Category Archives: Wine reviews

Chateau Ksara Cuvee Speciale Cabernet Sauvignon Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

03 Wednesday Jan 2024

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Deep ruby colored with minimal staining and high viscosity (13.5% ABV). The nose has dusty aromas of black plum, blackberry, baking spices, black raspberry and Cassis. There’s a touch of charcoal on the very end as well. The pallet is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are very silky and powdery. Medium to full bodied- the wine has flavors of Cassis, plums, black raspberry, baking spices, vanilla and a touch of eucalyptus. It finishes a touch tart, but I’m liking that refreshing aspect.  It’s a medium length affair that is enjoyable with some licorice, dark fruit and ripe raspberry to end. 90 points from me for this $22 bottle makes it a five star wine to drink till 2028.  Salut….

Remhoogte Vantage Pinotage 2019, Stellenbosch, South Africa

01 Monday Jan 2024

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Deep purple colored with medium staining and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black currants, black plum, vanilla, mint, baking spices, blackberry coulis and cocoa powder.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins that are slightly green.  Full bodied- this wine has flavors of ripe black fruit with oak integration by way of vanilla, baking spices, cocoa powder alongside a charred note.  Some anise pops up on the mid palate but the mint never showed.  There’s a mineral streak that I am enjoying, almost granitic.  The finish is a touch tart and medium in length.  I’m going to enjoy pairing this bottle with a roast Pork shoulder and lemon potatoes.  It gets 91 points from me with a drinking window till 2029.  At $22 it gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Clos St. Thomas Les Emirs Rouge 2014, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

30 Saturday Dec 2023

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Medium garnet colored with high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose of this nine year old wine has aromas of beautiful baked plums, black cherry reduction, cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa, coffee, toasty oak and a hint of menthol.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins that are well integrated and very polished.  Mostly tertiary in nature the flavors consist of baked dark red fruit with vanilla, baking spices, cocoa and coffee with a hint of cracked black pepper on the mid palate.  The tannins are sublime, making for a great mouthfeel.  The flavors carry on and on with a long finish promised and delivered.  Delicious and at peak, this wine is showing the power of its terroir and the skill in winemaking.  93 points from me for this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Grenache.  I trekked all the way to the city to pick up every bottle they had which at $19 per was a great price.  5 stars, drink till 2028.  Salut….

My 2023 wine adventure

30 Saturday Dec 2023

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It all began with the amazingly delicious Vin de Constance on January 1, 2023

I then began to ramp up for the Certified Wine Educator exams by tasting, sampling and reading about as much wine as I could.  Keeping my Virtual Wine Tasting group happy, we delved into some very interesting varietals during the year which included the following:

My wine friends helped me pass the CWE exams by plying me with some delicious wines served blind:

And then there was the exam taking and prep for that:

I cannot pinpoint a particular wine or occasion that truly stands out over the rest, but I can say that Christmas was no slacker.

New Years eve will be at a friend’s house where I will pillage his cellar and we will toast  with decent Cava.  I look forward to my 2024 wine adventures and hope yours are equally as amazing and rewarding.  Salut….

Clos St. Thomas ‘Le Merlot A’ 2010, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

24 Sunday Dec 2023

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Deep garnet colored with high viscosity (14% ABV) and slight staining on the walls.  The nose has intense aromas of cassis, ripe blackberry, black plum, coffee, mint, cocoa, vanilla, licorice and charred toasty oak.  It’s quite complex but surprisingly youthful at 13 years of cellaring.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are silky smooth.  A full body with ripe flavors of cassis, blackberry and plum coupled with oak-derived notes of coffee, cocoa, vanilla, charred oak alongside mint and licorice.  It’s quite a melange of flavors that carry throughout to a medium length finish.  This Merlot is young and will cellar for another decade, hopefully developing some nice tertiary aromas and flavors.  It is only available at the winery due to limited production- it’s the winemaker’s pride and joy.  A delicious wine that gets 92 points from me.  Not sure on pricing so I will award 5 stars.  Salut….

Tinazzi No 3 Vinum Italicum Opera Rosso 2021, Italy

16 Saturday Dec 2023

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Deep ruby colored with high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose of this blend has medium intensity aromas of blackberry, mulberry, plum, coffee, baking spices, violets and cedar.  The palate is slightly off-dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are quite fine and powdery.  Full bodied with flavors of ripe blackberry, plum and juicy mulberry along with cedar, coffee and baking spices.  It’s quite a rich and ripe wine with lots of weight and heft (think the 15% alcohol).  The finish is medium (+) in length and smooth.  This $20 bottle overdelivers in my opinion and gets 91 points from me making it a 5 star effort.  Drink till 2027 with hearty meat dishes or thick stews.  Salut….

Arraigo Benegas Estate Wine Cabernet Franc 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

12 Tuesday Dec 2023

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Deep purple colored with slight staining and medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of blueberry pie, with vanilla and baking spices really prominent.  Acai berry and black plum support alongside bell pepper and mint.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (-) tannins.  A medium body shows off ripe blue fruit, vanilla, spices and a hint of greeness.  The finish is a little bit tart with the blueberry tending to slightly underripe which is interesting.  The length is short to medium and very pleasant.  I like this somewhat basic wine for what it is- a $20 weekday quaffer.  It gets 87 points from me and 3 stars.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Benjamin Darnault Domaine De Montahuc Vin Doux Naturel 2019, Saint Jean de Minervois, France

11 Monday Dec 2023

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Pale lemon colored with high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose of this dessert wine has intense aromas of honey, orange marmalade, bruised red apple, a hint of apricot and a touch of vanilla bean. The palate is sweet with medium (+) acidity and a full body.  The wine starts out bitter right off the bat, the astringency is akin to candied grapefruit pith.  The marmalade and honey notes come along with some vanilla and red apple.  The mid palate is where the wine settles down and the honey, marmalade and apricot come to the forefront.  The finish is long and sweet, syrupy and delicious.  I think it needs a bit of air TBH.  Right now, it gets 88 points from me but it could improve with some time.  Cellaring capacity is probably good- say till 2030.  I paid $19 for a 500 ml bottle, making it a 3 star effort.  Salut….

Anton Bauer Gruner Veltliner Ried Gmirk 2021, Wagram, Austria

11 Monday Dec 2023

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Pale platinum lemon colored with a watery sheen (12.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of wool, white pepper, lemon zest, grapefruit pith, saline and petrichor.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a light body.  The pepper and wool notes resonate right away followed by the citrus peel, pith and zest.  Wet stone is prevalent on the mid palate with a touch of bitterness.  The back end is tart with citrus and carries on for a medium finish that is quite refreshing.  I’m baking some lemon/ butter Barramundi and rice to pair, should work quite well.  Drink this light and lively number till 2025.  89 points from me for this $17 bottle makes it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Clos St. Thomas ‘Chateau St. Thomas’ Rouge 2015, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

10 Sunday Dec 2023

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Deep garnet colored with moderate staining on the walls and a high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of baking spices with ripe blackberry, cassis, black plum, vanilla, coffee, menthol and mulberry preserves.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are slightly chalky.  The wine is full bodied and I get medium (+) intensity flavors of ripe black berries, finely integrated oak nuance and tertiary development.  The vanilla, baking spices, coffee and menthol are the supporting characters to the blackberry, mulberry and cassis notes.  The finish is long and delicious.  One of my favorite wineries that continues to overdeliver wines that have excellent aging capacity and bring much pleasure.  I would go with 93 points for this $30 wine that gets 5 stars.  Drink this Cab Sav, Merlot and Syrah blend till 2035.  Salut….