Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon

• Label: Bonterra Organic 2009
• Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
• Region: 90% Mendocino 10% Lake County
• Price: $11.99 ~Trader Joes

This Organic Cabernet primarily comes from the misty and coastal county of Mendocino in Northern California. Mendocino is a great coastal town full of character, and vines aren’t the only high quality green they produce.  Anyways this wine poured a nice purple and had lively berry aromas of cherry and vanilla from oak. A mouthful of ripe fruit flavors. Relatively straightforward with some depth and a nice balance of acidity. I found this wine to be very enjoyable and proclaim it nectarous. This wine is comparable to wines at a much higher price point.

Rheingau Pinot Noir

• Label: Rheingau, Edition Maximilian, 2008
• Varietal: Pinot Noir
• Region: Rheingau Germany
• Price: $5.99~Trader Joes

A Qualitätswein from Rheingau Germany. I picked this up hoping to find an affordable, halfway decent pinot.

It pours a light strawberry brick color which you could read through. The aromas are straightforward strawberry, with an acrid aroma which I believe is sulfur. Also at only 11.5% alc I was surprised to notice it smelled someone hot. The taste is not complex and rather sweet. Strawberry with some cranberry and mild tannins. This wine was not nectarous and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Dr. Beckermann Riesling

• Label: Dr Beckermann, Piesporter Mischlsberg, Spätlese, Prädikatswein, 2010
• Varietal: Riesling
• Region: Mosel Germany
• Price: $5.99~Trader Joes

First of all a bit about the German label. Prädikatswein is a designation of quality, meaning the wines were made from the naturally ripest grapes and no chaptalization was allowed. The designation of quality is further broken down into categories including Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beernauslese (BA), Eiswein, and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). This wine is a Spätlese which translates to late harvest, whose ripe grapes make wines the can be sweet and light, to dry and full.

The wine pours a very light straw yellow and has an aroma of apple, pear and dried apricot. The taste is of apple juice with a touch of honey in it, and is accompanied by a slight effervescence which is very complimentary. Off dry and not overwhelmingly sweet. After the glass sat, and the spritz dissipated, aromas of pineapple came. through. For 6 bones, this is good stuff. Light, enjoyable, and easy drinking. Not too mention at 8.5% alc, you could enjoy a glass or two in the day at a picnic or before dinner, and not be impacted, so to speak, afterwards.

NOTES: Chaptalization is the addition of sugar to the grapes during fermentation to increase alcohol and sometimes sugar content. Alcohol and sugar helps to balance the acidity in wines. Germany in particular has a cool climate which can produce under ripe acidic grape. Kabinett- a light refreshing wine often served as an apertif. Spätlese- Riper grapes than those in Kabinett wines, which were harvested late in the season. Auslese- Made from even riper grapes than that of spätlese, these wines are richer with some residual sugars. Some are affected by botrytis noble rot but not all. Many Auslese wines respond well to aging.  Beerenauslese (BA)- beeren grapes are those which have been effected by botrytis (noble rot). These wines are relatively rare and are sweet. Eisewein- Literally meaning ice wine, because the grapes were frozen before harvest. These wines are very concentrated from having the grapes being high in sugar and acid. Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)- TBA wines a rare,sweet, and expensive. They are made from hand picked, select grapes, which have naturally desiccated due to botrytis.