Port of Entrée » Under $10

2010 Kemblefield Sauvignon Blanc – Under $10

Sunday, April 1, 2012

When I think of refreshing I think of clean mountain air, showers and Sauvignon effing Blanc! My lord, how I love me some Sav. Blanc. I’m a nut for acid and citrus and Kemblefield Sauvignon Blanc is always packed to the gills. Know what else it has? Peppers. Huge, earthy green peppers! You’ve been warned. That is the predominant flavor profile. Peppers baby!

I prefer this wine somewhere between chilled and room temperature. It has a huge amount of lemon and fresh green peppers on the nose. On tasting you will be bombarded with wonderful acid and lemon and more of those lovely peppers. Far in the rear you will find Asian pear and some other underlying vegetation. Really this is just a beautiful composition that works well with a lot of different foods.

For this pairing we fixed crackers with minced garlic, parsley, scallions, lemon juice and butter topped with Nova salmon. The citrus and acid of the Kemblefield played off the round butter and salmon nicely and almost made the Kemblefield perform like a chardonnay but not unpleasantly so. I’ve had this wine with everything from tacos to Thai and it really stands up to spice and heat well.

Next time you feel like a Sprite try the Kemblefield Sauvignon Blanc instead. It will refresh you all the same. Plus it’ll get you buzzed.

1 comment

Permalink

in Under $10, Wine tags: 2010 kemblefield sauvignon blanc, marlborough, wine

2008 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha – Under $10

Monday, March 5, 2012

This is great quality Spanish wine plain and simple. While it lacks the subtle charms that made the 2007 vintage a hit (90pts Wine Advocate) it is warm, deep and delicious.

I smell wine as much as I drink wine and this one has plenty to offer on its beautiful nose. Rich red fruits like blackberry and raspberry segue into huge pepper and black licorice. I cannot stress how great this thing smells. The deeper you inhale the more you feel you are scrying some secret hidden beneath its ruby surface, long forgotten to time and always just out of reach. Ya, it’s that good.

On the palate this wine is a wonderful pepper bomb. Pepper first, followed by those red fruits and licorice notes before ending with slightly too much alcohol. This wine will only get better with age however and at a retail of around $9 it’s hard to beat.

Don’t forget to smell!

1 comment

Permalink

in Under $10, Wine tags: 2008 las rocas garnacha, de san alejandro, spanish, wine

2009 The Stump Jump Red – Under $10

Sunday, February 26, 2012

I have a giant soft spot for this wine. Ok, that’s putting it mildly. At one point I had a love affair with this wine! It has cooled with the general unavailability of the ’08 vintage but there’s hope. 2009′s The Stump Jump Red is every bit the stunner as her older sister. This is about the friendliest, most approachable wine you’ll find. It’s a classic Grenache, Shiraz, Mouvedre blend from McLaren Vale, South Australia and if you don’t like it you’re a monster.

Let’s start on the outside. I’m a sucker for good packaging and the super-fun, eye catching optometrist chart labels of The Stump Jump wines are simple, irresistible, perfection. Screw off the cap (I said approachable, remember?) and your nose will be greeted by an overwhelming wave of cherry followed by some spice, slight cotton candy and what I can only describe as green Jolly Rancher. You’ll want to smell this one thoroughly.

On tasting you will find more cherry and Jolly Rancher before The Stump Jump Red takes a brooding left turn through the Mocha hills and into Coffeeville then back to cherry because you will already be taking sip two. Ya, this wine is drinkable. I tried pairing it with a cherry pie but it completely shot the wine down. I tried pairing it with black licorice but it threw the wine into the river with cement shoes. Red meats are probably a better road but The Stump Jump is best on it’s own. It deserves your singular attention and you will be rewarded for it.

The Stump Jump Red by d’Arenberg is an incredible value at around $10 retail and as low as $7.99 at Total Wine. You can’t afford not to treat yourself!

2 comments

Permalink

in Under $10, Wine tags: 2009, red, the stump jump, wine