Tasting - Senda 66

Name: Senda 66
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: 
Country: Spain
Year: 2008
Price: $8.95

Winery Review:  90 Points, Robert Parker

“The 2008 Senda 66 spent 8 months in new French oak. Purple/black in color, it sports a fragrant nose of spice box, lavender, blueberry, and blackberry. Smooth-textured, layered, and remarkably rich on the palate for its humble price, this lengthy effort will drink nicely over the next 5-6 years.”

My review:  This wine was very dark and had a violet hue.  The smell was very sweet again: full of strawberries, raspberries, sugar, and Twizzlers.  The texture was super smooth almost like silk.  That feeling quickly disapated and the wine became very tannic and acidic.  The wine was more of a textural experience than one of taste.  This wine was OK but not my favorite.


I tasted this wine on its own without food.

Tasting - Sierra Cruz Carmenere

Name: Sierra Cruz
Variety: Camenere
Region: 
Country: Chile
Year: 2009
Price: $6.95

Winery Review:  As a member of the cabernet sauvignon family, carmenere (pronounced car-men-yare) originated in

Bordeaux as one of the grapes permitted for use in the red blends of that storied region. Chilean winemakers have embraced it and several wineries in that country produce it as a single varietal. The ’09 Sierra Cruz is a very pleasant, soft,  ediumbodied wine that has fresh cabernet-like aromas and

flavors of spice, dark fruit and black pepper. It is a great value and also would be a nice match with marinated and grilled skirt or flank steak.

My review:  Another weird wine.  This wine was not flawed but was not my type.  The color was almost black.  The nose was just like I walked into the veggie section of the grocery store.  All I could smell was leaf lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots.  The taste was very vinegar like so it seems the salad was completed with a vinegar based dressing.  I like to eat my salad, not drink it.


I tasted this wine on its own without food.

Tasting - Lost Vineyards

Name: Lost Vineyards
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: 
Country: Argentina
Year: 
Price: $3.95

Winery Review:  Pale golden color. Perfumed peach, pineapple, and nougat aromas. Round and soft with a fruity-yet-dry medium body. Tangy apple skin and lemon zest notes lift the fruit nicely on the finish. 

My review:  This was the worst wine I have ever tasted.  This wine was severly flawed.  The wine had a pale yellow color.  On the nose the wine had a slight sugar/sweet smell but it was subdued by a strong chemical smell that resembled spray paint.  The wine tasted horrible.  The taste of spray paint was not very appealing to me.  There was also alot of heat comming through on the wine.  This was terrible and I would not recommend this wine.  There is a reason it is so cheap.

I tasted this wine without food.

Tasting - Sierra Cruz

Name: Sierra Cruz
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: 
Country: Chile
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95

Winery Review:  This Chilean Sauvignon Blanc just oozes with bright citrus flavors and a nose of herbs and grass. Stylistically, it is a cross between the herbal, grassy wines so prevalent in Sonoma County and the riper, more fruit forward products of New Zealand. Match it with pasta sauced with arugula, pine nuts,

mushrooms and parmesan.

My review:  This was a fun Sauvignon Blanc.  It had a pale yellow color and there were no fingers when it was swirled.  The nose was incredible.  It was full was a full bouquet with smells of peach, melon and fresh cut tree.  The taste was full of grapes.  It was tart at first and then had a very strong after taste of strawberries.


I tasted this wine on its own without food.

Tasting - Cantina di Casteggio

Name: Cantina di Casteggio
Variety: Mostcato
Region: 
Country: Italy
Year: 
Price: $7.95

Winery Review:  Bright, light golden color. Very aromatic nose of ripe apricots, sage, honey and a slight minerality.

Medium bodied, sweet and fruity with flavors of

apricots and tangerine. Well balanced acidity and

medium finish with layers of sweet and citrus fruit.

My review:  Just like most of the Vintage Cellar wine tastings they ended with a sweet white.  And like usual it was a sparkling Moscato.  This wine had a nice pale yellow color and plenty of bubbles.  The wine smelled like sugar and candy.  And it tasted like candy soda or carbonated grape juice.  It was really good and super easy to drink.

Tasting - Montebuena

Name: Primo Amore
Variety: Rioja Crianza
Region: 
Country: Spain
Year: 2007
Price: $6.95

Winery Review:  100% Tempranillo. Dark red. Spicy red berries and cherry on the nose, with hints of cracked pepper and

dried rose. Crisp and dry on the palate, with spicy

redcurrant and cherry flavors, light tannins and a

fresh, energetic finish. An excellent value, and

surprisingly elegant for this price point.

My review:  This wine was very dark and had plenty of fingers when swirled.  On the nose the wine was full of fruit with smells of peaches, apples and jelly.  The taste was tannic and there was a bit of heat that came through in this wine.  It was very acidic and could be felt on the tongue.  This was not a good wine for my pallet.


I tasted this wine without food.

Tasting - Varas

Name: Varas
Variety: Vinho Tinto
Region: 
Country: Protugal
Year: 
Price: $21.95 ($5.49/bottle)

Winery Review:  This smooth Portuguese red is a blend of Castelão (45%), Tinta Roriz (25%), Tinta Barroca (20%) and

Pinot Noir (10%). The vineyards are located near

Lisbon, planted in sunny gentle slopes of clay and

limestone soils. The wine was aged in oak barrels.

My review:  At first glace this wine was not impressive.  An ugly wine box with a yellow label.  The wine was a brownish red, however, I did start to get excited about this wine when there were a lot of fingers in the wine when it was swirled.  The taste was great.  It was only slightly tannic and dry.  The wine was a fruit explosion and very smooth and easy to drink.  This was a great wine and good deal!