San Felice Campogiovanni Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2012, Tuscany, Italy

05 Sunday Nov 2017

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I really loved the 2010 Campogiovanni when I drank it last year.  So much so that I bought six bottles of the 2012 on spec.  It got great ratings (96 WS), was priced right at $45 and delivered free.

This one shows a slight orange tinge when I poured it, which is unusual for such a young wine.  The nose is cherry, earthy funk, mushroom, oak and a trace of truffle.  On the palate it shows primal fruit flavors of cherry, leather, gorgeous tannins and a juiciness from the impeccably balanced acidity.  The tannins deserve a sentence of their own- fine grained, discrete at the beginning, working themselves squarely into the mid palate and reaching a crescendo on the finish.  Not mouth puckering, but certainly apparent, very lithe yet powerful.  They hold the wine together nicely.  The finish has an oak hint to go along with the cherry and game notes.  This wine is very young, and holds promise for many years of cellaring that will help it develop secondary notes, maturing into a great Brunello.  I can’t wait to taste the evolution, perhaps starting in 2020.  I will have to go with 93 points right now and 5 stars.  Tonight’s pairing is with a Beef Pot Roast, bathed in Petite Sirah and braised for 6 hours.  Salut….

Herdade do Esporao 4 Quatro Castas 2015, Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal

01 Wednesday Nov 2017

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In my continued quest to to discover Portuguese wines, I have come across this $14 effort that piqued my interest.  It is an equal blend of Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet.  My first hint is the 14.5% alcohol.  The second is the deep, dark purple color in the glass.  Both, to me, indicate an extracted, powerful wine that will grab me and not let go.  I’m ready for it.

On the nose, I get the telltale Syrah notes- Plum, oak, cocoa.  The wine has amazing ‘legs’ indicative of the alcohol content.  The initial taste is as predicted, full on, powerful and alluring.  The wine starts off with black berry, black currants and a delightful set of tannins that prop the wine up rather than detract from the fruit.  The mid palate shows off more dark fruit and some earthiness.  Tannic structure is great and they start to peak on the finish where menthol and anise flavors intertwine with berries.  I am digging this wine and like the flavor profile.  It has the correct structure to age for 2-5 years and is drinking well now if you like them a touch dry.  I have to go 90 points and 5 stars for this wine.  Salut….

Newton Vineyard Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, Napa Valley, USA

29 Sunday Oct 2017

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Medium dark purple in the glass.  Plum, cassis, blackcurrant on the nose.  On the palate- great integration of dark purple fruits, oak, tannins and some cocoa dust. The midpalate is very concentrated on the plum core, relinquishing nothing to the structure and concentrating mainly on the fruit.  The wine is definitely Napa in flavor, full of sunshine, fresh tannins and plum flavors.  It reeks of new world boldness, extraction and does not shy away from its 14.5% alcohol (which is well hidden)  The acidity is somewhat muted but present nonetheless.  This wine is ready to drink now and has some cellaring potential- albeit not long term.  89 points and 3 stars for its $52 price point.  Salut….

Koyle Royale Syrah 2015, Colchagua Valley, Chile

29 Sunday Oct 2017

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Dark yet opaque purple in the glass.  The nose is lush with blueberry, coffee, cedar. The palate is delicious- meaty, with blue fruits, crunchy tannins and a cutting acidity.  The midpalate incorporates some black currant and smoke with the blueberries.  The tannins, omnipresent are really gripping at this point.  They don’t surrender, dominating the finish which has remnants of blue fruits and a charred oak note.  I like it.  90 points and 5 stars for this $20 effort.  Salut….

Gundlach-Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Sonoma Valley, USA

29 Sunday Oct 2017

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From Sonoma, a Cabernet I have heard of but never tried.  Purply and dark in the glass it shows promise of power and extraction.  On the nose I get cassis, blackberry, ripe oak and a funk I hate to think might be cork taint.   The wine itself tastes a little off.  I get blackberry essence, ink, crunchy tannins and a hit of toasty oak.  The mid palate has a really defined tannic dryness that I am enjoying.  More black fruits come around for the finish as well as some espresso, cocoa powder and the omnipresent tannins.  They really are persistent.  Overall I think this wine has good potential and will cellar well, my only concern is with this particular bottle.  I have been lucky not to have many corked bottles over the years, but it happens every once in a while.  Technically speaking this one is an 86 point wine but has the potential to rise to 91 if it were not faulty.  A shame really for this $43 effort.  I’ll go with 4 stars as a compromise.  Think steaks, au gratin and creamed spinach for a pairing. Salut….

Mas de Boislauzon La Chaussynette 2015, Rhone, Vin de France

24 Tuesday Oct 2017

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A reasonably priced number that hails from France, the Rhone Valley to be more precise.  It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre typical for the region.  I bought it on sale for under $10, but it normally sells for $15.

A very pretty medium depth purple color bodes well!  On the nose I get raspberry, spice, a hint of smoky oak and some bacon fat.  The initial palate suggests more of the same, which is really a treat.  I enjoy all those flavors melded together.  The tannins are really nice, juicy and not too dry.  They complement the fruit and don’t overpower. This wine has a great feeling mid palate, with some cassis, black olives and more raspberry making appearances.  The finish is nice, longer than expected and offers an oaky tinge along with the fruit and tannins.  I have to say, this is a really good wine, far more complex than the price would allude to, far tastier than I imagined and it has some short term cellaring potential to boot.  I am drinking it with some Broccoli Cheddar soup, which seems to work really well.  It would pair great with some thin crust brick oven pizza, perhaps even a Beef stew.  I have to go 91 points, which is above and beyond the rating I saw, and award this wine 5 stars for sure.  I wish I ordered more.  Salut….

Quinta do Noval Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage Port 2009, Portugal

23 Monday Oct 2017

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I have harped many times about the quality and price coming out of Portugal.  Always good, rarely pricy- you can count on it in a pinch.  This Port is part of my study into the fortified wines of Portugal.  I am having fun doing it and have discovered some really tasty, near $20 dessert style wines that have really become part of my after-dinner ritual.  This one starts out very dark purple in the glass and has a nose of sweet verbena, dark fruit melange and oaky blueberry reduction.  The palate shows off a slightly lighter style of Port, black cherry, dark fruits and stout oak.  On the mid palate I get cedar plank, dark berry and a tannic streak.  The wine is tasty, but slightly dry and dusty.  I’m enjoying it and hope it develops.  For now, 88 points which is in stark contrast top the whopping 94 points it got from the big boys.  Perhaps it needs some time, or else I need to recalibrate my palate fifty these wines!  I recommend some soft cheese, and maybe something stinky like Cambozola to go with this one.  I might have to get another bottle to cellar.  Priced at $24, it gets 3 stars initially, hoping for 4 at a future tasting.  Salut….

Clos St. Thomas ‘Chateau St. Thomas’ Rouge 2000, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

22 Sunday Oct 2017

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It’s not often I get to drink a 17 year old wine, but I received two bottles of the 2000 St. Thomas recently.  Given to me by a cousin and hand carried by my uncle half way across the globe.   I was very gentle in opening the bottle, using my Two Prong Puller to prevent any cork failure.  There was none, in fact the cork looked very good.  The wine has a burnt hue to it, a slight bricking which is expected at this age.  It is pretty dark though which is interesting.  On the nose I initially got a dank whiff which has since blown off.  I now get a fresh dose of plums, some tobacco and espresso bean.  The palate is wonderful- soft, flavorful, balanced and easy to drink.  Flavors of black berry, toasty oak, cherry, leather and cassis all hit me in layers.  The mid palate offers up the tannins, bone dry and and still a force to be reckoned with.  The acidity is juicy, yet not tart- balanced.  The finish is long, with loads of tannin, dark fruit compote and more of the coffee/tobacco that I got on the nose.  This wine believe it or not, is young.  I see room for more development, more mellowing and believe the structure is there to hold it all together.  It is a delicious, dry wine that begs for charcoal grilled Filets, which is what I am going to cook.  An amazing wine from a distant relative’s winery that is excellent in every facet.  91 points from me for this vintage.  I have no idea on price but newer vintages are running $22 and are equally delicious, even in their relative youth.  A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.  I would give this wine 5 stars for sure.  See my reviews of other St. Thomas vintages.  Salut….

Koyle Royale Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Colchagua Valley, Chile

18 Wednesday Oct 2017

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Dark purple.  Nice nose of dark currant, mint and oak slivers.  On the palate it is a pleasing wine with freshness, good dry tannins and flavors of Ribena, plum, bitter chocolate as well as a meaty note.  The tannins really kick in on the mid palate and the finish.  The wine is full bodied, full flavored and not shy about its structure.  It is somewhat tilted toward the tannic end with hardly discernible acidity at this time.  I think this wine needs some cellaring for a year or two to mellow out just a touch.  I’m going to be pessimistic and go with 90 points but I think it may improve.  If you must drink it now pair with Lamb Shanks and Couscous or maybe a seasoned T-bone on the charcoal.  I paid $12.80 each for two bottles on sale.  Regularly $21. 4 stars.  Salut….

Koyle Royale Cabernet Sauvignon

Borgo M Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT 2015, Italy

12 Thursday Oct 2017

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My son is visiting from Nashville so we decided to order some Chinese food.  Faced with trying to pair reds with Mogolian Beef, Walnut Crisp Shrimp, General Tso…. I gave up and looked in the fridge.  I wanted something on the lower side of the alcohol scale.  This crisp Pinot Grigio rings in at 12.5%, perfect for my Far Eastern foray.  It shows a pretty gold and pink hue in the glass and offers lemon zest, pineapple and green apple on the nose.  On the palate it is not as crisp as I had imagined, slightly more weighty and silky.  It reminds me of unoaked Chardonnay in a way.  Waxy, pear, apple and citrus peel.  The mid palate is really interesting with more green fruits, melon and a hint of beeswax.  The finish has that classic lemon profile.  This Italian Pinot Grigio is more akin to Oregonean or even Alsatian Pinot Gris with it’s heavier profile, darker complexion and flavor charachteristics.  I’m not complaining, it’s a decent wine and I am enjoying it immensely with my exotic dinner.  89 points and 5 stars for this $10 wine that needs to be stocked in multiples!  Drink now till 2018.  Salut….