Price: $9.99 at Total Wine Style: The “Tom” (Medium body and power with some interesting tastes beyond basic fruits.) Rating: “Good” Recommendation: “Grab a few bottles” Review: Another nice bottle in this month's challenge! A wonderful nose; strong, sweet, and more complex than you usually get at this price, showing cinnamon, spice, and, sweet tobacco. The palate builds on …
Price: $9.29 at Total Wine Style: The “Anna" (a pleasant medium body with simple fruit flavors) Rating: “Ok” Recommendation: “Have a glass or two” Review: Our second Zinfandel of the month was a step down from the Zen of Zin, which kind of surprised me from Cline. This bottle isn't bad, but it isn't really good either. The medium …
Price: $8.49 at Total Wine Style: The “Tom” (Medium body and power with some interesting tastes beyond basic fruits.) Rating: “Good” Recommendation: “Grab a few bottles” Review: We're starting off the Zinfandel challenge on the right foot! The Zen of Zin gives you a great nose right out of the bottle with strong candied cherries and some buttercream frosting …
Zinfandel Challenge Overview After spending last month in Argentina and France (or at least in Argentinian and French bottles of Malbec), we're coming back to the US this month to explore Zinfandel. Unfortunately, many people still associate Zinfandel with the insipid (my opinion) sweet pink 1980's concoction, "White Zinfandel". I assure you that White Zinfandel …
Continue reading ‘Total Wine & More’ Zinfandel Challenge Kickoff!
Malbec Challenge Results The results are in! At the bottom of this post, you'll find the final rankings and links to the individual wine reviews. Overall, the results this month were mixed. I went into the month with the perception that Argentinian Malbec was an amazing value and it would be incredibly easy to find …
Price: $6.77 at Total Wine Style: The “Tom” Rating: “Good” Recommendation: “Grab a few bottles” Review: A really great deal at the $6.77 price at TotalWine. This wine is nicely balanced, smooth, and gives just a little more flavor complexity than the basic red blend. None of the unbalanced alcohol, metallic taste, or lack of acidity that you so …
Price: $8.97 at Total Wine Style: The “Tom” Rating: “Ok” Recommendation: “Have a glass or two” Review: This bottle definitely had more complex aromas than most of the Malbecs we've been tasting this month. When we first opened it there was a bit of barnyard (brett) that was actually a little unpleasant. However, with a bit of air, that …
Price: $10.99 at Total Wine Style: The “Tom” Rating: “Good” Recommendation: “Have a glass or two” Review: Although subtle, this simple wine actually tastes like a value Malbec, rather than just a generic red blend. (Ironically enough, this one of the few bottles of the challenge that is actually a blend, rather than 100% Malbec.) The medium nose offers …
Continue reading Finca Flichman Malbec Tupungato 2014 – Argentina
Price: $8.29 at Total Wine Style: The “Anna” Rating: “Ok” Recommendation: “Have a glass or two” Review: Unfortunately, another unremarkable bottle in this month's challenge. I found this wine to be highly similar to the Luc Pirlet.... in fact I'm not sure I could tell them apart head-to-head. Just like the Luc, this one had essentially no aroma at …
Price: $9.99 at Total Wine Style: The “Anna” Rating: “Ok” Recommendation: “Have a glass or two” Review: Smooth and easy drinking, but a really generic and muted profile. The nose was pretty much dead... I sniffed and sniffed and sniffed and got just nothing. Pretty much the same experience on the palate with a distinct lack of flavor except …
Price: $9.99 at Total Wine Style: The “Mike” Rating: “Ok” Recommendation: “Have a glass or two” Review: Well, we’re not off to a real strong start this month. Although by no means a bad wine, this certainly isn’t something I’d be excited to drink every day. Dark purple with a hint of ruby red, the medium strength nose opens with […]
Price: $9.99 at Total Wine Style: The “Mike” Rating: “Ok” Recommendation: “Have a glass or two” Review: Well, we’re not off to a real strong start this month. Although by no means a bad wine, this certainly isn’t something I’d be excited to drink every day. Dark purple with a hint of ruby red, the medium strength nose opens with […]
Price: $9.99 at Total Wine Style: The “Mike” Rating: “Ok” Recommendation: “Have a glass or two” Review: Well, we’re not off to a real strong start this month. Although by no means a bad wine, this certainly isn’t something I’d be excited to drink every day. Dark purple with a hint of ruby red, the medium strength nose opens with […]
Price: $9.99 at Total Wine Style: The “Mike” Rating: “Ok” Recommendation: “Have a glass or two” Review: Well, we’re not off to a real strong start this month. Although by no means a bad wine, this certainly isn’t something I’d be excited to drink every day. Dark purple with a hint of ruby red, the medium strength nose opens with […]
Price: $9.99 at Total Wine Style: The "Anna" Rating: "Ok" Recommendation: "Have a glass or two" Review: Well, we're not off to a real strong start this month. Although by no means a bad wine, this certainly isn't something I'd be excited to drink every day. Dark purple with a hint of ruby red, the medium strength nose opens with …
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