2006 NO SAUVIGNON BLANC

If you've read any of my posts in the past you know that I've written positively about wines that pass on the over use of oak and other California techniques. The 2006 NO Sauvignon Blanc, that I picked up for $6.99, is one of those Healdsburg, California wines that passed on the Oak aging and malolactic fermentation. Lots of crisp notes of vanilla, melon, lemon-lime and grass. Just a very nice, fresh, tasty wine. And a great price. I gave this one 3 Corkscrews based on a decent price and overall enjoyable bottle of wine. Almost 4 Corkscrews but didn't have that little extra umph that I need to see in a wine to give it the higher rating. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Wine!

2007 CARTA VIEJA SAUVIGNON BLANC from Chile

Another great value find from Wegmans which has become my favorite store for life! I picked this one up for $6.99 and was blown away by the flavors. A beautiful light, yellow-green color in the bottle I poured this once and let it settle for 10 minutes or so. On the nose a little floral notes but mostly tropical fruit. On the nose I noted flavors of peach and tropical fruits like kiwi and melon. Nice light finish made me want more of this one and I had a chance to enjoy this one for a couple of days. I noted that it is imported by Dionysos Imports out of Lorton, Virginia so don't know how readily available it is in the rest of the country. I picked this one up in Gainesville, Virginia but I still recommend trying to find a bottle of this. I gave it 4 Corkscrews based on the great price and easy drinkability. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Carta Vieja!

2006 TAFT STREET PINOT NOIR

Well, I splurged on this one and it didn't pay off. Have you ever noticed how wine that tastes so good when being sampled at the store can end up tasting so bland when you get it home? What's that about? The Total Wine & More Store in Fredericksburg, Virginia was sampling this 2006 Taft Street Pinot Noir a few weekends ago and the sampling I had tasted decent. And they were offering a $1.00 off coupon so it had to be good. Right? Wrong! I shelled out $15.99 for this bottle and was met with one bland glass after another. Nothing much on the nose and no fruit that I could really identify on the tongue. I gave this one several days to change my mind but it just couldn't. It didn't get worse but it definitely didn't get any better and I tried it at different temperatures and different breathing times. I gave this one 2 Corkscrews because I didn't pour it down the sink, couldn't bare to at that price, but might have been tempted to had I paid a little less. Avoid this one. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Good Wine, Not This One!