13 Saturday Jul 2013
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Dark fruit on the nose and purple in the glass. Not overly fruity, this wine was decent and a good value for the price. On the palate I got some earth, dark berries and a touch of oak. Good mouthfeel, balanced and slight tannins made it easy to drink. A basic California Cabernet for quaffing that I think should get 85 points and 3 stars in my books.
13 Saturday Jul 2013
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I’m a big fan of this winery, having had their Zinfandel on several occasions. You can’t beat the sub $10 price for this inky purple offering that plays like a 25 dollar wine. On the nose, some spice and blue fruits that translated into plum and blackberries on the palate. Not overly complex, but interesting. I am into Petite Sirah in a big way (not to be confused with Sirah-totally different grape folks). It offers power, yet not in a jammy, over the top style. This wine was very balanced in my opinion and hit the spot with some teriyaki skirt steaks and corn. Structure wise, I am not sure it will age beyond 5 years, but who cares, it’s ready to tango right now. I might need a few bottles in the cellar in case a party breaks out, this wine won’t disappoint. Technically speaking, this would probably rate an 88 by the pro’s but it’s a 5 star wine for me.
01 Monday Jul 2013
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For about $8 you cannot go wrong with this wine. Very basic Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile with red currants and a touch of oak. Relatively smooth, with very tame tannins and a decent finish. If you are entertaining, this is a must-have. It drinks easily and could also pair with pasta, burgers and grilled meats. A 4 star effort worthy of 86 points that wont break the bank.
01 Monday Jul 2013
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I’m a big fan of this winery and have had this wine from the 2008 and 2009 vintages. I sang the praises of the 2009 yet missed out on the 2010 for some reason. Anyway, this latest wine is a little young in my opinion. Delicious and inviting with its dark fruit and brooding tannins. Inky purple in the glass, it exudes power and depth. The acidity is quite pressing, and the tannins are a little green, but given time this wine is going to be delicious. I imagine it will start to rock in 2015 and continue to roll until 2020 at the very least. Potentially a 90 point wine, at $22 it rates 5 stars with me. I am going to cellar a few of these and watch the evolution.
01 Monday Jul 2013
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Plums, plums and more plums. On the nose, this wine was very aromatic and inviting. On the palate, good weight and as mentioned, a plum component that was juicy and vibrant. Good tannic structure and acidity made this a fun wine to enjoy while not being overly complex. For about $12, this wine bangs the drums. You can’t go wrong here folks, you are getting good fruit-forward, ready-to-drink pleasure for a bargain. I would stock up on this for a party, serving it with any form of grilled meats, pasta dishes and even roast duck. 4 stars for the price/quality and 87 points IMHO.
01 Monday Jul 2013
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When you mention Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, the first few things that come to mind are: cat’s pee, grapefruit, cut grass and green apples. This wine had it all, plus a cutting acidity that balanced the fruit nicely. In the mouth, very smooth and inviting, making me pucker up for more after its long finish subsided. It went perfectly with the salad course, and I imagine it to be a stunner on a hot summer’s eve. This region in New Zealand has been excelling in the varietal, making delicious and lush wines. I would imagine it to be an 89 point wine and for about $15, worthy of 4 stars.
01 Monday Jul 2013
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Next up on the flight to Bali was this Aussie Shiraz. I will admit that between this flight and the return one I sampled this wine from 3 different bottles, all pretty much consistent. Very muted nose that was giving me no signs of fruit, perhaps the dry environment of an aircraft cabin did it no justice. On the palate, raw blackberry jam mixed with earth, but slightly dry. I did notice some gripping tannins and the mouthfeel was ok, but nothing stunning. Overall, a very atypical Shiraz that did not do much for me. 84 points and 2 stars.
30 Sunday Jun 2013
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Our trip to Bali took us via Hong Kong, and the final leg was a lunchtime flight in Business class for just over 4 hours. I sampled all they had and started with this little gem. If you have ever had Gamay grapes, they were probably in some cheap and nasty Beaujolais Nouveau. Fleurie is an appellation within the Beaujoulais region which straddles the Rhone and Burgundy regions in France. The grape itself is thin skinned and low in tannins. Fleurie is considered a step up from traditional wines of the region and has some aging capacity.
This particular cuvee was textbook Gamay; light, pungent and floral on the nose with some strawberry and rose on the palate. Very delicate in the mouth, it is a very smooth and easy wine to drink. No marked tannins and a good acidic structure made this well suited to the lighter fare I chose. I would not pair it with red meat, but rather salmon, roast chicken or a cobb salad would do the trick. I’m not sure how widely available this wine is nor do I know the price. Technically speaking i would guess at 87 points and think it would be a 3 star wine if priced under $15. Worthy of a try if you come across it. Of note, this style of wine is one of my preferred summertime lunch wines when chilled slightly.
25 Tuesday Jun 2013
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I ordered this bottle on our recent Napa trip to pair up with Duck Confit. Three words come to mind when I think of this Napa Cabernet Sauvignon……. Atypical, amazing and obvious.
Atypical because this wine does not follow the Napa Cab profile. It offers delicious Napa fruit, but in a Bordeaux style, with cassis, tobacco and a hefty plum flavor. On the nose there is a huge amount of blue fruit. Fine grained tannins and a balanced acidity make this easy to drink, very smooth.
Amazing, because value for money this one is a home run. At $25 or less you are getting at least 91 points IMHO of excellence. This wine paired up to the duck with no effort, it would easily handle a juicy New York strip and I would even serve roasted chicken with it. Talk about versatile.
Obvious, well that stems from the fact that I was so impressed with this wine that I had to research it some more- the winemaking team behind Dominus make this as a second-second label. Now that I know the pedigree and the lineage, it resembles it’s big brother Dominus, but in a softer, more approachable way.
5 Stars for its value and flavors, 91 points as mentioned on its technical merit. I am on my way to the local store, hoping for a case or two….
25 Tuesday Jun 2013
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Moxie and I traveled to Bali for a wedding, via Napa Valley. We ended up getting delayed on our arrival and missed out on winery visits, but the hotel had a beautiful terrace where we ordered this bottle to enjoy as an aperitif. Very young, and served from 375 ml, this was definitely a treat. Not too oaky or buttery, it was slightly more austere. Great apple meets lemon on the nose traversed to the palate where it was smoothly mixed with some butterscotch on the back end. Reminiscent of Burgundy, I sensed very aligned acidity, yet not razor sharp. There is a time and a place for that kind of component. This wine was very balanced and smooth. I enjoyed my glass immensely and would highly recommend it for a pre-dinner drink, but it would pair amazingly with some poached salmon and boiled new potatoes. I’m guessing this wine has at least 10 years in it and would be interesting to watch it’s development. At $36 per bottle on average, you are getting what you pay for here. Quality Napa Chardonnay at a fair price. 4 stars, 90 points….
