Wow, is August here already??? It's summertime and the living is too hot here in Southern California, particularly the San Gabriel Valley. That makes me glad I bought the Vassani wine cooler that I reviewed in my last post, over a month ago.
Now that it's been over a month, how is the box holding up? I'm happy to report that it is doing fine, pretty much how I described it the last time. So far, so good - well worth the modest investment.
The good part: It holds temperature pretty constant. I have thermometers monitoring the middle and the bottom of the unit. The middle shows a range of 57.6 degrees maximum and 56.3 degrees minimum. The bottom is more variable, 55.4 degrees max and 47.5 minimum but then that's sort of what I would expect since the cold air sinks to the bottom. The maximum room temperature has been 82 or 83 degrees.
The not as good part: I am not bothered by this but some people might be - the condenser tends to be a bit noisy. It doesn't run that often but it is noticeable when it is on. I have my unit in a spare bedroom and I can hear it switch on when I am in the adjoining room. No big deal. I suppose if it was in the same room where you wanted it to be very quiet, then it could be a bigger deal but that's your problem for putting it there.
Unlike what others noted in some of the reviews on Home Depot's web site, there is no loud pop or other frightening noise emanating from the cooler when the condenser shuts off, or at any other time.
I'm very happy with it. The reviews I read were variable but I suspect that many of those who were not happy with their units were either expecting it to do something it isn't made to do, or they don't follow the simple instruction manual. Could be that they open and close the door too frequently, too. Whatever.. at least mine is working well so far. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one if need be.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Vassani Wine Cooler / Fridge
Before I started writing this post I looked at my archive stats. Pretty pitiful. One post earlier this year. One in 2011. One in 2010. A few in 2009. A flurry in 2008 and 2007. I'm like in Sunset Boulevard, a blogger who has seen better days, haha.
Well today I just felt like writing, so make it at least two (2) posts for 2012!
I am still drinking wine, a little more than one per week. I store all of them at home in a couple of thermoelectric wine coolers. The problem is, those don't do all that well in hot climates like Southern California unless you have the air conditioning on all the time in the summer, which we don't. That mode of cooling can only bring the box temperature down about 20 or so degrees below the ambient temperature.
I was thinking of getting a unit with a condenser - maybe something like the GE wine coolers since they have good reviews. On Thursday morning I brought in the newspaper, opened it up and saw a Home Depot ad. I wondered if maybe there was a wine cooler on sale, and lo and behold there was! Not what I was looking for (the GE model) but some brand I never heard of: Vissani. It was on sale for $149, regularly $199. 52-bottle storage. Model MVWC52B.
How good could something like that be?
I thought it was just another one of those thermoelectric coolers. I took a look at the product page on Home Depot's site and read the 83 reviews. Hmm... this thing actually ran using a condenser. That's a plus (assuming it worked properly). The overall rating was 3.6/5.0, not too shabby for something that cheap. As I read the reviews it was obvious that some people simply did not know what they were doing, or they were expecting too much, so I tossed those aside. One person complained that the light was too bright and heated up the air inside (duh, there is an on/off switch for the light) and another complained it was too dim.
The legit complaints about this cooler appeared to be that it made a very loud popping noise when the condenser shut down (someone said it sounded like baseballs hitting their house). A few said their units didn't last too long before giving out. And the other complaint was that they could not figure out how to stuff 52 bottles into this unit.
After separating the wheat from the chaff, I decided to take a short drive to my local Home Depot and see it for myself. The web site said there was one in stock. I saw three in boxes plus a display unit. So much for their inventory tracking ability. For $149 the unit seemed to be telling me to take a chance. It had a nice heavy door with smoked glass, and a metal case. After reading the reviews for the more expensive $399 unit, it seemed like it would be better to spend less and get something that appeared to have better overall reviews.
I am too lazy to take a picture of it, but here's one I stole from Home Depot's page:
After getting it home I unboxed it and let it stand upright for a day to let the coolant settle. I suspect that is one reason why some folks had problems with their compressor, including the loud popping noise, because they had the unit on its side when bringing it home and then they plugged it in right away before letting the coolant settle. The instructions also said when first operating it to turn the dial to "7" (maximum cooling) for a few hours to chill the air quickly but NOT to ever leave it that way for more than 8 hours and I bet dollars to donuts a lot of the whiners and complainers just set it to 7 and left it there.
The unit chilled a lot faster than I thought, getting into the 30's. After playing with the dial, I got it set so that the temperature in the middle was about 56 degrees. I put my wines on the shelves and had a couple of thermometers with min/max memories with their probes inside the cabinet to monitor the temperature.
Storage: The complaints about the unit not being able to hold 52 bottles are correct. Unless you have really skinny bottles or are talking about 375 ml or 187.5 ml bottles, no way can you get that many in there. There are three racks that have room for 7 bottles each. There is another rack at the bottom that has two rows that each hold 3 bottles. So without stacking anything, and without having odd sized-bottles (for example you can't have 3 Champagne or oversized Pinot Noir bottles at the bottom), the box can hold 27 bottles. If you stack bottles, you can lay 6 on top of the 7 on each of the three top racks. So that increases the capacity to 13 x 3 = 39, plus the 6 on the bottom two small racks for a total of 45 bottles. Not bad. Whaddaya expect for $149?
Build Quality: Again, what do you expect for $149? I am pleased, though. At least it is a metal cabinet and the door is solid. The shelves are decent. I was expecting something more flimsy with a lot of plastic but this isn't bad at all. The cabinet itself is nothing to show off to people. It is painted black and mine had a couple of minor scrapes. The worst part is the paint finish looks uneven, making the cabinet itself look uneven. So like I said, this is not fine furniture.
There is no temperature indicator. The temp control is analog, not digital but I actually prefer it that way. I think analog dials last longer. The light switch is inside the unit, which I found rather odd; you have to reach in to turn the light on and off, rather than having a switch on the outside. That's fine with me because I never intend to use the light anyway.
Temperature: I currently have it set on "4." The temperature in the middle of the unit varies from 56 down to 53 degrees depending on if the compressor is operating. The temperature on the top rack is about the same, surprisingly. The most variation comes from the very bottom, ranging from 54 down to 46 or 47 degrees, again depending on if the compressor is on or off. So my advice would be to put the wines you want to age the longest in the middle of the unit, not on the bottom.
There were several complaints about the fridge being noisy. It is no more noisy than a regular refrigerator; perhaps it is a bit quieter. So far the compressor does not run that long. It is off a lot more than it is on, and this is with ambient temps in the high 70's to low 80's. I haven't heard any loud popping noise, either. When the compressor shuts off, there is a metallic sound like a valve closing but certainly nothing loud. I hope it stays that way.
I've only had this running a little more than a day but so far I am happy. I hope it continues to perform like this because if so, I'd say this is one very good value for the money. Vassani is made by Magic Chef, the company that traditionally has made wine coolers for Home Depot over the years. After reading lots of horror stories people have written about their experience with Vinotemp, I think I'd rather have this Vissani. $149 for a compressor-driven wine cooler is a bargain price.
Okay, that's my post #2 for this year. I may even write some more soon and let you know what I've been drinking!
Well today I just felt like writing, so make it at least two (2) posts for 2012!
I am still drinking wine, a little more than one per week. I store all of them at home in a couple of thermoelectric wine coolers. The problem is, those don't do all that well in hot climates like Southern California unless you have the air conditioning on all the time in the summer, which we don't. That mode of cooling can only bring the box temperature down about 20 or so degrees below the ambient temperature.
I was thinking of getting a unit with a condenser - maybe something like the GE wine coolers since they have good reviews. On Thursday morning I brought in the newspaper, opened it up and saw a Home Depot ad. I wondered if maybe there was a wine cooler on sale, and lo and behold there was! Not what I was looking for (the GE model) but some brand I never heard of: Vissani. It was on sale for $149, regularly $199. 52-bottle storage. Model MVWC52B.
How good could something like that be?
I thought it was just another one of those thermoelectric coolers. I took a look at the product page on Home Depot's site and read the 83 reviews. Hmm... this thing actually ran using a condenser. That's a plus (assuming it worked properly). The overall rating was 3.6/5.0, not too shabby for something that cheap. As I read the reviews it was obvious that some people simply did not know what they were doing, or they were expecting too much, so I tossed those aside. One person complained that the light was too bright and heated up the air inside (duh, there is an on/off switch for the light) and another complained it was too dim.
The legit complaints about this cooler appeared to be that it made a very loud popping noise when the condenser shut down (someone said it sounded like baseballs hitting their house). A few said their units didn't last too long before giving out. And the other complaint was that they could not figure out how to stuff 52 bottles into this unit.
After separating the wheat from the chaff, I decided to take a short drive to my local Home Depot and see it for myself. The web site said there was one in stock. I saw three in boxes plus a display unit. So much for their inventory tracking ability. For $149 the unit seemed to be telling me to take a chance. It had a nice heavy door with smoked glass, and a metal case. After reading the reviews for the more expensive $399 unit, it seemed like it would be better to spend less and get something that appeared to have better overall reviews.
I am too lazy to take a picture of it, but here's one I stole from Home Depot's page:
After getting it home I unboxed it and let it stand upright for a day to let the coolant settle. I suspect that is one reason why some folks had problems with their compressor, including the loud popping noise, because they had the unit on its side when bringing it home and then they plugged it in right away before letting the coolant settle. The instructions also said when first operating it to turn the dial to "7" (maximum cooling) for a few hours to chill the air quickly but NOT to ever leave it that way for more than 8 hours and I bet dollars to donuts a lot of the whiners and complainers just set it to 7 and left it there.
The unit chilled a lot faster than I thought, getting into the 30's. After playing with the dial, I got it set so that the temperature in the middle was about 56 degrees. I put my wines on the shelves and had a couple of thermometers with min/max memories with their probes inside the cabinet to monitor the temperature.
Storage: The complaints about the unit not being able to hold 52 bottles are correct. Unless you have really skinny bottles or are talking about 375 ml or 187.5 ml bottles, no way can you get that many in there. There are three racks that have room for 7 bottles each. There is another rack at the bottom that has two rows that each hold 3 bottles. So without stacking anything, and without having odd sized-bottles (for example you can't have 3 Champagne or oversized Pinot Noir bottles at the bottom), the box can hold 27 bottles. If you stack bottles, you can lay 6 on top of the 7 on each of the three top racks. So that increases the capacity to 13 x 3 = 39, plus the 6 on the bottom two small racks for a total of 45 bottles. Not bad. Whaddaya expect for $149?
Build Quality: Again, what do you expect for $149? I am pleased, though. At least it is a metal cabinet and the door is solid. The shelves are decent. I was expecting something more flimsy with a lot of plastic but this isn't bad at all. The cabinet itself is nothing to show off to people. It is painted black and mine had a couple of minor scrapes. The worst part is the paint finish looks uneven, making the cabinet itself look uneven. So like I said, this is not fine furniture.
There is no temperature indicator. The temp control is analog, not digital but I actually prefer it that way. I think analog dials last longer. The light switch is inside the unit, which I found rather odd; you have to reach in to turn the light on and off, rather than having a switch on the outside. That's fine with me because I never intend to use the light anyway.
Temperature: I currently have it set on "4." The temperature in the middle of the unit varies from 56 down to 53 degrees depending on if the compressor is operating. The temperature on the top rack is about the same, surprisingly. The most variation comes from the very bottom, ranging from 54 down to 46 or 47 degrees, again depending on if the compressor is on or off. So my advice would be to put the wines you want to age the longest in the middle of the unit, not on the bottom.
There were several complaints about the fridge being noisy. It is no more noisy than a regular refrigerator; perhaps it is a bit quieter. So far the compressor does not run that long. It is off a lot more than it is on, and this is with ambient temps in the high 70's to low 80's. I haven't heard any loud popping noise, either. When the compressor shuts off, there is a metallic sound like a valve closing but certainly nothing loud. I hope it stays that way.
I've only had this running a little more than a day but so far I am happy. I hope it continues to perform like this because if so, I'd say this is one very good value for the money. Vassani is made by Magic Chef, the company that traditionally has made wine coolers for Home Depot over the years. After reading lots of horror stories people have written about their experience with Vinotemp, I think I'd rather have this Vissani. $149 for a compressor-driven wine cooler is a bargain price.
Okay, that's my post #2 for this year. I may even write some more soon and let you know what I've been drinking!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
just catching up..
Gee it has been nearly a year since my last post. The last one was on April 16, 2011. And before that, January 26, 2010. Looks like my schedule for One Wine Per Week is one post per year. That sounds about right. I just haven't had the inclination to write anything, so I apologize for those of you who show up and find cobwebs.
The reason I am writing today is to put in a good word for a place called Wine Cellar Innovations (www.winecellarinnovations.com). In the spirit of full disclosure, I have never actually purchased anything from them. The other day I received a request to do a link exchange. I took a look at their site and it looks like they are a good resource for wine storage products, and if you are in the market for that type of thing it is worth looking at their site. I'm not getting paid to write any of this; they just sent me a nice e-mail with their request. If this helps any of you to help store your wines better, then that's the important thing.
Okay, that might just be it for 2012.. back to hibernation, haha.. I had to go back and look up my login information for this blog - that's how long it has been!
The reason I am writing today is to put in a good word for a place called Wine Cellar Innovations (www.winecellarinnovations.com). In the spirit of full disclosure, I have never actually purchased anything from them. The other day I received a request to do a link exchange. I took a look at their site and it looks like they are a good resource for wine storage products, and if you are in the market for that type of thing it is worth looking at their site. I'm not getting paid to write any of this; they just sent me a nice e-mail with their request. If this helps any of you to help store your wines better, then that's the important thing.
Okay, that might just be it for 2012.. back to hibernation, haha.. I had to go back and look up my login information for this blog - that's how long it has been!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Sweet Life In Paris
By the title, some of you may have surmised that the reason for my absence of posts on this blog is because I've been enjoying the sweet life in Paris. La Dolce Vita, so to speak. Well, if that is what you surmised, then you surmised incorrectly because as you see, I don't even know what the French term for "sweet life" is and thus had to resort to Italian. No, mi vida loca has just kept me from really writing much, although it hasn't kept me from drinking wine.
The last chapter of David Lebovitz' entertaining work, The Sweet Life in Paris - Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City, begins as follows:
The image people have of my life in Paris is that each fabulous day begins with a trip to the bakery for my morning croissant, which I eat while catching up with the current events by reading Le Monde at my corner cafe. (The beret is optional.) Then I spend the rest of my day discussing Sartre over in the Latin Quarter or strolling the halls of the Louvre with a sketchpad, ending with my sunset ascent of the Eiffel Tower before heading to one of the Michelin three-star restaurants for an extravagant dinner. Later, after toasting the day with glasses of Cognac in the lounge at the George V, I stroll along the Seine until I'm finally home, when I tuck myself in bed to rest up for the next day.
In a more conventional style, perhaps that paragraph would come at the beginning of the first chapter of the book, sort of a hint that perhaps life in Paris is not what many would picture. But it is well-placed at the end, that the reader may nod and smile in agreement and appreciate Mr. Lebovitz' amusing account of real life in the city of lights, with a focus on the food life.
And amusing it is. The book is a collection of short, easily digestible morsels of one aspect of his experience, much of which will indeed make you smile if not laugh out loud at the absurdities of life in Paris and his encounters with the natives. Combined with these accounts are tempting recipes. I have to say that I am not much of a cook so I didn't try any of them but they do look tasty and they don't look that difficult, either. So if you like to read and you like to cook, this book puts both into one for you.
His observations of the Paris life made me wonder what a Parisian writer would say about living among Americans - of course it would make a big difference just where in America the person lived. Same would hold true of France - not everywhere is like Paris but if you ask the average person to name a city in France, chances are Paris will be the answer. Those of us who have never been (like me) and maybe many who have also have the image of glamour, excitement, fine food, etc. when we hear the name.
David Lebovitz' recount of his own life definitely minimizes the romanticism but I have to say, it sounds like he's a happy guy. I had no trouble visualizing the days he writes about and the people in them and the picture I got is of a place with plenty of character, most of it good.
I'm not going to talk about the details because you just have to read it yourself (which goes very quickly) - like how doctors are different over there, how people like to crowd and push and shove (I thought Costco was bad but Paris is something else), how not to get your words mixed up, etc. Every chapter covers a different slice of life and every chapter's a great read. I give it an unqualified thumbs up.
Why after such a long absence do I finally post, and the post isn't even about wine but about a book, you might well ask. Well, I was contacted by the publisher asking if I would like a review copy. It sounded interesting so I said sure, please send me one and I promise to write a review. I also said I hardly post here and don't get a whole lot of traffic so if they didn't want to waste a book and postage on me I understood. But I guess they were okay with wasting a book and postage on me so they sent it. I read it. I liked it. I can highly recommend it - you will be entertained and for a lot less than the cost of experiencing the real thing. You may want to do that next, though.
The last chapter of David Lebovitz' entertaining work, The Sweet Life in Paris - Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City, begins as follows:
The image people have of my life in Paris is that each fabulous day begins with a trip to the bakery for my morning croissant, which I eat while catching up with the current events by reading Le Monde at my corner cafe. (The beret is optional.) Then I spend the rest of my day discussing Sartre over in the Latin Quarter or strolling the halls of the Louvre with a sketchpad, ending with my sunset ascent of the Eiffel Tower before heading to one of the Michelin three-star restaurants for an extravagant dinner. Later, after toasting the day with glasses of Cognac in the lounge at the George V, I stroll along the Seine until I'm finally home, when I tuck myself in bed to rest up for the next day.
In a more conventional style, perhaps that paragraph would come at the beginning of the first chapter of the book, sort of a hint that perhaps life in Paris is not what many would picture. But it is well-placed at the end, that the reader may nod and smile in agreement and appreciate Mr. Lebovitz' amusing account of real life in the city of lights, with a focus on the food life.
And amusing it is. The book is a collection of short, easily digestible morsels of one aspect of his experience, much of which will indeed make you smile if not laugh out loud at the absurdities of life in Paris and his encounters with the natives. Combined with these accounts are tempting recipes. I have to say that I am not much of a cook so I didn't try any of them but they do look tasty and they don't look that difficult, either. So if you like to read and you like to cook, this book puts both into one for you.
His observations of the Paris life made me wonder what a Parisian writer would say about living among Americans - of course it would make a big difference just where in America the person lived. Same would hold true of France - not everywhere is like Paris but if you ask the average person to name a city in France, chances are Paris will be the answer. Those of us who have never been (like me) and maybe many who have also have the image of glamour, excitement, fine food, etc. when we hear the name.
David Lebovitz' recount of his own life definitely minimizes the romanticism but I have to say, it sounds like he's a happy guy. I had no trouble visualizing the days he writes about and the people in them and the picture I got is of a place with plenty of character, most of it good.
I'm not going to talk about the details because you just have to read it yourself (which goes very quickly) - like how doctors are different over there, how people like to crowd and push and shove (I thought Costco was bad but Paris is something else), how not to get your words mixed up, etc. Every chapter covers a different slice of life and every chapter's a great read. I give it an unqualified thumbs up.
Why after such a long absence do I finally post, and the post isn't even about wine but about a book, you might well ask. Well, I was contacted by the publisher asking if I would like a review copy. It sounded interesting so I said sure, please send me one and I promise to write a review. I also said I hardly post here and don't get a whole lot of traffic so if they didn't want to waste a book and postage on me I understood. But I guess they were okay with wasting a book and postage on me so they sent it. I read it. I liked it. I can highly recommend it - you will be entertained and for a lot less than the cost of experiencing the real thing. You may want to do that next, though.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Jacob's Creek Reserve Selections
A short while ago I was contacted by a representative from Jacob's Creek who asked if I would be interested in samples of some of their wines. What the heck, it's free, right? Well, that isn't really the attitude I have towards samples; I honestly receive very few but am kind of glad about that because I don't want to get a whole bunch of wine I really don't want and then feel like I have to review it. That said, if Madame Leroy or someone from the DRC wants me to sample something, I guess I would try it.
Continuing on.. I did receive the samples and being that today, January 26, is Australia Day, what better day to write a review of the samples? So here goes..
2005 Jacob's Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: Nice cedary and fruity aromas but on the palate it initially didn't taste like a cab to me (granted, I am not really much of a Cabernet fan). It had a tart, cranberry character to it. Like I do with pretty much all the wines I drink, I had 1/4 of the bottle on day one, and then poured the remainder into three splits to have over the next three days. The wine did improve over the three days, taking on a rounder, more mellow fruit character. The cedar/smoke component remained. There was a nice balance of acid, tannins and fruit but the aftertaste was very short. The wine retails for $13.99 but I saw it at Costco for $8.99 a couple of weeks ago. By the third and fourth splits the wine was showing good varietal character.
2007 Jacob's Creek Chardonnay Reserve: Oh boy there was lots of toasty oak in this wine, both aromas and palate. Toasted nuts, too. Predominately pear and apple fruit, an enough of it to balance out the oak; there was also good acidity. There was actually quite a bit of everything in the wine - a good concentration. Not a big, fat buttery chardonnay, this one was zippy. Like the cab, the aftertaste was short.
2007 Jacob's Creek Pinot Noir Reserve: This one came with a screw-top. It looked like a Pinot in color, which is good because I don't like pouring a Pinot Noir and seeing something opaque flow from the bottle. It smelled like one too, although the aromas were not real intense. Spiced cherry, somce cola flavors; good fruit and what I felt was the right texture - smooth and not heavy. There was a good balance of all the components, held together with good acidity.
2006 Jacob's Creek Shiraz Reserve: Very earthy, with chocolate and berries on the palate. Lots and lots of berries, actually. The balance between the fruit, tannins and acidity was good. A nice smooth and supple wine. A bit heavy on the earth at the beginning but then it rounded out.
2008 Jacob's Creek Riesling Reserve: This one seemed very woody and also not very Riesling-like at the beginning. By the third and fourth splits it was tasting better, with tight, lemony flavors and very bright acidity. There was a soapy character to this wine, too. It got better with air but I'd say this was the weakest of the bunch.
Overall, this was a pleasing group of wines. They all retail for $13.99 and you could do a lot worse at that price. If you find it under $10 (like the Cabernet at Costco), most definitely give it a try. Aside from the Riesling, they all showed good varietal character, were concentrated, and were very well balanced. None of them were what you would call real complex wines, but for the price they are an excellent value, especially if you can find them at a discount. Even the Riesling acquitted itself after having some air time. All of these were surprisingly good (I say surprisingly because this is the first time I have ever tasted anything from Jacob's Creek).
I wouldn't have purchased these if I saw them at the store, but I am happy to have gotten the samples and they were worth drinking. I didn't dump them out prematurely! I wanted to finish them all up.
With that, happy Australia Day to everyone!
Continuing on.. I did receive the samples and being that today, January 26, is Australia Day, what better day to write a review of the samples? So here goes..
2005 Jacob's Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: Nice cedary and fruity aromas but on the palate it initially didn't taste like a cab to me (granted, I am not really much of a Cabernet fan). It had a tart, cranberry character to it. Like I do with pretty much all the wines I drink, I had 1/4 of the bottle on day one, and then poured the remainder into three splits to have over the next three days. The wine did improve over the three days, taking on a rounder, more mellow fruit character. The cedar/smoke component remained. There was a nice balance of acid, tannins and fruit but the aftertaste was very short. The wine retails for $13.99 but I saw it at Costco for $8.99 a couple of weeks ago. By the third and fourth splits the wine was showing good varietal character.
2007 Jacob's Creek Chardonnay Reserve: Oh boy there was lots of toasty oak in this wine, both aromas and palate. Toasted nuts, too. Predominately pear and apple fruit, an enough of it to balance out the oak; there was also good acidity. There was actually quite a bit of everything in the wine - a good concentration. Not a big, fat buttery chardonnay, this one was zippy. Like the cab, the aftertaste was short.
2007 Jacob's Creek Pinot Noir Reserve: This one came with a screw-top. It looked like a Pinot in color, which is good because I don't like pouring a Pinot Noir and seeing something opaque flow from the bottle. It smelled like one too, although the aromas were not real intense. Spiced cherry, somce cola flavors; good fruit and what I felt was the right texture - smooth and not heavy. There was a good balance of all the components, held together with good acidity.
2006 Jacob's Creek Shiraz Reserve: Very earthy, with chocolate and berries on the palate. Lots and lots of berries, actually. The balance between the fruit, tannins and acidity was good. A nice smooth and supple wine. A bit heavy on the earth at the beginning but then it rounded out.
2008 Jacob's Creek Riesling Reserve: This one seemed very woody and also not very Riesling-like at the beginning. By the third and fourth splits it was tasting better, with tight, lemony flavors and very bright acidity. There was a soapy character to this wine, too. It got better with air but I'd say this was the weakest of the bunch.
Overall, this was a pleasing group of wines. They all retail for $13.99 and you could do a lot worse at that price. If you find it under $10 (like the Cabernet at Costco), most definitely give it a try. Aside from the Riesling, they all showed good varietal character, were concentrated, and were very well balanced. None of them were what you would call real complex wines, but for the price they are an excellent value, especially if you can find them at a discount. Even the Riesling acquitted itself after having some air time. All of these were surprisingly good (I say surprisingly because this is the first time I have ever tasted anything from Jacob's Creek).
I wouldn't have purchased these if I saw them at the store, but I am happy to have gotten the samples and they were worth drinking. I didn't dump them out prematurely! I wanted to finish them all up.
With that, happy Australia Day to everyone!
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