Wine Reviews & Ratings

A Good Wine vs. A Bad Wine

The following reviews illustrate how different 2 bottles of wine can be based on quality. Both cost around $15. Below will illustrate in more details a few key tasting terms.

A Good Wine

2005 Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Horse Heaven Hills Chardonnay $$

Color: Medium gold

Nose: Rich, spice, oak, pear, and apple

Taste: Oak, vanilla, spice, pear, apple

Finish: Medium with spice, oak, vanilla, that weaves into a buttery finish.

Evaluation: The best white wine for under $15 I have ever had. 92 points

A Bad Wine

2005 Wine By Joe Oregon Pinot Gris $$

Color: Light gold

Nose: Chlorine, mineral

Taste: Bitter! Flint rock and watered down

Finish: Short, bitter with flint rock

Evaluation: Very poorly made! 70 points

Key Wine Terms when Reviewing wine

Vintage- For both wines the vintage is not the problem. The 2005 Vintage for Washington and Oregon are solid

Appellations/Specific Vineyard Site- Huge difference here. The grapes for the Wine By Joe could be source from anywhere in the state which will assure less quality then if they were from the Willamette Valley. The Ste. Michelle is the Canoe Ridge Label(An upgrade then their regular Chardonnay) and is from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. Horse Heaven Hills produces quality wine for the most part.

Nose & Taste- Great wine will be loaded with several descriptors for both. One dimensional wines will have one or two descriptors. Plus the Wine by Joe has a negative descriptor with the chlorine.

Finish: Medium to Long will illustrate much better quality then short.

Evaluation: The Ste. Michelle is an easy buy for $15. It far out seeds its cost for the 92 points I gave it.

Enjoy my Twin Cities Professional Wine Reviews and take advantage of wine shop sales around town.