Planning on fish or pasta this weekend?  A good Soave will do you right, but if you want a great one– try the 2007 Tamellini Soave, as sent from the Wine of the Month Club.  Personally, I had never tried a Soave before, and this cool crisp white was a pleasant surprise.  Tamellini Soave pours a pale golden yellow with light, honey/almond scents spicing up the citrus aroma.  The flavor starts crisp with the same sense of citrus, ending bright and strong.  If you need a meal suggestion for the weekend, make yourselves a shrimp pasta and pair it with a bottle of this.  You’ll thank us!

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It has been a while since we’ve sat down to review a nice, friendly red, and the Il Cuore Rosso Classico 2007 from WineMonthClub.com was just the ticket.  The name “Il Cuore” translates from Italian to “The Heart” in English, as represented by the collage-style illustrated label.  The wine itself is a warm blend of syrah, zinfandel, carignane, sangiovese and a hint of merlot– making for a medium-bodied wine with flavors of blackberry and chocolate with tannin and spice.  Produced in California’s North Coast, this Rosso Classico is a decent, inexpensive buy to enjoy on it’s own or share with a hearty Italian meal.  Il Cuore’s Rosso Classico can be found at many wine outlets, or re-ordered from the Wine of the Month Club if you’re a member (and you should be!).

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Our friends at the International Wine of the Month Club sent us a shipment of wine this month for tasting, including the 2007 vintage of the Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay.  Wine Spectator gave this one a rating of 91 and a friendly review, so we were rather keen on tasting after it arrived.  To the nose, Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay had strong aromas of mandarin and pear, a fruit sensibility that wasn’t lost on the flavor.  A sip provided rich flavors similar to its scent with a light, creamy-yet-crisp body.  It’s a perfect summertime wine, well paired with seafood of any sort.  It’s a shame our friends from WineMonthClub.com didn’t send two, but we plan on tracking this one down at our local reseller ASAP.

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Angove Nine Vines Shiraz Review – We were pleasantly surprised last week when our first package arrived from the International Wine of the Month Club, including two bottles we had never before tasted.  The first bottle we popped was the2007 vintage of the Angove Family Winemakers’ Nine Vines Shiraz blend, which is 94% shiraz, 6% viognier.  This smooth, deep red carried subtle spices and soft citrus to the tongue with a medium-bodied finish.  Since summer is certainly grilling time, we suggest pairing this with some slow-cooked red meat– be that beef or ribs, Angove’s Shiraz will complement it nicely.

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Cycles Gladiator Wine is officially banned in the state of Alabama for the nude woman on it’s label.  The bust and booty on the beauty above, illustrated with taste, is apparently too much for the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.  Fortunately, this has become a boon for Cycles Gladiator Wine– as the resulting press flurry has given their wine one hell of a buzz.

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When it comes to California Chardonnays, it’s tough to beat the product of the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County.  However, getting a solid Russian River Chardonnay under $20 isn’t an easy task.  The Chardonnay of Hayman & Hill is one of the few to be had under $20 that’ll please the palette of amateur and afficionado alike.  To the nose, Hayman & Hill Chardonnay has aromas of pear and pineapple which were apparent in its flavor as well.  Beyond the fruit base, this chardonnay has subtle flavorings of butter and oak, with the latter not overpowering the warm fruit flavors.  In all, we were quite pleased with this Chard, and for the price it is likely we’ll be picking up another bottle quite soon.

• Hayman & Hill 2005 Russian River Valley Private Selection
• Chardonnay; 13.5 abv
• $11-$14
• StyleCrave Rating: B

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It’s spring time and love is in the air… time to get naked!  Naked Chardonnay that is.  This 100% Chardonnay out of Santa Barbara is fermented in stainless steel, not a touch of oak even near it.  If fresh and crisp are things you treasure in a chilled white wine this will satisfy your every need.  This is no ordinary Chardonnay, peach, pear, even banana come out in the nose.  Nice citrus notes follow along with the sharp acidity.  The flavor does not disappoint though.  Pear, apple, and peach are prevalent with a surprisingly long finish.  No oak, no butter, just clean and crisp.  Oh yeah, and if you need a nice conversation starter at your next gathering, check out the label.  See if you can’t find the dancers in the vines…  This is a delightful retreat from the usual “Chard”, bright, refreshing, an easy drink with a great personality.  So go on, get naked and enjoy yourself!

• Four Vines Santa Barbara County 2007
• “Naked” Chardonnay, 13.9 abv
• $10-15

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Wine fanatics are going to want to start their engines…  Designed by the Australians at Fuller, Elderton’s Neil Ashmead GTS Shiraz is a wine meant both for the wine connoisseur and the car enthusiast. Complete with go-fast stripes, shark gills and topped with a 6-speed gear stick, the bottle pays homage to Neil Ashmead, a lusty South Australian wine man with a passion for fast cars. And although the intoxicating fluid may not have the crisp gasoline aroma you’d expected, it’s supposedly soft and supple for the palate. [via Jalopnik]

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First impressions are huge.  The first thing that will strike you about Plungerhead is it’s namesake, the spiral-top “cork”.  Don’t fret.  It offers just as good a seal as traditional corks (maybe better, it is a little hard to open).  This wine is Big.  Not for the timid wine drinker.  The deep garnet coloring foreshadows the tone of this wine.  The nose gives you Oak with a touch of vanilla and spice.  Oak and Tannin are predominant on your palette and the touch of blueberry gives this over-powering but a nice finish, that carries.  This wine is in one word: Potent.  High alcohol content IS prevalent in both the scent and flavor.  All in all this wine is young and will benefit from a little “down time” in the rack.  For now Plungerhead is a little tight but there is great Old Vine character lurking in the near future… [don and sons winery]

• Plungerhead Dry Creek Valley 2007
• Old Vine Zinfandel 14.9% abv
• $13-20

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