Clos Pegase Mitsuko’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2021, Carneros, California

07 Thursday Sep 2023

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Pale gold colored with a watery sheen showing medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose is clean with pinpoint aromas of lemon zest, white blossom, pineapple, nutmeg, honeysuckle and grapefruit.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a waxy, full-bodied mouthfeel.  Citrus and tropical fruit with white blossom and honeysuckle- but there’s something else.  I don’t get the traditional over-the-top MLF notes, nor is the wine over-oaked but I get hints on both Malo and oak along with some lees stirring, but it’s deftly done.  A very subtle chardonnay from Carneros that gets 92 points from me.  At $20 a pop it gets 5 stars.  I’m pairing with grilled pork chops and Jollof rice.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

La Vostra Prosecco NV, Veneto, Italy

05 Tuesday Sep 2023

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Pale straw colored with very little mousse.  The nose has aromas of white flower, apricot, green almond and melon.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a light body, the effervescence finally appearing and in a not-too-subtle way.  Florals are the main driver on the palate with some melon, pear and almond backing them up.  The finish is medium in length.  87 points from me for this $12 bottle makes it a 3 star wine that I actually bought to mix with Vincenzi Rosso- like a spritz.  It was on sale for a penny, the catch being that you need to mix it with something fizzy so I had to pop for the bubbly.  The bottle I got is cherry flavored and the resulting cocktail is decent on a hot summer’s eve.  Salut….

Spier Seaward Pinotage 2020, Coastal Region, South Africa

02 Saturday Sep 2023

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Bright ruby that is nearly deep in opacity and has high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose reminds me of Pinotage wines I drank early on in my wine career, they had a bit of a medicinal aroma along with tar-meets-the-road.  Additionally I get dark berries, black plum, brambleberry, mocha, spice box and vanilla.  The palate is a dry affair with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins.  The full body shows off flavors of dark fruit, black cherry and nicely integrated oak.   The fruit is quite ripe and passes itself off as a touch sweet on the initial attack but I doubt there’s any RS.  The finish is where it turns a touch tart, but I am loving the interesting wave of flavors that have come across.  Medium length- it leaves me wanting to sip again.  90 points for this $20 bottling makes it a 5 star wine to drink till 2028.  I’m pairing with chargrilled chuk, fries and a side salad.  Salut….

Elio Altare Dolcetto d’Alba 2021, Piedmont, Italy

31 Thursday Aug 2023

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It’s pasta night so I dug out this Italian bottle for the occasion.  It’s a deep purple color with medium viscosity legs (14% ABV).  On the nose- medium intensity aromas of pomegranate, cherry, red licorice, red florals, a hint of coffee as well as a slight green vegetal note.  On the palate- medium bodied, dry,  medium acidity and medium (-) tannins that are overshadowed by tart red fruit.  The red pomegranate leads off with rhubarb and slightly underripe cherry.  Violets and red licorice follow on to the medium length finish where the whole package starts to make sense.  What started out as a bit disjointed, underripe and acidic opens up nicely into a  food friendly wine that gets 88 points from me.  At $20, this Dolcetto gets 3 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

Mission Estate Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Gimblett Gravels, New Zealand

31 Thursday Aug 2023

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Medium ruby with high viscosity (14% ABV) and slight staining.  Aromas of blackberry cobbler, black plum, licorice, toasty oak, vanilla, baking spices and a touch of mint.  Medium acidity coupled with medium (+) tannins and a full body lead to a delicious dark fruit melange.  Nicely integrated oak adds depth and warmth whilst the tannins caress my gums with their powdery texture- a treat to drink.  Medium length finish makes this a 91 point wine to enjoy till 2027.  I purchased it in the UK for about $25, making it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Mission Estate Winery Reserve Syrah 2020, Gimblett Gravels, New Zealand

31 Thursday Aug 2023

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Deep purple with medium viscosity and slight staining (14% ABV).  The nose gives me medium intensity aromas of blueberry, açaí berries, black plum, pepper, vanilla and cardamom. The aromas are very pinpoint.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (+) tannins that are very smooth like powder, and a full body. Dark fruit with florals and sweet oak make for a very smooth and delicious palate.  The finish is quite long and reveals a core of rich, ripe blueberry wrapped with those powdery tannins- a delicious drop that gets 92 points from me.  Drink this $20 wine till 2030.  Purchased in the UK, wishing we had it over here in ‘murica cause it’s a 5 star wine.  Salut….

In Situ Reserva Pinot Noir 2020, Aconcagua Valley, Chile

31 Thursday Aug 2023

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Very pale ruby, medium viscosity (13% ABV). The nose has telltale Pinot aromas of cherry, strawberry, baking spices, pomegranate and straw.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a trace of tannic grip.  Light to medium bodied it’s a delicate affair that gives me red fruit, baking spices and some earthiness.  I like this wine.  It has a shortish finish but for $ 15 it’s not a bad drop.  I ordered it for dinner to pair with braised lamb shanks – plus a chicken liver starter.  It should work.  88 points.  Drink this 4 point wine now.  Salut….

Francois Cotat Sancerre Les Culs de Beaujeu 2013, Loire, France

31 Thursday Aug 2023

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I recently travelled to the UK where I had dinner with a fellow wino.  He pulled this maturing Sauvignon Blanc out for openers- it was probably the best Sancerre I have ever tasted.  My notes were crude but you get the idea.

Viscous, pale lemon- surprising with medium viscosity (13% ABV). Intense aromas of gooseberry, lime verbena, jalapeño, asparagus.  High acidity, medium (+) bodied with a very unique opening- vegetal medley with a smoky note, perhaps a bit reductive?  Burnt sulphur that should ease off once in air.  Stunning and young- till 2030. 93 points for this $100 bottle makes it a 4 star wine in my books.  Salut….

Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2010, Rioja DOCa, Spain

30 Wednesday Aug 2023

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Here’s the preamble- I fell in love with this wine when I bought a 1990’s vintage and it blew my socks off.  When I saw this newest vintage on sale (it’s not made every year), I snagged 4 bottles for my buddy and I.  The next month it garnered top spot in Wine Spectator’s Annual award and its price shot up 80% overnight.  This particular bottle travelled to the English countryside after a trip across the Atlantic and was popped that night, buyer beware.

Medium garnet with some wall staining and high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of sweet oak, ripe blackberry, coconut, dried dill, fig, walnut, brown sugar, steeped plum, vanilla cream and tobacco. Medium acidity, medium (+) tannins that are fine grained and well integrated plus a full body.  Silky smooth with melded flavors of oak nuance, ripe black fruit, nuts and some tertiary development – yet it lacked the telltale dusty notes I usually get from Rioja. A long finish upped the scores on this wine as I felt it was slightly underwhelming from my expectations-  still a spectacular wine that gets 94 points from me and at the current price of $230 it only grabs 3 stars on my scale.  A blend of Tempranillo that was aged in American oak with 15% Mazuelo (Cariñena) that has French oak aging.  Drink till 2035 but careful with pairing it too aggressively, it’s delicious all by itself.  I’m going to revisit in a few years and not subject the bottle to a bumpy airplane ride.  Salut…

Tenuta di Renieri Chianti Classico DOCG 2020, Tuscany, Italy

18 Friday Aug 2023

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Medium ruby colored with some slight staining and medium viscosity (14% ABV).  Aromas of cherry, tar, damp leaf and charred oak with loganberry and anise supporting.  The palate is dry with high viscosity and med (+) tannins that are a touch hard.  The enamel on my teeth is begging for mercy.  A rather full body will certainly fool the uninitiated- just because it’s not a dark and opaque red doesn’t mean it can’t have a kick.  The slightly tart red fruit is evident as is the oak and some searing tannins on the mid palate.  Young, this one needs a few years to mellow out and start tertiary development as well softening of the tannins.  It should age particularly well considering its towering structure with a drinking window of 2026-2033.  I will be generous and see into my crystal ball- 92 points for $20 this Sangiovese gets it 5 stars, just give it time.  Pasta is an obvious choice, as is grilled red meat with good marbling.  Salut….