The Pennywise Lost Angel

Lost Angel Moscato, 2010

Sonoma, CA

This Moscato had a complex taste. A "subdued sweet", the Lost Angel displayed hints of sweet and slightly sharp. At 13.5%, this light wine has citrus and other fruit characteristics. The Moscato presented itself more bold than others in its class - an interesting trip form the norm.

Rating: 68/100

Recommendation: If you are looking for a dessert sweet Moscato, then you should look past this wine. But, if you are wanting to try a white wine that serves up an interesting taste this should give you an adventure.

Price: $10

Pennywise Cab, 2009
Napa,CA

The Cabernet had a very full taste and yet felt very smooth. At 14%, the Cab began with a dark, deep fruity taste - everything you should expect in this popular blend. This wine has a very classic, charismatic Cabernet profile - which suits it well. Strong, bold flavors captivate the pallet and a tannic finish polish this wine off with a particular delight.

Rating: 79/100
Recommendation: This wine was a good Cabernet. It had the right flavors and showed the true colors of a classic red wine. A smooth wine throughout - it was very enjoyable.

Price: $15

A Night in Edna Valley

Pinot Noir, 2009 

Edna Valley, CA

The Pinot Noir, this elegant wine shows its maturity and does so with grace. The tannin presence is stronger and the fruit presents itself as a subtle nuance to the overall flavor. The wine captivates the essence of what a mature wine should be, bold with tarty tannins - but maintains a light, Pinot Nior color. Very consistent throughout, this wine is wonderfully heavy on the tannins and through that enchants the drinker with its sophistication. 

Rating: 80/100 

Recommendation: If you enjoy mature wines, this is the Pinot Noir for you. Even those who like fruitier wines can still enjoy this delightful blend of flavors. This is a very good representation of what a Pinot Noir should taste like.  

Price: $20

Merlot, 2009

Edna Valley, CA

The Merlot, this wine displayed lighter elements than would be expected in a Merlot. Despite its age, it displays many features of a young wine. It was much lighter than would have been expected for a wine its age. The tannins showed themselves more subtle than the previous 2009 Edna Valley. It showed itself without fruit flavors and at the same time only revealing small amounts of the Merlot your would expect three years off the vine. 

Rating: 80/100

Recommendation: For a Merlot this was lite. If an introductory Merlot is what is desired this is a good starting point. It displayed both youthful and experienced traits throughout its flavor. A good wine, but not the best showing for its category.

Price: $13

Cowboy Up

Tenacious Red, 2011

Paso Robles, California

This Paso Robles region wine has extraordinarily full-bodied, bold taste that does not leave the pallet wanting. The fruit strongly presents itself in the opening notes of the taste, gently giving way to a surprising tannin-dominant finish. This wine stands more mature than one would expect for a 2011 vintage - while still maintaining the fruit overtones that is characteristic in a young wine. At 13.5% ABV, this red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah affords the taste buds an excellent experience.



Rating:81/100
Recommendation: Despite its age, this wine still had a full taste while maintaining the young, light body. The culmination of fruity character and the burst of flavors at the finish made this a very enjoyable wine. I would highly recommend this.
Price: $11

Wine Wednesday

To celebrate the middle of the week, we decided to try out two new wines, one white and one red. 

The first wine we tried was a Sauvignon Blanc from Curico Valley, Chile. The winery is called La Playa and it is from their Estate Series of wine. This wine is very dynamic - it begins with a short culmination of fruity, crisp acidity then sharply turns into a dry flavor where the 12.8% alcohol becomes more dominant. This wine is particularly interesting since it presents itself on the pallet having two distinct tones to its flavor. This is an exhilarating experience for its taste, and an adventure throughout. 

Sauvignon Blanc, 2011

La Playa-Chile

Rating: 61/100

Recommendation: This is an interesting wine with very different flavors that do not necessarily compliment each other. Depending on your taste the finish can be harsh. This would be an adventurous try.
Price: $11

The second wine we tried was a Pinot Noir from Hangtime Wineriers in Napa, California. The first glass had a light fruity start and main body and finished with a spark of tart.  After the wine opened up further it became more full bodied starting with the fruity grape flavor and ending full of tannins. The full bodied experience is surprising given the light red color of the wine. Once it opened up it was very satisfying.

Pinot Noir, 2010
Napa Valley-CA

Rating: 74/100
Recommendation: If you are looking for a light, yet full bodied red wine this is a good option. It is "good" as a Pinot Noir - nothing that makes it stand out from the crowd. It's unique characteristic is its strong grape flavor while it maintains a signature overtone expected in a Pinot Noir.
Price: $14

Boggled on a Friday Evening

After encountering a wine tasting venue, I tried a strong Zin that took a few sips to get acquainted with. It inspired me to select Bogle Vineyards, Old Vine Zinfandel for this evening. This wine is a 2010, Clarksburg California wine, at 14.5%,  with tastes of old vine blackberry, black cherry and raspberry along with vanilla and an oaked taste. The wine itself was very light but certainly packed a punch of flavors.

     Old Vine Zinfandel, 2010
Bogle Vineyards, Clarksburg, CA

Rating:81/100

Recommendation: Solid showing for a Zin. Good wine for the price. Certainly a good wine to try. Room for improvement as a Zinfandel.

Red and White on a Thursday Night

Brian loves red wines, so to begin our wine tasting for the evening we started out with a 2010 Pinot Noir from Don Rodolfo, an Argentina winery. This wine was made in a high altitude vineyard and is 13.5% alcohol. The wine begins with black cherry aromas and flavors and leads to other rich red fruits. The wine is very light and fruity with a hint of spice as an added kick. The wine was enjoyed by itself at the end of the evening.

    Pinot Noir, 2010
Don Rodolfo - Argentina

Rating: 89/100
Recommendation: Highly Recommended. Good Price. Worked Well as an Evening Wine. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed this wine.




To characterize me as a fan of white wines would be a tough stretch. I find my home in big, bold red wines. My drive to branch out into white wines stemmed from Sara's white wine passion. Pinot grigio is a particularly notable point in my white wine excursions. With faint aromas of apple and citrus this wine will not grab your senses, but slightly tease them. As far as grigios go - this wine fully withstands the standard for this tart, white category. The sweet aspects of these fruits hint throughout each sip - but the overall dominant factor is the tangy grasp of the tongue. This wine was enjoyed as an evening wine, and at 13.5% ABV it's a formidable wine.

               Pinot Grigio
Castle Rock  - Monterey, CA USA

Rating: 68/100
Recommendation: This wine was an average pinot grigio. I enjoyed it as a wine, but as far as a pinot grigio it didn't bring anything extra. It was still enjoyable and would recommend as a standard pinot grigio for paring with meals.

Veni Vidi Vinum

I came, I saw, I wined. As two aspiring wine connoisseurs (snobs) it is our desire to catalog and categorize our explorations of the vine. The purpose of this blog is to enhance our experience, expand our palate, and record our sojourn through each bottle - in an attempt to find wines that compliment our character and capture our taste. We open our experience to you, the reader, to add not only to our journey but also to yours.