David Akiyoshi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Clarksburg, California

15 Wednesday Jan 2025

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Medium ruby with garnet highlights, slight staining, and a high viscosity (14.4% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of candied raspberry, red plum, cranberry jam, cedar, tomato leaf, and pomegranate- decidedly red fruit driven.  The palate is ever-so slightly off-dry, with medium acidity, medium (+) body, and medium tannins.  The red fruit is sweet in nature and off-putting tbh.  It tastes a little manufactured and will likely appeal to many, just not me.  The structure is decent with some neat tannins, but nothing that screams ‘I’m a Cabernet Sauvignon’.  The finish is a little hot and medium (-) in length.  Whilst pleasant to drink, it will pair nicely with lighter meats or BBQ.  I would drink this 84 pointer till 2027.  For $12, it gets 3 stars from me.  Salut….

David Akiyoshi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Oyster Bay Chardonnay 2023, Marlborough, New Zealand

14 Tuesday Jan 2025

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Pale lemon colored with a watery sheen (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of seaweed, lemon zest, flint, tangerine, pomelo, white blossom, pineapple, and passion fruit.  Quite the fruit cocktail imho.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium body.  Medium intensity flavors of lemon zest, pomelo, white blossom, and pineapple with that briny seaweed note adding a touch of interesting segue.  It’s not your normal Napa Chard, nor is it a Chablis- something of an outlier from the two classics.  It is weighty but still refreshing, crisp yet stoic.  The finish is medium (+) in length and concentrates on the citrus notes.  A really delicious wine that has not had all the ‘treatments’ of MLF, new oak, battonage etc.  91 points from me for this $11 steal makes it a 5 star bottle to buy cases of.  This will pair nicely with grilled salmon, roast chicken, fresh salad, and calamari.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Oyster Bay Chardonnay

Ashley Herzberg Petite Sirah 2022, Russian River Valley, California

13 Monday Jan 2025

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Inky purple colored with moderate staining, and a high viscosity (14.7% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, black plum, a medicinal note (from oak?), acai berry, grape bubble gum, slate, and faint espresso notes.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body, and high tannins that are somewhat chalky.  Ripe flavors of blueberry, blackberry, and acai berry coupled with that medicinal note, some black tea and an espresso note.  The finish leans heavily on the tannins, they are very grippy but allow the fruit to show off for a medium length ending.  I like this $22 bottle and give it 91 points which makes it a 5 star effort to drink till 2030.  I would pair it with hearty beef dishes and stews.  Salut….

Ashley Herzberg Russian River Petite Sirah

St Thomas le Merlot A 2005, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

10 Friday Jan 2025

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Deep garnet colored with amber highlights, moderate staining and medium viscosity (No back label and no ABV info posted).  The nose of this aged Merlot has medium (+) intensity aromas of mushroom, truffles, baked earth, dried blackberry, game, cocoa, coffee, blueberry ganache, prunes, and leather.  Simply stunning.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body and medium (+) tannins that are still a touch gritty with some bite.  The secondary notes of mushroom, truffles, earth, and leather dominate this complex and layered wine.  The fruit shows in a dried and mature way giving way to the evolution.  The finish is quite a dry affair, the tannins are still fearsome but the length is long and slightly tart.  This wine is a chameleon- the nose is so complex and mature yet the tannic structure is interfering, refusing to meld away.  Here are the disclaimers- this bottle can only be purchased ex-cellar.  My cousins own the winery.  This bottle is in magnum and I used my Coravin to taste it in anticipation of dinner at a steak house tonight.  There.  It’s a delightful wine that gets 94 points from me and what the heck- 5 stars as pricing is unknown.  This winery continues to show me the power of well made Lebanese wines and how they manage to age so beautifully.  Salut….

st Thomas merlot A

Scott Peterson ROX of the Andes Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Mendoza, Argentina

09 Thursday Jan 2025

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Deep ruby colored with light staining, and a medium viscosity (14.3% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, blackberry, black plum, mint, acai berry, violet, and charred, smoky oak.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are integrating nicely.  Medium intensity flavors of blackberry, acai, black plum, black cherry with black tea and smoke that lead to a medium length finish.  Yummy stuff that has some aging capacity and structure to hold up to a juicy steak.  I would drink this 91 point wine till 2030.  For $16, it gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Scott Peterson ROX of the Andes Argentina Cabernet Sauvignon

Red Tail Ridge Pinot Noir 2020, Finger Lakes, New York

08 Wednesday Jan 2025

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Pale ruby colored with medium viscosity (12% ABV). The nose has medium intensity aromas of potting shed, dried cranberry, red cherry, baking spice, lingonberry, and a slight medicinal note.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a light body, and medium (-) tannins.  The flavor intensity is medium (-) but I get some nice cranberry, red cherry, lingonberry, and spice notes.  The finish is a touch sour but medium in length.  Overall a nice, lightweight rendition of Pinot Noir that will pair nicely with our Turkey dinner.  I would drink till 2028.  88 points for this $30 effort makes it a 3 star wine.  Salut….

Red Tail Ridge Pinot Noir

Jacqueline Bahue Cabernet Franc 2023, Lodi, California

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Medium ruby colored with iodine highlights, slight staining, and a medium viscosity (13.2% ABV).  The nose has aromas of candied raspberry, perfume, pine sap, ripe pomegranate, leather, and lingonberry.  If I could describe smelling something sweet- this would be it.  Can’t wait to taste…..On the palate it is dry!  Medium acidity, medium (-) body and medium (-) tannins make for a very easygoing wine that sips nicely.   The red fruit driven nose is apparent on the palate along with a hint of oak but no sign of the tobacco, perfume or pine sap.  The green note I was smelling did not materialize.  The finish is relatively short and a touch tart.  This is a basic wine without much structure that will enable any cellaring.  It’s a great wine to pair with BBQ ribs or pizza.  86 points from me and for $11 it’s a 3 star effort to drink in the near term.  Salut….

Jacqueline Bahue Cabernet Franc

Clos Apalta 2013, Colchagua Valley, Chile

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Closing out the series at our 38th virtual wine tasting was this stunner.  I ordered it months before in anticipation of going out with a bang and I was not disappointed.  The group loved it and the notes were as follows: deep ruby fading to garnet colored, with slight staining and a high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose started out funky- “Donkey butt in a barn” was the initial call, followed by aromas of green pepper, black cherry for days, a combo of red and black licorice, cedar, Jujubes, sassafras akin to root beer, layers of ripe black fruits, smoke, and vanilla on the finish.  The palate had medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are well integrated.  A spectacular wine whose flavors echoed the nose- we all just sat there and stopped taking notes, savoring the complexity and finesse. The only loss of points for me was the medium finish, I had hoped for longer.  It would have scored a perfect 20 if so.  I will rate this $130 bottle at 96 points and award it 5 stars.  What a treat!  Carmenere based at 70% with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot supporting.  Drink till 2035.  Salut….

Clos Apalta

Ruca Malen Capitulo Dos Petit Verdot 2020, Los Chacayes, Argentina

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Tasted at the 38th virtual wine tasting, this single varietal Petit Verdot performed as I had hoped, introducing the group to this grape that is normally blended.  This bottling was deep ruby colored with moderate staining, and a high viscosity (14.9% ABV).  Medium intensity aromas of Maduro, with smoke, black licorice, red Twizzler, blackberry, and tobacco.  On the palate we got medium (-) acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins.  Blackberry led the charge with pencil lead, red beet, tobacco, pomegranate and sour cherry supporting.  A tart finish that lasted medium length led me to award 13 points on our scoring sheet.  Technically speaking, this $20 effort gets 89 points and 3 stars.  Drink till 2029.  Salut….

Ruca Malen Capitulo Dos Petit Verdot

Artazu Pasos de San Martin Garnacha 2016, Navarra, Spain

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Tasted at our 38th virtual wine tasting- this Garnacha performed decently for many in the group.  It had a a medium garnet complexion with medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  On the nose we smelled lavender, smoke, peat, barnyard funk, cranberry, blackberry, raspberry, black olives, and some funky blue cheese.  The palate had medium (-) acidity, a medium body, and medium (+) tannins that are nicely integrated.  Green peppercorn flavors with black olives, red raspberry, black cherry, black pepper, and that funky blue cheese led to a medium length finish.  This wine was just okay for me and got 11 points on our tasting sheet but scored 89 points for technical merit.  At $20, I would like to revisit this 3 star effort and give it a chance to open up and release the funk.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Artazu Pasos de San Martin Garnacha