05 Saturday May 2012
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
From Paso Robles, this reasonably priced offering will be sure to please in a casual drinking atmosphere. For $10, you get a basic wine that gives loads of dark fruit, easy going tannins and a pleasant mouthfeel. Not complex, I would serve it all day long at a grilling party. With decent acidity and the fullness of fruit, I think it is a good 3 star effort worthy of 85 points. Don’t cellar this one, as it was meant for pop-n-pour pleasure.
05 Saturday May 2012
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
I was a little puzzled about this wine, which was a gift. Unmistakeable Syrah was my downfall. I had to revert to a little Internet sleuthing to discover no Syrah, but a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. The use of the word Velvet is actually not too far off, it is pretty smooth. With not much complexity, slight tannins but a good balance- it goes down like velvet. Others did not like this wine or loved it, not many in the middle of the road. I am thinking four stars- its a damn fine drop for the price and for what it is. Drink it soon as the backbone was not made for aging, but for immediate pleasure. It has good acidity and a prolonged after taste, which surprises me. For about $10, you are sure to please a crowd with this gem that has gobs of dark berries, and a smooth mouthfeel. I would hazard a guess at 88 points on a pro level- I’m liking it. Well done you Cupcake peeps.
25 Wednesday Apr 2012
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
This is the wine I chose to celebrate my birthday with, the last of my case. A Cali Cab from the fabled Mouiex family, it certainly garners respect and good ratings from the pro’s. Asking price- currently up to $150 per. My opinion, skip it. It is neither blockbuster Napa Cab, or characteristic of a good Bordeaux, but something in the middle. Gentle tannins have kept this wine upright with good acidity holding it together. A pleasant nose gives way to a medium bodied palate of subdued fruit. No secondary flavors a la Old World, and no bright fruit that you would expect from its origin. It started out a little rustic, but opened up in 20 minutes, keep that in mind if you have some. I would say it could last another 5 years, but I can’t see any complexity building. 3 stars and 87 points, the pro’s all went 91…
25 Wednesday Apr 2012
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
Birthday weekend and I pulled this magnum out from the cellar for a party. A quick review told me to put it back as the comments were not favorable and it is perhaps past it’s peak. So…. I opened it the next night and finished it the following. Being a magnum, it aged slower than the reviews, and showed typical St Emilion character. The tannins are washing, the nose is nice blue fruit and the balance is good. Not a stunner, but a good buy for $50 in Mag. The pro rating agrees with my 85, and I would give it 3 stars for its ability to hold my interest. It shows some restraint as expected of Old World wine and considering its age, pretty decent. I wouldn’t run out looking for it, and at $50, there are better deals.
25 Wednesday Apr 2012
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
Honestly, my first experience with this varietal, and I was blown away. Rich, fruity, balanced with a hint of some serious tannins. Unfortunately, I was half-gubbed by the time we got to it so my memory is vague. I will say that I was impressed, and the pro’s only gave it 87. A quick search yields a price of up to $14, a steal if you can find it. A 5 star wine in my opinion that delivers a nice mouthfeel, great nose and a balanced finish. In my mind, it should be a 90 pointer. Wish I could find some…
04 Wednesday Apr 2012
Posted in Wine reviews
My second go at this wine and the initial impression is-wait. Too young, and a bit awkward. With a high 93 point rating from the big boys, I have yet to see it evolve beyond a highly alcoholic beast. Lurking are some brooding tannins, which hold this wine high as the more it matures, the better it’s gonna get. A Meritage ( blend of Cab Sav, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot), it mimics Bordeaux wine in composition using very ripe California fruit, hence the whopping 14.9% alcohol that hits the nose, the palate and the rest. I think with time, the tannins will subdue this wine and meld all the pieces together. Right now, lots of blueberry is coming on the initial and mid-palate. It will be interesting to see where the secondary flavors steer this wine. I am thinking it has a 5 star potential, but at this point- sit still. Cellar it until 2015 at the earliest and then see. Not too shabby and holding out for better years.
05 Monday Mar 2012
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
I have to be fair to this wine and tell you it was up against some big guns. We started the tasting with two of my favorites, a ’96 Napa Cab and an ’04 Reserva from Rioja. We followed them with the Trivento Malbec that a friend brought, and ended up with this offering from Chile.
Once you have stained your palate with exceptional, aged wines costing up to 8 times the price, it is hard to be partial- here goes.
Fruit, BIG-BOLD-BLUE-FRUIT. Blueberries and blackberries were in abundance. On the nose, very sweet hints of Blueberry. On the palate, decent fruit coupled with subdued tannins and a good finish. The winemakers state red fruit as the predominant flavor, with subtle blue fruit. I disagree, and could not find the vanilla they talk about. Perhaps my taste buds were skewed by the previous bottles. Anyway, this is a decent bottle for most people, just not my style with the way it shouts “Fruit Forward”. I prefer slightly more subdued styles and have had many Chilean Cabs that fit the bill. Some people may love this wine for what it is, especially in a relaxed surrounding, perhaps a BBQ, with some grilled meats. For the price, it is a definite buy if you are in the hunt for something that will please a crowd and not break the bank. 3 stars and perhaps an 86 point rating in my books. Besides, what an awesome label!
05 Monday Mar 2012
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
Mixed emotions on this one as I have opened three bottles on different occasions before coming to a conclusion. It was rated very highly when I bought a case of this 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. I would not normally drink such a blend, but with a nice write-up, what the heck. Firstly, this blend does not work for me, secondly- my initial bottle was tremendously disappointing. Thin is the descriptor that comes to mind. This wine had nothing going for it. Sangiovese is well known in Chiantis and is regarded as a light grape. When mixed with the powerhouse Cabernet, neither grape got a chance to shine, merely masking the power of the Cab, and totally drowning out the Sangio. With 6 years of age, there could have been some secondary flavors starting to develop, but I sensed none. The nose lacked any formal fruit, and the tannins were a little screwy. Over a period of three hours, it did develop some Strawberry hints on the mid-palate, thanks to the Sangiovese, but nothing really powerful. Bottle two was a bit better as there was a definite delineation between the two grapes. I could make out some of the nuances of each but still had a hard time with the winemakers choice of blend. Bottle three was by far the best and was actually pretty good. I detected telltale fruit on the nose, the midpalate seemed right and the tannins were present but unobtrusive. Overall this wine is a major letdown and a big pass. 2 Stars, and only because the third bottle came through for me. As for a formal rating, I cannot even dream of what it deserves, perhaps an 80-88 depending on which bottle you get stuck with. Wish me luck on the remaining 9……
25 Saturday Feb 2012
Posted in Wine reviews
From a 1er Cru Volnay , this Burgundy (made from 100% Pinot Noir) was not what I expected. New World Pinot came to mind when I opened it up and took the first taste. Strawberry on the nose and initial attack rather than the more typical cherry flavors that were quite nice, yet somehow disappointing. For me, Burgundy has a certain place in the wine world, a definitive flavor that others try to emulate, but rarely succeed. Most New World Pinot makers don’t even strive to copy Burgundy, it just can’t be done, so they make a different style. So why does this bottle not follow tradition, and stray to the modern version of this seductive grape?
When speaking of tannins and structure, Pinot Noir, to me, is the most difficult grape to analyze. I can never sense the tannic structure of Pinot, I have tried to no avail. Cabernet Sauvingnon is easy, if my mouth puckers- tannin. Burgundy makes ageworthy wine, and winemakers rely on balance and tannins to build up the backbone of these wines. Gauging the cellaring potential of this bottle is nigh on impossible. I cannot sense where it is going and how long it will take to get there. As I mentioned, it has no typicity to the region, and I wonder if it is the vintage in question, or a new style that the winemaker is trying to achieve. Being confused here, I cannot decide what more to say. If you like Pinot, but are not really looking for Burgundian flavors, then give it a try. If it is true Burgundy that you seek, stay away. I am going to retaste it in a year and pass judgement, until then- 3 stars.
25 Saturday Feb 2012
Posted in Wine reviews
I love Barolo, but not this one. Confusion comes to mind when I try to review this wine. To me, Barolo is a very unique wine made from Nebbiolo grapes that produce an amazing, powerful wine with a tannic structure sure to make an ageworthy wine. Considered ‘the king of wines and the wine of kings’, it is never cheap, thin or meant to be drunk young. With seven years of age, I was figuring this would be a tannic monster that was going to stain my teeth and give me a mouth full of the Nebbiolo I was looking forward to. Not so. The tannins were all over the place, I couldn’t quite place the structure, nor could I get any sort of flavor profile. I have drunk old Barolos that have taken on the secondary flavors and lost their tannic grip, they taste like aged Burgundy – beautiful. I have tasted young Barolos and enjoyed the tannins because the primary flavors of the grape are so intriguing. This bottle offered neither. Could it be that I hit it in it’s ‘mid-life’ crisis? Stuck between the young monster and the old, graceful charmer? Not sure, but I have had this bottle before and remember that it was too young, hence the need to try it again this year. I will continue to cellar the remaining bottles and open one in a year or so to see the results. Perhaps it just needs more time, but I am not holding my breath. It just doesn’t seem balanced, lacking in either primary or secondary fruit and has a very uneven mid-palate. I retasted it after several hours and albeit slightly better, there was nothing in it for me. Very disappointing and only worthy of 1 star at this point. I had to see what others are saying about this bottle, and the consensus from ordinary peeps like me on the web indicate my hunch is right. I suggest decanting for several hours to try and coax something out of it. PS It got a massive 92 point rating from the big boys and the regulars like me gave it between 87 and 90. My estimate- 85.
Wine reviews 