Weekly Wine Review

Image from mrjorgen

Welcome to the Weekly Wine Review!

Choosing wine can be an intimidating process. For some people, it can be difficult to dish out “x” amount of dollars and commit to a wine which they may or may not like – that’s where this review comes into play.

Once a week I will be reviewing two different wines – some good and some not so good – and it will all help to gear you toward making wine choices without hesitance. All the wines reviewed are purchased economically (most will be $25 or less), so you can purchase a great tasting wine on a budget!

Whether you are looking for a new wine to try, a bottle of wine to bring to a friends house or a wine to choose for a date, this review should aid you in your selection!

Salute!

Cliff Lede: Sauvignon Blanc

Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc (which translates to “wild white” from the word “sauvage-blanc” in French!) is one of my favorite spring/summertime wines. When kept and consumed at approx 40-45 degrees, the elegant, crisp and clean flavors of passion fruit and citrus just shine through! The wine is fragrant – almost floral with grassy notes and its color is reminiscent of sun-lit yellow mornings in late spring. Most enjoyable!

Cliff Lede: 2008 Sauvignon Blanc

Cost: $21.99

Grape Varietals: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Napa Valley, California

Alcohol by Volume: 14.1%

Bodega Belgrano: Malbec

As a lover of Malbec, I have to be honest here and say that this wine was not one of my favorites. Though the wine was not “bad” per say, (“bad” meaning that it wasn’t “corked” or necessarily bad in flavor) I felt that it just didn’t deliver the juicy, plumb-like flavors of which a Malbec often does.

Malbec is a Bordeaux varietal that characteristically falls somewhere between Cabernet and Merlot. It is often used in blends (blends are also known as “Meritage”), but also stands very strong on it’s own.

This wine is full-bodied, deep in color and has rich-earthy aromas with subtle underlying cherry and cocoa notes. Though the tannins are fairly robust, I did find the wine to have a bit of sweetness to the finish, which was a nice surprise!

Although it was decent in flavor after it breathed for about 20 minutes, I’m not entirely sure it was worth the money spent.

Bodega Belgrano, “It’s a HeadSnapper”: 2008 Malbec

Cost: $19.99

Grape Varietals: 100% Malbec

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Alcohol by Volume: 13.5%