2004 nederburg cabernet sauvignon paarl

http://www.nederburg.co.za/

the bottom line - a south african cab. there is a lot going on in this wine. Over the top bacon, smoke and black cherry on the nose. a fruity fizzing, mid pallet with a lingering fruity, smoky, dirty finish.

alcohol - %
residual sugar - n/a
total acid - n/a
final pH - n/a
blend - 100% cabernet sauvignon

aroma - smoke, bacon, cherry
flavor -black cherry, sweet, with moderate acidity on the midpallet with a lingering finish of dark fruit, smoke and tannin.
price - $10.99
verdict - 83

2004 powers columbia valley cabernet sauvignon

http://powerswinery.com

the bottom line - i could not find specific release details on the 2003 vintage, but their website indicates that the 2004 vintage "once again" includes a measure of syrah in the blend. this wine is moderate in body, has some nice flavors but falls apart a bit on the finish where some unripe tannins take over.

alcohol - 13.5%
residual sugar - n/a
total acid - n/a
final pH - n/a
blend - n/a

aroma - raspberry, chocolate, woody spice
flavor -fruity, nice raspberry, chocolate with and acidic spine on the mid-pallet. the finish is overly oaky and tannic.
price - $13.29
verdict - 84

2004 clos du bois north coast cabernet sauvignon

http://closdubois.com/

the bottom line - this was really disappointing for a $16 bottle. some interest on the nose, but one dimensional and flat on the pallet.

alcohol - 13.5%
residual sugar - n/a
total acid - n/a
final pH - n/a
blend - n/a

aroma - strawberry starburst, cherry, green pepper
flavor -fruity flat forward with a moderate tannic finish.
price - $16.49
verdict - 84

the vinturi !

o.k. I admit, this gizmo appeals to my engineer self.
better cab through techno-aeration?

the idea is to accelerate the process of aeration. according to the folks at vinturi an undependent double blind taste test has established that...

"the same bottle of wine treated with vinturi was higher in overall flavor intensity and mouthfeel...higher in red color intensity and overall aroma intensity...more true to type and of higher quality."

the vinturi has attracted a considerable following including:

eric asimov of the new york times
w. blake gray at the san francisco chronicle

i haven't tried it myself, but it is intriguing, and marketed with all of the sex appeal of the iphone.

check out the web site at vinturi.com.

one concern...this kind of reminds me of those "tornado" fuel saver infomercials. is this a $40 placebo or the real deal?

sam i am

2003 thorn-clarke shotfire ridge curvee barossa

http://www.thornclarkewines.com

the bottom line - according to thorn-clarke, "the shotfire ridge range has one key goal - to build consumer loyalty by over-delivering in quality". I admire the goal and the words held true for this $20 blend.

alcohol - 14.1%
residual sugar - n/a
total acid - 7.18
final pH - 3.54
blend - 43% cabernet sauvignon, 29% shiraz, 13% cab franc, 11% merlot, 4% petit verdot

aroma - cherry, vanilla, spice, green pepper
flavor -fruity black cherry, chocolate, full and balanced, nice acid structure with a smooth lingering earthy finish.
price - $19.99
verdict - 90, WS87

the prince of pinot on the health benefits of red wine

www.graperadio.com - a-review-of-the-health-benefits-of-wine/

i found this to be a thoughtful balanced overview of the potential health benefits of red wine in reducing risk for heart disease. dr. rusty gaffney is a retired ophthalmologist who is also the self acclaimed "prince of pino". the above link is his summary of the information presented at the 4th international wine and heart health summit that was held in napa valley, ca. the good news is that moderate consumption of red wine can reduce your risk of heart disease by 70%. the other news is that it is still important to exercise, not smoke, stay lean, and eat a high fiber/low fat diet. drink every day in moderation (1 to 2 six ounce glasses). a word of warning - anyone using riedel glassware might want to calibrate their six ounce pour.

2004 greg norman cabernet merlot limestone coast

http://www.shark.com/gnestates/

the bottom line - australian cab/merlot blend with fizzing raspberry and citrus notes.
alcohol - 14.0%
residual sugar - n/a
total acid - n/a
final pH - n/a
blend - 81% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot

aroma - raspberry, orange, dusty
flavor -fruity raspberry and grapefruit with a smooth lingering earthy finish.
price - $9.99
verdict - 87, WS88

2004 charles shaw cabernet sauvignon california

I was at trader joe's today and picked up a bottle of two-buck chuck aka charles shaw cabernet sauvignon. Apparently this wine retails for $1.99 on the west coast but in virginia expect to pay $3.29.

the bottom line - sugar bomb. sweet cherry, flat, light finish with lingering sweetness. barely drinkable.

alcohol - 12.5%
residual sugar - n/a
total acid - n/a
final pH - n/a
blend - n/a




aroma - alcohol
flavor -fruity cherry, berry
price - $3.29
verdict - 65