Chateau Pontet-Canet 2004

Now and then it's good to venture from your comfort zone. Tonight I did that when I tried the Chateau Pontet-Canet 2004... it's a Bordeaux from the Pauillac region in France. I received this opened bottle from one of our buyers. It was a nice, lovely wine. Very delicate with some cherry notes. Silky. Kind of hollow on the mid-palate, but all in all, a lovely wine. I am used to BIG, California, punch-you-in-the-face cabs... this was a nice deparature. ($65).

Capri-Sun for adults

This is the 2003 "Bandit" Cabernet Sauvignon from California made by Three Thieves. Yes, it is wine. This 250 mL little guy could easily fit inside my jacket pocket, or four of these little guys could fit in the bottom of my purse... like they did last Saturday when I went to the Angels game.

It looks like a juice box, and by golly, it tastes like a juice box (very fruity, but not sweet. 13% alcohol). I would have enjoyed this wine more if it had come with a sippy straw. I also wish it had been chilled a bit. It was an enjoyable drink and reminded me of Smucker's Goober Grape jelly-- the kind that came mixed in the jar with peanut butter. In other words, this is a fruity, fun wine. My friends at the Angels game tried it, and it got their nod of approval.

What I really liked about Bandit is its portablity. You can easily slip this into your purse or jacket and take this into the movies.. or just about anywhere. This wine would be PERFECT for taking to a play... when you don't want to spend the entire Intermission waiting in line at the concession stand.

The wine comes from Three Thieves winery which is better known for their "jug" wines. Winemakers Joel Gott, Charles Bieler, and Roger Scommegna also make, "The Show" cabernet.. a great value cab.


The Bandit comes in a "tetra pak", a kind of paper-like material that keeps the wine fresh. The artwork on the box is quite entertaining, with quips like, " The sooner you get over the package, the better it will be for all of us."...... and, "Wine Snob Tested. Mother Earth Approved"... and my favorite, "A box in the hand is worth two in the bush."

$8 for four 250mL packs (equalling 4 glasses). This is not an extreme value, but man, you can take this wine anywhere.

But bring your own sippy straw.

The Poor Man's Silver Oak

Tried the Mantra 75/25 Cabernet Sauvignon at Tannins (wine bar/restaurant in San Juan Capistrano). I have tried it several times before and still think of it as the poor mans' Silver Oak (Alexander Valley). Luscious, sexy fruit, a supple wine with nice body and with enough character to keep you thinking. The fruit comes 75% from Alexander Valley (for the sexiness) and 25% from Dry Creek Valley to give it some complexity. Lots of black fruit (blackberries and such). A very pretty wine. Don't go into it, expecting a carbon copy of Silver Oak, it is not quite as syrupy, but then again you are paying $22 instead of $70.

Hidden gem: Arrocal

Tasted ARROCAL (2005), from the Ribera Del Duero region in Spain. 100% Tempranillo. 14% alcohol. (Paired with: a calzone from Casanova's in Dana Point. The calzone was full of red peppers, Italian sausage, artichokes and tomato... great bread as well... oh man). Now, back to the wine....

On the nose, it was very earthy with some red fruit. On the palate, more red fruit, old BASEBALL MITT (in a good way), and still earthy. Very high on the mid-palate and a long finish. Loved the finish. Could still taste the wine for a minute after sipping.

This wine was like kissing your Sweetheart on the couch. Kissing that you wanted to last forever.

($12).

SAXUM. (oh Yeah!)

Yesterday, my shipment of Saxum came in. Sooo happy! I was on their waiting list for about ... hmmm..... 8 months? Not to mention, I had to wait almost a year before they had room to put me on their mailing list. Now fast-forward to almost 2 years. Finally, I got my chance to buy this wine a few months ago, and yesterday the shipment arrived at work. I totally forgot about the shipment until it arrived. The box was big and extra heavy. Due to the packing, I had no idea of how many were in there. Turns out, when I finally took it home, there there were 9 bottles YESSSSSSSSSSSS! I received 3 bottles of the 2004 Bone Rock - James Berry Vineyard, and 6 bottles of the 2005 Broken Stones. Both are GSMs (grenache, syrah and mouvedre). Its known as a "cult wine" because its low production, and since the juice is seriously BADASS! Served it at a party 2 weeks ago and everyone loved it. The wine sells for @ 40 directly from the winery and $90 and higher in the stores. Typically when you have wine shipped to you, you need to lay the bottles down for a few weeks before you can open it, so for the time being, they are resting in my cellar. I havent tried these wines yet. Hopefully I can wait it out. ;)