Psydr Short & To-The-Point Wine Reviews
Below are reviews of fun little finds purchased locally. The typical cost per bottle is $10 or less, and the label probably has a little more pizazz than your traditional Barolo. But don't judge the bottle by the label. These reviews are personal and certainly non-professional evaluations of wines we've tried. Enjoy!
October 27, 2008
October 25, 2008
1 Reviews:
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October 25, 2008 at 5:51 PM ,
psydr said...
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2 OUT OF 5 STARS
A plumy and bitter Malbec. Honestly, this is what I traditionally expect from a Malbec. It's just that I've had the pleasure of consuming some really delicious, non-standard Malbecs as of late. And in comparison this one is a bit of a disappointment. But maybe it shouldn't be. If you tend to enjoy Malbecs, then this bottle may be for you. It IS quite earthy. I'm just not digging it.
I type this review in the cafe where the bottle was purchased. A nice place. Very poche, uncrowded, and relaxing. I might as well as give them a little free advertising here. It's called Geneve Cafe & Wine Bar. Stop in for a coffee or sandwich... or bottle of wine.
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October 24, 2008
2007 Working Girl Wines Go Girl Red
YEAR: 2007WINERY: Working Girl Wines
FLAVOR: Red, 85% Merlot, 15% Lemberger
ORIGIN: Columbia Valley, USA
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $10
NICKNAME: "Working Girl Awful"
Labels: 0 STAR, 2007, Lemberger, Merlot, Mixed Varietal, Red, USA, Working Girl Wines
2 Reviews:
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October 24, 2008 at 1:27 AM ,
psydr said...
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0 OUT OF 5 STARS
This is cran-raspberry juice with a wine label slapped on it. Nothing more. Seriously, I'm appalled someone actually decided to bottle this stuff and SELL it (as wine). It is no wonder I found it on sale for $9.99 marked down from $15.99. I can't imagine anyone was willing to pay such a hefty fee for such swill. At least not more than once. The first round of buyers were suckered, plain and simple. I'm curious as to what percentage of these sales ended up poured down the drain. Surely none have finished a bottle. Not without gagging.
Perhaps this IS a breakfast wine. It might be a decent replacement for orange juice on occation... Well, not really. It's just terrible. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this is the worst wine I've reviewed to date.
Barf! -
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June 30, 2009 at 9:57 AM ,
said...
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Is it me? Or does it seem like all these Zero Star wines look like the winery paid more attention to designing an attractive label than they did making a drinkable wine?
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October 21, 2008
2006 Mano a Mano Tempranillo
YEAR: 2006WINERY: Mano a Mano
FLAVOR: Red, Tempranillo
ORIGIN: Spain
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $9
NICKNAME: "Mano a Mano Red"
Labels: 2006, 3 STAR, Mano a Mano, Red, Spain, Tempranillo
1 Reviews:
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October 22, 2008 at 1:12 AM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
A nice change from the other vino I've had this evening... even though I'm going to give it the exact same rating (3 STARS). I just happen to like Tempranillo more at the moment, but I can't let that sway my judgment.
Clearly dog is the motif for this evening as both reviewed beverages have canines on their labels. That wasn't on purpose. That's just how things turned out.
Oddly enough, I find this Tempranillo to be sweeter than the Merlot I consumed just an hour ago. It's a good sweet. Right now, I prefer it.
There are some earth and oak tones here as well. There were clearly oak casks involved in the aging of this beverage. While there usually are, there's no doubt here. Licking the actual casks would be the only way to create a stronger oak palate. Watch out for splinters.
A small amount of bitter and a slightly pungent nose. Not a terrible pungent. Just a hint of not-quite-right.
All-in-all this is an average vino.
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1 Reviews:
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October 22, 2008 at 12:22 AM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
A nice Merlot. Good nose and such. There's just a bit too much anise in the palate for my taste. And the color is extraordinarily dark and almost opaque. Other than that, it's fine. I don't think you'd upset anyone by severing this wine at your next gathering. It does have a good blackberry flavor. Anise is just overwhelming in my opinion.
The label is rather sheik, and certainly their cause is worthy. It's my understanding that 50 cents of each Doghouse purchase goes to help the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization.
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October 20, 2008
1 Reviews:
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October 20, 2008 at 1:07 AM ,
psydr said...
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2 OUT OF 5 STARS
A little dusty for my taste. Earthy yet tart. Similar in palate to a Malbec. A little dirty tasting if you will. And the slight dark bitters from the Merlot show as well.
This wine is unsweet and seems not quite ready for harvest. The danglies could've used a bit more time on the vine perhaps. This is the type of wine that does show promise, but as is, it's just not very good.
That said, I am curious about the Carmerene. Let's see what else comes about.
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October 19, 2008
2006 Goats do Roam Red
YEAR: 2006WINERY: Goats do Roam
FLAVOR: Red, Blend
ORIGIN: South Africa
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $7
NICKNAME: "Goat Red"
Labels: 2006, 3 STAR, Goats do Roam, Mixed Varietal, Red, South Africa
1 Reviews:
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October 20, 2008 at 12:17 AM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Plum. Tons of plum.
While the blend is not listed, if I were to guess, I'd say Shiraz was the predominant varietal. It has the same sweet characteristics and color. The nose, however, is of plum. Smooth. No bitter tannins. And a slight fruity aftertaste.
A decent wine from South Africa. I'm tempted to give it 4 STARS, but I just can't.
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October 18, 2008
1 Reviews:
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October 27, 2008 at 9:23 PM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Not a bad Cabernet. Dark purple in color which is consistant for a cab. It has that standard Cabernet bite. Just a tinge of bitter and tannins. Then there is a slight sweetness to the palate. This is unexpected for a Cabernet, yet I feel it balances the beverage quite nicely. The aftertaste has a slight flavor of metal. If I had to pick a metal, I'd choose tin to describe it. While there IS an earthy tone to the wine, I feel the metalic portion slightly overwhelms. Therefore, only 3 STARS.
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October 15, 2008
1 Reviews:
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October 15, 2008 at 10:48 PM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
This is a decent Merlot. There's your standard hint of currant, and the fluid is a tad on the thick side. Pretty good though. Goes down smooth. Didn't cost much. And it has a groovy label. What more do you need?
I have nothing glowing or disparaging to say about this beverage. I guess if I was more into Merlots at the moment, I might have given the bottle a 3.5 STAR rating.
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October 14, 2008
2006 Red Guitar Tempranillo Garnacha
YEAR: 2006WINERY: Red Guitar
FLAVOR: Red, 55% Tempranillo, 45% Garnacha
ORIGIN: Navarra, Spain
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $10
NICKNAME: "Red Guitar Red"
Labels: 2006, 3 STAR, Grenache, Mixed Varietal, Red, Red Guitar, Spain, Tempranillo
1 Reviews:
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October 27, 2008 at 9:27 PM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
This one is a surprise. At first whiff I was sure I was to be disappointed. Nope. This is a good wine. The nose betrayed it's actual character by releasing a scent of sweet, sweet licorice. Not being a licorice fan, I'm usually immediately turned off by such wines. But this one wasn't so bad. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. It was a tad sweet and a bit leggy. And there IS a hint of anise in the palate. However, it wasn't overpowering, and the hint of pepper helped dull down the sweet. Overall it was a good balance. If you enjoy licorice, then this is the bottle for you. I see no reason not to purchase this wine. It's a good bottle to "throw in the mix" every now and then...
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1 Reviews:
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October 27, 2008 at 9:30 PM ,
psydr said...
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2 OUT OF 5 STARS
Quite a startling contrast to the vino I just had. While the previous blend from The California Wine Party was smooth and without a hint of acidic bitterness, this is the polar opposite. Very acidic. I feel as if the enamel is being stripped from my teeth as I write this review. The wine makes me want to brush my teeth. I don't know. It's probably not the most bitter beverage I've tried as of late, but it's certainly not inviting me back to purchase it again. I don't like it. It's almost chalky. Ick. No thanks Crucillon.
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2006 The California Wine Party Franc/Merlot
YEAR: 2006WINERY: The California Wine Party
FLAVOR: Red, 70% Cabernet Franc, 26% Merlot, 4% Petite Sirah
ORIGIN: California, USA
PURCHASED: Trader Joe's, Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $5
NICKNAME: "Wine Party Red"
Labels: 2006, 4 STAR, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Mixed Varietal, Petite Sirah, Red, The California Wine Party, USA
1 Reviews:
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October 27, 2008 at 9:33 PM ,
psydr said...
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4 OUT OF 5 STARS
Good nose. Maybe slightly sweet in smell. Dark and slightly clouded. Not the clearest of beverages. Good flavor though. Not bad at all for a cheap wine. Surprisingly, there is very little aftertaste. For some reason I was betting on a bit of the bitters after swallowing. Maybe because the color was a little off. Or maybe is was something I sensed in the aroma. Either way, I couldn't have been more wrong. This wine starts off smooth and finishes in exactly the same way. Some might describe it as having a slightly watered down feeling, but personally, I just think it's a nice, smooth vino. I tend to prefer a thinner wine at times. They just seem more refreshing.
Anyway, this is a good buy and can be found at your local Trader Joe's. Pick up a bottle and let me know what you think.
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October 13, 2008
1 Reviews:
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At
October 27, 2008 at 9:35 PM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
This is what I would refer to as a "medium" wine. Every aspect of it seems to fall somewhere in the middle of any given range. It's neither smooth nor does it have great bite. There isn't a significant acidic bitterness involved, but it's certainly not sweet. The legs are neither strong nor weak. In general, this wine would be a great crowd pleaser at a party where no one really knew anything about wine. Nothing wrong with that. And, really, that's probably a pretty good audience to gather if your a small wine maker from Argentina. Nothing wrong with that at all. I don't think I'd buy it again, mostly just because I like a little bit more of an argument in my beverages. There isn't one here. You open the bottle. It says, "hello." You drink it. It says, "good bye." No real story. No passion...
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1 Reviews:
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Fairly smooth for a Cabernet. Just a little edgy in the aftertaste. You definitely taste the earth in this beverage. Perhaps a little too much so... The other predominant flavor is blackberry. But you only notice it for a moment. Then the earth takes over.
Not one of my favorites.
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