26 Monday Jun 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
We just hosted a family reunion and I opened this Magnum of Portuguese wine- delicious. My notes were brief but you get the point.
Deep purple with high viscosity and a touch of staining. Ripe blackberry, vanilla, coconut, black plum. Dry, medium acidity, medium (+) tannins. Full body. Mouthcoating lush ripe black fruit with oaky sweetness. Long finish. 93 points and 5 stars for this $27 blend of Touriga Nacional…. drink till 2029. Salut….
25 Sunday Jun 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$23, 5 stars, 92 points, cabernet sauvignon, cru bourgeois, france, médoc, merlot
Deep ruby with a brown tinge, medium staining and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV). The nose has classic left bank Bordeaux cassis, tobacco, spice box, black cherry, blackberry and dark raspberry. There’s a sweet component to the nose that conjures the thought of very ripe fruit, red and black. The palate is decidedly dry though with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins that are well balanced. The dark black fruit is evident as is the oak influence- spice box, leather, chocolate, tobacco but the cassis is the one thing that I love about this region and it’s evident on the palate. The body is full and the wine finishes with a long thrust that is quite tannic yet inviting for another sip. I like this Cru Bourgeois Supérieur level wine that is a blend of Cab Sav and Merlot. It will drink nicely till 2028 and I’m pairing mine with grilled Flank steak and roasted squash. 92 points and for $23- 5 stars. Stock up on this gem. Salut….
23 Friday Jun 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$25, 5 stars, 93 points, bekaa valley, cabernet sauvignon, lebanon, merlot, syrah
Deep, inky purple which is surprising given the fact that it has 10 years of age already. The walls show a touch of staining and the viscosity is medium (14% ABV). The nose is developing nicely- cassis, cedar shake, blackberry coulis, tobacco, baking spices, vanilla bean, dried herbs and a touch of mint. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) to full tannins that are still youthful and grippy. Ripe black fruit along with some dried fruit point to the mid life development of this wine. The oak nuance is present and the dried herbs are evident along with a black tea component. Full bodied, this blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah coats my mouth with lush fruit that goes on to a long finish which is somewhat astringent but inviting- I sip again. I love this winery and the folks that run it (they are relatives for full disclosure). They make a wine that has huge cellaring capacity yet drinks beautifully when young. I have drunk many bottles of the same vintage over a long span of time and am always impressed by the development and further potential. This wine will last till 2030 at the least and gets 93 points from me- at $25 a bottle it’s a tremendous deal that you should seek out. I’m grilling New York strips to pair. with this 5 star effort. Salut….
22 Thursday Jun 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Medium ruby colored and slightly hazy with medium viscosity (13% ABV). The nose has an interesting funk, like asparagus, dill and blackberry. Imma let it blow off a few minutes.
Nope, still there. Greeness with some pine and black fruit- very bizarre. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins. The flavors of this medium weight wine are more in line with what I was expecting. Black fruit, some green notes of asparagus and a touch of oak. The wine is rather thin and one dimensional and a major pass for me. I would rate this blend of Tinta Roriz, Touring Nacional and Syrah at 83 points. For $10, it gets 2 stars from me. This might be an off bottle, or it might need lots more air. Drink now, Salut….
21 Wednesday Jun 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
Deep ruby with medium viscosity legs (13.8% ABV). The nose has got candied dark red fruit aromas with ripe blackberry and a touch of vanilla and cocoa. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are a touch green. Ripe black and dark red fruit with some oak influence are noted on the medium to full body. The finish offers a bit of black tea with the astringency to go with it alongside blackberry and candied cherry. It’s a medium length affair that I’m enjoying. 88 points- I cannot remember the price I paid at Costco. Pair this red blend with Hangar steaks and drink till 2026. Salut….
19 Monday Jun 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Medium ruby colored with slow moving legs (14.1% ABV). The nose is classic New World Pinot- ripe red cherry, baked strawberry, spice box, vanilla, black raspberry twizzlers and a delightful floral note when I sniff the top of the glass…honeysuckle perhaps? The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins, more so than I was expecting but they are fine grained. A full body leads me to the ripe red fruit I got on the nose along with some oak spice. The finish is quite lengthy and a touch tart, which keeps it fresh and interesting. It’s a full throttle style that I am planning to pair with grilled Pork Tomahawk chops and a crisp salad. 91 points from me. Drink this $26 bottle till 2028. 5 stars, Salut….
17 Saturday Jun 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$10, 5 stars, 89 points, grenache, Naked Wines, shiraz, South Africa, western cape
Medium ruby colored with slight wall stains and high viscosity (14.5% ABV). The nose of this 82/18 Syrah blended with Grenache has medium intensity aromas of ripe black raspberry, black cherry, coffee bean, bacon fat, lavender, baking spices and a hint of greeness- perhaps some mint? The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium intensity tannins that are smooth. The body of this tasty wine is medium to full and I get the dark raspberry/cherry and oak nuances with a meaty streak that syrah brings to the table. The floral component is more prominent on the palate than it was on the nose but a re-sniff reveals that is is opening up in that direction. The finish has a touch of heat that quickly blows off, otherwise it is short to medium in length and mainly fruit driven with raspberry and some black plum notes. You could pair this delight with pretty much any meat dish, it’s flexible and has a nice, easygoing mouthfeel. 89 points from me with a drink by 2027 window. For $10 it’s worth stocking up on- 5 stars. Salut….
17 Saturday Jun 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
With a few hours to kill the other day I dropped into nearby Pearmund Cellars. Tasting through seven of their wines I really enjoyed the surroundings and the ambiance. The staff were super helpful and very accommodating. Well worth a visit if you are in the area. Salut….
Pale to medium lemon. Intense aromas of peach, pear and apple. On the palate medium (+) acidity, medium (-) body. Crisp florals with pear, green apple and citrus. This dry wine is delicious and focused with a decent medium length finish- 89 points.
Medium lemon colored. Medium intensity aromas of honeysuckle, stone fruit, lilac, waxy, lanolin with a slight minerality. On the palate, medium acidity that leads to a full body that is waxy with hints of oak with vanilla, orange peel, citrus pith and bruised pear. I get the waxy, lanolin texture on the mid palate. Medium finish, 88 points.
Medium lemon colored with medium intensity aromas of brioche, popcorn, yellow pear, caramel and butterscotch. On the palate the wine has obviously seen some malolactic fermentation and a good deal of oak. Medium acidity, full bodied. It’s a delicious mouthfeel with medium (+) intensity flavors of butterscotch, popcorn, butter, brioche, yellow apple, caramel vanilla. The finish is rather short, but I want to keep going back to this wine as it’s very tasty and fulfilling. 89 points.
Pale lemon colored with intense aromas of lemon, lime, white grapefruit, pear and a gorgeous floral note- reminding me of fresh cut flowers. The palate has medium acidity, medium body with a touch of astringency/bitterness to it, akin to lemon pith. Medium intensity flavors of pear, lemon, tangerine, white grapefruit and Bartlett pear. The finish is somewhat short. This wine wants to taste sweet. It smells sweet, but it’s dry and delicious. Great for a summers day with grilled salmon. 89 points.
Medium ruby colored with intense aromas of blackberries, a hint of oak with some vanilla, a touch of green pepper and black plum. The palate has medium acidity and medium tannins with a medium body. It’s a little lighter than I was expecting, but has really bright fruit flavors and a nice mouth feel. The use of oak is deft, but it’s slightly noticeable and the tannic grip is very gentle. Its sort of sneaks up on your mid palate. This is a delicious lightweight wine that will drink beautifully for the next 3 to 5 years. 88 points.
Medium ruby bordering on garnet. The nose of this one is definitely more developed and it’s starting to show some tertiary notes, black raspberry, red plum, black cherry. On the palate- medium (+) acidity, medium (+) tannins that are grippy yet unobtrusive, confirming red fruit flavors with a touch of oak influence. I like this medium bodied wine,drink till 2027. 88 points.
Medium ruby/garnet with some staining on the walls. On the nose- indulgent black cherry, blackberry, black plum, baking spices, cedar shake and mocha. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium (+) to full tannins that are fine grained and well integrated. Confirming dark fruit- black cherries, black plums with oak influence, a hint of vanilla, caramel, mocha. The tannins last for a long time on the medium length finish and are quite grippy and refreshing but they beg for a slab of meat. Drink till 2028. 91 points.
16 Friday Jun 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Pale amber colored with high viscosity (18.5% ABV). The nose has intense aromas of yeast, lemon peel, hazelnuts, saline and dried orange. The palate is dry with medium acidity and a full body. A combination of Biological and Oxidative aging gives this wine a unique flavor profile- nutty, it features desiccated fruit with saltiness and a citrus twist. It’s a real treat to drink this aperitif wine that finishes long with a yeasty note on the back end. 90 points for this $18 effort makes it a 5 star wine to sip with charcuterie. Salut….
15 Thursday Jun 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Bright lemon colored with low viscosity (12% ABV). The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon peel, white flowers, pink grapefruit zest, green melon and a hint of seaspray. The palate is dry with a slightly oily, weighty texture. Medium (+) acidity and a medium (-) body with citrus and floral flavors along with some lanolin. The melon hits on the mid palate that leads to a short-medium length finish that invites me to sip more. A refreshing drink that would serve as an aperitif yet pair nicely with fresh caught seafood. 87 points for this $12 quaffer makes it a 4 star effort to stock up on and chill for this summer. 100% Melon de Bourgogne grapes with no apparent Sur lie aging that is quite common to the Pais Nantais. Salut….
Wine reviews 