Thursday, March 29, 2007

Drink the Vine: Guest Review

Hey folks. I hope your week is going well so far. Now I know you guys are used to hearing from me and Grape Nut regarding our tastes in wine. But, I thought it'd be cool to start to offer you something different from time to time. So today, I'm happy to introduce what will become a regular monthly column...the DTV Guest Review. This seems like a fun way to get our readers perspectives on the wines they are drinking...some of which may very well be recommendations from us. So, without further ado, I am proud to introduce our first ever guest review.

This review was submitted by Jim Tax, a friend and fellow wine lover who lives in Seattle, WA. Jim has the luxury of frequently drinking the wines of Washington and Oregon (many of which don't make their way this far east). Having had the luxury of working on a project with Jim for some 2 months in Chicago last year, we frequently discussed and drank wine together. I can honestly say I trust his judgement when it comes to wine recommendations. Thanks to Jim for sending this over.

If anybody else would like to provide a guest review for next month, please email us at drinkthevine@gmail.com. We will select the best written reviews for use in future columns.

The Wine: 2005 Owen Roe Abbot’s Red Table Wine
Country: USA
Region: Oregon, Walla Walla Valley
Category: Red blend (Claret-esque)
Price: $22.99 retail ($45 in restaurant)
Decanted or Not: No

Tasting Notes:

Color: Medium Ruby Red

Nose: Not what you’d expect from Oregon (power and charm). Some oak, pepper and fruit hit the nose all at once and it is hard to tell which is the strongest. Great balance.

Taste: Plum and pepper open with a long tobacco and chocolate finish. The spice pairs it well with a hearty Italian meal and the finish makes this the perfect pairing for about any red meat. Don’t expect to have just one bottle. This wine is perfect if you have the stereo-typical Napa person that will only drink California reds. Stellar wine with a great range and smooth finish, all at a pretty good value.

The Verdict: 9 corks

Note: While I have never had this wine, I have seen this wine rated from 85 to 93 on cellartracker. So clearly it is a crowd pleaser. Jimbo, if you happen to order this puppy in bulk, I expect a bottle.

1 comment:

Grape Nut said...

Great review Jim. Does anyone know if they ship this wine out east?