Monthly Archives: February 2014

Clarendon Hills Astralis 2004

10 Monday Feb 2014

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A huge, monumental, iconic wine that scored massively with the pros and cost me an arm and leg. This weekend marks a huge turn in Moxie’s store and a good reason to celebrate, hence the need to pull out a $300+ bottle of wine from the depths of the cellar. To emphasize- RP 98, WE 98, WS 97, WC 97, AWC 95. Wow….

I have been in Asia for a few days and just returned this morning. Napping the morning away, I was ready for a hearty meal and some good vino. I decided on a Lamb tagine to go with this Aussie Syrah. Yup, Syrah…. They don’t call it a Shiraz, hmmmm.

I opened the bottle at 6:30 and made immediate notes:
The wine is nearly black in the glass and the first whiff was pure alcohol. I let it settle for few minutes and coaxed dark, brooding currants and a touch of the wood in addition to some cherry hints. On the palate I did not catch any of the 14.5% alcohol! Instead I got a complex mixture of black currants, plums, kirsch and oak. The mid palate adds a fine grained tannic streak along with some tobacco and spice nuances. The finish is where the alcohol shows up, unfortunately. The tannins are totally integrated at this point and do not dry out the end game.

It’s now three hours after opening and the wine has not evolved all that much, just softening up a bit on the initial attack. I doubt it will morph much more before I polish it off. The critics reckoned this wine would go until 2030. My impressions are below, and not quite in line.

Firstly, this is not my favorite Syrah nor is it my favorite wine from this producer. I disagree with the high ratings, I don’t think it warrants more than 92 points. For the price, it is a very dear wine and I’m only giving it 2 stars. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good wine- perhaps a great wine according to the pros but for me it’s just average for the price.  I was hoping for more depth, complexity and certainly more flavor.  My quest is to expand my palate and try as many highly rated wines as possible so I will be better able to discern a truly great wine.  This one just wasn’t it, a pity.  Salut….

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Wolf Blass Yellow Label Shiraz Cabernet 2011

09 Sunday Feb 2014

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The label says Limited Edition, but I think it’s just to celebrate their heritage rather than a specifically special blend.  By the time we got to this wine, we were suffering from some ‘palate fatigue’ (we were pissed, I’ll admit it).  I did enjoy this one more than I thought I would.  The Shiraz was not overdone and the Cabernet provided a healthy framework and some nice sweet tannins.  The nose of the wine was elegant with blackberry and blueberry dominating the oak influence.  The flavors on the palate included blackberry pie, cinnamon spice, some blueberry jam and tobacco.  Quite a compilation of nuances I must say.  The acid, tannins and alcohol were all in check and balanced nicely.  This really was a pleasure to drink and I am going with 89 points.  I believe my mate paid $10 for it making it a 4 star effort and a sure-fire winner.  I would serve this up with burgers, perhaps a pizza and probably a hearty pot roast.  I have tried numerous Wolf Blass wines and this one was one of the better examples from this huge winery.  Salut….

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Castle Rock Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

09 Sunday Feb 2014

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I have previously had the Castle Rock Cabernet but from Paso Robles and the 2009 vintage.  This wine follows the same mold, but is far better.  Priced at a bargain price of $9, you will be hard pressed to get anything form Napa for less.  It starts off with a decent color in the glass and some pretty plums flavors on the nose.  This is not a complex wine, nor is it built for cellaring.  It has primal flavors of plums and violets with a candied cherry finish.  Very light on the oak and virtually no tannic backbone.  It was very easy to drink and managed to keep up with some big players at the tasting.  I gave the Paso version 82 points and 4 stars.  This one gets 84 points and 4 stars as well.  We enjoyed it with some cheese and (crackers).  It would do well with some bruschetta, perhaps some olives and cold cuts but I would hold off on pairing it with a main course of meats etc.  Good value for the money folks.  Salut….

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Superbowl side bets

02 Sunday Feb 2014

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I keep forgetting to post this, but here goes.  If you are going to a Superbowl party, here are some fun side bets to get the whole gang involved.  I modify the details every year specific to the teams and the odds, but generally the questions are the same.  If you want the excel version, you can download it (I swear it’s virus-free).  Have fun wherever you are and may the best team win.  Salut….

super bowl bets

Super Bowl Bets

Super Bowl Bets

Peitan Albarino 2012

02 Sunday Feb 2014

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This was the white wine that my mate ‘Mr Tormay‘ ordered for dinner.  If you recall, he is an avid Sauvignon Blanc fan but they ran out so he was forced to switch varietals at the Cajun/Korean fusion restaurant last night.  I got a taste as he shared the bottle with Moxie, another white wine fiend.  Albarino is from northern Spain and is a highly aromatic wine, which goes against his strict taste profile.  I understood why after a few sips. Yes, it is aromatic, but it has some cutting acidity and lacks the cloying sweetness found in other similar wines.  The nose offered melons, some Bosc pear and a hint of lemon.  The flavors of honeysuckle and peach also came through on the mid palate in addition to the pear and citrus.  A very interesting grape that I found to be quite multidimensional and easy to drink.  I would put this wine up with some grilled sardines any day.  A summer salad with a chilled bottle- awesome.  I’m going with 89 points and will be on the lookout for this $12 bottle.  4 stars for its QPR and interest factor.  Salut….

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Cosentino ‘The Franc’ 2012

02 Sunday Feb 2014

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Moxie and I went out to dinner with some dear friends last night at our local Cajun/Korean Fusion restaurant.  Don’t laugh, it’s an amazing combination of flavors and the food is presented in a very neat way that is meant for sharing, Tapas style.  My mate drinks white wine (which I will review later, but his wife Mercedes and I shared this Lodi Cabernet Franc.  It is 76% Franc with 20% Cab Sav and a dollop of Malbec.  I really enjoy this winery’s offerings, they are always well made, smooth and easily accessible.  This one was not far from the mark, albeit on a much more reasonable scale.  At $12 retail, it was a bargain.  Slightly tight on the nose, the purple juice flowed with black currant, dark blueberry and some white pepper.  The structure was firm as expected for such a young wine but it was drinking well.  The Franc had a nice perfume to it once it got going and the Cab Sav did wonders for the tannic backbone.  I enjoyed this wine with dinner and would like to add a few bottles to the cellar for the near future drinking.  88 points and 4 stars from me.  Salut….

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