Smooth Shiraz

Product: Cockatoo Ridge Shiraz 2002

Assessment:

• great for $8
• light yet had good body
• not too tannic on the backside
  

Grade: A

Sacred Crap

Product: Sacred Stone Master's Red Blend

Assessment:

• tannic
• big red
• better warmed up
  
• not fruity enough to back up the tannins
  

Grade: C+

Protocolo

Product: Protocolo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla 2002

Assessment:

• juicy
• really good
• medium to light body
• very flavorful
  

Grade: A+

Rheingau Schmengau

Product: Royal Rheingau Riesling

Assessment:

• excellent
• crisp
• sweet but not overpowering
• easy drinking
  

Grade: B+

Carmenere Great

Product: Calina Carmenere Reserva 2003

Assessment:

• damn good
• dry yet slightly sweet
• light body
• good front
  

Grade: A

Toad Hollow Deux

Consumed: April 24, 2005

Product: Toad Hollow Amplexus - Sparkling Wine

Assessment:

• dry
• refreshing
• very good
• good amount of sparkles
• pretty cheap
  

Grade: A

Sparkling Currant

Consumed: April 24, 2005

Product: Kir Royal - Cuvee Prestige Sparkling Wine

Assessment:

• pretty good
• yummy, sweet
• fair dryness
  

Grade: B

High Malbec

Product: Terrazas Alto - Malbec 2003

Assessment:

• needs to warm up
• spicy
• strong but tasty

Grade: B+

Of Asti

Product: Barbera D' Asti - Guasti Clemente 2002

Assessment:

• very light
• slight body
• refreshing but average
• fairly balanced

Grade: B

Rias

Product: Monte Do Ceo Albarino - Rias Biaxar

Assessment:

• citrusy
• slight apple
• dry (fairly)
  

Grade: B-

cheap Cab

Product: Ehlers Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Assessment:

• not too good
• simple Cabernet
  

Grade: C-

Failed Zin Buy

Consumed: April 14, 2005

Product: Sausal Family Vineyards Alexander Valley Estate Grown Zinfandel 2001

Assessment:

• needs to oxidize
• rich, tannic
  
• fruity, too light a body
  

Grade: B

Big House GOOD

Consumed: all the time!

Product: Ca' del Sol Big House Red (around $7-$10)

Assessment:

• good, robust
• easy to drink
• good going down
• decent overall wine, especially for the price
  

Grade: A

Decent Old Vine

Consumed: April 6, 2005

Product: California Old Vine Red Geyserville, CA

Assessment:

• tannins, though easy to drink
• can really taste layers, especially petite syrah
• overall good stuff
  

Grade: B

Cellar Cecilio

Product: Cellar Cecilio Negre Priorat 2001 (40% Grenache, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carinera)

Assessment:

• amazing!
• almost perfect balance
• nice body
• tart, bold
  

Grade: A

Peak of the Crop

Consumed: March 26, 2005

Product: Altas Peak Sangiovese

Assessment:

• very tasty
• smooth but bold
• low tannin
• good quality wine
  

Grade: A

Spanish Sparkling Goodness

Consumed: March 26 and May 31, 2005

Product: Miret Cava - Brut Reserva

Assessment:

• awesome
• dry with a little sweetness
• really liked it
• and damn cheap!
  

Grade: A

Ladybugs

Consumed: March 24, 2005

Product: Ladybug Red - Old Vines Lolonis

Assessment:

• peppery, bold
• good amount of tannin
• high astringency
• really mellows out as it oxygenates

Grade: A+ (when drank at proper temp)

A Chardonnay It Is Not

Consumed: March 19, 2005

Product: Alta Vista Cosecha (Chardonnay, Torrantes)

Assessment:

• crisp, clean
• very acidic
• fruity yet dry
  

Grade: B+

Threesome

Consumed: March 16, 2005

Product: Menage a Trois (Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon)

Assessment:

• not much tanning
• sweet
• easy to drink
• slightly alcoholic nose
  

Grade: A+

Llamas in Argentina

Consumed: March 7, 2005

Product: Funky Llama Malbec

Assessment:

• damn good for the money
• perfecto
• easy drinking malbec from argentina
• good schtick
  

Grade: B+

Love Day

Consumed: February 28, 2005

Product: Hahn Estates Meritage

Assessment:

• full-bodied
• good table wine
• perfect for chicken or light beef dish
• easy to drink yet satisfying
• slightly earthy
  

Texas Hills

Consumed: February 28, 2005

Product: Texas Hills Moscato

Assessment:

• good dessert wine
• very sweet, rich
• for special occassion

also drank: Ogier Ceves des Papes

Love Day

Consumed: February 14, 2005

Product: Loazzolo Borgo Maragliano Moscato Asti

Assessment:

• sweet
• tasty, fine bubbles
• superior
• a good Valentine's wine

Blanco

Consumed: March 8, 2005

Product: Chateau Camou Blanc de Blanc

Assessment:

• Good on first swallow, but as it warms up it weakens.
• Sweet but also fairly dry.
  
• Easy drinking. Good sipper.
  

Grade: B

Mis en Bouteille

Consumed: January 21, 2005

Product: Mis en Bouteille

Assessment: No assessment was taken.

Too sweet?

Consumed: March 10, 2005

Product: St. Supery Moscato

Assessment:

• Delicious. Sweet on the front, and throughout.
  
• Very crisp but a nice balance.
• Maybe too sweet.

Grade: B

Toad Hollow

Product: Toad Hollow Zinfandel

Consumed: March 10, 2005

Assessment:

• F -- in' awesome.
  
• Yummy, very good wine.
  
• Good body, medium to heavy.
  
• Loved it.
• Easy drinking for a big Zinfandel.

Grade: A+

Winery

Winery
Originally uploaded by iceplee.

I imagine this is where wine might be made. It looks to perfect, as if I belong there, not here.

Chenin Blanc

Consumed: March 8, 2005

Product: Pheasant Ridge Chenin Blanc 2002

Assessment:

• A dry wine.
• Medium to light-bodied. Easy drinking despite its dryness.
• Very crisp. A good accompaniment to seafood or chicken.
• Decent, but nothing to rave about.

Grade: B

Malbec

Consumed: March 15, 2005

Product: Norton Malbec 2002

Assessment:

• This wine was very tannic, before and after it oxidized.
  
• The tannins were slightly unpleasant but not overwhelming.
  
• Slightly vegetal... appropriately vegetal.
  
• Very bold. This wine wasn't screwing around. It let you know who it was right off the bat.
• I also detected a tasty jamminess.
  
• Overall a mediocre wine.

Grade: C

In The Beginning

This wine journal is being created by myself and my boyfriend Brett, as an expression and record of our true love of wine. We're always learning and tasting and trying new things. We welcome any hate mail, secret admirers or general comments that you may feel the need to throw at us. We don't take criticism well, but we can fake it online.