Category Archives: Wine reviews

Silver Oak 1996

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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An iconic wine from Mr. Leebering’s cellar, this was my last wine of 2013.  A hefty $30 corkage was levied at our New Year’s eve dinner, but well worth it.  It was hard to delineate the color of this wine in the dark lit restaurant, but it sure smelled good.  Plums and black fruits were interlaced with an oaky infusion and some leather.  This mature Napa Cabernet was very smooth and displayed great balance of acidity and fading tannins.  The length was impressive and the wine had a surreal earthiness to it. I believe this wine runs in the $75 range and I am going with 92 points.  This is the type of wine that really rewards cellaring and goes great with steaks.  I am going 5 stars on this wine.  Happy New year and Salut….

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Cos d’Estournel 2001

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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Once again, I lost the Fantasy Football bet and my friend Lemming got his way with an aged Bordeaux.  His flight was delayed so he met us at the restaurant for our New Year’s dinner.  The corkage was not cheap on this, but well worth the price.

The last time I drank ’01 Cos was in May of last year.  The wine has officially hit its stride and is performing like a show dog.  A lighter shade of purple in the glass was a telltale sign of the wine’s maturity.  The primal fruit and puckering tannins have dissipated into a mellow and smooth wine offering up plums, tobacco, earth, leather and violets.  The finish is long and the balance is great.  Having cellared this wine for over 10 years I find myself well rewarded and happy to have been able to share this bottle with 8 others.  I look forward to the next 10 experiences that I have with the remains of the case.  This wine originally received upwards of 94 points from the pro’s.  I agree.  I paid $70 back then, it goes for about $130 these days.  I have to give it 5 stars!  Salut….

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Cadence Ciel Du Cheval 2006

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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Mr. Leebering brought this one to the party, having stashed it in his cellar for a few years.  Unfortunately, it had an oxidized nose.  The good news is that the flavors were not too distorted.  This Red Mountain wine is a Meritage blend of 36% Cab Sav, 32% Cab Franc, 20% Merlot and 12% Petite Verdot- my style of wine!  A very smooth mouthfeel with black fruits and a coffee tinge on the initial attack.  Mellow tannins made it easy to drink with no hint of the 14.4% alcohol.  I wish this wine was not flawed as I feel it had the potential for greatness.  I cannot pass judgement on it as such but a quick look online shows a WS score of 93 making it a good value for the $45 price point.  Salut….

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Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy 2011

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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Let me preface with a Happy New Year!  This is the wine that started our evening off.  Being a celebration, we went large with some gems including this Shiraz from Australia.  Nearly black in the glass, I had a feeling we were in for a treat.  The nose was somewhat subdued in the first glass, the second one having been given a good ‘Mollydooker Shake‘.  This unique aeration method allows the aromas to explode and the fruit to unfurl.  The nose was plummy and had a bit of pepper and a touch of alcohol.  On the palate, creamy blueberry pie and black cherry.  This wine is big and full on, with additional notes of mocha and a floral touch on the back end.  Very smooth tannins and a juicy acidity were slightly overshadowed by the whopping 16% alcohol.  A very enjoyable wine, with good cellaring potential.  WS gave it 92, RP gave it 91 and I am going with 90.  $40 lets you in on this unique Shiraz and I am going with 4 stars.  Salut….

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McCarthy & Schiering Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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Brought to the table by my Seattle friend, whom we shall call Mr. Leebering.  I believe he paid $17 for this wine a few years back and has cellared it perfectly.  Very New World in profile but showing a hint of Bordeaux style maturity.  Multi-layered blueberry, dark cherry and leather swirl around with some earth and shaved pencil.  I enjoyed the smoothness of the tannins and the overall roundness of the wine.  Great balance and power.  I would imagine this wine is hitting peak right now and still has another 4 years minimum.  91 points and 5 stars for this outstanding effort.  Salut….

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Chapel Hill Parson’s Nose Shiraz 2011

30 Monday Dec 2013

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My grandfather once told me that The Parson’s Nose was another word for a chicken’s derriere, so when I saw this wine I just had to try it.  He also used to say Yacky Da as a toast, I think it’s Welsh for cheers.  Here’s to grandad…

This wine was a great expression of Mclaren Vale Shiraz.  Not jammy and overdone, but a more restrained offering with blueberry and black fruits showing throughout with generous oak and spice.  Medium tannins are a delight and the wine was easy to drink.  I got some very interesting mid palate flavors similar to mulled wine with cloves and cinnamon.  I really enjoyed the complexity that this very reasonable wine offered.  I paid $13 on sale and give this effort 89 points and 5 stars.  Think Osso Bucco or Sirloin on the grill.  Salut….

 

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d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original 2010

29 Sunday Dec 2013

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Another winner from the d’Arenberg winery is this Shiraz Grenache blend.  Dark purple in the glass and smelling of plums and lavender with some earth.  A unique flavor that bursts with black currants, raspberry and a floral sweetness that was really interesting.  The structure is good with some tannins residing between the acidity and the fruit.  A good mouthfeel makes this a pleasing wine to drink, it would work all by itself or do battle with a big NY Strip steak.  The wine is 3 years old and has a good cellaring potential but is drinking en pointe right now.  I paid $17 and am giving it 91 points making it a 5 star effort.  Get some.  Salut….

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Meerlust Rubicon 2008

29 Sunday Dec 2013

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The nice thing about Christmas time is that my friends inevitably pull out some good wines.  I have had the 2007 Rubicon before and was treated to the ’08 last night.

Like it’s older brother, a tannic, brooding wine just waiting to be unleashed.  Black in the glass with some serious notes of blackberry and plum jam.  I also got tea, mint and a dose of oak on the palate which was harmoniously balanced and very dry from the huge tannins.  The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a touch of Petit Verdot- a classic Bordeaux blend.  The aging potential for this wine is at least 20 years, with it starting to open up in another 3-4 years.  I feel we drank this too young and it will develop into something special with time.  I did a quick price search, it can be had for around $26.  I am giving it 92 points and 5 stars.  I need to get some for the corner of my cellar and hide it away for a few years. Great stuff.  Salut….

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D’Arenberg The Cadenzia 2009

27 Friday Dec 2013

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A classic Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre from Mclaren Vale made by this consistent producer.  I have already written about several of D’Arenberg’s wines and am working my way through their offerings as quickly as I see them.

The Mourvedre is a mere 5% of the blend with the Syrah and Grenache providing the backbone, the dark purple color and the linear tannins.  Black fruit is evident on the nose and it pushes through onto the palate with some leather and anise.  I got some dusty earth on the back end as well which was unexpected.  The wine was bold and full bodied but lacked a certain complexity for me.  At 4 years of age it is drinking well and will last another 4 at least.  I cannot see much evolution but it will provide enjoyment when paired with charcuterie and perhaps a Beef stew.  I paid $19 for this wine and am going with 88 points.  WS and some other pro’s went as high as 91.  3 stars from me.  Salut….

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Neil Ellis Pinotage 2009

27 Friday Dec 2013

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I have spent the past five weeks on a training course in Hong Kong, paired up with my friend ‘The Beave’.  Last night was our last proper dinner before the course ends and he decided on a steak house for the gang.  There were 10 of us and we proceeded to order copious amounts of beer before dinner as we settled in to our boys night out.  I ordered Lamb Cutlets when we were seated and was promptly handed the wine list by some eager Steak eaters.  I chose this Stellenbosch Pinotage as I figured it would have the flavor to hold up to to the Lamb and Mint sauce in addition to being smooth enough for the others Filets.

I really enjoy well made Pinotage and have been on a mission to seek it out as much as possible.  This wine was no exception.  It was a dark purple offering that had plum aromas and a touch of cedar on the nose.  The first taste confirmed my choice as correct.  This wine exploded with dark plums and black cherries with some good oak integration.  Spicebox and sandalwood came through on the mid palate and the tannins were fine and refreshing.  A balanced mouthfeel is always appreciated and the acidity was ever so slight yet present.  The weight of the wine was perfect for the mint sauce and the boys really enjoyed theirs with the steaks.  Restaurants always gouge on the prices so I will go with the retail pricing of about $17.  I feel this is a 90 point wine worth seeking out, 4 stars from me.  Salut….

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