Category Archives: Red Wines

Red Wine Review: Red Truck

Red Truck Red Wine 2005

Red Truck Red Wine bottleLast week we profiled Red Truck wines, and posted tasting notes for their White Truck White Wine. Now we also have tasting notes for Red Truck Red Wine.

Deep, rich, aroma of blackberry fruit, earth, tobacco. Lots of sweet earth, green herbs – savory, bay leaf, sage. On the palate, lots of forward fruit upfront. Rich ripe blackberry, black raspberry. It’s a little sharp immediately out of the bottle, so let it sit and evolve for 10-15 minutes and you will be rewarded with a smoother texture and more mellowed flavor. Reminds me of a southern Rhone wine in an overly ripe vintage – think Cotes du Rhone, Cotes du Ventoux, or Vacqueyras in a hot ripe year such as 2003. Better yet, if you’ve experienced Costieres de Nimes and enjoyed it, then you’ll like this too. The black raspberry upfront yields to sweet tobacco, earth, black pepper, and a touch of chocolate licorice and cassis in the finish, which is much longer than expected and in good balance. Acidity is mild to medium, tannins are ripe and medium in intensity, alcohol is properly unnoticeable. If you let it sit for a few minutes, it is very enjoyable and jammy by itself. It is a decent match for grilled, lean meats, vegetarian dishes, chili, and mild cheeses.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-7 v-7 ~ 88 Points

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Red Wine Review: Les Deux Rives Corbieres

Les Deux Rives Corbieres Rouge 2005

Val d'Orbieu Les Deux Rives Corbieres rouge wine bottleSummer is the best time for drinking white and pink wines, but that doesn’t mean you should swear off reds completely. In fact, now is a good time to sample lighter reds that you might not consider during the braising and roasting seasons of autumn and winter.

One such lighter-bodied red, which I find to be a nice match for an array of summertime meals, is Les Deux Rives Corbieres rouge (lay doo reev core bee air rooozh). If you didn’t take French 101, and don’t know much about France’s wine geography, you might have some trouble pronouncing this wine, much less understanding all the gobbledygook on the label.

First, let’s talk about the brand name. “Les Deux Rives” is the name representing the best wine blend of Corbieres produced by les Vignerons du Val d’Orbieu, a group of winegrowers based in Narbonne in Southern France (Val d’Orbieu is in small print somewhere on the label, but this wine is best known by the former moniker).

Additionally, “Les Deux Rives” means “the two banks”, as of a river or other water current (as opposed to Chase and Wachovia). In this case, it refers to the two banks of the Canal du Midi, a canal built in the 1600s that ran through the Corbieres region connected the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. It was one of the most important routes for transporting wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon to northern France, Europe and beyond. The label, in fact, is a rendition of a 1920s postcard of the Canal. So now you have a cool story to tell your friends when you’re pouring the wine.

In addition to the story of the label, it’s helpful to know something about Corbieres. The Corbieres is one of the largest wine appellations in France, a sub-region of the Languedoc-Roussillon, located in the south of France, below Minervois and along the Mediterranean Sea. The main grape grown there is Carignan, which you’ll see throughout the south of France and also in California, and is usually used in combination with other grapes such as Grenache and Cinsault. For a long time, the wines of Corbieres were considered “cheap plonk”, and deserved little attention from critics. However, there are now many fine wines produced in the region, including several excellent values.

This Corbieres from Les Deux Rives is a blend of mostly Grenache and Syrah, with lesser amounts of Mourvedre and Carignan. The nose is soft, not too expressive. Smells of black cherry, hints of earth and tar. Soft and easy on the palate. Not too complex, but good balance and structure that makes it an ideal match for mildly flavored foods, seasoned fish (blackened), fried chicken, hash browns, mild cheeses. Acidity is medium, tannins are soft to medium. Flavors are black cherry, cranberry, red raspberry, touch of mineral, and an earthy, herbal / vegetal component. Smooth texture.

I discovered this wine about six or seven years ago ever since have had it on my list of reliable standbys. Year in and year out, Les Deux Rives provides a consistent flavor profile and structure that is typical of the Corbieres. It’s a step above Beaujolais, a step below Syrah (more like Grenache) — a solid, “bistro” wine and good value. Match it with roasted chicken, lamb, mac and cheese, burgers, and pretty much anything off the grill.

a-7 t-7 b-8 fc-8 v-8 ~ 88 Points

Importers: Pasternak Wine Imports and Martin Sinkoff Wines

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Red Wine Review: Vinos Sin-Ley G2

Vinos Sin-Ley G2 Garnacha D.O. Monstat 2005

Vinos Sin-Ley G2 Garnacha red wine bottleVinos Sin Ley translates to “wines without law”. This is an interesting winery, created by two bright winemakers who have added additional enologists to their group and are focused on making high-quality, value-oriented wines. They produce wines that retail from seven to thirty bucks, with the bulk of the assortment under $13. Macintosh users will be comfortable with their Garnacha range, which is named G1, G2, G3, G4, ,G5, and G6 (prices raise as the G-number increases).

Bright, ripe, open nose of red and black berries, earth, tar, hint of tobacco. In the mouth you get juicy, almost candylike (jolly rancher) wild berry flavors, along with mild earth, a touch of tar and sweet tobacco. Clean, with a polished, smooth texture. Acidity and tannins are mild, making this a better match for lean meats and fish rather than fatty beef and cheesy plates. Enjoyable on its own as well – fine for a cocktail quaffer. This is an enjoyable, easy drinking wine with more complexity than you’d expect from an under-$10 bottle. Great value.

a-8 t-8 b-7 fc-7 v-10 ~ 90 Points

Importer: Ole Imports

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Red Wine Review: Farnetella Chianti

Castello di Farnetella Chianti Colli Senesi 2004

Castello di Farnetella Chianti Colli Senesi red wine bottleThis is one of those wines that likely gets killed in the sterile sanctum of a big wine magazine tasting room — tasted all alone, without food. Because in fact it is mediocre at best when imbibed solo. However, ten-dollar Chianti is not meant to be a wine to be contemplated by the fire. Rather, Chianti — and specifically low-priced Chianti — is supposed to be a daily drinker at the dinner table. And this wine passes the table test with flying colors.

Mild black fruit, pepper, and unidentified herb aromas barely beget interest, but the sour red and black cherry flavors on the palate are an ideal match for marinara sauce. Acidity is appropriately high: tart and drying to the hungry palate, but a perfect partner to a mouth filled with food. A clean and easy quaffer, and versatile enough for a variety of victuals. As mentioned previously, don’t drink it by itself. But do partake it on the table, with spaghetti, chicken parm, meatballs, eggplant, or anything else drowned in marinara or other red sauce. Will be equally interesting paired with high-acid or fatty dishes, so try it with tomato-based preparations (chicken cacciatore?), fatty foods, and anything dominated by cheese (mac and cheese, hunks of parm-reggiano, grilled cheese and tomato).

a-7 t-7 b-7 fc-9 v-9 ~ 89 Points

Importer: Neil Empson

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Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir

Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Carneros 2005

Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Carneros wine labelMany people just getting into wine find their way to Robert Mondavi — particularly the under-$10 bottles tabbed “Private Selection” and the soda-pop formulas packaged under the Woodbridge label.

As such, I’ve avoided everything “Mondavi” on the priniciple that if its made by a mass production giant, it can’t be good.

But then, that would make ME a snob, wouldn’t it? And we can’t have that.

So herewith a review of Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir – Carneros, part of the entry level line of the “serious” Mondavi wines.

Open nose filled with forward, ripe raspberry fruit, touch of spice, and hint of earth. Smooth texture on the palate, with slightly green / unripe red berry fruit showing upfront. A good dose of spice and mild sweet earth arrives in the midpalate to even out the flavor, followed by mild tannins and decent acidity that carries the wine through the finish. The intent of this wine seems to be somewhere between Burgundian and New World in character, and if that’s the case then the wine is a success. It has just enough upfront fruit and spice to please a New World palate, yet also harks back to Old World Pinot Noir. It may benefit from a year in the cellar — but don’t hold it for more than that. Polished and clean, with a pleasant aftertaste, and enough structure to be compatible with lean dishes. Try it with mildly seasoned chicken and pork chops, fish (salmon, trout, snapper), turkey, and vegetarian dishes (lentils and other legumes). Aside from the low-production beauties from esoteric producers, it will be difficult to find a better Pinot Noir at this price point.

a-8 t-7 b-8 fc-7 v-7 ~ 87 Points

Winery website: Robert Mondavi

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