2009 Papio Cabernet Sauvignon (by Joel)

If you haven’t read any of my previous wine reviews, all you need to know beforehand is that I focus on the value of the wine based on what I paid.  I am not only looking for a good tasting wine, but I’m looking for a great wine at a great price.  If you want more detail on how I define a good value, see my first wine review.  So now to the review…
Papio is a California wine that I picked up for $3.99 at Grocery Outlet. GO claims that regular retail price for a bottle is $12.99 but I couldn’t verify that anywhere.  For $4, it is a good California wine.  It is a deep red with a smooth taste. I usually like wine more a day or two after I’ve opened it but this wine was consistent from the first sip to the last drop.  There is nothing that stood out but nothing really negative that I noticed.  Overall, it was simply a good dinner wine.
 
Wine rating: 6 out of 10
Value Rating: Medium

2009 12 Apostles Cabernet Sauvignon Review (by Joel)

If you haven’t read any of my previous wine reviews, all you need to know beforehand is that I focus on the value of the wine based on what I paid.  I am not only looking for a good tasting wine, but I’m looking for a great wine at a great price.  If you want more detail on how I define a good value, see my first wine review.  So now to the review…
The bottle is a 2009 12 Apostles Cabernet Sauvignon from Aussie Vineyards. We bought this at Grocery Outlet for $2.99. Aussie Vineyards lists Grocery Outlet as the only US distributor so I ignore the regular price of $12.99 that Grocery Outlet claims the wine sells for elsewhere.  In my previous review of a 2009 Buckley’s Cove cabernet, I suspected that the 12 Apostles cabernet and the Buckley’s Cove cabernet were in fact the same wine under two different brandings by Aussie Vineyards.  After trying both, I no longer think that it is the same wine.  The Buckley’s Cove was a terrible wine, getting a low value rating and an overall score of 2 out of 10.  I’m happy to report the 12 Apostles is a little better.

The wine itself has a dark appearance that glows more purple than red. Like the other south Australian cabernet’s I’ve had, 12 Apostles was too dry for my taste.  It had a sweet plum and berry flavor. It’s mild flavor left it feeling underaged. For the price I paid, I was content enough to finish the bottle but I won’t be buying again unless my options were pretty limited.  If you’ve pulled this review up on your phone while standing in the wine aisle, my recommendation would be to try the wine for yourself if you get it at $3 but pass at any higher price.

Wine rating: 4 out of 10
Value Rating: Medium

2009 Buckley’s Cove Cabernet Sauvignon Review (by Joel)

Time for another wine review! Katy and I loaded up on the recent Grocery Outlet 20% Off Sale, buying almost 20 bottles of wine.  Most of the wines were cabernets, my favorite along with malbecs.  After a big purchase like this, I have a lot of wines to choose from when starting a new bottle. I have a tendency to drink the ones I am least interested first, working my way towards my favorites.

For my first bottle from the batch, I chose a cabernet sauvignon from south eastern Australia. The wine is a 2009 cab branded as Buckley’s Cove.  The reason I was least interested in this particular wine is because its labeling leads me to believe that it is branded under several different labels sold at Grocery Outlet, most likely all the same wine. With so many wines out there, I rarely like to drink the same wine twice. Suspecting that this wine was bottled under several different labels that I purchased made me feel a little cheated.  However, the bottle was only $2.99 before the 20% discount, so I can’t gripe too much.  Grocery Outlet claims the bottle sells for $12.99 elsewhere, which I find funny since the distributor lists Grocery Outlet as the only US seller.  In other words, this is regularly a $3 bottle of wine.  So at $3, is it a good value?

I chose to use an aerator on the freshly opened bottle. If you have never used an aerator, I assure you it is not a myth that it instantly changes the taste of a wine. The difference is always noticeable, but it doesn’t always improve the flavor. On some wines, I like the changed taste, others not so much.  On the Buckley’s, my first glass was underwhelming.  The taste was overly sweet with a tart aftertaste. It tasted like berries that were not ripe yet, which is not an appealing flavor.  I gave this wine another shot without the aerator.  It was still too tart and had a strange sparkling water-like zing. I may have trouble even finishing this bottle. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this wine a 2 with the aerator, 3 without it.

I try to give all wines an equal chance, keeping in mind that price inherently can impact perception.  With an open mind, this still tastes like a wine that should be priced at $3.
Wine rating: 2 out of 10
Value Rating: Low

Guest Post: 2005 Le Chanceux Cabernet Sauvignon Review (by Joel)

This blog is typically not about wine, partly because Katy doesn't drink wine very often.  However, she really likes it when I guest blog so I decided to use her blog for a wine review. I'll begin with my credentials; I have none.  I drink a lot of wine but don't think I qualify as a wineo.  Most of the wine I drink comes from Grocery Outlet, a "bargain market" that sells deeply discounted items acquired from overstocked distributors or liquidating businesses.  I typically pay less than $10 a bottle, often less than $5. Like everything I buy, I look for value.  If I buy a bottle of wine for $15 that is usually priced at $100, that is a good deal. But if that same wine tastes the same as a $5 bottle of wine, it was not a good value.  I find that Grocery Outlet typically offers good value for wine. All the wine aficionados probably stopped reading at $5, so for the rest of us, here is my review.

My latest Grocery Outlet treasure is a 2005 Le Chanceux Cabernet Sauvignon.  This vintage is from Belle Filles Vineyard of Napa Valley.  The pricetag (if you believe it) said the normal price is $50, but Grocery Outlet sold it to me for $10.  I googled the label and found that the bottle actually does sell for around $50 at other retailers so it was a good deal, but was it a good value?

The first thing I noticed was like most of the 5+ year old vintages I have had, this cabernet has developed a fair amount of sediment in the bottle. I like to call it the "pulp".  You can avoid getting much of the pulp if you are careful to not agitate the bottle too much when pouring, but it doesn't bother me either way.  On first taste, I noticed a pretty deep oak taste and tobacco. There is very little sweetness to this wine and it is very smooth. I don't know all the wine terminology but I would say the taste is quite bold or rich. It has a deep, lasting aroma like a malbec. Overall, I would give it a 9.5 out of 10.  For a $10 price tag, that is the value I am looking for in a wine.  If you happen to find this for a similar price, grab a few bottles!

Grocery Outlet Wine Shopping

This weekend the Grocery Outlet is having a wine sale - 20% off all wine purchases.  In case you didn’t know – the Grocery Outlet’s wine is already REALLY discounted ($12 wine for $4) and they have a pretty good selection too!
I’ll post pictures/details of our purchase, but for now:

Joel was pretty excited about our wine shopping excursion!

Skagit River Brewery

On our way up to Bellingham on Saturday, we made a quick stop at the Skagit River Brewery in Mount Vernon for lunch.  After pouring over the menu, we finally decided to split the Brisket Sandwich and caesar salad.


Our ratings (on a scale of 1-5):
Price:  3 – $13 for a sandwich and salad seemed a little steep for where we were but there was more than enough food in the one order for both of us for lunch
Food: 4 - It was a nice lunch, and while the meat was tender and the bbq was good, the caesar and bun for the sandwich both could have been better.
Service: 4 – The service was good and the staff was friendly, even though they seemed busy and slightly understaffed for a Saturday afternoon.