Author Archives: caspernick

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Marlborough, New Zealand

27 Friday Nov 2020

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Our second Sav Blanc of Thanksgiving was another Kiwi wine. Pale yellow in the glass with a somewhat muted nose of tangerine and pomelo.  On the palate it is refreshing with that orange citrus flavor along with grated ginger and capsicum.  There is a hint of wood accent on the mid palate and a touch of acidity.  It’s a fuller mouthfeel but is a bit shallower on the flavor profiles. 89 points and 4 stars for this $11 quaffer to drink till 2022. Salut….

Barker’s Marque ‘Three Brooms’ Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Marlborough, New Zealand

27 Friday Nov 2020

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Light yellow in the glass. Pineapple, apricot and lemon on the nose. The palate is semi sweet with lemon zest, green apple, cut grass and a touch of honeysuckle. Delicious with mid grade acidity that balances the sweetness perfectly.  A hint of effervescence was noted by some but I’m getting a touch of green pepper instead.  It’s a really delicious white wine that has finally gotten a thumbs up from my buddy Dusty.  He is a red drinker but this one broke through for him. 91 points and 5 stars for this $15 wine. Drink till 2024. Salut….

Domaine Ste. Michelle ‘Michelle’ Brut, Columbia Valley, USA

27 Friday Nov 2020

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Pale yellow with a combo of medium and large bubbles.  On the nose l get biscuits, some green apple and grapefruit.  The palate is medium dry with good fizz.  Yellow apples, a touch of citrus and more of that biscuit flavor all meld nicely with the bubbles on the palate.  The wine lacks any serious acidity but it drinks nicely at our Thanksgiving brunch.  87 points and 4 stars for this $13 quaffer. Makes a great Mimosa btw. Salut….

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2020, France

27 Friday Nov 2020

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Once a year (the third Thursday in November to be precise) the French release the Beaujolais Nouveau. Super bright shade of purple, totally opaque.  The nose is very fruity- black cherries, blackcurrants, cherry cola and sassafras.  The palate is lively with lots of purple fruit, gobs of acidity and some licorice notes. Primal, this wine is meant to be drunk right away, yet it seems to have a bit of stuffing in there that may allow it to cellar for a year or two.  There’s a sour cherry note that carries this wine through to the medium length finish.  I’m thoroughly enjoying it.  The Nouveau movement started as a marketing ploy, got very popular in the 80’s and waned a bit of late.  It’s a fun, basic wine that is nearly perfect for Thanksgiving and is easy to drink.  Gamay based wines are served by the bucketload in the bistros of Paris, normally chilled ever so slightly they make a great red for a hot summers lunch.  This one will fill that role nicely in the coming 12 months.  87 points. $13 and 3 stars. This brand changes the label every year, cool stuff. Salut….

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2003, Pauillac, France

27 Friday Nov 2020

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It’s Thanksgiving today and I am opening some stunners tonight, this was the first red. Nearly black in the glass and opaque AF.  This wine is blowing me away on the nose- cassis, tobacco, leather and the umami of dried mushrooms.  On the palate this Bordeaux beauty is at peak.  The primal fruit has given way to the most amazing tertiary notes that we can only hope to taste in mature wine.  Earth, funk, leather, Maduro tobacco, rich cassis and a hint of tannins on the very back end.  It is stunning, graceful, developed and powerful in a staid manner.  I’m floored that this mediocre, hot vintage has held itself together for 17 years and rewarded my cellaring in such an amazing manner.  95 points for tonights bottle which is a massive step up from the last time I drank a Magnum of the stuff. You can read my original notes here. Not cheap, nor is it easy to find- at $150 for a regular size or close to $350 for the big boy. 5 stars with a drink now window. Yummm. Salut….

St. Audette Nuit Pinot Noir 2019, Pays d’Oc, France

24 Tuesday Nov 2020

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This Pinot hails from the Pays d’Oc region in France. It is light purple and see through. The nose has light red fruit notes, boysenberry and a dusty earth component. On the palate it is richer than expected. Red raspberry, bramble and a cherry reduction with some lithe acidity greet me. The mid palate continues the red fruit theme with just a hint of tannin. The finish is very smooth and nicely balanced. Although not a very complex wine, it has some weight and good fruit flavor to handle many dishes. Roast chicken comes to mind, as does Salmon on the grill. I would drink till 2023. 90 points and for $20 it gets 4 stars. Salut….

Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Cabernet Sauvignon Sicilia IGT 2016, Sicily, Italy

22 Sunday Nov 2020

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The finale for the 12th virtual wine tasting was a stunner. Dark purple, opaque and very powerful on the nose. Spice box, vanilla, cocoa powder, black cherry and jam were all noted as was, dare I say- plastic and banana. The palate gave us black fruit jam, black tea bursting with beautiful tannins that really coated the mouth. This wine was delicious and I made note that the oak use was very judicious and well played. There was a shot of pepper on the short finish, which took a few points off the table. Still young, it will develop nicely and drink well till 2030. I’m going lower than the pros with 92 points and 5 stars. $50 is not cheap, but this wine has loads of stuffing to it and will get better with time. Salut….

Pulenta Estate Malbec I 2017, Agrelo, Argentina

22 Sunday Nov 2020

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This Malbec was the Wine of the Night (WOTN) for many at the 12th virtual wine tasting. We enjoyed menthol, lilac, raspberry, Damson plum, smoke tar, leather, violets and gravel on the nose. That’s a lot of descriptors. On the palate it is very fruity with just enough tannic grip to give it structure. Plums, dark fruit, licorice and ‘Cognac’ flavors were noted and I felt the wine had a jammy concentration to it. There was a definitive jab of acidity on the decent length finish and the wine had a very pleasing mouthfeel. It was elegant and full of flavor making it the go-to drink after the tasting was over. Well made and worthy of 92 points from me which gets it 5 stars for the $25 price tag. Drink till 2025. Salut….

Xavier Vins SM NV, Cotes du Rhone, France

22 Sunday Nov 2020

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The second wine of the 12th virtual wine tasting was this NV blend of Grenache and Syrah. Semi opaque in the glass it had a medium purple shade. The tasters noted chocolate, white pepper, Kirsch, marshmallow s’mores, dark cherry, cedar, charcoal with earth, funk, spice and a nutty component. On the palate the wine had black pepper, lots of it. Cedar, cola, Birch and black cherry. For me, the tannins came out of nowhere to a big crescendo on the finish. The pepper component was a hit with some, for others it was just a tad overpowering. This wine was ranked very highly with the pros and cost us $23. I am giving it 89 points and 3 stars. Drink till 2022 (this wine is a mixed vintage of 2015/16). Salut….

San Antonio Winery San Simeon Viognier 2018, Paso Robles, California

22 Sunday Nov 2020

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At the 12th virtual wine tasting we drank this Viognier at room temp first and then chilled. As usual there is a marked difference in both smell and taste, but this time I preferred the chilled version- it seemed more focused on fewer key flavors, the warm version was all over the place. Here are some of the notes I recorded from the group.

Pale gold, straw or even Goldenrod in the glass. The nose has a sweetness to it with orange, honey, apricot, pear and floral notes. On the palate we got apricots, orange rind, bakers spices, ‘Icewine’ and a yeasty/bready flavor. The chilled version had melon, pineapple and that bread component on the nose. The palate was softer and smoother with tangerine, honeysuckle and gingerbread with good acidity. One of the tasters remarked that it tasted like good Riesling. Overall it scored decently and I would give it 90 points. Drink till 2022. For $17, it’s a nice intro to the varietal and gets 4 stars from me. Salut….