Category Archives: Wine reviews

Rust en Vrede Estate Red 2015, Stellenbosch, South Africa

20 Sunday Mar 2022

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We wound up the 26th Virtual Wine tasting event with this Cabernet blend from Afrique de Sud.  Following the blockbuster Anwilka was no easy task but as soon as I smelled this deep ruby beaut I mentioned to the group that they were going to love it.  I was not wrong.

At 7 years of age this wine is starting to show tertiary aromas of funk, barnyard, leather, cigar box and cassis alongside the primal blackberry, licorice, mint and Sarsaparilla.  I thought it was a spectacular array of aromas- very complex.  On the palate this wine was super smooth with very well integrated tannins, medium acidity, medium body and a medium length finish.  The flavors were yummy- plum, blackberry, cassis, leather, milk chocolate, lavender and smoke.  A beautifully melded package of wine components that is drinking at peak now and needs to be consumed by 2025.  I awarded it 19/20 and will go with 93 points.  $50 gets you a taste of this 5 star effort. I would pair it with braised leg of lamb or a Moroccan Tagine.  Salut….

Klein Constantia ‘Anwilka’ 2015, Stellenbosch, South Africa

20 Sunday Mar 2022

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This blend, based on Syrah, was brooding in the glass.  Deep ruby, opaque AF and sporting a 14% ABV.  Our Virtual Wine Tasting group found it to be funky with pepper, smoked meat, blackcurrant jam, prune, black licorice, Sambucca and an earthy component.  On the palate we agreed that this was a very tannic wine- still too young with aerating/decanting a must.  Medium (-) acidity, medium (+) body and a medium length finish.  Flavors of Maraschino and Luxardo cherries were evident, as was Espresso, Lapsang Souchong tea, pepper and blackcurrants.  This was not a crowd favorite but I did mention to the group that it’s a very complex wine that needs more time to open up and allow the fruit to shine through the tannic veil.  I will re-taste over the next few days.  From me this is blockbuster gets 19/20 VWTC points and technically speaking- 92 pts.  At $60 one might me hesitant to pop-n-pour but some extra cellaring will make this wine shine.  5 stars with a drinking window of 2024-2030.  It needs a juicy Ribeye or Prime Rib with horseradish.  Salut….

Siduri Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2018, California

20 Sunday Mar 2022

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Our Virtual Wine Tasting group has drunk numerous Pinot Noirs over the past 2 years. This one hails from the southerly Santa Barbara county.  I wanted to introduce a different style of Pinot to show how climactic differences and terroir can affect a single varietal wine.  I was not disappointed with my choice.  This medium-ruby wine had very defined legs in the glass and packs a 14% ABV punch.  Aromas of black cherry, root beer, cola, Dr. Pepper, ripe raspberry, cinnamon, nutmeg and a saline note.  The palate had medium tannins, medium (-) acidity, a medium weight body and brooding flavors of cranberry, mulling spices, black cherry and a tart cherry finish.  14/20 from me and 91 points for this $20 wine makes it a 5 star effort to drink over the next 5 years.  Salut….

Bodega Garzon Reserva Albarino 2020, Maldonado, Uruguay

20 Sunday Mar 2022

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The 101st bottle tasted at our Virtual Wine tasting was this Albariño from Uruguay. As always- we tasted it at room temperature first and then chilled.  The wine is a pretty, pale gold color.   The room temp version had aromas and flavors of honeysuckle, peach, apricot, yellow pear, lemon zest and evidence of MLF and Sur Lie aging by way of yeast, bread and buttered popcorn.  We agreed that the wine had high acidity, medium (+) body and a medium finish.  I gave it 12/20 on the VWTC scale and 90 points.

The chilled version was a touch flabby- the flavors were muted but we did get buttered popcorn, green apple, tangerine, pear and honeysuckle.   Quite a marked difference in flavor profiles.  One thing that we noticed was a cotton candy flavor, albeit very faint.  Someone mentioned a touch of residual sugar was noticed but at 3.2 g/l, it is considered a Dry wine.  Chilled- this wine had a lower weight body and seemed less acidic.  It scored 8/20 and I gave it 87 points.

To be fair, this is a decent wine that deserves the 90 points I originally assigned and for $17, it gets 4 stars.  Drink now with seafood cocktails or a crisp salad.  Salut….

 

Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Magdalena Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2020, Finger Lakes, New York

18 Friday Mar 2022

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Moxie and I visited the Wiemer vineyard this past winter and we sampled this Cab Franc whilst there.  I promised to do a more thorough tasting- so here it is.  The wine is medium ruby in the glass with thin legs denoting the modest (thank goodness) 13% ABV.  The nose has pronounced aromas of blackberry, dark currants, pepper, smoke, tobacco, violets and a touch of vegetal notes.  The palate is delicious- medium (+) tannins caress the gums whilst medium acidity balances.  The flavors are pronounced. I get dark fruit, cracked pepper, tobacco, smoke, iron and a touch of flint.  It is far from the vegetal wine I drank previously- this one is delicious.  The body is medium and the finish is long.  The mouthfeel is great on this $39 wine.  It gets 91 points on this re-taste, a far cry from the 89 I previously gave it.  The vegetal, green notes are not obtrusive in this bottle.  4 stars with a drink by 2027 date.  I am pairing with grilled Tri-Tip of Beef and salad with blue cheese.  Salut….

Corbinelli ‘Fonte dei Borghi’ Chianti DOCG 2019, Tuscany, Italy

17 Thursday Mar 2022

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If you Google what wine goes with Shepherds pie the answer is Chianti.  Seeing as today is St. Patrick’s day, that is exactly what’s going down.  This particular bottle is pale to medium ruby in the glass with watery legs denoting a lower alcohol wine at 12.5% ABV.  The nose is classic Sangiovese.  Cherry, red raspberry, violets, a hint of leather and red licorice.  No sign of any oak at this point.  The palate is dry with racy acidity and medium (+) tannins.  The flavors are shrouded in the tannic grip but I get cherry, mushroom, raspberry, red licorice and a touch of the leather component.  Dried herbs and a floral note kick in on the medium length finish- which is very astringent btw.  I feel like I am stuffing pouches of black tea bags between my gums.  It needs a good aerating or decanting to soften this wine up a touch, it will pair nicely with my ground lamb based dish, cutting the fat nicely.  The intensity of this wine’s fruit is the only detractor, the balance is a little off for me.  I like it, don’t get me wrong, it’s just a little out of sorts.  89 points for this $15 effort makes it a 3 star wine to drink from 2024-2027.  Salut….

Dominio del Plata Susana Balbo Torrontes Late Harvest 2016, Mendoza, Argentina

16 Wednesday Mar 2022

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Torrontes is a very intriguing aromatic varietal that I really enjoy, so when I saw a Late Harvest (ie. sweet ) I could not resist.  It is medium lemon in color and has a watery sheen in the glass as expected for a 12% ABV wine.  The nose is incredible- pronounced aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine, lemon curd and rosewater.  The palate is sweet- full bodied and of medium (-) acidity.  The flavors are pronounced on the palate.  Florals, ripe citrus curd, rose and honeysuckle caress the mouth with a richness.  Served chilled, this wine is actually very refreshing and dare I say- easy to drink!  As a dessert wine I am thinking it would pair with poached stone fruit and vanilla ice cream.  For $30 it’s a great intro to something unique that gets 91 points from me and 5 stars.  Ps.  I am drinking it as an aperitif.  Salut….

Xavier Vignon “SM” Côtes du Rhône NV, Rhone, France

15 Tuesday Mar 2022

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I’m having Cassoulet for dinner.  For grins I went online to see what others would pair with this rustic French dish of white beans, Duck Confit and sausage.  Well, well- they all recommended a French wine, with deference to the southern regions.  This bottle is a 50/50 blend of old vine Grenache and old vine Syrah from the North and Southern Rhone.  It is slightly cloudy and a deep shade of ruby.  The nose has pronounced aromas of black plum, black raspberry, smoke, meat, licorice, espresso, açaí and black pepper.  That’s quite complex for a $20 bottle!  The palate is tannic right off the bat.  Black fruit and red fruit combine with spice and oak nuance that are all enveloped in a mouth coating dryness from the tannins along with juicy acidity.  Full bodied, this 14.5% ABV wine is a not for the feint of heart- it is full throttle with the fruit, the tannins, the acidity and the mouthfeel.  It has a mid length finish that remains quite mouth-puckering from the relentless tannic grip.  I hope my dish mellows this 92 point wine out somewhat!  Being an NV, I am not sure when it was made but this bottle will last till 2030 at the least.  5 stars.  Salut….

Inniskillin Winemaker’s Series Montague Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir 2018, Niagara Peninsula, Canada

14 Monday Mar 2022

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When I was last in Quebec I bought a few bottles of this delicious Pinot.  Having enjoyed the 2017 Montague immensely I could hardly contain myself when I found this vintage.  It is a pale ruby in the glass as expected but has very thick legs- interesting considering it rolls in at 13% ABV.  The nose is quite intense- red cherry, strawberry coulis, cinnamon, clove, pomegranate, mocha and florals of violet and geranium.  The palate it dry and surprisingly tannic for this varietal.  The flavors are a bit less intense from the nose but I get strawberry as the lead component with the red cherry and pomegranate supporting.  The chocolate, spice and florals are present along with a touch of oak. The wine is medium (-) bodied with juicy acidity and a decent length finish.  This wine perplexes me- it’s a bit in-your-face at the get go, the tannins are quite persuasive yet it morphs into a seductive and soft Pinot as it transitions to the mid palate and finish.  It may need a bit of time.  Right now it is a 90 point wine that I see potential for.  At $32 CAD ($26) it’s worth looking for and cellaring.  5 Stars from me- I’m pairing it with roast Duck and Scalloped Potatoes.  Salut….

M. Chapoutier Banyuls 2016, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

13 Sunday Mar 2022

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This is a first for me- Banyuls is a sweet, dessert style red wine that has been slightly fortified to halt the fermentation which leaves residual sugar.  This one is six years old and displays a deep garnet color in the glass with loads of legs showing off its 17% ABV.  The nose is quite pronounced with aromas of stewed plum, cooked red cherry, walnuts, charred oak, raisins, orange peel and strawberry tart.  The palate is off-dry and a bit furry.  Tight grained tannins coat my mouth and my upper palate immediately.  Green almonds come to mind.  I get really juicy flavors of the cooked/stewed red fruits, oak influence, nuts and orange peel.  These flavors are slightly offset by the astringency I feel throughout the whole mouthfeel.  I sense it is somewhat ‘green’, yet quite zesty, versus the silky nature of Port, which it closely resembles.  I like it, and considering it is often served as an aperitif- I can see why.  It is medium (+) bodied with a medium finish and medium (+) acidity which is a bit strange considering the grape varietal (Grenache).  Then again it’s also more tannic than expected.  The palate feels like I have been coddling a black tea pouch inbetween my cheek and gums- the intensity of the tannins is that great.  I guess that will stead the wine well in the cellar and allow it to mellow over the next 10-15 years.  I like this wine and think it is a nice intro to the style of Vin Doux Naturel.  I paid $30 for the 500ml bottle that gets 90 points and 4 stars.  Drink as an aperitif or with some soft cheese after dinner.  Salut….