Sunday Wine Tasting At Wine Steals

After studying a bit this morning I decided to venture out to Wine Steals in Hillcrest. They have an interesting "leftovers" tasting that provides a pretty good deal if you want to try a large selection of wines for a reasonable price. I like to go before the crowds appear so I can spend a little time in reflection on what it is I am tasting without excess perfume and noise interfering with my concentration and sense of smell. From the wide range of wines available I chose the following:

Chateau St. Martin de la Garrigue 2006 "Bronzinelle": A decent, rustic wine from the Coteaux du Languedoc region of France. The wine gave off hints of oak, cherry, and plum. The temperature was working against it as the alcohol was evaporating at a pretty high rate masking the fruits. Good mouthfeel, chewy tannins and good acidity with a short finish. Not bad, probably would have been a better show at a lower temp.

Jenke 2002 Merlot: From the Languedoc we go to the Barossa Valley in Australia for a nice Merlot. Pretty garnet in color with hints of chocolate, plum, and herbs on the nose. Very dry, good alcohol, dusty tannins and decent fruit. Nice complexity and shows some depth. At its peak.

Rockledge 2003 Primitivo: Now to California, Napa's St. Helena AVA to be more precise for this "hot" little number... and by hot I mean a 15.2% alcohol content that you definitely detect. This deep cherry-red wine is a blend of Primitivo, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon delivering spice, red berry fruits and a little "gaminess" to the nose. Jammy fruits, solid tannins and good acidity helps me overlook the heat I get on the finish. Solid but runs on a little higher octane than I like. They might take a look at Fess Parker to see how to handle the higher alcohol a little better but overall not a bad wine for the bucks.

Domaine des Escaravailles 2007 "Les Sablières": Back to France, this time Cotes du Rhone. Heavily Grenache. Dark ruby with hints of violet. Lots of fruit (good raspberry) and hints of oak and earthiness. Lively acidity and good tannins delivering lots of red berry fruits. Medium/light bodied. Medium finish. An excellent offering for the price.

Jazz 2006 Napa Red Wine: From Branham Winery in Napa we have a lovely blend of Zin, Petite Sirah, Cab, and Syrah. Deep red with hiints of purple. Very fruit-forward (plum and dark fruits), soft tannins, decent acidity. A good "up the middle" wine that should please most people looking for a friendly red wine. While sipping I had a craving for food.

Camponova 2007 Toscana Rosso: This lovely Italian blend was one of my top two (the Jazz being the other) in this tasting. Cherry red in color, light fruity nose. Nice acidity, light bodied, almost tangy. Good tannins and delicious red fruits. Lean, clean, simple and very enjoyable. Should go well with a simple red sauce and pasta or a broiled flank steak.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 166