Vino Keeno, The Grapevine for the Recreational Wino

2003 Embriux Priorat de Vall Llach
$35

Wine label said:
Wrong language! The bottle is no help!

Vineyard66 says:
This another of my series of Spanish wines, as we will be there next year and I’m doing my homework.

The web tells me that Embruix means “betwiching” in Spanish, but also that it is primarily Cabernet and Grenache blend with Carigan, Syrah and Merlot added.

This is really a very good wine from a famous wine area near Barcelona. It was smooth, with cherry and blueberry flavors. We had with beef and it worked well.

Orin Swift Cellars The Prisoner Red Table Wine 2005
$78 (At a restaurant)

Wine label said:
Please visit our website (i’m not kidding…that’s about all that is on the back besides the government warning)

Rabbi Tuchman says:
We went out to dinner to celebrate a birthday and were all set to order a bottle of Cain Concepts when the waiter suggested The Prisoner. Being suckers for a great blend (and an unusual name) we took up his recommendation and were very pleased we did. This wine was wonderful.

We tasted lots of berries and unlike many Zin blends, this one had a smooth finish. The waiter told us that was due to the Charbono grapes. Now, having checked out the site, there’s not much Charbono in the bottle but maybe it was just enough to mellow the finish. Regardless, this wine went very well with our steak and grouper. We will be adding it to our personal stock very soon.

Evolution 10th Edition
$14.99

Wine label said:
Intention. The precise amount of 9 varietals produces a lush, of-dry, somewhat tropical wine with a crisp finish.
Happenstance? Coincedence? Chaos? Not a chance. This bottle you hold is a deliberate, pre-meditated attempt to advance the entire wine universe a notch or two. Grandiose? Perhaps, but without Evolution we’d be slime crawling in ooze and that doesn’t sound too appetizing.
Lucky No. 9. As luck would have it, a random number of varietals took a liking to each other and decided to become a lush, off-dry, somewhat tropical wine with a crisp finish. Go figure.

WebWino says:
This wine is labeled as a 10th edition, so it sits in the number 10 spot. However it brags on its nine varietals in the mix, so I guess it straddles 9 and 10. There isn’t a big number in the name, which violates the WebWino Reviews by the Numbers theme… but at this point, who cares? I think the little tab on top of the cork sums it up best:

Chill. Pour. Sip. Chill.

I had the pleasure of sharing this wine with my good friend Grape Lady. If you are a follower of the reviews on this site, you know that the Grape Lady’s reviews are almost exclusively whites. So she knows her stuff when it comes to white wines which is a nice compliment to me knowing next to nothing.

As for Evolution, it was somewhat dry with hints of sweetness, but not at all oaky. It was a food-friendly wine that would make a great summer/patio wine. This wine got the Grape Lady’s stamp of approval. And although it was not my favorite flavor, I could tell that it was a good white wine. (That may be proof that the first white I tasted was not that good after all.)

Wanna know what the nine varietals are? Chardonnay, White Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muller-Thurgau, Semillon, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, and Sylvaner. Wow, all those funky white grapes and I didn’t dump out the bottle? Evolution, indeed.

This review is a part of WebWino Reviews by the Numbers, a completely pointless theme for reviewing wines.

9 Mile Road 2004 Shiraz
$16.99

Wine label said:
…Deep red-purple in color, it evokes aromas of ripe black fruits, with hints of licorice, chocolate and exotic spices. The palate is full and juicy, reminiscent of luscious berries with a long, soft finish.

WebWino says:
Hmmm, let’s see. I agree with the dark purple claims made on the label. As for the aromas and flavors… not so much. I don’t think it helped that I had a blueberry cobbler candle burning… couldn’t smell much in the wine. This wine was OK. But it made me realize I might not be the biggest fan of the Shiraz. My friend who joined me for this bottle said it had a distinct Shiraz flavor and she liked it. There you have it.

For me, the jury is still out on Shiraz. It just seems to have a sharper flavor than I prefer. Not a bad wine, by any means. Just not one I’ll make the effort to buy again. However the label design… perfection. If the only thing my review took into consideration was the label, then by all means this is one of the sharpest dressed wines available.

This review is a part of WebWino Reviews by the Numbers, a completely pointless theme for reviewing wines.

Cellar No. 8 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
$9.99

Wine label said:
…Cellar No. 8 makes only red wines – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel – which deliver rich flavors of cigar, spice, leather, earth, and chocolate. Whether relaxing in your favorite leather chair or barbecuing with friends, Cellar No. 8 is a great discovery which might just become your next tradition

WebWino says:
Well, if I remember correctly, this wine was enjoyed. However, the brevity of the notes I took while drinking it is making review writing a challenge. Allow me to present my notes:

oaky dry
leathery
big
does need air
good with chocolate
decent

I think this one qualifies as a decent wine for the price and as a result I am interested in trying the other reds they offer.

This review is a part of WebWino Reviews by the Numbers, a completely pointless theme for reviewing wines.