Dona Paula Estate Malbec 2014

11 Wednesday Jan 2017

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I can’t even tell you how many bottles of this wine I have drunk in my day.  I was introduced to it at an Argie steak house in Anchorage, Alaska of all places.  We used to go there in small groups and empty their supply every time.  I saw this bottle when I was in Boston with the family on a skating trip.  I couldn’t resist.

In the glass, a paler version of purple was on display.  On the nose- black berry and nutmeg come to mind.  The initial palate consists of really delicious dark fruits, some plum ganache and some very tart tannins.  The wine shows off a dryness that takes over the mid palate and finish but still allows flavors of blue and black currants to peek through.  There are not many tertiary flavors but that is okay, this is a primal wine that begs for steak.  It offers one stop shopping if you are in the market for a reasonably priced wine that bangs it with grilled meat, does well alone and will make charcuterie sing. This is one for you to look for.  At $13 this is a good deal and gets 90 points from me making it a 5 star wine.  Drink till 2020 and buy in bulk.  Salut….

dona paula estate malbec

Neethlingshof Estate Pinotage 2015

10 Tuesday Jan 2017

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My father asked me what I wanted for Christmas.  He has 3 sons, 2 daughter-in-laws and 5 grand kids.  I wanted something that would not bankrupt the man, but would mean something to me.  I told him “a bottle of wine”.  He hit it, right on the head with this banger.  I am so surprised at this wine and am super happy that my dad got it for me.

In case you haven’t read my notes about Pinotage, I love this varietal.  It is a quirky oddball only found in Afrique du Sud and made really well in Stellenbosch.

Reddish purple in the glass with a nose of tar, beautiful violets, black plums and a really nice hint of blueberry right at the and.  On the initial attack I get blueberry pie, some tar, cherry and plum jam. The mid palate yields some very entrenched tannins that come out of hiding and balance the acidity.  More plums hit after the tannins and they lead you into a really nice dry finish of vanilla, coffee bean, and berry.  Really good, a delicious wine.  91 points and at a shocking price point of $15 this is my first 5 star wine of the year.  Kudos to dad for popping this bad boy under the tree, he has hit wine nirvana.  I drank it with braised Beef ribs and purple potatoes.  Heaven!  I hope you have a wine that has significant meaning that hits it on all cylinders too.  Salut….

neethlingshof pinotage

Beringer Founders Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

05 Thursday Jan 2017

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If you read my last post on the Beringer Pinot Noir you may put two and two together to figure out that this is the second bottle we bought that took the price up to $18 for 2 instead of $11 for one.  I saved the heartier wine for later, and I am glad I did.  I really enjoyed the Pinot and was hoping for a repeat performance with this Cab.  I was not disappointed.

Purple with a nose of plums, eucalyptus, black currant.  On the initial attack, more plums, chocolate powder and currants.  Medium tannins arise on the mid palate and complement the gentle acidity for a nice mouthfeel.  The finish is medium in length and offers star anise, plum ganache and black currant.  I’m going with another 89 points for the Beringer twins and give this one a thumbs up 4 stars.  Pair with steaks, pizza, pasta and drink till 2020.  Salut….

beringer founders estate cabernet sauvignon

Beringer Founders Estate Pinot Noir, California 2014

03 Tuesday Jan 2017

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I picked up two bottles for $18, but it really should be priced at $11 per.  The wine is  a see through light purple in the glass, commensurate with the varietal.  On the nose I am getting strawberry, cherry and pomegranate.  All three primal flavors are typical for the Pinot grape.  On the initial taste there are more cherries and some really nice strawberry candy notes.  In and amongst the mid palate flavors there lurks some tannins.  If you have read my notes for a while, you may recall that I have a hard time distinguishing tannin levels in Pinot Noir, but when I sense they are present then there must be a boatload of ’em.  This wine drinks in a dry style and is leaving the telltale sensation on my gums.  There is an acidity that comes out as sour cherry on the mid to finish that I am digging.  On my second go at this wine I got a very strong hit of rock candy on the front end, interesting.

This wine drinks very nicely and is a definite bargain for Pinot Noir.  It will do nicely with some Roast Chicken, a killer pairing with Coq Au Vin and it will ride nicely with my mother’s Steak and Kidney Pie.  (She’s very British you know…).  Drinking window is wide open from 2017-2022.  89 point and 4 stars from me.  Salut….

bringer founders estate pinot noir

Terroir la Baume Saint-Paul Fitou, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 2014

01 Sunday Jan 2017

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By far the most interesting label of the year-  a metallic one on this bottle of Fitou.  I was intrigued and had to try it.  Fitou is a region in the Languedoc, southern France and the two main grapes are Grenache and Carignan.

terror la baume saint paul fitou

The wine is a medium shade of purple and offers a nose of garrigue, funk and black cherry.  This may sound horrible to the layman but in wine terms, quite legitimate descriptors and ones that are sought after by certain palates.  On the initial attack I am getting a somewhat thin veil of plums but more importantly, some off-putting tannins.  The wine is a bit disjointed and the balance is off.  It may need some time or a trip through the vinturi (Or in my case, a travel aerator).

The travel aerator

The travel aerator

Ok, after meeting my friend Bendy, the wine mellows a little but the tannins are still green and generally unpleasant.  The fruit is struggling for acceptance here and the structure is not allowing it to happen.  I am wondering if I have an off bottle.  Best I can go is 85 points at this tasting and for $16 this is a 2 star wine.  Happy New Year!  Salut….

 

2016- Another year in wine

01 Sunday Jan 2017

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I am sitting in a hotel room in Hong Kong, far from home where it is nearly New Year.  I wrote my last tasting note of the year and realized I have not had a look back on posts for a while so I clicked on the 5 Stars tag link and started writing down the best wines I had drunk in 2016.  There are exactly 20 that made the top grade.  I won’t count them down, you can try them and decide for yourself but I will mention a few.  There are several really well priced gems in the group, which is one of the criteria I use to determine how many stars a wine gets.  Perhaps the steal of the year comes from Bulgaria, but there are numerous wines that I look back on and remember the pleasure they gave.  The Tahbilk was awesome, the older Bordeaux wines- amazing and then there was the Vergelegen.  It probably ranks the highest of the value wines in my 2016 wine year.  The St. Thomas is perhaps the top wine for me in 2016 followed by the Blue Eyed Boy…

Each wine had a moment for me, and then there were the wines I just opened and did not review.

These are but two I recently enjoyed.  Many more were drunk throughout the year. If you go through my list of 5 star wines I am sure you will find many in local shops, try them out and decide for yourself- just savor the moment and make it a memory. Take a picture, write on the cork, peel and save the label.  Happy New Year, may you have a prosperous and safe year wherever you may be.

05 Canon- what a treat

05 Canon- what a treat

01 Cos, just because

01 Cos, just because

Nederberg The Winemasters Shiraz 2014

31 Saturday Dec 2016

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I am currently in Asia and this was the last wine I drank in 2016.  We couldn’t resist the price, $11.50 for one bottle or $13 for two.  We bought two…
Medium purple in the glass.  A nose of plum torte, black berry jam and a touch of oak.  On the palate a very delicious, fresh offering of black fruits, spice and a very mellow set of tannins with opposing acidity.  A medium length finish caps off a subtle mid palate of plum and blackberry.  Overall a nice basic Shiraz that is not over the top but offers good value and would drink well with burgers, BBQ ribs or the kebab sandwiches we eventually ordered!  87 points from me make this a solid 3 star wine.  Salut….
nederburg the winemaster shiraz

Tall Dark Stranger Malbec, Argentina 2014

31 Saturday Dec 2016

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My buddy brought this over in November and I finally managed to open it.  When I say my buddy, he is a 6ft+ redheaded black man who is larger than life and always manages to dress or find something appropriate for every occasion.  A real hoot…

For about $11 this wine delivers the goods!  Medium purple in the glass with a nose of black currant and cola.  The initial palate gives off plum and rhubarb.  The mouthfeel is really nice with smooth tannins gliding along with some barely perceptible acidity.  The mid palate continues with the cola and currant theme that ends in a shortish finish of cherry and cola.  This is a very nice quaffing wine that I’m enjoying with dry rubbed beef ribs.  A good combo that brings out the best of the wine and the meat.  89 points all day long and 4 stars from me for its value and quality.  Salut….

tall dark stranger malbec

Louis Latour Corton Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 2007

25 Sunday Dec 2016

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Merry Christmas!  I have family over for the holidays and we opened this bottle for a Christmas Eve potluck dinner.  I know it is extravagant for this type of Cru Burgundy to be opened with a pasta casserole and spiral baked ham, but it works!

Very pale in the glass with some orange hues of bricking appearing- maybe pre-mature for a Burgundy wine, we shall see.  On the nose a revelation, this wine is young, fresh and full of fruit yet tertiary notes are starting to appear.  Cherry, strawberry and wildflowers dominate with barnyard and a touch of oak also appears.  On the initial attack I’m getting super smooth cherry notes with cinnamon and grille backing it up.    The meatiness is slight but present along with super sleek tannins that are perceptible yet unobtrusive- this wine glides.  The mid palate is a seamless transition from the front with the addition of some barnyard funk- my kinda Burgundy.  The finish is decent in length and gives off leather and some pale berry notes.  This is a very complex wine that is shockingly smooth and very pleasing.  I am hoping it will evolve into a behemoth old school Burgundy in the next few years.  92 points from me which coincides with WS.  Drink now, but sparingly until it fully matures.  4 stars for the $50 price point.  2019-2027 is a good window for maximum effect.  Salut….

louis latour corton grand cru

Clos du Bois Marlstone, Alexander Valley, USA 2012

23 Friday Dec 2016

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I started to suffer ‘Palate Fatigue’, otherwise known as getting tipsy when we finally got around to this sleek Meritage blend from California’s Alexander Valley.  Very dark extracted purple in the glass.  A nose of mulled plum, black stone fruits and violet.  The initial taste is plums, blueberry and a floral bouquet.  The mid palate shows off more blue fruits and a generous tannic backbone that hold this wine together.  The acidity is very subdued and the finish is medium in length.  I love this style of Bordeaux blend with a large majority (72%) Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot for roundness, 5% Petit Verdot for some tannic backbone, a smidge of Malbec and some Cabernet Franc for the softness and floral notes.  90 points from me make this $40 offering a 3 star wine and a serious contender for space in the cellar.  Drink now till 2022 and pair with any roasted meats, hearty pasta dishes or even some charcuterie beside a winters fire.  Salut….
clos du bois marlstone