Black Friday Tasting Notes

BLACK FRIDAY TASTING, 11/25/11

SEGURA VIUDAS BRUT RESERVA

If your shopping list includes wines from Wine Enthusiast’s list of Top 100 Values, then this is a great place to start.  Coming in at #19 for 2011, this is rich in texture, with nice apple and citrus aromas leading to juicy flavors of crisp apple, green herb, and melon.  Round, clean, and crisp.  87 points Wine Enthusiast.  $7.97.

ASTICA TORRONTES 2009

Relaxing with a glass of this is far better than camping in front of Best Buy at 2:00 Thanksgiving afternoon.  Torrontes is a hybrid of Mission and Muscat grapes that does very well in Argentina, and this one offers an alluring perfume of spring flowers, peach, apricot, and a hint of citrus. On the palate the wine is dry, smooth textured, layered, rich, and succulent while retaining a sense of elegance.  90 points Wine Digest.  $5.97.

POPPY PINOT NOIR 2009

Discovering a tasty Pinot under $15 is as rare and wonderful as making it through Black Friday with your body, psyche, and wallet still intact.  This one, from Monterey County,  delivers a bright red color with intense aromas of damp earth and raspberry. Red cherry, raspberry and allspice dominate the front palate as mushroom and a little toasted oak are present on a long, velvety finish.  Double Gold, SFCWC.  $12.97.

BANFI CHIANTI SUPERIORE 2009

This lovely Chianti shows a fruit-forward bouquet with floral notes, followed by round and well balanced black-cherry and rhubarb flavors and hints of spice. It’s well-structured with good acidity for dining and a finish that lingers like that sweet-toothed Thanksgiving guest hoping for the last piece of pie.  87 WS.  $8.97.

NAVARRO CORREAS MALBEC 2008

Sure, you could be out hustling for $50 TV’s, but that might lead to watching “Fear Factor,” and you don’t want that.  Try this instead.  It opens with an attractive rich-purple hue, followed by bright aromas of fresh cherries, red currant, plum and violets. The red fruit maintains its vibrancy through the long, broad palate, flanked by warm notes of vanilla, cocoa and smoke. 86 points Jim.  $7.97.

BUTTERFIELD CABERNET 2010

Ripe and generous, this Cab starts with lovely blackberry, cassis, and cherry mixing with toasty oak and spice box on the nose.  The palate meets you with ripe plums, a rich mouth-feel, and soft tannins that flow through the lingering finish as easily as good wishes and happy toasts through the holiday season.  Great stocking stuffer at this price.  $4.97.

BIANCHI CABERNET 2008

This is a great wine to unwind with after a day dodging bullets and elbows at Walmart.  Aromas of blackberry, toasty oak and light herbs foreshadow a layered palate of berries, cassis and subtle coffee notes.  An elegant Paso Robles Cab.  88 points Tobin Bros.  $12.97.