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tulaw's Review:

Dry and fruity. This is a really good Barbera that one can get at Rossmann drogeries in Germany. It is a pleasure to drink. I will have to get more, and maybe even send some back to the states with me.

tulaw's Review:

If this was a $50 Bordeaux, I might not rank it quite so high, but for around $15, this is a very good 9 yr old Bordeaux. I find the tannins to be quite soft, and I doubt they could soften much more. Having said that, I think this wine is ready to drink now and has likely reached its prime. For the price, I will definitely buy some more and share it with friends. 2000 was not a bad year, and this wine will not disappoint.

tulaw's Review:

My first sniff screamed out "earth tones". This wine is so deep purple you will immediately thing of Smucker's concorde grape jelly, but the taste will confuse the senses. This is actually a very nice blend of two different and contrasting grapes. The body of the cab with the spiciness of the syrah creates a nice wine. Bellingham crafted a fine wine but typically high in alcohol by volume at 14%. Personnally, I think the flavor would benefit from a lower alcohol level, but I think that about everything but Jack Daniel's Old No. 7.

tulaw's Review:

Very nice Spanish wine with lots of flavor and body. At this price it is one of the best in its class. This is a dry wine with a nice balance of fruitiness and vanilla character. Well done, Vina Albali.

tulaw's Review:

So I am thinking to myself, somebody must surely like this wine, right? I don't. Oddly, I think Lamberti's Pinot Nero is one of the best in Europe for the price, but I spent the same 4.99 euros for this bottle of Bardolino Classico, and I am tempted to pour it down the sink. This is a typical Bardolino consisting of a very light bodied red with a long finish, and a somewhat bitter fruity taste. Truthfully, this is worse than the cheapest of French table wines. I think I will mix it with some fruit, juice and brandy and make a sangria out of the rest of this bottle. Drink at your own risk.OK, it didn't make a very good sangria, but I chilled it way down and drank it like a white or rose, and it was ok. Just be warned you are getting a very light red wine without the full range of flavors one would expect from an Italian red.

tulaw's Review:

Ok, so I am hooked on Barbera wines. This is not a great wine, but it is a great grape with a great taste and dryness in the wine. This is your typical grocery store version of an otherwise wonderful Italian varietal. This is a fine wine, and it makes a wonderful table wine for everyday dinners. Right price and widely available in Germany.

tulaw's Review:

This dark cabernet has a bouquet that immediately screams black cherry, chocolate, maybe a hit of vanilla, and earth. It is a strong flavored wine with lots of body, typical of California cabs. This is a good cab; nice and dry; meaty; nice taste and a fairly short finish for a big bodied cab. I find this wine a bit pricey for the quality, and at 13.5% alc., I think some of the quality is sacrificed for the alcohol level. I know that is a prevalent trend especially in American wineries, but i would like it better at around 12 to 12.5%.

tulaw's Review:

There is a reason Gavi wines are considered the best of Italy, and that is because they go GREAT with Italian pastas. Wow this was the perfect wine for a penne in white sauce. This wine was not particularly dry (of course I am a red wine fanatic who loves a wine as dry as the Mojave desert) but it is a perfect complement to pasta. Rather long finish, with a very fruity taste-- but not too sweet. None of the oakiness of a Chardonnay, so don't expect to experience that. At 12.5%, I can not even taste the alcohol. This is a very well made wine that you will be proud to serve your guests.

tulaw's Review:

Finally a young wine that is as dry as I like them! This is my first time to try a Barbera d'Asti, and I am immediately hooked. This wine has a fruity, dark cherry-like bouquet with a hint of oakiness and charcoal. The dryness would have made me think the wine was 5 to 7 years older, so if you like dry red wines, this is a good alternative to more expensive, earlier vintage reds. Although the wine does not have as much body as a well aged Cab, it is certain to please. I would definitely serve this to guests, and for the price, you can't go wrong.

tulaw's Review:

I try a lot of different wines here in Germany and sample a variety of regions. When I am feeling homesick for the USA, I will buy a California wine at either my local wine shop or at the grocery store. I am always looking for that great find for a great price. . .this is really not it. This very fruity Cab unfortunately has a bouquet that is overpowered by the alcohol. At 13%, it is about the highest I will buy in a table wine, but like many young wines, if you let this sit for a while the fruit balances out the alcohol. This is a dry wine, with a long finish. It is cheap, and yes, it tastes cheap. Having said that, the flavor is not bad, and it is fine for drinking while sitting at the computer or over a cheap pizza. No one would serve this to guests, but hey, it beats water. Sadly, it is better than you will often get in a restaurant if you just get the house wine, so you might decide to make it your own "house wine". But I wouldn't.