Mary Stanford

7.0

I had high hopes for this one based on the rave reviews I keep seeing. I don't get those reviews. It's not bad, but it's also not great. There are many other wines at this price point that are better. It improves some if you let it breathe until it's old enough to vote, but who wants to put that much effort into an inexpensive wine? Winemaker notes say that it was aged in oak barrels for 26 months. There is definitely a very strong wood component, but not enough fruit to balance it. Save your money. — 5 years ago

Mary Stanford

8.9

Tried this at a wine tasting in Budapest & liked it so much, I brought a bottle home. Super easy drinking Hungarian muscat in the ottonel (Central European) style. It's still very much a typical moscato flavor profile, but one that's been dialed down a bit. Sweet, but not as cloyingly sweet as moscatos often are in the US. Lovely. Tasted like spring. Picnic friendly screwtop too. Not particularly sophisticated, I'll admit, but sometimes neither am I. — 6 years ago

Mary Stanford

6.8

If you really like unoaked chardonnay maybe this will be ok to you, but to me it just tastes bitter. There's also an alcohol burn on the end that I'd expect at a lower price range. Lemon & grass predominate. — 5 years ago

Mary Stanford

7.8

You know how sometimes you're invited to a casual potluck thing & you want to bring a decent wine that you'll like, but you've run out of your "go-to" every day wine & you know that this is not the crowd to appreciate a nicer bottle, so you decide to just stop at the closest grocery store & grab something under $10 that's reliably "good enough"? This is one of the wines I buy in that scenario. Tastes of cocoa & blackberries. A little thin but not too watery. I prefer the Silk version, but this is fine too. — 6 years ago

Mary Stanford

9.3

This is the kind of wine that swaggers up to the microphone & dawls,"Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." It's a big, bold, full-bodied red with a fair amount of tannin & acidity, but it still goes down oh so easily. Lovely aroma that tingles the back of your nose. Hits all the taste buds: fruity & spicy with just the right amount of oak at the end. I grumble about paying for hype with a lot of higher priced wines, but the craftsmanship shows with this one. Yes please. — 5 years ago

Mary Stanford

8.5

Well balanced Bordeaux style red with firm but not astringent tannins. Has a big balsamic-like kick on the front end, then quickly settles into lingering notes of dark chocolate, blackberry & currant. It's fairly bold, so best when paired with a meal such as pork or lamb. Nice, although maybe not special enough for the price point (typically around $35). That said, it's well worth picking up if you find it on sale, so keep an eye out for it. — 6 years ago