Category Archives: Wine reviews

Marchesi Antinori Santa Cristina 2014, Chianti Superiore DOCG Tuscany, Italy

31 Wednesday May 2023

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Every so often I’ll buy a bin-end wine to hopefully give it one last shot at stardom.  This Chianti is pretty old and perhaps over the hill.  In the glass it is medium garnet with high viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose shows it’s age- stewed plum, baked cherry, dried herbs, porcini mushrooms, a touch of vanilla and coconut along with some coffee.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are pretty well integrated.  The fruit notes are somewhat subdued and center around tart cherry pie with some baking spices and vanilla.  The stewed/cooked nature of the fruit is not as pronounced on the palate as the nose.  The body is medium in weight and carries through to a shortish finish.  It’s not a bad drop all things considered as I only paid $11 for it.  List was originally $22.  As for a score- 88 points from me and a drink by 2024 window, it’s getting tired and the structure won’t hold up much more.  4 stars considering what I paid.  I found this Sangiovese online for $14 for current vintages.  Salut….

VIK ‘O Leão’ 2019, Cachapoal Valley, Chile

29 Monday May 2023

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We took the whole gang to Fogo de Chao for dinner last night.  It’s the same list that I discovered Vina VIK Mila Cala and fell in love with this Chilean winery.  Apparently the O Leão is produced primarily for this particular restaurant chain and is hard to find elsewhere.  If you have ever had any of their wines they follow a profile…. the most obvious being fine-grained tannins and a silky smooth mouthfeel.  This particular version is 49% Carmenere with 29% Cab Sav, 17% Syrah and the balance Cab Franc.  It has a dense ruby color bordering on garnet with medium viscosity legs (14% ABV).  Bright black fruit, baking spice, a hint of green pepper, cassis, and some red berries on the nose and palate.  It’s dry with medium acidity plus their trademark medium (+) tannins that are polished to a shine.  The finish of this medium to full-bodied wine is long and caressing.  It was delicious with our carnivorous extravaganza as the structure held up to hearty red meat yet was gentle enough for the lighter fare we gorged on.  I’m guessing a $27 retail price if you can find it.  I would drink this 92 point wine till 2027.  5 Stars.  Salut….

Yohan Lardy Moulin-a-Vent Vieilles Vignes de 1903 2020, Beaujolais, France

27 Saturday May 2023

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The surprise WOTN at our 31st virtual tasting was this cru Beaujolais made from old vine Gamay grapes.  I was expecting a bit of tannic grip from previous experiences but it turned out just lovely.  The wine is medium garnet colored with high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose gave us aromas of cherry coke, dark cherries, ripe/cooked strawberry and was noted as fruity- like a Jolly Rancher.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins that are plush and well integrated.  Medium bodied- this wine had flavors of cherry, intense ripe strawberry and the aforementioned candy notes.  I suspect partial Carbonic maceration but they have vinified the bulk traditionally to maintain structure for cellaring capacity.  It’s delicious and a star of the tasting.  I gave it 16 points on our score sheet and would go as high as 92 points for this $30 wine making it a 5 star bottle to drink till 2028.  Salut….

Grifalco della Lucania Daginestra Superiore Aglianico del Vulture 2018, Basilicata, Italy

27 Saturday May 2023

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Deep ruby/garnet colored, this Aglianico was an interesting turn for our virtual wine tasting group as not many had ever had this varietal.  Intense aromas of tobacco with blueberry, smoke, blackberry, tomato paste, lilac and pine were noted.  The palate was dry with high tannins, medium acidity, a full body (14% ABV) and had flavors resembling the nose.  A hint of ripe strawberry was also noted in addition to the florals, oak and black fruit.  A medium finish for this wine makes it a 90 point effort that gets 3 stars due to its $40 price point.  On our tasting scale- 14 points.  Drink till 2030 with food, it really needs some pasta to balance it all out.  Salut….

Ernesto Catena Vineyards Tikal Patriota 2018, Mendoza, Argentina

27 Saturday May 2023

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A 60/40 Bonarda/Malbec blend, this was the second wine in our lineup at the 31st virtual wine tasting.  It showed deep purple with lots of staining and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  On the nose- blackberry, black cherry, black currant, pomegranate and caramel.  Others noted candied cherry, twizzlers, fig, slate and violet.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and high tannins.  The dark, ripe fruit flavors were echoed on the palate along with some oak influence- coffee, charred wood and an oaky hint.  The finish on this medium bodied wine was decent in length and really honed in on the ripe, black berries.  I gave it 13 points on our scoring sheet and would assign it 90 points.  For $20 this wine gets 4 stars with a drinking window of 2025-2030 unless you like them tannic AF.  Salut….

Freres Couillaud Chateau de la Ragotiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie 2020, Loire, France

27 Saturday May 2023

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We kicked off the 31st virtual wine tasting with this Muscadet that has been aged Sur Lie.  It was served chilled and then at room temp- both of which failed to impress.  The nose lacked any evidence of the aging process, ie. brioche, yeast or any other clue.  The palate did reveal a slightly fuller body, but alas nada on the expected flavor profile.  Instead, we got a wine that had aromas of pear, crunchy yellow apple, lanolin, honeysuckle, Seaspray and tangerine peel.  The wine had medium acidity (another non-conformist point), was medium bodied and showed a medium lemon color with low viscosity (12% ABV).  I noted the wine had a short finish and was not complex at all.  Served at room temp it was more flabby and the fruit seemed bruised.  We finally got a hint of the aging process- King’s Hawaiian Roll plus some beeswax and lanolin in addition to the aforementioned flavors.  It also turned a touch bitter and pithy.  Really not my cup of tea- it got an average of 8 points on our scoring sheets and I would give this $14 effort 86 points making it a 2 star wine.  Drink now with seafood or a Cobb salad.  Salut….

Pour Haus Pinot Grigio NV, California

23 Tuesday May 2023

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I’ll cut to the chase- I needed some serviceable (read cheap) Pinot Grigio for a wine experiment so I ended up with two 3 Liter boxes in my garage fridge.  It’s nearly summer y’all and I am cooking Shrimp Scampi so here we go!  Pale platinum colored with a watery sheen (12% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of pear, yellow apple and white blossom.  Pretty straightforward so far.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a medium (-) body.  The aromas I got are duplicated on the palate but with a twist.  The fruit is showing a touch of bruising with some phenolic bitterness.  The apple and pear notes dissipate quickly on the finish leaving me with a sense of higher than 12% alcohol, it seems to be a touch hot and out of balance.  I paid $14, the equivalent of $3.50 pear bottle, what was I expecting?  It’s a hot-summers day wine that needs to be chilled to mask the imbalances and crisp up the flavors and aromas.  82 points from me and 1 star.  Drink immediately.  Salut….

Meerlust Rubicon 2005, Stellenbosch, South Africa

22 Monday May 2023

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Medium garnet colored, this mature looking wine has high viscosity legs (14% ABV) and a touch of bricking on the rim.  The nose has intense aromas of cedar, tobacco, ripe cassis, dried black plum, balsamic, coffee, cocoa powder, blueberry ganache, purple licorice, a medicinal note (from oak I presume), crushed rocks and spring flowers- a truly amazing bouquet.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and high tannins that are very well integrated yet show some grip in this 18 year old blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  The palate follows the nose, but with less intensity, more structure and a full body.  The finish is slightly tart but long, reminiscent of Old World Bordeaux, to which this wine is modeled.  It’s a stunning bottle that is drinking en pointe and will do so for another 5-10 years.  It originally got 91 points with newer vintages running in the $40 range.  This bottle gets 94 points from me, had it been a touch more powerful on the palate it would have scored even higher.  Amazing stuff that has rewarded many years of cellaring.  Salut….

Prelude a Grand-Puy Ducasse 2015, Pauillac, France

22 Monday May 2023

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Last night Moxie and I celebrated our 30th anniversary.  We dined at our favorite restaurant, L’Auberge Chez François in Great Falls, Virginia.  They have a decent wine list with emphasis on their French, more specifically, Alsatian heritage.  I was to dine on Wagyu Beef cheeks for appetizer and Rack of Lamb for mains, with a few extras in between.  Choosing a hearty Bordeaux was a no-brainer.  This wine is the Second label of the Classed Growth Grand-Puy Ducasse of Pauillac and comes from a fine vintage.  At 7 years of age it is showing primary, secondary and some tertiary flavors.  Dark brambly fruit, plums, integrated oak, medium acidity and chalky tannins greeted us.  The wine has a medium body and good length.  I was hoping for more cassis but alas, it turned out just fine.  The wine runs $40 at retail and gets 90 points from me.  Drink till 2028.  4 stars for this 60/40 blend of Cab Sav and Merlot..  Salut….

Lustau ‘Solera Reserva’ Pedro Ximenez San Emilio Sherry NV, Andalucia, Spain

18 Thursday May 2023

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Medium amber/brown colored with high viscosity (17% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of caramel, toasted pecans, prunes, Brazil nuts, desiccated blueberry, dark chocolate ganache, dried figs and cooked chestnut- very complex.  The palate is super sweet with medium acidity and a mouth filling texture, definitely full bodied!  Right off the bat I get dried figs galore.  The pecans, prunes, blueberry, chocolate and caramel all play supporting roles.  The sweetness is on another level- this is a syrupy elixir that needs a bowl of vanilla ice cream to be drizzled onto.  The finish is long and silky on this unctuous beauty that gets 94 points from me and at $30 a bottle it gets 5 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….