CLEVELAND, Ohio – This month’s reviews cover 14 wines from four countries and three vintages. We stick to our monthly price guidelines of no wine costing more than $25. We offer flavor profiles of what we found in these bottles, which should be available on store shelves in Northeast Ohio. We offer our favorite at the end. Feel free to email what you like or don’t.
Escudo Rojo
Escudo Rojo Reserva
Escudo Rojo, Chile, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2018, $17.99
Spiced berry notes along with currant, this refined wine has nominal tannins for a Cab. Oak is very subtle; the wine is aged for six to eight months in one-year-old barrels. Good value. The line is a Chilean brand created by Baron Philippe de Rothschild.
Steele Wines
Steele Pinot Blanc
Steele Wines, Calfornia, Pinot Blanc, 2017, $20
Melon and peach come across here, but macerated fruit is front and center. Tough find now - the vintage has been updated - but it’s a good wine with a little buttery feel and just a little acid on the end to keep it honest. Works with lighter fare, like salads and some cheeses. Consider Pinot Blanc the ne’er do well brother of Pinot Noir.
Trivento
Trivento Reserve Malbec
Bodega Trivento, Mendoza, Argentina; Malbec, 2019, $10.99
Fresh cherry, currant and some smoke with an appropriate level of tannins - not too chewy, but they are there. Great stand-alone or good with meat dishes. Fantastic value. Major League Soccer’s official wine.
Trivento
Trivento Maximum Red Blend
Bodega Trivento, Mendoza, Argentina; red blend, 2019, $10.99
Healthy tannins in this versatile food wine with a slight tangy quality. Went well with smoked brisket. Blend is Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Red raspberry comes out on the finish, excellent price. Major League Soccer’s official wine.
Zanon
Zanon Petite Sirah
Zanon Wines, California, Petite Sirah, 2018, $19.99
Savory with a long finish, decent tannins and blackberry and plum notes. Definitely more of a refined example of the varietal, which can be over-the-top chewy, jammy and hearty. Nice sipper, fairly priced. Winemaker Scott Zanon is from Columbus, though the wine is from California’s Dry Creek Valley.
Laetitia
Laetitia
Laetitia Vineyard & Winery, California (Arroyo Grande Valley), 2019, $22
Lemon cream / key lime pie on the palate. Citrus is clean and at the forefront. Went well with baked chicken topped with cheese and breaded zucchini sticks. Oak is very balanced (aged for 10 months).
Raeburn
Raeburn Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Raeburn Winery, Sonoma County, California; Chardonnay, 2019, $19.99
Balanced flavors here: Oak is there, but held in check. Enough acid to stand up to food with apple and lime notes. Fairly priced.
Like wine? Option for buying wine vary. Online retailers offer chances to choose what you want, curate cases and find discounts.Marc Bona, cleveland.com
Here’s a selection to consider:
brightcellars.com: Monthly club matches you with wines after you take a “palate quiz.”
cellarswineclub.com: Club allows you to choose the number of bottles you want.
splashwines.com: Choose a curated case or build your own.
winc.com: Four wines tailored to your tastes are shipped monthly. Has review component.
wine.com: Large online seller often offers new-customer discounts.
wineawesomeness.com: Three- and six-bottle curated shipments.
wineenthusiast.com: All-encompassing site for wine accoutrements - racks, glasses, openers, storage, gifts, more.
wineonsale.com: Allows you to select by varietal or region.
zachys.com: Includes a variety of ways to search/shop, plus has info on auctions.
Mommy's Time Out
Mommy’s Time Out
Mommy’s Time Out Wines, Italy, Trebbiano, 2017, $11
This wine is 85% Trebbiano and 15% Pinot Grigio. It has a simple touch of sweetness, a crowd pleaser with peach and bit of coconut on the finish. Could have been a bad gimmick wine. Instead, it’s a decent deal at $11.
Bread & Butter
Bread & Butter Rose
Bread and Butter Wines, Napa, California; Rose, 2019, $15.99
Strawberry for sure along with some cantaloupe and a little orange. Grapes are Grenache and Barbera. Pleasant, nothing crazy, good patio sipper. Rose should be considered a year-round wine, though it enjoys its time in the sun in warmer weather.
Firesteed
Firesteed Pinot Noir
Firesteed Cellars, Quincy, Washington; Pinot Noir, 2019, $16.99
The grapes are from Oregon, though the winery is from Washington. Strong tobacco notes with some faint chocolate, some cherry and no tannins.
Y3 Taureau
Y3 Taureau
Jax Vineyards, Napa Valley, California; red blend, 2018, $19.99
Black cherry and blackberry, smoky with nutmeg and a little tobacco. Hearty wine to stand up to big meat dishes like beef stew.
Shooting Star
Shooting Star Pinot Noir
Shooting Star Wines, California, Pinot Noir, 2017, $15
Nice to see a reasonably priced California Pinot Noir that is not a typical punch of cherry. This hearty example of the varietal has plum, raspberry, a little milk chocolate and not much in the way of tannins. Has just a bit of tartness on the finish.
Pasqua Passione Sentimento
Passione Sentimento
Pasqua, Italy, Garganega, 2018, $16
A bit of honey in the aroma and palate with floral and some citrus notes, but not sweet at all. Definitely very dry wine, this tastes like a cross between a Chardonnay and a Dry Riesling. Food-friendly; it went well with mustard-coated baked chicken and also pairs with fish dishes. Fairly priced. The grape, Garganega, is almost exclusive to Italy, in particular the northeast region of Veneto.
Elouan
Elouan Pinot
Elouan, Oregon, Pinot Noir, 2018, $21.99
For this wine, think cherry pie with nutmeg, and some raspberry on the finish. Nominal tannins. A step up from a typical West Coast Pinot. The grapes are from Oregon, the wine is made in California.
Favorite of the month: Zanon Petite Sirah
Related coverage
Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris guide - April
10 wines under $25 to consider in March
8 wines – all blends $20 and under to sip on a chilly February night
12 wines, 12 varietals under $25 to toast 2021 - January
I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. On the air: Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. And tune in at 8:05 a.m. Fridays for “Beer with Bona and Much, Much More” with Munch Bishop on 1350-AM The Gambler.
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May 09, 2021 at 09:11PM
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14 wines to consider sipping for May, under $25 - cleveland.com
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