Category Archives: Wine reviews

Ty Caton Cabernet Sauvignon Caton Vineyard 2011

09 Sunday Mar 2014

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Napa Cabernet is to me big, bold and beautiful.  Sonoma is more refined, less in your face and more about finesse.  Both are delicious, both have a time and a place.  I often think that Napa is synonymous with Cab and Sonoma is relegated to Pinot.  I wonder what gives me those thoughts…..

This wine was good, smooth and silky.  It showed up as a lighter shade of purple in the glass and had a nice bouquet of dark fruits and jam.  On the palate I noted rich plums and berry compote.  Good acidity and fine-grained tannins were also noted and the wine had a good length to it.  It packed an unnoticeable 14.4% alcohol and did not show any heat whatsoever, a deft hand in the cellar.  Later on I got dried figs and blue berry on the finish which was really delicious.  We served this up at a birthday dinner with some grilled meats and Chorizo sausage.  It was a perfect match and I would highly recommend it.  90 points from me and 4 stars for this $44 effort.  It could use some short term cellaring, but is drinking nicely and will do so for another 5 years minimum.  Salut….

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Handcraft Petite Sirah 2012

06 Thursday Mar 2014

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I just love Petite Sirah.   It’s thick, powerful and in my face.  I also like delicate wines that ooze class and reek of finesse.  Tonight though is for the unabashed.  This wine is a serious dark shade of purple, a warning shot of what is to come.  Blackberry and creosote on the nose, in a good way.  Dark fruits and a jammy plum element hit me right off the bat.  The grape is full on with tannins and juicy acidity.  This is night 2 of this bottle and it is drinking beautifully.  Balanced with tons of potential make this a stellar wine.  Retailing at $12 it gets a solid 90 points from me for its depth and complexity.  You know what that means folks- 5 stars!  I am in need of a few more bottles for a dark and stormy nice with some chili, or a beef Bourguignon.   Cellaring for another 5 years would reveal a treasure.  Salut….

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Paco and Lola Albarino 2011

06 Thursday Mar 2014

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Last night was Moxie’s birthday dinner at The Melting Pot fondue restaurant.  After perusing the menu and deciding on going the whole hog 4 course extravaganza I needed a white to pair with the cheese course.    Apparently every Wednesday night is half price wine on bottles costing less than $40.  I scanned the wine menu and was impressed with the offerings and prices.  Seems most bottles were in the more palatable 2X retail range rather than the more obnoxious 3X that most restaurants deem is fair for a bottle of wine.  I digress…

I picked this Spanish Albarino from the Rias Baixas region and was rewarded with a delicious, chilled bottle that hit every note I asked of it.  Straw colored it offered up a melange of fruits and spices on the nose that were delicious to smell.  On the palate it was very true to varietal with great aromatics mingling with some peaches and dried apricots, kinda like Viognier but with far more acidity.  This wine was crisp and lithe which paired very well with our cheese.  This varietal is well planted in Spain and Portugal and is definitely one which I will be purchasing for the summer.  I can imagine  sipping this one on the patio in the evenings with some cold cuts and crudités.  I bet it would rock a baked salmon and risotto dish.  When was the last time you had an Albarino?  Retailing at about $18 I am going with 90 points and 5 stars.  I hope my local shop carries it!  Salut….

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The family plus Nick's girlfriend

The family plus Nick’s girlfriend

 

Robert Storey Cellars Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

06 Thursday Mar 2014

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I’m not sure what to think about this wine.  You’ll see why in a few minutes…..

I paid $19 on sale for it and was looking forward to a juicy Napa Cab of sorts.  It started out somewhat lighter in the glass than I imagined and had a nose of Kirsch. The initial attack consisted of blackcurrants and black cherry with a heavy oak influence and noticeable tannins.  On the mid palate it had an interesting Oregano flavor and I sensed a biting acidity.  The wine was quite unbalanced and I noted “Two pronged attack??”  It was different and off-putting.  I finished the first glass with an 86 point impression.  The wine baffled me to the point that I was determined to coax something better out it.  I found some 100% Cacao dark chocolate that was so bitter it re-aligned my taste buds.  The single square of chocolate was all I needed to jerk the wine out of it’s disjointedness.  It came alive and seemed to right itself.  The questionable note regarding split personalities was put to bed, the wine became more focused on the core fruits and nuances.  The acidity seemed more in check and the tannins melded better (they should after the bitter thrashing the chocolate gave me).  The wine came away with an 88 point rating at the end of it all and gets 3 stars.  I am going to re-taste this wine in short order to see if it is the same again.  Ps.  Try the 100% Cacao trick some time, I think you’ll be surprised!  Salut….

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100%Bitter but it did the trick

100%Bitter but it did the trick

 

Wither Hills Pinot Noir 2010

06 Thursday Mar 2014

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My friend ‘The Beav’ brought this out of his locker for our tasting.  I remember him buying it in December for about $15.  It was delicious and started with a strong nose of sour cherries.  The profile continued on the palate with the addition of some herbs and capsicum.  The wine had an intriguing tartness that I really enjoyed and finished with some woody tannins.  The bottle came in at 13.5% alcohol, which is just about right and was very balanced.  I would reckon it is worthy of 89 points and for the price- 4 stars.  I shall be on the lookout for this Marlborough gem again.  I would pair it with pizza for sure and perhaps herbed roast chicken.  Salut….

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Rivetto Serralunga D’alba Barolo 2007

26 Wednesday Feb 2014

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A very young wine that the critics loved.  I popped this one because of the Italian nature of dinner tonight.  I figured I would go to the Barolo for a themed feast of tomato chicken, spaghetti squash and salad with an avocado starter.  It worked a treat…

Violet in the glass and showing a lightness and agility reminiscent of Pinot Noir, it had similar characteristics on the nose.  Cherry bouquet with thyme and some coffee came jumping out of the glass.   I need to remind myself of the first aged Barolo I tasted….  It was in Alaska and my buddy Mr. Leebering brought it for a Christmas dinner back in 2006.  It was a ’97 Ratti that blew me over with it’s seductiveness and complexity.  The amazing part of the adventure was my total lack of knowledge in Barolo territory.  I did not realize Barolo takes on such Pinot flavors and nuances.  I digress….

The wine tasted of tart cherries, cranberry, leather and Muduro.  It is a young wine with sprite tannins and a juicy mouthfeel from the beautiful acidity.  WS and others gave this wine a whopping 94 points.  I can’t see it personally.  I am going with 92 and for $50 it is a 4 star wine on one condition- cellar it for at least 5 more years to allow it to meld into the mature Barolo I feel it is capable of becoming.  Patience will reward on this one.  Serve with meatballs and red sauce for the best results.  Salut….

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Chateau Rougi 2010

20 Thursday Feb 2014

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This was my contribution to the $9 per bottle party that ‘The Beave’, Edvard and I ended up having.  It comes from the Bordeaux region, more specifically Entre-Deux-Mers and is a typical blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It offered white plums on the nose which continued on to to the palate with a delicious cherry pop component.  I noticed only slight tannins but made a note that the wine was juicy.  Great acidity could be responsible for that!  The backbone is somewhat lacking though and I fear this wine needs to be popped and poured rather than cellared for any length of time.  Bang for the buck you could certainly short term a half dozen for casual drinking and pairing with rustic meals like beef stew or Coq-au-Vin.  I’m going with 88 points and 4 stars for the effort.  Salut….

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Mouton Cadet 2011

20 Thursday Feb 2014

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When Moxie and I first met we used to get a bottle of this plonk, a baguette and some cheese for a midnight snack.  She used to work until late at night and this was our go-to bottle for the unwind and relax part of the evening.  Priced at $9, this flashback was brought to the party by my friend Edvard.  A good choice methinks because it brought back great memories of my early wine drinking career and the initial romance that Moxie and I started over 23 years ago.  

The wine is a bulk produced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot made by the Rothschild group.  It is considered the premier bargain wine of the Bordeaux region, and for good reason.  It came in at $9 and offered amazing value for money.  I noted Merlot flavors with Cabernet backbone on my quick sheet.  The broader notes include the black fruit and dark cherry components with some plum intermingled.  Good juicy tannins and balanced acidity made this a pleasure to drink.  The profile was very Bordeaux like and I could sense a certain terroir that was unmistakable.  90 points from me and 5 stars.  Most of all- thanks for the memories, I will be buying this wine again.  Salut….

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Tridente Tempranillo 2009

20 Thursday Feb 2014

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My buddy ‘the Beave’ brought this little gem to the party.  He paid $9 for it, which is the price of all three wines we tasted that day.

I love Spanish wines, the Tempranillo grape is delicious and flexible.  Serious wines made from the varietal are long lived, complex and rewarding to cellar.  Wines like the Tridente are made in an easier style, meant to be consumed without cellaring and offer tremendous value.  This wine was a stunner.  It was everything you could want in an everyday wine and delivered it with style for under $10.  Dark cherries and judicious oak give way to some spice box and earth.  The tannins are present yet not too dry.  The mouthfeel is great and makes this wine equally good with or without food.  I gave it 86 points and reckon it is a 4 star wine worthy of looking out for.  Salut….

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Chateau Sainte Marthe 2011

18 Tuesday Feb 2014

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I picked this Languedoc blend up for about $9 for a casual drink with the boys.  I knew nothing about it except its origin and vintage.  I guessed at the blend, 50% Syrah with the rest being Grenache and Mourverdre.  I initially got some red cherries on the nose which later turned somewhat oxidized.  A certain phenolic component also came through after the bottle had been open for a while.  On the initial palate I was rewarded with straightforward flavors of kirsch, red currants and a rubber component akin to car tires (kinda weird, I know).  The structure of this wine is very basic and meant for easy, short-term drinking with very little tannins but decent acidity.  The wine took on another dimension as I mentioned with some air time, it became more rustic with that oxidizing nose which did not really bother me.  I have another bottle which I will try, reporting back with any major deviations.  I would think this wine is a solid 83 points and 2 stars in my book.  It’s hard to find decent wine for under $10, but this bottle should do in a pinch, even with its mid-bottle morphing.  Salut….

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