craigabarrett.com

2003 Montes Alpha

Thu, 15 May 2008 22:50:09 +0000

Okay, 2 years and counting. Either way, the Montes Alpha is fantastic. For under $25 bucks, it is one of my top choices. A bit overly grape-y, but other than that, a real find.

Thu, 15 May 2008 22:50:06 +0000

2004 Peachy Canyon Zinfindel

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 09:09:07 +0000

I wish this bottle were cheaper. At 11.99 is is only a good value. Although, in California this runs for about 8.99 a bottle making this an extraordinay value. Big plumy fruit and high alcohol content make this wine bold but not harsh. A great pairing for bbq. Highly recommended.

2002 Jewel Zinfandel

Fri, 12 May 2006 00:35:53 +0000

Oh lord, were stuck in Lodi again.
This was a $9 bottle from Costco (all hail Costco!). The wine manager placed neon colored sticker on the display proclaiming it is “his pick”, and by god, that is good enough for me.

Paired up with a semi-strong gruere this wine really didn’t measure up. I am guess it might have done better on its own, but it lacked the strength and structure I was looking for. Thumbs down.

2002 Ferrari Carano Syrah

Fri, 12 May 2006 00:29:05 +0000

Balanced with a bit of spice it was smooth and very drinkable. At $12 a bottle, it was a little forgetable, but I think I might need to try it again before passing judgment.

Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio

Fri, 12 May 2006 00:24:33 +0000

This was Delan’s selection for a visiting friend. It had nice apple and walnut flavors and was reasonably refreshing without being overly sweet. At 13 dollars it was a solid buy but not a deal.

2002 Twin Fin Cab

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 21:04:04 +0000

Screw tops wines. Ugh. Well once you can get over that, this $6 bottle was even and had long legs stong bite, and grass and oak flavors. A very good bottle in this price range.

2004 Traders Joes Cabernet Coastal

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 20:59:22 +0000

This $5.99 bottle is the bottom level of traders Joe’s private label line. It is 3 times the price of Charles Shaw, but is not 3 times as good. Still, by any price measure, an eviable mix of quality and cost.

2002 Toleale

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 20:54:57 +0000

This one runs about $7.99 a bottle and is probably worth giving it a second chance. It had a bit of a musky flavor that I did not like, but everything else was good. There is always the chance that I was chemically unable to make sound wine judgements when this one was opened.

2001 Mouton Cadet Bordeaux

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 20:47:17 +0000

If I were going to name a wine, I would certainly try and trick people into thinking it was $300 a bottle going for $5. In any case, Mouton Cadet A.k.a Junior Sheep was hardly similar to how I would imagine its senior bordeaux brothers taste. It was not bad and at the price, I would give it another shot.