Turning Leaf - Suprisingly Good
At the suggestion of BrewGal I tried a couple of Turning Leaf wines, the 2002 Sonoma Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Both are under $10; the Sonoma Reserve the pricier one at about $9, the Reserve coming in at only $6.
Labelling these wines "Reserve" is probably a misnomer. A reserve wine is made from the best grapes of a particular harvest, held aside during the sorting because of their high quality. I'm not sure where Turning Leaf gets their grapes (probably from all over California) but I'd be quite suprised if they were inspecting each batch and setting some aside to make these particular vintages. I could be wrong. They may have a non-reserve version of both these wines priced at $3 and only distributed wholesale.
Regardless of the correctness of the labelling, both of these wines were suprisingly good for the price. When doing a review of a new wine I try not to read the back-label of the bottle or a website with a review, since reading about flavors and quality is a very strong suggestor. If you hear something described as "blackberry" and it tastes vaguely berry-like the mind is practically forced to agree with the description. I was a bit suprised then to discover that other than a number of superlatives my tasting notes agreed pretty well with the description on the back of the bottle. This is a good sign.
The 2002 Turning Leaf Sonoma Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has a definite aroma of raspberry and vanilla. The vanilla isn't as astringent as that found in [yellow tail], but it did seem a bit out of place in a Cabernet. The wine is deep purple in color with strong legs (sticks to the glass). The coloring is a tad light for Cabernet but not out of the expected range. In taste I find it oaky and tannic, almost astringent. There are distinct flavors of sour cherry (not the candy kind, the real kind) and certainly vanilla. The overall experience is pleasant. This is a very easy-drinking wine. What separates it from wines of higher quality (and price) is the lack of layered fruit aromas, the slightly watery mouthfeel, a small degree of late harshness on the palate and an uninspired taste. Overall I think this is a good deal for the price.
The 2004 Turning Leaf Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has an aroma of peppers, crushed green leaves and a hint of balsamic vinegar. None of this is offensive except for the vinegary odor. After a few minutes in the glass the odor recedes into the background. In its place I would have liked to have some fruit, but you can't have everything you want for $6. While tasting I detected dried cherries, vanilla and oak flavors. Finding oak and vanilla in both wines from Turning Leaf indicates one of two things; either they try to develop a definite style, or all their "reserve" grapes have that particular vanilla/cherry flavor. The oak should come from aging and processing although at this price it may come from wood shavings added to the wine. In color it's very close to the Sonoma reserve, a deep purple color. What separates this wine from those of higher quality are again the aroma, the mouthfeel and the absence of intensity of flavor.
I found both of the Turning Leaf wines to be good deals for the price. If you're looking for something cheap to try, I recommend these.
Labelling these wines "Reserve" is probably a misnomer. A reserve wine is made from the best grapes of a particular harvest, held aside during the sorting because of their high quality. I'm not sure where Turning Leaf gets their grapes (probably from all over California) but I'd be quite suprised if they were inspecting each batch and setting some aside to make these particular vintages. I could be wrong. They may have a non-reserve version of both these wines priced at $3 and only distributed wholesale.
Regardless of the correctness of the labelling, both of these wines were suprisingly good for the price. When doing a review of a new wine I try not to read the back-label of the bottle or a website with a review, since reading about flavors and quality is a very strong suggestor. If you hear something described as "blackberry" and it tastes vaguely berry-like the mind is practically forced to agree with the description. I was a bit suprised then to discover that other than a number of superlatives my tasting notes agreed pretty well with the description on the back of the bottle. This is a good sign.
The 2002 Turning Leaf Sonoma Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has a definite aroma of raspberry and vanilla. The vanilla isn't as astringent as that found in [yellow tail], but it did seem a bit out of place in a Cabernet. The wine is deep purple in color with strong legs (sticks to the glass). The coloring is a tad light for Cabernet but not out of the expected range. In taste I find it oaky and tannic, almost astringent. There are distinct flavors of sour cherry (not the candy kind, the real kind) and certainly vanilla. The overall experience is pleasant. This is a very easy-drinking wine. What separates it from wines of higher quality (and price) is the lack of layered fruit aromas, the slightly watery mouthfeel, a small degree of late harshness on the palate and an uninspired taste. Overall I think this is a good deal for the price.
The 2004 Turning Leaf Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has an aroma of peppers, crushed green leaves and a hint of balsamic vinegar. None of this is offensive except for the vinegary odor. After a few minutes in the glass the odor recedes into the background. In its place I would have liked to have some fruit, but you can't have everything you want for $6. While tasting I detected dried cherries, vanilla and oak flavors. Finding oak and vanilla in both wines from Turning Leaf indicates one of two things; either they try to develop a definite style, or all their "reserve" grapes have that particular vanilla/cherry flavor. The oak should come from aging and processing although at this price it may come from wood shavings added to the wine. In color it's very close to the Sonoma reserve, a deep purple color. What separates this wine from those of higher quality are again the aroma, the mouthfeel and the absence of intensity of flavor.
I found both of the Turning Leaf wines to be good deals for the price. If you're looking for something cheap to try, I recommend these.
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