Wine Reviews For The Average Wine lover

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Saturday, May 31, 2025

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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Wednesday, May 21, 2025

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.

The Desert Wine Guy

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Tuesday, April 29, 2025

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.

The Desert Wine Guy

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCUb3w1n2S_UGU2yYRkFYQ

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

2021 Matt Parish, Merlot - Napa Valley

Do you guys find yourself "jumping on bandwagons"? I think that so many people seem to do this and honestly, I'm not sure why. It seems as if most people today just either won't or can't think for themselves. Having said this, I myself do not "jump on bandwagons" whether it is for wine or anything else. My tastes are my tastes and I stick to them no matter what the likes of Robert Parker might say :) This is why I suggest to you guys, if you find a wine varietal/style that I happen to like and you compare my feelings to your feelings on that varietal/style and we agree, then you can most likely trust my review on that particular varietal/style. Why do I bring this up you may ask? Well, I bring it up because of the winemaker of today's review wine which is Matt parish. To my surprise, there has not been a single wine that Matt has made that I do not like and that includes his Rose which is a varietal I do not normally enjoy. From the very first wine of Matt's that I tasted, to the very last wine, I have found myself loving all of them. This was the case even before he became well known on the site I buy his wines from which is Naked Wines. Of course, Matt does also normally make the most expensive wines that Naked Wines sells and that is probably at least partially why his wines are so darn good but a ton of it is due to his wine background and knowledge as well. Now, having said this we are off to today's wine review.

Merlot Grapes

Today I am going to be checking out the 2021 Matt Parish, Merlot - Napa Valley. I paid $22 ($29.99 if not a member) for this wine at Naked Wines and the alcohol percentage comes in at 14.2%. The grapes for the wine come from the Napa Valley and the bottle is cork sealed.

On the nose now, I get a limited note of an oaked Black Cherry. This is followed up with a rather nice tobacco leaf note. Overall the wine smells like it is going to be delicious and I am getting the strong feeling that the wine is one that takes itself very seriously.

On the palate now...yeah...let me begin by telling you that as I thought, this is a pretty serious Merlot. To begin with, the wine displays delicious and slightly bracing tannin's along with a slight bit of a delightful chalkiness as well. These notes work very nicely at providing a slight coating to the palate which I happen to love in my reds. I like how these notes take the lead in the wine as they are well placed. As a quick note, this presentation says to me that the wine is still rather young and can benefit by at least another year of proper cellaring.That oaked Black Cherry I got on the nose is nicely evident here and it is certainly very lively, fresh tasting, and delicious. Acidity is high but goes along with the wine in general. Guys you should know that everything in this wine is in perfect balance and aside from the tannin's needing to soften a bit (for some), the wine is pure enjoyment. Black Plum is very evident here as well and it wants you to take notice for sure. This Black plum tastes like it was fresh picked from the tree and is also very lively indeed. As a whole the wine is fresh, has a vibrancy and offers up a juiciness that is amazing. You should know that the wine is not a fruit bomb nor is it a red wine that relies on fruit to be the only thing you taste as I am also picking up a bit of a leathery note here that really fits right in perfectly and is a note that I would expect from this level of Merlot. At this early stage of development, the wine might be considered to be on the astringent side for some and while I personally love it, I do believe that some people would want to put the wine away for at least a year to soften just a bit. Sitting back now and tasting further, I get a bit of cassis as well. This note really expands the wines significance in the aspect of elevating it highly over the ordinary Merlot.

Beautiful Merlot Waiting To Be Enjoyed

As a last note, while the wine does offer up a sort of slight richness that is deep within it. This slight richness is not a sweet richness by any means as this wine isn't sweet by any means however, that slight perception is there. If I were guessing, I would say that this note comes from the oaked Black Cherry.

Now that we are at the conclusion of this review, let me tell you what this wine is not. This wine is not a sweet and overly fruity wine, this is not a fruit bomb. This is not your $10 Merlot set at a high price because of the winemaker, this is a real Merlot, a Merlot designed to impress and at a very reasonable price due to where it is sold. Overall, this is also a wine that needs to be held on to for a couple of years if you do not care for tannin's as there are some and they are on the slightly robust side. This is a wine that offers up power and as I say occasionally with a wine such as this, is what I call a "confused Merlot"as it puts out much more than a typical Merlot normally does. On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale I am giving this wine 94 points and with the assumption it continues to age as I expect it will in the next three years it will probably reach 95 points.

The Desert Wine Guy

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCUb3w1n2S_UGU2yYRkFYQ

Monday, February 17, 2025

2022 Bear Bros, Sauvignon Blanc

The other day I was watching a YouTube video where a wine reviewer was reviewing Aldis Italian wines. In his determination, most of those wines were simply terrible. He kept finding the wines were very "industrial" tasting or, chemically tasting. While I myself have never tasted the wines he was reviewing, I have tasted more than a few Aldis wines and honestly, with the exception of a few of the William Wright series wines which I found to be pretty nice, I have not been too impressed. Having said this you'd think I would have learned my lesson but no, I keep coming back for more punishment. While I do love me some Aldis in general, in all reality I should be going other places for wine. By the way, stay far away from their Winking Owl series ($3.99) unless you simply do not know what wine is supposed to taste like or, your guests just think its cool to walk around with a wine glass in their hands so they can look hip or want to act like they are at the newest filming location of the T.V series Housewives of Degenerate Hills. Keep in mind as well that America has a crazy love affair with sugar and if you add some fruity tasting chemicals into the mix you are sure to have a hit. Now, can you guess where today's wine that is being reviewed was bought? If you guessed Aldis, you guessed correctly. I will see you in the next paragraph.

Today I will be taking a look at the 2022 Bear Bros, Sauvignon Blanc which is simply from California. The fact that the label on the bottle only designates a state rather than a region within that state can be a potential warning sign as to the quality of the wine. This also means that the grapes could come from anywhere within that state. Normally a better wine will narrow down the specific area the grapes are from. The wine cost me $7.99 and its alcohol content comes in at 13%. Unfortunately the only other tech note that I can tell you is that the bottle is screw cap sealed as there is no other information available on line about the wine.

Let's begin where I normally begin and that is by talking about the label on the wine bottle. Considering this is a white wine, I kind of like the label. For whatever reason, I am much more easily satisfied when I see a label on a white wine that isn't really all that flashy.

I am not really sure exactly why I feel this way but perhaps it is because I believe whites generally are for less formal occasions, I don''t know. Anyway, I like the name (Bear) of the wine being as big as it is and the "Bros" being of a smaller font, I think combined, they look good together. The varietal is front and center as is the general location of the origin of the grapes.

On the nose I am picking up a light yet fairly fresh smelling note of lemongrass which is presented in a sort of subtle way yet at the same time, a pretty nice sort of way as well. I am also getting a very light, hint of a fresh green melon. Overall the nose of this wine is very light but has the feel of freshness and is inviting.

As for the palate, the wines acidity is on the higher side and this I like as this is after all a Sauvignon Blanc and I think is appropriate. The wine is pretty lively and as expected, I am of course picking up some lemongrass here on the palate. This lemongrass is at a level that let's you identify the varietal of wine you are drinking but without going crazy like the New Zealand style of this varietal wine can be considered most of the time. A Lemongrass note in this varietal in my humble opinion can either draw in a drinker or repulse one depending on just how forward it is. Here, in my opinion, I am drawn in even though I must admit I do enjoy the New Zealand expression as well. There is also the smallest bit of a green melon note as well that I picked up on the nose. While this green melon is certainly on the lighter side it persists throughout the entire tasting experience. This note also seems to know its place and is able to thankfully stick to it. Now, there is a strange bit of a slightly bitter note here that I tasted and it shows up on the finish but I found it to be just a bit bothersome and nothing crazy however is an ever so small reason in the end to effect the wines final score. I am picking up an ultralight spice note here as well and while I can't determine the type of spice, it is presented evenly and on the way lighter side. I am really enjoying this spice as it meshes nicely with the wines acidity.

On the sides of the palate there is an ever so slight tang but it is really ever so slight guys and again I have to say, is a note that I enjoyed. Ever so slight or not, that tang works for the wine rather than against it. Guys, so as I sit here and enjoy this wine, I am trying to figure out just how the company can create a quality, well thought out wine at this price. Nothing in this wine is over the top. Nothing here is chemically (industrial) tasting. The wine is actually pretty decent. As a last note, the wine is also consistent in its push to be nice, there is no fade to the palate and nothing that really shows the grapes were just generically grown in California. The first sip of this wine comes across as the last sip of the wine. Well folks, I do believe I have said enough here, I will see you in the next paragraph.

For $8 this wine is an absolute steal. Go out and buy 6 bottles in preparation for the first pool party of the year. In the end I have to tell you guys that I was really surprised by this wine. Having been disappointed in general with the wines from Aldis, this wine kind of reinvigorated me on the stores wine selection. Alright guys, bottom line here. This is a Sauvignon Blanc that will satisfy everyone. Having said this, I have to give two separate ratings. One rating is a pool rating which is put at 95 points. The other rating is a quality rating and here is where I have to really sit back and think a bit. If I blind tasted this wine, what would I think about it? Keeping it real as I always do, the wine is lacking just a bit of depth, some nuance but as I said, this is not a bad wine folks, let's get that straight. Is this as good as a Whitehaven, Sauvignon Blanc? No, it's certainly not but its also not $15 either. On The Desert Wine Guys rating scale, I am giving this wine 91 points. I myself will be buying a few bottles of this wine and keeping it on hand for the first pool party of the year and since I live in beautiful "Freedom" Florida, and, since it is 82 degrees today (Feb 12), that won't be too long from now.

The Desert Wine Guy