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Bodegas Bioenos Pulchrum Crespiello 2012, Cariñena, Spain

01 Friday Mar 2019

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$25, 5 stars, 92 points, spain


Dark purple and showing some legs in the glass.  The nose is vibrant with black currants, licorice and oak.  On the palate this is delicious folks.  Ribena, blackberry jam and toasty oak hit me all at once.  There is a cherry stream that appears on the midpalate alongside vanilla bean.  Tannins are in check, melded and balanced with the acidity.  The finish is warm, almost alcoholic but at 14% I must be imagining things.  There is a charred oak note in the finish that is perfect for the dark berry fruit notes.  This wine is drinking beautifully and will do so till 2025.  I wish I had some Osso Bucco laying around , or even shepherds pie.  Look for this rare varietal-  Crespiello, it is an interesting one for sure.  92 points and 5 stars for its $25 price tag.  Salut….

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Vineyard at Hershey Gewurtztraminer NV, Pennsylvannia

23 Saturday Feb 2019

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$18, 3 stars, 89 points, gewurtzraminer, Pennsylvania


Super light yellow in the glass, made me look twice.  The nose is floral with lemon and pineapple notes.  On the palate I get peach right off the bat.  Apricot and citrus hit me on the midpalate where the acidity starts to kick in.  The wine is really light and bouncy with nice crisp mouthfeel.  The tail end is more subdued on the flavors, mainly a pear component.  This wine is intriguing in its multitude of flavors, definitely worth looking out for.  I’m pairing it with salmon Alfredo.  It begs for a hot summers evening outside with some oysters and chorizo.  89 points and 3 stars for this $18 bottle. Salut….

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Quinta do Covão 2014, Dao, Portugal

23 Saturday Feb 2019

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$40, 4 stars, 91 points, portugal, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional


Bright purple in the glass.  Plums and black berry come off on the palate with some earthiness that I love in Portuguese wines.  There’s a dusty component reminiscent of desert air that pops up as well.  On the palate it has telltale Tinto Roriz and Touriga Nacional notes.  There’s a tar component alongside spice box and blackberry.  The tannins are very integrated, of medium intensity and not astringent.  I like the mouthfeel and the balance is great.  The mid palate and finish are both steeped in black fruits and that spiciness.  The dry, dusty notes I mentioned earlier slip back in right at the end.  This is a tasty wine that gets 91 points from me.  The $40 price point makes it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

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Domaine la Soumade Rasteau 2016, Rhone, France

22 Friday Feb 2019

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$20, 3 stars, 88 points, france, grenache, mourvedre, rhone, rhone blend, syrah


Very dark in the glass.  The nose is plummy with sweet black currant syrup hints.  The palate has black currants, espresso and nutmeg notes.  Mouth drying tannins appear on the mid-palate where I  get big doses of coffee and charcoal.  The tannins really grip on the finish.  The wine begs for aeration or a juicy ribeye.  The acidity is there, somewhere.  I just can’t sense it.  Overall- quite tasty, young and in need of cellaring or aerating.  Drink till 2026 with hearty fare.  88 points from me which is in stark contrast with the monster 92+ points the pros gave it.  I think a re-taste is in order.  For now this $20 effort gets 3 stars.  Salut….

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Casa Ferreirinha ‘Papa Figos’ Tinto 2017, Douro, Portugal

20 Wednesday Feb 2019

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$12, 3 stars, 88 points, portugal, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional


This was the next bottle up at the Tapas restaurant.  We needed something light and easy yet flavorful.  I was thinking Portugal for it’s budget, tasty reds.  This one did not disappoint for the price.

Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Barroca make up the blend in this medium bodied wine.  Floral, purple fruits, and some balsamic syrup come to mind.  Very mild acidity and meek tannins make out an easy quaffer.  A touch of leather, which I love, comes across on the mid palate.  The finish is rather short and fruity.  Nothing too flash here but for the $12 price point that is to be expected.  88 points and 3 stars from me.  Drink now, obviously with Tapas!  Salut….

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Cellar Vall Llach Embruix 2015, Priorat DOCa, Spain

20 Wednesday Feb 2019

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$25, 3 stars, 89 points, merlot, Priorat, spain


Moxie and I met up with an old high-school friend at a Tapas bar in Massachusetts.  This wine was recommended by our waiter so we dove in.  I did not write too many notes so bear with me:

Nose of smoky plum.  Lithe and fruity with some complexity but not overpowering.  Dark fruits galore and lithe tannins make it an easy drinker with 5-10 years of cellaring potential.  We obviously ate it with Tapas, which was a great pairing.  Strangely enough, the pros vary between 88 and 92 points.  I would go with 89 personally.  $25 makes it a 3 star wine for me. Blend of 30% Garnatxa, 27% Merlot, 20% Samso, 18% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Salut….

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Chateau de Camensac 2015, Haut-Medoc, France

26 Saturday Jan 2019

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$45, 4 stars, 90 points, bordeaux blend, france


This was the fourth wine of the tasting evening, which may have included a bit of palate fatigue but we all agreed it was the nicest.  The 2015 Bordeaux vintage shows its excellence here.

Medium to dark black in the glass.  Cassis, black berry coulis and some gaminess.  On the palate it reeks of Bordeaux- cassis, dark berries, oak and grippy tannins.  The mid palate is where the astringency kicks in with a black tea component and some decent blackberry jam notes.  The finish is totally dry.  Short length on the flavors but the tannins are in full force.  90 points and 4 stars for this $45 wine. Drink till 2027. Salut….

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Two Hands Wines Angel’s Share Shiraz 2016, McLaren Vale, Australia

26 Saturday Jan 2019

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$29, 4 stars, 91 points, australia, mclaren vale, shiraz


Very dark in the glass.  Nose of black jam, eucalyptus and charcoal.  On the palate there’s a rich warm black currant note with lithe tannins and a fruitcake hint.  The mid palate is very smooth with a tannic bite that kicks in. The finish is gentler, mid length and chock full of black jam, cedar and a touch of vanilla bean.  91 points and 4 stars for this $29 effort.   Drink till 2030.  Salut….

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Turley Napa Valley Petite Syrah 2016, Napa Valley, California

26 Saturday Jan 2019

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$55, 4 stars, 91 points, california, napa valley


Nearly black in the glass.  Blackcurrant and smoky wood on the nose.   On the palate it offers black cherry, dark currants, superb tannins and olives.  The midpalate gets a dose of dryness from the tannins to go with more dark berries.  The finish is blackberry coulis, tea and a touch of wood.  Overall a very good but young wine that needs two to three years in the cellar.  After that- drink till 2028 with heavy duty meat dishes.  91 points for now.  I would love to revisit in 3 years.  $55 makes this a 4 star effort.  Salut….

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Failla Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2017, California, USA

26 Saturday Jan 2019

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$39, 3 stars, 89 points, california, pinot noir, sonoma coast


I wrote about the 2016 Failla recently so it was interesting to sample the younger version.  Strawberry coulis nose from this darker red Pinot Noir  On the palate I get raspberry, strawberry and crunchy tannins.  The mid palate has a pepper component alongside bing cherry.  The finish is medium in length with that strawberry core flavor returning.  The acidity is decent and the mouthfeel is good.  A touch young- it could benefit from some cellaring.  Drink till 2029.  89 points $39 make this a solid 3 star wine.  Consistent with the previous vintage.  Salut….

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