2008 [yellow tail] Shiraz-Cabernet, $5

An Amazing Bargain Wine--At the Right Temperature

[yellow tail] has greatly impressed me thus far with their budget-friendly, but still flavorful wines. This Shiraz-Cabernet blend is yet another example of [yellow tail]'s excellence at a price point that won't scare off an oenophile with a limited cash supply.

I bought this bottle at (yep, you guessed it!) Walmart for just under $5. I really wanted to try the Cabernet-Merlot blend, but my local Wally World didn't carry that particular variety, so I opted for this one instead.

In my original tasting of this wine, I noted that this full-bodied red wasn't bad, but not great either--just okay. The grade I then assigned it was a +, because it had good balance, but a "wierd taste at the midpoint." The next evening, I decided to try it again, this time at just a little cooler than room temperature. You see, the first time I tried it, I did so right out of the fridge. Since I had nothing to lose, I figured I better at least try and taste it at a different temperature before writing it off as a "nothing special" wine.

Upon allowing it to come close to room temperature, an amazing array of flavors and balance came forth--plum, boysenberry, oak, & spice at the forefront, with a superb balance of acidity and sweetness. Plum flavors rounded out a more-than-respectable finish. This Shiraz-Cabernet blend brings out the best characteristics of both varietals, and makes for a very, very good wine for a steal!

My Grade: ++++

Lesson learned...Temperature, temperature, temperature! I had a similar experience with Barefoot Zinfandel (see my review in March), but surprisingly it didn't readily occur to me that I would have the same issue with this variety.

I'm sure most wine experts serve their wines at precise temperatures, but I think I've found an easy rule of thumb for most bottles:

• Reds taste best at slightly cooler than room temperature rather than just out of the refrigerator--Not warm, but definitely not chilled either. I think that's the problem most people have with dry red wine--they drink it cold, which doesn't allow its true flavors to come forward, and can even make it taste "off."


• White wines, many rosé/blush wines, and sparkling wines tast best chilled, or at least at a fairly cold temperature. The richer the white wine is, the (slightly) warmer its optimal temperature.

I found a good, down-to-earth article on MSNBC's Food and Wine section about wine temperature if you're interested in learning more:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9392760/

2006 Beringer Founders' Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, $11

The night before last, I opened this bottle of Beringer Cabs for tasting. I let it sit on the counter during supper to allow it to come to room temperature (the "proper" way to drink cabernet sauvignon), then poured myself a glass.

After a good swirl, this ruby red wine gave off tantilizing aromas of red berries, spice, and oaky vanilla. According to Kevin Zraly's method of wine tasting, I took one sip to get over the initial "shock" to the taste buds before beginning my tasting impressions.

This cabs coats the mouth with a healthy amount of tannins, lending it an astringent quality at the onset. It immediately provides just the right acidity--nothing "too" about this one. The mouthfeel is rich and suede-like, with a slight "furry" quality to it. [By the way, I definitely thought that word sounded gross when I first read it in a wine review too, but you just have to experience it to know it's not a bad thing!]

The flavor is big, bold, and peppery, with an abundance of red berries and oak. It achieves superb balance in a short amount of time, and has great depth and length for a wine of this price.

As with any cabernet sauvignon, you wouldn't want to pair this one with a weak dish due to its full body and high tannin content, because it would overpower the food. This wine would pair well with red meat, pasta with heavier sauces, or even pizza. Or, of course, you could do like I did and just drink it on its own! Either way, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Speaking of disappointment...I poured another glass of this last night and left it on the counter to bring it to room temp, but since my hubby was much later getting home than I thought he would be, it got a little too warm, so I stuck it in the fridge. BIG mistake. I had set it on a shelf inside the door where the gallon jug of tea had been, and closed the door. After we ate supper, I went to the fridge to put some stuff away, and as soon as I opened the door, my wine came crashing down and splashed all over the floor, the inside of the fridge, and me. Luckily, my glass survived the fall, but I think that's because all of our glassware, from iced tea glasses to my wine glasses and my hubby's beer mugs (and juice glasses, and water goblets...) are all Libbey brand. I have never (*knock on wood*) had a Libbey glass break, and they're all I've used for the past three and a half years.

Anyway, I was majorly bummed that so much of my wine had gone to waste, especially since we're talking about a big glassful. Oh well...You live and you learn--and sometimes you spill your wine!

2007 Hayes Ranch 'In the Saddle' Cabernet Sauvignon, $7

"California Wines with a Western Spirit"

The tagline for this California winemaker seems to be the perfect description for the style of their wine. Everything about it screams "Western," from the label design to the stuff inside the bottle.

This is another wine from my first round of purchases last month at World Market, and it's a steal for what you get.

This dark red Cab gives off aromas of oak, vanilla, spice, red jam, and an unspecific vegetative bouquet.

It proved to be a supple, warm, jammy red wine with plenty of spicy oak flavor and just enough tannins to add interest. It has a nice complexity of flavors and is overall an extremely pleasing wine.

When I first opened it, it had a slightly chemical taste, but I think that it might have disappeared had I let the open bottle sit for a little bit before the first sip. After the bottle sat in the fridge for a few days, it seemed like the flavors only got better. As time went by, it got more complex, smoky, and I was finally able to taste the blackberry noted on the label.

Hayes Ranch 'In the Saddle' is a big, oaky wine with plenty of fruit for the tasting. It's great on its own (the way I've enjoyed it the last couple of cold winter nights), but also goes well with pizza. It has enough substance to stand up to a nice steak, but is gentle enough to enjoy with chicken.

My Grade: +++