Kung Fu Girl Riesling

Name: Kung Fu Girl
Color: White
Varietal: Riesling
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: Washington
Region: Columbia Valley
Price: $15
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)

We've been trying to buy the Kung Fu Girl Riesling for many weeks, but it's been sold out due to high demand. I can see why. Krista and I both loved this wine...We drank it last night with grilled fish and pasta. This wine is extremely tasty, with bright citrus notes, a nice peach/pear aroma and taste, and excellent acidity. It had a touch of sweetness, but not the over the top sugar that some Rieslings are known for.

I can't imagine someone not liking this wine. (The picture is from the 2008 vintage, but we had the 2009).

This wine was scored 89 points by Wine Enthusiast, for those that care.

Rene Barbier Mediterranean White

Name: Rene Barbier Mediterranean White
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Xarello/Macabeo/Parellada)
Vintage: NV
Country/State: Spain
Region: Various
Price: $5
Stars: 3 (out of 5)

Many people rave about this wine as being an amazing value. It's true that the price is great - just $5...but the wine left something to be desired. It wasn't terrible, but to me it tasted like a really cheap Chardonnay. Krista wasn't as kind, saying it reminded her of White Zinfandel. We drank it pretty well chilled, so there wasn't much going on in the nose. The taste was primarily green apple, melon, and citrus. It was very easy drinking, but didn't really bring much to the table to get excited about.

Overall, it just didn't live up to the great reviews.

Bodegas Atteca Old Vines

Name: Bodegas Atteca Old Vines
Color: Red
Varietal: Garnacha
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: Spain
Region: Calatayud
Price: $16
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We had the Atteca Old Vines Garnacha tonight with dinner (steaks on the grill, with mushrooms and onions). It was very good. I had this wine previously at a restaurant in St. Augustine, and I was anxious to try it again.

The wine features big red and black berry aromas and flavors. It's juicy and round and was excellent with the steaks and on its own. It had a bit of a smoky quality, too, which I really liked. I am a big fan of Garnacha from Spain, and this wine does not disappoint. It's terrific, although at $16, probably not a great value. There are several Spanish reds, either Garnacha or Garnacha/Tempranillo blends, that are excellent but a few dollars cheaper.

Martin Codax Albarino

Name: Martin Codax
Color: White
Varietal: Albarino
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rias Baixas
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

I had a couple of glasses of the Martin Codax Albarino last night with dinner (Greek food)...We also mixed some in the Sangria we made, and it really turned out nicely

On its own, this wine is very good -- I thought is was better than the 2007. On the nose, I got honey, peaches, and pears. The taste was similar to the nose, with some melon as well. I love the weighty feel of this Albarino and the crisp acidity. Definitely one of my favorite Spanish white wines.

Sangre de Toro Red Wine

Name: Sangre de Toro
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Garnacha/Carinena)
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: Spain
Region: Catalunya
Price: $9
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

I had a glass of the Sangre de Toro last night, although we used most of the bottle to make Sangria, which we enjoyed with dinner (Greek food)...This wine is a great base for Sangria. We added a bit of the Martin Codax Albarino to the mix, and the red and white wines worked well together in the Sangria.

On its own, the Sangre de Toro was pretty good with a nice, medium body. It was dominated by dark red fruits, but was also a bit earthy, which I really like. A decent wine for the price, although there are several Spanish reds in the $10 range that I like more.

Coastline Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Coastline Cabernet Sauvignon
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: California
Region: Paso Robles
Price: $9
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We drank the Coastline Cabernet Sauvignon last night after dinner and were very pleased with how good it was for the price (less than $10). After a busy Saturday of going to Jackson's football game in the morning and doing lots of yard work, it was nice to kick back, watch a movie, and pop the cork on this nice medium-bodied, smooth Paso Robles Cab. Good nose and taste...mostly dark berries and raspberries. A little bit of chocolate came through in the mouth, which I really liked.

This Coastline Cabernet is an excellent value and a great everyday type of wine.

Alamos Torrontes

Name: Alamos Torrontes
Color: White
Varietal: Torrontes
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Argentina
Region: Salta
Price: $10
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

We enjoyed the Alamos Torrontes last night with Krista's recipe for "chicken Bryan". It was very good, but I remember liking the last Torrontes we had better (from Crios). This bottle was fresh and easy drinking, with a nose of peach and citrus. The taste was similar to the nose, with a little more lemon lime citrus notes coming through. It was well balanced with good acidity.

For $10, there are lots of choices in the South American white wine aisle. The Alamos Torrontes was good, but I wouldn't rush out to buy it again.

Castle Rock Pinot Noir

Name: Castle Rock Pinot Noir
Color: Red
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: California
Region: Mendocino County
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We had the Castle Rock Pinot Noir earlier this week with teriyaki grilled chicken and pasta. It is often recommended as a tremendous value, and I completely agree. We both enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a bit darker and more medium bodied than a lot of Pinot Noirs we've had recently, so that probably helps explain one of the reasons we liked it so much.

The nose is great, with big dark red fruit flavors and a hint of oak. The taste is dominated by strawberry and raspberry. It's a very silky smooth wine, with a nice, long finish. I highly recommend the Castle Rock Mendocino Pinot Noir and will definitely buy more in the future.

Castle Rock is a "virtual" winery that sources its grapes from throughout the West coast. All of the grapes from this wine came from Mendocino County in northern California.