Category Archives: Wine reviews

Bodegas y Vinedos Valderiz ‘Valderiz’ 2017, Ribera del Duero, Spain

30 Wednesday Mar 2022

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I attended a wine tasting course last night and ended up scoring this bottle with my team- by request.  I knew I had a newer vintage of the same wine at home so I wanted to do a vertical.  I will report on both strictly by using the Systematic Approach to Tasting.

  • Deep Ruby
  • Medium (+) nose with aromas of earthy dust, bramble, dried cherry, orange peel, black cherry, dried tarragon- this wine is developing.
  • Dry, medium (-) acidity, medium (+) tannins, high alcohol, medium (+) body, medium intensity flavors of earthy dust, bramble, dried cherry, orange peel, black cherry, dried tarragon and vanilla with a medium finish.
  • Very Good quality
  • Drink now, suitable for aging or further aging

I thought this was a little thin on the palate compared to the nose, my partners agreed.  I would give it 91 points and for $35 it gets 4 stars.  Salut….

Chateau du Cros 2015, Loupiac, France

28 Monday Mar 2022

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This dessert style Bordeaux wine is pale gold in the glass- a stunning shade imho.  The nose is chock full of Botrytis-driven goodness.  Dried apricots, honey, marzipan, orange marmalade, candied ginger.  The palate is sweet, luscious and silky- yet full bodied.  It’s hard to tell that there is much acidity, but if it lacked that key component this wine would be out of balance, which it’s not.  Unctuous flavors of apricot, honey, marmalade and candied ginger caress my palate so beautifully.  The worst part of the finish on this wine is the the fact that it ends, after a decently long time lingering on my palate.  Still young, this blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc will further evolve and be delicious until 2033.  92 points from me for this $ $28 stunner makes it a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Obscura Petite Sirah 2018, California

28 Monday Mar 2022

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The first in a series of wines from an online subscription service that sends a little info note for each bottle- kinda cool.  This Petite Sirah is deep ruby and shows off its 14.8% ABV with some globby legs in the glass.  The nose has aromas of blackberries, black plum, black raspberry, vanilla, blueberry pie and espresso.  The palate is dry with medium (+) tannins, medium (-) acidity, medium (+) body and a decent length finish.  The flavors are medium (+) intensity and closely echo the nose.  I do get slightly more blue fruit, and less baking spice on the mid palate and there is a black tea component on the back end.  It’s a nice wine, but I was hoping for a bit more jamminess to be honest- the card promised it.  I think this $22 effort gets 89 points and should be drunk with hearty meats by 2026.  4 stars.  Salut….

Weingut Turk Eiswein vom Gruner Veltliner 2018, Niederosterreich, Austria

27 Sunday Mar 2022

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Grüner Veltliner Eiswein is a new one for me.  This one is deep gold in the glass with a watery sheen highlighting the relatively low 8% ABV.  The nose is exquisite- pronounced aromas of stewed apricots, grilled honey, mango, geranium, almond slivers, white peach, mandarin orange peel and bananas foster.  Stunning.  The palate is lusciously sweet.  Low acidity, full bodied, unctuous and simply delicious.  The primary flavor I get is stewed stone fruit, with honey in abundance.  Floral notes, nutty nuance and a hint of mango and orange citrus makes for a yummy experience.  This is spectacular.  98 points was awarded by one pro.  I have to agree.  This $50 sticky is amazing and gets 5 stars.  I feel it will drink well till 2035.  #blownaway.  Salut….

Maxville Lake Winery ‘Maxville’ Petit Sirah 2014, Napa Valley, California

27 Sunday Mar 2022

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Inky dark purple in the glass, this promises to be a big, bold wine with lots of body and flavor.  Perfect to pair with my Sunday Rib Roast.  Ripe blackberry, luscious blueberry compote, plums, coconut, purple licorice and a spice/baking component on the nose.  The palate is rich, tannic, full bodied with medium acidity and bold flavors of blackberry, oak nuance and spice.  The yeasty baking note is still there, albeit feint.  Think blackberry puree with a lashing of black tea.  Grippy with mouth searing tannins, deliciously fruity with a dry finish that lasts a decent length of time.  The tannins however, lurk on my gums for an eternity.  If you like them dry, this wine is for you.  The 14.5% ABV has not even made itself known, well disguised in this nicely balanced wine.  This $55 blockbuster is still in youth.  The tannins need some taming unless you like that level of astringency.  Personally, it’s fine as I am pairing it with a fatty cut of meat.  It gets 93 points from me and 5 stars.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

W & J Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port NV, PortoPortugal

25 Friday Mar 2022

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I opened this wine yesterday to use a few dollops in my Short Rib sauce.  I ended the evening sipping this nectar and making very basic notes.  For $24, this is a delicious Port that I will be buying again.

Opaque- period. Off-dry with cooked blackberry, sweet prunes, stewed blueberry, rich tannins, high alcohol that is well hidden, medium acidity, long finish, full bodied, very dry finish.  Delicious. 92 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

Costers del Priorat Petit Pissares 2016, Priorat, Spain

25 Friday Mar 2022

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Deep garnet in the glass with thick legs (14.5% ABV), this Garnacha/Carinena blend from Priorat has medium intensity aromas of baked plums, blackberry, raisins, black raspberry, coconut and some spice.  The baked/cooked aromas disappeared almost immediately.  The palate is dry with high acidity, medium (+) tannins, medium (+) body and medium (-) finish.  The fruit flavors are quite intense and I get the black raspberry, blackberry, some plum and spice but no oak-derived coconut.  Black and smoky Lapsang Souchong teas present on the mid palate and add to the tannic grip that has enveloped my gums.  I find this wine a bit of a conundrum- it is very primal in fruit, yet shows advances in age beyond its 6 years, I wonder if it was mishandled along the way.  Let me have a look.

I did some research, this wine should have lots of tertiary and secondary notes, instead, I get the baked and stewed fruit which is either very aged wine or heat damaged wine.  The flavors I get do not match the descriptions of where I bought this $23 bottle from.  I would love to revisit it I could get a good bottle.  For now, I would imagine it to hold up to the 90 point score the pros awarded.  It could potentially be a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Pine & Brown Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Napa Valley, California

24 Thursday Mar 2022

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This Napa Cabernet is a deep ruby color and nearly opaque.  The nose has wonderful aromas of blackcurrants, blackberry, black plum, anise, eucalyptus, cloves and vanilla. Very precise use of the oak BTW, it’s very subtle.  The palate is interesting- sweet, yet dry.  I think the Cali sunshine is throwing me here. I would hazard a guess that there is a touch of residual sugar, but I’m not sure.  Medium (+) tannins that are a touch gritty, medium (+) acidity and a full body which stems from the 14.8% ABV (which is pretty well masked).  The fruit flavors are medium (+) intense and I get the black fruit, oak nuance, eucalyptus and anise notes.  The wine is a bit disjointed by the tannins, but it is young.  The mouthfeel is good if you like an astringent wine.  I think it needs to flesh out a little.  The finish is medium in length.  I am pairing this wine with Beef Short Ribs, which have been braising all day.  The tannins should do the trick of balancing out the fatty meat.  92 points from me for this $90 wine that gets 4 stars.  Definitely a date-night wine.  Drink till 2033.  Salut…

Clos Badon Thunevin 2018, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France

23 Wednesday Mar 2022

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I’m cooking peppercorn steaks tonight and had a hard time deciding between three wines- this Merlot/Cab Franc blend won the honors.  It is opaque AF, inky purple in the glass with glossy legs.  The nose is spectacular- pronounced aromas of black plum, cassis, blackberry, vanilla, coffee bean, spice box, leather and iodine.  The palate is dry, fiercely tannic and has medium acidity.  It runs a hefty 15% ABV and shows off a full body.  The flavors are yummy.  Pronounced black and dark blue fruit with nicely integrated oak nuance alongside a sanguine thrust of iodine and iron.  This wine is young with a great tannic structure and the mouthfeel is beautiful, decant it if you like them a little softer.  The pro’s were all over the scoring map with this $50 effort, but I have to say the higher end wins.  93 points from me and 5 stars.  Drink till 2034 with hearty stews, well marbled steaks or a bold cheese tray.  Salut….

The three contenders

 

E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone 2018, France

23 Wednesday Mar 2022

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I was at a wine class last night and this GSM blend was one of the wines we tasted.  Having recently tried the 2016 vintage I wanted to re-visit this as a follow on.  It is deep ruby, bordering on purple.  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of black raspberry, black plum, blackberry, mint? and white pepper.  The palate of this dry wine has medium tannins, medium (-) acidity, medium body, medium (+) intensity flavors of the black fruit already mentioned and a cassis-like sweetness on the mid palate.  There is very little oak influence that I can sense.  The finish is mid length and grippy.  I like this very serviceable wine that runs $15 and gets 91 points from me.  I would drink this with strip steak till 2026.  5 stars.  Salut….