Viña Zaco Tempranillo
We loved the 2010 version of this wine and we love the 2011 vintage even more. The price is still the same as last year’s vintage, $9.99. It’s amazing that the price did not rise from last year. Thank you Spanish wines! We found the Viña Zaco 2011 in good supply at two stores, K&L Wines and the World Market Cost Plus store in the Bridge Point shopping center. If this wine were made in California, we would be lucky to find it for under $20. Viña Zaco is made by Bodegas Bilbainas, and we saw first hand how one of Spain’s oldest wineries makes their wines. In 2013 at the Wine Bloggers Conference, we toured Bilbainas. We met the winemaker and assistant winemaker and even did a punch down work with them. These guys were fun, enthusiastic, and passionate about making quality wines. It is a first-rate Rioja winery.
The Viña Zaco is 100% Tempranillo and comes with a screw top. It has a lovely nose of fresh red and dark fruit. Blueberry and blackberry burst in the mouth. It is moderate in style with good acidity and a long, lingering finish. As we drank this wine over the course of the evening, we enjoyed it more and more. Some wines tire as you drink them, but this one is quite the opposite. Next time I cook up my favorite Paella dish, this will be my wine of choice. Robert Parker gives it 90 Points and I agree with him. Delicious and certainly worthy of a trip back to the wine shop for more.
Wine Reviews from Vintage Wine Member Bruce
Woodwork 2013 Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon – Costco $6.99
The regular price at Costco is $8.99 but you get a $2 rebate at checkout. I think it is a pretty decent wine. It starts out almost sweet and then mellows out to slightly tart. It does not taste like a true Cabernet. Perhaps it is the American White Oak that it’s aged in that gives it a different character. It is certainly enjoyable and worth a try at this price. Woodwork Wines is a Sonoma County winery owned by Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines. They produce three varietals with a suggested retail price of $14.99.
Sledgehammer, El Gaucho, 2012 Malbec Mendoza – Trader Joe’s $3.99
I purchased the Sledgehammer at the Millbrae TJ’s for $3.99. At first taste I thought it was too spicy, but after about an hour it opened up and was surprisingly good. Pretty smooth, a little lighter than most Malbecs, with a little spice, berryish, and the finish lingers for awhile. A real buy at $3.99. I checked the Web and I found the Sledgehammer is selling other places for $7 to $10. It is definitely worth a try at this bargain price. 87/88 points.
I found the Sledgehammer today at Trader Joe’s for $3.99. I opened it and let it aerate for about an hour and it is a very good wine. Cannot believe this price.