Good to see the Taja being a cheap winner, thanks Gary. 🙂

QOTD – Thomas Kruse (Gilroy CA) Claire’s Field Red, every year is worth drinking.

QOTD: on the topic of Monstrell, I’m enjoying a bottle of the 2005 ESTE de bodegas alto almanzora right now. It’s not blowing me away (the finish kind of falls away, leaving just the chalky dryness) but the nose has some nice dried cocoa, barnyard, and vegetation, and I’m getting some nice cola on the palate, as well as a touch of cinnamon mid-palate. Not bad for under $10 at my corner (highly overpriced) liquor store. Would be great with food for sure, but me, I prefer food friendly wines for general “quaffing” anyhow.

GREAT SHOW! Hope I can find the TAJA

QOTD: Had a prosecco to ring in the new year. Nothing special but it was fairly tasty. Love how youre pushing the values again and again. Its finally hit me in the head to start jumping on these $10-$15 wines from other parts of the world.

qotd: terra andina carmenere it was like $8 or something and ended up being one of the more interesting wines i’ve had in the last year. It did need to breath for a couple hours but bright purple? fruits (blueberry + strawberry maybe) and this really interesting almond paste flavor (like dutch letters) started to develop.

QOTD: Inexpensive great wines: Tolva Cab-Merlot (Chile) Lamura Nero D’Avola (Italy)

qotd: Assyritiko