the vine yard 2009 Columbia Va...
May 04, 2011
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/vine-yard-2009-columbia-vall...
Perhaps because I had markedly poor experience with its Cabernet Franc label-mate, I'd put off reviewing the vine yard's Late-Harvest Riesling (LHR). Turns out I needn't have worried. This is a good little off-dry (i.e. sweet) white wine. Now, there are those who would contend that this wine - of...
WineWrights 2009 Napa Merlot -...
April 21, 2011
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/winewrights-2009-napa-merlot...
I really enjoyed Fresh & Easy's WineWrights Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, so I had high hopes for this Merlot. While it's not quite as rich or complex as the Cab, it's a good red in its own right, featuring flavors of plum and chocolate, wrapped up in a pleasantly dense, typically plush Napa Merl...
Chateau Vaguelas 2008 Corbier...
April 13, 2011
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/chateau-vaguelas-2008-corbie...
This is not an in-house Fresh & Easy wine, and there was an "Available While Supplies Last" sign on the shelf at my local F&E, so I'm not sure if this is a one-off inventory sort of thing or not. Regardless, this is an interesting wine from the up-and-coming Languedoc region in southern France.It's...
Barrel Ranch 2009 Pinot Noir - ~$13...
April 08, 2011
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/barrel-ranch-2009-pinot-noir...
This California Pinot Noir, from Fresh & Easy's Barrel Ranch line, shows an appealing tawny color in the glass (not really relevant to the whole taste experience, but it really is a nice red hue) and offers scents of cherry, white flowers, and earthy mushroom.In the mouth, it's medium-bodied an...
Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon - ~$9...
March 29, 2011
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/pacific-coast-highway-pch-20...
One thing I know about California's Pacific Coast Highway is that it is, according to the USDOT, an "official National Scenic Byway" (as though there are unofficial NSBs lurking out there). Now that's perhaps not the best way to suck the fun out of one of the most scenic drives in the U.S., bu...
WineWrights 2009 Monterey Pinot Noir - ~$11...
March 22, 2011
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/winewrights-2009-monterey-pi...
Yet another entry in Fresh & Easy's revamped domestic wine portfolio, the WineWrights Pinot Noir makes for a good budget version of a varietal that is often difficult to do well for a budget price. It's more fruit-driven than Fresh & Easy's Primarius Pinot, featuring mouthfilling flavors of ...
I?CA 2009 California Merlot - ~$4...
March 22, 2011
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/ica-2009-california-merlot-4...
This straight-forward California Merlot from Fresh & Easy offers plummy berry flavor and moderately astringent tannins on the finish. Sure, it's a little one-dimensional - and not quite as interesting as its Pinot Grigio label mate. All in all, though, it's a perfectly serviceable wine at a very a...
Barrel Ranch 2009 California Merlot - ~$14...
March 16, 2011
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/barrel-ranch-2009-california...
This new Merlot at Fresh & Easy is a member of one the new wine lines at Fresh & Easy. Given their mid-teens prices, it would seem the Barrel Ranch wines are meant to be part of Fresh & Easy's top-shelf domestic portfolio (though they're still stocking higher-end "outside" wines li...
WineWrights 2009 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon - ~$11...
March 10, 2011
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/winewright-2009-napa-caberne...
I've long held that Fresh & Easy does better with Old World regional (e.g.the Reflexión Rioja Reserva)and New World varietal wines (e.g.McGuigan's Handmade Barossa Shiraz) while tending to struggle with domestic offerings. The recently-released WineWright series of premium-appellati...
I?CA 2009 California Pinot Grigio - ~$4...
March 09, 2011
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/ica-2009-california-pinot-gr...
The, um, stylishly named I?CA line is a new series of bottom-shelf California varietals at Fresh & Easy. I suspect Fresh & Easy is becoming a bit more adept with their California bottlings, as the wine in the bottle actually bears a fairly strong resemblance to the description on the b...
Ora 2009 Pinot Grigio - ~$5...
January 27, 2011
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/ora-2009-pinot-grigio-5.html...
Fresh & Easy pairs up its Ora Montepulciano D'Abruzzo with this '09 IGT Pinot Grigio from Italy's Veneto region. It's a pleasant, drinkable wine that's light in body and style but still exhibits some varietal character, most notably apple and lemon notes. At ~$5, it falls within the value category...
Napa Family Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon - ~$12...
December 22, 2010
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2010/12/napa-family-vineyards-2007-c...
Given Fresh & Easy's mixed record with California reds, this Napa Cab is a pleasant surprise. A fragrant nose full of bright red cherry and tobacco notes is followed by nice balance of cherry, raspberry and a hint of mint. The lively acidity and good tannic grip offer some nice structure, and the ...
Long Country 2009 Cabernet Savignon - ~$8...
December 14, 2010
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2010/12/long-country-2009-cabernet-s...
This Fresh & Easy Cabernet Sauvignon hails from Chile's Colchagua Valley, typically a reliable area for earthy, robust Cabs. The wine offers dusty notes of pencil lead and black fruit on the nose and follows through with cherry, raspberry, and dark chocolate on the palate. The tannins a fairly m...
Rockliffe Family 2008 Syrah - ~$11...
November 18, 2010
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/rockliffe-family-2008-syrah-...
This Washington state offering from Fresh & Easy's in-house Rockliffe Family lineup features pepper is typically Syrah on the nose, featuring pepper, red-berry fruit, and loamy soil on the nose. There are likewise Syrah notes on the palate, notably plum, black cherry, and leathery earth. It's a de...
Hilltown Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay - ~$8...
November 15, 2010
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/hilltown-vineyards-2009-char...
This is the new vintage of Fresh & Easy's Hilltown Chardonnay, reviewed here. This latest release follows in the fruit-forward, unoaked style of the earlier vintage. The flavor profile definitely leans more toward tropical fruit (pineapple, guava) than the earlier iteration, and on the whole the w...
Castillo 2006 Rioja Crianza - ~$8...
November 05, 2010
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/castillo-2006-rioja-crianza-...
Fresh & Easy seems to have replaced their Reflexión Rioja Riserva, which I really liked, with this Crianza version of the Tempranillo grape. Crianzas are aged quite a bit less in bottle before being released, and this difference is borne out in the contrast between the Castillo's brasher, more fru...
Nine Below Chardonnay 2009 - $8...
October 27, 2010
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/nine-below-chardonnay-2009-8...
I'm rarely a fan of wine gimmicks, so perhaps my bar was set rather low for this low-calorie, low-alcohol Chardonnay from Southeastern Australia. In any event, I found it drinkable if undistinguished, featuring a straightforward flavor profile of green melon and pear. The finish is relatively clea...
Matuco 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ~$9...
October 27, 2010
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/matuco-2009-cabernet-sauvign...
I'm a fan of the Matuco Malbec, but not so much of this recent Cabernet Sauvignon bottling from Argentina.The nose hinted a bit at classic Cab aromas of tar and dark berry. At first I thought it was closed and needed some time in the glass, but it never really opened up. There were hints of plum ...
Ora 2008 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - ~$5...
September 22, 2010
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/ora-2008-montepulciano-dabru...
I've had good experiences with Fresh & Easy's Italian selections, and so I was curious in a "pleasantly surprised" way when I noticed this Montepulciano d'Abruzzo on the shelf. Even at the Indicazione Geografica Tipica level, Montepulciano d'Abruzzos can be very good wine deals, as evidenced here.T...
Flat Rock 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon - ~$4...
September 15, 2010
http://freshandeasywinereviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/rounding-out-fresh-easys-fla...
Rounding out Fresh & Easy's Flat Rock series is this very young (2009) California Cabernet Sauvignon.The wine is somewhat washed-out garnet in the glass and offers simple but pleasant aromas of cassis, cherry, and raspberry. In the mouth the cherry persists but overall the wine is thin (more cherry...