This week I tried one wine for which I had low expectations but quite liked, and two others for which I had high expectations and was rather disappointed.

1) Higueruela Cosecha, 2005 (Almansa, Spain) - I expected this to just be so-so because it's sister bottle I had bought from the same store (already reviewed) was just OK.  But really I'd say this one was a high average and I enjoyed drinking it.  I thought I detected Syrah but in a more balanced and not overpowering sense.  It's a decent all around wine.  6 out of 10 (for upper average).

2) DaVinci Toscana Chianti, 2004 (Italy) - A friend who really likes chianti recommended this (actually he said he was going to bring me a bottle and it never happened, which is no big deal but it does confirm this is a wine he truly drinks at home).   So I had high expectations and actually opened it the same night I brought it home from the store.  But let me be honest, the acidity and balance I've come to expect from chianti just isn't there.  It's not a bad wine but it's probably the most subdude version of this type of wine I've had.  In fact the 2 or 3 other chianti's previously reviewed in my blog blow this one away.  With each glass of DaVinci I found myself longing wishfully for the Geographico chianti we really liked.  Anyway, out of respect for my friend I'm going to score this as average, but lower average (5 out of 10).

3) Vampire Merlot, 2004 (Transylvania, Romania) - OK, cool name, cool label, cool place it's from.  I might have assumed this was all marketing gimmick but I had actually seen a review of this wine in a mainstream publication (not a wine publication but some other magazine) and it said great things about Romanian wine.  I popped the cork expecting something very red and very merlot.  The wine inside is like a solid black mass in the glass, has limited bouquet, and the flavor to me has the essence of a deep tea - like a Nestle's Brisk tea.  If the bottle didn't say merlot I would have thought it was something else completely.  Now granted this is different, and I often like different, but in my heart I'm thinking this truly is just a marketing gimmick after all.  And the only reason I would share this with someone else would be to get their reaction to the label.  So I'm giving this just a 4 out of 10.