Tasting- Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc

•Name: Cupcake 

•Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

•Region: Marlborough

•Country: New Zealand

•Year: 2017 

•Price: $11 

•Shop/wine critic/winery review "Subtle stone fruit and delicate floral tones lead into a heavier-than-expected palate. There's a touch of residual sugar here amidst the fleshy stone fruit characters, with a brisk, short finish."

•Your review: I had a couple friends' parents who, while avid wine drinkers, are oddly affectionate of this Cupcake wine. I had to give it a shot and keep an open mind. It was definitely pleasing, and I have to see why it would be so wildly popular. It is very simple, with a shallow taste profile of crisp citrus. But I will say that it seemed very balanced. I did not notice very much acidity or sweetness at all, but at least neither one stood out to me in a negative way. 

Tasting - Altos Del Plata

•Name: Altos del Plata 

•Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

•Region: Mendoza

•Country: Argentina

•Year:2016

•Price: $10

•Shop/wine critic/winery review "This is an easy drinking, low priced Cab that works very well as a $5 happy hour wine. Medium bodied, soft mouthfeel, with woody palate and flavors of blackberries, plums, leather, mocha, and light oak. Firm tannins and mild acidity."

•Your review: For how cheap this wine was, I was impressed. It was smooth and not very acidic. Instead of well-balanced I would say that it is a little flat. It does not feel very full bodied and seems to fall out from start to finish. Taste-wise it was enjoyable, very dark fruit forward. I liked this for what it was, but it lands about exactly as one would expect for a ten-buck-cab. 

Tasting - Robert Mondavi

•Name: Robert Mondavi Private Selection 

•Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

•Region: Monterey County

•Country: United States

•Year: 2017

•Price:$12

•Shop/wine critic/winery review (From vivino):

Deep purple in color with cherries, oak and vanilla on the nose. The bourbon barrel oak really comes alive in your mouth. Slightly sweet, with flavors of cherries, minerals, tobacco and toasted almonds. The tannins are present but not overwhelming. Nice complexity for such a young wine. 

•Your review: For $12, I was really impressed with this bottle. It was aged in Bourbon barrels, which is the reason I wanted to try it origninally. It was a bit sour and bitter, with some pucker going on. But the flavor of the bourbon and the rich cherry made this very enjoyable. It was the first bottle I purchased at the grocery store after the Oklahoma laws were changed, and I was pleased to taste such a deal. I would definitely buy this again.