2007 Magnificent Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon

The Magnificent Wine Co. "CAB" is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington Stat's Columbia Valley. The winemaker Charles Smith has been making noise in the last few years for making some really high quality wines at great prices. Magnificent Wine Co. has two lines of wines "The Standard" and The "Originals". The "CAB" is part of the "Originals" category as well as a Pinot noir, Syrah, and Riesling. The famous a well-known "House Wines" are part of the "Standard" series. For more info. and tech data check them out here.

The bouquet of this wine displays a classic Washington state Cabernet Sauvignon aroma of blackberry, coco, licorice, and spicy hints of oak. As I let the wine open up the aromas continue to unfold and intensify.

On the palate the wine has a sleek texture that reminds me slightly of Bordeaux, meaning it's not overly viscous or thick. Flavors of luscious blackberry, cassis, chocolate-raspberry sticks, a touch of oak/spice lead into a medium length finish that displays only the slightest note of tannin.

This wine is a fantastic buy if you can find it at the price I paid for it ($14.99). It was on closeout at my neighborhood grocery. However, for $24 retail I would suggest searching for something from Italy or Spain that can deliver equal and perhaps superior complexity. 88 points


Click here to find out more about this wine

Barefoot Wine Tasting - Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon

Ok, so I know that these wines are considered to be what love to refer to as "swill" but I thought I would give them a go. I've held down a part-time job at a local hotel for a few years, and I work a weekend here and there for the extra spending money and the great room-rate benefits. It just so happens that these two beauties are the wines they serve during their happy hour.

I'm pretty sure I've never tasted anything made by "Barefoot" even though I've seen huge stacks of the stuff blocking the way of my grocery cart when I'm doing my weekly food shopping. The wines are non-vintage and I think they are blended a bit, but the label doesn't divulge that precious information!

Ok, lets start with the Merlot......

On the nose I get aromas of sweet mixed berry, boysenberry syrup, and perhaps a hint of bark and dark chocolate. The bouquet reminds me a lot of cheap Aussie fruit-bomb type wines....Kind of like Yellow Tail Shiraz!

On the palate the wine shows some nice fruity berry notes and a touch of wood/bark. It also has a pretty insipid metallic note that is common with many inexpensive reds. The finish is dis-jointed with a bit of intruding alcohol.

All in all I'd say the Merlot is a hell of a lot better than I imagined it would be. No, it's not a good wine, but I imagine that with a big plate of spaghetti and a few glasses it would go down easy enough. 75 points

Now for the Cabernet Sauvignon......

On the nose I get a hodge-podge mixture of dark-berry aromas and hints of herb and spice. This also has the hi-c type effect that many Aussie wines display regularly.

On the palate the wine is surprisingly more round and textured than the Merlot and even shows a touch of varietal character. Wow, not bad! Flavors of blackberry and dark chocolate seem to be wrapped around a nice big stave of oak.....The wine finishes with a slight herbal note and a touch of tannin.

To be completely honest, I have had much worse wines than the Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon. Once again, it's by no means "fine wine" but it could definitely be a useful enough table wine and well within the budget. 80 points

More good news about Resveratrol.....

A new study conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis say that resveratrol - a compound found in the skin of red grapes and blueberries - may prove useful in preventing the vision loss associated with diabetes and old age.

This new study was reported by CBS News and can be found here.

The study, conducted on mice, also showed that resveratrol helps block the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye, such as that associated with macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people over 50.

Just another reason to make sure you always have a glass of red wine with your dinner.

Choosing a professional wine cellar cooling system

I have mentioned many times the desire I have to build a reasonable sized wine cellar in my house. Living in Arizona it's not as if I can just stick a few cases of wine in my garage and expect them to keep for more than a few minutes during our hot and dry summers.

I have been investigating a few cooling options for my future cellar and have come across many different cooling system units. One that seems to be among the top of the line options is called WhisperKOOL. As we have discussed in previous posts, temperature and humidity control are essential to the proper aging of your wine, and WhisperKOOL has a reputation among professionals for a high level of accuracy and control.

WhisperKOOL offers several different options and ranges that include self-contained units, split systems, and fully ducted systems.

If your thinking of searching for a cooling unit for your home cellar, it's vital to contact a professional that can help you make the right decision as to which size and type unit will work best for your space. Remember, maintaining the proper temperature and humidity is key to aging your wines properly.

Click on the link in the second paragraph for a in-depth look at the different units available. There's also a really educational video contained on the webpage as well. Cheers~

The Crushpad vs. City Winery

I got this invite today in my inbox. I think it will be an amazing tasting event! Here's what the e-mail said:

"It started with an off-hand comment and quickly turned into an all-out vinous shouting match.  Insults about respective mothers drinking White Zinfandel.  Glasses of rosé dumped on one another.  Frankly, it was a very pathetic showing of mutual outrage.  But after watching Rocky IV a few weeks ago (only the best movie ever), we had an inspiration for how to resolve our differences.  What am I talking about?

The Crushpad vs. City Winery head to head tasting on June 30th at City Winery in NYC.

We're going to each pour 7 wines, tasted blind by the audience, who will have a say in who takes the champion belt.  Ali vs. Frazier; Drago vs. Balboa.  Pick your all-time favorite bout, but my guess is that it will pale into insignificance compared to this battle.

Please note that there are only 80 tickets available and they are only $55 through Thursday (then they go to $75).

Get tickets here.

...Michael"