Author Archives: caspernick

Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz/Mataro 2017, South Australia

21 Wednesday Aug 2019

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Mataro is also known as Mourvedre apparently….  Very dark and enticing purple in the glass.  On the nose there is lush blackberry, currant, oak.  On the palate it is straight up delicious.  Loads of black fruit, entwined with cloves, bramble and very subtle tannins.  The mouthfeel of this wine is phenomenal, very balanced and not overly dry nor acidic.  The mid palate shows off some sage brush alongside iodine with the friendly tannins running as well.  On the finish it starts to dry up a touch as the grip of the tannins kicks it up just a small notch.  Blackberry, Lapsang Souchong tea and that earthy brush are the main components of the medium length finish.  This is a really nice drop to drink now or cellar till 2027. 92 points and 5 stars for this $20 wine.  Salut….

DFJ Vinhos Portada Winemaker’s Selection Tinto 2016, Vinho Regional Lisboa, Portugal

21 Wednesday Aug 2019

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Quite dense and opaque purple in the glass.  The nose has blueberry, iodine and espresso.  On the palate it is quite sweet with creme de cassis, vanilla and butter.  There is a hidden astringency from the very fine grained tannins.  The midpalate glides along with the blue fruit theme and finishes with a short burst of tannic thrust that leaves the gums a little quenched.  88 points, drink till 2021 with lighter fare.  For $9 it’s a pretty decent buy and gets 3 stars from me.  Salut….

Vicente Faria Gloria Tinto Reserva 2016, Douro, Portugal

20 Tuesday Aug 2019

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Good rich purple color with a faint showing of legs in the glass.  On the nose- blackberry cassis, charcoal and cedar.  On the palate I get dark fruit compote, coffee bean and a touch of tannin.  The mid palate is all Ribena alongside the very slight tannins.  The finish has a more blueberry note to it, with toasty wood and the last vestiges of the tannic component.  A very nice, easy drinking wine that gets 89 points from me.  Drink till 2024 with grilled meats.  3 stars for this $15 blend.  Pairing with grilled Tri-Tip roast and patty-pan squash.  Salut….

Spier Rose 2018, Stellenbosch, South Africa

15 Thursday Aug 2019

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Pale straw color in the glass for this 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir blend.  On the nose, strawberry and cherry flavors mingle with nutmeg.  On the palate I get much more fruit flavor than I was expecting, it is lush and vibrant with more strawberry, a trace of rhubarb and capsicum.  The mid palate shows a touch of acidity and some minerality.  The finish is of decent length and much the same for flavors.  Refreshing and satisfying describe this 88 pointer from South Africa. Yours for  $10 makes this a 4 point wine that will pair tonight with roast pork shoulder and spiced Basmati rice.  Drink till 2020.  Salut….

Domaine Lucien Lardy Fleurie Les Roches Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais, France

13 Tuesday Aug 2019

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Many moons ago Moxie and I went to Paris on one of several trips to that great city.  Drinking wine  in the cafe’s I noticed that sometimes they would serve a red wine slightly chilled.  Turns out, that’s how they enjoy their Beaujolais wines, which are made in a slightly different method and use the Gamay grape.  Many are designed to be drunk young, as in weeks old, while there are several Cru wines that have some aging capacity.  I bought a few bottles of this Fleurie to savor in the heat of the summer after they had a slight chill.

This one is quite dark purple and just barely see-through.  It gives off typical Gamay notes of black currants alongside oak, charcoal and violets.  On the palate I get definitive black currants and cedar shavings.  There is a surprising level of tannin alongside some black tea notes.  There is a nice level of acidity to balance and the wine leaves me wanting more.  The mid palate is really quite dry, bolstering the blackberry flavors and giving me a peak of Ribena as we go to the finish.  The wine has a long dry streak at the end but it does it with finesse and plenty of black fruits.  The pros were all over the scoring table with this one, ranging from 86-91.  I think it drinks nicely now and will cellar till 2024.  90 points and 4 stars for this $18 wine.  Pair with roasted birds, potato and leek rosti or with some soft, ripe Brie.  Salut….

Inniskillin Winemaker’s Series Montague Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir 2017, Niagara Peninsula, Canada

04 Sunday Aug 2019

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Moxie and I took our son- Jett, to Lake Placid this past week.  He’s a competitive Ice Dancer and was representing Team USA in the Novice North American Cup.  We have been up here several years in a row and always vow to continue northward to visit Montreal after the competition.  This year, armed with fresh passports, we took the 87 mile ride up into foreign lands to visit, albeit briefly, Canada.  It was a great seguey and we stayed right by Old Montreal, which is beautiful.  Our dinner was at a great Bistro, where I asked for and got a delicious Canadian Pinot Noir.

Red and see-through with long legs showing in the glass.  On the nose I get bright cherry, strawberry coulis, cedar and nutmeg.  On the palate it has some really delicious cherry extract, rhubarb, a smokiness as well as mocha.  The acidity of this Pinot is on pointe- the mouthfeel is gorgeous.  There are some sly tannins lurking in the background that give just a touch of dryness.  The mid palate and finish are equally tasty, fleshy yet still delicate a’ la Pinot style.  This is new world yet has such a restrained approach- I’m loving it.  92 maybe 93 points.  I’m pairing it with Escargot, followed by duck breast.  Drink till 2030.  $30 makes this a bargain for Pinot of this quality, 5 stars.  Salut….

Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose 2017, Stellenbosch, South Africa

28 Sunday Jul 2019

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It’s summer, which means Rose’.  I have recently started to enjoy and understand a bit more about this style of wine so when I saw one made from Cabernet Sauvignon- I had to try.  It is a much deeper shade of reddish pink than most Rose’ wines, probably a longer maceration with the skins to give it the color.  On the nose it is quite fresh with strawberry, citrus, almond and pear coming through.  On the palate this chilled wine is delicious.  Lemon, blood orange and strawberry are my initial tastes.  It has a touch of acidity that refreshes the palate beautifully.  The reddish fruit (Strawberry and blood orange) carry through the mid palate.  The transition to the finish is seamless with the addition of some pear and more lemon zest.  It leaves the gums pleasantly tingling with some acidity and that lingering blood orange tinge.  A really yummy summer quaffer that will refresh while preparing dinner or go great with Salmon, salad or grilled garlic chicken.  Drink till 2022.  89 points and 5 stars for this $12 effort.  PS. I’m a fan of Mulderbosch wines and this one did not disappoint.  Salut….

Proemio Red Blend 2017, Mendoza, Argentina

26 Friday Jul 2019

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Really dark in the glass.  On the nose I get Ribena, blueberry pie and hot stone.  On the palate it’s ginger, blackberry, cedar and evergreen.  There is a really nice tannic backbone, unobtrusive yet I sense some astringent components from them.  The mid palate is all blackberry jam.  The finish is really nice, smooth and very balanced between black fruits, a hint of acidity and those delightful tannins.  It’s quite long to boot.  This is a really nice weekday drinker that gets 90 points from me and 5 stars as it’s under $10.  Drink till 2023 with pizza, burgers, sirloin or pasta.  Blend of Malbec, Cabernet Petit Verdot.  Salut….

Domaine Jean Fery & Fils Les Vergelesses 2010, Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru, France

26 Friday Jul 2019

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The second tasting of the Les Vergelesses.  See-through reddish-purple with some hints of bricking.  On the nose I get fresh cherries, blackberry extract and nutmeg.  On the palate it is light, refreshing and young.  There is a red cherry component alongside strawberry coulis and pomegranate- which is adding some zesty acidity.  The mid palate is somewhat one dimensional with just strawberry and juicy acidity.  The back end finds those darker fruits again with black cherry dominating.  There’s a cedar note in there alongside some fruitcake.  This wine is still way too young and primal.  I foresee some great evolution in the next ten years, which is quite a stretch for a nine year old.  If you like refreshing, young Pinot- five in.  I’m holding my other bottle for a few years, looking for more secondary Burgundian flavors to emerge.  92 points and 4 stars for this $40 effort.  Salut….

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2012, Pauillac, France

18 Thursday Jul 2019

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Nearly black and opaque in the glass.  On the nose I get gorgeous blackberries and fruitcake with a touch of mint.  On the palate it is fresh, young, fruity and chock full of black fruits, cedar, scrumptious tannins and a slight hint of cassis.  Tobacco and leather are evident on the mid palate which totally excites me and hints at long term evolution in line with traditional Bordeaux.  The tannic structure is amazing, very lithe at the beginning with a steady rise to a crescendo of black tea dryness.  92 points and 4 stars for this $50 Fifth Growth.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….