Menage A Trois California Red Wine 2015

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From the Winemaker: “Our Ménage à Trois exposes the fresh, ripe, jam like fruit that is the calling card of California wine. Forward, silky and soft, this delicious dalliance makes the perfect accompaniment for grilled meats and chicken.”

LABEL

Subtle, clean, elegant. Would have expected a bit more ‘edge’ from a wine called Menage a Trois

COLOR

Rich dark purple

AROMA

On the nose lots and lots of jammy, ripe red and dark fruits

TASTE

On the palate, ripe cherries, black currants – definitely on the jammy side. Medium bodied with a nice smooth finish. Very tasty

PAIRING

Great steak wine, red sauces, stews, hearty meals

PRICE (VALUE)

At around $9 this wine represents an excellent value

THE BOTTOM LINE

Really solid, realiable and readily available Red Blend. At around $9 how could you ask for more? We are awarding this wine our Pick Of The Week and are also adding it to our Best Under $10 List. Pick one or a case up today!

OVERALL RATING

EXCELLENT

OPI Score = 84 What’s This?

Vintage: 2015
Varietal: Red Blend – Zinfandel (45%), Merlot (35%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20% )
Region: California
Country: USA
Winemaker: Folie A Deux Winery
Average Price: $9

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19 Crimes Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH AWARD (AUG 2017) learn more

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Nineteen crimes turned criminals into colonists. Upon conviction British rogues guilty of a least one of the 19 crimes were sentenced to live in Australia, rather than death. This punishment by “transportation” began in 1783 and many of the lawless died at sea. For the rough-hewn prisoners who made it to shore, a new world awaited.

As pioneers in a frontier penal colony, they forged a new country and new lives, brick by brick. This wine celebrates the rules they broke and the culture they built.

From the Winemaker: “Wonderful paired with a scheme for an evening’s escape, this wine conjures up red currants, dark berries and sweet vanilla oak in a passing smell. Caramel lurks in the back. Firm cabernet tannins and red fruits let the flavor linger after each nip.”

LABEL

Completly out of box and unique. Never seen anything like it on the wine market

COLOR

Rich Dark red

AROMA

Lots of dark fruit

TASTE

On the palate, more dark fruits with a hint of vanilla. Medium bodied. Smooth finish

PAIRING

Pair with grilled red meats, ribs, meat sauced pastas.

PRICE (VALUE)

At around $9 you will be hard pressed to find anything on the market that tastes this good for your money

THE BOTTOM LINE

Another wonderful Cab for under $10. The folks at 19 Crimes Winery really got it right with this one. An absolute pleasure to drink and share.

We are naming it our “Diamond in the Rough” Winner for August. It will also be our Pick of the Week selection this week and will grace our monthly Best Under $10 List. Pick one up today!

OVERALL RATING

4 Stars

EXCELLENT

OPI Score = 90 What’s This?

Vintage: 2013
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Barossa
Country: Australia
Winemaker: 19 Crimes Winery
Average Price: $9

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August 4, 2017 0

14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH AWARD (JUL 2017) learn more

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14 Hands wines are inspired by the unbridled spirit of the wild horses that once freely roamed eastern Washington.

Though Labelled as a Cab, this one is technically a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% other varieties including Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Syrah

From the Winemaker: “Rich, juicy red that features aromas of dark cherry, black currant, coffee and subtle hints of spice. These flavors are complemented by a touch of spicy oak and emphasized by refined tannins”

LABEL

Bright, fresh, cool and engaging. Really draws you in.

COLOR

Rich Dark red

AROMA

On the nose I got some nice dark fruits (mainly cherries) and a bit of orange peel

TASTE

On the palate, more dark fruits, cherries, plums and small hint of spice.

PAIRING

Pair with grilled red meats, ribs, meat sauced pastas.

PRICE (VALUE)

At around $9 this is an excellent wine for the money

THE BOTTOM LINE

I really enjoyed this Cab. At around $9 you’ll be hard pressed to find anything as good on the market at this price point.

We are naming it our “Diamond in the Rough” Winner for July. It will also be our Pick of the Week selection this week and will grace our monthly Best Under $10 List. Pick one up today. I heard they only made 850,000 cases!

OVERALL RATING

EXCELLENT

OPI Score = 90 What’s This?

Vintage: 2014
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Columbia Valley, WA
Country: USA
Winemaker: 14 Hands Winery
Average Price: $9

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July 22, 2017 0

Cupcake Red Velvet 2011

Pleasantly surprised by this wine. Lot’s of big aroma and flavor in this quiet, conservative, unassuming bottle.

LABEL

Elegant, understated, clean.

COLOR

Dark Purple.

TASTE

Nice prominent nose of Chocolate, Blackberry and Raspberry.

PRICE

At around $12, this is a great all around value.

PAIRING

Experiment and have fun with this everyday, casual wine. Try it with BBQ, Pizza, Burgers.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Red velvet indeed. Wonderfully smooth, soft, everyday wine and a tremendous value. Pick one up today, you’ll enjoy it!

OVERALL RATING

OPI Score = 77 What’s This?

Wine: Cupcake Red Velvet
Vintage: 2011
Varietal: Red Blend (Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah)
Region: Central Coast
State: California
Winemaker: Cupcake Vineyards
Average Price: $12

June 25, 2017 0

Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel 2011

PICK OF THE WEEK

So what exactly are ancient vines anyways? According to the winemaker Cline Cellars they are vines on their estate that are between 80-100 years old.

92% of this blend is sourced from grapes from these vines. The general belief is that older vines, when properly handled will produce a better wine.

LABEL

Clean, minimalistic. Doesn’t exactly scream “buy me!” There’s also a cool little recipe flip on the back for a PF Chang Ginger Plum Zin sauce.

COLOR

Ruby red.

AROMA

Cherry, vanilla and strawberry on the nose.

TASTE

Full bodied, elegant and smooth with a nice long finish.

PRICE (VALUE)

I’ve seen this wine retail for up to $16. At around $13 here in Miami, you can’t go wrong.

PAIRING

Roasted Meats, light tomato sauced based dishes.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Tremendous value and quality. Pick one up today, you will enjoy it!

OVERALL RATING

VERY GOOD

OPI Score = 69 What’s This?

Vintage: 2011
Varietal: Zinfandel
Region: Contra Costa County
State: California
Winemaker: Cline Cellars
Average Price: $13

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June 24, 2017 0

Secreto Malbec 2009

PICK OF THE WEEK

Viu Manent Winery is among Chile’s leading wine producers, with exports to five continents.

Family owned since 1935, Viu Manent has come a long way over the past 75 years, marked by the Viu family’s love of the trade and their ongoing commitment to the quality of its wines.

LABEL

Really loved the eclectic art work on the label. Certainly make you stop to pick it up.

COLOR

On the palate, more blackberry and cherry with a decent amount of spice. Full bodied, very nice long and smooth finish.

AROMA

Big, prominent nose, some cherry, blackberry, vanilla and oak.

TASTE

On the palate, more blackberry and cherry with a decent amount of spice. Full bodied, very nice long and smooth finish.

PAIRING

Pair with grilled or roasted red meats, pasta.

PRICE (VALUE)

At around $12, this one ranks high on the value scale

THE BOTTOM LINE

At around $12, this wine is a wonderful value. The next time you’re taking down some prime steer make sure you’re armed with one of these bad boys. Pick one up today – you’ll enjoy it. Salud!

OVERALL RATING

VERY GOOD

OPI Score = 64 What’s This?

Vintage: 2009
Varietal: Malbec
Region: Cachapoal Valley
Country: Chile
Winemaker: Viu Manent Winery
Average Price: $12

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June 24, 2017 0

Josh Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH AWARD (JUN 2017) learn more

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An award winning sommelier and successful wine executive, Josh Carr realized after 9/11, that life was too short, and decided to go for his dreams, founding Joseph Carr Winery in 2005.

The winery operates under the negociant model, dedicated to producing hand crafted wines, made from the best grapes sourced from growers in Napa Valley, Carneros, and the North Coast of California.

This particular bottle, Josh, named after his father, is part of Carr Winery’s second label, Josh Cellars. Carr jokingly refer to these wines as “vin de garage.”, however, these wines are all in fact handcrafted and sourced from organic growers.

LABEL

Nice, simple, clean and understated label.

COLOR

Good rich, dark color.

AROMA

A little bit of oak and fruit on the nose. I let it sit for about 10 mins before trying it.

TASTE

On the palate, blackcurrant, spice, plums. Full bodied. Great long finish.

PAIRING

Pair with grilled red meats, ribs, meat sauced pastas.

PRICE (VALUE)

At around $11 this represents a great value.

THE BOTTOM LINE

At around $11, this is a value cabernet sauvignon and a strong quality second label offering from a talented wine maker. A diamond in the rough. Pick one up today! Salud!

OVERALL RATING

VERY GOOD

OPI Score = 73 What’s This?

Vintage: 2011
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Sonoma
State: California
Winemaker: Josh Cellars/Joseph Carr Winery
Average Price: $11

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June 24, 2017 0