Category Archives: Wine reviews

McWilliams Hanwood Estate 2011

06 Saturday Dec 2014

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I bought these two bottles on sale for $15, they would normally be about $10 each.  I opened the Red Blend on day one and the Cabernet Sauvignon on day two.  I did not take notes but from recollection I really enjoyed the Red Blend.  It was balanced, fruity, easy to drink and had a decent structure for the price.  I would give it 87 points off the top of my head.  The Cabernet was not as good.  Lacking in primal fruit and without much tannic structure it was a little flabby and off balance.  84 points on that one.  Both are basic South Eastern Australia drinking wines and could be brought out for a party or BBQ.  Stick to the blend for the most enjoyment.  Salut….

mcwilliams hamwood red blendmcwilliams hamwood cabernet sauvignon

Chateau Genot-Boulanger Mercurey 2005

06 Saturday Dec 2014

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I bought this bottle several years ago when a local wine shop was closing down.  I had no clues, ideas or preconceptions.  I just knew it was Burgundy, and it was on sale for 50% off.  I can’t imagine this village level wine being more than $25.  It was a pale purple with very light intensity, I was expecting that from a Pinot Noir based Burgundy wine.  It had a nose of funk, cherry and straw which was interesting.  Delightful yet light strawberry and cherry notes with a crisp and delicious acidity, mouthwatering.
I could sense a tinge of melded tannins which is atypical for me and Pinot.  If you read my other notes on this varietal you will know I have a difficult time detecting tannins in Pinot.  This is a very serviceable wine that gets 88 points from me and 3 stars.  I don’t think I would search for it but if there are any still in the cellar I know what to pair them with; grilled Salmon and boiled potatoes with a herb butter sauce, yum.  Salut….

genot-boulanger mercurey

BriO de Cantenac Brown 2010

28 Friday Nov 2014

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Oops, I’ve done it again, infanticide on a young bottle of red.  The second wine from Margaux property Cantenac Brown, it has good potential and high marks from several pro’s. Beautiful purple fruit nose that transcended plums, violets and blueberry notes.  Still young with juicy strawberry and cranberry flavors on the initial attack that cloak the greenish tannins.  Sour cherry kirsch on the mid palate leads into a long finish of cherry crumble and blueberry tart. A touch of oak here and there amongst the acidity. 88 points from me and 3 stars for this $40 effort.  A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.  Definitely cellar this for more pleasure, 2016-2022.  Salut….

brio de cantenac brown

Turley Hayne Vineyard Zinfandel 2006

27 Thursday Nov 2014

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Wow, what an amazing bottle of wine.  Courtesy of my west coast friends, we opened this beauty up and indulged in some of the finest Zinfandel I have tasted.  From what I have experienced, California Zins are usually huge, bombastic and very high in alcohol.  This one has certainly mellowed in the cellar and is unique.

See-through purple that was bright as day.  Maraschino cherry nose with some violets, very interesting.  Smooth, if slightly sharp entry of cherry and kirsch. Floral, light and refreshing with sleek, almost invisible tannins and a long finish.  Hints of rhubarb on the mid palate were not expected from this delicious yet atypical wine. Needs cellar time to develop some earth and funk, but is drinking beautifully now.  I am going with 93 points.  The only place I saw it was at auction, be prepared to pay upwards of $50+.  4 stars and a treat to be able to taste such a wine.  Salut….

turley zinfandel hayne vineyard

Citille Di Sopra Vigna Poggio Ronconi Brunello di Montalcino 2008

27 Thursday Nov 2014

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I have to admit that I only wrote a few short lines about this wine and did not even give it a rating.  Bad me…  This is what I made note of:

Pinkish purple
Cranberry, pomegranate and a mid palate hit of strawberry
Very young with crispy tannins and a pinch of acidity

Can’t be bad after all.  I sometimes get the stink eye from Moxie if I have my phone out at the dinner table, she knows that I am trying to take notes but I do have small, impressionable kids who need to learn by example- no phones at the table.  This one can be had for around $35.  Salut….

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Andrea Oberto Barolo 2010

27 Thursday Nov 2014

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I sometimes find myself writing basic notes and then forgetting about the wine until many days, and several bottles later before I post to the blog.  It makes it hard to put pen to paper and relive the wine after a period, but this one was different.  I wrote several lines of notes and after reading them I could almost taste the wine again.  It had a thick purple appearance with a nose of plums, cocoa, pomegranate.  Smoke, iodine, plum jam, blueberry preserves and eucalyptus all exploded on the palate with crispy acidity and generous tannins. An interesting taste/mouthfeel combo that kept me coming back for more.  There was a lovely oregano hint on the longish finish. Served with lamb shanks, it was the perfect combination.  I noted that is had ‘Bright fruit, Napa ringer’.  I can’t wait to see the other bottles evolve, it’s going to be magic for this 92 point effort.  Some of the pro’s went as high as 95 on it, we shall see.  You can find it for about $35, making it a solid 4 star wine.  Salut….

andrea oberto barolo

Orin Swift D66 2011

18 Tuesday Nov 2014

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I have sampled Orin Swift’s The Prisoner and am familiar with their full on style.  Heady and high in alcohol with great extraction.  This wine is no different.  It all began with a rich dark purple hue in the glass.  Wild flowers, blackberries, earth and plum come across on the nose.  Violets and plums with layers of dark fruit compote and an earthy component attack the palate full bore.  I loved the very smooth mouthfeel that hides the whopping 15.2% alcohol.  Melded tannins and a balanced acidity contribute to the silkiness.  This wine is made from Grenache, Syrah and Carignan from the Catalan region.  Terroir of the French countryside is evident. Old world in fruit yet New world in extraction and style.  It finishes with a touch of cinnamon and blueberry pie. 2014-2020 would be my guess for a drinking window.  I give it 92 points and for $33 it deserves 5 stars.  Deeeelish.  Salut…..

orin swift d66

Stags Leap Wine Cellars Chardonnay ‘Karia’ 2012

11 Tuesday Nov 2014

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For the past two weekends I have been tinkering on the Big Green Egg, trying to perfect a Turkey so I am ready for Thanksgiving.  The first effort was not very good, the recipe was too involved and the timing was not right plus I had to leave the grill alone for most of the afternoon to see my son’s football game.  I tried to cook it ‘low and slow’ but it ended up being dry.  This past weekend I tried it again, using the standard 325 degree heat, very little wood chunks, and a simple bouquet of herbs shoved up it’s heiny.  It worked.

I planned on drinking the Mazilly Pommard with the bird and I opened this Cali Chard up for my folks and Moxie, who prefer white wine.  I got in a glass or two myself and was glad I did, this wine is good.  Light yellow in color was to be expected, so I delved right into the nose.  Lemon zest, melon and yellow apples greeted me right off the bat.  Zesty with a hint of steel were on my notes for an initial impression.  I then got green apples and melons.  A smooth transition to a delightful mid palate left me thinking it was not quite buttery but silky in texture.  The wine had a long finish and I gave it 91 points.  I paid around $24 at Costco for it and will give it 4 stars.  It paired beautifully with the bird.  It would also ring with some seafood, perhaps a creamy pasta.  Tasty stuff.  Salut….

stags leap Karia chardonnaybig green egg turkey

Domaine Mazilly Pere & Fils Pommard ‘Les Noizons’ 2011

11 Tuesday Nov 2014

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I hate it when I open a bottle way too young.  It’s such a waste, yet I feel compelled to begin my tasting cycle at an early stage so I can watch a wine evolve.  This bottle was unfortunately way too young for my amateur palate to really discern what the pro’s talk about.  It offered textbook color and shade in the glass with a nose of cherry and cranberry.  My initial taste was of tart cherries and crunchy pomegranate.  I tried to coax more out of it but alas, it is in slumber.  I will not delve too much deeper into the wine, saving it for a later date for a follow up.  Right now I’m going with 90 points vs. the pro’s at 92.  My drinking window would be in the 2017-2023 range.  I made note that it was not Burgundian right now, but more primal and Pinot like.  I really hope it evolves with some earth and funk, perhaps a touch of dark fruits would be nice.  I paid around $25 for it making it a 3 point effort.  Salut….

mazilly pommard les noizins

 

Havens Bourriquot Red Wine Napa Valley 2010

08 Saturday Nov 2014

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I opened this Havens Bourriquot after cellaring it for a year and felt compelled to write something.  I have seen wines evolve, but never quite like this.  My notes last year pointed out several factors that I find interesting.  I mentioned oak, long tannins on the finish but most importantly the wine was chameleon-like in it’s flavors.  After evolving, this wine has changed dramatically.  Here are my notes:

Black cherry nose
Huge amounts of coconut on the initial
Black fruits. Currants and some smooth oak
91 points
Well integrated tannins that peak out on the finish

The thing that really intrigued me was the coconut aspect.  I have never had a wine that made me scratch my head and query the fact that I was tasting coconut.  This wine was full on, in your face with the nut.  I got oak as mentioned in both tastings and the tannic structure was very similar.  This is one killer wine, I just love it.  Patience has paid off with this wine as I greatly enjoyed it in its youth and am continuing to enjoy it in it’s evolution.  I must check to see how many I have left.  Salut….

havens bourricot red wine napa valley