02 Monday Mar 2020
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Very pale yellow in the glass, but interesting to look at. The nose has lemon zest, walnuts, . The palate is fresh, not cutting. I get a citrus component and pineapple. It’s very tasty and easy to drink. The mouthfeel is light and bright, not much acidity and no cloying oak. It’s a wine made for easy foods, appetizers or a poolside quaff. 88 points but a real treat at $14. 3 stars. Salut..
02 Monday Mar 2020
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Very rich purple hues in the glass. The nose is a combo of blue fruit and dark berries, with a tobacco and spice box note thrown in . The palate is very enticing with blackberries, crisp tannins, fruitcake and black tea. The midpalate continues the theme and takes us to the really juicy finish of Ribena, tea, creosote and Maduro leaf. Very enjoyable, seamless and drinking well for a relatively young Bordeaux. 91 points and 4 stars at $25. Drink till 2028. Salut….
02 Monday Mar 2020
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$75, 4 stars, 92 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Napa, napa cab
Very dark purple in the glass with feint legs, interesting as it boasts 14.5% alcohol. The nose is rich with cassis, plum extract, oak and tea. The initial palate starts off jammy, full bodied and tannic. The dark fruit is very unctuous and the flavors just keep coating my mouth. The mid palate shows off a nice acidic bite alongside more cassis and leather. The finish turns a touch blue, berries and oak come to mind. This is a really delicious yet still young Napa Cab that shows off the Cali sun in a nice, full bodied package. 92 points and 4 stars for this $75 beauty. Drink till 2030. Salut….
02 Monday Mar 2020
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Blackish blue in the glass that is somewhat murky. On the nose it’s delightful- blackberry pie, yeast, and iodine(strange, but believable). On the palate it has a unique flavor- blackberry meets charcoal. I can’t think of a better descriptor. There’s a vast cask influence here and I’m loving it, not over-oaked but the fundamentals are there. Vanilla, popcorn, coconut. It’s not over done, just a nice, deft use of it to give this wine a unique flavor. The mid palate continues the blackberry theme and the tannins creep up, barely noticeable until the finish and by then- dry gums! The whole package is mouth-filling, interesting, well structured and balanced. I like it, a lot. 91 points and 5 stars for this $19 wine. Drink till 2025. Salut….
02 Monday Mar 2020
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$10, 5 stars, 89 points, california, clarksburg, grüner veltliner
It’s very pale yellow, but it has a bright hue. The nose gives me pears, yellow apple and ginger. The palate is a touch sweet with that yellow apple note being prevalent. It has a nice mouthfeel and the richness comes through on the mid palate where a warm waxy component adds to the mix. Bosc pears come alive and the very feint acidity introduces itself. The finish is short and to the point; pears, apples and done. It’s a very balanced wine that will drink beautifully with my roasted Beer Can Chicken. I would pair this all day long with steamed ginger and scallion Salmon. The touch of sweetness and lack of acidic bite make it easy to quaff by itself. Drink till 2025. 89 points and for $10- 5 stars and in need of stockpiling! Salut….
02 Monday Mar 2020
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I’m tasting this one in the dark, literally. We lost power earlier today and I have rigged up the generator but it only runs certain things, like the dishwasher😳.
From what I can see via flashlight this is a semi opaque, dark purple looking wine. The nose is somewhat subdued, but I managed to coax blackberries and vanilla bean. The palate is sweet- oh my. A very, very interesting assemblage of flavors. Coconut, blackberry pie, mint, the list goes on. It’s one of the most intriguing, surprising and tasty wines I have come across. The mid palate continues the swirling bouquet of differing flavors but introduces some very nice, medium intensity tannins. I really dig this wine. It’s finish is a nice dry affair that allows those dark fruits, coconut and vanilla flavors to once again take turns in caressing my gums. This is an amazing display of very unique flavors, well done. 93 points. Drink till 2030 with beef stew, steaks or just by itself. $32 makes this a 5 star wine to stock up on. Salut….
02 Monday Mar 2020
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It’s black in the glass and totally opaque. The nose has hints of raisin, black cherry reduction, hoisin. The palate is thick, a touch acidic and bursting with fig, plums, black cherries again as well as fruitcake. The midpalate introduces some very fine grained tannins alongside the fruit medley. There’s a nuttiness that hits towards the back end alongside blackberry jam. This wine is very appealing. Rich and balanced. The finish is long with that dark fruit core continuing for over 30 seconds. I love Ripasso’s and am excited by this one. 92 points. For $20 this is a 5 star wine folks! Salut….
02 Monday Mar 2020
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Very pale shade of red and completely see through- expected for Pinot. The nose is really bright with strawberry, rhubarb and red currants. The palate is full of red fruits- currants, strawberry, watermelon. There’s a lovely mouthfeel that envelops the gums with rich red berry compote, not much tannins and a hint of acidity. There are times for finesse and this winery is hitting all cylinders. The midpalate shows off more red, think cherry cola and currants. The finish is a short lived affair of much the same. A nice closing in my opinion. Drink till 2026 with lighter fare, I’m doing sous vide chicken with wild rice and broccoli. 90 points and 4 stars for this $18 bottle. Salut….
04 Tuesday Feb 2020
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$25, 5 stars, 91 points, cabernet sauvignon, chile, Puente alto
At $14 a bottle, this was my house Cab back in the day. It quickly gained popularity and it’s price climbed like a homesick angel. I went looking for other great QPR wines. When I saw it in the shop today, I reminisced a bit and pulled the trigger on what has now become a $25 offering. Here we go!
It’s very purply in the glass (I am using a straight hotel glass, no stemware in sight). The nose is lush with blackberries, spice box and a touch of oak. On the palate it is rich, balanced and gives me blackberry notes, star anise, black tea and a nice touch of tannin. The mouthfeel is warm and smooth, acidity being very well behaved and allowing the tannins a chance to enter the fold. They build up to a nice dry finish but don’t interfere with the fruit. The blackberry component is strong and remains all the way to the finish. There is a nice minerality to this wine and the dryess of the tannic grip on the finish is just enough to make this a meat – worthy wine. Think big, juicy steaks on the fire and this one fits right in there. I am impressed that this wine has held its quality over the past 20 years, even though the price has nearly doubled. I’m going 91 points and 5 stars. Welcome back you little beauty! Drink till 2028. Salut….
04 Tuesday Feb 2020
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Medium strength purple in the glass with a touch of cloudiness. The nose is unique. Raspberries, sweet rhubarb jam, rooibos tea. The palate is yummy, crunchy, a touch acidic. I get dark fruits instead of red, an interesting transformation. Delightfully tannins greet me as we transition to the midpalate of crushed black cherry, graphite, black tea and mouth drying tannins. The finish has a short burst of black berrries, tea and an earthy minerality. This wine is drinking young at 7 years old, it still needs cellar time. Drink from 2023-2030 with Ribeyes or a Penne Arrabiata. 90 points and 4 stars for this $25 Cab. Salut
