Price: 10 bucks or less

Mourvèdre Monday #29: Merum 2009

A quick-hit #MourvedreMonday wine…

. Merum 2009 Monastrell – Jumilla

Dried cherry, raspberry, mossy earthiness and dried flowers. Rich, but with good acidity. This tasty and interesting little Jumilla is 85% Monastrell and 15% Syrah and well worth the $10.50 I paid for it. Grab a bottle if you come across it and let me [...]

Laya 2010

I tasted an interesting little wine recently, the Bodegas Atalaya Laya 2010 from Spain’s D.O. Almansa, a blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera (which is Alicante Bouschet) and 30% our good friend Monastrell. I didn’t record any tasting notes, but I quite enjoyed it and thought it had a lot going for it at around $10. Wine Enthusiast names this [...]

Mourvèdre Monday #25: Luzon 2009 Jumilla

I posted a photo of this wine bottle recently (via my Instagram account), but never commented on the wine itself. It’s a 70/30 Monastrell/Syrah blend from the Jumilla region of Spain. It sells for around $8-10. The nose is fresh, bringing red fruit with an herbal edge. On the palate, it’s like a black cherry [...]

Who Couldn’t Use a Nice $10 Ugni Blanc/Colombard Blend

This one’s been floating around in my Giant Pile O’ Tasting Notes for a while, but never popped to the top. Maybe that’s because Ugni Blanc posts don’t promise much in the way of search traffic. [Caution: Blogger navel-gazing] Third-tier grapes are one thing, but combine it with a yawn-inducing appellation like VdP des Cotes [...]

Another Great Value Sauvignon Blanc from Chile

My cellar has been running low on everyday whites, so when I saw this bottle of Montes Sauvignon Blanc at Costco recently, I grabbed it. Chilean Sauvignon Blanc has impressed me in the past and Montes is a very reliable producer up and down the price scale. This wine is from their “Limited Selection” line and [...]

With a Name Like Stickleback…

Tuesday night I opened a bottle of Stickleback Red 2008 from the Aussie winery Heartland. It was a Costco grab that intrigued me with it’s mix of grapes: the back label says it’s a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Shiraz, 5% Lagrein and 4% Dolcetto.

Tastes more like 100% Smuckers.

This is a major dark [...]

Bargain Sauvignon Blanc from Chile

This wine was provided as a sample for review.

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Juicy, zingy nose of citrus crossed with pineapple. A fresh green herb note. Plump citrus fruit on the palate, including a sense of orange zest, yet with a mineral/metallic edge. Nicely crisp. Finishes long, if a little hot for a Sauvignon Blanc. Very enjoyable. A terrific [...]

Finca el Origen Malbec Reserva 2008

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The photo above is of the BBQ pit at Smitty’s in Lockhart, Texas, one of my absolute favorite BBQ joints. This fire sits practically in the middle of the hallway as you enter and the smell in this little room is heavenly. Put this place on your bucket list.

Image credit: jstorer via Flickr

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A Quick Vinho Verde Free Association

Opened another bottle of Vinho Verde a couple nights ago to go with our fish tacos. In the spirit of this post, I’m just going to serve up a Free Association and leave it at that.

Santola Vinho Verde

Free association:

Image credit: Stéfan via Flickr

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Vinho Verde Makes Me Want to Quit Blogging

I love vinho verde.

If you’re not familiar with vinho verde, you’ve got to rectify that. It’s a very light, low alcohol (<10%), slightly effervescent white white from Portugal. (Actually, it is an DOC appellation in Portugal and there are red and pink versions, but the vast majority of vinho verde that is exported is [...]