Red Wine Reviews
These are my most recent Red Wine reviews. I drank each of these Red wines and this is what I think about them. My opinions about each wine are my own.
Wine reviews by: Jessyca Frederick |
Big, mouth-coating red wine featuring dark red fruits, black fruits, and a host of other savory flavors.
Tasting notes: dark red fruit, black fruit, pepper
2019 Story of Soil Duvarita Vineyard Pinot Noir
A complex, red-fruit forward, slightly smoky Pinot Noir that typifies the Sta. Rita Hills appellation and showcases winemaker Jessica Gasca’s love of letting the grapes shine.
Tasting notes: red fruit, smoky, smooth, cherry, cranberry
Portugal is one of the world’s best wine values right now and food-friendly red wine styles like this one are contributing to its growing popularity.
Tasting notes: red fruit, spice, smooth tannin
When I taste wines like this one, I’m reminded that Napa Valley wines are mostly overpriced and overhyped. It showcases Napa’s red wine grapes and terroir without breaking the bank.
Tasting notes: black fruit, graphite, chocolate, oaky, smooth tannin
2021 F. Stephen Millier Legend Series Santa Barbara Pinot Noir
For $15.99 this Pinot Noir was an impressive doppelganger for Santa Barbara’s more premium product, but the complexity and depth was missing.
Tasting notes: red fruit, earthy
This Duoro Tinto is smooth, with subtle fruit and spice. A bright and food-friendly wine that while enjoyable was not necessarily unique.
Tasting notes: smooth tannin, red fruit, spice, bright
A well-made, smooth Malbec with delicate spice, hints of espresso and violet, and enjoyable notes of black and blue fruits.
Tasting notes: smooth tannin, espresso, violet, black fruit, blue fruit
Subdued fruitiness and out of balance with too much eucalyptus and menthol. We were not impressed. Fortunately we didn't get hit with any bell pepper flavors.
Tasting notes: eucalyptus, smooth tannin
Great crowd-pleasing Bordeaux-style blend. Fruit-forward but balanced with smooth tannins, great acidity, and just a touch of vanilla from the oak.
Tasting notes: red fruit, vanilla, bright, smooth tannin
2019 Punto Final Cab Franc Reserva
I personally tend to prefer my Cab Franc in a heavier-bodied, more fruit-forward style than this light one. This was a nice, but unremarkable, food-friendly red wine.
2018 Brander Merlot, Los Olivos District
I really enjoyed this Merlot which we paired with my spicy Turkey Chili. Flavors of dark red fruit, soft tannins, and a medium body made it quite enjoyable.
Tasting notes: red fruit, dark fruit, smooth tannin
2017 Dani Gold Cabernet Sauvignon
Easy-drinking, well-made California Cabernet Sauvignon featuring cherry, cassis, and soft tannins. Quite enjoyable.
Tasting notes: cherry, cassis, smooth tannin
A medium-bodied red wine that tastes a bit like Pinot Noir had a love child with Mourvèdre (red fruit forward, especially black cherry, mixed with violets and a little spice), and it tends to be brighter than either of those imaginary progenitors.
Tasting notes: red fruit, bright, black cherry, violets, spice
Well-balanced, rich, deep, beautiful fruit-forward Shiraz — an excellent sipping wine. Brambly black fruit was dominant, with some subtle raspberry fruit in the background. A long slightly vanilla finish was supported by fine-grain tannins.
Tasting notes: black fruit, brambly, raspberry, vanilla, smooth tannin
Rioja Alta (both a region and the winery which produces this wine) is an insider favorite, typically because it offers such great drinking value and ageability.
A round, juicy, red fruit Pinot with smooth tannins and a long finish. Also an impressive value at $25. These are things I don’t find enough of in most of Willamette’s Pinot Noir, and rarely find in a Pinot that costs less than $45.
Tasting notes: fruity, juicy, smooth tannin
2018 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon
It had all the hallmarks of a classic Napa Cab — blackberry, cassis, and pretty smooth tannins for a young wine. And it retails for $20!
Tasting notes: blackberry, cassis, smooth tannin
This red blend embodies all of the best qualities of its grapes — a bit of spice, a bit of oak, some red fruit, some black fruit, a touch of smokiness… without being a punch in the mouth.
Tasting notes: spice, oak, red fruit, black fruit, smoky
2017 Piedrasassi Sta. Rita Hills Syrah
There’s nothing subtle about a Moorman Syrah and the complex flavors of cherry, plum, and spice are what keep critics and wine lovers delighted.
Tasting notes: cherry, plum, spice
2020 Métier Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
A great expression of Washington’s best terroir across Columbia Valley and into Yakima Valley. Structured but easy drinking blend representing the region.
2019 Bernardus Winery Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands
A red-fruit forward Pinot Noir, well-balanced and bright but not overpowering acidity — all the things that make Pinot from Santa Lucia Highlands sought after.
Tasting notes: red fruit, bright
People who like a sweeter red wine, like a jammy Syrah, would enjoy this bottle. The sweetness was balanced with strong tannins in this full-bodied red wine.
Tasting notes: jammy, slightly sweet, red fruit, bold tannins
A subtle version of what this grape can produce, but a great introduction to it if you’re not familiar and looking for an alternative bold red wine to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Tasting notes: dark fruit, tobacco, spice, subtle
White pepper and raspberry are common flavors in Pinot Noir, but this one brought pomegranate to the glass, too.
Tasting notes: red fruit, raspberry
This Sangiovese was slightly sweet and bright, had nice tannins, and savory notes. As $15 red wine goes, I gave this a thumbs up.
Tasting notes: bright, food friendly, lightly fruity, slightly sweet
2020 Michi Lorenz Sausaler Klassik Zweigelt
This was not my first Zweigelt and I was excited to see it appear in this shipment. I love Pinot Noir and Zweigelt has similar characteristics, but is more acidic. It was as expected. The palate was “fruity with blackberry, cherry,” and a hint of vanilla from the oak.
Tasting notes: fruity, blackberry, cherry, vanilla, bright
2015 Camaraderie Cellars Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
I enjoyed this Cabernet Sauvignon, which I often don’t. A blend of Cab Sauv from multiple Washington AVAs and 15% Merlot to soften the edges even further.
Tasting notes: black cherry
2015 Hersly Lazare Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
A true Napa Cab somewhere in the middle of its transformation from young and chewy to smooth and supple. Fruit flavors are fading faster than the tannins are integrating.
Tasting notes: spice, chocolate, dark fruit, grippy tannin
2015 Anthem Mt. Veeder Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
It’s hard not to be a fan of Anthem Winery’s transparency on their wine bottles, but what’s in the glass is always enjoyable, too.
Tasting notes: dark fruit, stewed fruit, soft tannin
Made in a popular style, this Cabernet uses conventional winemaking techniques to achieve a specific flavor profile from medium-quality fruit.
Tasting notes: spice, mocha, cherry
Notice: I hold no formal wine credentials. I am a wine geek who has consumed 1000+ of bottles from 100+ different wine clubs and 1000s more bottles that didn’t come from those wine clubs. I do not accept payment for wine reviews, and I do not accept payments to influence my opinions. I happily accept free wine (and I buy wine).
Why read my wine reviews: Wine taste is subjective. What I like may not be what you like. I try to leave room for you to form your own opinions, so I don’t provide a score or a rating. I do point out wines that are an incredible value or truly not worth the money. I note flaws, wines that don’t have typicity (because this matters if you are buying wine without having tasted it yourself), when wines are out of balance, and when wines lack appropriate body.
I don’t like wasting money (or anything for that matter). I’m careful about where I spend my money and my mindset as a reviewer is to be careful about where you spend yours. I don’t believe a high price tag equals quality and I know for sure there are wines of very good quality that are also a great value.
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