, simultaneously with the fruit really. There’s a little fruit at first but it’s an unbalanced wine, with harsh, tannic flavors dominating all the way through the finish. Not recommended.
published Friday, September 17th, 2010 at 7:13 pm by
perry227
Name: Cupcake Cabernet Sauvignon
Type: Red
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Origin: U.S. – California
Year: 2008
Producer: Cupcake Vineyards
Price: $9.99
This is the third red wine I’ve tasted from this label and I’ve liked them all. This is the first one I’ve found time to review though. It has a nice deep color and a potent aroma of wood, spice and fruit. The flavor is dry, fruity and tannic. A bit more tannic than I generally like but the overall experience is pleasant. I’ve tried the Merlot and the Syrah as well, I recommend all the Cupcake reds.
published Friday, September 10th, 2010 at 7:15 pm by
perry227
Name: Starborough
Type: White
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Origin: New Zealand
Year: 2009
Producer: Starborough Vineyards
Price: $12.99
Better chilled than room temp, this Sauvignon Blanc has a potent aroma of cat piss — er, cat urine, pardon my French — that intensifies as the wine warms. That’s an aroma I associate more with Gewurtztraminer and I find it kind of distasteful in an SB which is kind of strange I guess. It’s mixed with an equally strong grapefruit scent which is more characteristic of the varietal. The flavor is crisp and acidic with citrus and grassy notes. I like SB, especially in the summer, but this one strikes me as overpriced due to the compromised nose and simple flavor.
published Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 7:53 pm by
perry227
Name: Cupcake Pinot Grigio
Type: White
Grape: Pinot Grigio
Origin: Italy
Year: 2009
Producer: Cupcake Vineyards
Price: $9.99
It’s a good day for Pinot Grigio. The mercury hit 95 degrees here and that’s perfect weather for a cold glass of wine. It’s terrible weather for anything else, but good for cold wine. I like my Pinot Grigio right from the fridge, which is too cold for purists but you like what you like. This Cupcake version is straw colored and smells clean with citrus aromas. It’s very nice, maybe my perspective is skewed by the temperature today but it tastes crisp and refreshing with a little acidity before the short finish. Just as a Pinot Grigio should be I think. Not as complex and interesting as the one by Kris, but perfectly acceptable.
published Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 7:40 pm by
perry227
Name: Redmond Ranch
Type: Red
Grape: Syrah
Origin: U.S. – California
Year: 2007
Producer: Amala Springs
Price: $10.00
This is another bottle I got from the Groupon deal. It’s a dense, deep color almost like motor oil. The aroma is earthy with leather and plum scents. For a wine that promises to be so big, it’s very smooth and round. It’s also not very complex which isn’t what I expected. It’s sort of a crowd-pleasing, easy to like Syrah. I get why they would choose that for a wine club but it’s not what I look for in a Syrah.
