2/2005 J.P TINTO (RED WINE)
We dropped a few tears today: our last bottle of J.P. Tinto red wine is no more. We got a heap of this stuff a couple years back. Like a number of other Portuguese wines, J.P. Tinto is low-priced (about $8) and SOOOOO YUMMY. It's made from 100% Periquita, a grape that produces a flavor which is very difficult to describe. Is it huge, hard, and intense? No, that's not Periquita. Is it delicate and floral? No, that's not it either. Trust us, it just doesn't taste anything like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. You just have to try it to get it. (Rating ***1/2)

To see if our retailer carries J.P. Tinto wines, click SHOP FOR WINES and type "J.P. Tinto" in the search engine and click the magnifying glass. Otherwise contact the importer, Admiral Wine Merchants of Irvington, New Jersey, at 973-371-2211 http://www.AdmiralWines.com/.

 

2/2005 SANTA JULIA MALBEC 2002
We opened this bottle when two guests arrived bearing pizzas. Both our guests vacuumed it up, as did we. This Argentinian Malbec costs $8 or so and does what you'd expect Malbec to do: give you a good sock of stiff red fruit in the chops and not apologize for it. Nope, this red begs to be put up against rich cheeses and salty steaks. (Rating ***1/2)

To see if our retailer carries SANTA JULIA wines, click SHOP FOR WINES and type "SANTA JULIA" in the search engine and click the magnifying glass. Otherwise surf to http://www.FamiliaZuccardi.com/.

 

2/2005 GEORGES DUBOEUF G.D.WHITE
G.D. White? What's old Georgey boy trying to do- get down with the hip-hop crowd? "Yo, Georgey, pass the G.D. White, baby!" Anyhoo, this blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc is a tastey. Though the Chardonnay spent 8 months in oak, very little oak shows. Insted, the citrus notes dominate, giving this a crisp, acidic feel. We quaffed it with Spanakopita (a Greek dish of feta and kale) and enjoyed it very much. And the price, well, it's terrific- $7 retail. (Rating ***3/4)

To see if our retailer carries DUBOEUF wines, click SHOP FOR WINES and type "DUBOEUF" in the search engine and click the magnifying glass. Otherwise surf to http://www.Duboeuf.com/.

 

2/2005 ALAMOS PINOT NOIR 2003
A couple months back, we tried the 2002 vintage of this same wine and liked it plenty. So how is the 2003? Once again, very good and a great bargain (just $9 or so). This Pinot Noir is light bodied, shows black cherry and a bit of earth. Well done! (Rating ****)

To see if our retailer carries ALAMOS PINOT NOIR 2003, click SHOP FOR WINES. Otherwise surf to Billington Imports, Inc.'s (the importer) website at http://www.billingtonwines.com.

 

2/2005 CASTLE ROCK RUSSIAN RIVER PINOT NOIR 2002 and CARNEROS PINOT NOIR 2002
The more we taste Castle Rock wines, the more we are impressed. These two pinot noirs retail for $10 and $11 respectively. Both are worth the money. The Russian River version is a light bodied, plummy wine (Rating ***3/4) while the Carneros pinot noir has, in general, more complexity. It offers plums, a little wet hay, and cream. Yummy! (Rating ****1/4)

To see if our retailer carries CASTLE ROCK PINOT NOIR 2003, click SHOP FOR WINES. Type "CASTLE ROCK" in the search engine and click the mangifying glass. Otherwise surf to http://www.CastleRockWinery.com.

 

2/2005 HESS SELECT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2002
We tend to be leery of low priced wines that are more than two years old; bargain wines, typically, are made for immediate consumption (not cellaring) and one can only wonder what trials wines may have faced over two years (upright storage, vascillating temperatures, etc.) Here, though, we got lucky. We got this California red wine at Costco in Virginia for about $8 and were very pleased. Yes, it was a bit boozy, but the perfumey nose and rich fruit more than made up for it. In retrospect, we wish we had bought a half case or more... (Rating ****)

To see if our retailer carries HESS wines, click SHOP FOR WINES and type "HESS" in the search engine and click the magnifying glass. Otherwise surf to http://www.HessCollection.com/.

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