Week 22· by Bill
Review for Week 22 - by Bill
My blood pressure is down. They say a glass of red wine a day will do that for you, but I'd had only a faint hope that 6 (...or 8 or 10) glasses in one sitting would do the same - but perhaps it does. Regardless, from the very good (Marquis Philips #9) to the very bad (47 Pound Rooster), we've got some memorable wines to report on this week:
The wines (6)
Wine #1$35.00
1.80 / 2.004 buy
2003 Marquis Philips — Shiraz 9 Australia
Original heading: “2003 Marquis Philips - Shiraz 9 Australia”
We opened the evening with this $35 Shiraz; a smooth, deep flavored wine with a spicy finish. Liquorice, cherry, leather, smoke and spice; that's a whole lot to appreciate. Four out of five 'drink and buys' for a wine in this price range is quite an endorsement, so if the price tag doesn't turn you off - give it a shot!
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Wine #2
0.60 / 2.00
200? Rex Goliath Giant 47 Pound Rooster — Cabernet Sauvignon California
Original heading: “200? Rex Goliath Giant 47 Pound Rooster - Cabernet Sauvignon California”
*"If you go to hell and you're a wine drinker, this is what they serve you. ...and there's no redemption."*
Well, it doesn't get more clear cut than that! The rest of us were not quite so vociferous in our distaste for this rooster, but it had no supporters in our ranks either. Best just listen to Ed and leave this one in its pen.
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Wine #3$10.00
1.40 / 2.002 buy
2003 Budini — Malbec Argentina
Original heading: “2003 Budini - Malbec Argentina”
This wine and I have some history, involving weeks of searching, months of waiting and one incompetent wine store in Newburyport, MA. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say the Budini failed to meet inflated expectations. A decent but unremarkable Malbec for a reasonable price ($10) the Budini offered a fruity smell and nice flavor but was a bit too acidic. In the end, it was generally enjoyed by the crew but there are better Malbecs to be found; see the 2004 Terrazas from 4/25.
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Wine #4$10.00
0.83 / 2.001 buy
2003 Carchelo — Jumilla Spain
Original heading: “2003 Carchelo - Jumilla Spain”
The Jumilla region has provided us with one of our favorites, the Panarroz. This isn't the Panarroz. It's not even the Panarroz's second cousin Louie. This Carchelo offered a pretty unique mix of flavors but unfortunately even at the $10 price point, it didn't quite make the grade. Based on one of Rich's previous tastings, it deserves another try - but given just this sampling we generally wouldn't recommend it.
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Wine #5$16.00
1.33 / 2.002 buy
2003 Catena — Malbec Argentina
Original heading: “2003 Catena - Malbec Argentina”
A Malbec by name but not by flavor. The first impressions were not good - this wine outright stinks.. in an odiferous sense. Mercifully this faded a bit after aerating. Flavor-wise, there's some better news: this is a peculiar and somewhat pleasant tasting wine. (ok - that doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, but believe me: if you smell it shortly after uncorking you'll be overjoyed to find an OK flavor too!) For $16 most of us shyed away from electing to buy this one, but if you're looking for a unique drinking experience maybe this is your huckleberry.
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Wine #6$14.00
1.33 / 2.002 buy
2004 Salzl — Seewinkelhof Zweigelt Austria
Original heading: “2004 Salzl - Seewinkelhof Zweigelt Austria”
The Salzl, our second Austrian wine, didn't fair quite as well as our first, a 'Turn Me Red' back in January. Everyone would at least drink the Salzl and two would buy it at $14.... but one of those 'buys' was Chris, who at wine #6 decided that just about anything is worth buying once you've already got 5 in the can. Not bad, but can you do better for $14? You betcha.
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