Phelan Vineyard Advertised

$16 for a $75 wine? That is quite a discount, but the bottle costs several times our usual lottery ticket. It really is sold for $75 direct from the winery. Phelan Vineyard does have a special offer for 40% off on 6 bottles, so you might call it a $48 bottle. They do have one 90 point rating from Wine Spectator, but that was for the initial 2000 vintage.

So, this is a little different for Gross Out. We have to decide whether it is worth a try.

Margarita Vinyard 5 Mile Bridge Zinfandel 06

Keeping an open mind, we are trying more wines outside of our usual Cabernets and Syrahs. This one is a "$4.99 for $12.99" at Gross Out, so it doesn't promise to be a screaming deal, but it does promise a change of pace.

The bottle says it is from Paso Robles and not much else. 14.2% alcohol. This one has a natural cork with a cute 5 under the foil.

In the glass, the wine is a dark purple. The nose is grape and berry. Nice fruit on the palate smoothly transitioning to a strong tannin finish. The sulfide detector went off on this one (one sneeze). This wine seems very correct for a Zinfandel.

We like this 5 mile for 5 bucks bottle. This 5 mile bridge is better than the Woodbridge you can get for $5.

Sterling Albert Cabernet 07

This is a wine that has been in Gross Out for a few weeks. It is $6.99 for an "elsewhere" $19.99, so it doesn't have a terrific discount. We finally decided to try it out to see how it compares.

The Sterling Albert Winery is in Alexander Valley, Concord California. The bottle has very little information on it. 14.5% alcohol. This bottle has a plastic cork. (This was a bit of a let down.) Is this a big winery that we haven't heard of before?

In the glass, the wine is very dark. There is a very light nose; maybe a touch of berry. The palate is very soft and indistinct. The finish is medium tannin with some oak. Overall this is a "small" vs. "big" Cab. There is nothing objectionable, but there is also no character. After a while, the wine opened up a little and showed slightly more fruit.

At a lower price, this would rate better, but it doesn't give a great value for Gross Out.

Viansa Pierina 07

Here is another white wine from Viansa. We opened it because we made fish for dinner.

The bottle says they are the only producer of Viernaccia in the the US. Typically, it is crafted to display flinty, almost mineral flavors, but they try to produce a more multi-dimensional fruity style of wine that still stays true to its origins. So, this is another pseudo-Italian wine. Estate grown Carneros grapes. 14.1% alcohol.

This wine is a fairly colorful white wine in the glass. The nose presents sour apple and pear. On the palate, there is a peachy, chardonnay taste. Bitter Oak dominates the finish.

We would not buy this wine again, but the other wine from the same vintner was excellent.

Newell Vinyards Petite Syrah 04

This is one of the more "expensive" wines at Gross Out at $8.99. It comes from a small family owned winery with limited production.

The bottle says it is 100% estate fruit and they use 100% new American Oak barrels. They use small lot fermentation and malolactic frementation. It is unfiltered and hand harvested. The winery is located in Paso Robles a popular area for Petite Syrah. This bottle has a natural cork. 13.9% alcohol.

In the glass, this is another dark Petite Syrah. The nose is complex and opens up nicely; we smelled blackberry, spice, and strong oak. On the palate, we tasted dark cherry and chokecherry. The finish is very big and Oaky; it lingered with spice and vanilla. As the wine opened up, the oak began to dominate. This wine shows nice complexity probably due to the barrels and not being filtered.

We have had this wine for a few weeks and finally got around to trying it. Even as a more expensive bottle (for Gross Out) we will buy some more. This is a BIG wine and could be a big winner for you. WARNING: You have to like OAK to like this wine.

Viansa Arneis 07

We received some requests to review white wines as well as red, so we picked up this promising find at Gross Out. They wanted only $3.99 for this "$18 elsewhere" wine. Arneis apparently means "a little crazy or a little rascal" and is the varietal.

The bottle says the California vintners have Italian heritage. This variety is rarely grown and produced in California. "Arneis has unique, delicate flavors and aromas of pear and green apples followed by a wonderfully crisp finish. Arneis... produces a wonderful light, well balanced wine with firm acidity and elegant fruit." This bottle has a natural cork. 13.5% alcohol.

The wine has a lovely golden color in the glass. Swirling finds the wine is very dry. We detected pear and apricot on the nose. Pear also dominates the palate with a spicy finish. This wine is somewhat like a Chenin Blanc, but more robust mouthfeel. This wine was very smooth throughout and enjoyable for these red wine drinkers.

We rate this as a good value and would buy it again. The interwebs say this is the "white Borolo" which is a great compliment in our book.

Pullman Petite Syrah 06

Looking at the label, you may be able to guess what is "wrong" with this bottle that it shows up discounted at Gross Out.

This wine is from Le Vigne in Paso Robles, central California. The bottle says "this wine presents the same exterior ruggedness [as the car on the label] but reveals soft and luxurious nuances in the glass." 15.5% alcohol. Natural cork.

In the glass, the wine is very dark typical of a petite syrah. The nose is nice and fruity. On the palate, it has a smooth currant - raspberry flavor. The finish is woody and full of tannin. The wine tends toward more straightforward tannin than Syrah peppery spice. This wine is ready to drink and tastes more like a big Cab than we expected.

We would buy this again at $4.99 and consider it a good value, but not a jackpot. Look for the label designed by a high school student.

Black Oak Cabernet 09

Here is another "half-price" wine from Gross Out. It is supposed to retail for $9.99 and you can pick it up for $4.99 right now. This is not the unreal discount of some of the other wines next to it on the shelves, but it is one we have not tried yet.

Under the plastic "foil" lies one of those plastic "corks". This is not a good sign. I know that these are a lot cheaper and produce less waste for the winery, but I have rarely liked the wine behind them. The bottle promises a "medium-bodied wine with aromas of rich plum and cedar. The flavors reminiscent of dark cherry and blackberries with a nice sprinkling of spice."

In the glass, the color is not very heartening; it is almost as clear as a blush wine. The nose is also quite "light" and I might imagine "cedar". The palate is so indistinct that I have trouble really identifying any specific taste. The finish is also light. Other than a lingering bitterness this wine does not have much character at all (to my taste.)

This wine does not have the character I expect from a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Doncaster Estate Shiraz 10

Well, it is already time for Australian 2010 vintages to arrive. Remember that their season is half a year ahead, so you could compare it to a 2009 1/2 from the Northern Hemisphere. This one appears to be bottled in American Canyon, Ca? So, it may be shipped here in bulk to be bottled.

The bottle says it is from South Eastern Australia and it a great place to grow this variety. "Bright berry fruit characters on the nose give way to rich soft fruits on the palate, supported with a firm tannin structure and light oak notes." Make sure you enjoy it responsibly with friends and eat it with a barbie or blah blah. 13.9% alcohol. This bottle has a screw cap.

The color is fairly light and the nose does have soft berry notes. The wine is light on the palate (or less charitably THIN) and does give way to a firmer finish. There is a pleasing peppery taste that is characteristic of Shiraz/Syrah. The initial tastes are best, since the wine does not get more complex and seems to have a bit of harsh sulfide treatment?

It is tough to be too critical of a wine you can pick up for $3.99. It does belong in the below $10 group, but is is a good deal? I would not run out and buy a case, but if you can't pay more than $4 for a bottle this is drinkable.

Silver Lake Merlot 06

Responding to a request for something local, we picked up this Washington State wine. Local? They even have a tasting room in Woodinville, Wa!

It's easy to look down on Merlot wines after Sideways berated them and the rebound from extreme popularity in the 90's when we started drinking wine. We might prefer a Cabernet, but the variety of grape just might be why this one is discounted!

Rattlesnake Hills is a well respected appellation. The bottle says: "Rich with blackberry and black cherry aromas, this wine is characteristically supple on the palate with a long lingering finish that makes it the perfect wine to serve with blah blah." 13.9% Alcohol.

Nice dark purple color in the glass. We agree with the Cherry and Blackberry on the nose and on the palate. This wine is quite smooth with berry dominating leading to a light oak, strong tannins, and red meat (that's what our guest said... :^) ) on the finish. The wine is distinctly Merlot, but big enough to please us.

At $4.99, this is a good deal found for $14 elsewhere. If you like a Merlot, hurry over to Gross Out because this one is disappearing from their displays.

J Kerr Syrah 99

Whoa, 1999 huh? Could be good, but where has it been?

The screwpull encounters a problem.

The bottle is corked,

the spring night is now colder,

now there's no review.

3 Blind Moose Cab 08

We felt like having a funny "blind" taste test. The name and label are pretty funny. So we go into this tasting with low expectations.

The bottle is one of those cheap ones with almost no dimple on the bottom. The foil has a nice moose on top drinking a glass. Under the foil is a very short plastic cork. The bottle says "we think you will fall for our Cabernet Sauvignon , whose rich cherry, cassis, and subtle oak (unnoticeable) flavors match beautifully with everything." (Really, everything??) 13.5% Alcohol.

The color in the glass is a nice red, but we can see the wine is fairly thin. It does not produce any "fingers" when swirled. The nose is faint, but has an agreeable berry scent. On the palate, we mainly identified currant and chokecherry. This wine is thin and shows no complexity. The finish is smooth and doesn't exhibit any tannin or oak. It drinks like cool-aid.

At $4.99, we are glad we didn't pay the $12.99 comparison price for the fun of having a pun on the label. Clever marketing and we did fall for it. This would not make good cooking wine since it doesn't have much taste.

Element 79 Barossa Shiraz 2008

The Grocery Outlet chain must have been offered a big lot of Aussie Vineyards wines. Element 79 is another of their lines. It is the "big brother" to their original Au brand. Look closely and you can see the Au watermark under the name. While sitting down to taste the wine, we were delighted by their intelligent marketing. The "Au" says Australia and gold (medal winning?) and the Element 79 reference to the periodic table has to appeal to geeky science people.

The bottle says this is a "limited release" from "the finest estate-grown fruit." It is from the Barossa region which is producing many highly rated wines. "Our 2008 Barossa Shiraz exhibits intense purple and red hues with rich aromas of dark berry fruit on the nose. Your palate delights with blackberry and licorice flavors, while firm, balanced tannins deliver a satisfying long finish. Shiraz from the Barrossa rarely disappoints, and our 2008 vintage is no exceptions following an excellent growing season". This wine has a GOLD screw cap, of course. 13.8% Alcohol.

We found a lot of agreement with the bottle on our tasting. First is the amazing color; this wine is so dark that it lets very little light through and leaves a red impression on the glass for quite a while after it is swirled. The nose does have nice fruit and spice. On the first taste, you get strong grape, stone fruit, and spice with a smooth finish. As the tasting continued, the tannin became more noticeable, but paired with palate cleansing food, we were delighted with each return to the wine. The spice is at a nice level for a Shiraz. Our guest taster felt the wine built up a metallic/spice taste on the finish as we were drinking (maybe appropriate for Au.)

At $3.99, for a $27.99 comparison, this was a great buy. Element 79 - check it out on your periodic table and pick up some wine that wins our Gross Out Gold Medal. We are going to pick more up, if we can, to confirm our winning ticket first impression.

Perrin & Fils Cotes Du Rhone Villages 09

This wine is one of our standard buys at Costco. It is a 50/50 Syrah/Grenache. It has been rated 90 points by Wine Spectator for the 2007 vintage. We have actually tasted them side by side and the 2009 does not measure up to the earlier vintage. If you are lucky, you can find a few bottles of the 2007 in displays, but they are really disappearing at our local stores. We are not sure why we never see the 2008 vintage...

The bottle says: "aromas of small berry fruit, such as black currants and blackberries, with licorice and spices are part of a well rounded and silky ensemble." 13% Alcohol by vol. This bottle has a natural cork. The addition of the "Villages" to the appellation is supposed to be more prestigious, since only 20% of the region is allowed to add it.

We found the 2009 vintage to have a light bouquet with a touch of dark berry. It has a pleasant medium color. We think the wine has a sulfide or tannin problem. The taste on the palate had very little berry and the tannins were forward (on the forward sides of the tongue.) We agree with the bottle that there is licorice and spices (and sulfites.) This vintage is not very big or complex. There was some payoff with a Syrah peppery finish.

In the past vintages, we have found this wine to be quite smooth and drinkable and one of our reliable standards. The Costco price is just under $10. We have been finding better value wines equal to Perrin & Fils at Gross Out. Bottom line, look for a different vintage or completely different ticket.

Frick Syrah 04

Frick? Um, maybe that doesn't have the same connotation for the vintner, ... his name is Frick. The bottle is one of those painted enamel types with a stylized paint brush and paintball motif. To our eyes, it is ugly (or at least from a past abortive trend), but it is in the "Syrah" shaped bottle.

Syrah, Owl's glide, silence. (Uh, right.... Whooo was drinking during the marketing meeting?)

The bottle was a 2004 Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley, Estate bottled Owl Hill Vineyard. The bottle had a composite cork (not plastic, but not natural) with the signature paintball splot on the top. 12.9% alcohol.

Deep red in the glass. The nose had strong alcohol, berry, and oak. This wine seemed more like a Cabernet than a Syrah and was better with food. It had berry and strong vanilla on the palate. The finish was full of oak and tannin. We were surprised that the labeled alcohol by volume was so low based on how it drank. This is a big, bitter wine.

At $4.99, this was a mid price wine for our local Gross Out. The "elsewhere" price was $20-30, which is the only reason we picked up a bottle that looked like this. This wine needs some appropriate strong food to be enjoyable and should be decanted (to hide the bottle...:)) since it has some sediment and needs to breathe.

Fly Shiraz 09

We know that wines with animals on the label sell better(?), but "Fly"? This wine has a fly fishing theme to the label, so if you are a fan of that pastime, this might really sound great. The (Mc)Fly theme almost convinced us to pass this one up at our local Gross Out, but we tried it out. This is another line from Aussie Vineyards importers.

The bottle drones on about Fly fishing, then it doesn't describe the wine at all. 13.8% alcohol (wow, they always seem to hit that mark...) The bottle has a screw cap and has a dimple between 12 Apostles and Tamborine, so you might expect a mid price wine.

We were pleasantly surprised by this wine. It had a deep color in the glass. The nose was light with a hint of oak. The wine on the palate was smooth up front with some spice on the finish. It was quite drinkable like a "light" version of Rosemount Shiraz with more berry.

At $3.99, we thought this was a good deal and will look to pick up a couple of bottles.

12 Apostles Shiraz 09

This wine is a much like the Cab of the same year. Again, it is a cheaper made bottle and has the low three buck price point at Gross Out. The bottle says that it has a bold introduction and finishes with finesse. "Aromas of dark berry and licorice fill the palate ahead of fine oak tannins." Well, maybe...

The color in the glass was a lighter purple. The nose had noticeable fruit with a little vinegar. We found the initial palate to be light berry with stronger tannins in the finish. A bit of the spice you expect in Shiraz, but not distinct pepper.

At $2.99, it almost has to be fairly priced if you can drink it. We certainly place it above the common Yellow Tail, but not close to the Rosemount standard. We will not buy this again.

Kunde Estates Syrah 05

The wine was a pretty dark red plum in the glass. The nose pleasant with a hint of oak. The taste on the palate was quite smooth and balanced. The wine has a full finish with good oak. It did not have heavy pepper of Shiraz/Syrah. We agree with the label that the wine has floral notes, but we would identify it as raspberry (which also have a wonderful floral taste.)

At $5.99, we rate this as a good value. We had a 06 of the same wine (it has a redesigned label) that we did not enjoy nearly as much. If you are buying this wine, look for the "old fashioned" green label.

Cliff Edge Shiraz 03

This wine is from Mt Langi Ghiran in Victoria, Australia. We picked it up since you don't see many 2003 in Gross Out.

The bottle says "this complex blend of our best vineyard sites offers dark berry fruit flavors of blackberry and liquorice with subtle spices and toasted oak notes. Fine tannins are supported by generous fruit and persistent acidity." This bottle had a screw cap. 15% Alcohol. (Higher than any we have seen from Australia.)

We drank this wine over two days and had quite different opinions for the two glasses. The first day we felt it was not complex (bland) and too bitter. The color is quite dark in the glass. The nose improved to nice berry notes on the second day. The taste was light berry and graphite with a strong finish. After breathing, it was much better, but still had strong tannins punching the back sides of the tongue. The experience was much more like a Cab than a Shiraz.

At $6.99, this is a more expensive bottle for Gross Out and had a hard to believe markdown from $35(?). So, we expected more from it and it really only delivered the second day. The obvious advice is that this needs decanting to open up. My wife enjoyed this wine more than I did, so we have a split decision.

12 Apostles Cabernet 09

The bottle is noticeably "cheaper". It seems lighter weight while you hold it. The bottom has a very shallow indentation which is also a sign of a budget bottle. The name comes from the 12 rock formations off the coast of South Eastern Australia. This is one of the Aussie Vineyards wines (Tamborine is also one of their wines.)

We found this wine to have a mild character overall. The nose was a little light. It had light blackberry and peach on the palate with a smooth finish. No real complexity here. .

At $2.99, this wine was a good value compared to "three buck Chuck" or Woodbridge. No long shot winner here. So, it is a bit odd, but we are tagging this as a "Good Value" and "Cooking Wine". You might try this for yourself if you are planning a big party with unsophisticated tastes -- you'll only be out $3 to see if it works for you...

Barren Jack Shiraz 2009

From the bottle: "Barren Jack was the original name for the dam now called Burrinjuck. It was a major dam that was built to provide water to dry lands, which are now flourishing as grape growing areas." Isn't it nice to have an Australian geography lesson? About the wine, it says, "full of vibrant berries overlaid with chocolate and spicy notes. Ripe fruit with smooth tannin and a touch of oak, this wine is perfect with (blah blah)." Well, maybe not sooo complex, but the description is not too far off. 13.9% alcohol. This is actually a Shiraz(54%), Cabernet(38%), and Merlot(8%) blend. The bottle has a screw top (which we don't mind since it is more dependable.)

We found this wine to have a light red color and almost no nose. The flavor was surprisingly bold considering the lack of nose with a very peppery taste. It was not heavy on the berry taste but seemed like blackberry and plum. It had a nice finish and moderate tannin and oak.

At $4.99, we rate it as a good value for Gross Out. About as good as a Rosemount we would use for comparison, but much cheaper.

Hayman & Hill Zinfandel 2007

At $6.99, this is a more expensive wine for our local Gross Out, so we hoped for a little more from this lottery ticket. It met our higher expectations.

The bottle says it comes from the "famous" Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma. We aren't really up on our map of the micro-climates, but you expect Sonoma wines to be a bit better than the average. The natural cork makes it more risky in a discount wine, but we saw no problems. The wine describes itself like this: "Abounds with classic plum, blackberry, and peppery spice character, with rich stone fruit on the palate and a long finish."

We found the wine to be quite correct for a Zinfandel. The color was deep purple. It had a light fruit nose. The taste was fruity and fairly complex. It was mild on the pepper and had a nice light finish. This wine is not as big as a Cabernet and went well with crackers and double creme Brie.

We rate it as a good value. A winning ticket if you are looking for a $7 Zinfandel.

Tamborine Shiraz Granite Belt 2008

Another wine from Aussie Vineyards in the Tamborine line. We still aren't sure how these wines are related to the Mt Tamborine winery that was winning awards a few years ago. (Mt Tamborine wines go for about $35 a bottle.) This wine seems to be from the same region as the Cabernet, but it gets a "granite belt" appellation.

The bottle doesn't vary much from the Cabernet that we tasted a few nights ago. This wine also hits 13.8% alcohol and has a screw cap.

We found the wine to have a deep purple color in the glass. It has a light nose with mild fruit. The taste is fairly light for an Australian Shiraz. It has some of the pepper we like, but not as distinct as the Rosemont standard that we would use for comparison. The finish is lighter, so probably not as much oak or tannin. This wine didn't have the "fizziness" of the Cabernet; it is much more ready to drink.

At $3.99 a bottle at Gross Out, we rate this a winner in the wine lottery and are looking to pick up more along with the Cabernet.

Coorong Shiraz

I think the name is supposed to remind us of Coonawarra. The bottle says "Coorong" means "long neck" and refers to the long peninsula that runs along the southern part of Australia. This bottle gets a Limestone Coast appellation. It also has a "Reserve" marking that can signify the best from a winery. Interestingly this was bottled by Wine Trees, American Canyon, Ca. So it may have been shipped bulk(?).

We found this wine to have deep red color and a very light nose. There was not any huge berry taste and only a little of the pepper taste we like so much in Shiraz. The tannin and oak of a big red were the main features. My wife liked this one more than I did. We put it in the drinkable category, but not very far in...

At $4.99, this was a not a great deal compared to some others at Gross Out. Certainly not a winning ticket.

Tudor Creek Shiraz 2006

The name of this wine makes it sound old. We picked it up partly because you can get great values on wines that are being discounted because of their age. Unfortunately this 2006 has probably seen better days.

The bottle says it is from North Coast California in Suisun City, 13.8% alcohol, and it contains sulfites (boy does it.)

This bottle had a natural cork which seemed in good shape. We found this wine to have not much nose. The taste was mostly tannin, so if that's what you are after... The sulfide detector (my wife's allergy) pegged at the top end. We used the rest as cooking wine in marinara sauce.

At $3.99, this was still not a good deal as we really can't say it added too much to cooking either. This was NOT a winning lottery ticket.

Tamborine Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Tamborine wines 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, no it's not a Shatner tribute wine (although they do have a Dan Aykroyd wine in the store right now), it is an Australian import currently at Gross Out in Washington.

The bottle says it is from the Coonawarra region on the East Coast of Australia with views of the Gold Coast and Pacific Ocean. It should be paired with hard cheeses or red meat dishes. There are no real details on the wine or wine makers other than it is produced by Aussie Vineyards. 13.8% Alcohol.

The color was an agreeable clear deep red. We found the wine to have aggressive fruit on the nose and on the first taste. Blackberry and cherry were more evident than typical for Cab. The tannins were fairly light and there was very little oak. The wine had a slightly "fizzy" feel that we have mainly experienced with newer, unfiltered homemade wines. We felt that this wine may improve greatly with time, so we are considering cellaring a few bottles to let it develop. This wine has a screw cap.

At $3.99 a bottle, this is a good value. (We did not find an independent price quote for this wine.) It's not quite a Jackpot at this point, but could be after cellaring.

Update: We had part of the bottle left the second day and the wine had improved quite a bit. The "fizziness" was gone and the berry tastes were more subdued, so the idea of cellaring it is promising. We suggest decanting this wine to improve it if you are drinking it now.