South Carolina Wine Joe

Costco has a tremendous price on Franciscan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  Total Wine sells this wine for $21.97, but Costco is selling it for $14.99.  If you appreciate good, moderately priced Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is time to head to Costco.  I hope your local Costco has it in stock! The 2015 vintage was a great year for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  There was less than normal rainfall which stressed the grapes, improved the quality and reduced the quantity of grapes harvested.  Wine Enthusiast rated the 2015 vintage year at 95 points, which is superb. Franciscan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of grapes grown in the Rutherford, Oakville and Oak Knoll AVA's.  The wine is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec.  After fermentation and blending, the wine was aged 20 months in French Oak and has an alcohol content of 13.5%. This is a rich, full bodied wine with flavors of blackberry, dark cher...

Acrobat Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir have long been favorites at our house, but we had never tried Acrobat Rose' of Pinot Noir.  This Rose' is widely available but I just passed it by.  Now, I am preparing a presentation on the "Wines of Oregon" and that is an excuse for trying every Oregon wine in the store.  This is one wine I wish I had tried sooner. King Estates created the Acrobat series of wines to pair with casual meals.  The wines have been highly rated and reasonably priced, so it is not surprising that they have been best sellers.  However, earlier this year, King Estates made a business decision to sell the brand to the Foley Family of Wines.  The Foley Family of wines consists of 23 brands, including well known labels such as Sabastiani, Guenoc, Chalk Hill Estate, Chalone Vineyard and Oregon winery Four Graces.  I cannot predict how this will ultimately change Acrobat Wines, but this 2017 Acrobat Rose' was produced by King Estates and I have...

Several months ago, I reviewed Canoe Ridge Explorer Red Blend which I really liked.  I actually saved a bottle which we will open soon and see if it is even better with a few months additional in the bottle.  Last week, I found the Canoe Ridge Expedition Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 from Horse Heaven Hills Washington at my local wine shop.  I had to give it a try! The 2015 Expedition Cabernet Sauvignon is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Syrah from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in the Columbia Valley.  The wine was aged 9 months in 100% American Oak and has an alcohol content of 14.3%. This wine pours a deep red/purple color.  We tasted dark cherry, plum, blackberry, cola, smoke, licorice and a hint of herbal flavors.  The oak is in balance with the dark fruit flavors.  The finish is long. There is wide disagreement on ratings for this wine.  Wine Enthusiast rated it at only 86 points while Wine and Spirits rated it as 92 points and a best buy.  I...

Costco regularly stocks Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon and I have been a regular buyer of that terrific low priced wine.  A few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find Bonterra Merlot at my Costco warehouse for $10.79 and, of course, I brought some home. The various organic grape lots in this wine were aged separately and blended to create the final Merlot wine which includes small amounts of Petite Sirah and Malbec.  Aging occured in a combination of French and American oak for 12 months and the wine is said to have 13.7% alcohol. We found this Merlot to have smooth and fresh blackberry, plum flavors.   The  tannins are soft and the fruit flavors continued into the medium long finish.  There is a lot to like and nothing to dislike in this wine.  Wine Enthusiast rated this at 91 points.  While that rating may be a little high, you will not find a tastier Merlot for $10.79.  If your Costco has this wine, you will want to grab a few bottles be...