Substance Chardonnay 2021, Columbia Valley, Washington

01 Saturday Mar 2025

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Pale lemon colored with gold highlights, and medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon zest, butter, vanilla, melon, orange blossom, and a trace of peach.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium (+) body.  Medium intensity flavors of lemon curd, melon, butter, vanilla, orange blossom, and peach.  The mouthfeel is round and pleasing, not cutting or lithe.  It begs for some grilled shrimp, Mackerel filets or smoked salmon.  The finish is medium (+) in length and gives me a salted caramel note.  It’s always a pleasure to drink wines from the house of Smith, they offer tremendous quality to price ratios and are consistent.  This one gets 92 points from and for $13 it’s a screaming good 5 star deal.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Substance Chardonnay

Kakhuri Gvinis Marani KGM Saperavi Argo Ceramic Bottle 2023, Kakheti, Georgian Republic

28 Friday Feb 2025

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Medium ruby colored with garnet edges, and a medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of briar, red raspberry, black cherry, tomato stalk, cranberry, kiln dried oak, and a vegetal note (not obnoxious btw).  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium (-) body, and medium tannins.  Medium  intensity flavors of slightly tart red raspberry, black cherry, dusty briar, tomato stalk, cranberry and that dried wood smell.  The wine thins out a bit on the back end and finishes on a light bodied, somewhat watery note.  Saperavi is a teinturier grape- the flesh is plum colored as well as the skin.  I was hoping for a bit more extraction in this $25 bottle but alas it was not meant to be.  86 points from me makes this a 3 star effort to try over the short term.  Salut….

Kakhuri Gvinis Marani Saperavi Argo Dry

Kukkula Winery Pas de Deux 2017, Adelaida District Paso Robles, California

24 Monday Feb 2025

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Deep garnet colored with slight staining, and a medium viscosity (15.1% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of acai berry, mulberry, smoke, toasty oak, black raspberry, iodine, smoked game, baking spice, dried lavender, and a medicinal note.  It is quite complex and alluring.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body, and medium (+) tannins that are a touch grippy.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of black raspberry, acai berry, smoked meat, toasted oak, baking spice with herbal notes of lavender and that medicinal note which is oak derived.  The alcohol presents on the back end but I am enjoying the tamed tannins and rich fruit.  It’s a lovely package that goes on mid length.  I would pair this 91 point wine with a grilled steak and gratin potatoes.  It runs $65 ex-chateau and therefore gets 3 stars from me.  Drink this 70/30 blend of Grenache and Syrah till 2035. Salut….

Kukkula Winery Pas de Deux

Santa Carolina ‘Carolina’ Reserva Carmenere 2019, Cachapoal Valley, Chile

19 Wednesday Feb 2025

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Medium ruby colored with a purple meniscus, and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of bell pepper, black raspberry, blackcurrant, licorice, violet, perfume, loam, and brambleberry.  It’s quite a green nose but intriguing and layered.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium body, and medium tannins.  Flavor intensity is medium and mimics the fruit of the nose but with less green pepper, not as vegetal.  Violets and perfume with some earthy loam round out the flavors.  The finish is very interesting- almost sweet with ripe black fruit intertwined with some earthy and floral elements that run medium length.  I like this wine, it has complexity and balance and it’s interesting.  91 points at least and for $13, it’s a steal worthy of 5 stars.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Santa Carolina 'Carolina' Reserva Carmenere

Domaine du Grand Montmirail Vacqueyras Mas Carre 2022, Rhone Valley, France

18 Tuesday Feb 2025

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Medium ruby colored turning to a watery meniscus, with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose of this Grenache/Syrah blend has medium (-) intensity aromas of blueberry, red raspberry, tar, juniper, licorice, charred oak, acai berry, and tomato stalk. The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are a touch gritty.  Flavors of raspberry, blueberry, acai, tar, licorice and green notes of juniper and tomato stalk.  There’s an interesting astringency that keeps me wanting another sip.  The finish is medium in length and somewhat austere.  I kinda like it!  The heat is noteworthy on the back end unfortunately.  This is a delicious, slightly green wine that will pair nicely with stews, game meats or Duck breast.  It gets 90 points from me and for $25, 4 stars.  Drink till 2032.  Ps. It has opened up nicely with a bit of air.  Salut….

Domaine du Grand Montmirail Vacqueyras Mas Carre

Gramercy Cellars ‘Lower East’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Columbia Valley, Washington

16 Sunday Feb 2025

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Deep ruby colored with slight staining, and a high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of black cherry, black plum, blackberry, vanilla, baking spice, acacia, and a slight green note (tomato stem?).  The palate is dry with medium  acidity, a medium body, and medium (+) tannins that are silky.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of black fruits, some oak integration by way of a lovely medicinal note coupled with vanilla and baking spice.  There’s a really nice finish that is medium (+) in length but super smooth, the tannins are polished and balanced nicely with the acidity.  The ripeness of the fruit is evident without being jammy- a really enjoyable bottle that gets 93 points from me and for $35- it’s a 5 star wine to drink till 2030.  Salut….

Gramercy Cellars 'Lower East' Cabernet Sauvignon

Sam Plunkett The Butterfly Effect Cabernet Shiraz 2021, Victoria, Australia

11 Tuesday Feb 2025

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Deep purple colored turning slightly bluer on the edges with slight staining and medium viscosity (14.3% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe plum, eucalyptus, vanilla, blackberry, brambleberry, baking spices, purple licorice, tomato leaf, green and black peppercorns, and acai berry.  It’s jam packed with dark fruit aromas.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium tannins that are plush.  The ripe black fruit weaves through eucalyptus, vanilla and spice notes.  The green note I caught on the nose repeats on the mid palate with a touch of unripe stem coupled with some charred oak notes.  The finish is juicy and medium (-) in length.  I am enjoying the melange of flavors in this $13 bottle and think it will benefit from some short term cellaring.  I give it 89 points and 4 stars.  Salut….

Sam Plunkett The Butterfly Effect Cabernet Shiraz

Albert Bichot Bourgogne Pinot Noir Origines 2022, Burgundy, France

10 Monday Feb 2025

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Pale ruby colored fading to a platinum rim, with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose of this Pinot Noir has medium intensity aromas of forest floor, cranberry, white strawberry, pomegranate, vanilla, baking spices, and a green stalk note.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a light body, and low tannins that make for a very gentle and caressing mouthfeel.  The flavors are of medium (-) intensity and echo the nose particularly with the red fruit notes.  It’s not as earthy on the palate and the green notes are very feint.  The finish is a slightly tart affair that is medium in length and refreshing.  It’s a crisp red that is pleasing without being overly complex, a good weekday drop.  For $23 it’s a pretty decent bottle that gets 89 points from me and 3 stars.  Drink till 2027 with lighter meats, salmon or poultry.  Salut….

Albert Bichot Bourgogne Pinot Noir Origines

Don Benigno Medium Dry Amontillado NV, Jerez, Spain

05 Wednesday Feb 2025

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Pale amber colored, with high viscosity (17.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of dried nuts, prune, sea salt, yeast, burnished oak, dryer sheet (I know….), and Brazil nut.  The palate is dry (even though the name says medium dry), with medium acidity, and a full body.  There’s an interesting amalgamation of flavors at play- the nutty notes including Brazil and dry roasted nuts combine with the stewed fruit and oak derived nuance.  The proximity to the sea is evident by the ocean spray notes and the yeast component is a telltale that this wine started out life as a Fino under a layer of Flor.  I love the style.  At $15, you really can’t go wrong with this aperitif wine that gets 88 points from me and 4 stars.  Salut….

Don Benigno medium dry Amontillado SherryDon Benigno

Wagner Vineyards Caywood East Vineyard Dry Riesling 2021, Finger Lakes, New York

04 Tuesday Feb 2025

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Pale straw colored with a watery sheen (11.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of petrol, lanolin, lemon zest, pomelo, white blossom, green almond, wet rock, strawberry leaf (I know…), nectarine, and green apple.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a medium (-) body.  Medium intensity flavors of lemon zest, white grapefruit, white blossom, wet rock, and lanolin with a slight astringency on the mid palate.  The finish is quite tart, the acidity still very much in play.  Lemon, grapefruit and petrol carry through to a rather long finish.  It’s a young Riesling, with plenty of cellaring capacity and the ability to develop tertiary notes.  I paid $25 at the cellar door for this 90 point wine that gets 4 stars.  My pairing is a baked Halibut with beurre blanc.  Salut….

Wagner Vineyards Caywood East Vineyard Dry Riesling