Merlot Number Trois - Christian Moueix Merlot 2005

One major thing to note: Around this time, I noticed that I started writing less and less about the wine I review, probably because I've become so accustomed to the base flavors of the respective wine that I don't notice anything but what stands out - maybe this is why professional wine tasters always have such brief comments about their wine? Who knows.

Okay, I'll admit that I don't know anything about French, so the title is hilariously and poorly worded. After a period of drinking cheaper wine that didn't really blow me away, I grabbed this slightly pricier Merlot.

Merlot, 2005
Christian Moueix, Bordeaux, France. $14
Consumed: July 1, 2009.
Nose: Great fruit. Hint of something herbal (anise?), especially prominent on the swirl. Peppery. Palette: Rough mouthfeel. Dry. Quick finish. Very oaky and dry. Surprisingly simple. Definite improvement upon opening up for ~30 minutes.

I dig the simple label. Makes it look pretty cool and vintage-y.

Once again, I learn the hard way that price does not always correlate with how good a wine is. It wasn't bad, but it felt lacking for the price.

Final Verdict: Don't get it. Gorgeous aroma, but a bit too boring to be worth the $14. Chris said it best in two words: "very shallow".

A Bit Different - McManis Viognier 2007

While I was at Bevmo a while ago, I grabbed this on a whim because it looked pretty interesting. Let's have a taste, shall we?

Viognier, 2007
McManis Family Vineyards, California. $9
Consumed: July 27, 2009
Nose: Very fruity and sweet, with a hint of anise (aka black licorice). Palette: Very thick honey-like sweetness. Kind of a light citrusy tang too. Hints of oak and smoke on the midpalette. Light aftertaste. Smooth to drink.

Viognier isn't for everyone, but it's smooth to drink. It's pretty heavy, so you can't drink it too quickly. Not very "crisp". Chris says that it's syrupy. I really liked the awesome aroma of this wine!

Final Verdict: Try this for something more "satisfying" than most other wine. In other words, a single glass of this wine can possibly quench your wine thirst for the night. Odd, I know.

What Have You Been Smoking? - Smoking Loon Sauvignon Blanc 2007

I got a webcam. Video reviews of wine, yes/no? Leave a suggestion/thoughts in the comments please!

And here ends my stream of updates for the time being. 4/9 posts done, and the lack of sleep is getting to me. I'll post the next one tomorrow or the day after.

Continuing on my quest for a variety of cheap wine for my list, I picked up this guy. It was on sale - I thought, why not?

Sauvignon Blanc, 2007
Smoking Loon, California. $6
Consumed: July 27, 2009
Nose: Refreshing lemon with a hint of sweetness. Palette: OH GOD IT HURTS. An excruciating amount of bite and bitterness, not smooth at all to drink.

Call me biased, but I stopped after three sips - cringed at the first, tried two more to see if I was imagining how terrible it was. I wasn't. The bottle was promptly donated to my roommate for a better cause - to be used for cooking.

SBs are commonly lemony and grassy in flavor. Some do this basic flavor set really well, but this Smoking Loon exhibits neither aspect. I sure paid the price (though I'm glad I only wasted $6) for experimenting this time.

The only reason I still wrote this review is to show that I have bad luck with choosing wine sometimes too! :( Also, I liked the pictures.

Final Verdict: STAY AWAY. PLEASE. Arguably the worst wine I've had since I started this blog.