I don’t know what possessed me to choose this post name. I, don’t know. I work from home and am alone with two cats most of the time so I might be going a little funny in my mindjunk. Anyhow, I recently really enjoyed these 2 wines and have purchased them multiple times, so I figure you, my fellow drunkards, ought to know about them.
Bandit 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Yes. This thing is an adult juice box, the very kind Buster Bluth would have gotten into trouble over – but much, much better than his Franzia. It will set you back $8 a bottle (but it’s not a bottle? a package? a tetrathingy?) which is a gooood price point because I’m often inclined to buy a few of them at a time and treat everyone to a friendly sipper. Yes, friendly! Friendly how? It has a very-berry-ness that isn’t very heavy or complex or ponderous – just vivacious and open. It would be welcome at BBQs going well with your smoky meats and that ubiquitous potato salad. It’s certainly going to show up at the Bowl this summer with me, for sure. No worries about breaking the bottle, or needing to jam the cork back in. You just put the cap back on. Brilliant. Good for the planet too. Brilliant. I’m drunk! Brilliant.
The Icario Rubi Delle Pietrose 2005
This is a bit pricier than the Bandit, at $20 a bottle, but I find this one a consistently delicious guzzle when I feel a little extra change in my pocket. It’s a mouth-watering blend of Sangiovese (70%), Teroldego (20%), and Merlot (10%) and I feel like the presence of those second two grapes have mellowed out that sometimes-rather-aggressive Sangiovese. It’s smooth but not totally flabby and un-tannic, tasting like pleasant cherries with an herbal sage-y note going on in there. “Very pretty” in the glass, a dark ruby red. A wine to ruminate with. Or wash down so many pieces of Casa Bianca pizza covered in sun-dried tomatoes. Jesu Christo, amigos, do you know how good life can be?
(Purchased locally at my two favorite wine shops).
(Extra points – did you spot the Johnny Depp?)
I’ve had the Bandit Pinot Grigio and enjoyed it and I still have to try their Cabernet. One of the wedding venues that we looked at uses them as their house wines. I like the idea of these wine boxes set out on all the wedding tables!
I love the fricken Three Thieves wines! They also made a good one in a jug a while back:
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=three%20thieves%20wine%20jug&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi