Tasting- Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Micheal David Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Lodi, California

Country: United States

Year: 2020

Price: $19.99

 

Winery Review

“Charcoal and wood-smoke aromas melt into nicely concentrated black-cherry and dark chocolate flavors in this full-bodied, moderately tannic wine.”

-Jim Gordon from Wine Enthusiast

Wine Folly

“One of Napa Valley’s most notable features is volcanic soils, which give its wine a distinct dusty and minerally character. Wines from the valet floor tend to offer more black cherry with lush tannins” (page 89). Although this wine is not necessarily from Napa Valley, I find this characterization to still ring true. Some of the most integral components of this wine’s flavor profile is the fact that it is so tannic and smokey. While having those strong components, the sweeter, savory notes found in the dark fruit of Californian Cabernets allows for the tannins to not reign too strong on taste buds. Minerally, however, was not
a description I would use.

 

My Review

Freakshow has proven to be the absolute best wine I have had thus far. Before Freakshow, I honestly thought that I just might not have the stomach for red wines, but I was completely wrong. (Talk about a bottle to really open up my taste and appreciation for something I used to be so vehemently against.) Not only do the inherent smokey notes of this bottle act as a perfect pairing for a juicy cut of red meat, but I think this bottle can be perfectly enjoyed by itself.

Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon is a bold, loud, dominating red that still has a touch of elegance that perfectly balances out these more brash qualities. Because of the equity in the flavor profile, I find this to be a versatile wine that can be enjoyed in almost any scenario. The flavors starts with a hard blast of smoke and ember, mellowing out at the finish with soft, velvety hints of dark cherry and plums. The person I sampled this with mentioned that they felt like there were hints of strawberry as well, but I wasn’t able to come to that conclusion. The finish, while present and strong, leaves the palate very elegantly. Unlike a lot of red wines I have sampled, I feel like nothing about this experience is too overwhelming. Similar to Time Waits, I feel like this wine is perfectly in balance with each other, resulting in a complex, bold yet gentle wine. At this point, I am borderline addicted to it.

Tasting- Beringer Bros Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Beringer Bros Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 

Region: Napa Valley, California

Country: United States

Year: 2019

Price: $15.99 

Winery Review

"Bold, balanced and fruity wine with notes of red fruit and black fruit. This was complimented by the sweet aromas and flavors from the bourbon barrel aging. This wine nicely complimented a grilled beef roast with creamy mash potatoes." 

- Mas Vino from Vivino

Wine Folly

Wine Folly describes Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley to "offer more black cherry with lush tannins" (page 89). I find this to be a fairy accurate description; however, I did not find this bottle to be exceptionally overwhelming in the tannic qualities. I felt like those dark cherry and plum notes- characteristic of Californian Cabernets- to balance the wine, allowing for a young wine to not seem so overwhelming in tannins. 

My Review 

Beringer Bros was an utter delight, as every inch of the flavor profile was a good balance. Although it felt full bodied- rich in tannic qualities- it wasn't too overpowering on the palate. When tasting, the wine felt velvety smooth on the tongue, leaving a dark cherry, toffee notes. Although it tasted very good, I almost felt like this wine would be better for cooking. When first sampling this wine, my partner and I used it as a base for a red, meat sauce for our pasta dinner. (Granted we left enough to have a glass with the dinner.) This first experience felt magical. Hint of dark cherry, savory plum, and a hint of blackberry dominated the palate in a harmonious dance. These flavors even being apparent in the sauce we had made. I felt like the barrel aging allowed for the richness in flavors to be translated and fully realized, creating a multifaceted dining experience. 

Tasting- Substance Pinot Noir

Name: Substance Pinot Noir

Variety: Pinot Noir 

Region: Columbia Valley, Washington

Country: United States

Year: 2021

Price: $16.99

Winery Review

"Fairy dust minerality lifts from the glass, cloaked in wild strawberry, hibiscus, and oyster mushroom, as a lavish palate of rose petal, red cherry, orange zest, and potting soil set this elegant table. Fresh, expansive, and long- pure Pinot magic!"

 

- Charles Smith

Wine Folly

When reading the book, I initially agree with how versatile and gentle pinot noir can be: "A versatile red wine for food pairing given the higher acidity and lower tannin. Pinot Noir tastes like it was meant for duck, chicken, pork, and mushrooms" (page 150). I think that description perfectly describes the overall experience I had with this bottle. The lack of acidity and tannins in the grape allows for this bottle to be gentle, sweet, and light on the palate. 

My Review

I enjoyed this wine. I think it was a little expensive for what it was, but I cannot say that I did not enjoy drinking this bottle. We paired this with steamed white rice, sauteed mushrooms and onions, grilled avocado, and grilled chicken. Although I would have paired chicken with a white wine, pinot noir- especially after reading the book- was still an appropriate choice for our dinner. Especially with the mushrooms. I found the hidden umami flavor of the mushroom to be accentuated with the wine pairing. 

The wine was surprisingly sweeter than I thought it would be. In fact, that sweetness- stemming from the floral and strawberry notes- is present throughout the whole finish. Likewise, I found the wine's body and finish to be subtle and gentle, but not in a bad way. Although it's presence is quieter than other reds, I still found the overall flavor profile to be fairly complex. While being sweet, it also had the faintest hint of an earthy, umami flavor that balanced the lighter, fruity flavors that were present. 

Tasting- Time Waits For No One

Name: Time Waits For No One

Variety: Monastrell

Region: Jumilla DO of Southeastern Spain

Country: Spain 

Year: 2017

Price: $15.99 ($45 At Guachos) 

Winery Review

"The color is dark, barely see-thru raspberry jelly red. The nose is earthy and slightly raisiny, there is exotic spice, vanilla, fudge chocolate, blackberry, and prune. This is a wine with a soft, beguiling mouth-feel upfront and gets rougher and more complex as the flavors play out. It tastes of blackberry, raisin, and plum, along with oak spice. The mid-palate shows some dusty tannins, a light sprinkle of Nestles Quik powder, and pomegranate. The acidity is balanced and the finish is full, if not particularly long-lasting."

- Domaine Dave from Cheap Wine Finder

Wine Folly

Honestly, I am not that familiar with this grape. I think most of the times this variety is used to supplement other grapes in blended wines. This grape, being grown primarily in Spain and France, will have a different flavor profile based on its geographical location. As a Spanish Wine, I find Wine Folly's description of the grape to be the perfect embodiment of this bottle: "A major variety in the regions of Jumilla, Yecla, Alicante, and Bullas, where the grape is called Monastrell. The warm, dry climate produces wines with bold fruit flavors and even some tar and black olive" (page 134). I think a lot of those darker, smokier flavors- such as tobacco, blackberry, and mocha- are being fully embraced and celebrated. Granted, however, this bottle is not as bold as one would think. Although big flavors are being expressed right upfront, the wine has a more light and gentle finish compared to other red wines.  

My Review

This is probably one of- if not the best- red wine I have ever had. I have been a big fan of Time Waits for a long time now. The restaurant I work at- Guacho Brazilian Grille- has carried this same bottle and vintage for at least five years. Most of my patrons love it when I recommend it to them. It's honestly extremely hard to locate this bottle. The only complaint I have had was when someone claimed that this wine must be super young after doing a bottle service for them. Using my very rudimentary wine knowledge, I told the man, 

"Actually the vintage is 2017..."

I felt super proud of myself. 

It used to be sold at my local Kroger, but I have been unable to find it. The only reason I was able to sample this bottle- since it is pretty expensive at my workplace- was because John Boyer himself bought me the bottle after a ridiculously hard shift. For that, I owe the man my life. 

I think my favorite part about this wine is how despite being a fairly complex flavor profile, the wine is like drinking candy. It is such an easy drink to enjoy, with or without food. You can first notice the multifaceted nature of the wine when you inhale the symphony of flavors. Strong notes of mocha, vanilla, spice, and chocolate immediately light up the senses. Those flavors continue to dance along the tongue, although the finish is a lot more gentle compared to other reds I have had. While most red wines leave my mouth dry and puckering, I feel as though this wine leaves with a velvety grace due to a lack of tannic qualities. Although its chocolatey on the nose, it is more jammy and plummy on the tongue initially. While the dark berries spark, hints of tobacco and spice creep in near the back of the mouth. Those hints of sweet mocha and dark chocolate are more of a finishing flavor. 

I would highly recommend this wine. I think the skull and cross bones on the label is off putting to a lot of people. (My old boss even told me he could never sell the bottle, despite tasting good, because of the graphic design.) I, however, would assert that time is waiting for you to buy this bottle; similarly, time is waiting for someone to buy me another bottle at work. 

Tasting- Apothic Red

 

Name: Apothic Red

Variety: Blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, & Zinfandel

Region: California

Country: United States

Year: 2020

Price: $9.99

Winery Review:

"To start, the cork was soft but in good shape. Dark in the glass, Apothic Red demonstrated slow falling fat legs that looked like fingers.  This gave us our first indication of it’s richness. We both noticed a good hint of alcohol in the aroma, 13.1% according to the wine maker. The nose was of dark, jam like fruit with perhaps a hint of licorice. According to the winemaker’s web site, Apothic Red 'reveals intense fruit aromas and flavors of rhubarb and black cherry, complemented by hints of mocha, chocolate, brown spice and vanilla.'  We didn’t pick up on all those aromas but the nose was enjoyable nonetheless. In 2017 the site updated their tasting notes, saying you can now expect flavors of black cherry, vanilla and mocha.  Also, the blend hasn’t changed. Tasting revealed just how good Apothic Red is.  I sensed deep fruits, some butter and the tiniest hint of bitterness.

For Miss Jonelle, it was fruit and black cherry. The finish was long lasting and excellent. We described it as silk and satin.  As New Englanders we even gave it one of our highest seals of approval, calling it “wicked smooth!”

Overall, Apothic Red is highly recommended.A great cocktail party wine that is a smooth, fast sipper on it’s own.  Though, I could see it paired with a rich vanilla ice cream.  Yum! Apothic Red price $9.99.  Still a great tasting wine at a great price point."

- Jon Rogers from Honest Wine Reviews

Wine Folly:

Wine folly describes all these grapes to be fairly jammy, tannic, and packed full of darker fruits. Although the richness in the fruit selection is notable, I feel like the blend muddles a lot of the more complex notes found in these individual grapes. Zinfandel, for instance, is said to be, "loved for its jammy fruit and smoky, exotic spice notes" (page 189). Like I said before, this bottle is super jammy- I feel like I keep repeating myself there- but I was unable to detect a single ounce of smoke or spice in the bottle. You would think that there would be a slight spicy finish, especially with the added presence of syrah, another spicy grape (page 172), but I feel like it was the complete opposite of that. In fact, I would describe this bottle as more smooth, light, with an overall lack of tannic qualities.

My Review:

I feel like it's immensely difficult to write about things when you have no opinions whatsoever. I would almost prefer to drink something nasty. At least I would have a lot to talk about. This bottle might be the most bland thing I have ever tasted. I might as well have been drinking water. 

I guess having a more subtle, light presence on the palate is not necessarily a bad thing. I felt like the finish was smooth yet fleeting. Some of us in the room were able to pick up on the wide variety of fruit flavors. Not only was it packed full of dark, jammy berries, but there was the slightest hint of strawberry that immediately lights up on the tongue. All of this sounds great, but the flavor felt too subtle and the body felt too thin to fully express the complexity of these fruity notes. 

In fact, most of the people I was with were unable to pinpoint more specific descriptions of the wine. Although we could pinpoint some of the fruits, most of the other flavors the bottle boasts about were not apparent whatsoever. Granted, some of my peers filled their glasses to the very brim. Their inability to engage with the olfactory side of the wine had them say,

 "This just tastes like wine to me. Really good wine."

Really profound statements, I know...

Although we drank this bottle alone, I feel like it would be wise to pair this with food to extract those flavors I was desperately wanting to taste. Perhaps this is why I feel so neutral about this wine despite having decently positive descriptions of the flavor profile. 

Tasting - Robert Mondavi Barrel Aged Merlot

Name: Robert Mondavi: Rum Barrel Aged Merlot

Variety: Merlot

Region: California/Central Coast/Monterey County 

Country: United States

Year: 2019

Price: $14.99

Winery Review

"This Merlot is better when it is warmer out. I was lucky it was a very warm and sunny day out not too hard but 65 degrees with a tad bit of wind. From the smell, right away you can detect coconut, plum, vanilla. The taste is more on the higher end of a Medium body wine. When you sip it, you will taste blueberry, spices, and plum. We had this with brie and jam and I also had another glass with German chocolate cake. The flavors really were present when paired with these items, I noticed. This one is sure to please a nice day, this I also did chill for about 20 minutes, this made a huge difference for the smell and the overall experience." 

- Maryl72225 from ABC Fine Wine & Spirits

Wine Folly

Wine Folly describes Merlot to be known for its "boisterous black cherry flavors, supple tannins, and smoky or chocolaty finish" (page 131). I think both times I sampled this bottle, I was able to pick up on most of those flavor descriptions; however, I was unable to pick up on all of these flavors at the same time. Although this will be further explained in my "professional" review, I felt like my food pairings transformed my understanding of this bottle. This first attempt, the wine felt tannic and chocolate; meanwhile, the second felt spicy and smokey. Strange how food can chemically change and transform my fundamental idea of how a wine tastes. 

My Review

Now, typically I am not the biggest fan of a Merlot. I feel like the intensity of the tannins can make it pretty hard to enjoy. My palette is too young and stupid to truly enjoy the complexity found in a merlot. However, I found this piece to be bottle fairly enjoyable, but- because of what I was eating- the next time I bought the bottle the flavor was completely different. Despite the vintage and bottle being the same, two different bottles provided completely different experiences.

The first night I bought this bottle, my partner and I had paired it with a paneer tikka masala. The full bodied beverage went down smoothly, finishing with hints of chocolate and dark, oaky plums. It paired perfectly with the meal, enhancing the creamy tomato base in the curry. Although the description says it has hints of coconut and brown spices, I felt like the wine wasn't very spicy this first time. It felt more smooth, creamy, and jammy. A perfect compliment to a heavy meal.

The second time, however, was completely different, and in the worst possible way. I foolishly thought the chocolatey finish to this profile would pair well with late night chocolate chip cookies. I was wrong. This time I was able to pick up on the spicy finish, but it felt almost earthy. It was almost as if I had swallowed berry and black licorice infused mud. It was a horrible compliment to a dessert, but I think I should've probably guessed that a rich, full bodied merlot would not go well with a sweet treat. Perhaps a port or sparkling would have been more appropriate. Likewise, maybe a more rich, dark dessert- like black forest cake- would have been a much better companion.