Category Archives: Wine reviews

Yalumba Shiraz-Viognier ’08

09 Thursday Feb 2012

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Having been off Australian Shiraz for a while, I was stumped for a wine yesterday at the local shop.  Seems like the choices are slim, and the majority of wines were either cheap French or Aussie Shiraz.  Soooo, I ended up with this blend of Viognier (which I love) and Shiraz.  Hailing from the Eden Valley, they blended the two wines into something pretty decent.  Nothing jammy, like too many other Australian Shiraz, but mellow, thanks to the Viognier.  Good nose of dark fruit, and definite black-blue berry on the palate.  Unobtrusive tannins tell me this one is built for 5-7 years tops.  Seeming to be in balance, the acidity was neither present nor lacking, and the end result was a consensus that we enjoyed this wine and would buy again.  3 stars and probably an 88 pointer.

yalumba shiraz viognier

Kittling Ridge Icewine/Brandy

30 Monday Jan 2012

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A gift from my Canadian cousin, I opened this bottle after dinner the other night.  I am a huge fan of white dessert wines: Sauternes, Late Harvest, Icewine, all of ’em. Except this one.  I could make out the telltale signs of “sticky” wine, apricot on the nose and the unctuous texture, but it was totally overshadowed by the addition of Brandy.  Not sure what the point is, but it detracted the essence of Icewine for me.  BTW, in case you didn’t know it, this style of wine is made from healthy grapes that have been left to freeze on the vine before being pressed.  The resultant juice is more concentrated and higher in sugars.  It tends to be expensive, and hails mainly from Canada and Germany.

I honestly cannot pass comments on this wine as the style is not to my choosing.

kittling ridge

Top Hat ’08

30 Monday Jan 2012

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A Christmas gift from a co-worker, I wasn’t sure what to expect on this one.  I tried to search the web for it, nothing.  Very typical Cali Cab, bright fruit on the nose and palate, good tannins and a balanced finish.  I was really impressed with this bottle, but have no idea where to get it from or how much it costs.  I paired it with some Filets on the grill, worked a treat.  The tannic structure is perfect for this cut.  Not in-your-face, they are part and parcel, holding the wine together and showing no signs of letting up.  The fruit is still in primary mode, as would be expected from California.  Surprisingly, this wine is still very fresh yet shows some aging capability.  I would think it could last until 2018 at the least, and hopefully gain some secondary flavors without losing the its appealing fruit.  I reckon a 90 point rating and 4 stars are in order.

top hat cabernet

Magdelaine ’02

30 Monday Jan 2012

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From St. Emilion, this property has a strong pedigree albeit from a lackluster vintage.  90% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc, this wine is smooth, balanced and ‘classic’ in style.  It is not a powerful wine, but rather an elegant offering.  The nose offers nice fruit, the initial attack is somewhat subdued.  The mid-palate is balanced and delicious.  The tannins are poking around, not obtrusive, yet holding it together quite nicely.  The pro’s were all over the shop with this one- 92 from the boys at WS but a measly 15/20 from across the pond.  At ten years of age, it is at a typical Bordeaux drinking window and I doubt it will get better.  Another 3 years and it is over for this one.  I would give it 3 stars. PS. if you remember my previous post about losing a bet- I won one back, and this was the payoff.

chateau magdelaine

Simonassi Malbec “1922” ’08

14 Saturday Jan 2012

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The last bottle of my case, and still undelivering. Argentinian Malbec is, to me, very bright and fruity. This one has more of a balance problem, with too much oak, the acidity bothers me and the tannins are somewhat dry. From old-vines, it was aged in 80% new oak for 15 months- overkill.
When thinking Malbec, I want juice, fruit and decent tannins. The producer claims at least 10 years of cellaring potential. I can’t see it. The dryness that overpowers the palate is not pleasant. To me, I think they tried to mask the wine’s faults with lavish use of oak. 1 star here folks, not a repeat buy for the price.

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Chateau Gloria, ’00

12 Thursday Jan 2012

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This past month has been nuts with Christmas, New Year’s and all sorts of parties and celebrations.  So busy in fact that Moxie had to postpone her annual ‘Fundoo’ party for the gals over at her store until the dust had settled and everyone could catch their breath from the hubbub of a crazy retail season.  We do this event every year and it entails digging deep into the cellar and setting up a fondue party for 15.  Always fun, this year was no exception- the only downer being I had to get up at 6 the next morning to catch a flight out.

Anyway, we kicked it off with a Magnum of Chateau Gloria from the famed 2000 vintage.  A Crus Bourgeois, it ranks slightly lower than the “Growths”, yet consistently delivers value and quality.  This bottle was stellar, opening with just the right amount of cassis, black cherry and tobacco that makes me love Bordeaux.  The nose was pleasing, the mid-palate round and balanced.  The tannins are smooth and evolved, perhaps peaking.  This wine is drinking beautifully right now and will last another 3-5 years.  Rated 90, I would give it 5 stars.  A good performer from the region that doesn’t overcharge and under-deliver.

chateau gloria 2000

Beronia Reserva ’04

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

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While sitting here writing about last night’s fantastic Rhone wine, I couldn’t wait to finish so I could move on to this Spanish Reserva. It absolutely blew me away from the word “Go”. Call me old-fashioned, but the New World wines just can’t compete with France, Spain and Italy for elegance, typicity, style and balance in general. Don’t get me wrong, I have drunk some real beauties from Cali, Australia, Chile, Argentina and South Africa- but when you get hold of a wine like the Beronia Reserva, you realize that these folks have been at it for a while and know grapes. The balance, smoothness, complexity and ageability of this wine reflect the care given to the grapes and the winemaker’s skill. My first impression on the nose was that this wine screams Tempranillo, the first taste confirmed it. Deft use of oak has aged this wine in barrel to give it smoothness and unobtrusive tannins. The length is decent, and the wine is starting to take on secondary flavors. With its backbone, it should last until 2020 at least, delivering great pleasure at a great price. QPR-wise this is a home run and should be sought out immediately. 5 stars, at least and if I were a pro: 92 points minimum. Enjoy!

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Domaine de Dionysis, Cairanne la Cigalette ’09

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

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Wow, bang-for-the-buck stuff folks. Run, don’t walk to the nearest place that sells this QPR beast.
From the Rhone region of France, it is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre and Carignan that sings “Drink Me”. On the nose, very good initial flavors typical of the blend, on the first taste, great balance of fruit, tannins and acidity. I did not pay much for this gem, only to find out it got a 90 point pro rating from the boys at WS. A five star effort in my opinion as it delivers everything.
The Rhone blends are a great way to enjoy the variety of grapes that they use. On the mid-palate this wine shows really nice complexity, no doubt from the different grapes. The tannins are very smooth, non-obtrusive and have the strength to hold this wine until 2015 at the earliest. Seriously, this is some good shiz that needs to be searched out. Another gem in the French wine arena that doesn’t over-charge and under-perform. Yay

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Penafiel Gran Resalte ’00

31 Saturday Dec 2011

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The big brother to my other two Penafiel’s, this one is a real beauty. The Gran Reserva from 2000 has aged beautifully and shows great Tempranillo character with some extra flavors kicking in. Smooth tannins are holding it together like a solid backbone, yet unobtrusive. Purple in color, it shows no signs of age, still fresh and vibrant. My guess is that the remaining bottles will last until 2016 at the least- 5 stars and potentially a 93 pointer if reviewed by the paid people. Sucha deal baby!

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Opus One, ’00

28 Wednesday Dec 2011

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Opus one 2000

Perhaps one of the more controversial California Cabernet’s, this bottle was the ringer in last night’s Bordeaux episode.  Having served Lynch Bages 1996, Duhart Milon 2000, I snuck this little gem in to the fray and the results were overwhelming.  A joint venture formed in 1979 between Robert Mondavi and Mouton Rothschild the Opus One is blended in the Bordeaux style using the finest California fruit.  Heavy on the Cabernet Sauvignon they have deftly added Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec to round out the wine and produce something that I could only describe as “Fruit Explosion Meets Old World Elegance”.

The first whiff and taste of this bottle brought a unanimous exclamation of “wow, very fruity”.  At eleven years of age, there is no end in sight for this wine, the tannins are soooo good, gently edging the mouthfeel and caressing the amazing fruit.  Secondary flavors are yet to come forth, but I can sense they are lurking.  The pro’s trashed this wine as overpriced and underperforming for the pedigree.  With an official score of 90, and a lofty price tag, it did not sell well.  I picked up a half-case from ‘my guy’ to keep him sweet- thus ensuring future allocations of what I really wanted.  I am really glad I did….  I am giving this baby 5 stars, only because there is no six, and I reckon the pro’s would re-rate it as a 93-94 point wine.  A true shocker that has definitely rewarded my cellaring patience.  I think I have one more bottle-yippee!

opus 1