Heinrich 2005 Burgenland Blaufränkisch (1 week opened, sealed) – Sour plums and gym shoes. Eew.
– All of the below from Trader Joe’s –
La Caumette NV Red Table Wine “L’Authentique” - Berries and volatility up the nose. Thinnish body, tart, a bit harsh, but all in all just plain cheap table wine. Worth what it cost, but no more. Buy more? No. ($4)
La Granja 360 2008 Cariñena Tempranillo – I’ve had a lot of cheap Tempranillo. It all tastes like this. Sour cherries, light to medium body, and that’s about it. Buy more? No. ($4)
Trader Joe’s 2006 Reserve Cabernet, California – Baaad nose of alcohol. Viscous, cough-syrupy fruit and caramel up front, and alfalfa underneath. Unpleasant, but I suspect people like it. Not a chance I’d buy more. ($10)
Ruggero di Tasso 2007 Sicilia Nero d’Avola “Archeo” – Smells a bit like L’Authentique, above, but tastes better. Next to no tannin plus plenty of fruit, very plush and soft in the mouth. Decent acidity keeps it from being hugely heavy. I don’t know that I could drink a glass or two of this, but it’s fine to sip. Has a twist of bitterness to keep your attention. ($4)
Lacheteau 2008 Vouvray – Almonds and quince aromas. This is going to be quite off dry – yup, it is. Initial blast of fruit and acid is far more intense than expected, but it fades a bit fast. This has the Chenin Blanc acid to balance out some of the RS, but not quite enough of it. Faint cheesy notes on the finish. The bottle says it’s good with spicy food (I agree), but all we have on hand is some horseradish – which, served on water crackers, actually works quite well with the wine, masking the RS and letting the apple flavors shine. Well worth the price – I might actually buy some of this. ($6)
