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.

Tollo - by Cantina Tollo

Sangiovese
Terre di Chieti
Tuscany, Italy
2009

A dry red that is so dark it is almost purple. Has an oaky smell and very strong, bold taste. We reviewed this wine with our dinner at Louise's Trattoria. They have half off a bottle of wine on Friday and Saturday night. Getting a bottle of wine at Louise's on a normal night isn't worth it. They charge $32 for a bottle of Gnarly Head! 

Colin:  A Sangiovese that deserves a nice Italian meal. When brought together, you can guarantee that each will complement the other. A viscus fruit body dissolves into a biting finish without leaving a bad taste in your mouth. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Rating:  8 out of 10 glasses

Rachel: This wine has a very strong initial taste. Its a full bodied wine and does not lack in flavor. However, this wine has a bit of a sour finish. Other Sangioveses that we have had have been a much smoother finish. There's hints of vanilla and currants. It would be higher if the finish tapered off more smoothly, but that bite is what some people like about a wine like this.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10


Where can I find it?

Searching high and low on the internet will lead to you a dead end (or to the Cantina Tollo website).  You'll find plenty of reviews and mentions, but you cannot find out how to buy this wine.  Cantina Tollo doesn't even list this as one of the wines they sell.  Our suspicions lead us to believe that this is a restaurant only distributed wine, which is too bad, because this is a great wine.  If anyone does find this outside of Louise's, please post!

Old Moon

Old Vine Zinfandel
California
2009

This Zinfandel is named after the January Full Moon.  During that month, the moon casts so many shadows under its brightness, that the vine shadows seem to dance.  This wine can stand with bold flavored meals - like beef and hardy cheeses.

Colin:  The initial taste is on par with most Zinfandels.  However, the finish is weak in comparison.  I think with food, it was much more enjoyable.  If the initial taste wasn't so good, I would rate it lower, but as is, it is aerage.
Rating:  6 out of 10 glasses


Rachel: The initial taste is very strong and hardy, but this wine has a bad finish.  You get this quick, sharp mouthful of flavors, which drops quickly into nothing.  It leaves a bit of a sour taste behind, and because of that, I probably will not buy this wine again.
Rating:  4 out of 10 glasses

Aerate:  Colin - No // Rachel - No

Where can I find it?
This is made by the Trader Joe's wine company - so naturally, Trader Joe's.

Cost: $4.99

Casa Nuestra

Cabernet Sauvignon
California
2007

Casa Nuestra is a small, family-owned winery that was established in 1979.  They have supported a lot of progressive values over the years, including holding a few music festivals.  They only bottle a very limited number of cases each year - because of that, their wine is top notch, but it is also rather expensive.  They only made 199 cases of this Cabernet.

Colin:  It's hard to be biased when you like a wine so much, but what's great about this exclusive wine is that you can almost taste the Napa Valley soil with it's oaky, warm embrace.  Probably the richest Cabernet I've had yet, some who do not enjoy tart flavors of a Cab will not enjoy this.  It pairs amazingly well with Italian good - this is a brilliant wine.
Rating:  10 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  It smells and tastes equally delicious.  It has a rich oakiness, a smooth finish, and the bold flavors of a Cab without any of the lasting sourness.  There is also such a smoothness to the finish.  I love Casa Nuestra's winery (they have two awesome goats) and I love their wine.   I would choose their wines again and again, even at the expense.
Rating: 10 out of 10 glasses

Aerate: Colin - No // Rachel - No

Where can I find it?
Unfortunately, Casa Nuestra is so small they don't distribute.  The 2007 Vintage is actually sold out.  You can look at all their other varieties here:  casanuestra.com.  Their Meritage is also really good, as is their Riesling.  You can't really go wrong with a bottle from here.

Cost: $55.00

Lost Sonnet

Meritage
Napa Valley, California
2007

This Meritage is a mixture Cabernet Sauvignon (58%), Merlot (20%), and Cabernet Franc (20%). It has the bold flavors of a Cabernet Sauvignon, but the light finish of a Merlot. If you like a bold red wine, but hate the lasting, deep finish this is a good wine for you.  Interesting Meritage wine fact:  A red Meritage must be made from a blend of at least two or more of the following varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot or Carmenère, with no varietal comprising more than 90% of the blend.  There are also white Meritage wines.

Colin:  This wine requires a meal, so do not attempt to drink without. Once a nice, garlic and heavy Italian taste is in your mouth, this wine compliments nicely with its meaty juiciness. However, the finish is where the wine loses points. If it was a little more oaky, it would be perfect. Otherwise, it's worth the money.
Rating: 8 out of 10 glasses.

Rachel:  Since this wine has been aged so long, there is an initial chalky feel to it. After drinking a few sips, it loses that feeling and instead becomes spicy, bold and flavorful wine. This wine has a bite to it and is delicious for its price.  Definitely a good buy, especially for those that don't like the lasting finish of a strong Cab.
Rating: 7 out of 10 glasses.

Aerate: Colin - No // Rachel - No

Where can I find it?
Trader Joe's

Cost:  $6.99