Frog's Leap Merlot Rutherford Napa Valley 2007

This Merlot was AMAZING. Really, really good. I hardly ever drink more than a glass, but I drank two and a half of this. It was great!

The aerator made a huge difference. All that unnecessary acidity found in most wines wasn't in this glass after the wine had been aerated. The bouquet surprised me by its profound openness and freshness. It was rather mild than smooth, medium-bodied for Merlot, not too sweet, not too dry, just well-balanced and perfect. Frog's Leap satisfied me SO well. 

Location: Santa Monica

Joel Gott 815 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

This Cabernet from California is the first Cabernet I liked (I've only had three Cabernet before). 

It's light-bodied, medium dry, baked, a little hot, long and nice finish, typical blackcurrant taste that reminded me of chocolate after 5 sips. 

This wine would go well with milk chocolate, whereas most Cabernet Sauvignons go well with dark chocolate. 

The wine was purple (yes, made in 2008). Lasagna went ok with this wine, but I think I'll just eat cheese next time. 

My cat came to smell the wine. I don't think so, babe lol

Santa came to me again today!!!!! Totally unexpected!!!! I can't wait to experience these ;-)

Location: Beverly Hills

Hakutsuru Plum Wine

This Hakutsuru Plum Wine was unbelievable. I had been really skeptical about fruit wines such as this, and though I would still like to respect real wines (fermented grape juice), this plum wine got my huge approval tonight with ease. 

It was sophisticated, clean, and just had a really nice flavor of plums. It's super enjoyable. It went well with the potato salad I was having too. Of course, there was no signs of the qualities that would make this wine "aged" or "dense", but really it was sophisticated and well-processed. It's a fair competitor to whites. 

I highly recommend trying this out at least once. You might wanna add this to your wine collection. 

Location: Little Tokyo

Lucia Gary's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007

This Pinot Noir was a new sensation for me. My first reaction was "Roasted chestnuts??"

It was well-balanced, comfortably full-bodied and smooth, just the right amount of tannins, and I'm not gonna even talk about the acidity of it because it didn't matter. I loved the smokiness. I think this wine would age quite well, it would only get richer. This is a great dinner wine that is fun to discuss.  

Location: Pacific Palisades

Church Malibu Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir 2007

This Pinot Noir from Malibu, pretty much exclusive to the residents of Malibu at this point in time with only about 100 cases produced for this first year, was young (but not in an immature way), steady and firm. 

First, the bouquet was remarkable. It is one of those wines that you smell it and know that it will taste like "wine". --- And it did. It was almost full-bodied and I tasted cherries that took me to thinking, "this wine is broad, and strong-willed".
I now think that strong-willed is the best word to describe this wine.

I wish I could preserve its vibrantly developed aroma in an empty bottle so that I could indulge myself with it at any time.

The finish was like the wine just gets swallowed through. No peculiar residue that is left out lonely in your mouth.

Location: Pacific Palisades

Castle Rock Pinot Noir 2008

This Pinot Noir from California was smooth and round. No edgy acidity even after 10 sips!! This wine would go well with almost any kind of food because it is so round. It's thin to medium bodied, I tasted black berries and a bit of vanilla. It didn't give any distinctive aroma, which must have contributed to its overall neutral taste. This is the kind of wine I could drink all day (...not that I have a secret desire to drink all day...no :)

Note to myself, have a light Cabernet with filet mignon rather with Pinot next time. 

Location: Beverly Hills

Aka Wain

So this is a Japanese wine that my friend brought from Japan -- my first Japanese wine. It's called "Aka Wain", which literally means red wine. It's made from Concord grapes. About $14. This particular kind was extremely sweet, and I emphasize, it was extremely sweet. It smelled like Welch's grape juice. Low in tannins, had almost no acidity, just like grape juice!! I don't know if I can even call this a dessert wine. It may even be sweeter than dessert... Interesting, but would not buy this particular kind.

                          

Location: Highland Park

14 Hands Chardonnay 2009

Oh, disappointment. This Chardonnay from Washington had a very nice fruity scent. However, it didn't taste like it should have from the scent of it. It almost tasted like beer to me. It's full-bodied and kind of smooth, but the way it went down my throat was rough and scratchy. 

Location: Little Tokyo

Beringer California White Zinfandel 2009

I did not like this White Zinfandel. I thought it was too young. It had a strong flavor of strawberries -- why!??  It's quite thin-bodied and it gave me nothing but a.... I don't even know. I think it helped me a little to drink this while BBQing, but really I cannot accept that this is wine. 

    

Location: Eagle Rock

Vinas Chilenas Trader Joe’s Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

This Cabernet Sauvignon was thin and soft at first. I felt almost no bitterness in the first 5-7 sips. It's quite round, but maybe some modest cherry taste. 

Then the feel of acidity suddenly changed. It became tart and a bit too sharp to my nose. No problem being by itself. 

Location: West LA

Beaulieu Vineyard Coastal Estates 2006

This Merlot from Sonoma, CA was light. Low in tannins and good on its own. It had a bit of a fruity scent and tasted a bit like cherry. I could definitely smell/taste vanilla.

I think a dark chocolate cake or a strong cheese would have been good with this wine. If you're an everyday wine drinker, then this $11 wine may be good at home, but this is not for a special occasion. It lacks in originality. 

Location: Santa Monica

ALBERO - Spanish Red Wine 2007 Tempranillo Barrica

This Pinot Noir was actually very easy for me to drink, meaning it was smooth and not too dry. It was acidic and kind of woody. Not a complex wine. 

This wine went well with this bow tie pasta cooked in pink vodka sauce with salmon and basil. It, probably the tomatoes, definitely took the acidity out a little from the wine. The combination was just perfect when both the wine and the pasta were in my mouth. 

I couldn't finish the whole glass because this wasn't a "by-itself" wine for me. I'd only drink it with food. 

Location: West LA