J. Lohr 2006 Riverstone Chardonnay

My friends David and Wayne are visiting from San Fran and they were up to tasting some wines with me this weekend. So David and I were at the local Albertson’s (www.Albertons.com) and found this nice J. Lohr Chardonnay (www.jlohr.com) for only $12.99 per bottle.

Nice aromas of apples and nectarines on the nose. Taste was nice and buttery with complex fruit flavors. It was a nice medium body Chardonnay with a good finish. We decided that this is a keeper and one to recommend for a nice daily table wine.

20andUnder Score: B

Bodega Winebar - Santa Monica

Bodega Winebar (www.bodegawinebar.com) happens to be just a block and a half away from where I work. How nice is that? I had passed the bar a few times while walking in the neighborhood and they have come up on some of my wine related Google searches. So my boss and I decided to try it out on a Tuesday night right after work.

The bar opens at 5pm Tuesday through Sunday. We walked in around 6:15pm. The place had a nice noisy crowd enjoying the happy hour. There was a bar with two bartenders, several small round hightop tables with stools and some larger hightop rectangular tables with stools. There was loungey, comfy sofa-like seating against the wall behind us and then the same type of seating in the windows. There was a nice red glow to the room which softened up the concrete floors.

Our waitress was friendly and quick. I had already learned that Tuesday night was Andrew Jackson night - any bottle of wine for $20 (the regular price is $32 per bottle). The wine list consists of 12 reds and 12 whites. We chose a red (I'll tell you about this in my next blog) and ordered the brushetta and olive tapenade. They also have certain appetizer specials during happy hour.

The crowd was very diverse and upbeat. Just like you would imagine in Santa Monica! They also have a location (the original) in Pasadena. They have their $20 bottles of wine on Wednesday nights...hmmm.

Will I return to Bodega Winebar in Santa Monica? You betcha!! But probably on Tuesday night...who can beat $20 bottles of wine at a winebar? And it fits into the 20andUnder philosophy.

20andUnder Score: A+

Monkey Bay 2004 Chardonnay

This is a wine from New Zealand that I picked up from Pavilions for $8.99 (www.pavilions.com). Monkey Bay (www.monkeybaywine.com) has a much more recent 2006 vintage out that you should probably try instead of the 2004 vintage...here's why:

The nose on this was a very dusty/musty fruit aroma. I was a little hesitant but decided to go ahead and taste it (what the heck, I've already paid for it!) and the flavors were peaches and melons. It lacked any body and no substance to it at all. I think the 2004 is way past it's time to drink! I will definitely try to remember to look for the 2006 because I think that it would only be fair to try it as well. The 2004 is drinkable...but just barely. My recommendation would be to cook with this wine.

20andUnder Score: D

Edna Valley Vineyard 2005 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

I think I am really liking wines from Paso Robles! This central coast of California Wine Country has been getting a lot of press lately about their delicious wines.

The bottle of wine chosen for today's tasting was Edna Valley Vineyard's 2005 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (

www.ednavalleyvineyard.com) with over 80% of the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes coming from Paso Robles. The temperatures in this region have the greatest spread of degrees of heat during the day to coolness at night. This allows for great wines to be made.

This wine had a very bright nose to it. Ripe cherries and blackberries. The color was very plum-like. The flavor was nice and ripe with blackerries and currants with just enough tannins to tell you that it was a nice California Cab. It was also between a medium and full-bodied wine.

Would be great with grilled steak or a pork loin. Your pick!

Picked this up at Pavilions (

www.pavilions.com regular price $14.99 - SALE PRICE $9.98) and yes, I do like Pavilions! They actually have a nice selection of wines there.

20andUnder Score: A-

Rabbit Ridge Estate Grown Paso Robles 2006 Chardonnay

This is a great valued bottle of wine which I recently brought to a birthday dinner. Rabbit Ridge 2006 Paso Robles Chardonnay proved to be a very approachable wine (both at cost and on the palate). I picked up this bottle at Pavilions (www.pavilions.com) for $14.49 (their regular price was $17.99 and I have seen it higher at other locations). The nose was fresh and light with pears and apples. The taste was creamy and buttery also with notes of pears and apples. We had this wine with some different appetizers such as shrimp cocktail, brie cheese with an olive tapenade spread and Jarlsberg cheese.

This wine left a very favorable impression on me. This would be a great hostess gift or would accompany a nice seafood or chicken entree. Check out their website

www.rabbitridgewinery.com.

20andUnder Score: A-

2005 Gallo Family Sonoma Chardonnay

For a winery that is predominantly thought of as the King of jug wines, Gallo’s Family Sonoma Chardonnay (www.gallo.com) comes across as a great effort in giving us a fresh California Chardonnay. The flavors of pears, apples and a bit of vanilla was better to taste than what had come across on the aroma. The aroma was a bit weak and did not allow me to detect what I would be tasting. Also this was an oaky wine that doesn’t have a long finish.

Overall, not a bad wine and actually much better than I had anticipated. I don’t think I would serve this at a dinner party but would have at home with salad or pasta. I found it at Pavilions (www.pavilions.com) for $8.99 a bottle.

20andUnder Score: C

Mavro Palama Salento Rosso 2004

This Italian wine was made in Puglia, Italy (at the heel of the Italian boot). This region has only produced so-so wines until recently. It is made of 2 varietals that give it the body and the aromatics.

I opened the bottle immediately and did not decant. It probably would be prudent to decant this wine for at least an hour before drinking. That being said, there were heavy aromas of dark berries such as blackberries with cassis adding to the nose. The flavor was full bodied with a nice balance of dark fruits and licorice. The tannins were definitely present which I think they would tone down a bit once decanted. Overall very nice and would be great with a lean steak or even a grilled chicken with garlic mashed potatoes.

I picked this bottle up a while back at Wine Expo in West LA for $16.99/bottle. I have researched online and see it listed over $24. So not sure regionally how this will fare with our $20 and Under guidelines. Regardless, you will enjoy this wine!!

20andUnder Score: B

Quintay 2007 Clava Sauvignon Blanc Chile

This wine was recommended to me by Marta at Brix Wine (www.brix1601.com) in Hermosa Beach. I had been reading about them on www.wineevents.com and was in the neighborhood shopping for my antique business and decided to stop and check out their shop. I'll tell you more about them in another post...right now let's talk about this delicious Sauvignon Blanc!

I don't drink too many Chilean wines...and that's a shame. This was very light and refreshing with citrus and grassy notes. I also tasted pears and apples. Very nice for $10.00 a bottle! The wine bottle closure is screw top. The wine is from Casablanca Valley in Chile. Great with appetizers or salads.

20andUnder Score: B

Columbia Crest 2006 Grand Estates Chardonnay

I have been curious to see what all of the commotion has been about this Washington State Chardonnay! I have tried Columbia Crest (www.columbia-crest.com) throughout my many years of wine tasting and have never been that impressed. The wines have always seemed to be a bit lacking. I am happy to report however that the ‘06 Grand Estates Chardonnay has changed my opinion of this winery. I had read that Columbia Crest Grand Estates was given a pretty good score by Wine Spectator (www.winespectator.com). The Grand Estates Chardonnay was first bottled in the 1999 vintage. Their efforts have truly paid off and they definitely have a “better than table wine” vino to share with the world.

On the nose I gathered strong green apple and pears with a little butterscotch. There is a definite pear and melon taste with a pinch of spice to bring it all together. There is also a creaminess that is quite surprising for a bottle of wine that only cost me $8.87 at Pavilions (

www.pavilions.com). This is definitely a wine that I feel that my friend Cathy in Virgina would really like AND she will probably be able to find this one!!

Hats off to Columbia Crest Winery!!

20andUnder Score: A-

Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut

We have reached yet another milestone at www.20andUnder.com. Our new blog is ready to go and we are launching it tonight with the always consistent and smooth Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut!

This creamy bubbly has hints of mangos, spicey pears and citrus undertones on the palate. A very bright and tasty Northern California bubbly that ends very nicely. Wonderful as a cocktail or with a first course we are very proud to discuss them on our opening night of our permanent blog page!

We picked up this bottle at K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood (www.klwines.com) for $16.99. This is a steal!

20andUnder Score: A-

2005 Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay

Very nice chardonnay from Kendall Jackson (http://www.kj.com/wines/grand-reserve/chardonnay.asp)! Nose was citrus with some pineapple. The wine was very creamy and was good with some sweet strawberries from Ventura, CA that I had on hand. Nice finish but not long lasting. Highly recommend!

I had picked this up from Pavillions for $15.99/bottle (http://www.pavillions.com/).

20andUnder Score: A-

di Lenardo Vineyards Toh! 2006 Da Uve Tocai Friulano

This nicely balanced white wine from Northern Italy will soon be dropping the label "Tocai" from it's name (due to the fact that it bears too close a resemblance to the name "Tokaji" of Hungary - a sweet dessert wine).

I believe that this wine will survive any name changes made to it! The color is a deep straw and the nose was nice and full of apricots. The wine exhibited lots of ripe fruits (this could have something to do with the fact that the grape is picked later into the harvest). It was also fermented in 100% stainless steel which gives it a clean crisp finish.

The wine was recommended by Wine Expo in West Los Angeles at $16.99/bottle.

20andUnder Score: B+

Althea Prosecco di Valdobbiadene - Vino Frizzante

Prosecco's can be very light compared to their Champagne cousins. This is no exception to the
Althea Prosecco di Valdobbiadene. The taste on this bubbly was green apple crisp followed by hints of peaches and citrus. Would be great as a stand alone apertif or drink with your favorite Sunday Brunch dish - maybe a Proscuitto, shiitake mushroom and fontina cheese omelette!

Regardless of when I would drink this, the Althea is now one of my favorites. Purchased at Wine Expo in West LA for $16.99 a bottle. Great recommendation by the sales staff there!

20andUnder Score: A-

yellow tail Sparkling White

yellow tail sparkling white (http://www.yellowtailwineusa.com/#/sparkling/white/) is a decent bottle of bubbly for the price. Hints of apple and citrus meets the nose. Light and sweeter than what I like in my sparkling wines, but overall a nice accompaniment to seafood dishes.

Big distribution all over but purchased mine at Pavilions for $8.99/bottle (they keep this one chilled so you can enjoy right away!).

20andUnder score: C+

2001 Torre di Ciardo by Marchesi Torrigiani

Basically this is a Super-Tuscan for a bargain! This was recommended to me by one of the staff at Wine Expo in West LA. Beautiful deep plum colors and aromas of dark cherries and spices.


The taste was very big and intense. Lots of dark berry flavors, spices and even a little bit of smokey undertones. The wine had a nice tannic finish and opened up very nicely in the glass. Was just tasting and did not have any food with this wine. However, it would definitely handle a big juicy grilled steak or a nice veggie lasagna. For the price of $10.99 a bottle (yes, only $10.99 a bottle)...this is a steal!

20andUnder Score: B+

Sebeka 2006 Shiraz - Western Cape - South Africa

I have discovered another great valued wine from South Africa. Sebeka Wines is a fairly new label under the "direction" of U.S. giant EJ Gallo. Having only been in the US since March of 2007, I would be curious to see how they compare with some of the same California varietals in the same price points.

There is quite a bit of information on their website, http://www.sebekawines.com/. Basically this 2006 Shiraz is a very nice tasting, jammy and spicey wine. The nose was dark blackberries and currants (a little bit of alcohol detected on the nose as well). It was packed with a lot of fruit, spices and a bit tannic but very well rounded overall. For $5.99/bottle (purchased at http://www.vons.com/), you can't go wrong! The wine would be great with grilled pork and roasted root vegetables. The website says they feel that the wine will be great for up to 5 years....I would have to say no more than 3 years however. Drink up now!!

20andUnder Score: B+

Herding Cats 2006 Merlot/Pinotage - South Africa

This Merlot (80%)/Pinotage (20%) blend from South Africa may become one of my favorite table reds to keep on hand. Great blackberry and ripe black currants were detected immediately on the nose. Nice dark juice - very vibrant. Taste is blackberry but not overly fruit forward. Nice balance for this $5.99/bottle wine from Pavilions (http://www.pavilions.com/). Herding Cats is a great value and very tasty. Don't be afraid of its screw top lid. Would be great with hamburgers or a good old fashioned meatloaf!

20andUnder Score: B

Sterling Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Napa Valley

Today I was fortunate to be invited to a Memorial Day party at my friend Patty's house her in Southern California. The menu was simple: grilled meats, salads, some baked beans and some great desserts. In addition to beer and some champagne we also tasted some great wine.

The wine I want to mention today is from Sterling Vineyard (http://www.sterlingvineyards.com/) in Northern Napa Valley in Calistoga. The 2006 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc had a tremendous grassy/herbal nose. Very refreshing taste with notes of clean pears and apples. This wine had fermented in mostly stainless steel giving it a very bright and simple taste.

I picked this up at the neighborhood Vons (http://www.vons.com/) for $12.49 a bottle. What a bargain!!

20andUnder Score: B+

2004 Zonte's Footstep 2004 Verdelho (Australia)

I do not have a photo of this wine label. I had picked up a chardonnay and thought I would see how this Australian white compared since it was only $6.99 from Wine Expo in West LA.

To be quite honest the nose on this wine reminds me of jet fuel. It may have just been this bottle or maybe it's just too late to drink this wine. (I actually looked up some tasting notes from others and it had been doing okay - not sure what has happened here). But I really couldn't get past the nose...I tried to taste some but that aroma was stuck in my mind.

I have to give this my lowest score. I do not recommend this wine at all!

20andUnder Score: F

2004 Windemere Chardonnay - Edna Valley

What an absolutely refreshing chardonnay!!! The Windemere 2004 Chardonnay Edna Valley is one of the better value wines that I have come across in a long time. The nose was full of fruits like melon and mango. The taste was just as exciting. This wine exploded in my mouth with tastes of bright melon flavors and honey. Very buttery - the French oak balances this wine perfectly.

The even better news about this is I found it for only $7.99 a bottle in West LA. The Wine Expo at 2933 Santa Monica Blvd. is known more for their champagnes and Italian selections but will often times carry gems such as this wonderful chardonnay. I plan to go buy more of this!!

20andUnder score: A

American Idol Finale Night with a nice priced Rioja!

Campo Viejo 2003 Reserva Tempranillo (www.campoviejo.com)

What an interesting wine to taste while watching American Idol's seventh season finale you may ask? Just like American Idol, I was sure I would enjoy it no matter what the outcome. I love Rioja's and have not had one in a long while. This wine is from one of Spain's best producers - Campo Viejo (http://www.campoviejo.com/).

The wine began with a very fruity and intoxicating and earthy/smokey aroma - much like a good California Pinot Noir. It had a nice full flavor in the mouth - mostly ripe blackberries with a touch of vanilla. The acidity was felt on the sides of the tongue and gave me the impression I had just enjoyed a sampling of orange peel.

After the first taste I decided to decant to see if it would further open up - it did so within the hour. This bottle did not last as long as the two hour American Idol (www.AmericanIdol.com) finale. What is even better is that this wine cost only $11.99 at my neighborhood Pavilions.

20andUnder Score: B+

Toasting with Mumm Napa NV Blanc de Noirs

My first review is also a toast to my decision to begin my blog! As Mumm Napa (http://www.mummnapa.com/) is one of my favorite wineries to visit on Silverado Trail I could not help but debut with the Blanc de Noirs (NV). This soft and encouraging pale salmon sparkling wine is perfect as a stand alone or stacked up against a nice spicey Thai dinner. On this momentous evening I chose to enjoy it with some asiago cheese and sourdough "baguette style" bread. Very simple and as always delicious! I immediately tasted black cherry and strawberry but without an overwhelmingly fruityness. The chardonnay definitely gives this wine it's backbone.

I picked up this bottle at my neighborhood Pavillion's for $14.98. A great bargain and also would make for an excellent gift.

Remember I rate my wines on the letter grading scale and give this a resounding: A-

20andUnder Wines - For the Wine Lover on a Budget!

How many times have you been to the grocery store or local wine store and have seen countless bottles of wine under $20 but not sure what to get? I have tasted many great wines over the years and am on the constant search for the best wines available for under $20. Not only do I want to point you towards the right lable, but also where the best buys are.

I will be reporting on neighborhood stores, wine bars and restaurants. I'll write about tastings that are under $20. You will see my favorite winery picks. And please note that my scoring is kept very simple...very old school. I use a letter grading system with +'s and -'s!

So get ready to taste and explore some new wines and even some old familiar wines with me.

Cheers!
Anthony