Category Archives: Wine reviews

Castello di Amorosa ‘Il Passito’ 2009

16 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


I got this bottle of dessert wine from a friend, it turns out to be a very generous one at that.  This is a delicious sweet wine that screams Sauternes, needs a dollop of vanilla ice cream and would totally sort out some foie gras.  The wine is a blend of mainly Semillon (61%) with the balance being Sauvignon Blanc.  The grapes are left to hang until super ripe with Botrytis Cinerea (Noble Rot) taking hold to further sweeten the grapes.  This particular vintage weighs in at 14.3% alcohol and a manageable 13% Brix of residual sugar.  What this means is that the wine is not overly sweet on  my palate.

The bottle is capped in a dark yellow wax, the same color as the wine.  It pours with an almost syrupy texture which translates to a really smooth unctuous mouthfeel.  It begins with stewed Apricots, honey and walnuts on the nose, very inviting indeed.  The first sip was nirvana for me, having just finished a feast of Filet Mignon with a bottle of 1997 Musar. The wine shows a gentle sweetness with honeyed apples and more apricot jam.  Nuts and a touch of the wood come through on the mid plate where I made note that the Botrytis was ‘balanced’.  I have no idea what I meant but it sounded good at the time.  The Sauvignon Blanc contributes a nice acidic component that balances the whole package out nicely.  Moxie and I polished half the 500ml bottle off in no time, saving the rest for tonight.  I can’t wait to see it’s evolution overnight as the cork fell out letting it aerate thoroughly.

Very pricy at $89 and only available at the cellar door in Calistoga or by mail.  I loved it and am going with 93 points and 4 stars for the effort.  You won’t find excellent dessert wines for a steal, they are in a league of their own.  This example happens to be really good and worthy of it’s lofty price if you have a special occasion and really enjoy this style of wine, which I do.  Salut….

castello di amorosa il passito

Chateau Musar 1997

16 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,


It’s Father’s Day and I decided to go all out with Filet Mignon, steamed Artichokes and a bottle of 1997 Musar.  I recently drank a bottle of the 1999 Musar in Hong Kong, where it brought back great memories of this awesome winery.  I visited them in 2007 and still have four Magnums of various vintages that I brought back.  Diet be damned, I mixed up some tarragon mayonnaise, melted butter and got totally stuck in to some amazing steaks that just came out of my Big Green Egg.

When I tried to open it the cork crumbled.  I had a moment of panic until I managed to coax out the other half.  I was not sure of any floating bits so I ran the first glass through the filtered Vinturi to make sure all was well.  The wine was sublime, typical for the untypical style of this winery.  It showed off orange edges on a red framed body.  The nose was so amazing with perfumes of violets, funk, earth, wild berries and creosote.  I was preparing myself for the oncoming rush of flavors.

A really fresh palate of damson, blueberries, red currants, mint, sage and barnyard were the first impressions.  A crispy acidity pushed through and revealed the well integrated tannins.  Road tar was the component I kept missing all evening, it hit me in the middle of the night.  It’s funny how that could be considered a flavor or smell that would appeal to wine drinkers, yet it does- just like funk and cat’s pee in other varietals.  Speaking of varietals… This wine is a blend of Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan.  It reminds me of aged Barolo, perhaps Burgundy with a Bordeaux strain.  It is magical and alluring.

As the night progressed, so did the bottle.  Initially I was going with 94 points, but the ever present acidity was a touch too much for me and eventually came across as sour cherries. With this detractor I had to drop it to 93, still an impressive score in my opinion.  I believe I paid $36 for it back in the day making it a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Chateau Musar

musar winery

Taken in 2007 on my visit to the winery

filet mignon on big green egg

The Filet Mignons

 

Peter Schweiger Grüner Veltliner Kamptal Terrassen DAC Reserve 2008

15 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,


I tried the 2008 Peter Schweiger a few months ago and really enjoyed it.  We ended up with two bottles of this vintage and I wrote about the first bottle we opened as there was some variation.  The main one being the effervescence that appeared in bottle 1.  Ever so slight, yet noticeable in the glass and on the palate, it was quite nice actually.  The wine was a dark straw color, not quite golden.  Stone fruits popped out on the nose with a touch of dried apricot peel which was quite interesting.  Yellow apple was the predominant flavor on the palate with some spiciness including a nutmeg twist.  The wine finished with a back end leather component that is unique for a white wine, but delicious nonetheless.  We bought each one for $10 and I would get more.   Perfect for a summer day, it would pair beautifully with some grilled salmon, perhaps a ham and cheese baguette picnic?  It arrives with a respectable 13% alcohol so be careful pounding it at lunch time or by the pool, there are Rieslings better suited for that at 8-9% alcohol.  The 2011 was much fresher, cleaner and crisper with more acidity and a finer structure.  This one seems to have taken on a more mellow stance and is maturing nicely.  A decently long finish make this a very good wine in my opinion, 89 points worth and 4 stars for sure.  Salut….

peter Schwieger gruner veltliner

Bodegas Muriel Rioja Reserva 2008

06 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


I saw this wine on a flash sale site, 95 points for $15!  What a bargain, so I ordered up 6 and opened one last night with some Sirloins.  I was expecting fireworks, depth, concentration and a halo around the bottle.  Decanter magazine was the giver of such a high rating and put it at number 7 of it’s top 50 wines in 2013.  I was in for a treat, or a big disappointment.

It was the latter.  My expectations were so high that it was nigh on impossible to reach the lofty imaginations.  It was a good bottle, just not excellent.

It was reddish purple in the glass.  On the nose there was earthy loam and blueberries.  Stone fruits and blueberry jam started off the taste profile and there was a noted crispness due to the acidity.  I wrote that the wine was slightly tart, still young with passive tannins but great acidity.  Albeit still only 6 years of age it shows aged Tempranillo characteristics with leather, dust and tobacco all coming out on the back end.  The structure of this wine is interesting and will hold it well for another 10 years minimum.  I think this is a solid 91 point wine worthy of 5 stars.  It drank beautifully by itself and was a great accompaniment to the grilled meat and veggies.  Salut….

bodegas muriel rioja reserva

Penfolds Koonunga Hills Shiraz Cabernet 2012

06 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


Along with the pure Shiraz I just wrote about there was this blend on sale for $10.  Slightly better with more ‘real’ flavors- this bottle was passable.  It had a subdued nose but opened up on the palate with blueberry and cherry.  Slightly oaky, it had medium tannins and a balanced finish.  Very basic everyday wine and priced right.  I am going with 86 points and 3 stars, far better than the last bottle.  Salut….

penfolds koonunga hills shiraz cabernet

Penfolds Koonunga Hills Shiraz 2012

06 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,


There was a special offer on this wine so I dove in with my $10 and now regret it.  I will be honest, this is not good wine. Candied plums and strawberry skittles are all I could get from it.  A fake fruit flavor that does nothing for me.  Am I being harsh?  Perhaps, but this wine is a not up my alley, it may please many others but I am not a fan.  85 points for technical merit and 2 stars from me.  Salut….

penfolds koonunga hills shiraz

Wolf Blass Cabernet-Shiraz-Malbec 2012

29 Thursday May 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,


I have never seen this label before and was intrigued.  From Langhorne Creek this was the ‘original Yellow Label’ wine from Wolf(gang) Blass.  A retro offering showcasing the winery’s heritage I guess.  Nowadays, the blends from them are bottled in the Red Label series, the yellow being used for single varietals.  Nonethless, it was an interesting amalgamation of three varietals.

When I poured the wine, it was nearly blackish purple, appropriate for the grapes used.  It had a nose of candied plums and strawberry twizzlers.  My first impression was ‘tinny’.  A metallic note hit me the wrong way and I was initially put off by it.  I got black currants and plum torte after that and as the wine mellowed out, the tinny component gave way to a minerality that was quite pleasing.  Good acidity and moderate tannins made this an easy to drink aperitif.  I would give it a maximum of 4 years in the cellar and pair it with pasta and red sauce, perhaps BBQ ribs or a big juicy burger.  I’m giving 87 points and 3 stars for this interesting $14 effort.  Salut….

wolf blass cabernet shiraz malbec

Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec 2012

28 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Consistency is a very desirable trait in winemaking.  It gives me confidence in a winery and assures that I will be back for more, year in, year out.  Trivento is one of the best at this.  I have tasted several vintages of the Golden Reserve Malbec and love it every year.  The 2012 is drinking well now.  It started off with a dark purple hue in the glass.  A blossoming nose of plums and a hint of nutmeg welcomed me to taste the wine.  Blueberry compote came across on the initial palate and was followed up with more plums and a slight oak hint.  The wine is very ‘juicy’ with a crisp acidity that I really enjoyed.  Tannins were medium for me and made the wine easy to drink.  This vintage is approachable young and will certainly last another 5 years.  We ordered some Lamb Kebab sandwiches to go along, the match was perfect.  This wine will pair well with just about any meat, grilled or roasted.  I’m going with 90 points and 4 stars for this $20 effort from Argentina.  Ps. I bought several bottles and may go back for more, it’s just that good.  Salut….

trivento golden reserve malbec

Montagnac Syrah 2012

18 Sunday May 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


I saw this bottle in the shop and noticed it’s low $8 price tag, but I was on a mission so I passed.  Lo and behold my buddy showed up with it later in the afternoon.  I believe it hails from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France where they  grow tons of Syrah grapes.  This one looks to be a co-operative wine.  It started off with a slightly oxidized nose of purple plums and a scent I had never encountered in wine- grape bubble gum.  I was intrigued and sniffed for a good 5 minutes before I could pinpoint it.  Since I have never smelled it in wine nor have I ever seen it used as a descriptor I was curious about the taste.  Candied plums and maraschino cherries are what hit me.  I kept getting a whiff of alcohol as well but the bottle only registered at 13%.  Very slight tannins were evident and the balance was slightly off with a tartness.  This is probably a decent picnic wine for an afternoon of cucumber sandwiches and fried chicken on a blanket in the park.  83 points and 2 stars.  Salut….

montagnac syrah

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Shiraz 2012

18 Sunday May 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


The third varietal in the Wolf Blass trilogy that was recently on sale is this Shiraz.  I enjoyed the Merlot and was impressed by the Cab Sav so I did not hesitate to buy this one for $10, list price being $17.  It opened up with plums and licorice on the nose, an interesting combo for this varietal. Blueberry and sour cherries came across on the palate with some nutmeg and leather rounding it out.  I was concerned about the balance and noticed some greenness in the tannins.  Whilst neither Rhone-like nor typical Aussie Shiraz, it had an interesting edge to it.  I think the tannin component has lowered the score and contributed to it’s imbalance.  Im going with 87 points and 3 stars.  Salut….

wolf glass yellow label shiraz