La Mascota Vineyards ‘Unanime’ Gran Tinto 2017, Maipu, Argentina

06 Monday Mar 2023

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$25, 5 stars, 92 points, Argentina, Cabernet, Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Malbec, Mendoza

Inky purple colored, this blend of 60% Cab Sav, 25% Malbec and 15% Cab Franc leaves a slight stain on the walls and has thick, slow moving legs (14% ABV). The nose has wafting aromas of blackberry jam, black plum, violet, vanilla bean, chocolate, some bell pepper and a medicinal note from the oak. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are fine grained but prominent. Full bodied, this wine gives me flavors of black fruit, oak influence that is well masked/integrated (vanilla, medicinal, chocolate) and a touch of blueberry. It hangs in there for a decent length finish and is silky smooth on the back end. It’s delicious and will pair beautifully with our grilled lamb chops with roasted potatoes. This is drinking beautifully now and will cellar till 2028. I will give it 92 points which is a bit shy of the 95 it got from one pro. At $25 it gets 5 stars from me. Salut….

Domaine Maillard Pere et Fils Pommard ‘La Chaniere’ 2020, Cote de Beaune, France

06 Monday Mar 2023

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$41, 5 stars, 92 points, burgundy, cote de Beaune, france, pinot noir, pommard

If you read my previous post on our Parisian dinner you will have read that we drank two Pinot Noirs from Burgundy. This is the second bottle- notes taken were basic as it was dinner!

Deep ruby. Rich aromas of cherry pie, pomegranate , coffee, chocolate and raspberry. Medium acidity, medium (-) tannins and a medium (-) body with flavors of red fruit and silky oak spice carrying through to a medium finish. 92 points from me for this $41 stunner makes it a 5 star wine to seek out. Salut….

Domaine Maillard Pere et Fils Chorey-les-Beaune 2019, Cote de Beaune, France

06 Monday Mar 2023

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$40, 4 stars, 91 points, burgundy, cote de Beaune, france, pinot noir

We recently dined at an amazing Parisian restaurant where the entire menu, wine included was extremely reasonable yet of such a high caliber that I will include some pictures. We drank two bottles of Burgundian Pinot Noir, the first being this Chorey Les Beaune. I did not want to detract from dinner so very basic notes were taken.

Medium ruby, more extracted than I expected. Aromas of strawberry, cherries jubilee, a touch of baking spices and some smoke. Medium (-) tannins and a medium acidity lead to a medium body. Delicious with flavors of dark cherry, strawberry coulis, baking spice and charred oak on a medium finish. 91 points and for $40 this is a 4 star effort. Salut….

Scallops to die for

Parmesan Filet

Oh, la la

Can you say Souflé?

Perfection on a dessert plate

Chateau Giraud winery visit

05 Sunday Mar 2023

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bordeaux, france, sauternes, winery visit

When Moxie and I booked our trip to Bordeaux I wanted to visit Sauternes- so I looked up my favorites from the past and decided that Guiraud was going to be it. Unlike many others in the region, they are open on Saturdays, which was the only day we were free. Overcast skies and winter vegetation could not detract from the inherent beauty of this organically farmed estate. Our guide was awesome and very informative. We toured the cellars and grounds with a glass of their dry white in hand- the ‘G’ was spectacular. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, it had excellent acidity, balance and length with delicious flavors and aromas that made Moxie claim it to be her favorite dry white ever. A big statement indeed.

The dry white wine

Our tour took us to the tasting room where we tried the Petite and Grand vins from several vintages. I savored every drop of these stunningly delicious dessert wines and compared the nuances of each vintage. The 2014 was my favorite as it was very precise with a freshness that was not evident in the older vintages. The 1998 was liquid gold, rich and laden with tertiary notes that one hopes for in cellared wines. The 2005 was in between- showing some youth whilst taking on a smoky note that was very interesting. I love these wines and purchased two more vintages for my cellar. Look out for tasting notes in the future! Overall- this is a must visit winery if you are in the region where you will be warmly greeted and treated to spectacular wines. Salut….

Chateau Cos D’Estournel winery tour

04 Saturday Mar 2023

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bordeaux, winery visit

The second winery we visited on our trip to Bordeaux was right up the road from Lynch Bages, in St. Estephe. This Indian inspired winery is stunning to say the least. The inside is like a Maharajas palace- beautifully appointed with rich colors and exotic fabrics. The winery wasn’t bad either- they were one of, if not the first to install a gravity flow system to ensure the wine was not overworked by pumping and other quality degrading operations.

The imposing facade

The tasting was amazing- Three wines from different vintages and obviously quality levels. All were great for what they were but the Grand Vin was a complete standout.

Our guide was excellent. Very informative and gracious. Our tour ended in their shop where I purchased two bottles of their sister winery in Hungary’s Tokaji. From the same vintage I bought the 5 and 6 puttonyos versions to compare. Stay tuned for that tasting. If you are in the area this is a must-visit winery. Salut….

Pacheco Pereda Estirpe Organic Cabernet Franc 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

03 Friday Mar 2023

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$30, 5 stars, 92 points, Argentina, Cabernet franc, Mendoza, organic grapes

Not quite opaque, this deep ruby Cabernet Franc has medium viscosity legs (14% ABV). The nose has bright aromas- violets, black raspberry, bell pepper, vanilla, baking spices, black plums and an interesting purple twizzler note. The palate is dry with medium acidity and crunchy tannins that are medium (+) in intensity. A touch astringent- the mouthfeel leads to a medium-to-full body with flavors of black plum and raspberry, vanilla bean and oak spices. The tannins really grip on the back end where they get a little more fine-grained. On the initial push they were very raw and coarse. This wine could use aerating methinks. I like the finish, it’s pretty long in length and the florals that I got on the nose reappear alongside the dark red fruit and softening tannins. I have been simmering a Port reduction sauce to go over some grilled Strip steaks, this wine is going to pair beautifully. 92 points from me for this $30 offering makes it a 5 star effort to drink till 2030. Salut….

Laurent Fayolle Crozes-Hermitage Sens 2019, Rhone, France

01 Wednesday Mar 2023

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$19, 4 stars, 88 points, crozes-hermitage, france, northern rhone, syrah

A quick and basic tasting note of this French Syrah- Opaque purple. Fruity nose with florals and ripe fruit. Black plum, lavender, licorice, coffee. Medium acidity, medium tannins, full body. Grippy black fruits with flavors of plum, black cherry, bitter dark chocolate with a shortish finish. 88 points and for $19 it gets 4 stars. Drink till 2025 with hearty meat stews and grilled game. Salut….

Chateau Les Ormes-de-Pez 2006, Saint-Estephe, France

01 Wednesday Mar 2023

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$43, 4 stars, 91 points, bordeaux, bordeaux blend, cabernet sauvignon, cru bourgeois, france, merlot, saint estephe

Purchased at the gift shop in Bages, this Cru Bourgeois is part of the Lynch Bages portfolio. Pardon the abrupt notes, but it is being drunk at our Parisian Air-bnb in glasses that are not optimal. Medium garnet colored , nose of blackberry, cassis, tobacco, cedar box, classic aged Bordeaux. Delicious with medium acidity and medium tannins that are well integrated with a medium body. Slightly tart on the back end with black fruit puree and cassis. Secondary and tertiary flavors of tobacco, cedar lined drawers, smoke and espresso. Long finish with tart dark fruit- 91 points. For around $43, you too can taste this delicious and mature wine. 4 stars. Salut….

Quinta do Crasto Roquette & Cazes 2019, Douro, Portugal

01 Wednesday Mar 2023

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$26, 5 stars, 92 points, Douro, portugal

Inky purple in the glass with virtually no legs- 14.5% ABV. Vanilla, spice, ripe blackberry, (served in the wrong glass so it was difficult to draw off aromas). Ripe black fruits, fresh oaky notes of vanilla, chocolate powder, black plum and cassis. Delicious with medium tannins and acidity- a full body that covers my palate through to a medium length finish. Great drinking right now with a few years left in cellar. 92 points from me and at $26, worthy of looking for as this 5 star beauty will impress. Salut….

Chateau Lynch Bages winery tour

28 Tuesday Feb 2023

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5 stars, bordeaux, france, Lynch bages, pauillac

If you know me at all you will know that Lynch Bages is on my top three wines of all time. I have drunk several vintages and many bottles over the past 25 years of this stunning Bordeaux wine. When we decided to visit the region, they were the first winery I contacted for a tour. I must admit the grey overcast and rainy days of February might not be the most picturesque time of the year to visit but there were no crowds and we were greeted by our excellent host at the newly built, ultra modern gravity flow winery. Lots of glass in the main building allows for ample light and the beautifully appointed offices included a whimsical set of bathrooms replete with some funny cartoons.

Our tour began with in the ‘fermentation room’. Stainless steel fermenting tanks that are gravity fed by a system of elevators and controlled by computer, very impressive set up.

Next up was a museum of sorts- the old wooden vats and the railroad system they used to employ to fill the barrels with must and also to press the wine. Some interesting artifacts indeed!

Barrels of wine resting up prior to bottling, smoothing out and picking up secondary notes over time.

Remnants of grape and olive presses are on display outside the vault that holds their library of vintages.

And finally- the moment we had waited for. The tasting room greeted us with three offerings- the ’15 Ormes de Pez, ’16 Echo (their second wine) and the ’14 Grand Vin. All drank beautifully and showed the power off this winery as well as its finesse. Stunning wines to drink made ever more special by the surroundings.

Our tour ended with a visit to their local village where we shopped for wine, drank coffee and thoroughly enjoyed reveling in the moment. What a special place. Salut….