Monthly Archives: January 2017

Bello Family Vineyards Megahertz Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Napa Valley

29 Sunday Jan 2017

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A rich opaque purple in the glass with a beautiful nose of Black and Blue berries. On the palate- very smooth, like buttah… A delicious mix of blue berry , cherry, and ginger spice. Fine grained tannins and a touch of acidity give this wine a great mouthfeel, easy to drink. This wine is made in a very elegant, understated style. The fruit is allowed to express itself, the tannins are not pumped up and the acidity is gentle yet balanced. Very delicious wine with medium term aging potential. Tonight I will pair it with Roasted Beef Tenderloin, probably the best cut for such a lithe wine that isn’t overly tannic. 90 points and 3 stars for this $24 effort. Salut….
megahertz cabernet sauvignon

Trivento Amado Sur 2014, Mendoza Argentina

29 Sunday Jan 2017

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I am a big fan of Trivento, as can be seen in my write-ups.  The Amado Sur is a blend of Malbec, Bonarda and Syrah.

Dark purple in the glass.  A nose of black currants, oregano, chocolate powder.  On the palate- currant, cinnamon stick and crunchy tannins.  On the mid palate there are some plum notes as well the currants.  The tannins are really apparent in the finish, and give off a dry mouthfeel.  This wine is balanced and tasty, but perhaps young.  It will reward some cellaring but offers good flavors and structure right now to pair with prime rib, eggplant moussaka or even roast duck with orange sauce- or some cheese and chorizo like I did.  I like it and am going 90 points.  For $14, this is a really good deal.  4 stars.  Salut….

amado sur

 

La Croix Barton 2011 Bordeaux Superieur

22 Sunday Jan 2017

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I have drunk a ton of La Croix Barton, the underwhelming 2008 vintage, followed by the far better 2009.  I have not seen the 2010 but found the 11 waiting for me!

A see through purple in the glass with a nose of black currant, violet and coffee.  The initial tastes are muted by the forward tannins, but I eventually get dark fruits, green pepper and plum.  Very young and hiding behind the mouth searing tannins, this wine needs decanting or aerating.

The travel aerator

The travel aerator

I ran it through the aerator and voila… nowhere near as tannic, with approachable berry fruits, some tobacco, and still some green peppers. The wine carries these primal flavors through the mid palate and onto the finish. It is somewhat one dimensional as far as flavors go, but it should evolve given a few years. I paid around $17 for it and am giving it 88 points for now. I think it may get better with some age, and I will certainly re-visit it. 3 stars. Salut….

la croix-barton 2011

Chateau Pavie 2000, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France

21 Saturday Jan 2017

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This is my first 100 point wine and was brought by a good friend to celebrate his promotion and pay off a football bet!  At $450 per bottle it’s a pretty steep price to pay for perfection but you only live once.

Nearly black in the glass.  A stunning nose of leather, tobacco, blueberry, coconut.  Young is my first impression. Fresh fruit, bright tannins, good acidity… blueberry tart, leather and spice box with maybe some plum on the mid palate. I’m also getting graphite.  Did I mention the mouth coating tannins?  They go on forever. This wine is extracted, polished, deep and complex, but it’s also a baby.  It needs another 5 years minimum before it starts maturity but will last till 2040 at the least.  It currently shows primal fruit but will evolve in a massive way once secondary flavors develop.  I am lucky I got to taste it at this stage of its life cycle and hope to be so fortunate in the future to experience it at peak.  I can only imagine how great this wine will be.  We drank it with some cheese and crackers, that is about all you need.  I would think this wine is worthy of 98 or 99 points, but the man himself gave it 100 on several occasions, so who am I to argue!  Shall we say 5 stars?  Salut….

chateau pave 2000img_1485

Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2011, Hemel-en-Aarde, South Africa

21 Saturday Jan 2017

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Disclaimer- I got this bottle from a distributor.  They retail for around $23.

Bright golden yellow.  A nose of petrol, lemons and flint, very intriguing.  On the palate, very smooth with lemon, some green apple, wet stone and very lithe acidity.  The mid palate just continues the theme right up to the long finish.  I drank this bottle with a friend who was also impressed.  I initially served it at room temperature to show off all the nuances and highlight any defects.  I found none.  I slipped the bottle into an ice bucket for the second round, which was more typical.  It really shone when chilled and I would imagine pairing it with Lobster, fettuccine Alfredo or even smoked duck salad.  This wine is reminiscent of an edgy Burgundy wine, but the use of oak is very defined and not overly lavished on it.  A nice balance and worthy of 92 points from me.  5 stars!  Salut….
Newton Johnson family vineyards chardonnay hemel-en-aarde

J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 2014

21 Saturday Jan 2017

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A buddy of mine brought this along.  He paid $12 at Costco for it and I was impressed.

Nose of sweet cassis, blackberry and pepper.  The palate shows dark fruits, solid tannins and juicy acidity.  The mid palate gives plum, dark cherry and a hint of cedar. The finish is laced with mouth drying tannins and plum torte.  I would pair it with many different dishes, pasta, steak, cheese plate.  A really decent drop for a party and something to buy by the case.  89 points and 4 stars from me.  Salut….

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David Noyes Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2013

15 Sunday Jan 2017

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The last time I wrote about this winery was over 4 years ago, on the Russian River Valley 2009 David Noyes Pinot Noir. I loved it then and gave it high marks, so when an opportunity came along to get more from this winery, I jumped.

Very pale, see-through purple that shows off elegance and subtlety.  On the nose mainly strawberry with hints of cherries jubilee.  I also get a very faint touch of cinnamon.  Interesting.  On the initial attack- very subdued and mild. Flavors of cherry, red currants and Rooibos tea.  The wine transitions through the mid palate with cherry pie and a lashing of very fine grained tannins.  The finish runs long and is composed of tannins under some nice tart strawberries where the acidity finally shows up!  I’m going with 90 points, not quite as rich as I had hoped but a fine bottle.  You can find it for around $22 and I am giving it 3 stars.  I paired it with slow cooked pork tenderloins in an asian braise.  It worked really well.  Salut….
david noyes sonoma coast pinot noir

Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

14 Saturday Jan 2017

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One of my sons is 14 and ice-skates competitively in Synchro and Ice Dancing.  He has been with his Dance partner for just over 5 months and they qualified to go to the National Skating Championships this weekend in Kansas City.  They all left yesterday and I was supposed to join them today, Friday the 13th.  My flight cancelled and the weather is supposed to be horrendous out there.  Why do I mention all this?  Because his partner’s parents gave me this bottle of wine for Christmas, so it made sense for me to open it tonight in honor of the big weekend.

First off, this wine is a really dark purple- I can almost see extraction.  On the nose, really nice aromas of plum, black currant and olive strike out.  On the initial attack I get more plum, some really prominent tannins that give way to primal black fruits and a hint of the wood.  This wine is young but delicious.  The mid palate is where the tannins really take over and coat my whole mouth, perfect for Ribeye steak!  The finish is rather long and gives out some hints of berry jam, leather and still more lingering tannins.  The winemaker does a masterful job of hiding the 14.9% alcohol.  The acidity is perfectly balanced and this wine is ready for some cellar time.  By all means drink it now, but I think you will be rewarded with 4-5 years in the darkness.  Drink till 2028 and pair it with grilled meats, lamb stew or even a rustic wood oven fired Margherita pizza.  I am going with 92 points on this and for about $43 this is a 4 star wine.  I’m loving it!  Wish us luck this weekend and Salut….

hall cabernet sauvignon napa valley

 

Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2012

14 Saturday Jan 2017

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If you have never had a Ripasso wine before you need to hurry along and get one.  It all starts with the Amarone wines, where the grapes are air dried for several months on wire racks and the fruit loses volume and increases its sugars.  Once they press the grapes what is left over are the skins and seeds, minus the juices but still yielding some tannins and flavors that basic Valpolicella lacks.  Once they ferment the Valpolicella wine they then ‘pass’ it over the remaining Amarone grape skins to impart a deeper color, structure, tannins and a depth of flavor.  Some call them the baby Amarones.  I have been a fan of this particular wine for a long time and was super excited to get a bottle the other day.  Priced at $24, it is a good intro to the style.

Dark purple, with a nose of raisins, funk and plums (all good I assure you).  On the palate I am getting rich plums, black cherry and delightful tannins.  The mid palate shows off dried cherry, oak and more tannins which really hit the gums at this point.  The finish tapers off with plum jam and raisins.  The wine is not as ‘thick and unctuous’ as I remembered nor does it present the depth I have had in other vintages but it is still really good and gets 89 points from me.  85% Corvina, 10% Rondinella and 5% Oseleta.  I had an old colleague over for dinner that saw me pair this with Pasta and Meatballs/Mild Italian Sausage.  It was a great match and even made the Caeser Salad and Garlic bread more on pointe.  The whole evening was a good time but this wine had a special place in our visit.  Drink till 2022. 3 stars.  Salut….

zenato ripassa

 

Dona Paula Estate Malbec 2014

11 Wednesday Jan 2017

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I can’t even tell you how many bottles of this wine I have drunk in my day.  I was introduced to it at an Argie steak house in Anchorage, Alaska of all places.  We used to go there in small groups and empty their supply every time.  I saw this bottle when I was in Boston with the family on a skating trip.  I couldn’t resist.

In the glass, a paler version of purple was on display.  On the nose- black berry and nutmeg come to mind.  The initial palate consists of really delicious dark fruits, some plum ganache and some very tart tannins.  The wine shows off a dryness that takes over the mid palate and finish but still allows flavors of blue and black currants to peek through.  There are not many tertiary flavors but that is okay, this is a primal wine that begs for steak.  It offers one stop shopping if you are in the market for a reasonably priced wine that bangs it with grilled meat, does well alone and will make charcuterie sing. This is one for you to look for.  At $13 this is a good deal and gets 90 points from me making it a 5 star wine.  Drink till 2020 and buy in bulk.  Salut….

dona paula estate malbec