Category Archives: Wine reviews

Vigna Alta 2008

27 Monday May 2013

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From the south of Italy comes this almost black wine, made from Aglianico grapes.  I once had a waiter correct me on the pronunciation, which is technically “ahl-YAH-nee-koe”.  He insisted that it was Ag-lee-a-nicko.  His tip was commensurate to his wine knowledge…..

Anyway, I digress.  Aglianicos are tannic monsters, and this particular wine was tighter than a drum.  I had to pry it open with my Vinturi just to coax any semblance of juice from beneath its lurking , brooding shell.  Once there, it showed off some really nice blackberry and bramble.  A hint of earth and some flowers were noticed.  Extremely tannic, almost like painting your teeth with purple tannins, yet surprisingly fresh.  This wine is already 5 years into its aging and is still an infant.  The acidity is setup for long term cellaring, which should allow this wine to evolve, mellow and show itself much better.  It would be unfair to judge it too soon, however- 88 points initially and 3 stars for now.  I have more, and will re-taste them in the future after a severe decanting for several hours.

If you have never had an Aglianico, they are really delicious when ready, very similar to Tannat and perhaps Nero D’Avola from Sicily.  I enjoy these varietals as off-the-beaten path wines, they offer intrigue and spice up my cellar.

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Conundrum White 2011

21 Tuesday May 2013

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An interesting blend of white wines from California, from the same clan that make Caymus and Belle Glos.  Obviously a thoroughbred wine, this bottle is delicious.  The label does not name varietals, but I am guessing a healthy dose of Viognier, a good proportion of Sauvignon Blanc, some Chardonnay and what else?

The Viognier is forefront, giving it that rose and floral scent that I love.  Some apricots are also indicative of the semillon, let’s add that to the fray.  I sense some cat pee and grass, telltale signs of Sauvignon Blanc and the balancer is the chardonnay.  Acidity is decent, albeit not as sharp as I like in a white.  Elegant and smooth on the palate, it has a long finish.

This wine is intriguing.  It offers pre-dinner pleasure and paired well for my midweek fish and chips with the kids meal.  In fact, Moxie even had a glass, which says something.  It is not in everyone’s taste, yet I think it scores well technically and I really enjoyed it for the price.  As an aside, I served Moxie hers in a Riedel Vinum Sauvignon Blanc glass while mine was poured into the Chardonnay version.  Whilst you may be laughing at the sublety, there is a difference.  Hers tasted more cat-peeish and had stronger green grass notes, while mine was more aromatic and fuller in the mouth.  I had to really work hard at differentiating, but the proof is in the glass.  Make sure you use the right one, and always go for a quality brand, versus some fancy crystal one with useless carvings and engravings.  You can read about my unofficial taste test here.  Meantime, 4 stars and 88 points.  Great for a summer’s eve.

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Sav Blanc | Chardonnay

Killka Malbec 2011

19 Sunday May 2013

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An Argie Malbec for about $12, this wine was decent but lacked any umph.  I love the varietal, generally finding that the fruit is very tasty and usually quite extracted (I know, goes against my whole finesse thing).  Anyway, this wine offered up some decent blackberry and plums on the palate that seemed to fade rather fast.  I did notice some tannic bite, but nothing obtrusive.  I am used to this varietal showing off some ‘fruit bomb’ charachteristics and I love the Malbecs from Cahors (France) where they refer to them as The Black Wines.  This was just shy of my expectations and I felt a little shortchanged.  At a modest $11 you should at least give it a go, perhaps with some burgers and dogs.  I would also suggest a few bottles in the basement for unexpected guests, they would enjoy it for what it is.  3 stars for an even 84 points.

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Firesteed Pinot Noir 2006

19 Sunday May 2013

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Served at a party last night, I was somewhat surprised that they still had any 2006 vintage left.  I have probably had this wine, years previously and well before I started to take notes.

A decent reddish hue in the glass showed off some strawberry notes in the nose.  On the palate, I got some strawberry and plumish notes, pretty un-Pinot like.  Perhaps the bottle was trying to further develop after 7 years, but in what direction?  The wine did not taste over-the-hill, yet I sensed it has seen its peak.  Still tasty, just in a different way. I did notice good balance and there was a slight tannic content still lurking.  This wine is not expensive, yet delivers good value and is generally a decent Pinot Noir.  I hesitate to rate it but think in its day it would have been a solid 3 star wine.

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Barboursville Malvaxia 2007

18 Saturday May 2013

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If you have just read my previous post about this winery’s Phileo, you will know that it rocked my world.  Having the Malvaxia right after that one was like winning the World Series followed by the Superbowl, in one evening.  Talk about perfection, here it is, in two lithe little bottles.

At $32 for a skinny little 375 ml bottle, this one is not cheap.  The grapes are made in the Passito style, where they are air dried for a while to concentrate the juice and produce this elixir.  Oak barrel aged for an eternity, the wine is deep in color and has an almost honeyed look and consistency.  A huge nose of creme caramel and apricot just seemed to melt its way onto the palate.  Layers of aromatics came forth from the Muscat and Vidal blend transcending into an almost syrupy compote of ripe pineapple meets apricots and almonds.  Very complex without being cloying, the weight of this wine is perfectly balanced by the acidity.  A huge finish that seems to carry on forever.  We drank this one after the lighter Phileo, by itself.  It doesn’t need accompaniment, in fact it would take center stage if you tried to add any desserts to this stunning wine.  My only mistake was to chill it in the fridge for a while.  Unbeknownst to me, it shows far better at room temperature and I was able to enjoy the second part of it as such.  I am grateful to have been able to visit the Barboursville Winery where I first tasted this wine, now I know where I can stock up on it!  Technically speaking a 96 point wine, a huge score.  I have to be honest and say this wine deserves 5 stars, even at such a steep price.  The process and time involved in making this wine must be monumental, kudos to the winemaker.

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Barboursville Phileo NV

18 Saturday May 2013

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NV- Non-vintage.  Phileo- Greek for ‘Love for special things’.

I’m not Greek, but I love this wine.  It is a blend of Moscato and Gewurztraminer that is made in a low alcohol, dessert style whilst keeping its acidity and defying the cloying trait associated with most ‘stickies’.  I served this one right out of the fridge on a warm evening.  Absolutely perfect.  The Gewurz brings that delicious apricot and honey to the nose and palate, while the Moscat has its own additions of peach and rose.  The nose went forever and followed smoothly onto the palate.  A razor sharp acidity cuts in right at the end, perfectly timed.  A long finish had me reeling for more.  When I first tasted this wine at Barboursville, I loved it and bought two bottles.  Now that I have had it at home, in the right surroundings and in the right frame of mind- I wish I had more.  At about $16 per bottle, this wine absolutely, 100% rocked my wine world.  Albeit a ‘dessert’ wine, I would easily drink this as a pre-dinner aperitif, with starters of foie gras and definitely with dessert/cheese plates.  We sorted out some brownies with ours.  I am convinced that this wine is a 94 pointer and if I could give it 6 stars I would.  Bravo….

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Quinta Do Crasto 2009

15 Wednesday May 2013

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A re-taste from 2012 that gave me nothing at the time.  The Quinta Do Crasto 2009 that I previously tasted was absolutely closed, off-limits, nada, nothing.  This time around, much more open on both the nose and the palate.  Indeed, a rather high scoring wine.  Let’s start with the beautiful purple hue in the glass.  On the nose, gorgeous plums and blueberry.  On the attack, blackberry and spicy oak.  It’s hard to nail any varietal because this one is a  blend according to the label.  I do however, get some Touriga notes, which I love.  This Reserva was bottled in 2011 after 16 months in oak, both French and American.  I will say that I am starting to notice a little heat, wondering if the 14.5% alcohol is in balance.  I think with some more time, it will hide behind the really silky tannins that are still in force.   A long life ahead for this unfiltered wine, with further evolution that will be interesting to see.

I keep sniffing the glass, getting more depth all the time.  This is a serious wine folks, I’m glad I reserved judgement.  I would like to visit it again in 2015.  For now, this bottle is giving me a 92 point opinion  and at the decent price of around $40, 5 stars.  I would get a few for the cellar if you like Portuguese wines, this one rocks.

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Thomas Fogarty Cabernet Franc 2008

12 Sunday May 2013

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From the Santa Cruz mountains comes this little gem.  You know I like the varietal and I am also a big fan of this AVA, where the cooler climate refines the wines into ‘my style’ but not stripping the Cabernet Franc of its character.  Layered with black berry and plum flavors, it offers up good tannins and balanced acidity.  At 5 years of age, it is drinking on point and still has another 5 to run.  We drank it with an Italian meal of spicy shrimp and red sauce, allowing the boldness of the wine to offset the acidity of the tomato based sauce.  It worked a charm and I highly recommend it!  I think this is a good wine worthy of 90 points and at $25 it gets 4 stars.

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Handcraft Petite Sirah 2010

12 Sunday May 2013

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A bar wine that I ordered on the fly.  Very basic fruitiness in a forward style.  I honestly can’t recommend buying this wine for the cellar at home as it is boring, thin and not representative of Petite Sirah.  2 star, 83 points but is not on my “Cheap and Nasty” list.  It is drinkable in a bar-like atmosphere, but I would not try to pair it with any food.  It retails for about $10.  I did some research on this wine, and found that WS gave it 85 points while WE gave it 90!  Enough said.

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Belle Glos Pinot Noir ‘Clark and Telephone Vineyard’ 2008

12 Sunday May 2013

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A cloudy looking Pinot in the glass, this is an interesting beast.  I have never seen a wine look so unfiltered, yet taste so refined.  A whopping 14.7% alcohol was so deftly masked that it can really sneak up on the unsuspecting.  A mix of Old and New World styles, I was intrigued by this wine from Santa Barbara County.  It showed off an interesting mix of cherry and cloves, a certain spiciness I have never tasted before.  Very smooth, I mean like ‘Buttah’.  Very well integrated tannins and a juicy acidity leave you with a nice mouthfeel.  We drank two bottles and they were identical, no variation.  A serious Pinot Noir that is hitting peak and should last another 5 years minimum.  At $40 plus, it’s not an everyday drinker, but certainly worthy of a Sunday Roast, perhaps Veal Saltimboca or even a cheese plate after dinner.  4 stars and 92 points in my books.

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