Richard Bruno Pinot Noir 2019, Clarksburg, California

26 Monday Oct 2020

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See through dark shade of red in the glass.  The nose has red currants and pomegranate.  The palate gives me mulling spices, currant reduction and dried red fruit.  There is a healthy dose of slightly green tannins that immediately dry out my gums.  The mid palate is quite astringent with notes of red fruit- mainly currants but a bit of rhubarb adding some acidity to the mix.  The finish is relatively short but I do get some really nice flavors and the tannins tend to mellow pretty quickly.  This one is a touch young and the greeness of the tannins worries me.  It’s not a subtle Pinot nor is it over-extracted, a nice balance of flavor, structure and freshness.  88 points and 3 stars for this $22 wine. Drink till 2027 with roast Chicken, perhaps eggplant parmigiana. Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 737 Meritage 2018, Sierra Foothills, California

24 Saturday Oct 2020

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Bright purple, semi opaque in the glass.  On the nose- blueberries, plum and sizzlers red licorice.  On the palate it is rich and inviting with dark blue fruits, some charcoal notes and a touch of effervescence.  It’s slightly off-putting but the flavors of the fruit are very vibrant.  Medium tannins and a nice acidity greet me on the mid palate.  The fruit turns a little darker as it moves to the back end.  On the finish it shows off black licorice and that dark blue fruit melange.  The tannins keep a grip for a decent amount of time and the fruit holds on alongside.  It’s a decent bottle of Cab Franc/Petit Verdot, but the effervescence on the opening detracts and the score reflects.  87 points.  ** UPDATE ** This bottle was flawed, the effervescence an indicator of secondary fermentation. A subsequent bottle was much better, bumping the score up to 89. Drink this $17 till 2025- 3 stars.  Salut…

Rod Easthope Level 185 Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

21 Wednesday Oct 2020

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This Kiwi treat is pale gold in the glass and has notes of lemons, watermelon, cut grass and blood orange on the nose. The palate is deelish. Yellow apple, lemon curd, melon and a nice thrust of acidity. The mid palate is very smooth and lean with nice citrus notes that pass on to the long finish. I like the acidity in this wine, it’s present but not too cutting. The mouthfeel is very refreshing and clean. Lemons and blood orange finish it up after 30 + seconds. Really enjoyable wine that I am pairing with Jerk Chicken and Jamaican veg curry. 91 points and 5 stars for this $15 wine. Salut….

KWV ‘The Mentors’ Orchestra Red Blend 2017, Paarl, South Africa

21 Wednesday Oct 2020

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Inky and opaque is this Bordeaux blend.  On the nose I am treated to a melange of cassis, plums, blackberry and delicious oak.  The palate is exactly what I was hoping for- rich, warm and layered with all those black fruits, very integrated tannins and a mound of acidity.  This wine is very powerful and thick with fruit flavors, balancing doses of tannin and acidity and just the right amount of wood to make it very pleasing.  The mid palate gets quite a bit more focused on the structure of the wine- the acidity really playing hell with my jaw and the tannins really starting to grip.  If you’re looking for an unabashed wine that will pair well with game, grilled Ribeyes or a heavy pasta dish- this is it.  The finish reminds me of young Claret, the fruit being masked by the power of the structural components.  It will cellar nicely till 2030.  92 points from me for this $22 stunner that gets 5 stars. Salut….

Alazules Garanacha 2019, Spain

21 Wednesday Oct 2020

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Pale purple and semi opaque.  The nose offers up raspberries, cedar and capsicum.  On the palate it starts a touch tart with pomegranate, raspberry and sour cherry.  The mid palate is juicy with a dollop of acidity and a touch of tannic grip.  The red fruit theme continues and the somewhat short finish is dominated by the sour cherry and its corresponding cut.  It’s an interesting yet basic wine that I am pairing with pork tenderloin and fried potatoes with curried cauliflower. Drink this 87 point wine by 2023.  2 stars as it’s touted as a $25 wine. Salut….

Gerard Bertrand ‘Cote des Roses’ Rose 2019, Languedoc, France

19 Monday Oct 2020

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Gorgeous pale orange color.  Nose of strawberries, lemon peel and some clementine.  On the palate it is bright with those same flavors, a touch of acidity and a long finish.  It’s got a great mouthfeel and just the right amount cut to keep it refreshing, light and flavorful.  A delicious way to start the evening.  Drink this blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault now with appetizers.  88 points and 4 stars, $12. Salut….

Chapelle Saint Theodoric Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Guigasse 2015, Rhone, France

18 Sunday Oct 2020

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The fourth wine of the #10 Virtual tasting was a home run for me. This $60 Grenache was silky smooth, layered with flavors, complex and had an amazing mouthfeel.

It was semi opaque and had a lighter purple shade in the glass. The nose was very fruity with notes of Cedar, prunes, black cherry, smoky meat, pepper and cinnamon. One taster also threw in ‘bug spray’. On the palate it was very smooth and tasted ‘cold’- in a sense that this wine was very focused and had a concentration of flavors. It was Moxie’s favorite wine of the night and she’s not a huge fan of the reds. The tannins are what I think she liked- very fine grained and well integrated leading to a not-so-dry mouthfeel that was complex, balanced and chock full of red fruits and spice. Prunes showed up on the medium length finish. This wine was astounding to me, my first truly remarkable CDP in forever. I think the 5 years of cellaring was the key to softening this wine and allowing the tertiary notes to begin their emergence. I rated this wine 19 points on my tasting scale, a monster effort that translates into 95 points in the real world. The pro’s went 94, not far off. I know sixty bones is a big step in the wallet but well worth it for an exceptional wine that I award 5 stars to. Drink till 2030. No pairing needed, delicious all by itself. Salut….

Clos de Luz Massal 1945 Carmenere 2016, Central Valley, Chile

18 Sunday Oct 2020

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When I started the Virtual Wine Tasting Company I wanted to educate my friends as best I could about as many varietals that we could find. This was the 39th different bottle thus far, and it has taken over as the most controversial wine yet. Some loved, others hated, and I mean with a passion. It stunk, like ass. I will just copy and paste my notes:

Bright purple in glass, nearly opaque. Fine legs.

Smells like the farm, very herbal, hay and cow pies. Funky.  Burnt plastic, bell pepper.

On the palate it offers black cherry, more funk, and is smooth.  Rounded. Not overly tannic nor acidic.  Well with cheese. 

This was an over-the-top expression of Carmenere that I enjoyed to a certain degree. Moxie gave it 1 point on my tasting scale because it was visually pleasing! I tried it on night 2 and it’s as funky as ever, not everyone’s cup of tea. I would give it 88 points from a technical standpoint but I honestly cannot recommend this $21 wine, it’s too much. The pro’s went massive on it with scores ranging from 93-94! Wowsa. Salut….

Conterno Fantino Vignota Barbera d’Alba 2016, Piedmont, Italy

18 Sunday Oct 2020

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I usually pick a lighter style wine to go early in the Virtual Wine Tasting Company’s lineup, it’s normally a Pinot but this time I selected a Barbera d’Alba. I thought the varietal closely mimicked the lightness and flavor profile of Pinot but I was off the mark with this particular bottle. It was very dark red in the glass with medium opacity and very fine legs that showed off it’s whopping 15% alcohol. On the nose the tasters got black licorice, blackberry, currants, cherry cola and ‘Shrinky Dink’. I could smell the alcohol a mile away and the flavors came forth out of the glass with no coaxing needed. I made a note of ‘intense black fruit flavors’ on my own.

The palate showed black cherry and licorice with light tannins but the flavors were jammy and deep. The finish was slightly dry with caressing tannins and juicy acidity. I really enjoyed this wine and gave it 16 points on my tasting sheet. Technically translated- that would be a 91 point effort for this $33 beauty that gets 5 stars from me. Drink till 2028 with lighter fare. Quote of the night – “Water running over moss covered rocks.” He obviously did not enjoy it as much as I! Salut….

Lagar de Cervera 2018, Rias Baixas, Spain

18 Sunday Oct 2020

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The 10th Virtual Wine Tasting featured this Spanish wine as the lone white, which we tasted both chilled and at room temperature. I made a prediction right after I tasted the room temp version that this wine would be better chilled, contrary to the usual. I was correct.

The wine showed nicely in the glass with a pale yellow color and fine legs. The tasters noted melon, citrus, ‘soapy’, pear and honey. On the palate it was considered ‘mild’, ‘light’, with notes of grapefruit and apricot coming through. The chilled version gave me a sharper nose, was more vibrant and had notes of Granny Smith apples, pear and citrus. I found it more dry, acidic and having flavors of ginger and grapefruit on the palate. One taster mentioned it had ‘Zing’ from the acidity.

As I have said before it’s hard to run a virtual tasting and make my own notes when there’s 20 other people chiming in with their own opinions, but I do try to write down what the common theme is that we are all tasting. Overall this was a nice intro to the varietal and I really enjoyed it the next night as an aperitif with some Lebanese Mezza. It hit the thirst spot right on and was refreshing with it’s acidity and that Zing! Overall I would give this Albariño 89 points, but drink it chilled. 4 stars for this $19 effort. Salut….