Dallas Wine Chick

Wine Review Round-up: French, Spanish, Italian and California

With the new gig, a little behind on wine reviews… 

It’s been a while since I’ve done a wine round up and lately I’ve been fortunate enough to try some really great wines at all price points.  Since I started my new job in Dallas, I have been instituted “Thirsty Thursday’s,” where I gather my co-workers and we have team building with wine involved.

I’ve listed my favorites in several different categories based on trying more than 40 wines.  These were often tried by region, varietal or price point.

Value Wines ($15 and Under)

2011 Domaine Maby La Forcadière – a dry rose with a nice minerality and notes of raspberry and flowers.  I really enjoyed this rose and I don’t give compliments on roses lightly.

2011 Bolla Soave Classico – a well-priced summer wine with citrus, apricot, peach and a nice crispness.

2012 Bodegas Ostatu Rioja Blanco – tropical notes, crisp and refreshing.  Another great summer refresher.

2012 Vina Ventisquero Sauvignon Blanc – citrus, tropical fruit, minerality with a nice balance of herbs and a creamy texture.

2012 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc – apple, grapefruit and pear.

2011 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Carmenere – a nice expression of Carmenere with blackberry, forest floor, mocha and spiciness.

2010 Matchbox Dunnigan Hills Syrah – at $10, this wine with notes of raspberry, currant, black fruit, cocoa, spice and jam, was the best red wine that I’ve tried at this price point.  It had depth and complexity that I have never found in a $10 bottle.

2009 Ruiz de Viñaspre – I tasted lots of red fruit and floral notes in this 100 percent tempranillo.  It was a well-balanced wine and very drinkable with or without food.

2010 Vina Zaco Rioja Tempranillo – lots of vanilla and spice with blackberry and mocha.

2009 Bodegas Bilbainas Vina Pomal Crianza – blackberry, licorice, cedar, mocha and spice make this a well-balanced wine.

$15 to $40

2001 Ramirez de La Piscina Gran Reserva – all spice, flowers, cherries, currant and lots of depth.  This is an elegant wine that is drinking very well today.

2005 Finca Allende Rioja Allende – notes of blackberry, cherry, earthiness with layers of depth.

2005 Deobriga Rioja – smokiness combined with lots of red fruit, flowers, vanilla, spice and tobacco.

2006 Grupo Olarra Bodegas Ondarre Reserva – a very smooth wine with lots of rich red fruit, dates and spice.

2009 Domaine Bressy-Masson Cotes du Rhone-Villages Rasteau Cuvee Paul Emile – this was a rich and smooth wine with notes of blackberry, fig, tobacco, black tea, spice and chocolate.

2009 Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas – this was a big wine with lots of terrior, berry, black cherry and herbs.  This was a very well balanced wine.

2010 De Martino Legado Reserva Carmenere – another good expression of Carmenere with notes of tobacco, flowers, vanilla and cassis.

Over $40

2007 Finca Monteviejo – a powerful wine with blackberry, plum, mushroom, currant, dried fruits, spice and earth.  Exactly what a great Rioja should taste like.

Wine Club Reunited: Spanish Heavy Hitters, White Flights, Napa Finds and Cajun Cuisine

Picture a group of very driven, professional folks that have a passion for wine, like to have fun, enjoy off the beaten path wines and make sure to not take ourselves too seriously.  The last part a total 180 from what you would expect a somewhat serious wine club to look like especially from a group representing a snapshot of corporate America.

We tried taking ourselves too seriously in the beginning where we voted members in, selected favorite wines and then tried to store them for the right period of time before opening and officially voting on our favorites. That all changed one fateful night of tasting Turley Zinfandels where we threw all decorum out the window and had an amazing time.  There may or may not be a YouTube video that you will never find capturing our version of MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This.”  Throughout the years, we changed the goal of the club to enjoying wines we haven’t had before while putting the emphasis on fun.  And, you know, I ended up learning and retaining a lot more knowledge.

As most groups go, life got in the way for awhile and we had not met in a few months.  When Peter and Jen revived the group, I was excited. I walked in with my Spiegelau glasses and no idea of what surprises were in store.

It turns out we were having a Mardi Gras theme with homemade Cajun food.  Our hosts wanted to do a Spanish red theme, but knew that it wouldn’t match the food, so another theme was added to go with the dinner.  We started with wines that would go well with spicy food.  Our first line-up included the following:

• Chateau Bonnet Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc 2011 – a blend of sauvignon blanc, semillon and muscadelle with grapefruit, minerality and a little hint of sweetness.  Great wine under $10.
• Chateau Guibon  2011 – lots of pear and melon with a nice balance from the blend of Semillon, sauvignon blanc and muscadelle.  This wine is led by the Semillon and is more muted than the first.  Another nice white under $10.
• Leyda Sauvignon Blanc 09 – lots of citrus with lime, grapefruit and green apple.  Great minerality and nice finish. Also in the $10 range and a great bargain.
• Villa Maria Reserve Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc 09 – lots of grapefruit, exotic fruit and grassy notes. 
• Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc 07 – I am a big fan of Merry Edwards wines – especially the Sauvignon Blancs and Pinots – this had the same minerality and citrus notes, but unfortunately had lost some its essence with time.

Then it was truly showtime – a line-up of highly rated Spanish reds, all from the highly-rated 2004, of which I have not had the opportunity to try.  Our line-up was:

• Bodegas y Vinedos Alion Ribera del Duero 04 – inky black with blackberry, chocolate, spice and some floral notes.  Incredibly rich and yummy.
• Baron de Magana 04 – priced under $20, this wine had notes of oak, blackberry, current and graphite. Very earthy.
• Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio 04 – it took some time in the glass for me to appreciate this big wine.  I tasted mocha, cardamom, cinnamon and something that was almost port-like.
• Vall Llach Priorat 04 – lots of blackberry, herbal notes, chocolate, coffee, peanut brittle, vanilla, minerality and spice.  I really liked this wine and it changed in the glass through the course of the evening.
• Numanthia ‘Termanthia’, Toro, Spain 04 – this was an incredible wine by one of the best Spanish wine makers out there.  It was complex with black and red fruits, eucalyptus and as smooth as silk.  My absolute favorite of the evening.
• Dominio Pingus Ribera del Duero Flor de Pingus 04 – definitely needed more decanting time, but had notes of cherry, chocolate, oak, smoke, sage, licorice and coffee. 

And if we hadn’t tasted enough great wines, one of our participants had just returned from a trip to Napa, so out came the Guilliams Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 07 and Seavey Cabernet 09.  And that was a fabulous end to our evening and a foggy start to a Sunday morning.

The Summer of Italian Wine: A Conversation with Mauro Merz

I talked last week about the Italians converging on Dallas to make sure that we know just how great their wines are.  When I received an invitation from Banfi to meet Mauro Merz, the head winemaker from Fontana Candida, I was intrigued.  This was part of a bigger effort in Texas and Chicago, two top wine drinking markets.  Because Merz speaks no English, we had an awesome translator who somehow seamlessly pulled off near simultaneous translation.

If you remember the Riunite on Ice commercials of the 70’s and early 80’s and saw your parents proudly serve Riunite along with Cold Duck, you may also have tried the substandard Frascati that hit many American’s tables along that timeframe.  While neither wine is associated with Frascati, it was in the same category of a “wine that lost its soul.” 

Mauro Merz, the head winemaker from Fontana Candida

Frascati, once known for producing delightful crisp white wines, suffered the fate of Chablis and Merlot with an overabundance of over production resulting in a lot of bad wine that hit the market.  Fast forward several years later and Merz, the unofficial ambassador of Frascati as well as the largest producer, is a man that is committed to fixing the errors of the past and making Frascati great again within his region and in the eyes of the public.

To address the skepticism and initial quality issues, Merz was the first to work with farmers and growers in the region to ensure strict quality standards for the grapes.  The grapes are grown in volcanic soils located near Rome and have been a staple of Roman culture for almost 2,000 years.  Merz is the only producer that uses cold filtration and cold bottling.  This wine has a place in history – from popes to everyday folks – Frascati was a wine of occasion and celebration.

Believe it or not, we tried a vertical of Frascati with some vintages ranging from 1997 to 2011 (not consecutive years).  Here’s what I found:

• 1997 vintage – I couldn’t believe that Frascati held up this long.  Was it my favorite wine, no, but that wasn’t the point of having us try it.  I appreciated that it evolved with almond, apple and pear notes and the fact that it had depth after almost 15 years in the bottle (these wines are for drinking young, not for aging).
• 2010 Vigneto Santa Teresa Frascati Superiore Doc – this was very fruity, crisp with some minerality and great mouth feel.  A great apertiff wine for hot summer days and priced ridiculously well around $10.
• 2001 Vigneto Santa Teresa Frascati DOC Superiore – this was a surprisingly complex wine that actually could age in a cellar with lots of white stone fruit and minerality.
• 2011 Fontana Candida Terre dei Grifi – this was a bigger wine full of citrus, dried fruit and melon.  It is definitely a wine that needs food.  Merz deemed it the “Sophia Loren of wine because it only gets more beautiful with age.” – Nice!

Our next flight was of Luna Mater, which began production on the 50^th anniversary of Fontana Candida.  The wine was bottled with a mind toward tradition, but using the right technology to make the right wine.  We tried the following:

• 2007 Luna Mater Frascati Superiore DOC – this was had a big balsamic taste, honey, tropical fruits, pear and almonds.  It was the first vintage and is definitely going to age well.
• 2008 Luna Mater Frascati Superiore DOC – same exotic fruits, but fresher with much more acidity.
• 2009 Luna Mater Frascati Superiore DOC – this is owner’s favorite wine.  It was complex, yet intense with a concentration of tropical fruit and balsamic notes.
• 2010 Luna Mater Frascati Superiore DOC – lots of apricot, but this wine needed some more time in the bottle to deliver.

Merz talked about what Frascati needs to do to get back to its rightful place in wine history, “we need to make sure we tell the story of the wine’s sense of place, its role in the history of wine dating back to the Romans and continue to encourage the Frascati winemaking revival.”  He believes, as the largest producer of Frascati, he has a responsibility to lead this effort.  Small producers are now following and he hopes other wineries and growers will follow suit.

He loved the reaction of our group who didn’t expect the wines to be good.  The faster people taste, the faster they will discover a little known crown jewel from Italy. 

Love Affairs, Piropos and Free Wine

In honor of Valentine’s Day and putting poetry into action, I have teamed up with Tapeña wines.  It’s time to be creative and talk about your love affair – this time with the grape. 

The most creative Piropo will win a four-pack of wines, a Spanish-themed cookbook and some other fun material.  What is a Piropo you may ask?  Translated literally it is a “flirtatious or poetic compliment to a woman.”  Things like, “If beauty were a sin, you’d never be forgiven” or “So many curves, and me without brakes” (shudder).  But, that’s been so done.  I want to see how clever and unique you can voice your appreciation for wine.

Tapeña—the wine with the little fork on the label—is a blend of tradition, camaraderie and gathering close friends.  I had the chance to partner with them a few years ago on an event so if you want to know more about the  wine.

For more info about Tapeña, check out their website, Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/tapenawines or Twitter @tapenawine.  They also have a reward program, for those of you who become fans, where you can get more free stuff.

 The fine print – you must be 21 years or older to enter, and that by entering you verify you are over 21.  The contest will close on January 31 and you can enter here.  Looking forward to seeing your poetry in motion.

Two Corks and a Bottle: A Do It Yourself Neighborhood Wine Bar

Courtesy of John Buquoi

I’ve always fanaticized about being a wine maker and working on “making magic in a bottle”.  That is until I tried blending from the barrel with a wine maker or two and realized what skills are required to make that magic happen.

John Ley (left) and Elwyn Hull (far right), Winemakers

I attended the grand opening of Two Corks And A Bottle, a new wine bar in uptown where you can choose from 30 varietals of grapes from around the world and make 30 bottles of a personal vintage by yourself or with a group of friends.  The friendly staff provides enough direction to make sure your prized grapes result in the wine you hoped with a custom label to prove it.  Hey, the holidays are around the corner…

If making two and a half cases of wine isn’t in your plan or budget, wines are available by the glass or 5 tastes for $5.  Of those that I tried, my favorite was the Italian Amaroso and the Sweet Harmony ice wine was a nice change of pace.  There were also Cosmo Wine Cocktails and Mojito Wine Cocktails in a bottle, but I decided to stick with the vino.  A wine club — one or two bottles monthly — with a six month membership is also available.

Courtesy of John Buquoi

Two Corks and a Bottle is a nice little neighborhood wine bar filling a gap in the Quadrangle area.  It is open every day but Monday and has live music on Saturdays.

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais and Burgers: Yin and Yang

The day after I got back from the Wine Blogger’s Conference I quickly prepared for the Burgers with a side of Beaujolais #GDandBurgers event.  As many of you know, I do not cook.  Ever.  So, when the itinerary called for burger preparation and my husband was out of town, I called in the big guns — my friend, Jennifer Schuder. 

Jennifer prepared a fabulous turkey burger with a fried egg perched on top of the patty.  It was absolutely to die for.  I also learned that Beaujolais wines match pretty well with burgers.  Other participants followed along with burger recipes by Chef Bob Waggoner that matched each wine.   To follow some of the chat that evening, check out www.winetwits.com and clink on the link.

We tried three Georges Duboeuf wines that night. 

• Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 09 – this was the least complex of the wines offered and the least favorite of the group.  I tasted berry and currant and some spice on the end.  This wine went well with our cheese plate.  $9.99
• Georges Duboeuf Brouilly 09 – lots of plum, currant and other stone fruit. The more this developed in my glass, the more I liked it.  This was the most divisive wine of the group.  $13.99
• Georges Duboeuf Julienas Chateau des Capitans 09 – This was the favorite and the most complex wine tried.  Floral notes, mocha, vanilla, big berry and spiciness.  $17.99

This was a great event to really get a feel for the diversity of wines from Beaujolais.  And, I now know what wine will work splendidly the next time my husband fires up burgers on the grill.

Fourth of July, Family & Fireworks Meet Bordeaux and Chilean wines

Fourth of July.  It’s more American then apple pie, mom and tasting French and Chilean wines?  Let me explain.  I found myself over the Fourth of July weekend on a beach trip with my husband’s family.  Picture one beach house in Sandestin, eight adults and six kids (with all six under the age of six and a half).  Usually not ingredients for a successful wine tasting, but my husband’s family had indicated an interest in wine tasting.   In the beginning, I had my reservations with my husband blasting beach music, a Pixar movie on the screen, kids eating dinner and the family gathered around a small coffee table with one glass in hand.  But soon, the kids were happy, the electronics were off and we were discussing the wines.  

Due to a schedule mix-up, the Planet Bordeaux people had sent over some samples earlier this year for a Twitter Live Tasting while I was out of town.  We discussed conducting a tasting of my own at a later date and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  The Planet Bordeaux folks are trying to get the word out about what Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur AOC wines have to offer.  Superieur Bordeaux’s are inexpensive, but come from a specific vineyard with a set amount of age.  I was surprised at the differences in appellations, blends and tastes of the variety of Bordeaux wines provided.  And that was a good thing because the folks in the room couldn’t have more different palates.

The wines tasted included the following:

• Chateau de Parenchere 07 Bordeaux Superieur Rouge ($15) – liquorice, blackberry, chocolate, tar and plum.  This wine screamed for a food pairing.
• Costes du Chateau Feret-Lambert 07 Bordeaux Superieur Rouge ($16) – this wine was fruity, but an earthier, chewier mouth feel.  I tasted cassis and blackberry.
• Chateau Cablanc 06 Bordeaux Rouge ($11) – this was smooth, elegant and the definite favorite of the group.
• Chateau Lamothe de Haux 09 Bordeaux Blanc ($11) – very grassy with big notes of grapefruit, lemon, crisp fruit and refreshing.  The crowd favorite of the whites and a fabulous price for a good white. 
• Chateau Marac 09 Bordeaux Blanc ($11) – This one had a lot of minerality, almost a little effervescence to it, muted soft stone fruit.
• Chateau de Lisennes Cremant de Bordeaux ($17) – This one was described as the “non champagne drinkers champagne” by my brother-in-law.  We were split on this one as half of us liked the dry palate and half wanted something with softer bubbles.  A great brunch or food wine.

The next day we decided to expand our journey to Chilean summer white wines provided by Banfi Vintners.  We first focused on the Casablanca (aka Carneros South, which is north of Santiago), region of Chile, which is known for cooler temperatures and compared on occasion to California’s Carneros region.

Emiliana Organic Vineyards, the world’s single largest collection of estate-grown wines, produces their wines from organically grown grapes.  Their winemaking is directed by Alvaro Espinoza, known for being a visionary for organic, biodynamic and eco-balanced wines.                                          

We started with the 10 Natura Sauvignon Blanc ($11) and Chardonnay ($11).  I smelled oranges, citrus, grapefruit and something floral.  I enjoyed this wine better on the second day as it was more balanced.  The Chardonnay had lots of tropical fruit and almost a nutty flavor.  My mother-in-law named this as her favorite.

We then moved to the 10 Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc ($12) once named “Devil’s Cellar,” after the owner spread a rumor about his cellars being haunted by a devil after a robbery.  It’s crisp, fresh and tropical – definitely the favorite of the group.  We followed that up with the 10 Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay ($12), which had lots of tartness, fruit, citrus and a crisp finish.

Our final wine was the 09 Marquis de Casa Concha Chardonnay ($18), which is from Limari, the “Land of Cold Light” known for the presence of limestone soil.  This was a much meatier wine with buttered toast, vanilla and citrus flavors.  This was also a divisive wine with half of the tasters naming it one of the top wines and the other half in disagreement.

It may have not been the most traditional thing to do on a fourth of July weekend, but then again, what better time to experience different wine with your family?  And, sometimes wine is the ingredient needed for all that togetherness.

Chain Reaction: WineQuest Begins – Decent Wine at A Chain?

This is the official launch of a series of columns meant to answer a very important question: can you get a decent glass of wine at a chain restaurant?  As the mom of a five and a half year old, I am always looking for a dinner place that balances my desire to eat something healthy with Morgan’s desire to get food that she wants.  I’m lucky because she loves salmon sashimi, but that comes with a price tag and isn’t something we can have daily.  And if I find a place with good food, fair prices and I can get a decent glass of wine, you have my complete attention and loyalty.

Enter Cafe-Express.  I know, I know – this isn’t truly a chain - but it does have 18 locations and I wanted to begin this series on a high note.  I sat down recently with Greg Martin, the food and beverage manager, who talked about the wine program and I’ll let you in on a secret.  You can get a ¼ bottle pour of a selection of wines not seen on your grocery store aisle for $6.  Yes, $6 and it goes down to $5 during happy hour.  The wine by the glass a great deal and there was a nice range of wines - Chalone Cabernet, The Next Riesling, Sterling Sauvignon Blanc, Monstrall Cabernet and Acrobat Pinot Gris - on my visit.  And, you can buy the bottle and take it home.

Throw in the fact that Café Express’ menu is centered around fresh and good food for everyday dining using quality products and tested recipes, and you’ve got a great option for a meal with wine that won’t break the bank.

Wines.com, Texas Wineries, D Magazine … and me?

Buy 6 or more bottles of bourbon and get 1/2 off shipping with code “dallas37″

This month is a big month for the Dallas Wine Chick.  It’s the one-year anniversary of this little blog and with over 9,500 page views, about 3,100 Twitter followers and almost 600 fans on Facebook, you all have exceeded my expectations for success and created this amazing wine community.

You’ll see a link above to my first advertiser, Wine Chateau, a great online retailer of fine wines, who offers you a shipping discount with the link above.  Thank you Wine Chateau for your support of Dallas Wine Chick.

Recently I had my first wine-related speaking opportunity for EFactor, a local networking group.  Alex Andrawes, the CEO of wines.com and a friend on Twitter, asked me to join a panel session with some esteemed names in the wine business.  So I found myself on a panel with two Texas winemakers — Dan Gatlin from Inwood Estates and Dave Duchman from Duchman Family Wines as well as two personal friends – Andrew Chalk, D Magazine producer for Side Dish and Lindsay Woodard, owner of Retour Wines in Oregon.  About 55 people gathered at Cork Wine Bar to taste wine, hear the discussion and network.

I first introduced myself as the “accidental blogger.”  For those of you who know the story of starting Dallas Wine Chick, I just wanted to share my passion and experience of wine with others.  I started first on Twitter and when I reached a certain following; I thought about starting the blog.  To my shock, it happened.

The discussion was interesting.  We were asked as a panel to discuss the wine industry in Dallas.  Dan talked about how Dallas remains a challenge for him and other markets like Houston are much more supportive of Texas wines.  I talked about how Texas wine – especially in Dallas – needs an image overhaul to occur before consumers can support it.  In my discussions with other winemakers, including Lindsay who was there to debut her wonderful Retour Pinots in Dallas, the market is definitely supporting wines from other regions.

Andrew voiced the frustration of the room when asked about challenges with wine and restaurants.  Because consumers are better educated and know the retail price of many wines, paying triple mark-up is a detriment.  He believes that if restaurants were to even double the price of retail wine, they would immediately see higher sales because people would be willing to buy more wine.  I wasn’t asked this question, which was probably a good thing, but my pet peeve is “cookie cutter” wine lists that have been purchased by a distributor.  If many restaurants would take the same care with wine lists as they do with their food, consumers would have a better experience.

We talked a lot of about social media.  Lindsay doesn’t use social media today because her customers aren’t using Twitter and Facebook.  Dan has an Inwood Estates Facebook page, but it doesn’t seem to be populated often.  Dave has his marketing department handle their social media efforts and they are active.  Andrew uses a blog, but not Facebook or Twitter for business.  So, that leaves me and Alex as the poster children of the power of social media.

There was also some general discussion about the three-tier system and I think many of those in the room were surprised to hear about how wine gets from the winemaker to your home.

All in all, it’s the type of panel discussion that brought together many perspectives – winemaker, wine writers, wine retails.  We just needed a distributor to get a holistic view of the wine business.

As we wrapped up the Q&A, one audience member asked if it was still possible to get outside funding for the wine business.  Dan responded with a well-known, but sadly true quote – “If you want to make a small fortune in the wine business, be prepared to invest a large fortune.”

Kindred Spirits Unite!

Happy New Year to everyone!  I hope you had a great time and good wine to ring in 2011.

Back in November, I read my friend Bruce’s East Dallas Times article about how Jon Whitaker, the owner of local wine shop, Kindred Spirits had secured one of the highly rated Charles Smith Royal City Syrahs.  Charles Smith is known for throwing some great parties, including one with burlesque dancers with flaming pasties at the Wine Blogger’s Conference in 2010.  But I digress, that is another story for another time, with you over wine.  This bottle received a perfect 100 score from the Wine Enthusiast and a 98 from Robert Parker.  Six bottles made it to the Dallas area – five were sold at ridiculously inflated prices to a select list of customers who were “lucky” enough to be on the list in the first place.  Instead of taking the same approach as his brethren in the area, Jon conducted a drawing to see who would purchase the wine at its retail price.

I respected this unusual approach so I reached out to him.  We met at his store at Mockingbird and Abrams one chilly Wednesday afternoon and instantly was greeted by his vivacious, not to mention utterly charming ten-year-old son, Chris.  It turns out that the TABC will let the oldest child work in the family business.  After watching he and Jon interact, I was impressed at how well he knew the store and the products that they offered.  Jon has an interesting wine/spirits distribution, operations and sales background.  He put himself through Baylor and then took a sales rep job after school in a territory so bad that he joked about Schlitz Malt Liquor keeping him alive because his clients knew no one else would bring it in.  He then successfully worked in hospital administration until his hospitals were acquired by a larger chain.  That’s when he decided to get back in the business and acquired Kindred Spirits.

It had been a few years since I had been in Kindred Spirits and I remember the wine selection being pretty pedestrian and predictable – your basic grocery store fare.  Whitaker has definitely made the selection interesting with everything from Grange to an “off the beaten path” selection of wines under $15.  He highlighted one in particular, the 09 Oveja Negra Cabernet Franc Carmenere Reserva from Chile.  Since I received a flip cam from Santa this year, I recorded his thoughts on why he liked this wine.  After trying to get it to download for almost two hours, I give my concession to the great technology gods and my apologies to Jon for sticking a camera in his face.  Update: You can see the video on the Dallas Wine Chick page on Facebook.

He gave me a bottle to taste and I found that it had evolved drastically from day one to day two.  Wow – today it was mellow and silky with hints of spice and blackberry with a great mouth feel.  Today it had great balance and an almost velvet mouth feel.  At less than $10, it is a good buy on day one, but a great buy on day two.

Kindred Spirits is definitely worth the trip and I’m excited to check out some of his recommendations like the La Joya Merlot or the Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir.  It’s nice to have a family owned wine shop with someone in it for the love of offering all of his customers a fair shot at the best products that he can bring to the market.