If you are looking for a nice evening of dinner and wine, might I suggest Javinos in north scottsdale.  The wife and I went there again last night and had a great dinner and wine.  They are constantly running specials, ladies night on wednesday and have a very nice happy hour (3-7pm).  The wine list is not large but it also does have a bottle over $50.  Here is the link to ther website http://www.javinos.com/ please support our local establishments.

2007 Chiarello Vineyards Giana Zinfandel

The nose has hints of dark ripe fruit with a light vanilla and oak to it.  When i first taste this I get a slightly spice/pepper flavor at the beginning with a mild finish.  Here is what I love about this wine, after about an hour in a decanter the finish starts to smooth out and ends up with a candy-like taste!  Only 575 cases were produced and Wine Spectator gave this 90 points.  I have had this wine on three different occasions now and love it (for the most Part)!  The last bottle pulled a bit of Jeckll and Hyde on me and never rounded out like the previous two bottles. So that begs the question.  Which is the “REAL” 2007 Chiarello Vineyards Giana Zinfandel?  I’m not sure but hopefully this will find its way to MR. Chiarello and he can tell me what to expect the next time I taste this wine.

Kevin - WineDudeOnline

I had a glass of Bogle Sauv Blanc last night and have to say that it will probably be the last time that I try it.  I had heard of this brand but had never tried any of their wines nor did i have any prior knowledge to where they were made. The nose was that of citrus and a slight grass aroma which led me to believe that it was from the Australian or New Zealand region.  The palette had a strong grapefruit and a metallic taste to it.  I went online to read up on this winery and realized that this is indeed a California winery located in Clarksburg, CA.  This is not your typical California Sauv Blanc.  I would say that if you truly enjoy the typical California Suav Blanc,  you probably would not want to get this one.  I rate this as low and will take a pass on it.

Kevin - WineDudeOnline

I had a bottle of 2006 ZD Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley this past weekend.  This wine has a very nice all around taste with medium velvety tannins.  You get touches of dark berry fruits, chocolate and a touch of vanilla.  There is not an over abundance of oak flavor even though it was aged for two years in American oak barrels.  I would say that this is a medium to medium high purchase, as it is around $50 if you buy it from the vineyard.  If you find it on a local wine list it may be in the $60 - $70 range, which for a restaurant is not that bad.  If you live in the Phoenix area you can try it at the Alto restaurant which is located inside of the Hyatt Gainey Ranch Hotel.  I am including the wine list because I feel that this is one of the more rounded lists that I have been able to find and was very surprised to see some of the higher end wines being poured by the glass.  This enables you to taste some of the more expense wines without having to buy the bottle first.

http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/images/hotels/scott/AltoWine101509print.pdf

Thank You for reading.

Kevin – WineDudeOnline!