Maxville Lake Winery ‘Maxville’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Napa Valley, California

11 Saturday Mar 2023

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Inky purple in the glass, this opaque wine has thick, slow moving legs and leaves a stain on the glass (14.5% ABV).  The nose has ripe and concentrated aromas of cassis, blackberry pie, perfumed violet, vanilla and blueberry alongside baking spices.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and very fine grained tannins that grip nicely.  The rich, ripe black fruit and cassis syrup are evident as is the oak influence which is in check.  Full bodied, this wine leads me to a long finish that has some charred oak hints as well.  At 5 years old, it is drinking beautifully and will do so till 2030.  I’m pairing it with braised lamb and roasted sweet potato.  It would go nicely with a filet au poivre with gratin potatoes as well.  93 points from me for this $65 bottle makes it a 5 star wine to savor.  Salut….

 

Renieri Invetro Toscana IGT 2018, Tuscany, Italy

10 Friday Mar 2023

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Deep dark purple color with medium legs (14% ABV).  The nose of this Sangiovese, Merlot and Cab Sav blend has some exotic dark fruit aromas- mulberry, boysenberry, elderberry with vanilla, coffee bean, baking spices, eucalyptus and camphor (yup).  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and finely grained medium (+) tannins.  The body is full and the flavors echo the dark berry notes I got on the nose.  I’m missing the pungent camphor but I get oak influence by way of vanilla and baking spice.  The wine retails for $18 and got a big score.  I’m thinking 91 points and 5 stars.  Tonight- it’s pasta with meatballs, sausages and meat sauce- this will pair beautifully.  Drinking window till 2026.  Enclosed by a glass stopper btw.  Salut….

Bodega Mauricio Lorca Reserve Malbec 2020, Mendoza, Argentina

09 Thursday Mar 2023

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Deep purple colored with a secondary tinge of dark brown showing a touch of turbidity.  Slow but thin legs show off the 13.6% ABV.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black currant, plum, vanilla, menthol, coffee, violets and black tea.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and tannins alongside a medium body with flavors of black plum blackberry, vanilla and coffee.  The nose is more intense and offers more complexity but the palate is very smooth and delicious.  The nose was confusing me- it has aromas that would point to Cab Sav or even Merlot but it’s the structural parts on the palate that confirm it to be a Malbec- soft and juicy with an easy to drink tannic structure coupled with lower acidity.  The finish is a touch short but there’s some charred oak notes alongside the dark fruit.  I like this $14 effort a lot and give it 89 points, making it a 4 star wine.  Tonight I am pairing it with baked Corned Beef and roasted potatoes.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

Lustau Jerez Palo Cortado Peninsula Sherry, Jerez, Spain

08 Wednesday Mar 2023

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This is my first Palo Cortado style sherry.  It looks divine- pale amber in the glass.  The nose offers up nuts, yeasty notes from Flor, caramel and toffee with dried orange rind. It has quite a bitter entry with exotic flavors I have never come across.  Dry with medium (+) acidity and a full body, this wine coats my mouth with tangy yeast and nuts with a citrus twist.  It’s unique for sure and offers a glimpse into another style of winemaking that is quite different- google Palo Cortado, you’ll see what I mean.  The fortification of this wine makes it a touch hot on the back end but I am really enjoying the nutty finish with that very singular Flor component.  I paid $26 to get this bottle- it rated 90 with the pros, who am I to argue?  4 stars.  Drink upon opening, Salut….

St. Emilion visit

07 Tuesday Mar 2023

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When Moxie and I were in Bordeaux we had the opportunity to visit wineries in Pauillac, St. Estephe and Sauternes but coffee in the beautiful town of St. Emilion was amazing.  Our day started with a 40 minute drive north from the city center, across both the Garonne and Dourdogne rivers followed by a serene drive through vineyards until we happened upon this medieval looking town basking in the bright sunshine.  Parking the car close to the center, we wondered into the town and explored some narrow streets, the main square and some wine shops.  Our quick tour culminated in a morning dose of espresso at a café.  Our appointment at a winery precluded too much sightseeing but this is a town worthy of exploring.  It is stunningly beautiful and surrounded by some of the most famous wineries.  Well worth the visit.  Salut….

La Mascota Vineyards ‘Unanime’ Gran Tinto 2017, Maipu, Argentina

06 Monday Mar 2023

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Inky purple colored, this blend of 60% Cab Sav, 25% Malbec and 15% Cab Franc leaves a slight stain on the walls and has thick, slow moving legs (14% ABV).  The nose has wafting aromas of blackberry jam, black plum, violet, vanilla bean, chocolate,   some bell pepper and a medicinal note from the oak.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are fine grained but prominent.  Full bodied, this wine gives me flavors of black fruit, oak influence that is well masked/integrated (vanilla, medicinal, chocolate) and a touch of blueberry.  It hangs in there for a decent length finish and is silky smooth on the back end.  It’s delicious and will pair beautifully with our grilled lamb chops with roasted potatoes.  This is drinking beautifully now and will cellar till 2028.  I will give it 92 points which is a bit shy of the 95 it got from one pro.  At $25 it gets 5 stars from me.  Salut….

Domaine Maillard Pere et Fils Pommard ‘La Chaniere’ 2020, Cote de Beaune, France

06 Monday Mar 2023

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If you read my previous post on our Parisian dinner you will have read that we drank two Pinot Noirs from Burgundy.  This is the second bottle- notes taken were basic as it was dinner!

Deep ruby. Rich aromas of cherry pie, pomegranate , coffee, chocolate and raspberry.  Medium acidity, medium (-) tannins and a medium (-) body with flavors of red fruit and silky oak spice carrying through to a medium finish.  92 points from me for this $41 stunner makes it a 5 star wine to seek out.  Salut….

Domaine Maillard Pere et Fils Chorey-les-Beaune 2019, Cote de Beaune, France

06 Monday Mar 2023

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We recently dined at an amazing Parisian restaurant where the entire menu, wine included was extremely reasonable yet of such a high caliber that I will include some pictures.  We drank two bottles of Burgundian Pinot Noir, the first being this Chorey Les Beaune.  I did not want to detract from dinner so very basic notes were taken.

Medium ruby, more extracted than I expected.  Aromas of strawberry, cherries jubilee, a touch of baking spices and some smoke.  Medium (-) tannins and a medium acidity lead to a medium body.  Delicious with flavors of dark cherry, strawberry coulis, baking spice and charred oak on a medium finish. 91 points and for $40 this is a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Scallops to die for

Parmesan Filet

Oh, la la

Can you say Souflé?

Perfection on a dessert plate

Chateau Giraud winery visit

05 Sunday Mar 2023

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When Moxie and I booked our trip to Bordeaux I wanted to visit Sauternes- so I looked up my favorites from the past and decided that Guiraud was going to be it.  Unlike many others in the region, they are open on Saturdays, which was the only day we were free.  Overcast skies and winter vegetation could not detract from the inherent beauty of this organically farmed estate.  Our guide was awesome and very informative.  We toured the cellars and grounds with a glass of their dry white in hand- the ‘G’ was spectacular.  A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, it had excellent acidity, balance and length with delicious flavors and aromas that made Moxie claim it to be her favorite dry white ever.  A big statement indeed.

The dry white wine

Our tour took us to the tasting room where we tried the Petite and Grand vins from several vintages.  I savored every drop of these stunningly delicious dessert wines and compared the nuances of each vintage.  The 2014 was my favorite as it was very precise with a freshness that was not evident in the older vintages.  The 1998 was liquid gold, rich and laden with tertiary notes that one hopes for in cellared wines.  The 2005 was in between- showing some youth whilst taking on a smoky note that was very interesting.  I love these wines and purchased two more vintages for my cellar.  Look out for tasting notes in the future!  Overall- this is a must visit winery if you are in the region where you will be warmly greeted and treated to spectacular wines.  Salut….

Chateau Cos D’Estournel winery tour

04 Saturday Mar 2023

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The second winery we visited on our trip to Bordeaux was right up the road from Lynch Bages, in St. Estephe.  This Indian inspired winery is stunning to say the least.  The inside is like a Maharajas palace- beautifully appointed with rich colors and exotic fabrics.  The winery wasn’t bad either- they were one of, if not the first to install a gravity flow system to ensure the wine was not overworked by pumping and other quality degrading operations.

The imposing facade

The tasting was amazing- Three wines from different vintages and obviously quality levels.  All were great for what they were but the Grand Vin was a complete standout.

Our guide was excellent.  Very informative and gracious.  Our tour ended in their shop where I purchased two bottles of their sister winery in Hungary’s Tokaji.  From the same vintage I bought the 5 and 6 puttonyos versions to compare.  Stay tuned for that tasting.  If you are in the area this is a must-visit winery.  Salut….