Kakhuri Gvinis Marani KGM Saperavi 2023, Kakheti, Georgian Republic

09 Friday Jan 2026

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Medium ruby colored, with slight staining, and a medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of boysenberry, elderberry, spice, a slight vegetal note, damp earth, petrichor, and mushroom.  It’s quite herbal driven.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium body, and medium (-) tannins. A very smooth mouthfeel.  The fruit is silky and echoes the nose, except no vegetal note, just herbal and black fruit driven.  The finish is medium (-) in length.  It’s a very easy drinker but lacks long term cellaring capacity due to the structure and fruit concentration.  It will pair well with our flank steak and mushroom spaetzle.  87 points from me for this $25 bottle makes it a 3 star effort.  Salut….

Kakhuri Gvinis Marani KGM Saperavi Kakheti

Cigar Box Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Central Valley, Chile

06 Tuesday Jan 2026

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Deep ruby colored, with slight staining, and a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of – you guessed it- cigar box, along with blackberry, black plum, cassis, chocolate, coffee, and an initial green vegetal note which thankfully blew off.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium body, and medium (+) tannins that are quite chalky and somewhat green.  Medium intensity flavors of black fruit and oak nuance with a focus on the tobacco note alongside black tea.  The tannins are really starting to hit under my tongue, but seem to have lost the green streak, they are just grippy and young.  The ripeness of the fruit is somewhat concerning, even though the label promotes ripeness- I feel otherwise.  The finish is driven by the tannins, it’s hard to get away from them.  The length of the fruit is quite short.  I picked up this bottle for around $13.  It gets 88 points from me making it a 4 star effort to drink till 2030, perhaps with a hunk of steak.  Salut….

Cigar Box Old Vine Hand Harvested Cabernet Sauvignon

Clos Pissarra El Riu 2011, Priorat DOCa, Spain

05 Monday Jan 2026

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Pale garnet colored, with a medium (-) viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of fig, prune, nuts, stewed strawberry, cherry reduction, leather, and vanilla thread.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium body, and medium(-) tannins that are fully melded.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of dried orange peel, prune, figs, desiccated cherry, stewed strawberry, leather, and a smoky hint.  The finish is long and caressing but the alcohol is noticeable, with a burn happening on the back end.  I was a little put off by the nose, thinking it was over the hill, but I think we rescued this bottle just in time as it’s really delicious, and different.  I would have thought it to be a 92 point wine back in the day.  It needs to be drunk soon as there is virtually no structure left and the fruit is hanging on by a thread.  It’s 100% Carignan, aka Samso in the region.  I paid $35, but it lists for far more.  4 stars.  Salut….

Clos Pissarra El Riu

Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon Limited Production Malbec 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

04 Sunday Jan 2026

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Deep ruby-red colored, with slight staining, and a high viscosity (13.7% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, licorice, coffee, mint, blackberry coulis, black raspberry, chocolate, and acai berry.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium tannins that are chalky.  Medium intensity flavors echo the nose but there’s also a black tea note.  The finish is medium in length and fruity.   I like this wine, the tannins quickly turn powdery and the balance is en pointe.  It’s not as intense as I was hoping for to pair it with Tri-tip, but it’s very delicious and worthy of 90 points.  At $32, it gets 3 stars.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon Limited Production

Betts & Scholl Hermitage Rouge 2001, Rhone Valley, France

01 Thursday Jan 2026

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Medium garnet colored with definite bricking, and a medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose of this 25 year old wine has medium (_) intensity aromas of prune, caramel, burnt coffee, dates, steamed blackberry, cracked black pepper, marzipan, and a herbal note.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium (-) body, and low tannins.  Unfortunately it’s way over the hill and quite sour tbh.  There is no pleasure here, which should have been evident by the dried out cork that refused to come out.  Sucha a shame as I paid $35 on spec for this a few months ago.  Salut….

betts & Scholl Hermitage rouge

Jim Barry The McRae Wood Shiraz 2014, Clare Valley, Australia

31 Wednesday Dec 2025

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Deep inky/ruby colored with slight staining and a high viscosity (14.2% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe black plum, eucalyptus, licorice, baking spice, jammy brambleberry, vanilla, orange peel, and Turkish coffee.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a full body, and medium tannins that are melding nicely.   The richness of the fruit flavors is impressive- not jammy, but decadent.  Ripe plums, bramble berry, oak nuance and that telltale eucalyptus all carry on to a long finish.  The silkiness of this wine is evident, the alcohol, not.  I love this wine, having drunk gallons of it back in the early 2000’s.  It’s on the roster for New Year’s eve dinner.  93 points from me for this $55 bottle makes it a 5 star effort to enjoy till 2033.  Salut….

Jim Barry The McRae Wood Shiraz

Rosa dell’Olmo 2021, Barolo DOCG Piedmont, Italy

30 Tuesday Dec 2025

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Pale ruby-red colored, with high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, rose petal, pomegranate, smoke, a hint of licorice, and leather.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, and high tannins that are still young and gritty.  Medium (+) intensity flavors embody the fruit but really highlight the old oak aging.  The tannins grip for days yet allow for a decently long finish with fruit and secondary notes present.  The cherry and leather dominate.  It’s a young wine for sure, with loads of cellaring capacity yet it could be drunk soon if decanted/aerated.  I think it is worthy of 91 points and available for $30 which makes it a 5 star effort in my books.  Drink from 2028-2035.  Salut….

Rosa dell'Olmo Barolo

Purcari ‘1827 Rara Neagra’ 2022, IGP Stefan Voda, Moldova

29 Monday Dec 2025

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Deep ruby colored, with copper highlights, slight staining, and a medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, charcoal, vanilla, a medicinal note, pomegranate, and coffee.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium body and medium tannins that are a touch bitter.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of plum, bitter coffee, vanilla, pomegranate, and that medicinal hint.  The medium (-) length finish has a definitive astringency to it, I wonder if the tannins are fully ripe.  Overall it’s a tasty drop that may reward short term cellaring, but the astringency gives me concern.  88 points for this $17 bottle makes it a 3 star effort.  I’m pairing it with roast Duck and salad.  100% Rarǎ Neagrǎ from Moldova.  Salut….

Purcari 1827 Rara Neagra

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Marlborough, New Zealand

28 Sunday Dec 2025

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Pale lemon colored, with a watery sheen (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon verbena, cut grass, jalapeño, white blossom, papaya, grapefruit, and lime zest.  The palate is dry, with high acidity and a medium (-) body.  Medium (+) intensity flavors that mirror the nose are sharpened up by the cutting acidity.  The finish is medium (+) in length.  What a shockingly good value wine that is so consistent and tasty.  I paid $10 for this 91 point effort which makes it a 5 star bottle to buy en mass.  Drink till 2028 (would be interesting to see how it matures and what cellaring capacity it may have).  I’m pairing it with seared scallops and garlic linguine.  Salut….

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Chateau Musar Blanc 2013, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

25 Thursday Dec 2025

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Pale gold in color with a watery sheen (11.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of Quince, Meyer lemon, lanolin, green almond, grapefruit pith, white blossom, and a zesty minerality.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, and a medium (-) body.  Medium intensity flavors mimic the nose, but especially the pith- giving a touch of bitterness.  On the mid palate I get the Quince, followed by a medium (+) length finish that’s got a refreshing dose of acidity.  This is a 12 year young wine that probably needs another decade before it starts to flesh out and develop tertiary notes.  I picked it for Christmas dinner of Lobster tails and baked potatoes- a good pairing.  I like this blend of Merwah and Obeideh from my native Lebanon.  It gets 91 points and for $55- it’s a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Chateau Musar Blanc