Aldi Specially Selected Reserve 2018, Rioja, Spain

09 Monday Oct 2023

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose is earthy with dried plum, black berry, vanilla, dust, graphite and aloe.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are pretty smooth.  The medium weight body carries the oak laced dark fruit along to a medium length finish that is fresh with a touch of red fruit.  The earthy nature of a classic Rioja shows itself in this $9 wine that has been aged for 30 months in oak.  I like it- 90 points worth which makes this Aldi branded Tempranillo a 5 star effort to stock up on.  It’s a great value.  Drink till 2026 with hearty meat dishes.  Salut….

Clos Apalta ‘Le Petit Clos’ 2019, Apalta Valley, Chile

08 Sunday Oct 2023

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Inky deep ruby colored with staining on the walls and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of açaí berry, cassis, mint, vanilla, coffee bean, blueberry, kir and powdered mocha.  It’s amazing to smell.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins that are very fine grained.  A full body with rich flavors of açaí, blueberry, cassis and oak lashings leads to a medium (+) length finish that turns a touch tart.  Delicious stuff that gets 94 points from me.  It’s drinking beautifully now but will develop nicely till 2032.  For $40, it’s a no-brainer to stock up on that gets 5 stars.  I’m pairing with Sunday roast and a Port wine reduction. It’s a blend of 49% Carmenere, 30% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot.  Salut….

Specially Selected Shiraz 2021, Barossa, Australia

06 Friday Oct 2023

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Medium ruby colored with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has aromas of candied cherry, blueberry pie, pomegranate, red currant and baking spices.  It’s a little bit fake smelling tbh.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins but there’s a sourness not associated with acidity that bothers me.  The body is medium and the flavors are pretty bland- consisting of smoky wood, blueberry and baking spices.  This wine is quite unbalanced with a high dose of heat on the shortish finish that is really bothering me.  Overall this $10 offering from Aldi is disappointing me as I had good luck with other bottles in their lineup.  It gets 82 point from me and 1 star.  Drink now.  Salut….

Chateau Valandraud ‘Virginie de Valandraud’ 2015, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France

05 Thursday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby, inky in fact with medium viscosity (14.5% ABV) and some staining.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, cassis, mint, charred oak, black tea, cigar tobacco, a hint of vanilla and some iron.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins that are fine grained but firm.  A full body with black fruit along with oak influence and a definite minty note carry through to a medium length finish that is a touch hot from the high alcohol.  I was hoping for more development and tbh- more depth here.  The second wine of this famed winery, it has a 70/30 split of Merlot and Cab Franc that gets 90 points from me and for $67, it’s a 3 star effort to drink till 2029.  I’m pairing with chargrilled steaks and peppercorn sauce.  Salut….

i-Latina La Armonia Vineyard Petit Verdot 2020, Curico Valley, Chile

02 Monday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby with inky highlights and a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has gorgeous aromas of ripe blackberry, menthol, eucalyptus, violet, charred oak, acai berry, black plum and coffee.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins on top of a full body.  The flavors are delicious, ripe and inviting.  Black fruit, eucalyptus and violets, oak nuance and a medium length finish make this a yummy wine that gets 92 points from me.  It will drink nicely till 2028 and I would pair it with Filet and béarnaise.  For $16, this is a stunner that gets 5 stars from me- I need to order more.  Salut….

Terra d’Uro ‘La Enfermera’ 2021, Toro, Spain

29 Friday Sep 2023

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose on this Tempranillo has medium intensity aromas of black plum, charred oak, licorice, candied black cherry, dusty earth and acai berry.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are a touch astringent and grippy.  Flavors of sour black cherry, black plum, licorice and brambly earth coat my mouth in this full bodied wine. The finish is short to medium in length and a touch tart and bitter.  Overall this $ 12 bottle gets 87 points from me making it a 4 star effort to drink till 2026.  Salut….

Au Contraire Chardonnay 2019, Russian River Valley, California

28 Thursday Sep 2023

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Pale lemon colored with a watery sheen (14.2% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon pith, lemon, melon, brioche, raw almond, honeysuckle and orange blossom.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a full body.  My first impression:  this wine has seen all the treatments- MLF, Sur lie aging and loads of oak.  The citrus fruit is overpowered by the effects of such treatment- butter, brioche and vanilla are all foremost and then I get a hint of lemon, pineapple and melon.  If you like this style of Cali Chard then grab some- I paid $11 on sale at Costco.  You can find it closer to $20.  It gets 86 points from me and 3 stars.  I’m pairing with roasted Cornish hens and glazed carrots with hot honey and garlic.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Pakravan Papi Prunicce di Riparbella Super Tuscan 2020, Toscana, Italy

26 Tuesday Sep 2023

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Medium ruby with some staining and high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose of this Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blend has aromas of leather, cherry, rose, vanilla extract, iron, plum and red licorice.  The palate is dry with high acidity and medium (+) tannins that are a touch gritty.  The body is medium with flavors of rose, leather, red fruit, oak nuance and a graphite/iron streak.  The finish is medium in length and the tannins are more appealing on the back end, they caress rather than attack.  I like this $25 wine that will get better with a touch of cellaring.  Drink with pasta dishes from 2024-2030.  89 points makes it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Aldi ‘The Exquisite Collection’ Malbec 2023, Uco Valley, Argentina

25 Monday Sep 2023

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Deep ruby colored with staining on the walls and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of macerated blackberry, a touch of black plum, raspberry and whiff of asparagus.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that lead to a medium body.  The fresh black fruit is more evident on the palate and there is a hint of rooibos tea, some mocha and raspberry- the green note is nowhere to be tasted.  The finish is short in length but refreshingly tart.  This is not a complex wine by any stretch, but for $8 from ALDI…. I’ll drink it on a weekday with grilled burgers, pizza or pasta.  It’s funny to drink a wine that is a 2023 vintage when most of the northern hemisphere has not even begun to pick their 2023 grapes.  This 86 point wine gets 3 stars from me and should be drunk by 2027.  Salut….

Los Noques Cabernet Franc 2020, Uco Valley, Argentina

24 Sunday Sep 2023

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Deep ruby with medium viscosity (15.1% ABV).  Aromas of menthol, green pepper, blackcurrant and black raspberry.  It’s a bit tough to overcome the high alcohol on the nose but I finally let it blow off and get some notes of dried fig and tamarind.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are quite raw and green.  The body is medium to full and has blackcurrant, raspberry, fig, dusty earth and underripe blueberry.   The finish is astringent and medium in length.  A somewhat disjointed wine that needs some time to settle and let the tannins smooth methinks.  The alcohol is noticeable and bothersome unfortunately which further lowers the score of this wine.  86 points from me and at $14, it’s a 2 star effort.  Drink from 2025-2029.  Salut….