Tag Archives: wine review

This evening I would like to take a moment to share my notes on two very distinctive, very different wines I’ve had the chance to taste this week. The first continues on the theme of value-priced wines from Bordeaux I started last week. Château Barreyres Cru Bourgeois is a fabulous wine which captures all of what is good in Bordeaux for the remarkably low price of $19.99 per bottle. The second, Chasing Lions Cabernet Sauvignon, comes from the Napa valley and has one of the fruitiest expressions I’ve ever experienced from Cabernet Sauvignon. I highly recommend both wines and share my tasting notes below:

Château Barreyres Cru Bourgeois

When you uncork the bottle always take care to check the cork. A cork with a uniform red stain on the bottom indicates a wine which was properly stored on it's side. If the cork has no stain it means the wine was stored improperly upright, which will dry the cork out and spoil the wine.

Vintage: 2006

Price per Bottle: $19.99

Producer:Concours de Bourdeaux

Region and Country: Haut-Médoc (left bank), Bordeax, France

Grape Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

Place and Date Purchased: Whole Foods Santa Monica 10/9/2011

Place and Date Tasted: Whole Foods Santa Monica 10/9/2011

Appearance: deep burgundy color, medium-strong legs (12.5% alcohol by volume)

Rich red color

Nose: ripe blackberries and cranberries

Taste: nutmeg spiciness and honey-grape sweetness

Finish: long and spicy

Overall Impression: this is a very nice wine and considering this is a left-bank Bordeaux priced at $20.00 per bottle this is a steal not to be passed up. I foresee this wine aging well and would love to see how it mellows after being cellared for about 5 years.

Food Pairing: pair with roasted duckling or another fatty bird

Overall Rating (out of 100): 88 points

Overall Value (1-5 stars): 5 stars

Chasing Lions Cabernet Sauvignon

Again, When you uncork the bottle always take care to check the cork. A cork with a uniform red stain on the bottom indicates a wine which was properly stored on it's side. If the cork has no stain it means the wine was stored improperly upright, which will dry the cork out and spoil the wine

Vintage: 2008

Price per Bottle: $14.99

Producer: Nine North Wine Company

Region and Country: St. Helena, California

Grape Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Place and Date Purchased: Whole Foods Santa Monica 10/9/2011

Place and Date Tasted: Whole Foods Santa Monica 10/9/2011

Appearance: light cranberry red with strong legs, 14% alcohol by volume

Nose: honeydew melon, night blooming Jasmine, orange zest, orange blossoms

Taste: jam-sweet, this wine tastes exactly like orange marmalade

Finish: long and progressively smoother

Overall Impression: I normally prefer wines who’s taste is an accurate reflection of the character of the grape used, however Chasing Lions is a rare exception. This is a nice, fruity, highly drinkable wine which could easily be drank on it’s own or paired with a number of foods.

Food Pairing: Creamy cheeses such as Brie, anything with orange in it, and pork.

Overall Rating (out of 100): 90

Overall Value (1-5 stars): 5 stars