Trader Joe's $4 Emma Pearl Pinot Noir returns!

Famous Last words: I was at a Hillary Fund Raiser this week and they were pouring it.

"There is too much fruit and too much alcohol to be an old school Pinot Noir, but the Emma Pearl does drink well. At 5 bottles for $20, the Emma Pearl would make an outrageously good party wine, if you have a wedding or a reunion coming and want to impress on the cheap, it is hard to do better. When TJ’s sells out of the Emma Pearl Pinot, it is gone for good, it will not be available at this price again"

Clever Girl Reviews by Erin
 http://instagram.com/clevergirlreviews

 "I don’t drink a lot of red wine in the summer, but we’ve had some dips in the normal temperatures enough for me to start craving it again. The Emma Pearl 2013 Pinot Noir is light bodied and a nice easy wine for a BBQ or simple dishes. At first I thought the wine was off like it had gotten too hot and turned vinegary. Turns out it was just a little to chilled and it got deeper and plusher once it warmed up some.

The Emma Pearl 2013 Pinot Noir  is 14.5% ABV so you might want to reserve this one for the weekend. We chilled this wine down to 55 degrees, but it showed better slightly warmer. We used standard red wine glasses for tasting and our trusty Vinturi to make sure it was ready to drink right away. When I opened the bottle I got a massive note of chocolate and raspberry. The wine is a dark violet with a light red brick rim."

 Full Review at this link:
http://www.cheapwinefinder.com/25846/emma-pearl-pinot-noir-2013/


Tasting Notes
Name: Emma Pearl
Vintage: 2014
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: California
A red wine. Clear and bright with medium intensity. Deep ruby color at the core graduating evenly to crimson at the margins (translucent at the core). Very long legs, which is in line with the 14.5% alcohol listed on the bottle.
On the nose: Clean and no issues. When I opened the bottle, poured and smelled straight away the first thing that hits is the alcohol, almost to the point of being over bearing. It is a medium (-) intensity wine . Cherry with a hint of raspberry and cranberry. Definitely appears young on the nose and lacks some complexity. Some hint of clove and minerality. Smells a little like rain on cement. I also get a little orange peel – like something bitter (almost like smelling the remnants of your glass of Cointreau the next day).
On the palate: Dry. Lively cherry/strawberry with a hint of smoke. Some oak coming through but not overbearing. Medium to Medium (+) tannin levels and and medium (+) alcohol, which detracts from the smoothness usually associated with a lot of Pinots. Medium (-) body and and medium to medium (-) intensity. It lacks balance – a quick blast of fruit but then lacks depth. Short to medium (-) on the finish, although, I do get a little (and I mean a little) licorice/aniseed.
Overall observations: reasonably drinkable. Has a good amount of fruit up front. I would probably pair this wine with pork or something with a fairly high fat content. Would work fairly well with charcuterie. I think it is reasonable, given the price but $4.00 would be pushing the outer limits of this wine.

The time has come to buy the Smoking Loon Pinot Noir 2012 at its lowest price and greatest favor at your local store...

Smoking Loon Pinot Noir 2012: Affordable Wine at its best age that is Good for You!

  At $8 a bottle at my local Tom Thumb in Dallas, Texas: This is a real wine value for Texas Democratic gatherings this month....

I liked the Cheapskate Wine Review of this wine...

      "Smoking Loon, it appears, is sort of the Kevin Bacon of the wine world-you know-the game where you can get from anyone to Kevin Bacon in less than five moves. Looking into the family tree of the Smoking Loon brand, it quickly becomes apparent that, in moving up from the roots of the tree, the trunk twists and divides and vees, and the branches go out in many directions. Smoking Loon is the sibling, or half-brother, or cousin of lots of other labels. Its produced by Don Sebastiani and Sons, which also makes Pepperwood Grove, and The Crusher, which I’ve seen on shelves, and a few others I’ve not seen. The company came to be when Samuele Sebastiani, who emigrated from Tuscany to the U.S. in the late 1800′s made his way to Sonoma and started a winery making mostly bulk wine. In the 1940′s, they focused on their own name brand affordable wines. In the 1980′s, with patriarch Samuele’s grandson Don, a former California assemblyman, now at the helm, they grew into an eight million case annual behemoth through a partnership called Cecchetti-Sebastiani Cellar. That companie’s labels include Vendange, Nathanson Creek, and others, plus the Turner Road Winery. All that was sold off to what it is now Constellation, and Sebastiani again became a family owned and run winery in Sonoma. Strangely, the Sebastiani label on wines I see on Store shelves, is not part of Don Sebastiani and Sons, but is owned by Foley Family wines. Their portfolio of around 10 labels, Don and Sons lineup of around 8 names, the Turner Road names, plus their adoptive Constellation cousins make this a nearly infinite spider web of connections. Like Kevin Bacon."

   "Ok, ok., the wine….lighter in color than some, more transparent-typical of Pinot Noir. Reddish, not deep, dark violet. Also light on the tongue. Not without any tannin, but no astringency or bite. Fruity. A wine cliché, which I try like Anthrax to avoid, is “fruit-forward” but that’s the words that come to mind here. Berries. A little spiciness. Very enjoyable. Certain foods scream for Pinot Noir-Salmon, Turkey, the other white meat, grilled tuna. The Smoking Loon makes an excellent candidate. And you can connect it to Kevin Bacon in five steps."  READ MORE REVIEWS of affordable wines at Cheapskates Wine Review: http://cheapskateswineguide.wordpress.com/

CellarTracker began almost accidentally, said Mr. LeVine, a wine collector and creator of the website.

On Wine, by Lettie Teague from The Wall Street Journal

The CellarTracker website boasts a database of 2.8 million tasting notes, plus offering a voyeuristic view of others' wine cellars. Lettie Teague explores the site and its community:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444180004578016153216195888.html?mod=djemonwine_t   "WHAT IF THERE were a way to keep track of your wine cellar and the wines that you're drinking — and the wines that your friends are drinking as well? And what if you could browse through the contents of their cellars and even read their tasting notes — in addition to tasting notes written by the pros?

"Those are just a few of the features of CellarTracker, an eight-year-old website, cellar-software system and chat forum that has become one of the most popular Internet sites for wine collectors and casual drinkers alike. According to CellarTracker founder Eric LeVine, about half a million people visit the website each month—rising to about three-quarters of a million in the winter months.

"CellarTracker began almost accidentally, said Mr. LeVine, a wine collector and former Microsoft employee who retired from the company in 2004 at age 34. A couple of years earlier, Mr. LeVine had decided to create a software system to keep track of his wine cellar. His early design was "pretty rudimentary," by his own admission, but when he showed it to a few collector friends, they wanted to use it as well. (Most were using a laborious spreadsheet program or a cellar book written by hand.) Mr. LeVine didn't have outsize expectations about his system; he hoped for a few hundred fellow note-takers at most. "I personally couldn't imagine a smaller niche category," he said."

I was at a grocery store on Saturday, and a product demonstrator was offering little sips of the Little Penquin Pinot Noir... I liked this one..

But... I did a short google search and found someone online that in 2007, did not like this wine all that much. So, why post it?

Because, you need to develop a nose for what YOU LIKE.

You also need to find some reviewer that likes what you like or at least can give you a consistant base line for judgement - someone that has a developed nose.

For that purpose, I think you will find Cheap Wine Reviews (see below) a useful website.

I like Tim Lemke's writing style and his tasting note for this wine, even if I did not have the same problem with the NOSE of this wine... it might just be MY NOSE is no longer any good for writing wine reviews or notes.

In any case , I still like this Little Red Wine from Down Under, the country of Australia, where they do have Little Penguins.

Freddallas

NOTE about Vinetage Date on the Label : When the bottle does not have a vinetage or year date on the label, you have no way of knowing what year(s) of grape crops were blended to make the wine. In the case of a Varietal like Pinot Noir, you have no way of knowing how much Pinot Noir is in the wine itself --- No date tells you that the wine in the bottle is LESS of the Pinot Noir grape that you might expect... it can drop off to 51% in some countries and some states in the USA if there is NO DATE on the label.

The date might tell you what year's crop was used and how much of a specific varietal grape is used in the blending, but it will not tell you how it tastes.
That comes when you open it.

Notice that in Tim Lemke 's review below that Wine, unlike Coke, varies from year to year, even for the same Brand/Wineyard offering. That's both the joy and disappointment of drinking wine, folks!

Freddallas.... now on to Little Penquin Pinot Noir!







http://www.thelittlepenguin.com/wines/pinotnoir

How to get the most out of drinking the Little Penguin wines.

The Basics:
1.Open a bottle of wine.
2.Pour it in a glass.
3.Open your mouth.
4.Tip wine into your mouth.
5.Swallow. (preferably before reaching full capacity)
6.Enjoy. (In moderation, of course.)
This may sound simple to you, but to a penguin this is no small task. There are some more advanced steps that can make you look like an experienced wine drinker. (If that kind of thing is important to you.)

1.Look at the wine.
Hold the glass by the stem (It's called stemware, get it?) and tip it away from you, preferably against a white background. Examine it carefully for color and clarity. (A furrowed brow or inquisitive gaze may enhance the authoritarian effect here.) Is it bright or dull? Intense or muted? Clear or cloudy?

2.Smell the wine.
Swirl the wine in the glass, paying special attention to avoid wearing it on your shirt or blouse. Then smell the wine. Unlike penguins (for obvious reasons when you consider their diet) our sense of smell is incredibly important in how our sense of taste works. Swirling enhances the smell of the wine by releasing any exciting fruit aromas and allowing it to react with air. You will want to take one big sniff. Go ahead stick your schnoz all the way in there. Then describe what you smell.

3.Sip the wine.
Finally, take a generous sip and let the wine rest in your mouth. It may help to aspirate, or draw a little air into your mouth, but gargling is considered inappropriate. Consider the wine. What does it taste like? How does it feel? At this point, you can either choose to spit or to swallow the wine. Either way, you will get the full effect of the taste. If spitting, try to avoid the general direction of other people and restrain from making loogy sounds.

4.Take note.
So, what did you think? Write it down - what it smelled like, your first impressions, the aftertaste. More importantly, did you like it? If you did, go ahead and have another sip, no one will blame you.

5.Repeat.
Do it all over again, just with a different wine. You might want to have a drink of water and a bite of bread to "cleanse your palate" before moving to the next wine.

6.Enjoy!

http://cheapwineratings.com/2007/09/18/little-penguin-pinot-noir-waddle-on/

Little Penguin Pinot Noir – Waddle On…My Quest for Good Cheap Pinot Noir continues with a cheapy from South Eastern Australia produced by the Little Penguin. This Penguin has a nice fruity center, but a little bit of funk at both ends.

OK… should I explain that, or let your imagination do the work?

I’ll explain.

The Good

the Little Penguin Pinot Noir 2006 has a nice, fruity palate. Strawberry, blueberry and currant make it almost a fruit bomb. There is also a hint of spice, but it falls short. I would have liked a bit more spice. It also has a nice velvety mouth feel.

The Funk

The nose is a bit of a turn off. I can only describe it as a combination of sweaty socks and strawberries. I was almost afraid to taste it after my first wiff. (This is the point where if I were Gary Vaynerchuk I would stuff a sweaty sock into my mouth to prove that I know understand sweaty socks… but trust me, I know this smell.)

That is part of the funk, but I did say “funk at both ends.” One being the nose, the other end being the finish where the Little Penguin left me with a touch of a metallic aftertaste.

Net-net

While there were some funk-a-delics to this Pinot Noir, it only cost about $6. Not bad. And if you expect a $6 Pinot to totally kick ass you’re going to be disappointed. I didn’t dump this bottle, but it wasn’t awesome either. I gave it an 80. Give it a few minutes to open up and you’ll enjoy it a lot more. But, I would recommend you waddle past this one, and try something else.

Wine: the Little Penguin
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 80


A Quest for Good Cheap Pinot Noir

I was almost ready to write up this summary on my Quest for a Good, Cheap Pinot Noir when I noticed that more recent vintages of my top two picks were on the shelves. To be relevant to those shopping now, I had to pick them up to ensure they are worthy of top picks.

And wouldn’t you know it… the newer vintages didn’t hold up.

So what does that mean?
There is no clear winner.
Yep, the naysayers won (those bastards). There is not a great, cheap pinot noir that I could find. That said, there are some decent mediocre ones.

One of the frustrations of a cheap wine aficionado is that sometimes your picks just don’t work out. The good news is, when that happens it’s only a few bucks and not a $40+ bottle of disappointing wine.

So what were the top picks that didn’t work out with more recent vintages?

•Rosemount Estate Pinot Noir 2004 was my original top pick with a rating of 89.
•Mark West Vin de Corse Pinot Noir 2005 was my second pick with an 88.
The 2006 vintage of Rosemount Estate Pinot Noir dropped to an 84 rating. It’s still an OK bottle of wine, but it’s nothing exceptional. It offers cherry, apple and vanilla on the nose. It has a somewhat fruity palate with strawberry, plum and apple, but all are subtle. The tannins are soft and it has a medium length finish that lacks complexity. It also cost a dollar more than the 2004 vintage cost me… damn inflation!

The 2006 vintage of Mark West Pinot Noir fared a little better. Now I should note that Mark West puts out Pinot Noir from different regions and the only 2006 release that I’ve found is from California versus the 2005 I tasted with French grapes. The 2006 Mark West has a smoke, vanilla, red raspberry and cherry on the nose. I did enjoy the nice, warm mouth feel. Plum, cherry, raspberry and earth make up the palate. It has dry tannins and a medium length finish. I gave it an 86.

Others Worth Mentioning

I gave a reluctant 88 to 47 Pound Rooster Pinot Noir from HRM Rex-Goliath! Wines. The reason it’s a reluctant 88 is that it has no vintage. As you can see with the Rosemount Estate example above, there can be quite a difference from one vintage to the next. I don’t like wines that keep vintage a mystery as I just don’t know what I’m getting.

Another worth mentioning is the Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir 2005. I gave it an 87 and I can still remember the crisp spiciness of this wine. It was enjoyable. I’m sure the 2006 is on the shelves by now and I haven’t tried it yet… that will be up to you.

The Ratings Chart

As a part of my summaries I like to include a chart of all my wine ratings for that category so that you can get a quick glance at what I tasted and how it rated.

Brand
Year
Region
Rating
Price

Rosemount Estate
2004
Australia
89
$8.99

Mark West – Vin de Corse
2005
France
88
$10.99

47 Pound Rooster
N/A
California
88
$9.99

Pepperwood Grove
2005
California
87
$6.99

Mark West – Appelation California
2006
California
86
$10.99

Meridian
2005
California
85
$9.49

Castle Rock
2006
California
85
$14.99

Rosemount Estate
2006
Australia
84
$9.99

Beringer Founder’s Estate
2004
California
83
$9.99

Robert Mondavi – Woodbridge
2005
California
82
$6.99

Three Thieves
2005
California
82
$9.99

The Little Penguin
2006
Australia
80
$5.99

Mezzacorona
2005
Italy
78
$7.99

Blackstone
2005
California
73
$7.99

About Cheap Wine Ratings

Cheap Wine Ratings is all about finding good wine at affordable prices.

For years we’ve been searching for the best value wines. It’s a quest to identify good wines for everyday drinking and hidden gems that you may have to hunt a little bit to find. Wading through all the choices and finding the best picks is no easy task, so we wanted to share our findings with other wine lovers like you. And thus, cheapwineratings.com was born.

The process for rating wines on this site is systematic, with numerous qualitative characteristics evaluated to determine a wine’s rating. That rating is coupled with a descriptive review to give you a sense of how good a wine is and why you’ll enjoy it—or not. We provide ratings based on a 100 point system, but don’t just go by the numbers… there are a lot nuances and personal preferences that will determine your personal favorites and we hope that our tasting notes help you pick those out.

While we use a 100 point system, most wines we review end up somewhere between the mid-70’s to the low-90’s. If you go by the numbers, here’s a good way to think about them:

•80 and below: Don’t bother
•81-83: Drinkable wine
•84-86: Good
•87-89: Very good
•90+: Exceptional
The general rule of thumb on cheapwineratings.com is that wines featured will be $20 or less. We may go over that price occasionally, but that will be rare and noted. In our opinion, you don’t need to spend a lot to get great wine, you just need to make informed choices.

Who’s Behind Cheap Wine Ratings?

This site was founded by Tim Lemke in Cincinnati, Ohio. He’s not a sommelier or anything fancy like that. But he is an avid wine consumer with a knowledgeable palate and a diligent approach to evaluating wines. Tim does most of the reviews on the site, with a little help from wife, Robyn.

Feedback and suggestions are encouraged.
You can contact Tim by sending an e-mail to tim@cheapwineratings.com