the vine yard 2009 Columbia Valley Late Harvest Riesling - ~$7

Perhaps because I had markedly poor experience with its Cabernet Franc label-mate, I'd put off reviewing the vine yard's Late-Harvest Riesling (LHR). Turns out I needn't have worried. This is a good little off-dry (i.e. sweet) white wine.

Now, there are those who would contend that this wine - off-dry, low (at 9% ABV) in alcohol and associated with funding for breast cancer research - is being marketed unabashedly to women. Women, say, like my mother, who I'm pretty sure would like this wine.  I would counter that this marketing effort doesn't in itself compromise the quality of the wine itself. I'm not a frequent consumer of sweet wines, but I can give respect where respect is due, and it is due here.

Given the low alcohol level and relatively low residual sugars, this is a LHR on the lighter side. The nose offers aromas of baked apple, pineapple, citrus and cinnamon. The mouthfeel is slightly viscous and the flavor is shaped by elements of Macintosh apple sweetness, dried apricot, lychee, and a cinnamon note that reasserts itself on the finish.

If you like off-dry (i.e. sweet) white wines, this will likely do nicely for you. It's sweet in soft, pleasant manner, and while it lacks the balancing acidity of its more distinguished peers (say, an off-dry German Auslese - which would be significantly more expensive as well), it also avoids the cloying, one-note syrupy simplicity of its domestic cousin, white zinfandel.

At ~$8, the vine yard's LHR is playing the same ballpark, price-wise, as similar Washington state bottlings by Hogue and Chateau Ste. Michelle.



Score

Drinkability: 8/10
Price: 3/5
Total value: 11/15

WineWrights 2009 Napa Merlot - ~$10

I really enjoyed Fresh & Easy's WineWrights Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, so I had high hopes for this Merlot. While it's not quite as rich or complex as the Cab, it's a good red in its own right, featuring flavors of plum and chocolate, wrapped up in a pleasantly dense, typically plush Napa Merlot package . There is a measure of oak and soft, lingering tannins on the finish.

All in all, a well-made red from Napa, and at ~$10 the price is definitely right for that storied wine real estate.




Score

Drinkability: 8/10
Price: 4.5/5
Total value: 12.5/15

Chateau Vaguelas 2008 Corbieres "Cuvée Prestige" Red Blend - ~$13

This is not an in-house Fresh & Easy wine, and there was an "Available While Supplies Last" sign on the shelf at my local F&E, so I'm not sure if this is a one-off inventory sort of thing or not. Regardless, this is an interesting wine from the up-and-coming Languedoc region in southern France.

It's pungently grapey in aroma, and follows up with flavors of ripe red cherry and blueberry with a good backbone of leather, spice, and clove notes. The tannins are a touch on the tough side, but all in all this is an interesting wine that offers some real regional character, and that would likely pair well with a variety of typical red wine foods (I suspect it would go quite well with BBQ).

The only sticking point for me is the ~$13 price tag. That's hardly exorbitant for a quality French AOC wine, but Chateau Vaguelas faces some stiff competition from Fresh & Easy's own Chateau Calage GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre) blend, which is characterful, appealing red that goes for almost half that price.






Score

Drinkability: 8.5/10
Price: 3.5/5
Total value: 12/15

Barrel Ranch 2009 Pinot Noir - ~$13

This California Pinot Noir, from Fresh & Easy's Barrel Ranch line, shows an appealing tawny color in the glass (not really relevant to the whole taste experience, but it really is a nice red hue) and offers scents of cherry, white flowers, and earthy mushroom.

In the mouth, it's medium-bodied and well-rounded, featuring flavors of strawberry, sour cherry, and and tart rhubarb.

Overall, it's a wine that straddles the bright red fruit/sinuous earthiness divide that often distinguishes California and Oregon Pinots from each other.  I'm reminded somewhat of Erath's entry-level Pinot Noir in terms of style, though not quite in terms of finesse or complexity, and so at ~$13 it seems to be priced about right.



Score

Drinkability: 8.5/10
Price: 3/5
Total value: 11.5/15

Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon - ~$9

One thing I know about California's Pacific Coast Highway is that it is, according to the USDOT, an "official National Scenic Byway" (as though there are unofficial NSBs lurking out there).  Now that's perhaps not the best way to suck the fun out of one of the most scenic drives in the U.S., but I'd guess that it's up there.

But on to the wine.  This 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon is my first foray into the Pacific Coast Highway (or PCH - I'm not sure which name Fresh & Easy is going with) line of middle-shelf domestics.  It's markedly minty and menthol-y on the nose, with an undercurrent of sweet dark fruit.  On the palate it's fairly plush and inviting, with juicy cherry, blackberry, and boysenberry notes - indeed, "juicy" is an apt single-word descriptor for this wine - balanced a good thread of acidity.  The tannins are modest and short-lived.

In a few words: this is a wine in the company of the likes of California stalwarts Fetzer, Meridian, and perhaps Mondavi's "Private Selection" line.  It's a relatively direct and easy-drinking red that makes for a nice every-other-day sort of bottle, and at ~$9 it's priced at about the level I'd expect for a Cab with grapes sourced from "California" in general rather than a more specific sub-appellation (e.g. Napa).  A good choice, perhaps, to accompany a spring picnic just off of a National Scenic Byway near you.




Score

Drinkability: 8/10
Price: 3.5/5
Total value: 11.5/15

WineWrights 2009 Monterey Pinot Noir - ~$11

Yet another entry in Fresh & Easy's revamped domestic wine portfolio, the WineWrights Pinot Noir makes for a good budget version of a varietal that is often difficult to do well for a budget price.

It's more fruit-driven than Fresh & Easy's Primarius Pinot, featuring mouthfilling flavors of bright, sweetish strawberry and cherry. The good acidity suggests a pairing with grilled or poached salmon or roasted pork loin.


Score

Drinkability: 8.5/10
Price: 4/5
Total value: 12.5/15

I♥CA 2009 California Merlot - ~$4

This straight-forward California Merlot from Fresh & Easy offers plummy berry flavor and moderately astringent tannins on the finish.

Sure, it's a little one-dimensional - and not quite as interesting as its Pinot Grigio label mate. All in all, though, it's a perfectly serviceable wine at a very affordable price. It's definitely a step up, taste-wise, from ultra-bottom-shelfers like The Big Kahuna and Saludas.



Score

Drinkability: 7/10
Price: 4.5/5
Total value: 11.5/15

I♥CA 2009 California Pinot Grigio - ~$4

The, um, stylishly named I♥CA line is a new series of bottom-shelf California varietals at Fresh & Easy.  I suspect Fresh & Easy is becoming a bit more adept with their California bottlings, as the wine in the bottle actually bears a fairly strong resemblance to the description on the back label; in the past, these descriptions were often more the stuff of a marketing department's wishful thinking.

The I♥CA Pinot Grigio offers a green, limey, almost Sauvignon-Blanc-like nose and follows up with green citrus and (the back label doesn't lie!) creamy notes of peach.  All in all, this is a crisp, fairly well-integrated wine.  It's a relatively modest white, to be sure, but it covers a surprising amount of ground for a ~$4 bottle.


Score

Drinkability: 7.5/10
Price: 4.5/5
Total value: 12/15

Ora 2009 Pinot Grigio - ~$5

Fresh & Easy pairs up its Ora Montepulciano D'Abruzzo with this '09 IGT Pinot Grigio from Italy's Veneto region. It's a pleasant, drinkable wine that's light in body and style but still exhibits some varietal character, most notably apple and lemon notes.

At ~$5, it falls within the value category. It's a pretty good candidate for a warm-weather aperitif or a bottle to pair with something along the lines of steamed mussels. In fact, this is just the kind of wine you'd use to make the broth and then drink with the finished mussels.

Score

Drinkability: 7/10
Price: 4/5
Total value: 11/15

Napa Family Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon - ~$12

Given Fresh & Easy's mixed record with California reds, this Napa Cab is a pleasant surprise. A fragrant nose full of bright red cherry and tobacco notes is followed by nice balance of cherry, raspberry and a hint of mint. The lively acidity and good tannic grip offer some nice structure, and the whole package closes out with soft, subtle oak.

So I would put this one in the "win" column; Fresh & Easy's domestic offerings may yet catch up to the recurring quality of its European and New World imports




Score

Drinkability: 8.5/10
Price: 3.5/5
Total value: 12/15

Long Country 2009 Cabernet Savignon - ~$8

This Fresh & Easy Cabernet Sauvignon hails from Chile's Colchagua Valley, typically a reliable area for earthy, robust Cabs.

The wine offers dusty notes of pencil lead and black fruit on the nose and follows through with cherry, raspberry, and dark chocolate on the palate. The tannins a fairly mild and short, and the focus here is on straightforward Cab fruit rather than oak finish. All in all, this is a solid effort at a fairly decent price.




Score

Drinkability: 8/10
Price: 4/5
Total value: 12/15

Hilltown Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay - ~$8

This is the new vintage of Fresh & Easy's Hilltown Chardonnay, reviewed here. This latest release follows in the fruit-forward, unoaked style of the earlier vintage. The flavor profile definitely leans more toward tropical fruit (pineapple, guava) than the earlier iteration, and on the whole the wine is a bit richer and creamier in the mouth.

This is, once again, a nice, approachable white, and still a pretty good deal for the price.



Score

Drinkability: 8.5/10
Price: 4/5
Total value: 12.5/15

Nine Below Chardonnay 2009 - $8

I'm rarely a fan of wine gimmicks, so perhaps my bar was set rather low for this low-calorie, low-alcohol Chardonnay from Southeastern Australia. In any event, I found it drinkable if undistinguished, featuring a straightforward flavor profile of green melon and pear. The finish is relatively clean, though a nit marred by a saccharine-like sweetness that it is a bit out of balance.

This wouldn't be my first choice for an Australian Chard, but if you're in the market for a low-cal, low-alcohol white, this might well do it for you.




Score

Drinkability: 7/10
Price: 3/5
Total value: 10/15

Ora 2008 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - ~$5

I've had good experiences with Fresh & Easy's Italian selections, and so I was curious in a "pleasantly surprised" way when I noticed this Montepulciano d'Abruzzo on the shelf. Even at the Indicazione Geografica Tipica level, Montepulciano d'Abruzzos can be very good wine deals, as evidenced here.

The wine opens with earthy aromas of cherry and blueberry. Typical of the Montepulciano grape, this is soft and approachable red but not at all flabby or fat. The acidity is nicely balanced and gives the wine a nice grip. In the mouth Ora is all about succulent, slightly sour cherry fruit and hints of licorice and tar, and it finishes with soft, sweet tannins.

All in all, this is a fun, juicy, fruit-forward red, and perhaps something to reach for instead of a generic Merlot.




Score

Drinkability: 8/10
Price: 4/5
Total value: 12/15

Pebble Bay 2009 Sauvignon Blanc - ~$6

This Marlborough, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a recent addition to Fresh & Easy's wine shelves, and if you like New World Sauv Blancs, this is pretty good news for you.

The most immediately striking feature out of the bottle and into the glass is the assertive lime-citrus nose that's zingy enough to suggest white pepper.

The green citrus notes continue on the palate, joined by some Granny Smith apple tartness and just a bit of ginger on the back end. A touch fruit cocktail syrup sweetness (without the viscosity, of course) makes it a bit fatter and a little less crisp than the Boro Hills Sauv Blanc, it's New Zealand compatriot at Fresh & Easy.

In the end, I prefer Boro Hills' greater complexity and length (relatively speaking), but this is perfectly fine New World Sauvignon Blanc at a very appealing price.


Score

Drinkability: 8/10
Price: 4.5/5
Total value: 12.5/15

Franciscan 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - ~$24

Franciscan is a well-established quality winery in Napa, California, and so of course it's wines are widely available outside of Fresh & Easy. Still, I thought it would be worthwhile to review one of the "top-shelf" F&E offerings.

The Napa Valley Cab is Franciscan's "entry-level" version, but it is hardly a light-weight red. The nose offers up tobacco, chocolate, and a touch of sweet oak. The palate is at once muscular and lush, defined by dark-roasted coffee and bitter-sweet chocolate laced through with plum and currant notes. The tannins on the finish are assertive but nicely fine-grained and well-integrated with the toasty oak and mocha on the longish finish.

Though at ~$24 it's pricier than most Fresh & Easy offerings (and you can likely get it for closer to or a bit under $20 at larger wine retailers) this is definitely something to consider if you're in the mood for a robust Cab for a special occasion.

Score

Drinkability: 9.5/10
Price: 3.5/5
Total value: 13/15

La Parra Loca - 2008 Sauvignon Blanc/Verdejo Blend - ~$7

This is the white version of La Parra Loca, a counterpart to the tasty Tempranillo/Shiraz red blend. The grape mix of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Verdejo makes for a real winner for the price and an excellent pairing with light summer food.

The Verdejo gives a lush roundness to the pear-and-apple opening and the acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc kicks in deliciously on the crisp finish. Another impressive showing from a Spanish Vino de la Tierra!


Score

Drinkability: 8.5/10
Price: 4.5/5
Total value: 13/15

Other reviews:
Indigo's Sugar Spectrum
Bruce on Adegga.Com

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Palro Estate 2008 Rosé - ~$4

This rosé is a dry Argentinian bottle made from Malbec grapes, which I see more and more in pink wines. It boasts an interesting darkish translucent pink color reminiscent of cherry cough syrup. The nose is fresh and inviting, with highlights of dried flowers and citrus fruit.

Indeed, this is a refreshingly fruity wine offering flavors of strawberry and pomegranate closed out by bracing grapefruity zing. All in all, a pleasant summer sipper.


Score

Drinkability: 7.5/10
Price: 5/5
Total value: 12.5/15

Dreamstone Moscato - ~$9

Fresh & Easy is starting to push some summer sippers and I believe that the Dreamstone Moscato is one of them. This is an Australian wine, made from Frontignac grapes, which are Australia’s version of the remarkably profligate Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains grape.  Indeed, you can find a Muscat wine from just about every wine-producing country in the world

It does have a bit of the characteristic ripe, musky Muscat style on end of the palate. More obvious, though, are the three Ps characteristic of this sort of wine: peach, papaya, and passion fruit.  This wine is lightly carbonated and rather refreshing when well-chilled.  The low alcohol level (8.5% ABV) makes it attractive as a sipper, but the sweetness on the finish does get a bit cloying after a while.

A nice summer drink, but perhaps best paired with dessert – say, strawberry shortcake with fresh whipped cream.


Score

Drinkability: 7.5/10
Price: 3.5/5
Total value: 11/15

Napa Family Vineyards Chardonnay ~$12

This is a pretty nice, albeit generic California Chardonnay. It hits some typical Cali Chard notes: ripe pear, tropical fruit and vanilla on the nose, a slightly viscous glycerin mouthfeel, and fruit cocktail syrup, pineapple, and toasty oak on the palate.

It’s a good, well-made wine, but not a great bargain at ~$12, especially with the price of the superior Small Wonders Chardonnay seemingly reduced to ~$10.

Score

Drinkability: 8/10
Price: 3/5
Total value: 11/15