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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, October 26, 2024

The Desert WIne Guy - 2021 Matt Parish - Petit Verdot - Special Botteling

Today was a busy one guys. First came the garden as my dog decided that the drip system was his and apparently he was very hungry and so needed to eat parts of it. After that issue was remedied, I had to replant some baby banana plants (pups) that come up around two older plants that unfortunately did not survive last Winter (I'm a little behind:) That was super easy and the whole area looks so much better now. It was then shower time and of course, relaxation time which brings me to this wine review. After recently watching some YouTube wine channels for a bit, I was happy to see that while their styles were all a bit different from one another, they all successfully put across useful information. While I do still think my wine YouTube channel review (https://www.youtube.com/@TheDesertWineGuy/videos) style is a just a little bit more down to Earth than theirs, I do like diversity... to an extent and I do think these channels provide that. Continuing on now with the thought of relaxation, I have a wine to review so let's get to it.

Today I will be taking a look at the 2021 Matt Parish - Petit Verdot - Special Bottling. I bought this wine off of the site Naked Wines and I paid $38.99 for it.

The wine sat for 18 months in French oak and the grapes for it came from the Rutherford AVA of the Napa Valley. The wine comes in at 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is cork sealed. According to Matt himself "The grapes were handpicked and fermented in small stainless-steel fermenters. The wine was matured in French oak barrels (33% new) for 18 months." Matt goes on to say "Prior to bottling I select the best barrels and added a touch of Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to elevate the style."

On the nose here I am getting some nice graphite as well as a bit of black spice. There is a sense of a very dark and deep blackberry note here that mixes in very well with a slight note of mocha the wine is also offering up. Topping the wines bouquet off is a bit of bell pepper that is coming through here as well. From my impression of the nose I am thinking this wine is going to be one powerhouse of a wine. All I have left to say is what a beautiful and expressive nose this wine has.

On the palate now, all those notes that I picked up on the nose translate right on over to here. Right off the bat I can tell you that this is a deep, complex and very serious wine folks as it seems all of Matts red wines are so get ready for this review. First of all, beautiful graphite does a nice job of leading off as the dominant note on this wine but just barely. While it is difficult to determine at first, the other notes follow up just behind the graphite but not much behind so you need to pay attention and be ready for them. A Green pepper note (pyrazine) is not shy here and is gently challenging the graphite note for dominance but eventually gives into its lead and is delicious guys. Black fruit is fresh and juicy without being sweet. The wine offers up a florality of sorts which takes a back seat yet finds a way to intermingle itself nicely throughout the wines entirety.

Acidity is on the higher side and helps as well in elevating everything the wine is trying to do. Plum is well represented here as well and it is on the deep, dark side. As a side note and getting back to the black fruit note, I need to let you guys know that the wine is not a sweet tasting, overly fruit forward one, as I previously said, this is a very serious and well controlled red wine. This is a wine that lives up to its varietal reputation. A well placed bit of sage is here in the background as well and it is indeed just a bit and not looking to do anything other then let you know it is present and help the wine continue its robustness. Rutherford dust. Okay guys, to me, when I taste this wine I am reminded of that Rutherford Dust type note that normally is spoken of in a great Cabernet Sauvignon. I have never experienced this dust element in reference to this particular varietal but it works. There are some say this note doesn't exist, I say drink this wine and you will have a great feel for what it tastes like and why I love it. As for any alcohol burn, there is none which is awesome as this is something no one wants but can happen with an alcohol percentage such as this wine packs. Blueberry is a note that is content to be in the background here and it is a great thing that it is not attempting to fight for control. On top of all of this, I am also getting a bit of licorice and let me tell you that it too is nice. Tannin's present themselves nicely and come across as lightly dusty providing a slight coating to the tongue as well. I enjoyed this expression tremendously as in ... like totally though it was great. One note that really sets this wine off to me and I just have to come back to it is the "greenish" note that the bell pepper puts out. This is a common note for the varietal but usually shows up in an older expressions of it. This greenish note is offered up very nicely here and is well done. The wine overall is in perfect balance and I think Matts greatness in wine making really shows itself off here. As a last note, I am getting a spice note that is delicious and just keeps the taste of this wine moving strongly along.

Well it's been a long review but here we are, the conclusion. Let me start off by cutting to the chase and giving you the Desert Wine Guy rating for this wine which is a very solid 96 points. Yeah guys, the wine very simply rocked. As I said earlier, what a powerhouse wine this is and one that I know you will love if you love the Petit Verdot varietal. My recommendation is for you to buy three bottles of this wine (I already have) as you will have one when you get it which will leave you very happy that you have two more in your cellar. So, that's about all I have to say guys, the wine was amazing.

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

THE NEXT DAY - So, it is the next day and I am back to see just how the wine handled the night. Yesterday I ended up enjoying a half a bottle of the wine and you already know that I loved it but the question now is how did it hold up over night? I couldn't see just throwing a half of a bottle of amazing wine down the drain guys so here we are again quickly, (yeah right) talking about it. I placed a stopper in the bottle and it sat on my desk all night. Having first opened the bottle to review at around 4 PM the evening prior, it is now 4:31 PM of the next day so what is going on with it? As I bring the glass to my nose now, I can tell you that the nose has died down a good bit but the same notes that I picked up yesterday are still present today. On the palate now, the wine has toned down a good bit as well and the wine is now what I would consider to be just decent... nothing special, nothing to write home about, just decent. There seems to have been a certain something lost overnight. If I were tasting this wine for the first time having just opened the bottle today I would not be too impressed. While the wine currently is simply okay, it is certainly not a 96 point wine by any means. There is now a flatness to it of sorts that comes into play on the finish, a bit of blandness and if I were to rate the wine today I would give it 92 points.

Saturday, September 28, 2024

2023 Mulderbosch - Chenin Blanc

What do you think of when you hear a business, any business is into "sustainability"? I could have this all wrong but the first thing that I think about when a company uses that word is that the business is doing whatever it can to sustain itself and remain in business. Ahh...yeah Desert Wine Guy, no duh. Okay guys, I get it, that was the answer you all came up with as well but why then do wineries just love to say they are sustainable on their labels and brag about it when someone from the winery is interviewed? The answer is marketing. Look at us guys, we care about our vineyards and the environment. Don't get me wrong, caring about the environment is great but I think in the end, when it comes down to it, there is self sustainment, and marketing involved here more than anything else. Ahh, good old marketing, how wonderful it is and how it fools so many consumers into thinking that a particular company is doing something so very special in this case for for the environment when in reality they are simply saving themselves money and trying to guarantee that they will remain in business.

This word "sustainability" is used to try and impress the customer and therefore, have them support (buy) their product. I would expect nothing more from a company than to do whatever they could to remain in business and create profit. Well, this is my take on the matter but right now, let's get into wine.

Today I want to talk about the 2023 Mulderbosch - Chenin Blanc. I paid $14.99 for this wine and I bought it because I wanted something different, from some place different. I wanted a wine from some place I actually don't think I ever had a wine from. Scanning the shelves, I came across this wine and what really caught my attention was not only the label but the fact that it was from, South Africa. The wine comes in at 13.5% alcohol and was matured in 30% neutral 79 Gallons and 132 Gallon French oak barrels as well as in a few 396 Gallon foudres (large wooden vat). Maturation was for 8 months in barrel and in tank on gross lees which is dead yeast that settles to the bottom of the tank along with the skins from crushing the grapes. The grapes for this wine are from Stellenbosch, South Africa. and the wine is 100% Chenin Blanc.

Chenin Blanc & Pizza

Label wise, I like it. I like the whole thin stripe label thing going on. I love the colors chosen here as well as the appearance of quality the label seems to display. That sounds weird huh? The "appearance of quality" just based on a label. Guys...I don't know, it just felt and appeared like mass effort was put into this label which immediately translates (thought wise at least) into the wine being a quality one but we will soon see.

Appearance wise in my glass the wine is beautiful guys, simply beautiful. A bright yet light golden color liquid is really showing itself off here guys. There is almost a sparkling appearance to the wine and no, not a carbonation type sparkling but a shiny sparkling appearance none the less. What makes things even more enticing is that the room I am reviewing this wine in is not very brightly lit and yet this wine is impressive...stunning looking actually.

On the nose now, I am getting a bright, fresh, tropical note of light green pear and apple. Being that the nose is rather simple, I hope the wine itself will be showing a lot more on the palate.

As far as the palate is concerned, this is a wine where lemon tries to dominate but do not let that scare you away from it as this attempt is only mostly successful and the lemon that you do taste (and enjoy) is not a sharp or harsh lemon. This is a lemon that puts on display a rather very expressive note of florality. This is a lemon that knows what could be offensive and over the top and how to tone those things down and help to lift up other notes that indeed refresh. This lemon has plenty of company which wonderfully meshes with and compliments it very nicely. As an example, there is white pear which is light, fresh, semi bright and tropical.

Chenin Blanc - Tasting Profile

This white pear comes into play just after the opening of the wine and it is well placed. This white pear is thankfully missing a lot of its normal sweetness which is a good thing. While not bringing along an abundance of sweetness, the pear sure does bring along its flavor. Ripe Granny Smith apple is here as well and like the pear, it too manages to restrict its normal sweetness but yet bring along its flavor and freshness. I certainly can't forget about a note of apricot that has a bit of a stone type note to it. All the fruits here are amazingly well presented and refreshing.

Bracing acidity is big here guys and it certainly makes its presence known. This acidity is joining forces with a lesser amount of minerality and together, both are really very nice. Passion Fruit is here as well guys and is as juicy and fresh as everything else is. As a side note, thankfully there is no butteriness here, like none. A nice limestone note is certainly here as well and it too rocks. This limestone note is not exactly underlying nor does it come in after the opening of the wine, it is front and center to begin with and again, rocks. Orange peel is here as well and it lies deep within the wine but is nonetheless good at doing what it needs to do which is to help elevate it. This orange peel note will make you sit back in your chair and make you think about what you are tasting but in the end you will appreciate it. Folks, make no mistake about it, this is overall a dry wine but there is no mistaking that there is just enough of a needed tropical fruit freshness and sweetness to the wine to help rather than hinder this wine rating what it does in the end.

Speaking of the end, here we go, the conclusion of this review. This is not a creamy (maloactic) type wine, this is a crisp, minerality/crisp and tropical fruit driven white wine with among other things, nice lemon and acidity helping or assisting it to be what in the end is a clean wine. These grapes appear to have been picked early as there is really not much sweetness present which is one of the things that I loved about the wine. This wine is coming across much more like a French Chenin Blanc rather than an African one. I just have to cut to the chase here. On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale, I am giving this wine 94 points and yes, as soon as I get another bottle it will make my cellar, it was that good and that enjoyable. For $14 guys, this wine was a steal and is highly recommended

The Desert Wine Guy

P.S - If you would like to know more about the wine, here is the tech sheet. https://mulderbosch.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mulderbosch-Chenin-Blanc-Steen-Op-Hout-2023-Spec-Sheet.pdf

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

Saturday, August 17, 2024

2022 Franciscan - Sauvignon Blanc

There are certain names that to me at least, represent quality. In this particular case, we are discussing wine so I will stick to the names that I consider to be quality in that arena. Names such as Sattui, Peju, BV, Pine Ridge, Matt Parish and Stags Leap, are just some of the names that come to mind when I think of high quality wines. Unfortunately, neither of these wines are available in my area and I have to drive about an hour to purchase them but that's okay as they represent wines that are for the most part, very simply amazing. These wines also represent great memories of having an amazing time at the wineries themselves. Memories such as these come into play when we hit up the wine stores and also possibly even dictate what wineries we specifically look for when shopping, at least I know they do for me. Some things in life are after all, worth searching out guys and I am sure we all know that wine is one of those things. Right now, I want to talk about one winery whose wine I have always considered to be quality and that is the Franciscan winery, let's get into this review now.

Today I will be discussing the 2022 Franciscan - Sauvignon Blanc which I paid $12.99 for. The wine comes in at 12.8% alcohol and the bottle is cork sealed. The bottle simply says that the grapes for this wine come from California which means anywhere in California.

On the nose here, I am getting light lemongrass and a hint of peach which comes in on the back-end. Overall there is nothing impressive or noteworthy here on the nose.

Now, on the palate there is a different story, the wine is good folks and I am not disappointed in the slightest bit. Yes, lemongrass is here guys as expected but, it is very well controlled, this is not a New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc I promise. Nectarine is here as well but it also is not over the top by any means guys. I am getting this nectarine on the mid-palate and while it is on the lighter side, it is enjoyed nevertheless. To me, what really sets this wine off is a beautiful sense of dryness... of cleanness. There is also a juiciness to the wine without any doubt and that juiciness is... beautiful. Nothing overblown here and nothing to detract from the fact that this is a well made wine. Green Apple is here as well and it is intermixed wonderfully. I think his note is the one that brings that brightness i mentioned earlier in the wine. Acidity wise the wine presents the note at low to medium in its presentation but at the level the wine is offering the acidity up, it simply works, it is nice. I know there are those who demand high acidity in their wines however, if this particular wine offered that level of acidity up I feel it would be out of balance for sure. There is a floral note here as well and it is yet another super positive aspect of the wine guys. This florality note is embedded into the wine and is a base that everything else in the wine is carried on.With all this being said, let's head over to the conclusion section of this review and wrap it up.

Here we are guys, reviewing a rather inexpensive, American, Sauvignon Blanc. How good could the wine be folks? Well... let me tell ya... the wine is indeed, good. Balance... the wine is in balance guys. I don't know who the winemaker is but he or she, is talented for sure. Balance is an aspect of this wine that really is a selling point. The wine manages to express itself just a a great Sauv Blanc should and also knows a good bit about how to show itself without overdoing itself. One last thing here, in my mind at least, the fact that the winery is now owned by E& J Gallo has really brought this winery down from the prominence it use to hold and I think that is sad. Aside from this, on The Desert Wine Guy rating scale, I am giving this wine a very solid 94 points.

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

Saturday, June 22, 2024

2018 Chateau Ste Michelle, Chardonnay - Canoe Ridge Estate

The other day, my white wine fridge wet down, it was not cooling. I thought for a second about getting it fixed but thought again when I remembered that things are being made to be disposable in todays world. Long gone are the days when a product lasted and you could pass actually it down to your children. With prices for repairs being so expensive now, it was sadly better to just throw out the fridge then to try and fix it. I did some searching on the web and found that a 34 bottle wine fridge which is what I had, was actually pretty expensive. Eventually I came across one being sold at Walmart which was the Arctic King, 34 bottle wine fridge and it was available for $159 (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Arctic-King-Premium-34-Bottle-Standard-Wine-Cooler-Glass-Door-AWCA034ADB/737222365). After reading all the available reviews on the product, I figured I would go ahead and buy it as the reviews were portraying it as a very well made appliance. Three weeks later, I decided to do a review of it on my wine YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgp-5uwUo9s). By the way, I would love for you guys to check it out as I think you will be in for a surprise. Having said this, today I will be pulling a wine out of that very fridge and doing a review on it so let's get to it.

Today I will be taking a look at the 2018 Chateau Ste. Michelle, Chardonnay - Canoe Ridge Estate. I paid $11.99 for the wine and the bottle is cork sealed. The grapes (100% Chardonnay) for the wine come from the Canoe Ridge Estate vineyards which are located in Washington State. The vines for these grapes are planted on their own root-stock and the alcohol percentage of the wine comes in at 14.5%

On the nose there is pear and ...well, that is all, I wish I could say more.

As far as the label on the bottle goes, it is well done and very sharp looking. As a consumer, I am convinced that the wine inside the bottle is going to be very nice indeed. Here is yet another case where less is better. This to me seems to always work with a white wine but I have trouble with it on a red for some reason. The font chosen for the winery name really is well chosen and well placed on the label. I remember as I was scanning the shelf and came across this bottle I just had to pick it up to see what it was. Once I saw the winery name on the label, it went into my cart. Did the label fool me into thinking this was a good wine? We will soon find out.

Starting off here I will tell you that the 14.5% alcohol (rather high) is tasted on the palate. Even before I knew the alcohol percentage, I said to Mrs. Desert Wine Girl "the alcohol is high here" and sure enough, I was correct. The second and third thing that I will tell straight out of the gate is that this is a dry Chardonnay and, the wine definitely sat in oak, that is also for sure and for me, and in reference to the oak, a bit too long for my liking. There is also a creamy note (or sense) to the wine that I enjoyed and this note came more on the mid-palate but was overall well placed overall. Another nice aspect of the wine was that you can sense the soil the grapes for the wine were grown in and while that would normally be a good thing, here it is just overwhelmed by the oak. A stone note is presented here as well and while it would normally be good thing as well, it can't overpower the rest of the wine. Green Pear is here but it is almost completely hidden unfortunately and more sensed than anything else. Vanilla is most definitely here and it too is a killer as it is best friends with that oak. I am also picking up a buttery note here that is well integrated but that doesn't mean anything as the note is just... lost and without any value due to the other overdone notes the wine is so fond of displaying. On the sides of the palate was a brightness that was nice but was unfortunately killed by the main body of the wine in general.

Guys, I really don't have anymore to say, the wine was in my opinion at least, bad, I did not like it and will never buy it again. The only thing on point here is the acidity as it is the only thing able to manage the wood/vanilla note. As a last note, there is a weird and deep white pepper type note here that is able to spread itself out throughout the wine and again, would normally be good but here it fails. It is now time to conclude this review, I will see you in the next paragraph.

Here we are guys, the conclusion paragraph. I'll just say this flat out once again, I did not enjoy the wine and would not buy it again. What is really weird is that the wine gets very good reviews, I am left wondering if I am tasting the same wine they are. I am sorry guys but the wine was just killed with oak, a toast type note and a vanilla note to go right along with those other two. There was no real fruit to speak of and what is here, is extremely limited. On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale, I am giving this wine 86 points. The wine was very close to being a sink wine guys and I suggest you stay far away from it.

The Desert Wine Guy