The Desert Wine Guy - 2015 "Little Black Dress" Cabernet Sauvignon

   Hello folks and welcome back to my wine blog. I want to start off by by refreshing you guys on what I am all about. "This blog is dedicated not only of course to wine but to wine that someone from a middle class point of view would be interested in." Today of course is no exception. Today I will be discussing a wine that sells for around $8 at your local store, now THAT'S middle class I would say. Approximately two weeks ago I received an E-Mail from Stephanie Fray of Conundrum Marketing (http://www.conundrummarketing.com/) inquiring if I would be interested in sampling some of the varietals from Little Black Dress wines (http://www.lbdwines.com/). I responded back letting her know that I was very interested and would like to taste both the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon as well as the 2015 Chardonnay varietals. Approximately two weeks later I received a package in the mail with my wines of choice. On my next days off of work I enlisted the videography skills of Mrs. Desert Wine Girl and had a short YouTube video produced (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rw7rq3F_x0&spfreload=10)

Gabrielle Bonheur - Coco Chanel

where I introduced the wines and talk a little bit about them. A little research on the company taught me that LBD is a wine label marketed toward Ladies. Simply the mere name of the company should have told me that but I guess I am a little slow sometimes :) It is a good thing that I have a mystery (Female) wine reviewer on staff who will describe her thoughts concerning this wine. Let me go on now and talk a little more about LBD themselves and their marketing strategy in reference to this label of wines. 

   Little Black Dress (LBD) is actually a label that is owned  by (parent company) Excelsior Wine Company (http://www.excelsiorwines.com/) and backed by Concha y Toro (http://www.conchaytoro.com/?lang=en_us). The marketing strategy of LBD is rather simple and  gears their label and therefore their wine toward Women which to me is a great idea. I think that done correctly this is a market that is looking to be filled. Doing the research and investigation into this strategy they are right on track to accomplish this goal.  It appears that research shows that a wine marketed toward Women is usually geared toward the 21-34 year old age group. I am unaware of whether there is a specific age group that LBD itself is geared for but I see no reason why it would be any different. According to research 26% of  Women say that they like to purchase a wine that is specifically geared toward them.  LBD appropriately hit the shelves in 2006 to mark the 80th anniversary of the introduction of its iconic namesake, Coco Chanel’s (Bagrielle Bonheur) Little Black Dress. Mrs. Bonheur is more famously known for her perfume line of Chanel NO. 5.

Coco Chanel - 1920

   Well now that we have gone a little bit into the company and it's marketing strategy's lets move into the actual review of this Cabernet Sauvignon. I will now turn this over to the "mystery" reviewer for her thoughts on this wine. Good evening everyone. Before you ask the answer is yes, I actually do have a little black dress that is reserved for the times I feel spontaneous myself. Now that I have set your mind at ease as to my qualifications to rate a Little Black Dress I wish to thank The Desert Wine Guy for offering me the opportunity to taste this wine and tell you what I think about it seeing that I have never reviewed a wine before. So the first thing of interest is that LBD still maintains the

closure of a cork on both the red and white wines (even in the white varietals) and I like that. It seems that a lot of inexpensive wines both red as well as white are going away from cork and to screw caps. Both the Desert Wine Guy and I are in agreement here that this is a negative. As for the actual wine itself the first thing I tasted is a taste of Bing Cherry, you know like the cherries you buy at the supermarket when you go shopping. This was like one of those cherries but the ones the ones that are almost kind of like have one more day before they are inedible. This is a different taste from what most would call "fresh" cherries but when it comes to wine, a taste that is superior in my book. So, you say this wine is $9? What I say is good for me because my girlfriends and I will be buying more once I introduce them to this wine. This wine is not what I would consider a "light" Cabernet by any means ALMOST on the medium tasting side. Moving on with the taste of this wine you will notice that there is almost a slight bit of acidity and (believe it or not) some Tannin's that I felt on my

tongue. I know huh? I don't know about you guys guys I cook for the kids a lot and I happen to love Green Pepper and there is a taste of that in my wine along with the super tasting Cassis which kind a sort a really add to the depth of the wine, and yes there is indeed depth to this $9 wine. Girls, let me tell you something. If you have a last minute party or any party really that your friend(s) have just invited you to and you and the girls are "warming up" for the night than this is the wine. A couple of bottles of this wine (around $20 with tax) and my girls and I are set on a good note for the night.  There is a taste of a semi bright tasting cherry, nowhere near as deep as the first cherry that I was talking about but at the same time certainly not a bright, overbearing cherry. I really liked that the sides of my pretty wine glass I was drinking this wine from was just enveloped by this wine and that the sides of glass spread the wine evenly and I thought what wonderful eye candy indeed. I noticed that when I first looked at the wine when I poured it the wine was so pretty but yet very light at the same time. I think that my girlfriends and I could drink this wine for a while as we get dressed and finalize plans while still being able to have a few more drinks at the club

without any worries. To my friends and I this is important because the last thing we want to do is be out of control while trying to have fun. You know girls, on one hand there is the taste of a really deep supermarket cherry that you can only get at the very best organic type store but also seems to be combined with a Brown sugar or Molasses taste which truly mixes it up radically. You know what I also like? I sent a picture of this wine to my best girlfriend and asked her what she thought of just the bottle. She text me back that the "Little Black Dress" name brought memories of what she called a special night between a guy friend of hers and a night (of course) that she actually DID wear that "little black dress" which she never wore again after that night. She also said (after I described the wine) that we had to "warm up" with a few bottles of this wine this Friday. I concur with my friend. Well I think that I did the best that I can do for my first time so I am going to pass the torch to The Desert Wine Guy to finish this off. I really enjoyed the opportunity to do this and yes, I will be buying the wine for this Friday so my girls and I can start off our Friday in style. I also want to thank him for the crash course in wine and terminology used for wine. 

   Well I want to thank the "mystery" writer for her input and for doing this review. If you guys like her writing style please do let me know and I can invite her back. I guess there are times when a Ladies perspective can be more fitting for my audience especially on wine geared toward the Ladies. As far as the wine goes now I must say that I generally agree with her. I think that the cherry note is indeed one of an overripe Bing cherry and of one that is of an almost overdue and time to eat cherry. A deep and yes Molasses type sugar is here and presents itself rather nicely. A deep Cabernet I would not say it is but a light Cabernet it isn't either. This wine does fit the bill rather nicely for kind of a mix of people who are either caught in between a "real" Cabernet and one of not a beginners Cabernet but moderately advanced Cabernet lovers Cabernet Sauvignon. As I am sure you already know, the holidays are almost upon us and with that there are invites to party's, some to dress up in a little black dress for and some to "come as you are" but to me this wine is simply perfect for both and crosses over extremely well. I would differ from our "mystery" writer in the fact that in my opinion that I thought the Alcohol content was initially noted (not negatively) and therefore is certainly capable of sneaking up on you while you are putting on that little black dress so do be careful because the Alcohol content is about average in this wine.

   O.K everyone it is time to wrap this review up now. The very first item of business in the closing is the same as the very first item in the initial part of the review and that is thanking Mrs. Stephanie Fray of Conundrum Marketing. Her contacting me and sending me and my staff this wine to sample really introduced me to a red that I will definitely buy (or have bought for me :) While not a wine that I think will age for more than 5 more tears it is a wine that will certainly surprise any wine lover, both Ladies and guys who is expecting a light wine from looking at the label as well as any real Cabernet  lover who enjoys a fairly decent and medium bodied Cab. I commend also the Excelsior Wine Company,  Concha y Toro, Fetzer vineyards and of course Conundrum Marketing for going the marketing route they did and targeting what appears to be the young to middle aged female professional market. Mrs. Fray I believe that your sense of marketing is right on here and that the direction you are headed with this wine is where you need to be. Now, while our "mystery" writer didn't place a rating on this wine I most definitely will. Before I do though I want to let you know and understand. This wine does indeed crossover between a true medium bodied Cabernet and is very serious an slightly fruit forward but yet powerful nonetheless Cabernet Sauvignon. So......with all this being said now, I am very happily placing this wine at 91 points on The Desert Wine Guy point rating scale.   

                                                                                                          The Desert Wine Guy


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The Desert Wine Guy - 2015 Markham Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

2015 Markham Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

   Good Afternoon wine lovers. Today with the weather still hitting 80 degrees here in Las Vegas (as of November 6) I figured it was still permissible to indulge in a Sauvignon Blanc :) Today's review will be on the 2015 Markham Vineyards (markhamvineyards.com/) Sauvignon Blanc from the Napa Valley, ST. Helena to be exact. Today we are talking about a wine that comes in at 13.8% Alcohol and is 100% Stainless Steel Fermented and finishes with 2.5 months sitting in neutral wood tanks to age. Pretty nice for a Napa Valley wine that costs $12 (https://winelibrary.com/) I would say. On viewing the bottle that held this wine I have to say that it really caught my attention. With a labeling that is an off Yellow / Gold in color and well thought out  fonts of script, this bottle was sharp looking. Adding to what I have just now said is the fact that the actual color of the wine appearing a semi light Golden when viewed thru the bottle standing out against the label, the presentation was rather enticing to say the least. On the pour and in the glass the wine when seen thru a solid white piece of paper displayed itself an ever so slight Golden in color which differed slight from the presentation observed in the bottle itself. A nice presentation for a white that is a blend of mostly Sauvignon Blanc (92%) as well as Sauvignon Musque (a Sauvignon Blanc clone designated as FPS 27) and the varietal of  Semillon at 8%.

Markham Vineyards Stone Cellar

FPS 27

Read more at: http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=69775
Copyright © Wines & Vines) at 18%  and a small amount  (8%) of the varietal, Semillon.

   Moving now to how well the wine presented itself on my Palatte. Upon tasting the first bit of this Sauvignon Blanc I will tell you that this white is very flavorful yet at the same time very light bodied. This is not a "heavy" wine. All of the different notes that I will go over in a minute are very potent yet surprisingly mellow at the same time. I am tasting some sugar here but the structure enforced by the minerality of this wine are really nice and keeps that sugar largely in check only allowing the proper amounts to show thru (no sugar bomb here). I am also noticing that this wine is more appreciated by the sides of your tongue rather than from the main part of the tongue. This is not to say that your entire tongue will not get to appreciate the wine because it will it's just that the wine is better sensed on the sides or off center of the middle. Now, let's dig into the various notes that I promised you. The note I want to talk about now is that of minerality that I have previously mentioned. To me this note is a very forward note to the opening of this wine. This note is almost a stone one and when combined with the next note are exquisite.. The other note that I want to discuss is that of Honeydew Melon that you will taste toward the back of the Tongue and it is sweet but that sweetness disappears quickly and therefore is simply recognized as the varietal of melon that it is. This wine is a wine that makes your mouth water for more. The Kiwi in here is outstanding as well and almost like tasting a mouth watering, fresh Kiwi that you just picked. There's nothing

Markham Vineyard

in here that I would say is "acidic" so to speak and it is the note of Grapefruit that I think ensures that to an extent. It is really amazing just how certain notes (or flavors) seem to hold sway on the levels of other the other notes. As an example the Pear note present helps to maintain the Honeydew to an extent so each note prevents the overdoing of the others. A note of Grapefruit is certainly present as I said and blended expertly with the other notes as well. A very slight hint of Alcohol is noticed on the Palatte but here it is used here to sort of subdue the stone or minerally notes that this wine contains. If you think the discussion of the notes here are done you are wrong. An awesomely placed Lemongrass makes it's presence know here as well. What is so awesome here and I hope not overlooked by you, my readers is that all of the notes are superbly blended with one another at precisely the right point and they exhibit themselves at once. This wine will not cause a pucker in your mouth either as there are no offensive notes whatsoever. Your Palatte seems to say "oh there is.... Oh there is..... and Oh there is..... To me this is a rather unique experience as usually the various notes will sort of line up one behind another in order of appearance or dominance and there will sort of be a noticed break on your Palatte, that is not the case here however. All of the flavors in this wine are equally presented and I like the fact that these types of notes can be presented without any undue acidity. I am not saying that acidity is always bad or can always alter a wine in a bad way, I just thought the talent to present all the notes in the fashion that they are resented without developing a an acidic wine is simply amazing. Now, I am going to admit to you something. There are times when I will look into other reviewers opinions to see what their opinion is of a particular wine. With this wine there isn't any so called "professional" reviews that I could find. There are armature reviews

Our Winemaker - Kimberlee Nicholls

however and they seem to feel that this wine would be rated in the 88-89 point rating. While I will not give away my rating just yet I will tell you that I think they miss the part I mentioned about how lovely the levels of the notes are matched and to exactly what extent on the Palatte they present themselves as well as mesh together. If I have mentioned this previously it is because it is so rare and important and I am truly impressed, job well done guys. This wine presented itself to me more like a Sauvignon Blanc that is grown in cooler climates which exhibit green flavors as opposed to one one that is grown in warmer climates Grapefruit (it is from grapes grown in the Napa Valley). I guess you could say that in reality this is the best of both worlds in reality. One item I would like to add her is that the wine at times APPEARS close to developing some acidity but if you really take the time to examine it you will really see that it never quite makes it to what you can call acidic.

Gewürztraminer is an example of a Musqué grape

   O.K guys, now its that time. Time to wrap this up and put it all together. What a nice and refreshing wine this has indeed been. From the opening straight through to the finish, this wine maintained its consistency, boldness without being ever near being over the top and held to what it was. There was no softening or loss of notes as the wine was opened and exposed to the air. All types of notes that you would classify as "mineral" are present without making the wine too close to or wrapped around minerality. A superb job here by the wine maker I say. If you are looking for a style of food that would go with this wine I would suggest some Sushi that has a nice spicy sauce or perhaps some Chicken that is on the Peppery side but not the lemony side. Perhaps a pasta dish with a sweeter sauce with Italian Sausage would go nicely as well here. So, it is time, time to reveal my score of this wine. While some others have placed it as high as 88 points, I believe that the jump should be made to the next level which is 90 points (Excellent - 90-94 - Wine just blows you away. Just makes you yearn for more) on The Desert Wine Guy Rating Scale.

Front of Markham Vineyards

                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                             The Desert Wine Guy


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The Desert WIne Guy - 2012 Franciscan Estates Merlot

   Today I want to talk about a winery and vineyard that has always remained one of my favorite wine locations to visit while in the Napa Valley. The winery / vineyard that I am talking about is the Franciscan Estate Winery (https://www.franciscan.com/). Ever since my very first trip to the Napa Valley (my visit of discovery as I call it) in the mid 90s and way certainly way before The Desert Wine Guy was born or even thought about, the Franciscan has been one of the winery's that I till this day, believed produced a wine that really stood out on my Palatte as something special. Along with Sawyer Cellars (http://www.sawyercellars.com/)  and a few other select wineries like Peju (http://www.peju.com/), the Franciscan was instrumental in the very early formation and development of my future wine enjoyment as well as the beginning of my basic introduction to wine. To put it simply, visiting the Franciscan Estate was when I fell in love with wine. The winery continues to this day to make some incredible wines in my opinion.
   The Franciscan was originally established in 1973 and began producing it's wines in 1975. Today the Franciscan is owned by Constellation Brands (http://www.cbrands.com/home) and is still known in the world of wine for it's amazing Cabernet Sauvignon but as you will see in this case, also makes a heck of a Merlot as well. From the beginning the winery was graced with some pretty big names in wine such as Justin Meyer who is famous for the Silver Oak Winery and made the first Cabernet Sauvignon for the Franciscan. Another noteworthy person who the Franciscan owes a deep gratitude to is August Huneeus (the owner of Quintessa Winery) for developing their proprietary Bordeaux blend of Reds.  You would think that after feeling this way about the winery that it would have always been a favorite or a go to wine for me but for some strange reason it was actually simply forgotten about by me. Many years later I re-discovered it when I was at Costco here in Las Vegas. Costco is one of those places that has a really nice wine selection and one that has at times some forgotten vintages and wines. On one particular trip they actually had the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon which I rated (http://desertwineguy.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-desert-wine-guy-2012-franciscan.html) extremely well at 96 points, the highest I have ever rated a wine. Having now re-discovered the winery I vowed never to forget about it again. Well, true to my word I have just completed a review of another Franciscan Estates wine, the 2012 Franciscan Napa Valley Merlot. How does this wine hold up in it's tradition of impressing me? Read on and find out.

  This wine is being reviewed against the previous Franciscan Estates wine and is not in an envious position. This wine will be held to an even higher standard. Without any more delay let's get into this review. Opening your Palatte here  is a wine that truly bathes your tongue with a dark delight. There are Cocoa notes abound on the initial mouth feel of this Merlot. Matching up rather incredabely might I add with this Cocoa is the fact that it is blended super nicely with the note of a not to  overly sweet but deep, dark, fruit of ripe Blackberries. As these notes are entertaining your Palatte, super nice and definitely lively and not shy medium Taninns and Current really help to make this wine very pleasant on the entire Palatte. While this wine is sitting in my mouth it is being bathed in a complexity of the likes of which I can only begin to enjoy. To me it's as if I went into a chocolate factory and was appreciating the bouquet of my surroundings only through my Palatte. The Blackberry note was right on par as far as depth so as to not allow the chocolate to take a dominating hold and cancel out the Blackberry. Well folks this wine did not stop here thankfully because there are some other notes as well. I guess I don't have to tell you that I am pretty impressed here in the early going of the tasting of this Merlot. Moving on and tasting further now I came across a smooth but yet fairly noticeable and deep dark Cranberry note. Franciscan Estates has released a Merlot that is really impressive here folks. Here is a wine that I feel is a top shelf wine is selling for $25 that I feel the winery can get a lot more for. The mentioned note of cranberry seemed to come together expertly when blended with that note of Cocoa and is moved to change and adopt some of its own  characteristics to become similar but not the same, as the very Cocoa that precedes it while still remaining able to stand on its own. What I enjoyed as well, and what truly added to this wine was that this wine was in a way smooth on the notes it should be but yet not too smooth on the notes that it should not be. This referenced smoothness was also not interfered with by any acidity or harsh or overdone notes of any kind. A wine like this can sometimes be ruined by harsh Tannins or a note of a sour Cranberry but that was not the case here.Though this wine was powerful where it need to be powerful and and smooth and sleek where it was required to be smooth and sleek.  One thing I would like to add is that this is not one of those "mellow" Merlots. This particular Merlot is not meant for the weak of heart as I like to say so be warned. The wine is without a doubt more geared thanks to the power end of this wine for the person who learns more toward a Tannic Red and certainly more toward the fans of a richer, deeper and darker Merlot. This is more along the lines of a quality, medium bodied and semi complex Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a real Merlot in my opinion as I don't believe that the varietal must be wimpy or weak on deeper notes.. If you have ever heard the term "chewy" in reference to a wine, this is more along that line of Red. Don't allow the word "chewy" to scare you away as this wine is drinkable right now in my opinion but can also be placed in a cellar for a few years to come. One other thing that this wine has going for it is that this is also a very consistent wine all the way across the tasting spectrum. There is no place this wine lacks fairly serious power or where it falls off on the Palatte. To say that this is a full bodied Merlot is an understatement folks. This is a Merlot that crosses over to the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal side and not just barely but does it fairly well and consistently.
   O.K, lets move on now and follow up with the review. On the sides of my Palatte I tasted a note of Cassis that bathed the sides of my tongue with it's presence totally (like to the max:)  So far this wine has been opened for a total of 3 hours. Between helping The Desert Wine Girl Jr's with Homework and reviewing spelling words with them, attempting to read a popular wine magazine and write this review there has been a total of around 3 hours. This wine is still going strong and while it has not developed anymore (which is perfectly fine with me) aside from the note of a more developed Blackberry that seems to have gotten darker in its presentation without increasing its sweetness level. To me the wine establishes itself within its 1.5 hours of decanting but could have been extended to 3 hours this wine does not need to do or accomplish much more in my book. So, you think that I am done and ready to wrap this up huh? Well you are almost correct in that assumption but there is one more note to discuss. How would a really super note of Molasses strike you?  Well, that is what I experienced. That note is present and is simply superb and also assists in providing the available sweetness (or as I came to think of it as) a fruit forwardness note I briefly mentioned earlier. This particular note of fruit forwardness does seem to be a result of the Molasses and it is something to be expected. Because the Molasses note is present it does provide that medium level of sweetness but in the Mollasses form. Did I mention that the Molasses note is spectacular? Forgive me if I neglected to mention that little bit of information , please do forgive me as it is a terrible important item here and a note that is of ultra importance to the outcome of this wine and this review. There is a big difference I believe in the taste of a simple sugar and the taste (or note) of Molasses. To me a note of sugar can make a wine fruit forward enough to destroy it or create a sugar bomb (see my review)(http://desertwineguy.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-desert-wine-guy-keep-your-sugar-out.html) which I am certain we have all experienced before at some time or another. A nice Molasses note is on the sweet side but disguises that sweetness as Molasses which in a Red wine is surely more than acceptable in my book.

   So, we are at the point of wrapping this review up. What I rate this wine will remain a mystery for a little while longer but I will tell you again that I am indeed impressed. Here in my glass is a wine that I had Decanted for 1.5 hours prior to its tasting and it was a well deserved and productive time for sure. Do yourself a favor and give this  wine the time (3 hours) to open up as you would with any expertly made made red.  It is hard to simply lay out my feelings on such a full bodied and complex Merlot and you will have to forgive me to for elaborating so extensively but I did want to be able to persuade you that you must buy a at least three bottles of this wine. A peppery steak is begging for this wine to accompany it at Dinner. Black Tie event coming up in December and you want to impress the wine lover who invited you or has been a great friend of client? This wine is a fine choice. Bottom line here serious Merlot lovers is pick up at least three bottles of this wine. Why three you ask? Well, one bottle you must drink right now. Now you are down to two bottles of this wonderful wine. A special event takes care of another bottle bringing you now to one sad bottle left. You get my point? O.K, it is time for my rating of this wine. On The Desert Wine Guy Rating Scale I am putting this wine at a comfortable ........ 94 points.

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The Desert WIne Guy - 2011 Evohe Tempranillo

 

2011 Evohe Tempranillo

                                                    

    In today's article you will all be let in on on a little secret as well as a little discovery I made and you will be let in onto a secret, a hidden treasure in the form of a wine I discovered. The discovery I am going to let you in on is that of a grape. You say "so what Desert Wine Guy, that's why we read your blog anyway". That is true but this is not just about just any grape or for that matter, just any wine.
    Let's first start with the the Treasure. This treasure I speak of is the 2011 Evohe Tempranillo (http://www.evohegarnacha.com/what-is-evohe). To make this treasure a little more precious, I am talking about a wine that sells for $10-$12. You say you've never heard of this Vineyard/Winery well that's O.K that is one of the reasons it is a treasure and also why we are here. I am here, to expose you to new wines, ideas and news of the wine world and hopefully you are here, discover and to learn from this information.
    Now we are on to the the discovery, or a secret. The discovery or secret we are going to discover is the varietal named the Tempranillo. Here is a short run down on this beautiful grape. The Tempranillo, nicknamed "little one" due to it's early flowering, budding & ripening is actually a Black grape and is Spain's most popular and famous native grapes. This is a grape that is normally used for blending in deep reds and "Jug Wine". Don't let the "Jug Wine thing throw you. This is a grape that, in my opinion people have simply just overlooked. When I first tasted this varietal I was at South Coast Winery (http://wineresort.com/) in Temecula (Southern) California. I was doing a tasting and this wine was poured along with Cabs and other reds. I was in Heaven quickly and even though the wine was not inexpensive I simply had to buy a bottle. If you are a deep, peppery, spicy red then you have hit pay dirt here. You can take your secret and discovery, to the store and  buy a bottle of the 2011 Evohe Tempranillo today and impress your friends tomorrow.
   The idea of Evohe Winery began in 2006 when three wine lovers Ricardo Mosteo, Henrik Heikel and Alfonso Mort got together and decided to "share the wisdom of generations of winemakers". The Vineyard/Winery is located in Aragon, Spain. The winery itself was actually built in 1912 and uses the fact that there are natural Concrete deposits to keep the wine cool while Fermentation to it's advantage by making a great wine. The wine also uses wild Yeasts that occur naturally in the Grapes. The weather in Aragon is very dry and therefore gets very little rain. According to Evohe Vineyards this along with the big temperature swings ensure that the vines that do survive are strong and produce only the best grapes for wine. Evohe Vineyards makes three varietals of wine such as a Grenache, a Tempranillo and a Sparkling (Brute) Wine.

Evohe Vineyard

Joan Mila

                                                     
   Now for the moment you have been waiting for, the review. Let's begin at the beginning with the pour. This wine is a dark Purplish in color but seems to darken around the edges of the wine while it  rests in the glass and tends to become a deep, rich looking enticing Red. It was both visually
appealing to see the deep red and at the same time made it even more appetizing. Unlike most deep, rich red wines there is no Oak used in making this wine. A deep Red without Oak, interesting. The bouquet of the wine was Peppery and did have the aroma of Oak even though, as I said there is no  the touches the wine. Let's step deeper into this wine by getting to the heart of this review which, of course is how it tastes in your mouth. Happily this is a classic Tempranillo, Spicy Peppery, Black Current, Cocoa. The first flavor that came to my Palate was that of Blackberry which was followed closely on the heels of a moderate amount of Black Current. If that isn't a great combination there is more to follow. How about a touch of Pepper with some Cranberry thrown is for good measure? If this isn't sounding like a complex wine that should be costing more that $10 you are right. Tasting this wine is like tasting a nice, dark, Red  powerhouse of a wine that comes across as if it were in your Cellar for years, aging and becoming nearly perfect. The Black Current mixing in with the spice really, I think sets this wine off. The wine is simply smooth, elegant and delicious. Hold on though this review isn't over just yet, no this wine is not done. The wine also opens up a little and brings a little Cocoa along with it for good measure. The Cocoa doesn't linger to long but it's presence is definitely felt in the wine. I think it might even add to a sense of softening of the wine just before you swallow. If you are starting to feel as if you are in need of a glass of this wine as you read this article don't feel bad you are not along. I am wishing I had a bottle with me right now, or at least one in the Cellar along with one to put away. There is most definitely a lot going on in this wine and you would think that there is so much going on that it would be overpowering but you would be wrong. This is what a good Tempranillo should taste like and the reason I fell in love with the grape in the first place. I am so infatuated with this grape that if I wasn't growing two different varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon) & Sauvignon Blanc) right now or if I had room for a third I would be purchasing some vines come Spring Time. This grape is known to be a challenge to grow but the way the 2011 Evohe Tempranillo expresses this varietal so wonderfully makes you just want to go out and want to at the very least grow the grape. I think the 2011 Evohe Tempranillo has done a lot to advance this grape as a standalone grape. I highly recommend that if you have never had a Tempranillo that you start off with this wine so that you get a feel of what the varietal is supposed to, or can taste like like if time is taken with it. Before ending this review there is one last thing I wanted to throw out there that makes this wine unique. As I stated earlier, Tempranillo has been used as a blending grape but was rarely ever attempted as a standalone wine, at least in this country. Lately there are two wine that I have tasted that are %100 Tempranillo this happens to be one of them, the second being the 2011 ST AMANT Tempranillo that I have a review pending on.
   To sum this all up in a nutshell. The 2011 Evohe Tempranillo represents the varietal very well. The wine is put together very well and makes for a wonderful wine to enjoy a great Porterhouse or Rib eye Steak with special company. Then again you might just want to keep this wine our little secret.
 On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale I give this wine 93 points. 

Matching Dinner

                                                  
   This is a special review for me because this is my first guest blog I've ever been part of and I am very grateful to Michelle Leonardson the owner of WineDineDIY.com who was adventures enough to take up me up on the invite of actually doing a guest blog. Michelle is going to send me an article she will write for her own site (WineDineDIY.com) and I will put it up on my Blog (http://desertwineguy.blogspot.com/). I have to say, Michelle is one of the few Bloggers that I have contacted with this invite who is confident enough in her ability and online presence to branch out of her comfort zone and open her world up to other wine lovers. There have been a few wine writers who have websites whom I have contacted who rejected the idea of swapping articles for whatever reason. Perhaps they forgot that they started small at one time as well and they were given opportunities to expand by people who were also adventures and were able to "think outside the box" so to speak as Michelle is. Once again thanks Michelle.


                                                                                                                   The Desert Wine Guy  


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The Desert Wine Guy - Review Of A Unique Wine Offer From Groupon

 Today (October 15, 2016) I want to write a short article on a amazing and unique deal that Groupon is running and one I think you guys might be super interested in. Before I go on let me say that I have no interest one way or another with Groupon or it's affiliates nor do I gain or lose anything if you buy or don't but any Groupon. I also do NOT get nothing for writing this article.
   So today I am searching the internet for a wine tasting event here locally that I might want to go to tonight and I happened to came across this Groupon (https://www.groupon.com/deals/own-a-napa-vineyard-las-vegas). The title of it is "$119 for One-Year Ownership of Two Vines at Carneros Della Notte". This really interested me and I found it very unique. As I read on I saw what you get for this $119. For the money you get the following;
1) Certificate of ownership with a picture of your vines
2) Your name laminated and tagged on each vine
3) The ability to visit your vines 24/7
4) Access to hands-on lessons on how to pre-prune, prune, sucker, leaf, or harvest grapes
5) Access to a live webcam view of the vineyard
6) 50% off all wines made at Carneros Della Notte Winery
7) Two tickets to the annual night harvest party in September, including live music, grape picking, and tours.                                                             
  Now I don't know about you but this sounds like a wonderful and unique idea. I especially love the ability to physically visit the vines 24/7. Can you imagine access to a professional vineyard at night with all the peace and quiet and wonderful surroundings? While doing a little bit of research on this vineyard I came across the Yelp site (https://www.yelp.com/biz/carneros-della-notte-napa) where the company is reviewed and the reviews are outstanding. I think this is a wonderful idea and allows you to be directly involved in the harvesting of not only your vines but of the entire vineyard in general. It at least makes you feel like you have a direct say in the growing of at least two vines.
  O.K folks I hope you found this offer as interesting and unique as I did. I will be purchasing the Groupon shortly and look forward to watching my vines start budding and watch them grow for the season.








                                                                                                                The Desert Wine Guy

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The Desert Wine Guy - Milos Cellar - Boulder City, Nevada

Milos Cellar

    Well folks today I have the opportunity to review Milos Cellar (http://www.milosbouldercity.com/) which is located in Boulder City, Nevada. The other day Mrs. Desert Wine Girl and I had a recent opportunity to head out to Boulder City which is about 30-45 minutes from my house and about 20 minutes from Henderson Nevada when a friend of hers had a baby. Since I'm not big on baby party's I asked to be dropped off at Milos Cellar. I figured while I was there I would do a little review of the place. I mean it is a Cellar, right? Walking up to the place the first impression I got was that it looks like an older establishment, there really isn't anything fancy one hand but on the other it does look very inviting to have a glass (a few in my case) of wine and relax in a place that does not even know that the word "pretentious" exists. There is a nice sized covered patio outside that also borders the other business sits right next to it with the only separation being the different style tables outside. The chairs outside are plastic and the tables themselves were like a fake marble type. The outside patio is also where dogs are welcome as well. When I was there I saw a couple with two Dogs enjoying the day. The walkway to the other businesses runs thru the middle and the road itself is a few feet away, by the way you are able to park your car right in front of the patio if there is room. If you are

View of Patio From Inside

Selection of Wine - View #1

Selection of Wines By My Table

Selection Of Wine #2

Bar Area

worrying about traffic noise, don't be concerned as this is a very sleepy town and the only thing moving fast are the servers. Overall I have to say that the outside area is very pleasant and the people that visit are in very happy moods.  Moving inside I saw a fairly nice display of wines for sale. These wines were displayed on weathered looking wooden shelves.  The chairs and tables inside were bar style and also weathered looking. The tables were tiled and clean. I want to state here that when I say "weathered looking" I do not mean broken down or falling apart, I simply mean that they have the appearance of  long time use. The Milos Cellar itself is not a large place yet it's not really small either. The Cellar strikes me as an establishment where mostly middle aged locals probably come everyday to relax after work or on weekends and tourists are happily welcomed to blend in  join in on the fun as well. Milo's by the way is also not just for wine as they also have a nice assortment of beer ranging from the common (Sierra Pale Ale from California at $4) to the exotic (Xingo Black Beer from Brazil at $5) however none on tap it is all bottles kept in a refrigerator which is on display. Milos also had some wonderful food as you will soon see.

Espresso Area

   I was seated about a minute before the Waitress (Barbara?) approached me and asked me if I would like a Menu. I headed straight for the wine section and saw that there was a White and Red Flight Plans (sampler at $15 each) which consisted of your choice of any three wines on the wine menu each poured with a 3 oz pour. I started with a Flight of Reds which consisted of the 2014 Red Rock Merlot Reserve ($6.50) , 2013 Klinker Brick Old Vines Zinfandel ($12) and the 2014 McManis Family Vineyards  Petite Syrah ($7.50) . All three wines were on the simple side yet very pleasant and enjoyable. The Klinker Brick stood out nicely and had notes of Pepper and Blackberry and I ended up purchasing a bottle for $21. Comparing the Red Rock and the McManis Family revealed that he Red Rock was slightly more of a simpler and less noteworthy wine (although still enjoyable) that the McManis Family. As for the White Flight I chose the 2013 Covey Run Riesling ($5.50), 2013 Jackson Estate Chardonnay ($13) and the 2015 Brancott "Flight Song" Chardonnay ($7.50). Both the Jackson Estate and the Brancott were truly awful with the Brancott was REALLY awful. Both wines had opening and finishing notes of burnt Oak and pounding heavy note ) is that they expand it. Looking at all the choices of wine they sell I think that there is no reason why the wine menu should not be expanded.  I did feel that my choices of wine were limited on the Flights. They did have an undisclosed house Red, White and Sparkling wine for $5 if you should chose that route.

Dr. Sketchys Invitation

http://www.milosbouldercity.com/wp-content/uploads/clickforwinelist.pdf
of overdone Grapefruit, STAY AWAY! I did however really like the Riesling and would highly recommend it if you come out here. I should add that my feelings on the two Chardonnays are no reflection on Milos themselves. My only wish is for the wine menu (

Red Wine Flight

Whit Wine Flight

Smoked Salmon Plate

   Well after tasting so many wines I decided that it was time to grab a bite to eat. I chose a dish which unfortunately I forgot the name of  (I know shame on me) that consisted of Smoked Salmon (Lox) Capers, Caviar, Cream Cheese and onions, there were one or two other ingredients that I simply forgot. This dish also came with crackers that went perfectly with this dish. Overall I give this dish a 10 and presentation was a 10 as well. The Salmon (Lox) was cold and fresh and the Cream Cheese was creamy and appeared to be home made was not simple store bought Cream Cheese thrown on top, The whole meal was awesome. The only bump (not really) came

Crackers To Go With The Smoked Salmon Plate

when I finished the Cream Cheese before everything else. I asked my waitress if it was possible if I got some more and she happily went to the Kitchen and came back with Cream Cheese and an apology. The apology was due to the fact that there was no more of the Cream Cheese that cam with the meal originally. I did not find this to be an issue however because to me it meant that it was probably so fresh that it was made that day and that the demand surpassed the supply, ahhh.....fresh food. Tomorrow there will be more and it will be fresh for YOU (and me as well). There are kids menu items of Ham & Cheese ($6.95) & Turkey & Cheese ($6.95) as well.

Inside Seating

Miss. Desert Wine Girl Jr.

   Later on in my visit I struck up a conversation with a Male Waiter whose name I didn't get but he said he has been there 8 years and he took me on a tour of the place. He took me to a small, (again rustic) banquet section and upstairs where there is also a 3 room Bed & Breakfast. I was also informed that there is a Massage Therapist on call as well. One other item of note is that  the owner of Milo's (Milo Hurst is a big supporter of the arts with the first Tuesday of each month being a chance for all artists to display their work for a $10 entry fee. This is also an opportunity to sketch from a live (clothed) model . The hours of the art fair are 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM.
   One last item I would like to cover is the service. I thought the service was very friendly and professional. The two servers I did have a chance to interact with when things slowed down were long term employees with one being there 8 years and the other 10 years, they both seemed genuinely happy to be there. If there was one negative item I could say that I noticed it would be that I thought one more server would have been nice during the busy times because it seemed that the servers didn't really have enough time to interact with the customer and in a casual small town setting I think that is very important. It really did seem like they wanted to talk and develop a down home /  professional relationship there simply wasn't any time to. Were they busy for a few hours? Yes they were but that one more server would have made things a little more interactive for the servers and the customers as well as given the servers a couple of seconds of down time to catch their breath. One last note here before I wrap this up. Milos does have an Espresso Bar as well although at the time I didn't see anyone at it it the Espresso machine did look fancy.

White Wine at Milos Cellar

   So here is the wrap up. I thought Milos Cellar was very nice indeed. The prices could have been slightly lower as I thought they were a little overpriced. The atmosphere is very welcoming and casual, so casual in fact that it almost feel like anything but shorts or is over dressed although you would certainly not stand out with a pair of faded Blue Jeans on should you choose that option (as I did). If you are a people watcher you will feel right at home here as well. I sat by myself and did not feel out of place. People were laughing and simply enjoying the great weather and there were no loud drunks to spoil the vibe. Service as I mentioned previously was great and very welcoming. Would I come back? Absolutely without a doubt but this time I would stay away from those two White wines I mentioned.

                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                    The Desert Wine Guy

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The Desert Wine Guy - 2012 Starling Castle Riesling

  With Summer ending and the last of the pool days slowly (in Vegas) coming to an end I felt like grabbing a nice Riesling for our review today. Come on up to the Loft, have a seat and relax. Let me pour you a glass of the 2012 Starling Castle Riesling. This is one of those wines from the beginning that I was slightly put off on. Why was I slightly put off? This wine just so happens to have a screw cap, that's why. Those of you who have read some of my articles already know how I feel about screw caps. I think they should be reserved for Mad Dog 20/20 or Manischewitz Kosher Wine. Yes I can be a wine snob at times and I guess when it comes to screw caps I am. What first caught my eye when looking for a Riesling was actually the bottle of the Starling. The bottle appears to have almost a type of paint on it instead of the common paper label. I actually thought the bottle was interesting so I decided this is as good as any. At about $10 a bottle I was interested enough to forget about my favorite Riesling (Chateau Ste. Michelle) and the fact this wine had a Screw cap. I decide I was going to be a little crazy today and here we are so let's head on into this review.

                                                                

   
   While attempting to do some research on this wine I came to a dead end. I could not find anything about the Winery, Vineyard or the Wine Maker. What I found was that the wine is fairly popular and is from Germany and the Mosel region which is one of Germany's 13 official wine regions. Mosel is also Germany's third largest in term of production and it's most popular grape is the Riesling.
   Like is typical of a Riesling this wine has that sweet, flowery Bouquet of fruit that comes to your nose right away. The Bouquet of Pear was most pronounced and this was followed by Apple. I know you are probably saying "that's it? Yep that is it. The wine did have a bright, bubbly, Fruit Orchard aroma to it and I had hopes that the rest of the wine was just as enticing. To the mouth with this wine we go.
    The first taste of the wine was almost the same as the Bouquet, Pear which was followed by Apple but now joining those flavors was a fresh Semi-sweet Honeydew flavor. The wine finished with a very slight lemony twist. This Lemony ending was not bitter at all and I sort of enjoyed it. It was almost like an after thought. Just when you thought you tasted a very simple wine the lemon came out of nowhere. The wine seems to feel limited in its ability to give the drinker any excitement however and was kind of a lot of Pear mixed with a little of this and a little of that.
   Putting this all together now I have to say that the wine was not really what I would call a bad wine but it was a little too sweet for my liking. The wine is very fruit forward as you have probably already guessed and is a kind of "here I am " wine. It hides nothing, does not open up or change in flavor and is consistant throughout. Is the wine worth the $10 you ask? Considering I can get the Chateau Ste Michelle for 7-8 dollars I think will have to pass on this. The wine was not put together as well as the Chateau Michelle and was a little more expensive at the same time.The wine is also NOT made in America as is the Chateau Ste Michelle (Washington State) and if given the choice I will support a wine from this country. The flavors were not as diverse either. I guess if I couldn't find the Chateau Ste Michelle I might go for it again but then again I am The Desert WIne Guy and as such I do wine reviews and am always on the lookout for an interesting wine so maybe not. In answer to your question I am going to stick to my Chateau Ste Michelle thank you. On The Desert Wine Guys point scale I give it 85 points.

                                                                                                                 The Desert Wine Guy

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