McManis Petite Sirah

Name: McManis Family Vineyards Petite Sirah
Color: Red
Varietal: Petite Sirah
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: California
Region: Various
Price: $10
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We drank the McManis Family Vineyards Viognier in March and really enjoyed it. So I had high hopes for their Petite Sirah, which happens to be one of our favorite varietals. The McManis Petite Sirah did not disappoint. We drank it last night after dinner. It was a deep purple color in the glass, and featured aromas of dark fruits. It's a big, smooth, full-bodied wine that tastes like blueberries, blackberries, and plums with a hint of chocolate on the finish. The tannins were nice - they really created a tingly, mouth puckering sensation.

I love Petite Sirahs and this one by McManis Family Vineyards is no exception. Great value, great wine.

Domaine Lenoir Macon-Villages

Name: Domaine Lenoir Les Vins Jean Claude DeBeaune
Color: White
Varietal: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: France
Region: Burgundy (Macon-Villages)
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)



This is a terrific white Burgundy from the Macon-Villages region in France. It features aromas of apples, pears, and other white fruits. The taste is similar to the nose but it also has a little kick of citrus. This Chardonnay is unoaked, medium-bodied, smooth, and easy drinking. It paired nicely with a roast chicken we had for dinner. We used a bit of the wine in the sauce.

The wine was also excellent on its own. French Chardonnays continue to be among our favorite white wines.

Coppola Presents Rosso

Name: Coppola Presents Rosso
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Zinfandel/Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon)
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: California
Region: Various
Price: $8
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)


We've had this red blend from Francis Ford Coppola before and really enjoyed it. We tried it again last night with pizza and it was still very good, especially for the price. It's a medium-bodied, juicy, smooth, easy drinking, fruit forward everyday style of wine that features cherries and strawberries.

It may be that my tastes are changing (hopefully evolving), but I wasn't as impressed with this wine as I have been in the past. It's a dry wine, but the up front freshness of the fruits made it taste a bit sweeter than I like. I wish the Syrah elements were more pronounced, but as it is, this wine is still a great value that pairs well with pizza, BBQ, or similar meals.

Santa Alicia Reserva Carmenere

Name: Santa Alicia Reserva
Color: Red
Varietal: Carmenere
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Chile
Region: Maipo Valley
Price: $8
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We enjoyed the Santa Alicia Reserva Carmenere last night with pizza and were really pleased with it. This wine was very good, and we quickly finished the bottle before the kids even went to bed, which is rare for us. Usually, we manage to make a bottle last most of the night, but this one went very quickly. We've had a couple of other Carmeneres that we really liked (Tierra del Fuego and Casillero del Diablo), so it's safe to say we are now 3 for 3 with this lovely wine from Chile.

The Santa Alicia featured dark fruits and dark chocolate. It wasn't very complex, but the aromas and flavors were right on target. This is one smooth, delicious wine. The dark chocolate really came through on the mid-palate, and the finish was fairly long. The price makes it a real steal!

Crios Rosé of Malbec

Name: Crios
Color: Rosé
Varietal: Malbec
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Price: $11
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

Well, this was definitely my favorite Rosé I've ever had. It was much fuller bodied than most Rosés, and was made from the Malbec grape that thrives in Argentina. This one was another wine made by Susana Balbo under her Crios label. We've had the Crios Torrontes and really enjoyed it, too.

The Crios Rosé is a brilliant, dark pink color and has a great nose of strawberries, flowers, and a bit of pepper. It was rich and spicy, dry and delicious.

This wine really restored my faith in Rosé wines. I was close to cutting them out of my life completely, but thanks to the Crios Rosé, they'll stick around for a little while longer.