Quinta do Vallado Tinto 2013, Douro, Portugal

30 Tuesday May 2017

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I really look forward to Portuguese wines.  I normally find them to be full of flavor, with good structure and interesting profiles.  This one was on sale for $14 and relied heavily on past vintage points awarded.  It starts off very promising with a rich deep purple in the glass.  Nose of bramble, blackberry and earth.  The palate is initially a little light for me.  Black cherry, more blackberry but that’s about it.  The mid palate is one dimensional, offering a dusty blackberry note and not much else.  The finish is slightly dry with some tannins finally appearing.  This wine is too thin for me, not extracted enough and lacks any long term cellaring.  I don’t think it is a repeat purchase.  83 points and 1 star from me.  Salut….

vallado douru

The Original Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, California, USA

30 Tuesday May 2017

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Dark, brooding purple in the glass.  The nose is- yuck.  Not my style at all.  Candy, oak and yuck.  The initial palate is candied plum, not much else.  I’m not going to bother much more with this 80 point wine, I suggest you move along too.  Save the $8 for something tastier.  Salut….

the dark horse cabernet sauvignon

Korta Katarina Plavac Mali 2011, Srednja I Juzna Dalmacija, Croatia

30 Tuesday May 2017

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A friend of mine just brought this from Croatia.  He loved the winery and enjoyed their wines, so I got the spoils!  It travelled 3/4 of the way around the world before I let it sit for a week to settle down.  The varietal, Plavac Mali is found predominantly in Croatia and is a distant relative to Zinfandel.  It is tannic, high in alcohol and produces rich wines.  This one is see-through, light purple, almost a touch orange.  Delightful nose of black currants, cranberry and green peepers.  The initial taste is interesting to say the least:  upfront tannins and a dose of blue fruits with some licorice.  The dryness of the tannins carries on throughout and is the finale.  On the mid palate more red than blue fruits but I also get some acidity interlaced with the tannins.  The finish is all tannins, with just a hint of blueberry.  This wine would rock some minced meat kebabs, perhaps a grilled lamb chop too.  89 points for this delicious wine.  The 14.5% alcohol is hidden well and the structure is solid here.  I couldn’t find much info on pricing, but one place in Europe used to sell it for 28 Euros.  That would make this a 3 star effort.  Salut….
sorta katarina plavac mali

Penfolds Club Tawny Port, Australia

26 Friday May 2017

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The last time I had an Australian Port was in 1999, in Sydney.  It never really dawned on me to search them out.  I recently got back into Port drinking and just ordered 10 different bottles to try out.  This is the first of them and I am looking forward to this adventure.

The newly arrived Ports

In the glass it resembles it’s style-tawny…  It has a brownish, purply tinge to the see-through base.  The nose is nutty, with plum reduction and a hint of oak.  There is a certain youth to go along with the mellowed out nuances in the nose of this aged wine.    On the palate- orange marmalade, raisins and hazelnut mingle with a plum base.  The wine is slightly syrupy and shows nice legs in the glass.  The 18% alcohol is well masked and there is a trace of very fine grained tannins running through the mid palate and on to the long finish.  Speaking of which, the finish has more of the orange notes I got on the opening as well as some oak, almond and raisin.  It lasts a while, with not much sign of the alcohol at all.  Overall this is a very tasty dessert wine that has aged nicely and is ready for business.  I’m going with 90 points and for $19 this is a 4 star effort.  Salut….

enfolds club tawny port

Cosentino Sangiovese 2014, Carneros, California

24 Wednesday May 2017

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It’s pasta night and I need a Sangiovese.  This one happens to be ready to go on my daily drinking shelf and I am excited.

In the glass, the color is a pale, see through reddish purple- reminiscent of Pinot Noir.  On the nose, strawberry and cherry, just like Pinot.  The palate introduces me to delicious strawberry and capsicum flavors, but I get a dose of heat right away.  A quick glance reveals a 14.5% lurker here.

The wine transitions on the mid palate to more strawberries and a red raspberry jam.  The alcohol still permeates though and I am not sensing much in the way of tannins, until the very end.  The finish is where they appear, very well integrated but lacking a good dose of acidity, just more heat.  The wine is delicious, yet unbalanced and I fear it will not hold out well in the cellar, which is a shame as I would love to revisit this one in 10 years.  88 points, the structure and excessive alcohol being detractors.  I really do enjoy the flavors though.  For $28 it is a 2 star wine for me.  Salut….

consentino sangiovese

Chateau Sigalas Rabaud 2010, Sauternes, France

22 Monday May 2017

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Dark golden yellow.  Honey, apricot jam and grilled pineapple on the nose. The initial tastes are very waxy, oily and full of apricot. This wine is super smooth with balanced acidity, botritized fruit and a delicious flavor profile.  Heaps of apricot jam fill the profile with tertiary flavors of honeysuckle and bee pollen filling in on the mid palate.  The finish shows great tannic structure with a very gentle acidity.   I’m shocked about the tannins on this dessert wine, but they lurk- ever so gently.  This is a solid wine that will last decades.  Drink now till 2030.  It can be found for $25 per half bottle and gets 95 points from me.  5 stars for sure and probably one of the finest dessert treats I have had in a long time.  Salut….
Chateau Sigalas Rabaud, Sauternes, France

Cosentino Winery The Poet Meritage 2013, Napa Valley, USA

21 Sunday May 2017

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Just a gorgeous dark purple in the glass, it shows promise!  On the nose I get lavender, plums, and a remarkable blackberry hint.  On the palate I am getting delicious plums, black cherry kirsch and a hint of upfront tannins. As the wine progresses to the mid palate the tannins firm up a touch and the fruit mellows somewhat, indicating youth in this wine.  The finish shows off a blueberry component which has me confused.  Plums, Blackberry, Black Cherry and now blueberry.  It cannot be possible, yet here it is, bathed in very well integrated tannins and just a touch of acidity.  This wine is delicious, it really is.  My choice was to pair it with Strip Steak, steamed Artichokes and a Cauliflower puree.  A perfect match.  This wine gets 91 points from and for $45 it is a 4 star effort.  51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot are the make up of this Bordeaux style wine, which as you know really excites me.  Drink till 2022 at the least.  Salut….

Cosentino Winery The Poet Meritage, Napa Valley, USA

Rivallana Crianza 2013, Rioja DOCa, Spain

13 Saturday May 2017

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Nearly see-through medium shade of purple.  A somewhat subdued nose of black currants and earth.  The initial taste is of more black fruits, including black cherries and some currants.  The wine is not as full bodied as I thought it would be but it has a certain elegance that I am enjoying.  The mid palate has plum tart and a toasty oak hint.  The wine shows a decent amount of acidity and the tannins are very fine grained and well integrated.  The finish shows a touch oak and some raisins.  I would pair this wine with grilled pork chops, eggplant parmesan or some cheese, ham, and olives.  89 points from me but the label says it got 95 Decanter points, I’m not seeing that. I paid $14, which make it a 3 star wine.   Salut….

Rivallana Crianza, Rioja DOCa, Spain

Burgess Cellars Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, Napa Valley

13 Saturday May 2017

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This wine is 15 years old, yet it pours like an infant- dark purple, no bricking and clear, if not see-through.  The nose is gorgeous, fruity yet nuanced with secondary flavors belying maturity.  Plums, coffee, tobacco and leather come to mind.  On the palate, rich plums, cassis and a touch of eucalyptus.  This wine is not even close to maturity.  Tannins are on pointe and there is a juiciness to the mid palate that I am enjoying thoroughly.  The finish leaves you with a clear dose of acidity, the tannins drying up at this stage.  There is still tons of primal fruit here and the wine already demonstrated its ability to pick up those long sought after nuances of aged Cabernet.  This is a top wine in my opinion, worthy of 92 points even at this stage of its development, which is funny considering it only got 83 points from WE back in 2006.  Drink now till 2021 at the least.  Pair with any beef dish, charcuterie or just by itself.  I found it online for $28.  5 Stars.  Salut….

Burgess Cellars Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

F E Trimbach Riesling 2013, Alsace, France

13 Saturday May 2017

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Very pale yellow, almost surreal.  On the nose a really fresh expression of lemon, grapefruit, lanolin.  On the palate- very fresh with a tartness of lemons, zesty acidity and a certain minerality I am quite enjoying.  On the mid palate I get some more grapefruit, more like pomelo.  The finish is very tart, which keeps this wine interesting, on a fine edge.  It would pair really well with some spicy dishes methinks.  The acidity would cut right through Thai beef salad.  Oysters Rockefeller come to mind as does Moules with a heavy cream broth.  My mouth is watering.  90 points.  It is a steal at $12 which make it a 5 star effort.  Salut….

F E Trimbach Riesling, Alsace, France