Rustenberg Chardonnay 2021, Stellenbosch, South Africa

31 Tuesday Oct 2023

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Pale lemon with a watery sheen (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of marzipan, white blossom, persimmon, yuzu, brioche, lemon pith and orange zest.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium body.  Fresh citrus mingled with airy florals, marzipan, a hint of brioche and some stone fruit.  It’s really crisp and refreshing and finishes medium in length.  I paid $22 and give it 92 points.  Tonight it gets paired with Shrimp Creole and gets 5 stars from me.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Cooper’s Hawk Winery Lux Cabernet Sauvignon NV, California

30 Monday Oct 2023

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Medium ruby colored with high viscosity (13.9% ABV) and very slight staining.  The nose gives me aromas of dark red fruit- raspberry, black cherry, red plum, star anise, evergreen, toasty oak and baking spices.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins.  A relatively full body is rich with ripe dark red fruits long with blackberry and a definitive charcoal note.  I also get some baking spice and a herbal green note.  The finish is short to medium in length.  This is a nicely balanced wine that has acidity and tannins tipping each other whilst the fruit takes center stage.  It gets 90 points from me and for $36- 4 stars.  Since this is an NV wine I would drink within 5 years of purchase.  Salut….

Raymond Vineyard Reserve Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Napa Valley, California,

29 Sunday Oct 2023

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Medium to deep ruby with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of black cherry, blackberry, charred oak, sweet cassis, chocolate powder, baking spices and a hint of vanilla bean.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are silky.  The full body of this wine is layered with ripe black fruit, chocolate, vanilla, some coffee and baking spices.  The blackberry and cassis notes carry the finish to a long length and allow the gentle acidity and delightful tannins to caress my palate.  It’s a really delicious wine with a very nice mouthfeel.  92 points from me for this $37 effort makes it a 5 star wine to drink with hearty meat dishes till 2030.  Salut….

Winzer Krems ‘Kremser Wachtberg’ Gruner Veltliner 2020, Kremstal DAC Reserve, Austria

27 Friday Oct 2023

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Pale straw/lemon with a watery sheen (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of Meyer lemon, white pepper, grapefruit, orange pith, white blossom, passion fruit and peach.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a medium body.  The flavors mirror the aromas but the white pepper is turned up a notch and the lemon is downplayed.  There is a phenolic bitterness on the mid palate that leads to a medium (+) length finish that is spicy and slightly bitter.  This bottle runs $29 and gets 91 points from me and 5 stars.  Drink till 2029.  I’m pairing it with Langoustine pasta with lemon butter alongside a Squid salad.  Salut….

Chateau Marjosse 2018, Bordeaux, France

26 Thursday Oct 2023

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Medium garnet colored with high viscosity and very slight staining (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, charcoal, mint, cassis, hedgerow, blackberry pie and rose petals.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are chalky and bristle a touch.  The wine is full bodied with rich flavors of black fruit and oak coupled with some pretty florals.  A nicely balanced and maturing blend of Merlot, Cab Sav and Cab Franc with a touch of old-school Malbec that makes this Right Bank blend a pleasure to drink.  I am pairing it with Ox tail stew and rice with pees.  It will develop further and cellar nicely till 2029.  For $28 this 91 point bottle gets 5 stars from me.  Salut….

Myburgh Bros. Chenin Blanc Old Vine 2022, Paarl, South Africa

24 Tuesday Oct 2023

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Pale lemon colored with yellow highlights and a watery sheen (12.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon, both zest and pith.  A wooly note permeates and I also get straw, white blossom, saline and a waxy honey note.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a medium body.  Flavors of citrus with that waxy, wooly note alongside some blossom and peach.  The wine finishes with a medium length- tasty stuff that gets 91 points from me and at $12- a veritable steal that gets 5 stars.  Drink till 2025.  Salut…

 

Famille Bougrier Vouvray V ‘Douce France’ 2020, Loire, France

20 Friday Oct 2023

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Medium lemon, bordering on light gold with medium viscosity legs (12% ABV).  The nose of this Chenin Blanc has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon pith, wool, grapefruit zest, orange blossom and honeysuckle.  The palate is off-dry with some high acidity and a medium body.  The citrus melange and floral notes are of good intensity and the wine begs to be drunk.  It finishes with a medium (-) length but it entices me back for more.  A delicious aperitif which I will pair with Peruvian chicken in the air fryer and a Middle Eastern rice dish laced with cinnamon. It gets 87 points from me and at $16, 3 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

Camillle Benitah Volute 2020, Napa Valley, California

19 Thursday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby colored with staining on the walls and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose of this Bordeaux blend has medium intensity aromas of black plum, blackberry, black currants, a hint of eucalyptus, baking spices, vanilla, cedar and mint.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are polished.  The intensity on the palate is greater than the nose.  I get lots more black fruit which which is ripe along with mint, vanilla and baking spice.  The tannins turn a bit chalky on the back end of this full bodied wine and the finish is medium in length.  I love this style of wine  and when done with ripe fruit it can be very delicious, but this bottle seems to lack a certain depth for me.  It’s good, but not great (I’m a big fan of the winemaker btw).   90 points from me and for $25- it gets 4 stars.  I’m pairing with marinated grilled steaks and Lemon roasted potatoes.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

William Heritage Chardonnay Reserve 2022, Coastal Plains, New Jersey

18 Wednesday Oct 2023

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Pale lemon in color with medium viscosity legs (12.9% ABV). The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of pineapple, Yuzu, lemon pith, lime zest, white blossom and baking spices.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium body. I’m starting to get some signs of malolactic fermentation but it’s not overwhelming. Citrus and tropical fruit dominate but I’m wondering if there’s been a little bit of lees stirring.  I doubt there’s a great deal of new oak. I like it for its freshness and weight. 89 points and for $38 ex-cellar it gets 3 stars. Drink with grilled salmon or a Cobb salad. Till 2026.  Salut….

 

Specially Selected Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Napa Valley, California

16 Monday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  Aromas of candied plum, black raspberry, violets, licorice and nutmeg.  The palate is dry (?) with medium acidity and medium tannins.  I’m not sure if there is any residual sugar here, perhaps a trace.  The candied aroma I got on the nose is showing off as really ripe black currants on the palate.  I still get the black raspberry and licorice as well.  The body is medium in weight and the wine finishes with a short ending.  I like the mouthfeel of this $15 Aldi wine, it’s not overly grippy or tart, easy to drink and generally very agreeable.  I would pair this Napa Cab with grilled burgers, perhaps pizza or even lamb shanks.  It gets 89 points from me and 4 stars.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….