Sometimes you get what you pay for.

May 14th, 2009 by Vinagoth | Posted in but not outrageous, California, Cheap and Red, Expensive, Sonoma, Syrah, Washington State | No Comments »

A few nights ago I opened two bottles of Syrah. The first was one of our old standby’s, Cameron Hughes Lot 105 2004 Sonoma Mountain Syrah. I bought a case of this a while ago and we love it. Mrs. Barbarian and I enjoy this wine and have one likely twice a month. We have never NOT enjoyed it, and it is certainly a pleasing wine. Mrs. Barbarian likes syrah more than I do, and she has no complaints about Lot 105. It is a great value at $12 a bottle.

The second bottle is more than twice that price, at right around $30. Rarely do I spend that kind of money and frequently when I do I’m disappointed. Not so this time!

This is Chatter Creek 2003 Syrah from the Clifton Vineyard in Washington state. It literally blew away Mr. Hughes’ wine. This was a case where the price was justified by the product within the bottle. Especially when compared to the California Syrah (which, I’ll repeat, we LIKE), the Chatter Creek is truly awesome. Much richer flavor. Much more depth. As much as I love it when the low price wine meets or beats the higher priced one, in this case it did not happen.

I recommend both of these wines, but if the occasion warrants it, go with the Chatter Creek.

An “OK” Chilean Carmenère

April 14th, 2009 by Vinagoth | Posted in Carmenère, Cheap and Red, Chile | No Comments »

I saw this Chilean Carmenère at my local wine merchant and had to give it a try. I grabbed it and brought it home, looking forward to a big, dark, teeth-staining experience frequently found with Carmenère.

I planned to have it with a big steak dinner over the weekend, and as it is young, and my wine storage area is a tad chilly this time of year, I opened it up to breathe about three and a half hours before dinner. I did take a small sample after opening. I noted the cork was stained dark red, always a good sign. The sample tasted a bit light, but it was also cold, so I hoped it would open up as it sat open for a bit. I went about my usual weekend business around the house; terrorizing neighbors, sharpening axes, you know… routine.

In the course of some activity about an hour and a half before dinner, I noted Mrs. Barbarian with a wine glass. Damn her! She found my bottle. Note to self, HIDE IT next time. Upon quizzing her she admitted to be on her second glass. Sigh. I told her it was for dinner and that I’d like to try save it for then. She said she liked it though.

When dinner arrived I poured myself a glass (and topped up Mrs. Barbarian’s) and noted with a cocked eyebrow that it appeared that more than what she claimed to have drank, plus my small taste, was missing. Well, in hindsight I’d have been happy to have her drink it all, as I did not like it much.

The wine in question here is a 2007 Viña Chocalan Carmenère. It LOOKS great. Deep. Dark. But it tastes too light to me. I love big bold wines, and while this one looked the part, it could not deliver the goods. All hat, no cattle. All shout, no battle.

Oh well, at least one of us likes it. Mrs. Barbarian drank the rest of it.

2006 Bodega Septima Malbec

April 11th, 2009 by Vinagoth | Posted in Argentina, Cheap and Red, Malbec | No Comments »

At the moment we have a long-term houseguest, who (irritatingly) is a vegetarian. They are one of Mrs. Barbarian’s close relatives, so I have to refrain from my natural instinct, which is to eat them, er… make jokes at their expense. Instead now everything we cook has to have some meatless component. When I cook I really don’t cook for Mrs. Barbarian, I cook for me with some extra for her. I make what I want to eat. I like to eat meat.

On a recent evening I arrived home too late from work to really make anything elaborate, so I grabbed one of those ‘Boboli’ pre-made pizza crusts and made a cheese pizza, and threw slices of a leftover bratwurst, and some green onions on top of “our part” as that was the closest thing I had on hand for pizza-topping made from the flesh of a lesser beast. It actually turned out delicious!

To accompany this fine cuisine I grabbed this bottle of 2006 Bodega Septima Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. Mrs. Barbarian loved it, as did I. Our houseguest, a teetotaller did not sample the wine (or the bratwurst either… more for me!) The Malbec was wonderfully earthy and full of flavor. Best of all? It was $6.99. Gotta love an El Cheapo red that actually tastes good!

I’ll be grabbing a few more bottles of this to add to my Cellar of Cheap Reds being hoarded for the apocalypse.
Maybe I’ll lock the vegetarian down there too… stock the larder.

Pleasant Discovery: Fall Line Winery 2005 Red

April 6th, 2009 by Vinagoth | Posted in Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Cheap and Red, Merlot, Odds, Ends & Blends, On Somebody Else's Tab, Washington State | No Comments »

Mrs. Barbarian & I went out for dinner last night. It was Christmas Eve and we’d done nothing to prepare, so when the better half declared “let’s go out” I was already dialling our favorite small town bistro for a reservation. Our little foothills burg had been blanketed with an unusual snowfall. Not that we don’t get snow, it is just we rarely see more than a dusting. For the past nine days we’ve been getting dumped upon. Our home is buried under over 3 feet, and down in town things are Alaskan in appearance. Our favorite bistro was indeed open on this semi-holiday, and we secured a table for two.

Upon arrival we found a festive atmosphere and a likeness of the owner/chef, Chef Martin in snow out front:

We were seated in a comfy spot at the back, beyond a large party of revelers, but adjacent to the wine racks and small bar. We both ordered one of their “signature martinis”… neither of which are really martinis in the traditional sense. Mrs. Barbarian’s was more like a margarita, with a salted rim, and tequila as the main liquor. Mine was called a “Toasted L’Orange” and is a bourbon-based concoction. Both were awesome. Chef Martin had a special for the occasion, a slab of prime rib that looked too good to pass up, so I ordered that along with an onion soup. Mrs. Barbarian ordered a pair of appetizers as her main course, some potato latkes with smoked salmon, and an amazing glazed prawns thing which she prevented me from tasting in a fit of selfishness. Her soup was a squash/curry contrivance that was spec-effing-tacular. Midway through our soups I ordered some wine. Martin’s business partner Steve always has a great wine list and introduces me to all sorts of good stuff. Last time we visited we enjoyed a wonderful Cabernet Franc (review coming soon) so I was paying close attention to that varietal. I didn’t see anything that caught my eye until I ran down the list of blends and here was something at a reasonable price point that just had a promising ring to it: Fall Line Winery Horse Heaven Hills Red Wine 2005, 39% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon.

It proved a wonderful accompaniment to our meal. Smooth and flavorful. Very drinkable. Very deep and satisfying.

The wine retails for around $30, so it is just a bit outside my usual range but I always throw my cheap side under the bus when I go out to eat. Mind you, it still calls out to me when I order so I never do anything stupid like order anything in triple digits! This wine however hovers in the grey area between “cheap” and expensive” so I’ll classify it as both. However I will be pursuing this one on my own and perhaps more of the output from this small winery in Washington state. It appears from their website that they make very limited quantities so if you want to beat me to it I suggest you get off the couch and get moving!

Fortissimo!

March 28th, 2009 by Vinagoth | Posted in Cheap and Red, Italy, Odds, Ends & Blends, Unknown! | No Comments »

This wine was on sale at a local wine merchant I occasionally drop into near my office. It is a 2005 Zenato Valpolicella “Superiore”. I know absolutely nothing about Italian wines, so I can not provide you with much data here about the region, grapes, etc. This wine however, is very tasty. I liked it a lot. Very dark and deep. Strong flavors, lots of body. Mrs. Barbarian thought that it overpowered the sauteed chicken and pesto pasta I served with it, so perhaps I should have upped the garlic or switched to beef.

If you like BIG red wines this one is a good pick. It is very inexpensive, I paid $12.99 on sale, but it has the full-body that you would expect from a much more expensive wine. Makes me wish I had an Alfa Romeo to hop into and say “Ciao!” as I roar off, spitting gravel on your shoes from spinning Pirellis. I imagine this is the sort of wine that Il Duce would have liked, as it is big, boastful, and Italian. Too much of it would probably turn your tongue red though.

Basel Cellars 2006 Claret

March 19th, 2009 by Vinagoth | Posted in Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cheap and Red, Merlot, Odds, Ends & Blends, Syrah, Walla Walla, Washington State | 1 Comment »

Horrible photograph of a very nice wine.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately… I came down with the flu a while ago and it utterly destroyed my senses of smell and taste for weeks. I’ve been recovering and along the way I’ve enjoyed a few good wines. This is a fine example, Basel Cellars 2006 Claret. Mrs. Barbarian, her sister, and I enjoyed this at our local favorite restaurant last weekend. “Claret” is a British term for “Bordeaux blend” and this indeed is a blend of mostly Bordeaux varietals, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and the a bit of the Rhone thrown in, in the form of Syrah. Basel Cellars is from that wonderful corner of Washington state that the natives call “Walla Walla”… funny name, great wines.

This bottle retails for right around $20 bucks. You really can’t go wrong at that price. Excellent value, and good enough to be a bit better than an everyday wine.

The Dinner of Champions & Cameron Hughes Lot 72

March 4th, 2009 by Vinagoth | Posted in California, Cheap and Red, Napa, Unknown! | No Comments »

This was dinner the other night at Chez Vinagoth, waffles and red wine. You see Mrs. Barbarian had failed to stop by the grocery store or Costco as promised, so when it came time to cook something up the pickings were slim. I punted and got out the waffle iron. Think of it as a Belgian delicacy!

Thankfully the wine cellar offered up this wonderful 2005 Napa Valley Meritage from Cameron Hughes. It was more than a match for this tasty treat from the Low Countries, and a bargain at $12. Next time I hope to try it with a proper dinner. At least Mrs. Barbarian doesn’t slather her steaks in peanut butter(!) like she does her waffles. Sigh.

Petite Petite

February 7th, 2009 by Vinagoth | Posted in California, Cheap and Red, Lodi, Petite Verdot, Pinot Noir | No Comments »

I saw this bottle as I was picking up some Secreto Malbec to give away as xmas gifts. My eye of course was drawn to the “petite” word on the label, always a promise of my favorite varietal. It was a tad pricey, around $22. I also found it a bit disappointing to be honest. It is actually a blend of Petite Sirah and Petite Verdot. The latter served to just mellow it far too much for my taste. It is a 2006, made by Michael & David Wines of Lodi.

I imagine many folks would find this wine pleasant, which is why I’m not really going to downgrade it. I also noted that they are not making it anymore, so perhaps the point is moot. I will try their Earthquake Petite Sirah though at some point, as that sounds far more promising.

In and out of trouble: Cameron Hughes Lot 106 Sonoma Syrah

January 24th, 2009 by Vinagoth | Posted in Cheap and Red, Sonoma, Syrah | No Comments »

One of the primary things that attracted me to Mrs Barbarian when we first met was her natural frugality. To say that she is cheap is an understatement. That is a rare quality in a woman, so join that with a nice rack and I was sold. No fancy wedding – we eloped. No diamond rings – just a simple band. No closets filled with Imelda collections. The household finances are always in good shape. We each have our little pet extravagances, but those are not allowed to impinge on the Barbarian cashflow.

After my discovery of Cameron Hughes’ wines at Costco, I joined their Seasonal Red club, which delivers a mixed case, a sampler so to speak 4 times a year. This was several months ago, and we’ve received a couple of those mixed case since. However the end of 2008 brought financial turmoil to the entire globe, and Mrs. Barbarian declared some household belt-tightening. I’m a pretty cheap guy anyway, so no big deal there.

I came home from work one day to find the Mrs looking particularly barbaric as I opened the door. On the floor beside her was a case delivered by FedEx. A case of wine that is. “What is this?” she asked. Of course, she didn’t need to ask… plastered all over the box are large bright yellow stickers saying how the box contains alcohol and must be signed for by an adult, and the “Cameron Hughes Wine” label is kind of hard to miss. “I thought we were cutting back on spending” she said as she stormed off, leaving me to unpack it and put away the bottles.

What I love about CH Wines is their “upmarket wine” quality at “everyday wine” prices. Honestly these are almost always $40 bottles being sold for around ten bucks.

Within this mixed case were several samples of Lot 106, a Syrah from Sonoma County. Mrs. Barbarian likes Syrah, so it was the first one I pulled out of the box. I served it up with a pasta/pesto dinner, with some garlicy bread and broccoli. The Syrah is smooth and flavorful… not overpowering but holds up well amid the strong flavors present in the dinner. Mrs. Barbarian loves the wine… so much so that she pulls out a second bottle to open as dinner is coming to a close.

I’ll be in trouble again in 3 months when the next box comes… until I open a bottle that is. For now however, peace reigns in the Barbarian household.

Apologies dear reader*.

January 22nd, 2009 by Vinagoth | Posted in The Spit Bucket | No Comments »

I fell ill just after Christmas with a nasty head cold, which transformed into an even nastier case of Bronchitis, a malady I suffered with often in childhood. It hasn’t bothered me in decades but came back to haunt me severely for almost 3 weeks. I had forgotten how miserable it makes me feel. My Barbaric persona completely abandons me in times of illness, or perhaps it just becomes magnified, who knows. I stopped drinking wine (as I couldn’t smell anything anyway!) and took up with a collection of nice small-batch Bourbons I’ve collected through a good friend in Kentucky over the past several years. The whisky got me through the bad weeks, and now my sense of smell has returned. I’m still a tad hoarse from coughing for weeks, but I promise that wine reviews will begin again shortly. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

*(Reader is singular as I know my following is small.)