Rosenthal

Petit Verdot
Malibu Newton Canyon, CA
2008

This wine is a deep, rich purple color - almost opaque with its darkness. It smells of oak and violets, with such bold, unique flavors this is one for your palette.  This grape is typically used in Bourdeaux blends, so it might be hard to find a varietal wine on its own.  In fact, this was Rosenthal's first 100% Petit Verdot bottling - usually it goes into their other blends.  But we think it's a hit!

Colin:  Like the drawn out attack from a bow to the striven of a violin, this wine initially hits your tongue tasteless and draws a light, airy finish. That rebounds with similar bold flavors to a Cabernet.

Rating: 9 out of 10 glasses - due to its uniqueness.

Rachel: I feel the opposite of Colin. I feel that this wine initially has a rich, earthy flavor. It delicately places the floral notes on your palette during a long finish. It's definitely a very unique wine, and it's unfortunate that this is usually used in varietal blends - because I'm very interested to try more Petit Verdot. I don't think the tones of this wine will match a white lover's palette, which is the only reason I lowered my rating - but a hit if you love reds!
Rating: 8 out of 10 glasses

Aerate: No, definitely not.  It's better to serve a little warmed (55F is the best temperature for this wine), not room temperature, but some of the flavors get crushed when you serve it chilled.

Where can I find it? We got it as a wedding gift from Colin's brother.  You can get it directly from the Rosental Winery website.  It's $32.00 without the wine club price, but it is well worth the price.

Bear Boat

Sauvignon Blanc
Alexander Valley, CA
2008

The bottle boasts richness and body, with aromas of rip citrus and honeydew melon - with just some hints of vanilla.  The bottle also recommends that this wine would be good with chicken, salmon, or a seafood dish.  Though, we had it on it's own, and thought that it was great by itself.

Colin:  I enjoy this wine - I think it is well balanced for a white.  It has the thickness of a red, but the sweetness of a white and would be great with a light meal, appetizer, cheese or fruit.  I think it is too bold of a white to pair well with a meal, since it has a lot of it's own flavors for the palette.

Rating:  7 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  The initial taste and smell makes this wine seem too sweet.  Upon second taste, you get the full experience.  The sweet citrus, the hints of melon, and all the great flavors hit your palette.  It is a very drinkable wine, and it goes down entirely too fast - as I found out last night.  I honestly couldn't stop drinking it.  Not recommended if you need to drive somewhere!
Rating:  8 out of 10 glasses

Aerate: No

Where can I find it?  We got this at Trader Joe's for $4.99 - quite a steal if you ask us!  If you cannot find this in your area, you can actually e-mail Bear Boat Wines directly, find their information on their site here:  Bear Boat.  They also have plenty of other varietals, but we cannot attest to their taste.

Hillgate

Zinfandel
Lake County, California
2009

Hillgate boasts having majestic hillside vineyard - where the untamed wilderness lies just beyond the gates . This wine is a dark, purpley-red wine.  It smells beautiful, full of rich fruits and light floral tones.

Colin:  This wine requires a meal. It has a full body, it is very warm.  The oaky flavor is quite distinct.  It lingers into the finish. A good table wine that all can enjoy.

Rating:  8 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  The initial taste is very sharp and pungent, which is the only reason I don't rate this wine higher.  It has a fantastic finish that lingers in your mouth long after you stopped drinking.  It's a light finish, full of fruit flavor.

Rating:  6.5 out of 10 glasses

Aerate:  No

Where can I find it?  Trader Joe's - $6.99

Ecco Domani

Pinot Grigio
Italy
2009

The bottle boasts floral and tropical fruit aromas with a crisp, refreshing taste.  And its not too far off.  This is a decently cheap wine, found at most grocery stores in Los Angeles - and it pairs amazingly well with sushi.

Colin:  I would say that this is my favorite Grigio.  I love it with sushi and fish, as it is the perfect companion.  Most whites have a bad finish for me, and this one doesn't.  I enjoy its lingering fruity, buttery taste in my mouth.

Rating: 9 out of 10 glasses (when compared to other Grigios)

Rachel:  It has a somewhat sour, fruit smell, but don't let that fool you - the flavors are incredible.  It has a slightly buttery taste of a Chardonnay, while still retaining the crisp and sharp taste of a Grigio.  I think this is why this remains one of my favorite Grigios that I've had to date.  Definitely has pear and floral notes, I think this is good for any wine drinker - red or white lovers.

Rating:  9 out of 10 glasses

Aerate: No

Cost:  This ranges in stores from $6.99 - $9.99, but it's almost always under $10.

Where can I find it?  Ecco Domani's website has a nice wine finder on it (they will tell you if a retailer sells it near you!)  Which is absolutely fantastic.

Chateau de Bonhoste

The cake is not a lie

Bourdeux Blanc
France
2009

Before the review, a note.  We'd like to thank all of our readers - we have had so much fun doing this blog and writing reviews.  On July 23rd, we got married!  We had some lovely wine at our wedding, drank a lot of beer, spent an amazing day with our families, and it was perfect as we saw it.  Because of the wedding, we had no time to review.  But back to the usual schedule now!  Oh, one more thing - we also had a super nerdy cake, as can be seen in the photo of us cutting it to the right.  For those of you that like Portal, feast your eyes, the cake isn't a lie.  For those of you that have no idea what Portal is, please continue to our normal wine review below:

The Chateau de Bonhoste is owned and bottled by T. Edward Wines.  It is a mixture of three grapes:  Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sémillon.  This gives it a unique flavor, that left both of these reviewers wanting more.   

Colin:  This is an unexpected white, it had the butteriness of a Chardonnay but the fruitiness of a Grigio. It flips on the finish and becomes a little acidic. It is different, which is probably why I like it.  This wine goes well with cheese.
Rating: 8 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  This is a very tangy, fruity wine with just a hint of buttery flavor. I recommend this for someone that loves whites and likes the crispness of a Pinot Grigio. It gets smoother on the palette with more sips. Serve chilled, and this is probably best during these warm, summer nights.

Rating: 8 out of 10 glasses

Aerate:  No - we both agree, aeration takes the fruitiness of this wine away.

Cost:  This was a gift from Rachel's sister.  She gave it to us as a Rehearsal Dinner gift the night before our wedding.  But, we also found it online at Astor Wines for $11.96 a bottle.  It was a great bottle - she chose well!

Castillo di Amorosa

Fantasia
Napa Valley, California
2010

An Italian style soft sparkling wine and lower in alcohol.  It should be served chilled, it can go well with light meals and dessert - but it's probably at it's best as a dessert wine.  The light carbonation of the wine makes it very refreshing and great on hot, summer days.

Colin:  Tasting the wine alone did nothing for me.  However, paired with a sweet dessert, it was a good combination of sweet and tart fruit.  The sparkling aspect is nice, but I could not imagine having this wine with anything but a pleasant dessert.
Rating:  6 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  I love the sparkling aspect to this rose.  I think it allows the sweet and tanginess of the wine to come through.  Most roses are too sweet, but this one has a tart side to it as well.  I think Castillo did a great job at finding a balance in this wine.
Rating:  7.5 out of 10 glasses

Aerate:  No - this wine is sparkling, so you don't want to lose that carbonation.

Where can I find it?
This is another Castillo di Amorosa exclusive wines (and concludes all the wines from our Napa Trip).  You can sadly only by it either at the castle or order it online.  It costs $28.00 and is available online here.

Blackburn & James

Paso Robles
California
2008

45% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Sangiovese.  This wine is a beautiful, deep red with layers upon layers of flavors.  A great mix and a good wine for a cheap price.

Colin:  It tastes like all my favorite aspects of the wines that were used.  It makes the experience well rounded.  By itself, it was perfectly dry and the finish was great.  However, pairing it with red meat or hearty foods brings out the punch and taste.  I would recommend this to anyone that likes a hearty red.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Rachel:  This wine has a dark, woody smell with some black pepper notes.  But it is very bold and fruity in flavor.  You can almost taste each of the grapes' contribution to this wine.  Hints of vanilla with oak, deep raspberries, it is a great wine with an easy finish.  This is definitely a good red for anyone, but especially people that aren't too fond of reds. Since it is still bold, but has almost no sourness to it, it's a great red for white lovers.  At least, in my opinion.
Rating: 8 out of 10 glasses

Aerate:  No

Cost: $6.99 at Trader Joe's.  Have not been able to locate it anywhere else on the web - so this is a good one to pick up if you see it in store.