Category Archives: Wine reviews

Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Syrah 2007

11 Friday Jul 2014

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I am tasting my way through the Clarendon Hills portfolio, and I’m loving it.  This particular Syrah was nearly black in the glass.  It opened with plums and blue berries on nose with some pencil lead hints.  My first impression was powerful and juicy with delightful tannins.  I noticed that the wine sports a 14.5% alcohol which is well hidden.  Chocolate and figs on the mid palate added to the complexity of the blue fruits.  The wine has a layered elegance and smoothness that is fabulous.  I like the way this winery makes Syrah style wines, very nice and atypical.  It later hit me that this wine is very plummy, probably explains the denseness and extraction.  I noted ‘Tight tannins that are well integrated.’  I would give this wine a span of 2014-2025 with evolution hopefully coming through with some secondary flavors evolving.  I got a good deal on this bottle but even at it’s SRP of $75 it is an excellent value for money if you have a big dinner planned, running at 93 points for me and 4 stars.  Ps. I served it with well seasoned Flank steaks but this Aussie wine was made for a leg of lamb, just my opinion.  Salut….

clarendon hills syrah hickinbotham

Tranco Monastrell Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

08 Tuesday Jul 2014

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If you followed my last two posts you will know I went to a friend’s 50th birthday bash recently.  When we were all seated this bottle was on our table, waiting to be opened.  Our hosts had hired a private chef, waitresses and set up a whole outside sit-down dinner for 20 people.

I looked this wine up online and was pleasantly surprised.  The price is only $10, and it got a whopping 90 points from RP himself.  On the other hand, I have my own impressions.  It started out with blueberries and heat.  Lots of it.  I had to let it sit for a few minutes to blow off.  When it finally came around the blue fruits persisted with some earthiness, cherry kirsch and a touch of the wood.  Decent tannins were integrating and the juicy acidity was great. I would give this wine a cellaring life between 2014 and 2020.  We had Filet steaks with spinach and gratinated potatoes topped with scallops.  It worked for me…  At this price it’s hard to go wrong with this Spanish blend, but I am reserving points and going with 88 making it a solid 4 star wine that I may look for.  If you are throwing a party you may want to get some as well.  Salut….

franco wine monastery cabernet sauvignon

Mockingbird Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Sonoma County 2012

08 Tuesday Jul 2014

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One of my friends brought this bottle to the party so I have no idea the price or where to get it.  My first impressions were good with a nice color to the glass and blueberries on the nose with some vanilla.  Spice box and cedar with blue fruits and plums came across on the palate which was coated in mellow tannins and sweet oak.  Decent acidity brought the whole package together for me until the back end heat showed up.  I missed the actual percentage, but it was not well integrated, which cost it a point or two.  We ate appetizers of shrimp and crab cakes, hardly the best pairing but we enjoyed the whole ambiance of the moment.  I would prefer a leg of lamb, perhaps even a grilled pork chop to go with this particular bottle.  89 points and potentially a three star wine if it goes for the $25 price I imagine it to be.  Salut….

mockingbird hill reserve sonoma

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversay 2012

08 Tuesday Jul 2014

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I went in to a wine store this past weekend looking for a special bottle for a friend’s 50th party.  This was one of the ‘gifts’ we took and managed to drink.  It is a special anniversary bottling and my first experience with this winery.  I must say I enjoyed the wine, it is very much a Napa style, but very approachable young.  It started with blackberry pie and blue berries on the nose.  Very smooth tannins and balanced acidity were my first impression of the structure with delicious berries and dark fruits opening the show.  On the mid palate is where I got plums and nutmeg with some chocolate and cassis.  A strange yet compelling combination.  The 14.6% alcohol barely showed itself and the whole package was very balanced and certainly drinkable.  The wine is ready now and will go for another 10 years easily.  I would guess this wine to be a 91 pointer in my opinion and for the $55 price tag, it’s worthy of 3 stars.  We drank it before dinner as an aperitif but it would also pair well with grilled meats and some gratin potatoes.  I’m still learning about Napa cabs and this is certainly a nice way to enter the foray.  Salut….

caymus napa valley cabernet sauvignon anniversary edition

Pablo Gran Viu Finca Santiaga 2004

03 Thursday Jul 2014

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Wow, this wine was good….Blackberry and herbs on the nose after coaxing, it seemed closed at first but opened nicely.  Juicy acidity, melded tannins and a core of black fruits with an earthy touch were my introduction.  The wine is big, bold and powerful, packing a 15.5% punch which never showed up. Plums on the mid palate with some teeth searing tannins became evident as the wine evolved.  What had started out as a mature wine quickly transformed into a rather young wine (at 10 years of age already).  I timed a long finish with some road tar, black berries and orange peel on the tail end, quite complex.  This wine is till too young- 2015-2025 would be my guess.  It is a blend of Grenache, Carignan and Vidadillo from Aragon in Spain. It got high marks from the pro’s and I agree with their 94 points.  I found it online for about $60.  4 stars for this complex wine with great cellaring potential.  Salut….

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Senorio del Tallar Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada 2012

30 Monday Jun 2014

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I just recalled where I got this bottle from- Total Wine for $18, it was on special as they were doing a Spanish wine tasting that day.  I’ll be back for more…  I had to look very hard to find any vintage details, but a tiny set of words ‘Cosecha 2012’ gave it away.  I was startled by the color, it was purpley purple in the glass- more so than I have ever seen in wine.  An unmistakable Tempranillo nose of tar, black fruits and earth came wafting over.  The initial profile was of earthy tar and black berries.  The wine is still young with nice tannins and a very gentle acidity, but then I noted “Wow, really young”.  Brooding black cherries on the mid to back end with a deft use of oak made this textbook and juicy, delicious.  This wine is full on, in your face Tempranillo that I can really sink my teeth into.  It is ready now but will age well for another 5-8 years.  I can’t think of a better pairing than with a big steak!  Bang for the buck, this wine rocks.  91 points and 5 stars for this Spanish beauty.  Salut….

Senorio del Tallar Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada

Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 2011

27 Friday Jun 2014

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I just returned home from my whirlwind Asian tour to find Moxie fixing up some BBQ chicken and veggies.  I decided to try this well known California Chardonnay that I have been saving.  Straw yellow in the glass it had a buttery nose of apple and lemon zest.  More citrus and cloves on the initial with a marked acidity lurking in the background.  Quince on the back end with a long finish which I found quite interesting.  The wine appears to have undergone Malolactic fermentation with an oak influence, but it is not overdone.  Balanced and bright without the flabbiness usually associated with this style of Cali chardonnay.  I picked it up for $18 and give it 89 points.  It went well with the Barbecue sauce by the way.  I would pair it with seafood all day, it would kill a dozen oysters with ease.  The wine sits at 13.5% alcohol, so be careful if you plan on sipping it poolside.  A good effort from this well respected winery making it worthy of 4 Stars.  Salut….

au bon climat santa barbara chardonnay

Moscato d’Asti Sori Gramella, Azienda Agricola Tintero Elvio 2011

27 Friday Jun 2014

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If you have read my last two posts you will know I jetted off to Bali for the weekend.  This is the wine I sipped on my first morning there, sitting poolside reading my wine book.  It was the perfect setting, and a great refreshing wine to start my Balinese adventure off with.  Here are my notes, I guessed the retail price for fun and hit it right on.

Very aromatic nose with apricots and floral notes
A cross between Riesling and Albariño
Marked effervescence
Very smooth mouthfeel with a creamy mousse
Not very acidic but well balanced
87 points
$12

That makes this wine a 3 star effort in my books and worthy of any summer picnic, pool party or early evening aperitif.  Salut….

Moscato d'Asti Sori Gramella, Azienda Agricola Tintero Elvio

Chateau des Jacques Morgon 2010

27 Friday Jun 2014

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When was the last time you had a Beaujolais wine, or a wine made from Gamay?  It’s been ages for me as I am not a fan of Beaujolais Nouvea and steer clear of the stuff every November on it’s annual release date.  I digress….. Last week I was on my way to Bali and drank this wine on the flight with my main course having just had the Vigneron de Buxy ‘Tete de Cuvee’ Bourgogne 2012 with the starter.  I was very impressed and glad I tried it.  It reminded me of lunches spent in Parisian restaurants, sipping chilled Brouilly on a warm summers day with Moxie.

Throwback picture of a Parisian lunch with my gal Moxie

Throwback picture of a Parisian lunch with my gal Moxie

Back to the wine… It hails from one of the 10 Cru villages in Beaujolais.  I shall just cut and paste my brief notes.

Nose of underbrush and dried cranberries.  Slightly dry tannic attack with bright acidity.  Crunchy wet fresh washed cherries.  Touch of oak with a nice spiciness.  3 to 5 years with good tannic structure and tart acidity, 90 points.  I found it on the web for about $20, which is a great price.  I would drink this all summer long with a variety of foods including chicken salad, salmon on the grill, burgers on the charcoal, even a plate of cold cuts.  4 stars for this Louis Jadot offering.  Salut….

Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Morgon

Vigneron de Buxy ‘Tete de Cuvee’ Bourgogne 2012

27 Friday Jun 2014

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Last week I had the opportunity to nip down to Bali for two nights.  I seized the day and jumped on a southbound jet.  The lunch menu on my flight screamed ‘white wine’ for starters and a red for the main course.  I managed to take notes on my phone and the purser was kind enough to hold the bottle still so I could snap a pick.  This Burgundy white is 100% Chardonnay and aged in stainless vats.

The wine had a pale yellow complexion and started off with a fruity aroma, apples and pears being quite dominant.  Not overly acidic, it was fresh and zesty with pear and green apples opening the show with a touch of nectarine on the mid palate.  The stone fruits really came through on the back end and the wine showed good minerality.  Many times I find some of these wines to be over-oaked, not so in this case.  This wine should be drunk young and went really well with my seafood appetizer and salad.  I gave it 87 points and a quick search on the internet says you can find it for about $12, a bargain.  4 stars for the price!  Salut….

Cave des Vignerons de Buxy Bourgogne Chardonnay Buissonnier