Cork’d (www.corkd.com) is like Yelp for wine.   Its a great wine review website and their staff has given me the opportunity to try many delicious wines, many of which are value driven.   Cork’d hosted a tasting last night featuring Jim Barry Wines, which are produced in the Clare Valley in Australia.   Synopsis – the common denominator in all of the wines was excellent fruit, along with great aromas.   I was particularly fond of the cabernet because it reminded me of a fall weekend in Vermont, any wine that can do that has my vote 

2007 Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling

Strong, citrusy, acidic nose. I can tell by smelling this that it is going to be very crisp/dry. This is being served chilled and usually chilling the wine mutes the nose but not this time. Lots of minerals, citrus and petrol – which is common in riesling. Makes your mouth pucker. Nice acid on the back end – like biting in to a lemon.

$18.00/bottle

Double

2008 Jim Barry The Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon

Stunning berries on this nose. A bit of potpourri too. I feel like I walked into Grandma Miller’s Pies in Vermont… with the potpourri gift baskets and smell of blackberry pies baking. Ripe berries bursting on the midpalate and a hint of white pepper comes through but this is all fruit. And what amazing fruit it is! Drinking beautifully right now. Soft tannins for an ’08. This wine is getting me excited for the fall… enjoying the folliage and enjoying a nice berry crisp

$20.00/bottle

Home Run

2008 Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz

Coffee, cooked berries, vanilla bean, black pepper. Some dried leaves as well and spices. Pretty complex nose there! Spicy on the midpalate and finish… tastes like I just ate something with Cajun spices. Very nice fruit, lingering ripe raspberry notes.

$20.00/bottle

Triple

2004 Jim Barry McRae Wood Shiraz

Whoa. Almost smells like a port, in a very good way because I love port. Can tell these grapes had quite a bit of hang time and probably spent time in a toasted barrel. Dark chocolate, charcoal, prune, and burnt vanilla on the nose. Heavy, decadent and complex. This is an apres ski, drink by the fireplace wine Now I need a nap!

$45.00/bottle

Home run

My parents have all sorts of delicious vegetables coming out of their garden this year… tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are just a few.   They made a roasted vegetable lasagna, so I had to pair it with Italian wine of course.  Prior to opening an ’04 Brunello, I opened this bottle.   Definitely fruit forward, I detected absolutely nothing on the nose except tart berries.   Light, pretty fruit on the midpalate and an acidic, berry finish.   The tartness definitely lingers, and this pairs very well with the roasted vegetables in the lasagna.  I prefer my Italian wines a bit more rustic, but this may be a good go-to bottle when I want the light body of a Pinot, yet am consuming Italian food  

$10.99/bottle

Double

Yes, I am in a particularly good mood this week but no, that is not the reason I  am giving another bottle a high score  :-)   This wine is just THAT good.   I had never tried the Mencia grape and was excited… and now I am sad that I didn’t try it sooner.   I was seriously missing out, and if you haven’t tried it you are as well.   Deep blueberry and raspberry on the nose, sprinkled with something herbal (thyme?) and a hint of mint.   Got some cherry there as well.   Complex… very nice!   Some fleshy fruit coming out when I taste it – the fruit just coats my palate.   Is that plum?   A bit of spiciness and very nice fruit on the finish.   I wouldn’t call this a fruit bomb because it is very well balanced.   If you’re a Pinot fan and also like your wine on the fruiter side but find Shiraz to be a bit too over the top fruit bomby (is that a word?) try this bottle.   Chambers Street Wines in Lower Manhattan carries it  :-)   Great store!

$12.99/bottle

Home run

I just love when a wine reflects the soil it came from.   It makes me feel like I am there!   Sniffing this wine transported me to Italy in my mind.   Rocky scent, with loads of chocolate on the nose as well.   Very little fruit coming through but some blackberryness.   Midpalate – DRY, acidic, tannic.   Berry and mineral flavors that linger on the finish.   This wine just begs for a good Italian dish.   Very unique and exciting.   And for the price, it is a must try.   But I’d have to say… this, like most other Italian wine, is a food wine.   Drink it alone and you may be disappointed.   Pair it with the right dish and just savor the scent… and you’ll love it!

$12.99/bottle

Home run

I tasted this wine BEFORE looking at the price  :-)  As I always should, but since I usually purchase my own wine it doesn’t work that way.   My sister Jackie purchased this bottle for me, because she just loves buying me wine.   And she liked the pine tree on the label.   So I’m talking about the price because this was INSANELY inexpensive.   Now, for the tasting notes.   The nose on this wine smelled like Spanish yellow rice cooking – Spanish yellow rice with lots of smoky bell pepper.   Definite bell pepper dominance, with saffron hints as well.   Dark fruit (currant), and pepper on the midpalate, though the bell pepper seems to convert to freshly grated black pepper.   The finish was a bit too thin for my liking.   If I was to rate the wine solely on its nose, I’d give it a home run – VERY aromatic.

$5.99/bottle

Double

I had never been able to find Murphy-Goode’s Pinot Noir before, and was beginning to think it was an urban legend!    Low and behold… found it at my local store on sale for $11.99!   Definitely a steal for a Pinot.   Cherries and vanilla dominate the nose, round-ish mouthfeel and a tart cherry finish.   I like the fruit in this!   But I didn’t want my liver to hate me, so I used my new Vinotemp battery operated vacuum pump to save it for the next day.   Day 2- its even better!   Unusual for a Pinot.   My friend tried it as well and was pleasantly surprised at the low price.   The mouthfeel and finish were a bit more bright the second day and the fruit popped out even more.   Definite vanilla/caramel on the finish.

$11.99 bottle (on sale)

Triple