10 Saturday Dec 2011
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A few of my colleagues gathered for a little Christmas cheer upon our arrival in Hong Kong and this was the first of many bottles to be opened. Very primary in fruit with a decent nose and mid-palate it offered no sign of aging potential. A decent way to start out as it was not heavy, complex or overpowering. Very reasonably priced, this one is a sure winner for informal drinking or large parties. From a pro standpoint, perhaps an 82 rating but I’m giving it 4 stars for being a good QPR player.
10 Saturday Dec 2011
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My first foray into Amarone. If you don’t know what that is, you should read this Wiki about the process of drying the grapes on racks and then fermenting the concentrated fruit to produce a rich, low-acid wine that normally measures in at 15% alcohol. I got excited when I opened this bottle, but quickly came back to earth. It lacked a nose, there was no richness and the alcohol bothered me. I have had Ripassa wines, made when the partially aged Valpolicella is contacted with the lees of the Amarone, now that’s some good stuff. I guess I was expecting the same type of full-bodied wine. Perhpas a few years in the dungeon will allow this thing to mature and get back on track. For now, a mere 2 stars and perhaps an 88 rating….who knows, I might have had a bad bottle.
03 Saturday Dec 2011
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Another Moxie find, this one brings back some memories. I first came across it’s sibling, Chateau Treytins at my local wine shop, buying up their ’95 and ’96 stock for about $16 per bottle. This was an amazing find and one of my all time QPR (Quality Price Ratio) home runs. The wine was beautiful, mature, full of fruit, great nose and the structure to withstand further aging. When I tried to look for more, they were out, but the clerk recommended the Garraud as an even better alternative. Same family, different grapes and composition. Not as good. Heavy on the Merlot, whilst the Treytins has more Cab Franc (you know how much I like the Franc). I felt it was lacking something, just couldn’t pinpoint it. I have had several vintages of this wine and can honestly say that it is a good effort, but my preference is for the cheaper one (Treytins). However, the family make yet another wine, their top cuvee- L’Ancien. Made predominantly with Merlot, from the Lalande-de-Pomerol appellation, it is a true beaut. I met the winemaker at our local, where he talked about the wine and signed my 2000 vintage. It was really good. I never took a picture of it, yet remember it as profound. So there you have it, 3 good wines, relative inexpensive for Bordeaux and each with it’s own make up and character. The Garaud ’00 for your info should get 3 stars and the pros gave it an average of 85 points. Not bad.
03 Saturday Dec 2011
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Do you remember my post about finding some gems in Moxie’s store a month ago? Well, here is another one, but for the life of me I can’t recall the tasting notes. A Second Growth Bordeaux that rated very high with the pro’s, yet got some strange variations in drinking window. A British magazine that I subscribe to gave it 4 stars yet said it needed to be drunk in 2010 or 2011, whilst the boys on this side of the pond suggest a 2008-2030 window. Seems odd, but I’m going USA on this one. 1995 was a really good year for the French, and a wine of this pedigree should have all the parts to last a long time, evolve nicely and reward the owner for patience. So, why did I drink it so long ago? A party I guess, because my bottle was the large size, you know how I like to show off the Magnums! Anyhow, I am sure it was awesome and I would have given it 5 stars etc. etc. etc.
03 Saturday Dec 2011
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A Reserve Cabernet Franc from Canada given to me by my cousin. Not wanting to “look the gift-horse in the mouth”, I can’t help it. I love Cab Franc and look forward to tasting as much of it as possible. This bottle had little to offer in the Franc arena, very light, with little nose and no backbone. I was wondering what their regular bottling was like, cause this one gets 2 stars and 83 points. Sorry guys, there is nothing interesting here, no mid-palate, little acidity, where did the tannins go? It’s only 5 years old, reserve’s are supposedly the best you have to offer and Franc is known to have some stuffing. Major pass…. Sorry cuz.
03 Saturday Dec 2011
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Not one to take price as the arbiter, but when they use corks that are not solid, but made from the scraps of other corks- it’s a dead giveaway. Very basic Medoc, some decent fruit, a little nose, no tannins to speak of and a very watery taste. Even for the price, this one is a pass- not to waste the time or effort on. I can’t say I’m disappointed, I had no expectations, and no surprises. 1 star and an 80 point for this bad excuse for wine-making.
30 Wednesday Nov 2011
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Two bottles of fizz, chopped at the neck and poured. What a neat party trick , and easy to do. I use a big, heavy carving knife- the blunt side. The Champagne bottle has a seam running its length. Simply line the seam facing the sky, and run the back side of the saber along it- poof. The top will come off clean!
29 Tuesday Nov 2011
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To cap off Thanksgiving dinner, I dove deep into the cellar and came up with this absolute beauty. Rated a lowly 84 by a group of amateurs, I disagree- 4 stars and 90 points are more realistic. 2005 was an incredible year in Bordeaux, the appellation of Sauternes was no exception. Made predominantly from the Semillon grape that has been inflicted with Botrytis Cinerea, otherwise known as Noble Rot, the grapes get concentrated and the resulting wine is sweet, unctuous, and mouth-watering. I noticed definite Pineapple flavor, plus the more traditional apricot meets honey tones. The wine was golden in color, and appeared almost syrupy in the glass. Also known as “Stickies”, these wines are great with dessert but surprisingly, are the sommelier’s choice to pair with Foie Gras. Normally bottled in 375 ml, this particular one was the full blown 750, necessitating a party to warrant opening it. I can’t say how much I love sweet whites, and continually try to get my friends to give them a chance- most come around. I think and hope that I have at least one more left in the tomb for another glorious feast.
29 Tuesday Nov 2011
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The third wine for our feast was the one we actually drank with the Turkey. I previously reviewed this wine during the summer, read here for my opinion. This bottle was no different except we drank it after two big Bordeaux wines. Nonetheless, it held it’s own and was perfect with the bird. Yet again 92 points and 5 Stars!
29 Tuesday Nov 2011
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The second bottle of Thanksgiving 2011, this one continues to bring it. I bought 2 cases many years ago and have been opening them on a regular basis. Whilst not a blockbuster, it offers decent fruit, a good nose and the tannins are subdued, yet holding on. For a “Third Growth” one would expect more, but let’s not forget that the 1855 classification of Bordeaux is so totally outdated that it doesn’t mean much anymore. The average pro rating of 86 seems a little low, but I’m not complaining- giving it 3 stars for it’s taste, balance and enjoyment. Would I pay the current price? Not a chance, good thing I got it cheap in 2003.
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