Riebeek Cellars Pinotage 2011

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We want to my mate Mel’s 60th birthday bash last night and being from South Africa they had this on offer.  I love the varietal and had to try it.

See-through purple in the glass with a nose of burnt cherry and creosote, very enticing.  The initial taste is black cherry, smoke, espresso bean and some lithe tannins.  The 14% alcohol peaks through on the midpalate and promptly goes away.  The finish is of medium length and is laced with tannins and dark fruit.  88 points make this $11 wine a decent value, especially if you like the unique taste of Pinotage.  3 stars from me.  Salut….

riebeek cellars pinotage

St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2014

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Really dark purple color, impervious to light. The nose leans heavily on blackcurrants with a touch of spearmint of all things. It’s really unique and very nice. The initial attack is all dark fruits with some gripping tannins. Flavors of plum come out on the midpalate along with blackberries. The tannins are ever present. The finish is medium in length and the dryness of the tannins goes on forever. This wine will go the distance but can tackle some hearty meals right now. Really tasty- 91 points.  $36 if you can find it make this a 4 star effort.  Salut….

st. super cabernet sauvignon

Louise M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

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From Sonoma comes this delicious Cabernet Sauvignon that got great reviews.  I was excited to try it when I saw the bottle and was not disappointed.

Dark purple in the glass with a nose of red berries, a touch of oak and some cinnamon. On the palate, red fruits, bright acidity and some cola. On the mid palate , a hint of sasparilla, some eucalyptus and the ever present sharpness of the acidity, now with some offsetting tannins. The finish is decent in length and gives off strawberry notes with vanilla overtones. Overall a nice wine for the short to medium term. 89 points and for $18 it should be on your radar.  4 stars.  Salut….

louise m. martini cabernet sauvignon sonoma

Paradise Springs Swagger Edition III

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This is a dessert style red wine that my brother and sister in law gave us for Christmas.  In hails from Virginia and proves yet again that this state is an up and coming wine region.

Reddish purple with a nose of stewed raspberries, honey, raisin.  On the palate- prunes, smoke and stewed plum.  Caramel notes with sherry hints show up on the mid palate.  The 17.9 % alcohol is well disguised, so beware!  The finish has some delectable tannins that mingle with a rather long rendition of plum torte meets blueberry pie.  I’m no expert on this style of wine but I reckon it might be worth 89 points and a delightful way to end a big roast supper!  For  $39 it gets 3 stars from me.  Made from the Chambourcin grape and fortified with grape spirit brandy.  Salut….

 paradise springs swagger III wine

Bello Family Vineyards Megahertz Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Napa Valley

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A rich opaque purple in the glass with a beautiful nose of Black and Blue berries. On the palate- very smooth, like buttah… A delicious mix of blue berry , cherry, and ginger spice. Fine grained tannins and a touch of acidity give this wine a great mouthfeel, easy to drink. This wine is made in a very elegant, understated style. The fruit is allowed to express itself, the tannins are not pumped up and the acidity is gentle yet balanced. Very delicious wine with medium term aging potential. Tonight I will pair it with Roasted Beef Tenderloin, probably the best cut for such a lithe wine that isn’t overly tannic. 90 points and 3 stars for this $24 effort. Salut….
megahertz cabernet sauvignon

Trivento Amado Sur 2014, Mendoza Argentina

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I am a big fan of Trivento, as can be seen in my write-ups.  The Amado Sur is a blend of Malbec, Bonarda and Syrah.

Dark purple in the glass.  A nose of black currants, oregano, chocolate powder.  On the palate- currant, cinnamon stick and crunchy tannins.  On the mid palate there are some plum notes as well the currants.  The tannins are really apparent in the finish, and give off a dry mouthfeel.  This wine is balanced and tasty, but perhaps young.  It will reward some cellaring but offers good flavors and structure right now to pair with prime rib, eggplant moussaka or even roast duck with orange sauce- or some cheese and chorizo like I did.  I like it and am going 90 points.  For $14, this is a really good deal.  4 stars.  Salut….

amado sur

 

La Croix Barton 2011 Bordeaux Superieur

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I have drunk a ton of La Croix Barton, the underwhelming 2008 vintage, followed by the far better 2009.  I have not seen the 2010 but found the 11 waiting for me!

A see through purple in the glass with a nose of black currant, violet and coffee.  The initial tastes are muted by the forward tannins, but I eventually get dark fruits, green pepper and plum.  Very young and hiding behind the mouth searing tannins, this wine needs decanting or aerating.

The travel aerator

The travel aerator

I ran it through the aerator and voila… nowhere near as tannic, with approachable berry fruits, some tobacco, and still some green peppers. The wine carries these primal flavors through the mid palate and onto the finish. It is somewhat one dimensional as far as flavors go, but it should evolve given a few years. I paid around $17 for it and am giving it 88 points for now. I think it may get better with some age, and I will certainly re-visit it. 3 stars. Salut….

la croix-barton 2011

Chateau Pavie 2000, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France

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This is my first 100 point wine and was brought by a good friend to celebrate his promotion and pay off a football bet!  At $450 per bottle it’s a pretty steep price to pay for perfection but you only live once.

Nearly black in the glass.  A stunning nose of leather, tobacco, blueberry, coconut.  Young is my first impression. Fresh fruit, bright tannins, good acidity… blueberry tart, leather and spice box with maybe some plum on the mid palate. I’m also getting graphite.  Did I mention the mouth coating tannins?  They go on forever. This wine is extracted, polished, deep and complex, but it’s also a baby.  It needs another 5 years minimum before it starts maturity but will last till 2040 at the least.  It currently shows primal fruit but will evolve in a massive way once secondary flavors develop.  I am lucky I got to taste it at this stage of its life cycle and hope to be so fortunate in the future to experience it at peak.  I can only imagine how great this wine will be.  We drank it with some cheese and crackers, that is about all you need.  I would think this wine is worthy of 98 or 99 points, but the man himself gave it 100 on several occasions, so who am I to argue!  Shall we say 5 stars?  Salut….

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Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2011, Hemel-en-Aarde, South Africa

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Disclaimer- I got this bottle from a distributor.  They retail for around $23.

Bright golden yellow.  A nose of petrol, lemons and flint, very intriguing.  On the palate, very smooth with lemon, some green apple, wet stone and very lithe acidity.  The mid palate just continues the theme right up to the long finish.  I drank this bottle with a friend who was also impressed.  I initially served it at room temperature to show off all the nuances and highlight any defects.  I found none.  I slipped the bottle into an ice bucket for the second round, which was more typical.  It really shone when chilled and I would imagine pairing it with Lobster, fettuccine Alfredo or even smoked duck salad.  This wine is reminiscent of an edgy Burgundy wine, but the use of oak is very defined and not overly lavished on it.  A nice balance and worthy of 92 points from me.  5 stars!  Salut….
Newton Johnson family vineyards chardonnay hemel-en-aarde

J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 2014

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A buddy of mine brought this along.  He paid $12 at Costco for it and I was impressed.

Nose of sweet cassis, blackberry and pepper.  The palate shows dark fruits, solid tannins and juicy acidity.  The mid palate gives plum, dark cherry and a hint of cedar. The finish is laced with mouth drying tannins and plum torte.  I would pair it with many different dishes, pasta, steak, cheese plate.  A really decent drop for a party and something to buy by the case.  89 points and 4 stars from me.  Salut….

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