The Swirler

SWILL 64

I admit to being very critical when it comes to Australian Cabernet, and this one may have suffered from that, but I didn’t enjoy it. It is too dry for me, and although I do taste some fruit, and a bit of oak, they just taste, *and feel*, cheap to me, and rather than a finish it just made my mouth feel and taste like I’d been drinking. I do like other releases by Little Penguin, and do believe that there are worse cheap Cabernets out there from around the world, but I also believe that at this price you can still do much better.

Recommend instead: Yellowtail Cabernet Sauvignon; Rex Goliath Cabernet Sauvignon

SWIRL 86

This is what Australian Shiraz should taste like – distinct spice (like a red bell pepper) accented by a sweetness (like dark chocolate), with a smokey characteristic and plenty of ripe fruit (berries!). Not everyone loves Australian Shiraz, typically due to the spice and lack of oak, or because they are on the drier side of the spectrum, but for those who know and enjoy Australian Shiraz, this is a top-pick, and is sure to please! My notes included raisin, a cigar being smoked, blackberry, and clove. This wine pairs great with barbecue, chili, and anything smoked / grilled. Decant, or swirl excessively. CW

SWIRL 96 (Top Rated!)

This is best-in-class Cabernet from a region that is notorious for world-class Cabernet’s: Howell Mountain, Napa. The ’06 is ready, and it is delicious! Rich, round, with fantastic flavors, complexity, and a tremendously long finish – this is the elusive experience many are searching for when trying the Napa big boys like Jordan, Silver Oak, Shaefer, Caymus, and many others, and I believe that almost every palate would find this wine to be far superior to any of the aforementioned. Flavors include, but are not limited to, blackberry, cassis, cranberry, oak, leather, red clay and black truffles, and this is the wine to pair with sirloin strip and any food that you love. This wine has a LOT of sediment in it, so definitely decant it, and strain if at all possible. This wine had an incredible bouquet and flavor directly out of the bottle – but an hour in the decanter really turned this into one of the best California Cabernet experiences of my career.
Recommended also: White Cottage Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (CA), Robert Craig Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (CA)

SWILL 60

In the spirit of “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”, I really do not want to review this wine, but here goes: This wine is a rich red color, and the nose is quite alcoholy (like rubbing alcohol to me) with subtle fruit notes of unripe strawberries and cranberries. The flavor reminded me of both fruits as well, and there was a sulphuric element I couldn’t get past. This wine is sour, and unlike most wines (even cheap wines) I have had before. I did not enjoy this wine, but if I were to recommend a pairing, I would say something spicy and tomato based. I tried aerating this wine, but to no avail. CW

SWIRL 91

I remember when you didn’t have to spend $30 to get a good bottle of Petite Sirah, particularly from Concannon, but if you spend the extra bucks, and upgrade to this Captain Joe’s Petite Sirah (from Livermore, CA) I believe you’ll experience what has made people fall in love with this varietal (originally indigenous to Mexico). Ripe fruit in front (blueberry), with a dried fruit (cranberry) finish, with hints of menthol, cocoa, plum, and dust. This is a balanced fruit-bomb, and is very much a new world wine meant to be drank after just a few years in the bottle (in other words – this wine is ready to enjoy!). Pair with aged beef, and for fun try also pairing it with brown rice, or even quinoa with bing cherries! Decanting this wine would benefit it to a small degree, or simply swirl liberally before trying. CW

Recommend also: Langtry “Serpentine Meadows” Petite Sirah (Guenoc Valley), Stag’s Leap Petite Sirah (Napa)

 SWIRL 91

This is an excellent wine – the second label of Anitori Estate’s Ornellaia. Dark fruit and berry flavors are woven among flavors of leather, brambleberry, smoke, and a very gentle mouth feel giving way to an extraordinarily long and intense finish. This is a wine to decant for at least half-an-hour, and to pair with veal milanese or an excellent ribeye dinner. CW Recommend also: Laurus “La Florite” (IT), Antinori Toscana Villa Antinori Red (IT)

SWIRL 85

This is currently one of my favorite South-American red wines – complex, elegant, pleasant to drink, and it pairs really well with Latin cuisine. It doesn’t have a lot going on initially, but after decanting or swirling like you mean it, you will begin to sense dust, dark chocolate, figs and plum, and upon drinking it you will taste blackberry, white pepper, earth, and cassis. The finish is lengthy and delightful. I paired this with chicken mole and loved it, but I am eager also to try it with steak fajitas. CW
Recommend also: Santa Ema Carmenere Reserve Barrel Select (CH)

SWIRL 86

This is a very approachable, full-bodied Pinot Noir from Monterrey, Ca. Ripe berry flavors of raspberry and candied cherry exist with very little oak or spice. This is a universal wine that appeals to both sophisticated and novice palates, and which pairs quite well with many foods from beet salad to grilled pork tenderloin. I also found it to compliment caprese salad and spicy chili. This crowd pleaser provides a great value for good California Pinot. No need to decant, it doesn’t change or improve this wine noticeably. CW
Recommend also: Estancia Pinot Noir (Monterey, Ca.), Calera Pinot Noir (Ca)

SWIRL 97

This is one of the best red wines of any price point I have had all year (and I have been spoiled this year!). It is masculine in style, full-bodied, and has an extensive finish. My notes include leather, blueberry, clove, and purple heirloom tomato, and I circled the word “beefy”, in regards both to a flavor I detected and a mouth-feel sensation that included making me salivate. This is a lighter shade of deep purple, and is slightly thicker (viscous). I was blown away by how elegant and thoroughly enjoyable this wine is. It has the finesse of a very pricey Napa Cabernet (I compare it to Howell Mountain – it actually reminds me of a Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon!), and the old vines and the locale of the vineyards (high altitude) contribute to this wine being world-class. I found this wine for under $12, and the expected retail is not much steeper (should be right around $15!) – and for this reason it is a top-pick here at theswirler.com. I believe that this is the profile and experience consumers who spend in excess of two-hundred dollars a bottle are hoping for (and usually don’t achieve). This is a wine to pair with braised beef short-ribs or osso-bucco, or any fine beef entree that you love. There is no need to decant this wine – a few swirls is all it should take to experience world-class wine for under twenty bucks! CW

Recommend also: Altovinum “Evodia” Garnacha (SP), Bodegas Borsao “Tres Picos” Campo de Borja Garnacha (SP)

SWIRL 84

This is classic Napa Cabernet – and it has plenty of history, accolades, and has had some sensational releases. I have drank the Montelena Cabernet from every vintage of this millennium, however, and have reached two unfortunate (for them) conclusions: firstly, you can find better Napa Cabs for significantly less money, and secondly, they are terribly inconsistent. A vertical tasting of the Chat. Montelena Cabernets produces a spectrum of flavor and body profiles from spicy, dry, sour and light to heavy, earthy, and slightly bitter (like old coffee). This 2007 is second so far (to my palate) only to the 2001, and is delicious, although slightly sour and possibly young (needs time in the cellar to “come in to it’s own”). What I liked about it is a finesse and elegance, a lengthy finish, generally perfect body and color (medium-plus body, with beautiful garnet color), Bordeaux-like traits including leather and cassis notes, and it’s well-integrated tannins. To be critical, however, I found it to be “tight”, sour, slightly premature (aka unripe) and not quite deserving of the $40+ price point (triple that in restaurants). Decant this wine if possible, and pair it ribeye au poive with spinach, Swiss char, or kale. CW
Recommend also: Caymus Cabernet (CA), Fontesca Cabernet (CA)