06 Monday Mar 2017
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See through lighter shade of purple. Stunning nose of mulberry, warm berry compote and a hint of cedar wood. The palate shows off red berries, fine grained tannins and a mouthful of warm brioche notes. There’s an underlying level of acidity that continues the whole length of this delicious wine. It just smacks of warm California fruit, nicely integrated with oak, balanced tannins and a freshness I’m really enjoying. 90 points and for $15 I’m giving it 4 stars and getting some more! Salut….
06 Monday Mar 2017
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I just spent some time in Asia on vacation. The flights to and from offered an opportunity to try some interesting wines. I made the most of it! If you have never had a Gruner Veltliner, I highly recommend them. I had this one with a seafood terrine and salad. It was a great match.
Golden dark yellow in the glass. Nose of pineapple and ripe papaya. The initial taste is quite refreshing, a cutting acidity introduces some pineapple spritz, with hints of lemon zest and pomelo. Nice mouthfeel! 89 points and for $15 a really solid wine that gets 4 stars from me. Salut….
25 Saturday Feb 2017
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21 Tuesday Feb 2017
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This was on special at my local wine store, regularly $11, on sale for $10. I had to try it. It is vinted and bottled by the Wente Family Estate, which is a rather big and well know operation.
A good shade of purple in the glass, with a nose of black berry and kirsch. On the palate, black stone fruits and black berries. Very nice and supple mouthfeel, not overly acidic with very subtle tannins. A pop’n’pour wine that is sure to please- for the price, it is a really outstanding effort. 88 points and 5 stars for its price to quality ratio. Drink by itself or pair with pretty much anything! Salut….
19 Sunday Feb 2017
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Have you ever had Ribena? That is exactly what this blockbuster looks like in the glass. It is a 100% Merlot from Tuscany that got huge marks from some pros. I bought in on the hype and could afford the $20 entry fee.
The nose is rich with blackberry and stone. The initial taste is really delicious, with more black berries and plum mixing it up with gorgeous tannins and acidity. I also get smoky mineral notes. These flavors transcend the mid plate and meet up with dried blueberry on the finish. The tannins are lush in this wine and give off a nice mouthfeel all the way through the finish.
I must be missing something about the 97 points given by an Italian critic, for me this is a solid wine that should get 90. For the price paid it is a really good Merlot that I will be serving with Sunday Roast- 4 stars. Salut.
19 Sunday Feb 2017
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A gift from a neighbor, I was not sure what to expect. A slight bricking on the edges of an otherwise pale purple sheen. On the nose, a beautiful bouquet of mushroom, cherry and bacon. On the palate, strawberry, cherry and upfront tannins. The mid palate reveals more cherries, but darker this time. The tannins are really starting to grip and the wine finishes very dry indeed. The gaminess I sensed on the nose has all but disappeared, taken over by brutish tannins. This is not a delicate wine, nor is it very fruit forward anymore. But it is good. In its own way, this wine exudes power and poise at the expense of fruit and finesse. I am going with 91 points for this $50 wine. 4 stars. Salut….
17 Friday Feb 2017
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Right off the bat I know this is going to be a rich, extracted wine. It is nearly black in the glass and possesses a nose of ripe, dark berries. Some oak and black anise are also present. Onto the palate- a very interesting initial attack of blackberry, tar, and spice with cedar shavings. Really nice tannins greet the palate right off the bat and they continue through the mid palate and onto the drying finish which also features berry jam and cedar. This wine packs some heat, 14.5% to be precise. It is well masked but appeared right at the end for me, which made me search the label for the exact number. Be careful! This wine will do wonders for a Chicken Alfredo dish, or even roast Duck with root vegetables. I don’t get the ratings this wine got- they range from 84-98. I am thinking it is a solid 90 point wine on my scale and for $22, it’s a 3 star effort. I might buy some more for the cellar. Salut….
16 Thursday Feb 2017
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Very dark purple in the glass. A nose of plum, blue berries and a funky earthiness. The initial taste is of plum sauce, black olive and acai berry. Really interesting. On the mid palate I am getting dark fruits and some fig. It’s not until the finish do I sense the dryness of tannins, with some very slight acidity. This is a tasty wine with good mouthfeel that is drinking well right now and may reward some short term cellaring. 89 points. $22 make this a 3 star wine in my books. Salut….
16 Thursday Feb 2017
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$13, 3 stars, 88 points, marlborough, new zealand, pinot noir
Lovely nose of strawberry, some green pepper and iodine. On the palate- sour cherry, vanilla cake and red twizzler. The mid palate piles on some strawberry and more creamy vanilla. The finish is a touch acidic, fresh and of decent length. I like this New Zealand wine and think it is worthy of 88 points. For $13, it’s a pretty good deal and gets 3 stars from me. Salut….
07 Tuesday Feb 2017
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I have never tried or even heard of the Ruche grape, so I just had to give it a go. I’m winging it here with ratings and recommendations as I am flying blind and don’t know what to expect or what is typical.
A see through lighter purple in the glass. Nose of candy, strawberry and red licorice, very reminiscent of California Syrah. The initial tastes are peppery strawberry, red currants and some rather astringent tannins. The mid palate changes it up and introduces some tar, more red fruits and a very dry mouthfeel. Interesting to say the least. The tannins keep going through to the end where they mix it up with more strawberry. Somewhat one dimensional in my opinion. I bought it for $25 and it apparently got 98 points from a critic. I cannot agree nor can I argue, I just don’t know this grape- but for my money it comes in at 89 points and 2 stars. I would pass unless you like the lighter style of California Syrah, with some perky tannins thrown in. Salut….
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