Tasted two reds this week. One was so dark you could not see light through it... The other one is a new light, cheap Pinot Noir from the Gallo Group.

Trademarks
The Naked Grape and the The Naked Grape logo are registered trademarks of E. & J. Gallo Winery. California Table Wine, © 2010 Grape Valley Wine Company, Modesto, CA. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.thenakedgrapewine.com/

As one Naked Grape ad put it:
Naked Grape wines boldly reveal themselves as they really are. Our winemaker’s choice against oak aging ensures freshness and allows our crisp fruit flavours to shine through without being masked by the flavour of oak barrels. It takes confidence to go unoaked.

Like the Bare Foot Wines that preceded it, Gallo has started another NO GALLO NAME wine selection for lower cost wines.

I will keep it simple:
Try them. I liked their unoaked, light Pinot Noir.
And I was not paying for it... or being paid to say it.






A smooth, easy drinking, and full bodied wine; a perfect match for BEEF.
Looking back over my postings, this one shows up TWICE: Trapiche, Oak Cask, Malbec, Mendoza 2008... interesting wine. The color of blood in the glass.

Tasting Notes:
The wine has a rich, red color with violet highlights, with plum and cherry aromas. In the mouth, the fruit is round and supple, with a note of truffle and vanilla.

Producer Background:
Established in 1883, Trapiche is the most widely recognized Argentinean wine producer in the world. Located in Mendoza at the foothills of the Andes mountains, Trapiche has some of the most extensive landholdings in the area, with over 2,500 acres of its own vineyards.

Under the guidance of Chief Winemaker, Daniel Pi, Trapiche has consolidated all of its winemaking and viticulture, creating a synergy between winemaking and agriculture. Along with his team of winemakers and Marcelo Belmonte, Director of Viticulture, Daniel Pi’s vision for Trapiche is to express the richness of diversity of the terroir in Argentina.

An innovative and forward thinking winery, Trapiche is always looking for new ways to for their wines to express their passion for the land and its people. Realizing that Argentina is the best place in the world to grow Malbec, Trapiche embarked on a project to showcase what they consider to be the three best malbecs of any given year. The project pays homage to the grape growers and features their names prominently on the label. With the first vintage, 2003, the three single vineyard Malbecs have already won worldwide acclaim.

All Trapiche wines are hand-harvested, hand-sorted and vinified at their winery. The wines have a new international style, fruit-driven and consumer friendly, and representing the best of what Argentina has to offer. Trapiche’s goal is to exceed expectations at every level.