Kestrel 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon; Columbia Valley

The 06 Cab has an almond- raspberry nose. It is concentrated, well rounded, and polished. Very deep flavors. The first impressions it gives is Red Raspberry, cherry, a bit of mint/menthol, even some cola notes for good measure, sweet tannin, and a long, toasty vanilla finish. With a hint of raspberry sauce. What this wine does, it does very well. The flavors are big, but with the harsh edges chipped off; this wine elegantly glides from front palate, mid palate and finish...and the finish keeps going...and going. This is a very good effort from Kestrel. Would be tasty with a NY Strip, roasted potatoes, and Creme Brulee for dessert.

More frequent updates

Sorry for the lapse in updates...I was beginning to think I was blogging to myself. But I will do my best to review 7-10 wines per month, or as my budget allows. Please, leave your comments and let me know your thoughts and opinions!

-Shawn

Amavi 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon; Walla Walla Valley

Brilliant Purple color out of the bottle. The nose has elements of blackberry jam and menthol. My first impression is of nice currant and brown sugar, and some herbal notes (and tannin). Mid palate includes a wonderful creamy texture, some restrained vanilla, raspberry, and caramel. The finish is long and elegant, and tastes of raspberry-cream cheese danish. Really. This Cabernet is young, and really opened up after 30 minutes out of the bottle. As it opens, the wine is becoming far more generous and opulent; the flavors are concentrated, tannin takes more of a back seat, and the finish gets more pronounced...and it really is a dead ringer for danish...This is a beautiful work by Amavi. I'm sure it would evolve with a little more aging; the tannins are nicely complemented by acidity and concentration.

Domaine des Escaravailles Les Sablieres 2007 Cotes Du Rhone

This beauty of a Southern French wine pours deep garnet red; It has a very dark, musky nose. It shows it's old world roots right of: Notes of herb and black pepper are immediately noticeable, and the pepper note really intensifies mid palate. There is a very woodsy quality to this wine- almost hearty. It has a very rich mouthfeel, heavy bodied, but with a surprising twist in the finish; tart and acidic, it lingers on and really kind of brings this wine together. It's not until that finish that any fruitiness starts to show itself. Restrained oak, tame tannin, nice concentration. A great little bottle of wine.

Jade Mountain La Provencale 2008 California Red Wine

First- This wine is very, very, good. It is as though a gutsy Aussie Shiraz married an earthy, rustic, Cotes du Languedoc, and this was their offspring. Pours purple out the bottle, this wine has a pleasant, almost cologne-like nose. Big bold fruit- plum, blackberry, and raisin are followed by licorice, black pepper, and herbs. Medium bodied, nice acidity, and easy tannins. This wine's complexity, concentration, and balance really fly in the face of it's dirt cheap price point. It was on sale at Cost Plus World Market for 7.99. Exceptional value for the money.

Seven Hills 2006 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine comes out a bright ruby color. It features a hot perfumey nose. Definitely smells like alcohol, which is wierd, because it's only 13.7%. The first flavors I get are of almond extract, blackberries, and just a touch of vanilla and caramel. It seems rather light for a cabernet. The finish is also quick. I've had the 2005, and my memory is of that vintage being much better- fuller, a lot more concentration, more complexity, and longer finish. That's not to say this is a bad wine. Not at all. Just from a premium producer like Seven Hills, I was expecting more, and you can find much better values. But it is still a tasty little bottle. If it were 8 bucks less, I'd enjoy it much more.

Trapiche Broquel Malbec 2007; Mendoza, Argentina

The color of this wine is a deep dark purple hue. I think this wine is pleasant, but could benefit from some aging. The tannins are very noticable at first sip. There is an immediate grainy drying sensation that takes place. This wine is very flavorful, however. Big black cherry notes dominate, and some very noticable herby/anise notes, with a background of tar and tobacco. The finish is nice and long, with some bright berry notes resonating. I really like this wine, but thinks it needs some time to tone down....just a bit. A really great value, though at around 12 bucks.