Category Archives: Wine reviews

KWV The Legend Big Bill Red 2014, Western Cape, South Africa

27 Thursday Jul 2017

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This blend is really dark purple.  Made up of 60% Petit Verdot, 20% each of Cab Sav and Shiraz.  The nose is bursting with currants, juniper, a touch of oak and black cherry.  The palate is very interesting and tasty.  The Petit Verdot punches through with violets, dark cherry and leather.  Tannins are persistent but not overpowering, they leave the gums slightly dry but give the wine a freshness.  The mid palate gives me mocha as well as more dark cherries.  The finish reveals a vanilla note as well as some wood.  The winemaker has done a superb job of balancing the acidity, tannins and the 14% alcohol- which is not noticeable.  The mouthfeel is what I would describe as wholesome yet fresh.  It is relatively smooth with great potential to mellow out and possibly develop tertiary flavor.  90 points from me, drink till 2025 and pair it with lamb chops and garlic mash.  5 stars because this wine rocks and it runs a mere $9 (But I found it for $6.09 in NJ, you people should be running to that store).  Salut….

the legend of big bill ridiculously big

Borgo Salcetino Chianti Classico DOCG 2014, Tuscany, Italy

22 Saturday Jul 2017

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Very see-through purple, almost Pinot like.  Nose of cherries Jubilee with licorice and mocha.  On the palate I get a really nice, smooth intro to some cherry kirsch, a strawberry note and some more exotic spices.  The acidity is on pointe here, creating just the right amount of tartness yet leaving room for the lithe tannins to make an appearance.  On the mid palate I get more of the same, but with the addition of some mushrooms and a bit of gaminess.  It is bizarre.  The finish wraps up with the tannins taking control and leaving the mouth pleasantly dry, to the gums.  I am really enjoying this rather light, refreshing wine that has some serious complexity.  I must go with 90 points and recommend it for a nice summer evening with charcuterie, perhaps some olive tapenade on crusty baguette.  For $14 you can’t go wrong.  5 stars and drink till 2024.  Salut….

Borgo Salcetino Chianti Classico

Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico DOCG 2015, Tuscany, Italy

22 Saturday Jul 2017

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See through dark purple.  Nose of vibrant dark cherry, some oak and blueberry pie.  On the palate this wine is young, with vibrant blue fruits and spice box.  The mid palate shows some very lithe tannins and more blueberry notes.  The wine has a minerality to it that I am enjoying.  Zest is the word that best describes the mouthfeel, the 13.5% alcohol providing just a slight bite while the acidity gives it cut.  The tannins are hitting the gums on the finish with more blueberries on tail end.  Refreshing and decent for $20, 90 points and 4 stars.  Drink now, but some cellaring will reward.  Till 2025.  Salut….

Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico

Lionel Osmin and Cie Cahors Malbec 2012, France

22 Saturday Jul 2017

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Dark purple, neatly black- which is appropriate for the region.  Cherry, tar, blackberry and bramble notes on the nose.  The palate is a touch thin but has black fruits, creosote and hints of lavender.  It has a nice acidity with some very gentle tannins. Mid palate has some good juiciness made up of plums and blackberry.  The tail end is short and sweet, as in enjoyable.  Plums, earth and violets round it out.  88 points and for $12 this is a good value that gets 3 stars from me.  Salut….

Lionel Osmin & Cie Cahors Malbec

Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Napa Valley, USA

12 Wednesday Jul 2017

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I just rolled up to the Aloft hotel bar and ordered this Cabernet from their menu, taking a chance on it’s provenance and style.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Forget the color, it was nigh on impossible to tell in the current venue.  The nose has a warmth to it along with blackberry, slate and eucalyptus. On the palate I get a really smooth intro to the blackberry notes as well as graphite and black cherry.  The core flavors continue to the mid palate and beyond along with some very fine tannins that really pop on the finish.  The wine has a great mouthfeel with gentle acidity omnipresent but not obtrusive.  Atypical for this varietal from Napa, this wine is more on the subtle side, a refreshing change.  90 points, $19 and 4 stars from me.  Pair it with some steaks and mushroom sauce, or perhaps a Cornish Hen dressed up in a garlic rub.  Salut….

Hard to see the color in glass…

Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon

Cooper’s Hawk Super Tuscan NV

05 Wednesday Jul 2017

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This is an interesting concept.  Restaurant/winery that sources grapes worldwide and bottles them under its own label for sale in its own restaurants.  Brilliant.  Why didn’t I think of that?  The food’s not bad either!  This particular bottle was given to me by an old College friend.  There is no vintage on the bottle, just some basic info, ie. 13.5% alcohol, and that it is a blend of Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dark reddish purple in the glass.  I’m not sure what to expect from this blend- I get some red berries and cherry on the nose, but only faint.  The palate reveals currants, red fruits and some chewy tannins.  The wine is obviously young, but has an acidic streak to match the tannins.  The mid palate offers sour cherry and chocolate dust.  The wine finishes nicely with more cherry and some spice.  Not a bad drop- 89 points. $25 make this a 3 star wine that you could pair with Game, Roast Cornish Hens or  maybe some Osso Bucco.  This wine has no vintage so it is hard to say when to drink, but this particular bottle would have lasted till 2020.  Salut….

cooper's hawk super tuscan

Fonseca Premium Reserve Bin 27 Port, Portugal

04 Tuesday Jul 2017

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In my continued effort to taste as many Port wines as possible, this is the latest to hit the gums.  It looks sinister, dark blackish purple in the glass.  The nose is somewhat subdued, but what I get is black currant jam with some wet towel funk I can’t get over.  The palate is totally different, which is where it really counts.  Notes of black berry, cherry extract and oak all hit the palate at once.  It’s a crescendo of syrupy extract.  There is a certain amount of very fine tannins that pop up mid-palate and dry the hell out of my gums.  The flavors are all dark fruit, with a certain concentration as to be expected.  The finish is very dry with loads of black currants, some earth and a touch of biting oak.  90 points from me for this non-vintage $15 wine.  I like it, and will get more of this 4 star wine.  Salut….

Bodegas Penafiel Miros de Ribera Reserva 2004, Ribera del Duero, Spain

03 Monday Jul 2017

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It’s been a while since I have had any 2004 Miros, but I came across this bottle when I was cellar diving. It’s a fun sport, I recommend it all the time! The wine has held up well from the looks of the ever so gently bricking colors. The purple is still evident, with just a touch of orange on the edges. On the nose, I am delighted to report some very earthy Tempranillo overtones, mixed with blueberry pie. My initial taste is fantastic, this wine has aged well. The blueberry fruit is still forthright but there is a strong sense of earth, some funky dirt and a lashing of nice acidity to go with the very fine grained tannins still swirling about. This wine is at peak. The mid palate exhibits more blue fruits and a slight dryness to go along with the layers of flavor. The finish is mostly a tannic affair with some black cherries and a tar component. Really a well made wine that I have enjoyed over the years. Drink it on its own or with some charcuterie. It will drink well for a few more years, no rush. 92 points all things considered. I paid $20 back in 2011, wishing I had bought more than just the case plus two Magnums. 5 stars for sure. Salut….

Chapel Hill The Parson’s Nose Shiraz 2013, McLaren Vale, Australia

02 Sunday Jul 2017

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I drank the 2011 Parson’s Nose a while back, enjoying it so much that I saw this vintage and had to try it.  It is inky black in the glass.  It smells of coffee, anise and plums.  It tastes of black berries, anise and espresso.  The coffee flavors are really hitting me today.  The wine has a great mouthfeel, very smooth, inviting and it hides the 14.5% alcohol very deftly. The mid palate has more berries, but now more on the blue side, with ever so slight tannins making an entrance.  They build into the finish and leave me with a nice dryness on the gums, not too much.  The whole package is really tasty, not over-extracted like so many Aussie Shiraz’s can be.  I paid $18 for it but it looks to be on sale for under $14 online.  Folks- this is a 91 point wine in my books and for that price, they may not have much left after I get done.  5 stars.  Salut….

Chapel Hill The Parson's Nose Shiraz

Clarendon Hills Piggott Range Syrah 2006, McLaren Vale, Australia

30 Friday Jun 2017

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It was three years ago that I reviewed the 2006 Piggott Range Syrah from Clarendon Hills.  I was blown away and am continuing to enjoy their wines.  I bought a bunch of different wines from the winery and have been watching their evolution for some time now.

This time around this wine still shows a nearly inky black color, with no signs of aging.  On the nose I get -“Oh my”.  Seriously, my first whiff was heavenly.  Thick plums, blackberry syrup and a touch of oak.  It’s making my mouth water before I have even tasted it.

On the first taste- super smooth introduction to some delightful plums, cassis and blackberry pie.  This wine is powerful, yet not jammy.  I have always said that Clarendon Hills does Aussie wines in a French style, hence the name Syrah versus  Shiraz on the label.  The latter from Downunda usually indicates a big jammy thing.  The Syrah style is more elegant, less in your face, but they can still be powerful wines- like this one.   The extraction is near perfect here with lots of fruit, but not overly done.  The mid palate is more cassis but with a touch of enticing heat popping up.  The finish is a continuation of the black fruits with a touch of tannins.  This wine is 11 years young and shows no sign of letting up.  The transformation has begun and there are tertiary flavors starting to evolve.  This wine has the backbone and structure to last a fair while, probably till 2030 in my mind.  I’m serving it up with Filet Mignons and grilled leeks plus a creamed Kale dish.  It would certainly rock a leg of lamb grilled to a pink center with a charred edge.  I think this wine has improved and I am giving it 95 points, my previous tasting being so different!  The pros range this one from 92-98, an amazing score.  It’s currently running $150, which is an astronomical price, but it is a holiday weekend and I am grilling Filets!  5 stars because this wine is just so awesome.  Salut….