Illinois River Winery Claret - $19

A non-vintage wine made by a local winery. Made from a grape called
Noiret or NY73 indigenous to New York State.

David: Light magenta in color. A little effervescence is made evident by a few bubbles. Raspberries, boysenberries jump at you on the nose. Smells like berry soda pop. Not very wine-like. Very acidic. Medium bodied. Tastes somewhat like berry soda pop too. Aged in French Oak but I can't pick out many oak characteristics due to the prominent tart fruit. Finishes very tart.

Overall, not impressed. Interesting to try new grape varieties but this is not my cup of tea.
Score: 3.3/5

Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva 2007 - $20

Got this on sale for $11.

David: Color is medium dark, purplish red. Just like the last two wines, the nose is red currant with a little toasted oak and slight sour cherry. Some violets. A hint of mulchy stinkiness. Lush red fruit on the palate, cherry lollipop. Silky soft mouthfeel with mild tannins. Medium to low acidity. A little boring. Worth the sale price, not the full price.
Score 3.8/5

Falesco Vitiano 2008 - $9

We tried the 2007 before and found it quite good.

David: Light purplish red. The nose is distinctly red currant mixed with sour cherry and some oak characteristics. Medium bodied, decent acidity. Round tannins. Sour cherry fruit comes on quickly. However after that, it goes a little flat. Not enough structure. The finish is a bit dull. A decent wine but becomes a little simplistic, especially on the back end. Definitely inferior to the 2007 that we had.
Score 3.8/5

Domaine Seguinot Bordet Chablis 2008 - $16

Our first Chablis.

David: Color is pale yellow. Delicate nose of honey, peach and creamy oyster shell minerality. Delicious on the palate. Medium bodied with lively acidity. Honeyed melon, green apple fruit. Good balance. Good finish. I think I will like this style.
Score: 4.1/5

Trinchero Merlot 2007 - $26

Got this Napa merlot half off on the sale rack at Meijer.

David: Purple red in color. This merlot is very similar to the previous $9 merlot from Bordeaux. Nose of red currant, herbs, vanilla, rubbery earthiness. Full bodied, red currant fruit, median acidity. Fruit bomby. Silky texture, soft but powerful tannins. Decent finish. A tasty though fairly ordinary merlot. Not that much better than the previous $9 wine. Easily worth the discount price but not the full one which is typical of Napa wines.
Score: 3.9/5

Chateau Mylord Bordeaux Superieur 2008 - $9

Probably mostly merlot.

David: Vibrant, cherry red color. A nice nose showing pure, fresh red currants. Rose petal, thyme. A faint whiff of rubbery, inner tube earthiness. A touch of vanilla. Medium bodied. Silky smooth texture. Good acidity. Simple structure, not much tannins. Showing cranberry fruit, darkening a little into a more liquorish, blue fruit finish. Pretty likable wine on the cheap.
Score: 3.9/5

Domaine de Baron'Arques Limoux 2004 - $18

I think we bought 4-5 bottles of this for around $15 at Binny's on sale. But I have seen it priced anywhere from $15 to $45. From Limoux in the Languedoc. Close to Bordeaux both literally and figuratively. We liked the 2003 which we also got on sale.

David: Beautiful cherry red color. Very expressive nose shows roses, strawberry taffy, an explosion of red fruits, plums, cranberry, pine forest, sweet oak. Medium to full bodied. Big red fruits on the palate with a little sweetness. Berry tones become evident here. Tannins are soft. Pleasant finish. Quite different from the 2003 but equally enjoyable. Quite a bit of bottle-to-bottle variation in this 2004 vintage as well. This was our third bottles of 2004.
Score: 4.2/5

Massaya Classic 2007 - $11

A blend from Lebanon. 60% cinsault, 20% cabernet, 20% syrah.

David: Beautiful brick red color. Long legs form on the glass. Complex aromatics. Tobacco, herbs. Ripe red and black fruits. A hint of menthol and orange peel. A bit of fox fur gaminess. The syrah adds a little inner-tube aroma. Full bodied. Plenty of glycerin. Good acidity. Good fruit. A little bit like tempranillo in the flavor profile. Strong tannins. Nice long finish. Good value.
Score 4.1/5

Finca Vieja Tempranillo 2009 - $6

David: Color is crimson. Nose is typical tempranillo. Red fruits, with pretty high acidity and a little spice. Not bad. Not very exciting. Not a bad value for the $6 price tag but not very memorable either.
Score: 3.5/5

Domaine Charvin Vin de Pays de la Principauté d'Orange ‘à côté’ 2008 - $9

A rhone red blend, VDP.

David: Medium purple/red in color. Nose of red and black fruits, earth, herbs. A little vegetal. A tiny hint of barnyard. Medium bodied, medium to low acidity. Some tasty black cherry fruit but the fruitiness gives way to dusty, earthy tones and it finishes dry, earthy and with escalating bitterness. Mild tannins and kind of lacking interesting structure. Kind of goes downhill continuously.
Score: 3.6/5

Hecula Monastrell 2007 - $11

We tried the 2005 before and liked it a lot.

David: Beautiful dark crimson in color. Nose of rich dark fruit, sweet oak, cedar and forest floor. Medium bodied. Blueberry fruit on the palate is very dry, not sweet. Definitely more tannic than the 2007. Slightly bitter woody finish. This would be more enjoyable with a few more years of cellaring.
Score 3.8/5

Scott Harvey Zinfandel Mountain Select 2004 - $17

Our second Scott Harvey wine after the Barberra .

David: Beautiful light reddish copper color, showing the age. Nose is briary but not showing huge fruit. More earthy. Herbs like bay leaf are present. Some light coffee or cocoa. On the palate, it shows good cherry, black berry fruit. Some sweetness. Firm tannins. Showing a hint of oxidization. Perhaps it doesn't have many years left. Long finish. A classy Zin.
Score: 3.9/5

Chateau Lestrille Entre-Deux Mers - $11

A white Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc.

David: Light golden color. Classic Sauvignon Blanc nose. Some pineapple. A little muskiness, citrus and white peach. Floral notes. Medium bodied. Mouthfeel is a little Chardonnay-like. Medium acidity. A little hollow on the palate at first but it picks up and becomes a bit more interesting. Overall, a decent refreshing wine but not too exciting.
Score: 3.8/5

Heartland Shiraz 2006 - $14

David: Beautiful dark purple brown. Rich nose of black currant, prunes, vanilla, a little smoke and menthol. Full bodied. Smooth and silky on the palate. Medium acidity. Delicious, opulent dark fruit with chocolate and with some lovely spiciness. Good structure and depth if not overly complex. Mellow but very tasty. A little liquorish on the finish.
Score: 4.1/5

Penascal Temranillo Shiraz 2006 - $7

85% Temranillo and 15% Shiraz. From northern Spain.

David: Dark crimson. Nose of ripe, tart, dark fruits. A bit of the distinctive tobacco, tempranillo smell. Vanilla oakiness and floral notes. Started out a bit tart but mellowed with time. Full bodied. Big fruit is pleasant and soft on the palate. Perhaps a little sweetness. Shiraz adds some interesting spiciness and tannins which are still mild. Enough structure to stay interesting. Another good value Spanish red.
Score: 3.9/5

Feudo Arancio Nero d'Avola 2009 - $7

Nero d'Avola from Sicily. This grape can attain 18% alcohol and has long been used as a blending grape.

David: Crimson in color. Nose is black cherry and not much beyond that. After a while it began to take on more blueberry. Also shows a little earthy tar character. Full bodied, with good acidity. Quite a fruit bomb. Tannins are sweet and mild. Acidity picks up a bit and give its some structure and depth into the long finish. Not overly complex but quite interesting and a good value.
Score: 3.9/5

Cono Sur Carmenere 2008 - $9

A Carmenere from Chile

David: Dark garnet color. Nose has ripe black current, tobacco, chocolate, bell pepper. A bit of volatile earthiness, maybe shoe polish. Full bodied, medium acidity. Silky smooth. Delicious, big red fruit. Soft tannins. Tasty finish with lingering sweetness. Great value.
Score: 4.0/5

Castillo de Fuendejalon Crianza 2006 - $8

A blend of 75% old vine grenache and 25% old vine tempranillo. Bottle is wrapped in paper which is interesting.

David: Dark purplish crimson. Nose of cranberry, cinnamon, a little smoke, a little minerality. Tastes like it smells: ocean spray cranberry grape juice. Tart with some sweetness. Lacks complexity and depth. A crianza, so it is oaked but not much of that coming through. Not offensive but pretty boring.
Score: 3.4/5

Cantele Primitivo 2007 - $10

A primitivo from Puglia, Italy.

David: Crimson in color. Nose of blueberries, wet stone, black tea, violets and earth. That typical smell of petite syrah or zin. Medium bodied, medium acidity. A little thinner than other primitivos I have had. Good cherry and berry fruit and good structure. A little liquorish on the back end. An enjoyable wine.
Score 3.9/5

Jessica: I am liking it.
Score 3.9

Dominio de Eguren Protocolo Tinto 2007 - $7

A Tempranillo from Spain.

David: Reddish purple in color. Nose of black cherry, tobacco leaf and vanilla. Medium to full bodied with medium acidity. Big raspberry and strawberry fruit is layered and delicious. Silky texture with round tannins. A little pepper on the finish which is also quite nice. A spectacular value.
Score 4.0/5

Jessica: 3.9