So as some close to me know, over the last two and a half months I have been working for a wine distributor in Denver, CO. Over this time I have been able to try many of the wines this company has to offer. Here are a few that have really stood out to me and I highly recommend to everyone that loves wine.
I started off by trying to taste every Cabernet Sauvignon that we sell. This got a little ridiculous after a while but a few wines have definitely arisen as my favorites.
Barnard Griffin Cabernet Sauvignon: This is one absolutely beautiful Cabernet. Dry, Full Bodied, Incredibly Aromatic, and an absolute treat for the pallate. In the ten to twenty dollar range I beg you to try this wine. If you love a big, busty, beautiful Cabernet, this is a must have.
Magness Cabernet Sauvignon: Now many people recommend the Merlot first when this label is mentioned, but I tried the cab and was simply blown away. Like the Barnard Griffin Cab, it is big, full and dry. You feel the sweetness of the fruit in this wine immediately after it touches the tip of your tongue and the taste stays with you as the wine coats your palate and saturates your mouth. Also around fifteen dollars but drinks like a wine people often pay thirty for.
Rutherford Ranch Cabernet: Now I had the rare pleasure to try the Reserve Cabernet from this label. That is a near fifty dollar bottle and it certainly drinks like it. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that for almost 40 dollars less, the label has a standard cab that tastes like they must be using the exact same grapes from their reserve. Now as the trend continues being as how I prefer my wines to be dry, this is. But do not fear if you have a sweet tooth. The beauty of this wine just as with the last two, as soon as the wine hits the tip of your tongue, you taste an incredible medley of fruit and it has the finish to keep you thinking about how lovely that taste really is.
Zinfandel may just be my favorite variety of wine. Now it is typically not full bodied as I prefer my cabs to be but the spicyness and earthiness exibited across the board with these wines just feels like my tongue has found its soul mate. Here are a few Zins that I have tried and most definitely will purchase for years to come.
Rutherford Ranch Zinfandel: Now this wine has the most body of any Zin I have tried other than the Ravenswood. But what I like more about this wine than others I have tried is how fruit forward it is. The combination of fruit, tannins, and high alcohol content make this wine an absolute treat.
Grayson Zinfandel: I was so happy with this wine! I did not have high expectations as it was the first zin through my company I tried that sits near the bottom shelves in most liquor stores. For at or under ten bucks, the blackberries exibited through this wine are absolutely fantastic. Now blackberries are my favorite berries so I am biased but this wine is incredibly fruit forward but with a decent amount of body and the high alcohol to balance the taste, this instantly moved up near the top of my zinfandel list.
Cardinal Zin Zinfandel: For just a little over ten bucks you can try this fun and tasty zin. I was very relieved at how balanced and tasty this wine was. Before I tasted this I had tried two zins that I had high hopes for and was let down by how green and almost bitter they tasted. But not Cardinal Zin. Even with the crazy label attracting buyers, this wine does not disappoint.
Now I am getting tired and I'd rather watch some sports so I will continue this later.
To wrap up here are some other wines that I feel everyone should try. Adelshiem Pinot Noir. Kung Fu Girl Riesling. Barnard Griffin Fume Blanc. Gemtree Shiraz (best I've tried). Insatiable Pinot Noir (Spicy). Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva (well worth the price and great with italian food!).
Hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year and that everyone comes out of both safe and happy.
