Category Archives: Wine reviews

Frog’s Leap Merlot 2013, Rutherford, Napa Valley

03 Thursday Feb 2022

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This Merlot is about 50% opaque and has started to show some bottle age with a garnet coloring in the glass.  The nose is a touch subdued but I managed to coax ripe plum, coconut, blackberry, cassis, black licorice, cedar and vanilla.  That’s a lot of oak  aromas.  The palate is a touch thin- light bodied, it is dry with well integrated tannins, a medium amount of acidity and primary fruit flavors of plum, blackberry alongside some oak nuance.  It is a bit watery to be honest and not as interesting as the nose.  The finish is relatively short and astringent but I do get some charcoal and blackberry notes.  85 points for this $35 wine makes it a 1 star effort to drink sooner rather than later.  Salut….

Sandeman Fine Tawny NV, Porto, Portugal

03 Thursday Feb 2022

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I am preparing Lamb Shanks- which will braise in a new recipe that calls for Port wine.  I bought three different bottles but selected this $15 Tawny for the job.  I’m hoping it makes for a rich and silky gravy when I am finished.  In the glass this fortified wine is pale tawny (LOL) in color, the 19.5% ABV evident by the thick legs running down the inside of the glass.  The nose gives me dried nuts, stewed plum, prunes, cooked rhubarb, raisins and a dusty wood component.  The palate is off-dry with very rich cooked fruit as mentioned, dried nuts and very integrated tannins.  Medium acidity coupled with the richness of the fruit and structure from the tannins makes for a very nice mouthfeel that is medium to full bodied.  The finish is medium in length but the tannins grip for a long while.  I like this bottle, a lot.  I did not care as much for the Tawny style when I last tried it but this producer has crafted a very rich offering that gets 91 points from me.  Can’t wait to see how it transforms the sauce.  5 stars, worthy of keeping a few bottles laying around for an after-dinner tipple.  Salut….

KWV ‘The Mentors’ Orchestra Red Blend 2018, Paarl, South Africa

02 Wednesday Feb 2022

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A classic Bordeaux blend of 33% Cab Sav, 30% Petit Verdot, 11% Cab Franc, 10% Malbec and 6% Carménère from the Western Cape of South Africa.  Deep ruby in color the wine has thin legs in the glass.  On the nose I get lush, ripe aromas of blackberry, black currant and plum.  Oak influence is evident with notes of cedar box and coconut,  it is slightly herbaceous with some bell pepper but not overly so.  The palate is dry with medium tannins and juicy acidity.  The wine is medium bodied and not as jammy as the nose.  Nice flavors of blackcurrant, plum, coconut, cedar and not so much pepper.  The finish is medium length and certainly tart from the lingering acidity.  The whole package is pretty balanced and drinks nicely now with another 4-5 years of cellaring possible.  I would say the palate is a bit of a letdown from the nose- I was hoping for full throttle, getting only 75%.  Overall it’s a decent drop that gets 90 points from me and for $20 it’s a no-brainer to stock up on.  5 stars, similar to the 2017 KWV Mentors I drank recently.  Salut….

Domaine du Viking Vouvray Tendre 2016, Loire, France

01 Tuesday Feb 2022

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I have always enjoyed wine from the Vouvray appellation where they make great Chenin Blanc, the majority of which is sparkling.  This one happens to have a bit of bottle age and is a stunning deep gold color.  12.5% ABV shows off barely a leg in the glass but the color is exquisite.  The nose has pronounced aromas of pineapple, pear, green apple, acacia and quince.  I’m also getting a touch of honeysuckle.  The palate is off-dry and full bodied.  Wow, the fruit just coats my mouth.  The acidity is medium (+) and the flavors are persistent- really ripe pineapple, green apple, fresh grated ginger, quince and floral notes of acacia and honeysuckle.  The back end is stunning- ripe fruit, great acidity and tremendous balance that goes on for a while.  This is a blockbuster of a white wine that will pair well with hearty fowl, Asian dishes, cheese boards and full throttle fish like Mackerel.  93 points from me make this $24 wine a no-brainer 5 point wine that will drink nicely till 2026.  Salut….

Chateau Mukhrani Saperavi Superieur 2017, Georgia

31 Monday Jan 2022

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I’m very new to this ancient varietal that has roots in the country of Georgia.  If you are bored you can read my original post on the varietal here: https://caspernick.com/2021/06/22/guardians-saperavi-2018-kakheti-georgian-republic/

This one is opaque ruby and a touch murky.  The nose has loads of black and blue fruit, some charred wood notes, spice box and a sweet smelling component, like jam.  The palate is dry with really nice tannins and bracing acidity.  Blackberry jam, black plum, blueberry compote, charcoal and spice wrap neatly around the structural components.  Very balanced wine that has loads of cellaring potential.  Medium to full bodied it finishes with medium length fruit and lots of astringency.  91 points for this $20 effort makes it a 5 star wine.  Drink with hearty meat dishes till 2025.  Ps. I love the fact that it runs 12.5% ABV!  Salut….

Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Franc 2017, Russian River Valley, California

31 Monday Jan 2022

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A brooding opaque wine that borders on purple in the glass.  On the nose I get black plums, blackberry, coconut, purple licorice, black raspberries and capsicum (just a hint).  On the palate the flavors are a touch muted but I do get black fruit, oak nuance and a bit of that vegetal note from the green pepper.  Dry from some very integrated tannins it has a balancing acidity but the fruit lacks power.  Medium (-) body and a mid length finish.  I’m disappointed in this $45 bottle that gets 87 points and 2 stars from me.  I was hoping for a bit more structure, more fruit and better balance.  Paired with grilled Tri-tip and roasted veggies.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

Apriori Pinot Noir 2017, Sonoma Coast, California

28 Friday Jan 2022

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Pale ruby, this see-through Pinot has beautiful color and watery legs in the glass.  The nose is stunning- pronounced aromas of strawberry cobbler, red cherry, cherry cola, dusty wood, raspberry and red licorice.  The palate is very smooth with a great expression of strawberry, cherry, raspberry, red cola and licorice with that sawdust-like earthiness.  Very lithe tannins balance a medium acidity making for a mid weight mouthfeel that goes on and on.  The finish is a touch tart and juicy but has great length.  The thing I like so much about this varietal is it’s ease of drinking when young yet it has great aging capacity if made properly.  This one is only 4 years old but will go on until 2030 at the least, pairing with roast pork, grilled Cornish hens, eggplant parmigiana or even a peppercorn filet mignon.  It is seductive and lithe yet complex and mysterious.  Delicious expression of the grape that gets 92 points from me and 5 stars for its $32 price point.  Salut…..

Edmond Cornu et Fils Les Bons Ores Chorey Les Beaune 2014, Burgundy, France

27 Thursday Jan 2022

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I’m roasting a rustic chicken so Pinot Noir is my choice of red.  This Burgundy is pale garnet, showing off its 7 years of age.  The nose gives off a decent amount of sour cherry, some mushrooms, a bit of earth, stewed strawberry and pomegranate molasses.  The palate is quite tart with sour cherry notes, that earthy funk and a hint of the strawberry.  The wine is dry but very light on the tannic structure.  They are very well integrated.  The mouthfeel shows light to medium body and it finishes with a sour twist that lasts a good long while.  I get no evidence of new oak in this wine, nor is there much complexity.  It is a basic, everyday wine that fits in nicely with my Coq dinner.  I would also pair it with lighter meat dishes, pasta with red sauce or even a stew.  88 points for this $35 effort makes it a 3 star effort to drink by 2028.  Salut….

Tinazzi Poggio ai Santi Le Guardie 2019, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy

26 Wednesday Jan 2022

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Pasta for dinner means an Italian wine but I’m afraid this one might be a touch young.  Made from Montepulciano grapes it is medium opacity with garnet hues.  The nose is medium (-) in intensity and gives me aromas of red licorice, cherry, smoke, nutmeg, red plum and cherry cola.  The palate is not what I was expecting- much more approachable.  Dry, with medium (-) tannins, juicy acidity and medium weight body.  The flavors are medium intensity with notes of cherry, cola, strawberry, nutmeg, and a hint of red plum.  I don’t get the smoke component any more.  The tartness of the cherry is evident on the finish, which is relatively short.  I like this wine as a basic, no frills red that will serve the pairing well.  It gets 88 points from me and for the entry-level price of $11 it is worthy of 4 stars.  Keep a few on hand for a weekday spaghetti night.  Drink now.  Salut….

Nugan Estate Parish Vineyard Shiraz 2018, McLaren Vale, Australia

25 Tuesday Jan 2022

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A deep purple color with thick legs in the glass.  On the nose I get pronounced aromas of blackcurrant, ripe black plum, jammy blueberry, anise, chocolate and a dusting of white pepper.  The palate is technically dry but the ripeness of the fruit makes it seem sweet- like jam.  Spicy yet it really shows off the sun-drenched fruit.  Black and blue berries with licorice, pepper, and a slight oak influence with mocha/chocolate.  This wine is max throttle.  Full bodied, silky smooth tannins, medium (-) acidity and a long finish.  Amazing stuff if you like a brash Shiraz.  For $20 I’m glad I loaded up on this 93 pointer that will drink beautifully till 2028 and pair with most grilled meats or hearty stews.  5 stars.  Salut….