Bogle Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, $11.99

OK. I'm backwards, and we all know it.

Back in January, in the middle of a snowstorm that eventually dumped over two feet of snow on the state of CT, I opened - and blogged about drinking - Bogle's chardonnay. Today is the first hot day in CT, hitting 86 degrees by 11 a.m., and here I am, blogging about Bogle's cabernet. What can I say? Red when it's hot, white when it's not.

This wine is absolutely beautiful in the glass, a gorgeous purple-ruby color. The nose is a little weak, smelling like cabernet tannins & little else. There is not a drop of alcohol on the nose, regardless of its 13.5% alcohol content.

A sour patch hits my palate when I take a sip. After that, I taste nothing. There's nothing on the mid-palate, nothing on the finish.

I can't say that this wine is entirely bad, though. It's not exactly a fine wine, definitely not a complex one, and maybe a little disappointing, but it's one that's easy to drink at a decent price point. It's not as good as the chardonnay, but that don't mean I'm performing alcohol abuse & dumping it down the drain.

Cheers!

Kate

2009 Mohua New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, $13.99

OK. I love this wine already & I haven't even cracked it open yet.

I enjoy New Zealand sauvignon blanc, I really do. I find them unmatched by any from Cali, that's for damn sure. This one in particular has a lot of things in its favor. One, it's a sauvignon blanc from New Zealand. Two, it's got a screw top. Three, it's got a 13% alcohol content. And four, it's earth friendly - profits from this bottle of wine help fund conservation projects to help the survival of the mohua, a small native bird on the brink of extinction.

Like I said, what's not to love? Even if the wine sucks, I'll be glad I bought it.

The aroma on this wine is shockingly good. I smell the crispness & minerally goodness in here first, followed by an overwhelming - and delightful - aroma of exotic green berries. It makes me salivate. I watch the raggedy sheet fall down the side of the glass into the medium-yellow body. It's not pale yellow, but it doesn't look like somebody peed in the glass, either.

I am so pleased by the taste of this wine. It tastes exactly how it smells. On the palate, I get the beautiful, fresh mineral taste coupled with the crispness & acidity, both of which are honed to perfection. On the finish, I get the berry taste. It's gooseberries.

Even the mouthfeel (...) is good. It starts off thin over the lips, but as I feel it on my tongue & palate, it feels fuller. And smooth. The acidity is there, but it's a smooth acidity, one that doesn't tingle my salivary glands or overpower the taste. Nice.

I love, love, love this wine. I am instructing all of you, my readers, to do a good deed & purchase this bottle. You may not love it as much as I do, but you'll feel better about yourself for purchasing it. Go. CT Beverage Mart. Go!

Cheers!

Kate

Estancia Reserve Santa Lucia Highlands 2006 Pinot Noir, $23.99

OK. Estancia, in my esteemed opinion, is like Robert Mondavi & Rodney Strong. They're everywhere at every price point. Which is not a bad thing, but really, how many do we need? Now, I adore Mondavi & I'm a huge fan of Rodney's select stuff, so I'm willing to give it a go. Hell, it's Cinco de Mayo. This is as close to a margarita as I'm gonna get.

In the glass, this wine looks like a cross between plum juice & strawberry juice. Weird, but those are the vibes I'm getting. A thick, slow-moving sheet sets up along the side of the glass, forming some stubby little legs after about ten seconds. The back of the bottle advertises a "spice-laced fragrance...with lush fruit and exotic smokiness." Um, maybe. I smell the alcohol up front (which is a big duh with a wine that clocks in with a 14.5% alcohol content), but beyond that, I smell earthiness, like wetlands, with a little mixed-berry aroma at the tail end of the nose.

This wine makes me incredibly happy. The mouthfeel (...) is priceless. Silky, medium-bodied, smooth. I would buy this wine just for the feel of it. On the taste side, I'm getting a quick hit of non-descript fruit & blueberries on the mid-palate, which dulls into a pleasant bitterness as it glides down my throat. I know, it doesn't sound appetizing when I put it that way, but trust me, it's fantastic.

This being said, this is not a wine I want to share. This is not a wine I would break out with friends, or order at dinner. This wine would be very food-friendly, but right now, I'm enjoying it just by itself, all alone at home. HA! Best Cinco de Mayo ever. Find out more at www.estanciawinery.com.

Cheers!

Kate