Category Archives: Wine reviews

McWilliam’s Hanwood Estates Merlot 2018, South Eastern Australia

18 Friday Oct 2019

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Very dark purple in the glass with barely traceable legs.  The aromas spilled over when I swirled the glass.  On the nose I am sensing that candied licorice that I don’t care for.  I also get pine and eucalyptus.  On the palate, it is decent for an $8 bottle.  I wasn’t expecting much complexity but this one has some nice primal fruit flavors of blackberry alongside anise, cedar and wood smoke.  What it lacks in structure it makes up for with fruitiness and verve.  A decent drink that has a trace of tannins, a bit of acidity and an easy going quaffability.  86 points would be generous but at this price, it’s good for a BBQ or a day at the picnic site.  Drink now.  3 stars.  Salut….

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2001, Pauillac, France retasted

18 Friday Oct 2019

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The third tasting of this amazing wine over several years.  Bright purple, but with quite a lot of sediment- the nose is classic Pauillac.  Cassis, leather, tobacco and hazelnuts.  The palate is rich, refined, smooth and very balanced.  The primary fruits have given way to tertiary notes of blackberry reduction, that musky leather, dry tobacco and damson torte.  There’s a touch of oak, by way of a vanilla note that I’m enjoying.  The nuttiness I caught on the nose reappears on the mid palate where I do get some plums alongside the cassis.  The tannins gradually build up and really peak on the finish- with black tea, cassis and cinnamon.  Delicious and still young.  This is a 94 point wine that just keeps getting better.  Drink till 2029.  Getting pricy at $175 now but tasty as hell and worthy of 5 stars.  Salut….

Nativ Taurasi ‘Rue 333’ 2014, Campania, Italy

02 Wednesday Oct 2019

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I last had the 2011 Nativ Rue a while back but remembered it for an obscure reason.  The original shipment was heat damaged and really nasty.  The vendor sent me replacements, but the name has stuck with me.  When I saw the 2014 vintage, I had to try.

A nice shade of purple in the glass with thick legs belaying the 14% alcohol.  On the nose I get blackberry, chocolate, oak and vanilla bean.  The palate is a touch austere with black currants, capsicum, sour cherry and raw oak.  It’s a bit off-putting to be honest.  There’s quite an acidic sourness that is hard to ignore, it fights with the green tannins to take over the palate.  The wine is a bit one-dimensional with all eyes on the tannins and opposing acidity.  I’m gonna give this wine some time in the cellar, it deserves a chance, after all an Italian Pro gave it 96 of his make believe points.  I’m going with 89 for now, but I really think it has potential.  I enjoy the Aglianico grape, but this one is really young and imperious.  Give it time.  Cellar till 2022 or aerate it and drink till 2030.  I paid $17, which makes it a 3 star effort.  Salut….

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Bodegas Burgo Viejo Palacio de Primavera Reserva 2015, Rioja DOCa, Spain

01 Tuesday Oct 2019

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It’s a nice shade of purple, perhaps a bit subdued.  On the nose it reeks of Rioja earth, bramble, plum and tar.  The palate has a definitive creosote taste that I look forward to in Spanish Tempranillos.  Plum, blackcurrants and fig paste all come out on the palate.  I get a nice acidity on the mid palate alongside some earthy bramble and violets.  The finish is dusty, plummy and dry from the meek tannins that finally show up.  They are very well integrated and barely perceptible until the end, well played.  Overall this wine leaves me with a delicious aftertaste that I’m enjoying for a good 60 seconds, after having had a mouthful of delicious flavors.  I like it, a lot.  92 points from me and 5 stars for this $35 effort.  Ps. It got a whopping 97 Decanter points, that’s huge.  Drink till 2027 with slow cooked beef ribs, stuffed mushroom caps or a grilled duck breast.  Salut….

Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir 2016, Sonoma Coast, USA

28 Saturday Sep 2019

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A darker shade of purple for Pinot, but see through as expected.  The nose screams New World with strawberry, cherry pie, pecans.  I know- strange descriptor.  On the palate it is silky with bright red fruits galore, cherry cola, sasparilla and juicy acidity.  The mid palate shows off the strawberries and tart cherry.  The acid starts to peak.  There’s a trace of tannic grip as we enter the finish.  Overall it has quite an acidic overtone, leaving my mouth a bit puckered.  It’s tasty mind you….  I like it but the $77 price is a little off-putting.  90 points from me and 3 stars.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Montes Alpha M 2015, Colchagua, Chile

26 Thursday Sep 2019

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Following on from yesterday’s tasting of the Montes Alpha Special Cuvee Cab- this bottling is their top offering in the varietal.  Super rich, dark purple hues in the glass with very thin, long legs.  On the nose there’s a deep blackberry reduction with coconut and graphite.  On the palate this wine is very silky: black fruits over a bed of  smooth oak and very integrated tannins.  The wine is very balanced with some midpalate acidity that mingles with black cherry, blackberry and more iodine.  The finish is not overly dry- the tannins very gradually fading over a good 60 second period.  The fruit lingers almost as long with a touch of spice, cinnamon?  This wine is young but drinkable, maturing till 2035 I think.  93 points for this very tasty, rich offering that I paid $62 for.  5 stars.  Salut….

Montes Alpha Special Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Central Valley, Chile

25 Wednesday Sep 2019

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I walked into a wine shop in Hong Kong and was pushed aside by a woman on a mission.  Five minutes later she checking out with three First Growth Bordeaux- Lafite, Latour and Mouton.  My measly purchase paled in comparison to the thousands she spent.  I digress…  I have always been a fan of Chilean Cabernet.  So, this is the first of two that I bought.  It banged a whopping 94 points from one pro, it says so on the label.  Let’s see how we get on.

In the glass it is a nice rich deep purple with just a hint of legs showing.  On the nose it is very minty  and chock full of black fruits, iodine and charcoal.  It’s actually not my favorite profile.  On the palate it is rich and flavorful.  The kind of richness that covers your whole mouth.  Lovely plums, blackberry and flint.  There is a touch of mint as well as black olive.  It’s quite complex and well made.  The mid palate shows some very integrated tannins and black fruit compote.  The finish is long, dry and very fruit driven.  There is an ample amount of tannins but they are not obnoxious, merely present and persistent.  The finish is medium length and finishes very dry.  This wine is a touch young, but will do well in an aerator or decanter.  Drink till 2030 at least.  I think it gets a legit 93 points and for the price of $23 it gets 5 stars from me.  Salut….

Pagos del Rey Castillo de Albai Reserva 2014, Rioja DOCa, Spain

19 Thursday Sep 2019

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Medium intensity purple, almost seethrough.  On the nose there’s a definitive charcoal note alongside blackberries and bramble.  Licorice kicks in a little later after a good swirl.  On the palate it’s pretty tasty with black cherry, coffee and more licorice.  Tempranillo sometimes has a dusty, earthy component that I enjoy in Riojas, this wine has a hint of that.  The tannins grip on the midpalate alongside dark fruits .  There is a certain amount of oak at play here, but it’s not overdone.  The long finish is a touch dry from the decent tannic kick.  More blackberry and some vanilla carry me through to the very end.  Drink till 2026 with hearty pastas, steak or roasted chicken- this wine needs food.  90 points from me and 4 stars for its $18 price point.  Salut….

Nederburg The Winemasters Chenin Blanc 2016, Coastal Region, South Africa

12 Thursday Sep 2019

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Pale gold in the glass, it is crystal clear.  On the nose there’s lemon, melon, pear and lychee.  The palate echoes those flavors from front to the finish.  There is a unique mouthfeel, effervescence, without the bubbles.  The acidity is in check but not shy.  It adds depth and cut.  The Chenin Blanc varietal is widely found in France and South Africa.  Differing climates produce variations on the flavor profile but this grape is very enticing, versatile and delicious.  I am going with 88 points and 4 stars for this $9 offering that you should drink till 2022 with grilled chicken, sausage and mash or even smoked salmon.  Salut….

Marianot Garblet Barolo DOCG 2014, Piedmont, Italy

08 Sunday Sep 2019

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Quite see-through with a darker purple hue in the glass.  The nose has violets, cherry essence, bramble and leather.  On the palate it is fruity, lighter than expected and a touch dry.  Blueberry is the primary flavor alongside some cedar plank and those violets.  The tannins start to really grip on the mid palate to go along with the blue fruit compote and wood.  The wine finishes strong, with the tannins really getting stuck in and the gums really getting pounded.  The fruit remains for a while but is eclipsed by the 60 second plus grip of the astringency.  Very young wine, but thoroughly enjoyable if you like ‘em dry.  I would personally drink this wine now with veal chops on the grill, a heavy duty pasta dish or  perhaps Moroccon lamb in the tagine.  If you have patience, this one will mellow nicely for a few years and be presentable from 2024- 2030.  91 points, $35 and 4 stars for this Nebbiolo.  Salut….