Caliban 2004 Petite Sirah

Bought this at Wally's using a gift certificate from Andrew's parents. It cost about $45 (one of the more expensive bottles we've ever purchased). Very dark color - almost blueberry-like.

Alexis
Salivated on first sniff. Very much enjoying it. Very rich, but not lacking in tannins to help support the rich berry flavours. Quite dry.

Andrew (excellent)
This wine is really delicious. Great smell and great body/richness. Pretty mellow and slightly sweet up front, but it evolves into an earthy, tannic wine after a couple seconds in the mouth. Leaves a little dryness on the back of the tongue.

Had some camembert with this and it left a funky, overly strong rind taste in my mouth - not recommended.

Ate some Japanese curry with this for dinner - pretty decent match.

Vitiano Falesco 2005 - Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese

We got this wine as a gift from a friend, but we'd seen it at the wine store and we're pretty sure it was $8.99 at CostCo.

Alexis [84 points]
My first impression was sourness. I'd like to say it got better... but unfortunately, still sour without any redeeming characteristics. No notable flavours.

Andrew [83 points]
This wine is sort of lacking in flavor. It smells a bit like a cabernet savignon with a hint of pepper - not a bad aroma, but not very strong. When I taste it, it sort of starts with a bit of pepper, a bit of alcohol, and finishes a bit sour - not a great sequence for me. It also leaves an almost indigestion-y feeling in the back of my throat. I wouldn't buy this one again.

De Loach 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

We received this wine as a gift from a friend who stayed with us. It most likely came from Madison Market (on 16th and Madison Ave in Capitol Hill, Seattle).

Andrew [89 points]

Smells nice - it definitely improved as we let it sit for a while. Some earthiness and some fruit, but increasing earthiness over time. Flavor-wise, it's got a bit of pepper and some sweetness to it - the flavor definitely increased as the wine sat. It leaves a nice aroma in my mouth after I swallow it, and it sticks around for at least 10-20 seconds. I like it and I'd like to drink more.

Alexis [88 points]

This wine was very smooth when we first opened it... not a lot of complexity in the flavour, but very smooth. Over time (i.e. by sip three or four) it got a little bit sharper and the flavour became a little more pronounced and rounded. Tastes like plums to me. Very drinkable.

Columbia Winery 2001 Shiraz - The Day After

This wine didn't really improve at all on the second day... Or the third day. We almost felt like it was blocking our desire to drink more wine, so we reduced the rest into a sauce.

Columbia Winery 2001 Syrah

We got this wine at Costco for around twenty bucks. The wine is made from grapes at the Red Willow vineyard in Yakima Valley and is part of Columbia Winery's signature series.

Alexis [86 points]

AFTER NOTE: I find that I like the smell and taste of this wine much more upfront. As I drink it more, the wine is less fragrant and spicy and blackberry and more acidic and... hmm... sour? I ended up changing my rating from 89 points and agreeing with Andrew on this one. Good first impression... but it's downhill from there.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Yum. This wine has layers of flavours. See now, a lot of wine articles and reviews list lots of flavours in a wine, and yet I often find I have trouble smelling or tasting more than one flavour in a wine. These wines that supposedly contain "cedar, chocolate, hints of mint with a bouquet of ..." just smell kind of flat to me... a one flavour/scent wine. This wine has many flavours, even though my immature nose would have to read the review to recognize them.

The smell for me is rich and spicy, almost physically warm. This wine is supposed to have "velvety tannins", but they're a little too aggressive for me. If it was a little smoother, it would be pretty amazing.

Andrew [86 points]

When we first opened this bottle, it just gushed with nice aromas. It really smelled delicious and I was excited to taste it. After pouring the wine, it sort of lost some of that amazing smell and after a couple swirls, I really wasn't getting that same feeling. When I taste it, a get a strong rush of berry flavor with a subtle smell of pepper, but the wine lacks a fullness of flavor. After that initial taste, the flavor dissapates leaving a slightly acidic feel on the tongue and a tingle in my nose and the back of my throat - maybe a little peppery. Overall, it's a decent wine, but not fantastic.

3rd Day - Panilonco Merlot / Malbec Reserve 2005

This wine doesn't seem to age as well open as some other wines we've had. The flavor is sharper, more sour and not as full about 48 hours after opening.

Panilonco Merlot / Malbec Reserve 2005

We bought this wine from Trader Joe's in Seattle (Capitol Hill) for $3.99. It's from Colchagua Valley in Chile and both this Merlot/Malbec and the Shiraz they're selling are pretty darn good for the price.

Andrew [88 points]
I was pretty skeptical that this wine would be any good since it was only four dollars, but when I first smelled it, it smelled pretty good. It's got a slightly peppery earthy odor to it. A little harsh on the tongue when you first have it in your mouth. It's got some nice fruitiness to it and it finishes off very dry. Slightly sour aftertaste, but not unpleasant. Definitely makes me want to take another sip, maybe for the smell alone. A good wine for the price.

Alexis [87 points]
I usually love the fresh fruitness and boldness of Shiraz, but I liked this wine even though it's not usually what I drink (good to branch out once in awhile). There's fruit up front, but it's kind of a deep musky fruit taste... makes me think of late summer when the sun is red and dying. The mid taste is fairly strong tannin, and the finish is really nice. It lingers for awhile and is dry like tannins, but in a nice way. Buy some while it's still $3.99.