I’ll be honest, I was surprised at the results of the poll. I had not pegged these two wines as the winners, though I did enjoy them. Since this poll has been going on for nearly a month now, I’m not going to write a big hulaballoo post here. Too excited to just get to the winners. And here they are.

Best White Wine of 2010

Chateau Ballan-Larquette Bordeaux Rose 2009

I liked this wine from the start. The strawberry, the crispness, the slight thickness. This was a wine built for food. Altogether a delicious wine that rings in at just under $10. A great, great buy.

Best Red Wine of 2010

Montevina Barbera 2008

A sleeper of a wine that appeared on my radar in September. It won the gold medal at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition, and with good reason. Velvet cola, caramel, red fruit, and the most intoxicating finish I’ve experienced in a red wine in quite awhile. All this from a California Barbera. Amazing, amazing wine and only $9.99.

So there you have it, folks. The best wines as voted on by the readers and by our tasting back in early December. Overall it’s been a blast choosing the best out of all the brilliant wines under $20 I’ve had the good fortune of tasting throughout the year. I look forward to doing it again next year, and I hope even more of you will get involved!

Cheers!

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Roses are usually at one of two extremes: Way too light to the point of sweet water (think White Zinfandel: Ugh) or far too strong so that you are robbed of the bouncy fruit and crisp, acidic sweetness. For the roses that are too dark (like Syrah roses or many from California) I sometimes feel cheated. They make me think the fruit that went into them just wasn’t up to snuff for a red wine. For my palate, a rose should be what it’s name suggests: Rose-colored. Not cranberry juice or a light pink water.

The Ballan-Larquette Rose is neither of those. 45% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc. It’s balanced and delicious, and because of that, it is a strong contender for our Best of 2010 voting/tasting. Read on to see why and be sure to pick up a bottle ASAP.

Color

Proper pink. Nothing too light or too dark.

Nose

Strawberry fields. Not just strawberries, but the dirt and dust that you smell along with them in the fields on a hot day. Some freshly cut cherry as well.

Taste

Medium-bodied, not too light, which I like very much. Very good fruit on the attack, the strawberry and cherry flavors from the nose are intact and give a nice brightness to the wine. There is a hint of sweetness as well, but not too much that you wouldn’t want to enjoy this with something more savory. The barnyard is present as well in this in the form of a soil and stink element that is tough to pin down. Great finish with a pleasing dryness.

With Food

A very versatile food wine. I’ve most often had roses with chicken or salads that have fruit in them. One of the best pairings has been with a chicken and berry salad. Any berry will work, though I’d aim for strawberries. I light vinegarette with some garlic in it will help. For some reason I’ve always found that strawberries and garlic go well together. I probably just made all chefs everywhere cringe.

Where to Buy

$9.99 at BevMo or BevMo.com!

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This was given to us as a gift for some babysitting my wife did for a friend. I love friends who give wine as payment for helping out. They go right to the top of the People You Should Always Help Out list.

Need to be picked up from the airport? No problem! I’m in a Pinot Noir mood this time.

Oh you’re moving and need a hand? You got it! It’s warm out so let’s go with a Riesling.

Emergency room? I’ll be right there! Just grab a bottle of that Liberty School Cabernet before you lose consciousness and I’ll pick you up out front.

Love those kinds of people.

Here is a breakdown of the S|K|N Cabernet Sauvignon:

Color

Welch’s grape juice but looking a little young due to the clear rim upon tilting it in the glass.

Nose

Wow, BIG nose. Lot’s going on here and all mashed together. Cooked crimini mushrooms, slight smoke, bacon, some big ripe cherries. Very old world but a little heavy on the heat. Some isopropyl alcohol coming through.

Taste

Very meaty on the attack. Bold mouthfeel and flavor. Cherry, blackberry and some pie crust thrown in. You know what? This is like a cherry pie topped off with bacon. Whereas the nose held more smoke, the flavor concentrates on the bacon. Not the greatest concentration, but the wine is still delicious. The heavy alcohol is still there at the back of your palate. Tannins are weak but still somewhat present.

With Food

Definitely a meat wine. Although, some bacon-wrapped scallops or shrimp would work out very well. I wouldn’t go crazy with barbecue, though. Save that for the Syrahs. Broiled red meats or roast game.

Where to Buy

$7.99 at CrownWineandSpirits.com!

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Color

Great rich purple with some nice flecks of garnet. Looks lip-smackingly good.

Nose

Strong dark cherry, vanilla and some dirt. Nice, open smell to this wine. Could even be put away for a year or two.

Taste

Strong, fruit-forward cherry mixed with a bit of tobacco and wet soil. The wine is hot, but not overdone. Still, you fans of not-so-alcoholic reds might want to steer clear or let this breathe for a few hours. Remember, all reds should be decanted for at least an hour, but you all know that. The wine has solid structure and is very firm in it’s finish. The finish is slender but there is enough flavor complexity to make you forget it.

With Food

Great red sauce wine. Most would also pair this with red meat, but I think it is best-served with red sauce. In fact, a really great pairing would be a wood-fired pizza with rich red sauce, linguica and some mushrooms. Forest fruits with a nice hard white cheese would work perfectly as well.

Where to Buy

$9.95 at NapaCabs.com!

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It’s also a holiday for drinking.

With both of those in mind, we’re reviewing Jarhead Red wine. Jarhead Red was created by Winegrower and former USMC Captain, Adam Firestone and Vineyard Foreman and former USMC Sergeant, Ruben Dominguez. All net proceeds go to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, a foundation that has honors the service of the Marine Corps by educating their children. Over 24,000 scholarships have been given to deserving students, including 1,405 for this past academic year.

So you can get a nice buzz going while knowing you’re helping some folks out.

Here are the notes from the winemakers: Jarhead Red is a robust, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged in French oak barrels for eight months. It offers flavors of plum, cassis and black currant with fine tannins on the finish. Jarhead Red is available in 750ml (the Rifleman) and 1.5L (the Sergeant). Occassional availability on larger formats including 3.0L (the Sergeant Major) and 5.0L (the Commandant).

COLOR: Like the man says above: “Robust.” The color kicks things off by being tough, rich, and dark.

NOSE: Great dark cherries on the nose with a hit of leather boot. There is also some vanilla coming through.

TASTE: Your mouth is Iwo Jima and this wine is the Marines. This thing is a delicious stomper. The initial onslaught is in the form of those leather bootstraps digging into mud. Then come the cherries (I tried to come up with a good analogy for Marines and cherries, but it just seems insulting no matter how you spin it). Ripe, juicy fruit combined with an insanely big mouthfeel. Reinforcements in the form of tannins come in to pummel your tongue one last time until you have no choice but to surrender. You’re finished and Iwo Jima has been taken.

WITH FOOD: I may be on a no-beef kick right now, but damned if this stuff wouldn’t be delicious with a rare steak. Not a cheese and fruit wine. Serve this with something tough enough to handle it.

WHERE TO BUY: $8.99 at FineWineHouse.com or at your local Henry’s Farmers Market!

WINE WEBSITE: http://jarheadred.com/

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Been meaning to write a post on this wine for awhile now. The Merkin Vineyards Chupacabra is made by Caduceus Cellars, owned and operated by Maynard James Keenan, lead singer of the bands Tool, Puscifer and (the now disbanded) A Perfect Circle. I’m going to just come out and say this to get it out of the way:

TOOL ROCKS

Tool is far and away my favorite band on the entire planet, so it was only natural that when I saw Mr. Keenan had started his own winery and vineyard in the stunning Verde Valley of Northern Arizona, I had to try the wine.

Note: While Caduceus Cellars is an Arizona winery, the Merkin Chupacabra is made from California Cabernet and Syrah (hey, he had to start with something, right?). But you can buy his 100% Arizona fruit wines online at the website.

Northern Arizona is the epitome of “burgeoning wine country,” and based on the the wines I have tasted from this region, Arizona is going to be a major, major player in both the High-End and the more vital “Value Wine” world. The flavors are as stunning and complex as any other wine region (maaaaybe not Italy, but that’s because I also think Italy rocks). Beyond all that, what will truly set this region apart for wine makers and wine lovers is that these flavors are NEW. Brand new. Like nothing you have ever tasted.

Cheers to Mr.Keenan and Eric Glomski (owner of Page Springs Cellars, one of the first Arizona wine makers to bring attention to the region) for the success of their vision, because if this California-fruit wine is any indication of their combined talents, we will be seeing quite a change in the U.S. wine world (now get going on the next Tool album).

So, let’s get into the juice:

Disclaimer: DECANT THIS WINE. We’ve said it before and we’re saying it again: IF POSSIBLE, DECANT EVERY RED WINE YOU DRINK, NO MATTER WHAT.

COLOR: I’m not sure if this is filtered or not, but this looks like tomato juice on an iron binge. Seriously deep, dark, rich burgundy colors. You’ll be smacking your lips right away.

NOSE: Black stewed cherries and grandma’s basement. An odd, yet delicious combo.

TASTE: Every summer when I was a boy I would go to visit my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in tiny little Munich, North Dakota (population approx. 350). Those days spent there were some of the best in my entire life. The flatness, the quiet, the landscape, the farm, the machines, the people and of course, the food. I basically loved everything about the place (of course, I’ve never experienced a winter there, but that’s another post on another site). Now this will sound strange, but it’s the one thing that popped into my mind when I tasted the Merkin Chupacabra: This wine reminds me of North Dakota.

I know, I know. I don’t understand it either, but it did. The smell of basement, the flavors of dark cherry, the slight mint, the brief and out-of-left-field-flavor of baked bread. It reminded me of a dessert my grandmother used to make that I am going to spell wrong called “Cherries Jus” or something like that. Basically, it was sweet, creamy cherry soup, served warm. It was delectable. This wine’s structure is solid, with awesome, awesome fruit and good balance of tannins to the sweetness. It’s not too dry in the least. The alcohol is there only to support and intoxicate, and believe me, you will be intoxicated by this stuff.

WITH FOOD: While it seems almost sacrilegious not to savor this on its own, I am a firm believer that food came before wine and so all wines should be able to pair with foods. In this case, you could do worse than a traditional filet mignon, roast lamb, ostrich steak or even buffalo.

BEST PRICE: $19.98 at WineLibrary.com!

Further Info on Arizona Wines/Wineries:

http://www.arizonastrongholdvineyards.com/

http://www.doscabezaswinery.com/

http://www.arizonavinesandwines.com/wineries.html

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Ahhh, Christmas time. When you’re a kid it’s all about presents. When you’re a teenager it’s all about presents and no school. When you’re an adult, it’s all about no work and food.

Which is where we come in.

That’s right, we’re reviewing some Christmas wines for you at Wine Welfare. These two reds and two whites are sure to pair perfectly with whatever fattening grub you’re throwing on that table this year. So light a nice warm fire, cozy up next to that Christmas tree, and enjoy your family becoming slightly blurry as you polish off a bottle of one of these wines with your favorite uncle.

Neyers 2006 Zinfandel Pato Ranch – $17.98 at WineLibrary.com or available at most wine stores or BevMo!

The Holidays are not complete without a delicious California Zinfandel. Sure, you could go with a Primitivo (basically Zinfandel in Italy), but American Thanksgivings and Christmases tend to call for the big, juicy California fruit bomb that is Zinfandel.

Neyers is one of California’s best wineries, working out of Sage Canyon in the Napa Valley. They are consistently earning 90-point scores and astounding wine-lovers everywhere. Their Pato Ranch Zinfandel is no exception, with delicious tobacco and cherry flavors swirling around a foundation of moist, stinky soil. Sounds good, right? Trust us, this should be on your table with that turkey or prime rib, especially at this price.

Marquis Philips Sarah’s Blend – $11.99 at WineAnthology.com or at BevMo!

Never even heard of this one before we tasted it, but the Marquis Philips Sarah’s Blend is both delicious and available in most wine stores. Deep, dark opaque color, like ink-infused Welch’s grape juice. The grapes keep coming as well, in the form of Nerds candy flavors. This is an Australian Bordeaux blend: Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Chocolate and plum jam come through like gangbusters, but the acid fights back to balance it all, leading to a cakey, long finish. Delicious with duck.

Big House White – $6.99 at WineLibrary.com or available pretty much everywhere!

Shockingly good for less than seven bucks. The Big House White is a rather odd blend of Malvasia Bianca, Muscat Canelli, Viognier and Rousanne. We’d never had any blend like it before, but this didn’t mess around. The funny thing is, you can taste elements of all of those varietals, but you taste more flavors of varietals that are not in the wine. Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay (big time, buttery and creamy) and the like. Big pina colada flavors and spiced apples. Serve this one only slightly chilled before the meal or with appetizers. Might not hold up to the likes of turkey, gravy and stuffing.

Fleur Des Pins Graves Sauternes – $12.98 at WineLibrary.com!

If you’ve never had a Sauternes, now is the time to try one. Holiday sweets go magnificently well with Sauternes, no matter if they’re cookies, cakes or candy. Sauternes makes everything better. We’ll go into more detail about Sauternes later on, but for right now, if you can’t find the Fleur Des Pins Graves, just pick up any one you can find. You may find it difficult to locate one under $20 (we did), but rest assured, even a $30 375ml bottle of this stuff will put a smile on your face. This is solid 50/50 Bar, with delicious lemon picking up as well. Very sweet, but with that smokey characteristic often found in botrytis wines (moldy grapes; again, more on this later). The result is you enjoying a magnificent flavor explosion and then passing out on the couch watching A Christmas Story. ‘Tis the season.

One last thing and, we didn’t really want to mention anything because we’re so embarrassed, but…well, this is post number 100 for us here at Wine Welfare. That’s all we’re going to say. Feel free to maybe, we don’t know, leave a comment, compliment or congratulate us. Whatever you like. Really. We don’t need validation or anything. But one last time, just to clarify:

100 POSTS!!! WOO HOOOO!!!!

So that’s it. We sincerely hope you check out at least one of these four bad boys, and slap some serious enjoyment onto that Christmas of yours.

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Happy Holidays and Cheers!

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Lindemans is an Australian winery founded in 1843 by Henry Lindeman. They produce wines, lambics (Belgian fruit beers) and other beverages. Like BV, it runs the gamut in terms of wine quality, creating some of the most remarkable wines in Australia along with an astonishing array of value-priced wines. In fact, its “Bin 65 Chardonnay” is Australia’s best-selling white wine and is often listed as one of the best Chardonnay values around.

Unfortunately, the Cabernet Sauvignon we tried did not measure up to the Chardonnay.

Color

Great color. Beautiful, rich burgundy with hues of copper and garnet.

Nose

Mint, strawberry and some touches of soil. Pretty tight.

Taste

Hollow and silky. We could feel it in our mouths and on our tongues, but that’s all we had to prove that we had taken a sip. Essentially, the wine is tannic water, with the small (but at least present) amount of fruit having gone the way of the Dodo. The finish remained silky and we were able to get some phantom flavors of mint and very sour blackberries. That was about it.

With Food

Not much, really. Your tastes may vary (obviously), so we would assume you would want to serve this with a nice roast, tomato sauce or even some meats and vegetables both roasted on a BBQ.

$4.97 at Crown Wine and Spirits!

Read our other Cabernet Sauvignon reviews.

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A Spanish Table Wine consisting of 45% Monastrell, 25% Tempranillo, and finished off by Syrah, Garnacha, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Color

Deep and inky. Looks delicious and rather heady for a table wine. Very intense.

Nose

The intensity continues on the nose and blasts you with a strange concoction of smells. Heavy, heavy smoke, Maine blueberries, and spiced wood. This is no ordinary table wine.

Taste

The smoke is very present still in the flavor. Aged six months in French and American oak, the wine gives off a bit too much wood. However, the layers are balanced and very very ripe. Blackberry cobbler and rich stewed cherries. The finish is long and clean with the acid lasting all the way. Basically, the wine totally overdoes it.

With Food

Red sauce, lamb, beef, ostrich, the usual suspects. Also, for a table wine, it would work on it’s own as a tasty party wine. This wine goes on forever.

$8.99 at WineLibrary.com!

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Color

Nice cherry red. Not overdoing it in terms of inkiness, but rather a very pleasing shade. Normally a Cabernet this young will seem rather light in color, but this one still looks sturdy.

Nose

Dark, bitter chocolate and prunes. This was unexpected being a 2006. Some fantastic pepper and ripe berries, help to muffle the heat that hits your nose upon first sniff.

Taste

A well-crafted Cabernet with great balance between the acidity and the tannins (remember, tannins are what give you that tongue-puckering sensation). While balanced, you will still be pulling a sour lemon face, bu then the fruit comes in to save the day. Very complex mix of dark bing cherry, blackberry, black pepper and loads of chocolate-covered prunes. The wine hangs on, too, with the dark chocolate really coating your tongue in the end.

With Food

Great with grilled lamb, ostrich or beef. Not sure if baked meat would do as well with these flavors. We’re tasting pepper here, so don’t overdo the spice rubs or whatever you do to dress up your meat. Hopefully it does not really have to be said (but we’ll say it anyway just in case): NO BARBECUE SAUCE WITH WINE.

$15.98 at WineLibrary.com!

Vina Robles website

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Altos De Luzon Jumilla

From a region about 200 miles south of Madrid (that’s Spain), comes the Altos De Luzon Jumilla red wine. This table wine is a blend of three varietals: Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo (Spain’s flagship grape).

Spain is hot, and in many regions (particularly the wine-growing ones), the soil is chalky and unforgiving for grape vines. What this means is that vines need to struggle and fight all of their lives to produce fruit, and they don’t produce much of it. What they do produce, however, is more powerful, concentrated and flavorful.

Translation: Struggling Vine = Better Wine.

Bad News First

Nada. Unless, of course, you like your reds on the unfocused and hollow side.

Good News

Color: Dark, dark purple. Squid ink with some clouds. The concentration of flavors is definitely evident in the color. Keep away from light carpeting at all costs

Nose: Deep dark fruits: Raisins, prunes, dark stewed cherries with a bit of cinnamon and some clove.

Flavor: Cassis has arrived! This is a flavor we have not mentioned much (mostly because it rarely comes to mind). Cassis is basically blackcurrant, but with a bit more concentration of flavor and a touch of alcohol thrown in. The prunes have turned back to plums but the raisins remain. The tannins are firm but not pronounced, making the finish on this wine absolutely delectable. The spice is back as well, along with some toast and vanilla oak from the French and American barrels.

This wine was made with extreme skill and care.

With Food

Strong red foods and stinky cheeses. Paella would work well, as would a delicious rack of lamb. Pair it as you would a stiff Cabernet.

$11.99 at WineLibrary.com!

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You’re Recommending a Non-Chardonnay Kendall-Jackson?

Indeed we are. Kendall Jackson Chardonnay is how a lot of people first started drinking that was higher quality than the jug wines or White Zinfandels they were used to. Kendall Jackson still makes a killing with their Chardonnay in every vintage, and is one of the best-selling Chardonnays in history. They practically mailed samples of the stuff to suburban homes back in the nineties as a requirement to drink. So because of this, we feel like we don’t really have to say anything. To us, it would be like recommending gasoline for your car.

Therefore, without further or do, we bring you the Kendall Jackson Meritage 2003. This is a plush blended wine (“Meritage” means “Blend”) in the Bordeaux style. Remember, a Bordeaux wine can only consist of the following five grape varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Frank, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The Kendall Jackson Meritage contains three out of the five: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Bad News First

The wine tastes fake. That’s as bluntly as we can put it. Kendall Jackson has been around for so long and has to bottle such large amounts of their wine to get them into thousands of grocery stores, that some of their wines taste “rushed.”

There were flavors in this juice at some point in time, but we’re guessing that they ran out of time and so had to fake a few tastes to make the wine more tasty, palatable and pleasing to the public. One such method would be to over-oak the wine, as this certainly is. If you are not into the super-California-style wines or vanilla oak elements in red wine, stay away.

Basically, there are better, hearty red wines available for less money. the Hahn Syrah for one.

Good News

Color: Rich, red garnet. The color is pleasing and makes you want to get to drinking.

Nose: Very dark cherries and oaken vanilla. The oak really does bash you right in the face here. You might also pick up hints of earth; wet earth. Rainy mornings on a redwood deck.

Taste: We have the oak again, and man oh man is it in the front. It dominates every other flavor, turning this wine into a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped off with some cedar chips and some vanilla extract. Did we mention vanilla? The deep, dark cherries complete themselves from nose to taste here, it’s virtually the only fruit you will get, depending on what you might be eating. Weak tannins, so there is the slightest hint of dryness, but given the varietals blended here, there should be much much more. So if you are into New World styles, and especially California New World, you might want to give this a whirl.

With Food

Strong cheeses or fruit, perhaps red berries or cherries. Normally, blends such as these work well with red meats or even red sauces, but given the weak structure and tannins, it just won’t hold up. Take it easy with this one.

Only $12 at Winerz.com! (Yes, we know it is slightly cheaper on other sites, but this one looked like they could actually ship it to you rather than tying it to a pigeon and hoping for the best. We’re always looking out for you.)

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Hope everyone had a great weekend out at the BevMo 5¢ Wine Sale! Keeping with our vow to not give any negative reviews to ridiculous deals like the Montgras Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah Reserva 2007 let’s jump right into this ridiculously delicious red.

Good News: From the Colchagua Valley in Chile, the 2007 Montgras Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah is muscular but delicate. This is a Muhammad Ali of a wine. A slightly charcoal nose with little bit of lilac, if you can believe that. Charcoal and flowers, go figure. Take a deep breath and enjoy. Once it’s in your mouth, you will get a forward but delicate push of ripe red fruits stewed in port, then cooled and turned into a fruit rollup. Remember those? Cherry, strawberry and plums all mashed into a fruit rollup. The finish is clear with no heat from the alcohol and your tongue is left tingling from firm, satisfying tannins (they are the things that come from the grape skins that will make your tongue feel slightly dry). Absolutely made for BBQ.

With Food: We had this with some barbecued chicken, peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes marinated in Char Siu BBQ sauce (ask for it at your nearest specialty store or even find it at Ross or Marshalls). I recommend any barbecued meat except for fish. Make sure the food isn’t too well-done, but charred enough on the outside. Trust me, you will be grateful for the extra char with this wine.

2 bottles for $17.04 at the BevMo 5¢ Wine Sale!

Once the sale is over, head to WineLibrary.com to get it for just $9.99!

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Cellar No. 8 Cabernet

Bad News First: 2007 was not a good year for this popular discounted wine, so avoid that vintage if you can. This is not a standard fruit-forward California Cabernet. It has the “linger-in-the-back-of-your-throat-slightly” cheap wine feel to it.

Now the Good: Lots of leather for all of you bondage fans out there. This makes the wine chewy and full, which is rare for this price point. Cherries are the dominant fruit in this, and they come across as tart, and they are not in the front. Give the wine a moment and you will find some plum and even a bit of smoke on the finish. The wine is very well balanced, which surprised me in something for less than $10.

With Food: As usual, red sauce would work, but I have my doubts about whether this could stand up to a steak. If anything, try a salad with some kind of bitter lettuce/greens, dried cherries and some kind of pungent cheese (goats, feta, etc.).

ON SALE for $7.99 from Wine Library

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