2016 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette - Red Blend

   Are you ready for crazy? Here it is. It was 31 degrees here in Central Florida last night and it is only November 10th. Boom, how is that for crazy? As I sit here and write this review, we are again headed towards yet another two nights of the very same temperature. While this kind of low is not entirely abnormal for my area of Florida as we will get around three to four days of freezing weather all year, it will usually come in late January, it's not even Winter yet. I guess so much for global warming huh? Anyway...I did have to bring in some of my beautiful tropical plants that normally live out on the back patio because otherwise they would have died. I guess when you think about it, it's amazing just how strong these plants actually are though as they will survive temperature swings of the low 90's with high humidity in the summertime, all the way to a normal low of around 41 degrees in the winter and all without showing much signs of stress.That is a big temperature swing to endure.

A little something to also keep in mind is the fact that last year in late February, I was already planting tomatoes & peppers in my garden beds. I still have hopes I can do that again but this does remain to be seen. As far as my other plants outside are concerned, my elephant ears will survive outdoors just fine but my Bird of Paradise will be challenged a bit. My sweet potato vines were done in last night but I did manage to take some cuttings (slips) and I will grow them indoors for a couple of months as they make pretty plants in general. Out front my banana plants survived so far but they took a hit and as I said, there are at least another two nights of crazy temps coming so I don't know how they will fare. I have new grape vines sitting on the patio out back as well but they will simply go dormant until the springtime. Guys, speaking of springtime, I can't wait to get back to the garden, but that is a few months away and that's okay because right now it is wine time so let's talk wine.

   Around a month ago, I was on a wine site named "Last Bottle", (https://www.lastbottlewines.com) and I saw a wine for sale that I just had to jump on. The wine was the 2016 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette - Red Blend and from what I saw of the reviews and the price, I needed two bottles. The wine cost me $35 a piece but according to the wineries page it sells for $200! The wine comes in at 14.5% alcohol and the grapes for this wine come from the estate vineyards of the Spring Mountain Vineyard which is located in the Spring Mountain District AVA of the Napa Valley.

The wine is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdo, 6% Malbec & 6% Merlot and was aged for 20 months in new French oak as well...DAMN! Are you feeling it yet? As a last bit of info here, it seems that a big time wine magazine gave this wine an amazing 96 points and although I really don't hold much stock in these magazines as I feel money talks, I am really excited to taste it because I've never tasted a 96 point rated wine.

   As far as the label is concerned, it certainly does scream the wineries listed price. A wine label does not have to be loud or super colorful in order to get its point across especially when it gives off this type of a confident visual impression. That second label just above the main is the same color as the main and that script...that font...my goodness how it shows off this wine in general. The label(s) are so beautiful that I have a special pourer on the mouth of the bottle because I would be so upset if I dripped even a bit of wine on it. This is certainly a case where less is more when it comes to the overall design and impact of a label. The overall simplicity of the label has already sold me that the wine inside will probably be very nice. 

   Visually, as I pour a glass and I hold it over a white piece of paper, the wine shows a lip that has no clarity to it, the wine is one continuous color. I also cannot see the white paper that is directly underneath the glass; it simply appears as if it no longer exists.

The wine in the glass is dark burgundy from the lip all the way into the middle of the bowl. Color wise, this wine shows no signs at all that it is a 2016 vintage. Judging only from this one aspect and not having tasted it yet, this is a good sign that the wine might have some life left to it and could possibly perhaps even age a bit longer as well.

   On the nose and as the wine opens, I get notes of black cherry and what appears at least to be, a forward and rich blackberry. These fruits appear as if they are ripe and will be rather lively. A nice note of  tobacco comes across here as well and I am also getting a note of leather to top things off. All together, the nose of this wine is smelling delicious. Bringing the glass to my nose one last time, there is some graphite here as well. Guys...this wine is smelling like a powerhouse of a red wine, let's taste it now.

   Now as far as the palate is concerned, right off the bat and without any doubt...my first finding is that this a very big and robust red wine. The wine opens up on the palate with a delicious note of a luscious & ripe blackberry. I have never tasted a blackberry note quite like this before, as in never. This note is presented in the most amazing way and thankfully without much sweetness to it. While there us just a tad bit of sweetness, it is kept in its place buy the wine as a whole. Freshness in every aspect is the overall key here. The wine also has an amazing sense of refinement to it, a polish to it that again, I have never tasted before.This refinement, this polish that the wine offers up has me in awe and my palate bathed in delicious red juice. I know it is a little early to say this but the wine is presenting itself in such a way that I actually think I would pay $200 for it. Keep in mind that I have been tasting this wine for a while now so I know fully well what it has to offer.

There is a note of graphite that is up front here and really fight as if it wants to be the dominate note.This dominance does not happen but I am certainly enjoying the attempt. If you have never had the opportunity to experience this type of graphite palate note, you owe it to yourself to get this wine and experience it because this is the pinnacle of what it should be. Spiced plum just permeates throughout the entire wine and I loved it. Despite the 14.5% alcohol, you should have no worries as I was unable to either taste it or feel it. Tobacco, guys, is here as well and while it isn't fighting for dominance as it appears to be very happy where it is, it is well blended into the wine and effective at coming forward. Tannins are polished and are exhibited it seems manly towards the finish. These tannins are not crumbly, they are instead finely grained and as with the rest of the wine, these tannins are refined and polished. A note of dried rose petals is here as well. Keeping it real as always, I have never experienced a red wine with this particular note guys but here it is. I now know what I have been missing as it is very nice. Folks, everything this wine offers up is very simply in perfect harmony and balance. Everything this wine presents is offered up in a way that is truly masterful. Control and placement of the notes is a big part of how this wine stands apart from so many other wines of the same type. There is a lushness exhibited in this wine which is sort of a background note and the way it comes across is proof that it simply knows how to get the job done. Adding to all of this is a beautiful spice note that comes forward here that 

 

is not only from that plum I mentioned earlier in the review but this time is one of almost a peppery spice. Once again here is a note that is allowed to express only what it needs to and is held in check so as not to go crazy. So, I am sitting here in my party room (business office :) and every time I take a sip of the wine my palate is just bathed in this rich... lusciousness. I think I have used the word "lusciousness" a lot in this review but I can't help it guys, the word is definitely called for. 

   Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to come out and say it. This is the best red wine that I have ever had and I do not say that lightly. People, I have tasted a lot of wine and I am not easy on my wines. A wine has to present...offer up specific notes depending on the varietal that I feel are a requirement...are mandatory or they will show that lacking in my Desert Wine Guy rating. 

   Wine lovers, I started this review on November 11th at 4:20 PM and it is now 6:16 PM. I have to stop this review for the night as it is getting late and, I have no one to share this wine with, it is a power house. Having a half a bottle left and having sealed the bottle tight after every pour, the wine really hasn't had time for oxygen to do its damage and so I am going to put the bottle aside for the night and I will come back to it tomorrow.

   Alright, here I am again and it is time to finish this review. Picking things up here where I left off last night I will tell you that the wine was quite simply... outstanding! Continuing here with my review, I need to get back to that spice note I mentioned yesterday. As I said, aside from the spiced plum, there is another note of pepper, of black pepper. This pepper plays along with that spiced plum and both work seamlessly within the wine as a whole. One note that I have not mentioned as of yet is that French oak that yes, is something to note. The oak integration here is right on point and simply adds to the wines greatness in its entirety, it is not a distraction in any way. What good is a serious red wine if it doesn't offer up some well integrated oak, right? Folks, you should know that this wine has not skipped a beat since last night. I sealed it with the cork very tightly after each pour and as I the placed the bottle aside for the night as well.

Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette

Normally I do not come back to a wine. If I'm done enjoying a wine for the night, down the drain the rest goes but here, with this particular wine, I couldn't do that because this wine begged to be finished. I have to address that richness note that I mentioned yesterday because it deserves more attention. A lot of wines display a note of richness but in this case, this particular expression is not a cheap, sweet richness. This richness is super well controlled, super well kept in check and is just another example of just how well the winemaker knows what he was doing. Another note that is mixed in here is one of charcoal. I have never experienced this note in a wine although I have read reviews of reds that exhibit it. This note was the topping on the cake so to speak and helped the wine rush over the finish line. Guys, I really could go on talking about this wine but I will leave you with one last thought. Each and every time I take a sip of this this wine into my mouth I am forced to just sit back and contemplate the origins of the universe, the story of the making of mankind. If I smoked, I would have the best cigar in my hand while I sat in a large chair in my bathrobe & slippers. In the end, the winemaker used all of his talent to put this wine together and create what can only be considered to be a masterpiece. Okay so what is The Desert Wine Guy rating on this wine? My rating for this wine is 98 points. This is the highest scoring wine that I have ever reviewed, white or red and that score is well deserved. 

 

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The Good Pour - My Thoughts

           

   The other day my daughter and I took a trip to Gainesville, Florida just to spend the day together and hang out. We had decided that we were going to go to a sushi restaurant named Rock N Roll Sushi but unfortunately it appeared that they went out of business. She quickly searched for another sushi restaurant and came across one that sounded interesting so off we went. I of course also had plans as I do every time I get to the Gainesville area to go to Total Wine & More.

As soon as I pulled up to the sushi restaurant, I saw a wine shop a few doors down named The Good Pour and I told my daughter that we had to stop in to check it out after eating. In all reality, I really didn't expect much. What I did expect was your typical, everyday run of the mill liquor store with a couple of inexpensive wines on the shelves, lotto tickets, some common beers and flavored cigars, I think you know the kind of store I mean. To my surprise, what I found was more, much more...let's talk.
  The Good Pour was started by a businessman named Ray Horal and its first location was located in Winter Park, FL back in 2022. Ray was in the wine and spirits industry for over twenty years but he along with his wife, Giuliana wanted " to create a retail space that could harness the sector’s economic power for social impact".

Ray says The Good Pour is dedicated to philanthropy, “We wanted to build the largest lever mankind has ever had to give back.” Ray also says “Our team is here because they believe in something bigger than themselves. This isn’t just a job; it’s a mission.”  Aside from the charitable aspect of The Good Pour, the business model is certainly upscale and seems to cater to a younger (Gen Z) middle class type of clientele. As a matter of fact on the companies website (https://goodpour.com/) they say they are "...catering to the growing demand for ethical, experiential and personalized shopping experiences, especially among millennials and women". One cool aspect of The Good Pour is that the company allows you to choose one of over 140+ charity's to donate to at the time of purchase. It actually prides itself on this unique aspect and as you will see below, it proudly displays this feature.The company claims it has donated $275,000 to local charities in just two years.

Every price tag has a stated amount that the company will give towards a specific charity that you pick from a digital board which they call the "pour board". As the companies website says, they are not asking you to round up your money instead, this is money they take from the price you pay for an item, which would now be their money. The website also goes on to say concerning their charities "From animals and the arts to health and the environment, our nonprofit partners have been vetted and verified, so you can feel confident that donations are going to a good cause." All of this sounds great on paper but let's see how it worked out in reality.
     Okay, so, there we were standing outside the store with a full stomach from some very tasty sushi and it was time to quickly head into the liquor store just to take a peak. As I already said, I was not really expecting anything special, let alone anything that was going to stop my trip to Total Wines. Immediately upon walking in we were greeted by Nicky employee who came from around the counter to greet us.

Nicky was on the younger side which disappointed me as honestly, I really didn't expect to get much help from her nor did I expect to receive the wealth of knowledge she offered up on both the company and wines in general. After interacting with here for just a bit I found her to be genuinely friendly, very knowledgeable about the company and wine, full of energy and willing to assist in any way she could. As I began to walk around the store, I was actually impressed with the wines they carried as well as the prices. The store is 2600 square feet  and is laid out beautifully. You can shop wines by region such as California, France & South America as well as others which I found to be of assistance while deciding on a particular wine to purchase. Champagne, Sake as well as non-alcoholic wines were available as well. From brands on the lower end such as such Barefoot starting at $6.99 to Chateau Ste. Michelle and Josh Cellars, all the way to more prestigious wines such as Austin Hope, Cakebread, Nickel & Nickel and Chateau Trottevieille St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe at $199 a bottle, the place had it all.

I saw wine gadgets and accompaniment items as well such as coasters with wine sayings, cute wine glasses for parties or just sitting out back with friends. I also saw small napkins with little wine sayings as well as kitchen towels along the same lines. While the woman aspect of the business is evident judging by the designs and wording on the glassware and on the side products, the crowd in general was mostly made up of both men & women and mostly millennials. I will tell you though that being a guy who is a member of the last great generation (Generation X), I felt right at home. By the way, no folks, this was not some Stop & Go, that's for sure. On top of frilly glassware, there were the usual snacks that you would expect with keeping in line with alcohol in general. There were candles, books on cocktails including Wine Follys, The Master Guide Book. While these items didn't have what I would consider to be a large presentation, there was certainly enough of a diversification to fulfill the average need. I could go on with the wine and spirits items the store carried but it would be better if you checked out their website or even better, stopped in at their store. As far as the shelves themselves and the store itself, both were very clean and the store was very well lit with bottles faced perfectly. Aside from wine and the side ends, there were an equal amount of spirits sold as well such as Bourbon, Tequila, Brandy & Cognac plus other spirits as well. The shelves for these items was no less impressive looking than the wines shelves were and I think both types of drinkers were very well represented and would be very happy with the selection the store offered up. On top of all of this, beer, seltzers and mixers were available as well.

   Well, there you have it guys, my impression of The Good Pour. Will I be going back? Absolutely I will as I was impressed. Okay so...competition...the future of the business. A few months ago, I was headed to Total Wines but on the way ended up passing an ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. For those who don't know, this is a pretty big liquor store out here in Florida that has a lot of locations. While a lot smaller in square footage and not going after quite the same customer as Total, ABC certainly is close enough. This store had closed and I would bet that closure wasn't long after Total opened in the area. This brings me to why. Why would Ray Horal go up against both Total and ABC, does he have a chance at success? First off, I don't believe that The Good Pour and the other two stores are meant to compete against one another. The Good Pour has an environment that really plays into the Generation Z thing. To me, this is a huge difference that has them standing on their own. I will also make this the last time I mention ABC as the only thing they have going for them is the fact that they are in a lot of areas such as mine where there is no Total. I do believe that yes, they will fall eventually as the number of The Good Pour locations expands. I believe that Mr. Horal has found a niche that is not currently being filled and for that reason his business will succeed. The Good Pour draws you in and says, "come in, hang out a bit, you are welcome here". The Good Pour has a more lively, more personal touch to it. The Good Pour livens things up a good bit and draws you back in to hang out for a bit with the employees who genuinely want to hang out with you a bit. Total on the other hand is more of a warehouse, an impersonal place that yes, does admittedly have a lot more to choose from and yes, does have employees that will help you but those employees always seem rushed and for whatever reason do not give off a bright and cheerful demeanor. In the end, the atmosphere is nowhere near the same as The Good Pour. Total to me is an in & out place, you go in, find what you want and go out. The Good Pour on the other hand means visiting a lively, energetic place where the cool people hang out.
 
                                                                      The Desert  Wine Guy

 

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2024 Sunshine Bay, Sauvignon Blanc

 The other day I was at Aldis doing a small bit of shopping when I happened to pass by the wine section. I thought, would you just look at that, the wine section. One of the wines that caught my eye was todays review wine which is a Sauvignon Blanc. The bottle had a sticker on it that said the wine was rated 93 points by something named "Wine Orbit". I don't know about you but I have never heard of Wine Orbit but I figured it was a good enough reason for me to buy the bottle :) I guess I figured if  Wine Orbit liked the wine so much, it had to be good...right? Having gotten the wine home and am now sitting in front of my computer I see that the site claims to be "a website that provides reviews of New Zealand wines and wines from around the world." Okay so the site sounds interesting but can they rate a wine? We will now find out.

   Today I will be taking a look at the 2024 Sunshine Bay, Sauvignon Blanc. I paid $8.99 for the wine and the bottle is screw cap sealed. The wine comes in at 12.5% alcohol and its grapes come from the Marlborough region (Wairau Valley) of New Zealand. 

   On the nose I'll let you know that my glass is about two feet away from me and I am definitely picking up lemongrass, fresh, very fresh smelling lemongrass. There appears to be a nice, bright vibrancy to the bouquet even from this distance. Bringing the glass to my nose now, that lemongrass is indeed very forward and smells inviting for sure. There is almost a musky greenish type note to the wine as well and if that sounds weird, I will let you know that the wine doesn't smell weird that's for sure, it actually smells very inviting.

   On the palate now, I have to right away let you know that the wine disappoints. I guess I'm getting ahead of myself though so allow me to back up a bit. There is a watery sort of dominance to the wine. This watery taste is fairly forward and is what I seem to remember as long as the wine sits in my mouth. There is lemongrass here on the palate but that wateriness...blandness note really deadens...softens it a great deal. Acidity is a bit on the high side and a bit unbalanced as well in my opinion. On the sides of my palate is where I semi enjoyed the wine as it seemed to exhibit a very nice brilliance of sorts. Passion fruit is here as well and it is forward. This passion fruit is really the fruit that stands out to. This passion fruit really does its best to fight off that wateriness and to its credit, it does a good job at it but in the end, fails to do so. There is a greenness to this wine that I thought was a bit to much as it seemed to add a good amount of driness to the wine. Minerality here is way overdone and leads to a wine that is more stone tasting than anything else. Lime is here but it has zero sharpness...zero freshness to it. As a matter of fact, the wine would have better without this note. 

   So...now that you have read all of the above and you are rightfully expecting me to bomb this wine, you need to read on. Keep in mind that this is a wine and not a beer so sipping, tasting is a big part of a review. Having said this I have to let you know that the wine developed after a while into a wine that originally was headed for 84 points but turned into an 89 point wine in the end which is a big jump. The flavor developed and was actually very nice. The wine amazingly became fresh, bright and tasty. That blandness (watery note) is gone...like, completely. What replaced this blandness is flavor, flavor of fresh lemongrass, a nice lemongrass. Acidity ended up remaining on the slightly high end but became on point and nice. Minerality remains but unfortunately it still isn't that great. The passion fruit was bright and flavorful while giving way to the wines other notes. The wine in the end was juicy and wasn't shy at all about expressing itself. Okay folks, I do believe this review has gone on long enough. I will see you in the next paragraph and wrap this all up. 

   Okay so, do I recommend this wine? The answer is, yeah, if you want to open a wine and let it sit for 45 minutes, I recommend it, it's decent. What this wine is is a slightly above average wine for the price. After 45 minutes the wine has finally come into its own and is on the enjoyable side. Now guys, don't get me wrong, this is not the finest Sauvignon Blanc I have tasted but it earned its place. As for a pool wine, if waiting 45 minutes for your guests to taste it works for you than yeah, it can be but I myself wouldn't do that as this is a long time for a wine to find itself, too long. In the end, the wine was worth the effort if you decant it and have something else to do in the meantime.

 

                                                                                               The Desert Wine Guy

 

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2022 Edna Valley, Chardonnay

   What's up wine lovers? today I had the opportunity to take a trip with one of my kids to Gainesville, Florida as there was a record store we had to check out. Of course we also had to do some lunch so we stopped at a sushi restaurant and had some amazing sushi. Right next door to the sushi restaurant was a wine shop but not just any wine shop, this was a place named The Good Pour (https://goodpour.com/). While I won't get into the details of the store here in this review, I will say it was a very nice wine shop and a wine shop that I certainly will be doing a review of very shortly. Guys, I was impressed overall with the store and I can't wait to tell you about it. In the meantime, I will tell you that I high;y recommend you visit one of their locations if you are in the Central Florida area. Now it is time to review one of the wines I bought while at the store.

   Today I will be taking a look at the 2022 Edna Valley, Chardonnay. As I said earlier, I visited a new wine store today. While I was there I picked up two wines from wineries that I had never heard of before with one being today's review wine. I paid $13.99 for this wine and the bottle is cork sealed. The wine comes in at 13.5% alcohol and the grapes for it come from the Edna Valley AVA located in  San Luis Obispo  County, California. 

   Let's talk label now. I think this is a wonderful label for a white wine. The label is mostly all white and what really sets it off is the where the gold color is used and how that gold frames the wineries name. Take a good look at the label guys, isn't that awesome? I especially live the gold colored Crest that is in the center of the label. All around this is an very nice label and one which presents the wine inside very nicely.

   Okay than, on the nose, the wine is extremely limited and puts off a huge note or impression at least of a wine that is vanilla dominated like big time. There is some oak as well and the impression at least of a wine that is going to be almost ayrupy tasting as well.

   On the palate now, there is an oak note here and it is right up there a feared note of butteriness. Adding to these two notes is an ever so slight alcohol burn that I picked up on the finish. On the fruit end, as I feared, I am picking up an almost syrupy...green pear...nectar driven Chardonnay. Making matters even worse is a huge (nasty) note of Vanilla, yeah guys, vanilla. To make matters even worse, there is also a crazy sweetness element to the wine that just adds to its destruction. Guys...I can't...I simply can't go on with this review. The wine sucks! I will see you in the next paragraph to wrap this review up. 

   Look guys, there are many, many people out there who will absolutely just love this wine. I myself can't understand why or how they will but wine is subjective and what I rate at 83, some might rate at 92. If this wine is your style than you have found a winner, buy it by the case, it's cheap enough. If, on the other hand, you expect much more from a Chardonnay, stay farrrrr away from this wine. On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale I am indeed giving this wine 83 points. As a matter of fact, I am going to rate this wine as undrinkable because to me it is that bad.

 

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2023 Art Of The Cooper, Chardonnay - Special Selection

 

   I don't know about you guys but I do not like it when I have only one store to choose from that carries either one specific item or is the only store of its kind. What my issue specifically is here is that in Florida we basically have one grocery store to choose from and that store is Publix. I remember when I first moved from Las Vegas, the first grocery store I went into was Publix and man was I amazed at just how high priced they were. In Vegas my family and I were use to Smiths (Kroger), Albertsons & Vons and they each competed against one another for our business which meant we, the consumer, got the best price. I bring this up because I went to Publix the other day to get a bottle of wine as I was very simply too lazy to drive to the mom & pop wine shop I normally go to and the wine prices were super high. While Publix was always high priced, their wines were never this high priced. I think for now being lazy is out of the question and a short drive is in order as it is pretty sad when a huge grocery store chain is beaten out by a small family owned wine shop. I will just leave you guys with this and that is "Caveat emptor" which means, let the buyer beware.

   Okay than, we are here today to learn about the 2023 Art Of The Cooper, Chardonnay - Special Selection. I recently did a review of the 2018 Art Of The Cooper, Sauvignon Blanc and found it to be an amazing wine so I figured when I saw this label again, I would jump on the chance to review it. I paid $9.99 for the wine and the bottle is cork sealed. The wine itself comes in at 14.5% alcohol which I find to be slightly high and its grapes come from the Napa Valley. For what it's worth, this is a "special selection" Chardonnay and in a few I will see just how special it is :) 

    Now label wise, I absolutely just love it. Click on the picture of the wine guys and take a look for yourselves, I ask you, is it not amazing? I just love the charcoal color of the label with the gold lettering and symbol. I think the white being chosen for the vintage color really helps in setting the label off as it provides just a bit of needed contrast here. While the term "special selection" probably doesn't really mean anything, I love how the winery put a small label located in the corner to advertising it.

    On the nose now, I get what appears to be a baked, green pear type sweetness which appears at least as if it is going to dominate the palate. There is however, a liveliness to the nose but that sweetness perception has me concerned. This wines bouquet is limited to that pear note. 

   So, here we go now, how does the wine come across on the palate? The first think I picked up here is a spice to the wine. For a second I actually had to sit back and think about what I was actually tasting as I am not use to a Chardonnay having this level of spice. After taking a second or two to analyze what I was tasting, I realized that I like it. The spice while forward is very nicely presented and the wine is also so very well balanced, whomever the winemaker is, knows his or her stuff. Acidity is on the high side here which is a perfect match for not only the level of spice but the wine in general as a whole. Fruit? You want fruit? Well, let's talk because I am getting a bit of ripe, baked green pear that is surprisingly on the more subtle side when compared to the nose and while I understand the word "subtle" may seem like a bad thing, in this particular case, it is not a bad thing by any means. Having smelled the wine, I thought the pear would be a good bit more pronounced but thankfully this was not happening.

This pear is not sappy or sickeningly sweet as many inexpensive Chardonnays love to put on display. Far too many times I have tasted baked green pear in a Chardonnay and found it to ruin a wine, this however is not that wine. A tinge of green apple is here as well and it comes in on the finish of the wine...its good. Oak. Yes, there is some oak here but again, it is well integrated and is not presented in a bad way at all. Speaking of oak, what would you expect from a winery whose name is Art of The Cooper as a Cooper is a after all a barrel maker. Here is where I bergin to have an issues with this wine as Vanilla is here as well and it does seem to also add a bit of sweetness to the wine. This is a sweetness that I could have done without and unfortunately it only increases as the wine develops. At first I was thinking that because the wine was warming a bit its sweetness was increasing but even when I put the bottle back in the ice bucket, the wine continued to develop along this path. It seemed that the wine was developing continuously and in a negative way.as that development continued to bring along increasing Vanilla sweetness with it. The wine does fight hard to maintain itself and it is fairly successful but in the end that vanilla sweetness really does it in. As a last note, there is some fresh tasting yellow peach here as well. This peach is a nice addition to the wine and it is incorporated very well into the wine as well and I enjoyed it. There was a crispness to the wine that while on the lighter side, was good. Sadly in the end I have to say that the wine was originally headed for a rating of 95 points but as the wine developed (changed) it kind of went sideways, it changed and became a wine that I cannot recommend.. So, there you have it guys, this review is done and I will see you in the next paragraph to give you my final thoughts and rating.

   Here at the conclusion of this review, the one thing I noticed is that the wine seems to warm...change rather quickly and that isn't good but there is more. I also noticed that that the wine will sweeten a good bit if allowed to cool and as the wine opens up, not even chilling it holds this sweetening back. At first I really loved the wine, it had high acidity and a peppery note to it. to. The wine was a bit on the crisp side but that kind of fell off as well as the sweetness increased. In the end, that darn sweetness really did a number on the wine in my opinion and because of that, on The Desert Wine Guy rating scale, I am giving this wine 91 points. While the wine was originally headed towards my cellar, it took a dramatic turn and avoided it. 

 

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2021 Lobo, Cabernet Sauvignon - Uliff Vineyards

    Yesterday I spent most of the day in the garden pulling weeds and checking on my fledgling grape vines which seem to be struggling. I came in from the garden, showered and yes, finally, it was now time to finally. I hoped on the internet and was checking out the wine site named Wines Till Sold Out (https://www.wtso.com/last-chance) that I usually hit up every few days and noticed that they just so happened to be having a sale on Napa Valley red wines. After spending about ten minutes on the site, I ended up buying a few (3) bottles that caught my eye and today I will be talking about one of them.

   Today I will be taking a look at the 2021 Lobo, Cabernet Sauvignon - Uliff Vineyards. I bought two bottles of this particular wine at $29.99 a piece. The wine comes in at 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is cork sealed. The grapes for this wine are all estate grown by the Wulff family in the Napa Valley AVA of the Oak Knoll District and the winemaker is Victoria Coleman. The wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

   So, let's talk label now guys as I always do at this point in a review. Guys, this is not really a label, it is more of embossed masterpiece and it is just awesome. The dark wine inside really sets everything on the label (?) off with the gold design and lettering really going over the top to impress. Now, I don't normally talk about the back label but the winery seems to have put the same effort into this area that it put into the front label which is not too common.. The same embossing used on the front label is duplicated here on the back and overall, it is amazing. 

   Now for the nose of the wine. Immediately when I opened the bottle and even prior to pouring it, a note of luscious dark black fruit rushed out of the bottle. A note of what smells as if  will be brooding, blackberry & black cherry notes came rushing out of my glass after the wine was poured and they were very inviting for sure. Overall the wines smells fresh, exciting and lively, I hope this can all translate over to the palate in a great way but let's find out.

   So, opening up here I can straight out tell you that there are some grippy tannins in the wine. These tannins most definitely need some time to calm down a bit as they are rather on the abrasive side right now. Normally I love tannins in my Cabs however here they are also intermixing with a wine that is very high in acidity and that is a combination that needs to go smoothly, unfortunately, here the notes are clashing a bit and therefore early on I will suggest allowing this wine to sit for at least another two years, prior to drinking. I am getting an alcohol burn on the finish here and yeah, it stands out. While this burn does disappear at times, I found it also kept popping up at times as well and I thought that was not a good thing. I get black cherry here as well that incorporates very well with a fresh bit of blackberry. Together these two notes as on the nose, are super nice and are trying their best to help this wine in overcoming that high acidity/alcohol issue. The wine has a grip to it as it is a young wine that needs to settle a bit. This grip was not necessarily a bad thing but it could tone down just a bit. A lovely nice note of graphite is here as well (yummy) and it is right up there with the black fruit and grippiness in working good things into the wine. How about a note of licorice? How does that sound? Well guys, it is here and it is good. Some blueberry comes along and it is light without being sweet thankfully.

I am picking up a big time driness to the wine and that really works out well to an extent. Notice that I did say to an extent because that same driness intermixed with the acidity and after a bit it honestly... that didn't sit too well with me. The wine does have some nice things going for it but there were a couple of things that set me back in my seat with that driness being one of those things.There is a very nice note of underbrush as well here that really is picked up throughout the wine and brought a bit of a rustic note to the wine. Sort of hidden within the wine is a note of violets and it kind of took me just a bit to figure out exactly what I was tasting but once I did, I enjoyed it. This violet is light yet seems to be able to find a way to be instrumental in the entirety of the wine overall. As a last not, Black Plum is here as well and it is lush and juicy without being sweet as I have found this note can be at times. So there you have it folks, another wine review is in the books. I will see you in the next paragraph to give you my final conclusion. 

   As I close out this review I have to mention some negatives such as that alcohol burn as it seemed to last a decent amount of time and come and go throughout the tasting. I thought it was an unwelcome distraction to the tasting of the wine. Another drawback was the fact that the acidity was very high and distracting as well. The driness also effected the wine and in combination these three notes were enough to really cause me to perceive the wine in sort of a negative way. The fruit was indeed very nice and worked hard at uplifting the wine doing a decent job. In the end, I find myself undecided as to whether the wine is simply unbalanced or whether it will indeed settle down in a few years but I have to rate the wine at what it is now. What the wine is now is a full bodied wine that is all about itself. I certainly do not believe the wine deserves a 94 rating which would send the other bottle to my cellar so on The Desert Wine Guy rating scale, I am giving this wine 91 points.

 

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2021 Slo Jams, Sauvignon Blanc

    

   I am sadly at the point in my life guys where it seems as if the majority of  people now consider the term "old School" in reference to music to be the early 2000's. Well folks, I guess then that I am also actually now at the point as well where I am considered delusional since old school to me is still the 80's. This was the decade where music truly was amazing. New Wave bands such as Depeche Mode, New Order, Tears For Fears or Wham currently still fill my music shelves in the form of records and yes, even at times, cassette tapes. In the genre of rock or metal, bands such as Ratt, Guns N Roses & Motley Crue where and still are rocking things out on my shelves also in the form of records and cassette tapes.While I have tried with all my heart to like at least some of today's so called music, I truly believe that it is a lost cause. I refuse to listen to so called music where the singer relies solely on Auto-Tune rather than their own voice. I refuse to listen to so called music that is over processed in order to try to sound palatable to listeners ears. I also refuse to listen to so called music where the music no longer relates to me. I want to ask a simple question here which is, does the word "talent" mean anything anymore? Yep wine lovers, give me a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc or a dry, minerality driven Chardonnay and yes, 80's music and The Desert Wine Guy is a happy camper for sure. The reason I bring this topic up is what I will be talking about in the next paragraph.

Today Mrs. Desert Wine Girl and I were at Sam's Club and while there I of course went to check out the wine section. What I found was mostly disappointing but that is for another article because today I want to talk about the wine that I did find which is the 2021 Slow Jams, Sauvignon Blanc. Go back up and take a look at the picture of the bottle,I mean really really check it out. Cassette tapes guys, good old fashioned cassette tapes. For those of you who don't know about music mediums that were popular back in the 70's & 80's, here is a little bit of history for ya. Back in those days, aside from 8-Tracks and records, we use to listen to music on cassette tapes. We also use to make what was called "Slow Jam" on those cassette tapes. Boy or girl it didn't matter, we all had at least one tape of slow songs (jams) dedicated to our girlfriend(s)/boyfriend(s). Songs like "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Foreigner or "One More Night" by Phil Collins were a must for a good slow jams tape. Groups like Ready For The World (Love You Down, or, In My Room) or Klymax (I Miss You) absolutely had to be on the tape. As teens in the 80's our sensitive side had no issues coming out when called for. Anyway, back to wine. When I saw the label on today's review wine, I just had to buy two bottles, one to review and the other to grace my man cave as a decoration. Let's get into this wine now.

  Today's wine up for review is the 2021 Slo Jams, Sauvignon Blanc by Slo Down wines (https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/slo-down-wines-coolest-labels/). The wine cost me $4.99 so as you can probably imagine, I was a good bit concerned about its quality but I truly just didn't care as I was buying (had to buy) the wine and that was that. Aside from the concern I had with the price, there are a couple of positive things going on here here concerning the wine and they are that there is actually a vintage listed as well as a specific (and prominent) AVA (Horse Heaven Hills). There is also an actual vineyard (Destiny Ridge Vineyard) listed as well. These things are not common at all for such an inexpensive wine and in fact, I have never seen it. The alcohol percentage comes in at 12.5% and the bottle is screw cap sealed. As a last note, the wine is 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

   Now for the label. Totally awesome is not only an 80's phrase but also the correct phrase to describe my thoughts on the label. I think the label was well thought out and completely fits the nitch it was meant for or or designed to fit, excellent job here guys, ya got me.

   Okay so, on the nose the wine smells pretty nice as semi lively notes of Yellow Peach and green melon come drifting up from my wine glass. Overall, while admittedly this doesn't seem like a big complex bouquet, it does smell like what could be a decent Sauvignon Blanc and it is after all $4.99. As a whole I thought the bouquet was welcoming and promising. I am looking forward to tasting the wine.

   On the palate now the wine tells a different story. There is a sort of muteness or...semi blandness to the wine. I'm not talking about a softness but a kind of muteness. If I didn't know better and was just guessing, I would say this wine is a blend and not a single varietal. There is just a "feel" of other things going on here here that are not typical for the average expression of the Sauvignon Blanc varietal. The wine is also noticeably on the drier side which I think is one of the things that is throwing my palate off a bit. There is of course a note of lemongrass here but it is presented very differently than the typical Sauvignon Blanc we know or are use to due to the note of being subdued a bit. This also seems to only reinforce the feeling that this wine might be a blend of sorts even though I know it is not. This lemongrass is offered up at a level where those of you who either are tired of or simply don't enjoy the typical presentation of a New Zealand style Sauvignon Blanc will be happy with. I guess that can be considered a plus to some. Getting back to that blandness for a moment,  it seems to appear here and there, showing up at times yet disappearing at others. I did find this to be a bit bothersome. That green melon that I picked up on the nose is here but is also rather disappointingly on the slightly muted side. Acidity was rather low and while it did try to show itself off a bit, it simply couldn't assist the wine much. What really got me here was a strange note of almost a seltzer or carbonation type taste that was here as well. Let me be clear, there was no actual carbonation exhibited but there was that taste you get along with it. This note again, came and went and I found it to be...strange. I am picking up a bit of Green Apple here as well which is doing a semi decent job announcing itself on the palate and is overall pretty nicely done. As a last note, a super light pineapple is here as well and it is very well blended into the wine, it is however not a note that you will pick out without some thought. So...that is it folks. that's all I have to say concerning this wine. Head on over to the next paragraph where I will wrap this all up.

  What hurts this wine to me is a few things. The fact that note of blandness crops up at times was weird. Another thing is the fact that there is a massive dryness to the wine that isn't balanced by anything else to at least try to offset it. There was some fruit here but it wasn't looking to fight to be noticed. The wine is also not very tropical nor does it offer up an a semi sort of brilliance that the varietal is normally known for. Overall, while the fruit was okay, it was simply that, okay. In the end I guess I kind of got what I expected here but I'm happy I did this review as I feel the winery deserved the attention. As a matter of fact, if you are into real old School music, I think it still deserves your attention  Anyway, in the end I thought the wine was simply okay. For $4.99 I guess you can't go wrong but on The Desert Wine Guy rating scale I am giving this wine 87 points. To me, this is a wine you break out either after your pool guest have started on a nice representation of the varietal such as Whitehaven and really have lost a decent bit of their taste buds or, for your non wine discerning guests.At $4.99 you really can't go wrong.

 

P.S. - Good or bad wine, I will not regret buying the two bottles and if you are a fan of the 70's or 80's music, you need to at least buy two bottles as well. One bottle will be for decoration and the second bottle will be to taste.

 

                                                                                               The Desert Wine Guy

 

 

 

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2023 Simi Chardonnay

    I keep telling myself that I am done with American Chardonnay. I have tried so many American Chardonnays and to me, they are all the same. Sweet and sappy, showing tons of vanilla or baked apple, sappy white fruit, buttery, oaked and just simply gross. While I keep telling myself I'm done, I keep finding myself coming back for more punishment. Why you ask?  I seem to believe that "this time it will be different", "this is the right one". Almost every time I try the varietal, I am sorry I did. You would think I would learn my lesson but no, I don't. What's the definition of insanity again?  Aside from leaving the country for the varietal, I guess I could step it up in price but why should I have to? Why can't America make a decent priced Chardonnay that has some class to it? Is wanting some minerality in a Chardonnay a crazy request? Can any American winery just give me a decent Chard priced between $10 & $15? I have decided that I am giving up...after today's wine that is.

   So, here we are guys, another American Chardonnay. Today I will be taking a look at the 2023 Simi Chardonnay. I bought this wine at Sam's Club the other day and I spent $13 for it. The alcohol comes in at 13.5% and the bottle is screw cap sealed. The wine sat for 8 months in French and American oak and is 100% Chardonnay.

   On the nose I am getting an overripe smelling peach note that has immediately has me scared that I bought yet another typical, American Chardonnay. I unfortunately am getting the impression that the wine is going to be a a fruity, sappy type mess as well. Oak is here and in an upfront enough presentation where it isn't alleviating my fears in any way. While the oak seems to be well integrated, it is too present on the nose which for me is not a good sign. Baked apple is very much here as well guys and it smells like it also is going to be way overboard when it comes to the palate.

   Okay then, the palate presentation. On the palate my thoughts unfortunately are confirmed. To start off with, I first get a note of that French oak that I picked up on the bouquet nd that the wine sat in and it stands out big time. On top of that there is a big note of baked apple which seems to happily allow the oak to take the lead and, to dominate. Acidity is on the higher side here which is nice but ultimately it is of no use in saving this wine. Adding to this mess of a wine is a note of butterscotch as well and I think I am going to get sick. I'm done guys, simply done. I will see you in the next paragraph.

   From the beginning of this review, from the very  first sip, this wine was done in my book. I won't mince words here guys, this wine is just terrible. I took a look at my review of the 2021 vintage of this wine and I discovered that I ended up hating that wine as well giving it 77 points. Folks, this vintage is no different because on The Desert Wine Guy rating scale, I am giving this wine 77 points. In the end this is the worst Chardonnay that I have ever tasted.       

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2023 Members Mark, Chardonnay - Suscol Ranch, Private Reserve

 

   Wow, what a privilege. Today I get to review a wine that is labeled at being a "private reserve". How lucky I am...right? Well, perhaps I'm really not lucky. What do you mean there Desert Wine Guy, the wine is a private reserve, it has to be good, no, it has to be great, doesn't it? Well actually, no, no it doesn't. What you are falling for here is in a nutshell good old marketing, that's all. In America and most other countries, the word "reserve"on a wine label doesn't legally have to mean anything. I do wonder though just how much that one word adds to the price of a wine. Speaking from my own personal experience, I have found that the word most times really is meaningless and simply as I said,only a marketing tool. Don't feel bad though because when I first started out learning about wine, I was fooled as well and thought many times that I did indeed have a super classy wine in my hands. This belief continued until I came across a video one day that talked about this subject and I discovered that there actually are a lot of words that the wine industry uses to sell their product at a higher price that legally don't have to mean anything and most times don't. Have  you been fooled as well? If you have, let me know in a comment as  I am curious. Okay than, let's get into today's wine review.

   Today I will be tasting and talking about the 2023 Members Mark, Chardonnay - Suscol Ranch, Private Reserve. I was at Sams Club the other day and while checking out their wine section I came across this particular wine. I thought it was interesting as it actually specified a particular area in the Napa Valley which is Suscol Ranch. This area of Napa has a pretty good reputation as far as wineries are concerned as names such as  Cakebread, Alta and Nickel & Nickel get their grapes from there and it is located in the Spring Mountain District as well. Seeing this really cemented my purchase decision as I just had to see what the wine was all about. The wine comes in at 14.2% and cost me $9.98.

   As far as the label is concerned...yeah...I really am not impressed at all. For a wine that comes from the Spring Mountain District of Napa, I expected something much more visually appealing. 

   On the nose, oak is evident. Having said this, I didn't mind it too much as it seemed to go along with the varietal in general. There is a Honeydew melon note here that is fairly forward as well and the two notes at the strength they are showing themselves was a bit scary to me as I had the feeling I knew where this wine was headed and it isn't the direction I like my Chardonnays to head.

   On the palate now I can tell you that there is definitely an alcohol note here which really is unfortunately not well incorporated into the wine as I felt it and while there was no burn, it was noticed. There is a note of oak here as well and it too was over the top and a good bit much for my liking. Continuing on now, there is a dewy type note here that is on the harsher yet sweeter side and this just adds on in a bad way to the first two notes I mentioned.

That green melon is fresh tasting but the first three notes dominate/subdue the real flavor of it in a negative type way.  Aside from that, the green melon only seems to manage and compound on to what these other notes are offer up causing the wine to sink even further on The Desert Wine Guy rating scale. Keeping it real here as always, I am only going on with this review because it is early in the afternoon and I have nothing better to do. On a positive note (the only positive note) though, acidity is right on point here. This acidity spreads throughout the palate and does it's best trying to assist the wine but to no avail. Guys, I'm sorry, I really tried but I can't go on...like really can't go on, I have to put an end to my misery and end this review.

   Sooooo...in the end, this is a very simple wine made by a winemaker who has an awful lot to learn about making wine. I will even go as far as to say that in my opinion, Sams Club should be ashamed to carry this product. On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale, I am giving this wine 86 undrinkable points.

 

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