2008 Cono Sur "Vision Series" Chardonnay ($12.00)
From: Chili
Grapes: Chardonnay

Pale straw color

On the nose: Gardenia, grapefruit and a hint of almond.

On the palate: I can best describe it as drinking a fruit cup (the little plastic cups with the thin plastic seal on top). Decent mid palate weight, somewhat creamy, with light acidity on the finish.

Roasted Chicken and . . .

One of the reason my sons asked me to start this blog was to write reviews of wines that they might want to pick up. One of the parameters was that they be inexpensive, which I have interpreted as being under $20.00. The further under, the better. The best way to find out what you like is to try new stuff, so every time I am in a wine shop I pick out new wines. the only change in that has been that I now look for ones with lower price tags. I decided early on not to write reviews of wines I consider Plonk, so if I include one here it has some redeeming quality.

I saw his Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc as I was walking through Costco. I know the area and the huge amount of Sauvignon Blanc that comes from there, so I took a chance, figuring it had to at least be decent and I was not disappointed.

2008 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc (14.99)
From: Marlborough, New Zealand
Pale color
On the nose: On the front is a floral note, maybe magnolia, then plenty of grapefruit, and a hint of pineapple.
Taste: Mostly grapefruit, with some pineapple, and a bit of lemon at the back end. Good weight on the mid palate. Nice crispness, with good acidity, and a nice clean finish.

This would be great with mussels and was a good choice for the roasted chicken and rosemary potatoes I paired it with.

You can sit and sip this

Warres Otima 10 yr old Tawny Port (500 ml $19.99)
From: Portugal
Grapes: Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão.

I love the color, it reminds me of amaretto with a hint of orange in it.

On the nose: Dried fruit, stewed prunes, honey, a dark nut (I can picture this nut that I would see in a bowl of mixed nuts that my dad used to have around. I don't remember what kind it was, but it had a distinct smell unlike the other peanuts, cashews, etc.)

On the palate: Light, dried fruits, a bit of toffee. Not overly sweet, with a long finish. Another similarity to amaretto, the tail end taste reminds me of it.

I really like this. As for the price, remember, a little of this goes a long way.

Poema Cava Brut ($10.00)

From: Catalan province, Spain
Grapes: 40% Macabeo, 40% Xarel-lo, 20% Parellada

Fairly pale in color.

Nice stream of smaller bubbles.

On the nose: light toast with some pear.

On the palate: some peach, nice weight, and very crisp.

My wife like this very much. She said is was very refreshing without being overly effervescent.

2007 Cameron Hughes Lot 91, ($11.99)
From: Russian River Valley, California
Grapes: Chardonnay.

I am not a fan of oaky chardonnay, but if you like some oak this might be a good choice. It is not as oaky as Kendall Jackson, but it is quite pronounced. Oak is evident on the nose. There is a floral aspect with some pineapple.

On the palate, tropical fruits and plenty of oak with decent amount of acidity on the finish.