Cycles "Gladiator" Winery

[Joe Riley]

Just yesterday I tasted three wines from these people: http://www.cyclesgladiator.com/ located in Soledad, California (Central Coast).

It is owned by Hahn Estates (http://www.hahnestates.com/) and they have a Chardonnay, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot that I tried.

The good news is, they aren't bad for $8.99* wines. Not world-beaters, but they are perfectly decent cocktail wines. I was fully prepared to not like them after seeing this mildly provocative label below

But I was pleasantly surprised to taste them and discover that they were better than "just palatable".

I can certainly find other wines in the same price range (or less) that I like MORE, but you could do a whole lot worse with these offerings. After the bashing that I gave some French label in this same price range recently, I thought I should pass along some positive remarks if I came across something in the same price category that was decent.

(*edited to reflect correct price of $8.99, not $9.99)

[bugsy]

joe, you didn't mention that these are exactly the same wines that had been sold under the Rex Goliath label until that label was sold to Constellation(?)

[Joe Riley]

joe, you didn't mention that these are exactly the same wines that had been sold under the Rex Goliath label until that label was sold to Constellation(?)

News to me. My salesman never mentioned that. Thanks for the update.

[Barbara]

News to me.  My salesman never mentioned that.  Thanks for the update.

As Craig just asked me, "What? There's no more Giant Chicken?" He discovered the Rex Goliath, being enthralled as an alumnus of the University of South Carolina--home of the Gamecocks. We drank quite a bit of that until discovering (by Craig, no less) the Argentian Malbecs. Lord, we are suckers for labeling. (Let us not discuss naked redheads trying to straddle a bicycle, OK?) Doesn't bear thinking about.