Author Archives: caspernick

Talenti Pian di Conte Riserva 2013, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy

22 Monday Nov 2021

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Our final wine at the 22nd Virtual Wine Tasting event was the capstone of our Italian themed night.  We had tried three new-to-the-group varietals so I wanted to circle back to familiar roots with a Sangiovese from Brunello.  The tasters got the usual cherry and tar that we expected plus black and white pepper, iron, brine and (unfortunately) stewed prune and stewed apricot which told me the wine was already fading fast.  On the palate this fear was confirmed by the light-bodied nature of the wine that had low to medium tannins, medium acidity and a short finish.  The flavors we got were cherry, briny salt and iron.  I was hoping for some leather, tobacco, dried herbs- alas it was not to be.  A massive disappointment for me personally as I always hope for 1 home run wine per tasting.  At $70 this 90 pointer only gets 2 stars from me.  Drink now if you have any.  Salut….

Salvatore Molettieri Vigna Cinque Querce 2012, Taurasi DOCG, Italy

22 Monday Nov 2021

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Third up in the line at our 22nd virtual wine tasting even twas this Aglianico.  Opaque with thick legs that showed off the 15% ABV.  On the nose the panel got blueberry, violets, tar, charcoal, black raspberry, tarry smoke, forest floor, black licorice and pencil lead.  One person noted it to be Port-like.  On the palate it was a tannic beast.  Almost searing even with 9 years of bottle age.  It’s difficult to discern flavors when all you can sense is the astringency covering even square inch of you gums and teeth but we did manage to coax anise, blackberry, cherry, smoky tar  (or tarry smoke!) out of the glass.  As mentioned- super tannic, it had medium acidity, medium body and a medium finish which made it a 92 point wine in my book.  After some decanting time it softened up quite considerably and came into its own.  At $40 it is an interesting way to discover the varietal from Campania, which is due east of Naples.  4 stars with a drink by 2030 window.  Salut….

Cordero di Montezemolo ‘Funtani’ Barbera d’Alba Superiore 2017, Piedmont, Italy

22 Monday Nov 2021

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I wanted to introduce our virtual tasting group to this varietal- Barbera.  Unfortunately it was quite tart and that threw people off.  It is an opaque wine which conjured up ideas of a brooding, tannic wine when quite the opposite was discovered.  The group noted aromas of tar, cherry, cherry coke, luxardo cherries, coffee, tobacco and cola.  The flavors we encountered were sour cherry, Dr. Pepper, tobacco, red currant and raspberry.  Medium bodied, it had a short finish and was tart the whole time.  90 points for this $40 wine made it a 3 star effort.  I subsequently drank it two nights later and it was far better, perhaps worthy of a bump in score.  Drink till 2028 with something like breaded veal cutlets or an Alfredo dish, staying away from high acid foods with red pasta sauce.  Salut….

Mario Schiopetto Friulano Collio 2019, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

22 Monday Nov 2021

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Kicking off the 22nd Virtual Wine Tasting was this Friulano.  Gold in color it had a beautiful look in the glass.  We tasted it at room temp and chilled.  Here are the notes I cobbled from all the input.

Room Temp- Nice nose of green pear, lime, florals, green apple, grapefruit and peach.  On the palate the group got peach, florals, green apple but no varietal bitter almond.  I was disappointed about that.  Light to medium bodied, this relatively low acid wine had a short finish, getting 90 points from me.

The chilled version had florals including honeysuckle, some vanilla, almond and a salinity like sea air.  No one got grapefruit on this nose.  The palate did however get grapefruit from someone in the group.  Green apple, almonds, tart fruit and a saline minerality showed.  I thought the chilled version was better and gave it 91 points.  For $24 this is a good intro to the varietal.  4 stars from me!  Salut….

Vieux Chateau Lamothe Blanc 2020, Bordeaux, France

17 Wednesday Nov 2021

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This Bordeaux blend consists of 40% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Muscadelle.  It is a medium gold in the glass and the 12.5% ABV leaves barely a sheen of watery legs in the glass. On the nose it has all the makings of a classic Sav Blanc- gooseberry, cut grass, cat’s pee and pineapple with some waxy notes from the Semillon.  The palate is refreshing with medium acidity, light weight body and fresh flavors of gooseberry, pineapple, honeysuckle and that waxy note I got on the nose.  The finish is medium in length and is a touch tangy from the acidity.  I like this lightish wine that sports good fruit-forward notes with a nice mouthfeel that is easy to drink.  I would pair it with fresh seafood, lighter chicken dishes and salads.  For $15 it is a good one to stock up on for the short term, 88 points.  3 stars from me.  Salut….

Chateau Fieuzal L’Abeille de Fieuzal 2015, Pessac-Leognan, France

15 Monday Nov 2021

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This Bordeaux blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc is beautiful in the glass- deep golden colored it shows off its age appropriately.  There is just a sheen of legs, which made me check the ABV- 12.5%.  Perfect.  I’m getting a little tired of getting tipsy too soon.  The nose is quite pronounced with aromas of gooseberry, lemon zest, green apple, honeysuckle, biscuit and persimmon.  A very interesting combination!  The palate is very soft and smooth with gentle acidity, full body and good length.  The flavors are more secondary and tertiary driven.  Citrus and apple give way to buttery components alongside toast and biscuit.  I did a bit of research after the fact.  This wine is technically a “drink now”, up to 2019.  Whoops.  It certainly shows some age but I think it will go swimmingly well with our grilled Salmon and sautéed spinach tonight.  If you have any, pop soon.  89 points from me for this $32 wine make it a 3 star effort.  Salut…..

Millbrook Pinot Noir, New York

14 Sunday Nov 2021

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Pale ruby with watery legs (13%ABV).  The nose offers up nice aromas of red cherry, strawberry, earth, some funk and a medicinal note.  The palate is dry, medium bodied and slightly tart with lithe tannins.  The red fruit I expect from Pinot is dominant here with very little secondary flavors.  It is primal and fruity, if somewhat one-dimensional.  The finish is mid length and juicy.  I like it.  It’s not a Cru Burgundy but it is very serviceable.  At $26 it’s a bit pricy for an 89 point wine.  3 stars, drink till 2026.  Salut….

Domaine Paul Pernot Bourgogne Cote d’Or Chardonnay 2018, Burgundy, France

12 Friday Nov 2021

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This Burgundian Chardonnay has an interesting color, it’s almost peach-like and quite deep.  The nose is quite fruity and floral with lemon, lime, geranium, pineapple and persimmon.  A nutty component akin to hazelnuts hits as well.  On the palate it is crisp and refreshing.  The fruit flavors are more tropical than citrus driven with pineapple and melon dominating.  The nuttiness remains albeit nuanced.  The acidity is en pointe with this wine, you barely notice it unless you start to wonder about it.  The wine is mid-weight and has a long finish with layers of tropical fruit interwoven with some minerality and citrus notes.  It begs for a Cobb salad or some steamed shellfish.  I am enjoying it chilled and think it will drink well for another few years.  89 points from me for this $30 wine make it a 3 star effort.  Salut….

Millbrook Vineyards and Winery Hunt Country Red 2018, New York

11 Thursday Nov 2021

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This bottle was a gift, for delivering a rescue dog to her new home in upstate New York.  We had fostered Victoria for a month and when it was time for her to meet new friends- it was off to the horse farm with her.  The new family were super happy to meet her and gave me two bottles of the local reds.  This one is a blend of 49% Merlot, 40% Cab Franc and 11% Syrah.

Semi opaque, bright ruby.  The nose is medium intense and gives me red cherry, red currants, raspberry, red plum and spice box- like baking spices.  The palate is dry, medium bodied and has juicy acidity and mid grade tannins.  The fruit flavors are of medium intensity and I get the red notes as well as the spice.  There is very little oak showing but I do get a strange sensation, almost like effervescence yet there are no bubbles.  It’s unique, something new to me.  As I drink more of it there is a definitive red cherry candy component and the glass wafts a touch of straw if swirled a lot.  The tannins I mentioned are very lithe yet hang on for a long time, far longer than the fruit which is pretty decent in length.  Overall, it’s a decent drop that gets 87 points from me.  It runs $13 and gets 3 stars from me.  Drink now with lighter fare, perhaps a pasta dish with veggies.  Salut….

Esprit de Pavie 2015, Bordeaux, France

10 Wednesday Nov 2021

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I have been braising Beef Short ribs all day, now it’s time to thicken the sauce and mash the potatoes.  A classic Bordeaux, somewhat young and hopefully a touch tannic will do the trick to marry the richness of the dish and its accoutrements.  This Merlot based blend from the Right Bank is the little brother to the famed Pavie.  It’s meant to be drunk younger and will no doubt have less structure than the iconic namesake.  It shows a deep shade of ruby in the glass with thick legs (14.5% ABV).  On the nose it is quite pronounced with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, black plum and charcoal. Licorice starts to appear after a swirl as does perfumed violet.  The palate is smooth, very smooth.  Super fine-grained tannins, juicy acidity and gobs of black fruit greet me immediately.  The licorice and charcoal nuances wait till the mid palate, letting me enjoy the primal fruit flavors with the caressing structural pieces.  The finish is mid length on this full bodied wine.  What I like is that the tannic grip disappears before the fruit, which is rare.  This is a really nice bottle that will reward further cellaring unless you like a young, brawny wine.  Drink till 2029 with stews or steaks.  91 points for this $25 Frenchie makes it worthy of 5 stars.  Salut….