Category Archives: Wine reviews

Donnafugata Anthilia 2021, Sicily Italy

21 Tuesday Feb 2023

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I’ve been rather busy lately, studying for exams, attending blind tastings and conducting classes- so when the opportunity came up to drink a few bottles with friends I did just that.  We started out with this Catarratto from Sicily, which we tasted chilled and then at room temperature.  Pale gold colored it had awesome aromas of apricot, peach, yellow apple and citrus.  Crisp acidity and a medium (-) body made for a refreshing mouthfeel that was laced with grapefruit, lemon pith, melon, honeysuckle and stone fruit.  A decent finish made me award it 91 points.

The room temperature version had less citrus on the nose and more stone fruit.  We still got the apple, honeysuckle and some waxy notes.  The palate felt a bit heavier with less acidity and it was less complex overall.  90 points from me on this one.  It’s interesting how a wine morphs with temperature.  For $15 this many be on my short-list for summer patio pounders.  It is delicious, refreshing and will pair well with many lighter dishes.  I would drink it on purchase.  5 stars.  Salut….

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Notre Vin Clos Madeleine Pinot Noir 2013, Sonoma Coast, California

16 Thursday Feb 2023

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Pale garnet colored, this 9 year-old Pinot is showing signs of age and has medium viscosity legs (14.2% ABV) and a bit of haze (Unfined and unfiltered).  Pretty lofty aromas of baked cherry, strawberry pie and an earthy, mineral note dominate the nose but I get beautiful cola meets vanilla and cocoa powder.  Stunning.  The palate is dry with silky tannins and medium (+) acidity. Delicious flavors of baked and stewed red fruit with earthy funk and seasoned oak caress my mouth.  Vanilla cola really lights it up on the mid palate.  The finish is very svelte with remnants of cooked fruit and some floral notes.  A spectacular wine that get 93 points from me and for an estimated $90, 5 stars.  Drink till 2026.  I’m searing some Strip Steaks and some risotto to pair.  Salut….

Kruger Family Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Nieuwoudtville, South Africa

15 Wednesday Feb 2023

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Medium lemon colored with a watery sheen on the walls (13% ABV).  The nose has aromas of lemon, lanolin, melon, passion fruit and a hint of cut grass- not as intense as a Kiwi Sav Blanc.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a medium (-) body.  The citrus kicks things off with lemon zest followed by tropical fruit notes.  The passion fruit is somewhat tart, reminding me of the shriveled fruit I ate growing up in East Africa.  Green melon is present, but the citrus dominates with the acidity getting more prominent on the back end.  The finish is decent in length but this wine seems a bit one-dimensional.  That’s not a bad thing mind you- sometimes its good to just have a refreshing white that isn’t going to overtax the senses.  It will do well with some fresh seafood or even a crisp salad with grilled chicken.  My actual pairing tonight is with a spicy Cajun Shrimp and Andouille dish- I think it will work.  I would also pound it poolside in the hot summer sun btw.  88 points from me for this $11 wine makes it a 5 star effort.  Drink now.  Salut….

Lustau Manzanilla Papirusa Solera Reserva NV, Jerez, Spain

09 Thursday Feb 2023

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Pale yellow/gold in color with a watery sheen in the glass.  The nose of this Manzanilla is refreshing- like citrus meets sea breeze and biscuit.  There is a slight nuttiness that intermingles with a yeast component after a while in the glass.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a medium (-) body.  The citrus is neither lemon, nor lime or grapefruit, but it definitely has a citrus note alongside the nutty, yeasty, biscuit driven flavors that have evolved under the yeast blanket called Flor.  The wine finishes long with a salty note alongside the yeast.  This is not a flavor profile for everyone, it’s an acquired taste that begs for tapas, olives or some charcuterie.  I can see why it is so popular in Southwestern Spain by the coast.  I’m drinking it at room temperature, as I normally do when scoring, but it deserves a chilling to freshen it up a touch.  I like it and will go with 91 points.  This 5 star wine runs $18 and should be drunk on purchase.  For tonight, I am will attempt a pairing of shrimp scampi and sautéed zucchini strips with a shredded carrot salad. I think the buttery, garlicky seafood will meld nicely.  This Palomino varietal has been fortified to 15% ABV.  Salut….

Cosentino Winery Reserve Selection Pinot Noir 2011, Sonoma Coast, California

07 Tuesday Feb 2023

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Pale garnet colored with a watery sheen in the glass, to be expected from an 11 year old wine.  The nose is surprisingly youthful with red cherry, strawberry and red currants that eventually blow off to reveal tertiary aromas of dank forest floor, mushroom, caramel, chocolate and wet wood.  The palate is dry with low tannins- barely perceptible in fact and medium acidity.  Super sleek mouthfeel with a medium body and flavors of chocolate covered strawberry with baked red cherry pie followed by some earthy forest with wild mushrooms and dank wood.  It’s very peculiar and exciting.  The soft finish runs for a while and I get flat cherry cola with earth on the back end.  I wrote about this wine nearly five years ago, it’s interesting to read that post.  

I will have to agree with my original assessment- the wine was at peak a few years ago, but here’s the rub.  It has matured beyond my wildest dreams and has really plateaud as a mature wine and has withstood time to allow tertiary development without losing balance.  It is super smooth, delicious and has rewarded my cellaring.  I paid $15 per bottle back in the day.  I am sticking with 92 points and 5 stars.  Excellent effort.  Salut….

Cooper’s Hawk Cab/Zin NV, America

06 Monday Feb 2023

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Medium ruby colored with thin, speedy legs in the glass (13.5% ABV).  The nose of this blend shouts Zinfandel before I get Cabernet Sauvignon.  Interesting as the mix favors Cab by 60/40.  Ripe black plum with black cherry, bramble, smoke, coffee and crushed stone.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins.  Full bodied, this wine coats my mouth with dark, very ripe fruit and some interesting smoky, resinous notes.  Minerality is slight but there is a definite earthiness to this big wine.  The finish is medium in length and I get really nice black berry notes with some cocoa.  The tannins slide away nicely leaving ripe fruit.  I like it for what it is- an atypical blend of non-vintage wine that runs $25- probably one of my favorite wines from Cooper’s Hawk.  It gets 90 points from me and 5 stars.  Hard to give a drink-by window for an NV wine, but it’s ready to go now and will cellar for a year or three.  I’m pairing with burgers on the grill, but some stews or smoked meats would also do the trick.  (My guess is California Zinfandel with a mix of Cab from Washington and Cali) Salut….

Hamel Family Wines Isthmus 2016, Sonoma Valley, California

05 Sunday Feb 2023

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Inky and opaque with super-slow moving legs and some staining on the walls (16% ABV!).  The nose has intense aromas of blackberry jam, cassis, sweet vanilla, baking spices, menthol, briar and a dusty earth component.  The palate is dry and tannic, full bodied and delicious.  Ripe black berries meet spice and oaky vanilla with mint and earth.  This is a very extracted wine that really hits on all cylinders and offers richness and structure with a touch of heat on the back end that reminds you to be careful with this high alcohol wine.  The finish is long and tasty with fruit fading to earth and briar.  Yummy stuff that will go great with our Sunday Roast Beef.  I would also pair with Lamb and grilled Ribeyes.  Cellar-wise, this is still a young wine that is drinking nicely now as the fine-grained tannins are starting to integrate nicely.  If you have a few bottles of this Cabernet blend then cellar till 2030.  The $80 price point makes it a treat wine that gets 93 points from me and 4 stars.  Salut….

Stepp Gewurztraminer 2020, Pfalz, Germany

04 Saturday Feb 2023

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Medium lemon colored with medium legs (13.5% ABV).  The nose is very aromatic with lychees, rose, orange peel, lemon and some grapefruit.  Hints of ginger and white blossom come later.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium body.  The flavors are delicious- tropical fruit interlaced with citrus and floral notes, a touch of ginger snap and some slight bitterness.  The finish is medium in length and a bit one dimensional.  Not overly complex, this is a very tasty wine that I am going to pair with some spicy shrimp tacos.  I paid $16 for this bottle that gets 89 points from me and 4 stars.  Drink till 2025 as an aperitif or with Asian dishes, perhaps some charcuterie.  Salut….

Robert Oatley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia

30 Monday Jan 2023

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Deep ruby with a touch of turbidity and some flecks of garnet in this 5 year old Cabernet from the western coast of Australia.  The nose has very precise, sharp aromas of black plum, blackberry, cassis, eucalyptus, coffee, mint, mocha and vanilla.  Very oak-driven aromas but it is hedonistic and I am looking forward to taste.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins, a full body and delicious flavors of ripe fruit and oak influence.  Blackberry, dark plums and coffee dominate.  Espresso to be more precise.  Eucalyptus is pretty evident as is the mint component.  The finish on this wine is medium in length and very fruity, making me realize that the tannins have really integrated already, ergo a very pleasant mouthfeel.  I like this wine a bunch and will be pairing it with Strip steaks off the charcoal.  One review went as high as 95….. I am more in the 93 camp, but 5 stars for sure as you can pick this up for $17, making it a terrific deal.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Risata Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2019, Piedmont, Italy

28 Saturday Jan 2023

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Pale straw colored with some effervescence in the glass.  The nose is fruity and aromatic with orange blossom, yellow apple, rose water, quince and and lemon/lime soda.  The palate is semi-sweet with medium (-) acidity and smooth, easygoing bubbles.  The flavors include orange, lemon/lime soda and some quince.  The rose component is lost past the nose.  The bubbles make the wine seem airy, the body is definitely light and the finish is balanced and surprisingly long at medium.  Crisp and relatively fresh, if not a touch too sweet for my liking, this is a wine that needs to be drunk well chilled on a hot afternoon, basking away in the sunshine and nibbling on charcuterie.  88 points from me and for $12 it’s a 4 star effort.  Salut….