Mollydooker Carnival Of Love 2010

13 Thursday Feb 2014

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$90, 3 stars, 92 points, aussie shiraz, shiraz

A picture is worth a thousand words….

This is the second vintage in my vertical tasting. The 2009 Carnival of Love was excellent, and this one continues the streak, albeit in a slightly different way. Inky in the glass I got a big dose of blue currants and black tea on the nose after I ran it through the Vinturi. The initial attack was quite simply deelish. I had to take this picture so you could imagine what I was tasting. Midway through I started getting sour cherries and blackberry. I wrote down on my tasting sheet that I noticed quite a bit of acidity, hence the sour cherry component. On the back end is where the plum compote, spice box and blueberries really came to life. The tannins are slight to the taste, but ever present.

The main difference between these two vintages is the level of concentration. The ’09 was very focused, this version is somewhat more open ended with more levels of flavors yet not as complex. The ’09 weighed in at 16%, this one a more palatable 15.5%. Both are drinking beautifully now and will continue to do so for many years, yet my preference is the ’09. This wine scored slightly higher with the pro’s at an average of 94.5. I am going with 92 and three stars for this $90 beauty. I served it with spicy pulled pork, it worked a treat. Salut….

Mollydooker Carnival of Love 2009

12 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by caspernick in Wine reviews

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$90, 4 stars, 94 points, aussie shiraz, mclaren vale, shiraz

This is the first of a 4 vintage vertical tasting of this fabulous Shiraz. I managed to find the ’09,’10 and ’11 on my travels while the ’12 was sent courtesy of the folks downunda.

I started off by sending the first glass throughout the Vinturi and then I performed the Mollydooker Shake on the rest of the bottle to open it up some. What I saw was a deep inky purple wine that showed off some gorgeous damson plums and Dr. Pepper soda on the nose. The first sip was amazing. Blueberry pie, blackcurrant and nutmeg formed the basis of the flavor profile with some smoke and ink lingering on the mid palate. The level of fruit is amazing and the focus is razor sharp. The wine coats the mouth with the multiple layers of fruit and leaves it rather refreshed by the fine grained, well integrated tannins. The acidity is totally in balance and there is no dryness to the finish. The word ‘concentrated’ keeps popping in my head, I guess I should tell you that this wine is very focused on giving you its all, up front and direct. It is a powerful wine that is not for the faint of palate. Hiding in the swirls of fruit and oak is a well disguised 16% alcohol, not once making its presence known, yet crucial to the backbone of this extracted beast.

I thought this one out and decided to pair some NY Strips with it, going for a lower fat cut due to the relative age on the wine. I also prepared some riced cauliflower with sautéed jalapeños and some green beans with toasted almonds. The combination was perfect with the heat of the jalapeños giving the wine a new dimension while the steaks provided the texture I was looking for to offset the raw power of the wine.

This wine got an average of 93.5 points from the big boys and I am in agreement. 94 points from me for this $90 treat which makes it a solid 4 star wine in my books. I would love to re-visit in 5 years but alas I only bought one bottle. If you can find it you may want to try it, it’s that good. Besides, the artwork is fabulous on these bottles. Salut….

Clarendon Hills Astralis 2004

10 Monday Feb 2014

Posted by caspernick in Wine reviews

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$300, 2 stars, 92 points, Aussie, syrah

A huge, monumental, iconic wine that scored massively with the pros and cost me an arm and leg. This weekend marks a huge turn in Moxie’s store and a good reason to celebrate, hence the need to pull out a $300+ bottle of wine from the depths of the cellar. To emphasize- RP 98, WE 98, WS 97, WC 97, AWC 95. Wow….

I have been in Asia for a few days and just returned this morning. Napping the morning away, I was ready for a hearty meal and some good vino. I decided on a Lamb tagine to go with this Aussie Syrah. Yup, Syrah…. They don’t call it a Shiraz, hmmmm.

I opened the bottle at 6:30 and made immediate notes:
The wine is nearly black in the glass and the first whiff was pure alcohol. I let it settle for few minutes and coaxed dark, brooding currants and a touch of the wood in addition to some cherry hints. On the palate I did not catch any of the 14.5% alcohol! Instead I got a complex mixture of black currants, plums, kirsch and oak. The mid palate adds a fine grained tannic streak along with some tobacco and spice nuances. The finish is where the alcohol shows up, unfortunately. The tannins are totally integrated at this point and do not dry out the end game.

It’s now three hours after opening and the wine has not evolved all that much, just softening up a bit on the initial attack. I doubt it will morph much more before I polish it off. The critics reckoned this wine would go until 2030. My impressions are below, and not quite in line.

Firstly, this is not my favorite Syrah nor is it my favorite wine from this producer. I disagree with the high ratings, I don’t think it warrants more than 92 points. For the price, it is a very dear wine and I’m only giving it 2 stars. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good wine- perhaps a great wine according to the pros but for me it’s just average for the price. I was hoping for more depth, complexity and certainly more flavor. My quest is to expand my palate and try as many highly rated wines as possible so I will be better able to discern a truly great wine. This one just wasn’t it, a pity. Salut….

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Shiraz Cabernet 2011

09 Sunday Feb 2014

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$10, 4 stars, 89 points, Aussie Cabernet Sauvignon, aussie shiraz

The label says Limited Edition, but I think it’s just to celebrate their heritage rather than a specifically special blend. By the time we got to this wine, we were suffering from some ‘palate fatigue’ (we were pissed, I’ll admit it). I did enjoy this one more than I thought I would. The Shiraz was not overdone and the Cabernet provided a healthy framework and some nice sweet tannins. The nose of the wine was elegant with blackberry and blueberry dominating the oak influence. The flavors on the palate included blackberry pie, cinnamon spice, some blueberry jam and tobacco. Quite a compilation of nuances I must say. The acid, tannins and alcohol were all in check and balanced nicely. This really was a pleasure to drink and I am going with 89 points. I believe my mate paid $10 for it making it a 4 star effort and a sure-fire winner. I would serve this up with burgers, perhaps a pizza and probably a hearty pot roast. I have tried numerous Wolf Blass wines and this one was one of the better examples from this huge winery. Salut….

Castle Rock Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

09 Sunday Feb 2014

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$9, 4 stars, 84 points, cabernet sauvignon, napa cabernet

I have previously had the Castle Rock Cabernet but from Paso Robles and the 2009 vintage. This wine follows the same mold, but is far better. Priced at a bargain price of $9, you will be hard pressed to get anything form Napa for less. It starts off with a decent color in the glass and some pretty plums flavors on the nose. This is not a complex wine, nor is it built for cellaring. It has primal flavors of plums and violets with a candied cherry finish. Very light on the oak and virtually no tannic backbone. It was very easy to drink and managed to keep up with some big players at the tasting. I gave the Paso version 82 points and 4 stars. This one gets 84 points and 4 stars as well. We enjoyed it with some cheese and (crackers). It would do well with some bruschetta, perhaps some olives and cold cuts but I would hold off on pairing it with a main course of meats etc. Good value for the money folks. Salut….

Superbowl side bets

02 Sunday Feb 2014

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I keep forgetting to post this, but here goes. If you are going to a Superbowl party, here are some fun side bets to get the whole gang involved. I modify the details every year specific to the teams and the odds, but generally the questions are the same. If you want the excel version, you can download it (I swear it’s virus-free). Have fun wherever you are and may the best team win. Salut….

super bowl bets

Super Bowl Bets

Peitan Albarino 2012

02 Sunday Feb 2014

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$12, 4 stars, 89 points, albarino, spain

This was the white wine that my mate ‘Mr Tormay‘ ordered for dinner. If you recall, he is an avid Sauvignon Blanc fan but they ran out so he was forced to switch varietals at the Cajun/Korean fusion restaurant last night. I got a taste as he shared the bottle with Moxie, another white wine fiend. Albarino is from northern Spain and is a highly aromatic wine, which goes against his strict taste profile. I understood why after a few sips. Yes, it is aromatic, but it has some cutting acidity and lacks the cloying sweetness found in other similar wines. The nose offered melons, some Bosc pear and a hint of lemon. The flavors of honeysuckle and peach also came through on the mid palate in addition to the pear and citrus. A very interesting grape that I found to be quite multidimensional and easy to drink. I would put this wine up with some grilled sardines any day. A summer salad with a chilled bottle- awesome. I’m going with 89 points and will be on the lookout for this $12 bottle. 4 stars for its QPR and interest factor. Salut….

Cosentino ‘The Franc’ 2012

02 Sunday Feb 2014

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$12, 4 stars, 88 points, Cabernet franc

Moxie and I went out to dinner with some dear friends last night at our local Cajun/Korean Fusion restaurant. Don’t laugh, it’s an amazing combination of flavors and the food is presented in a very neat way that is meant for sharing, Tapas style. My mate drinks white wine (which I will review later, but his wife Mercedes and I shared this Lodi Cabernet Franc. It is 76% Franc with 20% Cab Sav and a dollop of Malbec. I really enjoy this winery’s offerings, they are always well made, smooth and easily accessible. This one was not far from the mark, albeit on a much more reasonable scale. At $12 retail, it was a bargain. Slightly tight on the nose, the purple juice flowed with black currant, dark blueberry and some white pepper. The structure was firm as expected for such a young wine but it was drinking well. The Franc had a nice perfume to it once it got going and the Cab Sav did wonders for the tannic backbone. I enjoyed this wine with dinner and would like to add a few bottles to the cellar for the near future drinking. 88 points and 4 stars from me. Salut….

Charles Smith ‘Kung Fu Girl’ Riesling 2011

30 Thursday Jan 2014

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$10, 5 stars, 89 points, columbia valley, riesling, washington

A cool $10 offering from Washington state that has gotten many accolades. I am drinking it with roast chicken and charred eggplant. It’s working well for me.

A pale yellow/gold in the glass it offers up pear and melon hints on the nose. On the palate, a very delicious and somewhat creamy presentation of green apples, anjou peer and some lemon zest. This is an easy wine to drink, and a good thing it rings in at 11% alcohol because you will want to slurp it all night long. I would say it is off-dry with just a hint of residual sugar that makes it enticing without being cloying. The acidity is marked but not overly sharp. The finish is interesting and long. I am getting a sourness on the back end that makes this a really exciting wine that would pair beautifully with grilled salmon, chicken and perhaps a cheese board. For the price, you need to purchase this wine by the case because I agree with the 89 points that WS gave it and reckon that makes it a 5 star wine. Readily available you will recognize the label right away because it rocks. Salut….

Charring the eggplant, I will add chopped onions and lemon juice.

It’s Hump day

29 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by caspernick in Stuff....

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There is a saying ‘never look a gift horse in the mouth’. So, with that good piece of advice I will refrain from trashing a recent bottle of wine that was given to Moxie at Christmas time. I did not enjoy it, nor would I recommend it. Since it was not purchased by myself I will not review it as I normally would, however- here is the picture. The good news about the whole episode was the dinner. Moxie and I banged up some amazing stuff: Bison, Beef, Chicken, Chorizo, sweet potatoes and mushrooms with roasted Brussel Sprouts and sautéed spinach with bacon bits. It all came together nicely but the Bison was the highlight.

Instead, I shall regale you with stories of Tuesday. I took Moxie’s new camera (Canon 6D), popped the massive 70-200mm lens with a 2X extender on it and proceeded to snap about a million shots of our two youngest kids ice skating. Yup, Anthojet is a rugged football player and amazing on the ice. JJ is a ballerina from birth and took to skates like a duck to water. The two of them are being trained to skate together, I’m thinking college scholarship. Anyway, they look great together and I was thrilled to be able to watch them with their coach (I’m told she is a famous ice dancer herself). This was all Moxie’s idea by the way. She has pushed them in a direction that they love and are good at.