Castillo di Amorosa

Sangiovese
Napa Valley
2007

Another winery exclusive wine (sorry, but we did travel up to Napa after all).  This is a very dark and rich ruby red.  It smells as rich as it tastes and has many bold flavors.  Though we are both fans of this wine, we do not recommend it for people that like "light" red wines.

Colin:  This is the best of Castillo's wine I've tasted by far.  It is a very warming, full-bodied wine.  his Sangiovese lacks nothing.  I love the taste, and it finishes as well as it starts.
Rating:  9 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  When we tasted this in Napa, we both knew we wanted a bottle.  It's a very bold, but nicely rich red, with a kick to the finish.  For some reason, even though this is flavorful, like all Sangioveses are, this still has such a wonderful, smooth finish.  Slightly tart, bold fruits, and a hearty flavor, this stands up great with rich pastas (and probably meat, though I wouldn't know).
Rating:  8 out of 10 glasses

Where can I find it?
Online only through Castillo's website.

Cost:  $29.00 - and definitely worth the money.

Two for one: Monte Antico IGT & Mark West

This is a two-for-one wine review.  We went out to dinner, Rachel ordered a Sangiovese, Colin got a Pinot Noir.  After tasting both, we switched glasses because we each preferred the other's choice.  That's the benefit of drinking with a partner.

Sangiovese
Monte Antico IGT
Tuscany, Italy
2007


It is 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot.  It is a blend from Italian wine specialist, Neil Empson, and renowned wine maker, Franco Bernabei, from the finest grapes from the Tuscan hillside.  It is aged one year in oak and then six months in the bottle.

Colin:  I really like the initial tart taste, because it rolls out into an oak-y, very unique flavor for a sangiovese.  I find it to be really good, because it is very unique.  I have not have a sangiovese quite like this.
Rating:  8 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  This sangiovese has a very smooth and long finish.  It is initially very bold in flavor, has a very great smell to it.  It initially is vastly different from most wines.  There is a sour initial taste, with a bite to it, but it crescendos into a very nice finish.
Rating:  7 out of 10 glasses

Where can I find it?
A local wine specialty store.  If you google search it, there are some shopping results that come up.

Cost:  $9.99-$14.00 - Found a bunch online and they range - most are above $10 though.  Still a decent price for a great bottle.  (Their 2006 is worth $75.00 currently, got a 90 on Wine Spectator - so this is a wine you can hold onto, if you have a cellar of course). 

Pinot Noir
Mark West
California
2009

Mark West specializes specifically in pinot noirs.  This particularly blend is aged in French & Hungarian oak for approximately eight months before bottling.  They are a green company and have a pretty neat website (see below).  And bonus:  Under $10.  It is from California's Coastal Appalachian.

Colin:  The pinot noir is mild at best.  There are not really any distinguishing characteristics about it.  I would agree that it is very light.  It has a nice finish, and I don't think it is a bad wine - I just don't like it as much as other pinot noirs (as a pinot noir lover).  This is definitely for someone who does not like a very robust red, because it is very smooth and fruity.
Rating:  4.5 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  This pinot noir is initially very fruity.  It also has a very smooth finish.  I honestly just wanted to drink the entire bottle, I fell in love with this Pinot Noir.  The rich, fruity, sweet side of this wine makes it not traditional for red wine drinkers/lovers.  This is the white wine lovers' red wine.
Rating:  8 out of 10 glasses

Where can I find it?
Mark West Website or BevMo, Ralphs, K&L Wine Merchants - at your grocery store

Cost:  Under $10

picket fence

Chardonnay
Russian River Valley, California
2007

This is a balanced, but acidic, chardonnay.  Not too buttery or sweet, filled with lemon notes.  Has a kind of sweet and sour taste - as the lemon suggests.  The buttery taste in a chardonnay comes from the aging process.  If it was aged in toasted French oak, it will be more buttery and sweet.  This wine was in a moderate French oak.  Note:  This wine does not hold up well in the fridge.  If you choose to buy it, do your best to drink it in the same day as opening it - we had to throw half the bottle out because of how stale it had become in just two days.

Colin:  I believe whites are growing on me, because Rachel makes me drink them more often than I would like.  As I usually prefer a dry chardonnay, this one surprisingly  balances the dryness with the buttery notes that chardonnay's are known for.  It is not my favorite, but because it has a sharp bite, I could see enjoying this with cheese or other appetizers.
Rating:  5 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  This is a weird one for me to put my finger on.  I like it, but I don't.  It has a harsh, very alcohol-y smell.  The initial taste is pure lemon, and it sours your taste buds.  But it tapers off to a great, smooth, and lasting finish.  It's not my favorite, but it's not a bad choice for under $10.  The more I drink it, the more I like it.  (After one more glass, it might be rated higher - ha!)
Rating:  4.5 out of 10 glasses

Where can I find it?
Trader Joe's --  picket fence vineyards

Cost:  $8.99

Wine Aerators

When Colin and Rachel decided to start a wine blog, they also decided to invest in some aerators.  Luckily enough, they didn't have to invest, thanks to some awesome gift purchasing done by Colin's parents.

Wine aerators are nifty, because oftentimes, they open up a wine and make  it taste better. 

Coming in April, we will be adding a small section to our blog.  It will be:

Aerate? Colin - yes, Rachel - no

Simple enough.  We may go into detail if we need to.

Our recommendation is to invest in an aerator - you will want two kinds - one for reds, one for whites (you don't want to mix your reds and whites).  We use the Vinturi aerators, but we have a bunch of different aerators listed in our Wine a Week Store on amazon.  Read the reviews and decide for yourself - but these ones have been wonderful.  You just pore the wine in, it goes through within seconds, and voila, aerated wine.

We also recommend for you to taste it yourself - before aeration and after.  Some wines will taste better before (usually more expensive bottles) - but most will taste better after.  It's really all about your preferences, but they are good to have to freshen up any bottle that is sub-par.

Be on the lookout for this new recommendation in April!

Castillo di Amorosa

Gioia - Rosato di Sangiovese
Napa Valley, California
2009

This is a dry rose from Sangiovese grapes.  Very fruity and light, great for summer, best served chilled.

Colin:  I highly dislike rose in general. To me, they are the trashy cousin of a good wine.  I would not go out of my way to drink a rose, but this one has a few redeeming qualities.  All around it is executed well, from it's initial fruity taste to the grigio-esque finish, but I can't get over the fact that I'm drinking alcoholic Hawaiian punch.

Rating: 2 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  I like this rose because it has a bunch of different tastes for your palette.  It's a very casual wine and very sweet..  I call this the wine for people that don't like wine, because it's full of fruit flavors, has virtually no aftertaste, and is very light.
Rating:  5 out of 10 glasses

Where can I find it?
Castillo di Amorosa exclusive.  You can get it from their website here.  You will not find this one in stores.

Cost: $22.00