26 Sunday Apr 2020
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$29, 3 stars, 90 points, central otago, new zealand, pinot noir, VWTC
This was the opener at my first virtual Wine tasting. It was pretty full bodied and New World in it’s fruit forward approach. Delicious but somewhat atypical for the varietal. Very meaty and gamey with some interesting minerality. I went with 90 points. 3 stars for this $29 Pinot Noir. Salut….
26 Sunday Apr 2020
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As with many others, I love wine, I love talking about it, I love critiquing it and I love sharing it. When my cousin suggested a virtual tasting I was in. I made sure to order wines for everyone that were appealing, different and included one ringer. I have had two of the selections, albeit from different vintages but their consistency is what I was counting on. I drew up a tasting sheet for everyone and my cuz organized the Zoom call. The plan was to dress up, so I put my favorite Redskins jersey on as it was Draft night, and got to work with the tasting. Unfortunately, I found out early on that I could not devote the time needed to write a proper report but here are the highlights of each wine in a very condensed version:
Loveblock Pinot Noir 2018
Cusumano Nero d’Avola 2018
Substance Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Bodegas Muga Reserva 2015
26 Sunday Apr 2020
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A bright shade of red and see through. The nose rings of pomegranate, sweet cherry and clove. The palate is very smooth and soft- the fruit is vibrant and the acidity is very gentle. It’s all primary flavors for now, loads of red fruit and some backend tannins. The midpalate is tart, with more pomegranate and some rhubarb. The finish is very sleek and easy going- more lingering flavors from the midpalate and a nice spike in the very fine-grained tannins. This wine is young and has many years to go. I’m thinking it will be very nice as a mature Burgundy. 91 points for this very lithe Pinot Noir. Drink till 2033, but cellar if you like some secondary flavors. At over $100 it’s a pricy addition to the cellar, but then again- Burgundy is never cheap. 3 stars. Salut….
21 Tuesday Apr 2020
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I love this wine btw, having had older vintages in the past. This one shows see-through dark purple in the glass. The nose is ethereal- raspberries, rooibos tea, cinnamon and some oak. The palate is very much New World. Tart, crispy and loaded with red fruits. The cinnamon and raspberry components are very much accentuated. There is a bit of heat from the alcohol, which I kinda like. It’s only showing 13.5%, but I can sense its presence. The mid palate is more earthy with some wild game and mushroom notes along with some red berries. The finish is warm, with a raspberry reduction and charcoal note. It’s quite long and a touch tart, making me lick my chops. Overall this is a well made wine that is in a mid-life crisis. It’s lost some fruit yet doesn’t quite have tertiary flavors developed fully. I would give it another 3 years and drink from 2023-2030. 92 points and 4 stars for this $70 Pinot. I’m pairing with Chicken Kabobs. Salut….
21 Tuesday Apr 2020
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Pale purple in the glass. The nose gives off violets, black currants, sweet oak and vanilla bean. On the palate it’s just what I expected- dark fruits, woody, fresh and tart. The acidity is delicious in this one, keeps me on my toes. The black fruit core really pushes through the mid palate. There are some barely discernible tannins that finally appear on the finish alongside some wintergreen. Refreshing is the phrase that comes to mind. The tannic bite coupled with the acidity on the finish is really a treat. 88 points, drink now till 2021 with pasta, pizza or charcuterie. 3 stars for this $14 Sangiovese/Cab/Merlot blend. Salut….
21 Tuesday Apr 2020
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Golden color. Loads of legs in the glass. The nose is delightful and consists of orange marmalade, honey, candied citrus. On the palate I get silky orange syrup, marmalade, honey and hazelnut. The sweetness is balanced with a brisk acidic component that gives me an unctuous mouthfeel. The finish is long and tart with some astringent orange curd and white tea components. Really interesting and delightful to drink. 93 points and 5 stars. $35 for a 375ml bottle. Drink this sweet dessert wine till 2030. Salut….
21 Tuesday Apr 2020
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A stunning, deep purple in the glass that belies this wine’s age. On the nose it’s somewhat muted but I do manage to coax some graphite, plum reduction and anise. On the palate it’s still young, acerbic yet relatively fruit forward. Blueberry, sour cherry and that minerality all show up. The mix of acid and tannins battle each other as the midpalate shows more blueberries and some rhubarb. I have to say- it’s quite tart and lacking much wood influence. The finish is pretty much the same with a decent 30 second tail. I’m serving this with Sunday roast, and somewhat regret opening such a young wine. Give it 3-5 more years. For now, 89 points and 2 stars for this $70 offering. Salut….
21 Tuesday Apr 2020
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$48, 5 stars, 93 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Napa, napa cabernet
I tasted this wine when it was much younger. It was appealing then and more so now. Very rich purple, semi opaque. The nose is very fruity with blackberry jam, blackcurrants, toasted oak. The palate is really delightful with warm blackberry ganache, coconut, eucalyptus and iodine. On the midpalate I start to sense some tannic buzz, nothing overpowering. Gobs more black fruit reduction and a charcoal note. The finish marries up some acidity, just a touch to complete the mouthfeel and balance this very fruit-forward Napa Cab. 93 points and 5 stars for this $48 bottle. Drink till 2029. Salut….
12 Sunday Apr 2020
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I’m afraid for this wine, the cork was very dry when I put the screw in and the sides were wet when I started to pull it out. I only got halfway before the cork broke. Luckily I have other tools to retrieve the broken half. In the glass it looks okay, dark red, with no signs of bricking and barely any legs on the glass. The nose is gorgeous, earthy, full of tertiary flavors- forest floor, mushrooms, bacon and a whiff of rich cherry compote. The palate is sublime, smooth and a mix of fruit, acidity, those tertiary flavors and a warm mouthfeel. The cherry component is backed up by rooibos tea, some nutmeg and leather. This wine has aged nicely and thank goodness the cork held out. The finish is long with a nice streak of acidity that delineates the fruity red berries from the secondary evolution that I get. Nice ingrained tannins are holding it together but I feel it is peaking so drink till 2027 . I am serving it with Baked Ham and mashed potatoes for Easter dinner. 93 points for this $100 Burgundian Pinot Noir. 4 stars. Salut….
10 Friday Apr 2020
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I have sat on a few of these bottle of San Felice for a while now because they were not quite ready the last time I drank one in 2017. This bottle is showing a semi opaque medium shade of purple in the glass. Really nice legs are exhibited. The nose has an earthy tone, pomegranate and cherry. I also get cardamom. Interesting. The palate is far more evolved since the last time, really nice dark cherry, rhubarb and spice box. The wine exhibits a really nice acidity that is even and of the right amount. The mouthfeel is really smooth, with a nice warmth that leads into a very delicate tannic frame. The midpalate has more of the red fruits and some dusty earthiness. The finish is very much a cherry affair, with the acidity and tannins really peaking into a dry, mouth puckering ending. It’s a really delicious wine, but not quite there yet. I am seeing evolution, with more to come. The framework will hold this wine up for a long while, giving me time to re-evaluate over the next 10-15 years with the other bottles. Overall I am sticking with my 93 point rating and 5 stars for this $45 Sangiovese. Pairing with spaghetti and sausage meatballs. Salut….
