Review for Tuesday - 04/25/2006 - by Steve

The first wine of the evening was a white zinfandel. Let's face it, we're pretty tough on most whites, and this one's no exception. Reviewed as sweet and appley on the nose and palette, most Winers thought this zin was forgettable and nothing special at all. Chris would rather drink water and Ed endeavors to alienate and offend some of our demographic while audibly mocking this wine. A couple of Winers felt compelled to drink this Beringer white zin, but none could fathom any reason why anyone would want to buy it. Alternatively, Rich recommends that readers who are drawn to a sweet, fruity wine such as this should reach for a Riesling instead.

Offerings from Wolf Blass continue to impress the Winers. This President's Selection Shiraz is no slouch either. Hearty, smokey, smooth and spicy, this shiraz has very good texture and balance. Personally I thought it was a little musty on the nose and tasted like a tire store smelled, but the shiraz mellowed nicely with further sips. There's only one problem, it's 20 large. Stealing a page from my book, most Winers thumbed their nose at this steep price point. The exceptions were Ed and Chris, who would gladly drink and buy this smooth beauty at full price. Most others thought you should grab it while on sale, or go for another shiraz at a slightly lower price point.

Hokay, here's the Snowden Cab, let the lobbying begin! Rich laid on the peer pressure reallllly thickly on the Snowden, and I think it actually paid off a bit when it came down to drinks and buys. Even though one Winer implored Chris to 'think about his children, he begrudgingly sided with our resident ambulance-chaser and decided to 'buy' this wine. The Snowden is likely the most expensive list-price wine we've tried, although Rich picked it up at a hefty discount. Winers generally found this cab to be very smooth, with abundant complexity, earth-tones, a 'nifty' hue, and a long finish. Although all would drink the Snowden, Bill and I resisted the counselor's case and dissented on the 'buy', noting too much acid on the finish. Rich counters that many cabs can display acidic notes, and believes the Snowden would be absolutely divine with a juicy steak. Case closed.

As far as universal truths go, we haven't found many on Tuesday evenings, save one! 3500 feet IS the ideal growing altitude for Argentinean Malbec grapes. Here at RWW we've seen a lot of good Malbecs lately, but this time it's unanimous. Drinks and buys all around for the Spanish 'Terraces of the Andes'. In fact, Ed would like to personally extend a hearty 'thank you' to the good people of Argentina for this wine. Spicy and smooth with hints of vanilla, this Malbec is an excellent value at only 9 large. In the spirit of addressing entire populations during this particular review, I must add the following warning. Spain, you've been producing wine of excellent quality price lately, but you better watch your back. Argentina is eyeing your lunch.

Winers drew many parallels between this cab and the Snowden that we mostly enjoyed earlier in the evening. Generally we thought that this Clos Du Bois Reserve enjoyable. It was fairly pleasant, with abundant spice, and a smoky flavor. While it had some of the pleasing characteristics of the Snowden cab, many felt that it was harsher. Paraphrasing Rich, 'I thought that Snowden had much more structure and complexity, this wine is a little fruitier, with not as good of a finish, perhaps it's a little younger and you paid a few dollars more' blah, blah, blah, my Snowden rocked. Bottom line, you should definitely look elsewhere for this $18 price tag.

Wrapping of the wines for the evening was the 2002 offering from Dynamite Vineyards. According to their website the vineyard name was 'inspired by our beginnings more than 20 years ago when workers had to blast rock to form vine rows on the rocky slopes above the Sonoma Valley.' In retrospect, perhaps the vineyard and wine instead draws its name from the nitroglycerin that leeched into the vines. I had eyed this brand for about a year now, and finally got around to buying it. It's relatively unbalanced compared to other cabs we've had this evening. It taste is fruity and sweet, and the finish is short and forgettable, leaving no lasting impression. The Winers were not impressed and I was honestly disappointed, given the price point and my expectations. Perhaps 1 pound slices of ice cream cake detracted from the subtleties of Dynamite's flavor. Happy Birthday, Bill!