Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenere 2020, Apalta, Chile

02 Sunday Apr 2023

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Medium purple colored with viscous legs (14% ABV) and a touch of turbidity.  The nose gives me candied red plum and raspberry with licorice and a hint of green pepper.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (-) tannins.  Medium to full bodied, this wine has delicious flavors of red plum, raspberry, coffee, mocha and green pepper.  I usually find Carmenere to either be lush and fruity or overly herbaceous.  This one is delicious and the flavors carry on to a long finish.  It’s very smooth and the candied aromas on the nose (which do not appeal to me btw) blow away and the mouthfeel and flavors are in unison- delicious and worthy of 92 points.  I am pairing this $18 wine with roast Sirloin Cap, aka Picanha roast. It gets 5 stars for sure with a drinking window till 2027.  Salut….

Broadbent 10 Years Old Malmsey, Madeira, Portugal

02 Sunday Apr 2023

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Pale Amber in the glass with a very viscous sheen on the walls. The nose has pronounced aromas of walnuts, caramel, dark chocolate paste, raisins, prunes, almond skin and a touch of heat. The palate is sweet and luscious with medium acidity. Confirming the flavors on this full bodied wine that finishes long, the almond bitterness I got on the nose translates to the back end and it’s delicious. 93 points for this silky treat that runs $50 makes it a 4 star effort.  Enjoy with dessert or cheese tray.  Salut….

Famille Bougrier Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine 2020, Loire, France

29 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Pale lemon with a golden accent and a watery sheen.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon, lime, grapefruit, white blossom and green apple.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium (-) body.  Citrus makes for a fresh and crisp mouthfeel alongside some floral notes.  The apple note is faint.  The wine finishes with a hint of phenolic bitterness and is medium in length.   I would enjoy this wine till 2024 with shellfish and charcuterie.  86 points for this $14 bottle makes it a 3 star wine for me.  Salut….

Marc Dupas Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie ‘Les Parcelles’ 2019, Loire, France

29 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Medium lemon colored with a watery sheen (12% ABV).  The nose gives me classic Sur-lie aromas of brioche and yeast along with bruised pear, white blossom, orange peel and chamomile.  The palate has a rounded mouthfeel of medium acidity and a medium (-) body. Flavors of citrus and brioche with pear and florals are evident.  The finish is a touch astringent but has a saline twang as well.  It carries on for a decent length.  I think this $16 wine gets 86 points and 3 stars from me.  Drink with seafood till 2024.  Salut….

Puklus Pinceszet Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos 2013, Tokaj, Hungary

29 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Medium gold colored with medium viscosity legs (11% ABV). Intense aromas of orange marmalade, peach, honey, marzipan, almond paste, vanilla bean pod and apricot mash.  The palate is sweet and silky with honey, orange peel, marzipan, baked peach, bitter orange, apricots and a balancing acidity. This full bodied beauty is so easy to sip- the balance between structural components is perfect and the fruit is fresh yet showing some tertiary character- it finishes long, with excellent mouthfeel.  I am going with 94 points and for $60 per 500ml it gets 5 stars from me.  Delicious stuff to savor after a big meal.  Salut….

Belvino Pinot Grigio 2022, delle Venezie IGT, Italy

29 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Pale platinum colored with copper highlights and low viscosity (11% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of pear, green apple and grapefruit zest.  The palate has medium (+) acidity and a light body.  Confirming the fruit flavors are the same but with slightly bruised pear and the apple is yellow in color.  Medium length finish that is crisp.  86 points from me for this $6, (yes – six dollars) bottle of refreshingly crisp and light wine makes it worthy of 5 stars.  Stock up for the  hot summer!  Drink now.  Salut….

Saget Pere et Fils Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine 2020, Loire, France

24 Friday Mar 2023

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Pale lemon colored with light viscosity legs (12% ABV).  The nose has aromas of lemon and lime, grapefruit skin, sea air, white blossom, hard Anjou pear and citrus curd.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a light body- very crisp on the mouthfeel.  The flavors echo the citrus notes with salinity and fresh flowers.  The pear note is somewhat muted on the palate.  The finish is medium in length and refreshing- the tartness and light bodied nature of this varietal really showing through.  It begs for  some seafood or a salad with a rich dressing.  I would give this $14 wine a score of 87 and drink till 2024, making it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Les Vins Jean-Claude Debeaune Domaine de Grand Croix 2020, Brouilly, France

23 Thursday Mar 2023

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Deep purple with high viscosity legs (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of grape, red raspberry, lilac- it’s sorta muted right now.   The palate is dry with medium acidity and sandy tannins that are medium (-) in intensity.  The body of this Gamay is medium to full and is silky with ripe red raspberry, red licorice, orange peel and black cherry.  The finish is a touch tart but delightful and quite long.  I paid $25 for this 88 point wine making it a 3 star effort that I’m pairing with roast Duck.  Drink till 2027.  Ps. Carbonic Maceration is commonly used in Beaujolais but I don’t sense its use in this Cru level wine.  Salut….

G. Stepp Riesling 2020, Pfalz, Germany

21 Tuesday Mar 2023

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Medium lemon colored with a watery sheen in the glass (12.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon, lemon spritz, lanolin, slate, white peach that’s not quite ripe, green apple, some petrichor and perhaps- a touch of petrol.  The palate is dry with high acidity, I feel this wine is medium (-) bodied.  The palate confirms the citrus notes along with the minerality and I also get a bit of grapefruit pith on the mid palate.  The stone fruit are a little muted as is the petrol.  The finish is medium with a bit of leftover phenolics.  I like this no-nonsense Riesling for what it is- easy drinking, capable of taking on several styles of food and modestly priced at $14.  I’m pairing this 88 point wine with Thai shrimp noodles.  4 stars , to be drunk by 2026.  Salut….

Weingut Winzer Krems Blauer Zweigelt ‘St Severin’ 2021, Niederosterreich, Austria

19 Sunday Mar 2023

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Medium cherry-red colored with a watery sheen in the glass (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of red licorice, maraschino cherry, red raspberry, rhubarb and Dr Pepper.  The palate has a touch of residual sugar (RS) with medium acidity and lithe tannins.  Red fruit and red licorice for flavors that are very enticing and refreshing.  I like the simplicity of this wine- no oak, no big tannins, not acidic.  The finish is quite long.  It’s very easy to drink and will pair nicely with our roasted veggie bowls with Kielbasa and Andouille off the grill.  I like this $18 offering and will buy more for the summer.  It reminds me of Gamay with it’s juiciness and light body.  88 points and 4 stars from me- drink till 2025.  Salut….