Beringer Vineyards Knights Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Sonoma County, California

08 Tuesday Mar 2022

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A deep ruby, bordering on ink in the glass.  I get pronounced aromas of blackberry, cassis, black plum, eucalyptus, oak, coffee and ripe blueberry jam.  The palate is super smooth, rich, warm and delightful.  Dry and slightly tannic, this full bodied wine has great flavors of ripe black and blue fruits, excellent barrel integration with coffee, oak and vanilla notes to go with medium acidity.  The finish is medium (+) in length and quite dry from the persistent yet integrated tannins.  A very well balanced wine with great mouthfeel that will drink beautifully till 2030 with wild game, grilled meats, rich cheese platters or just all by itself.  94 points from me make this $42 stunner a 5 star effort.  Glad I got a case.  Salut….

Tbilvino Saperavi 2019, Kakheti, Georgian Republic

06 Sunday Mar 2022

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I’m cooking two roasts tonight- a Moroccan herbed leg of Lamb and a seasoned Coulotte with riced brocolli and a North African inspired vegetal medley on a bed of Barley and Arugula.  I need a bold, tannic wine for this and so I delved into the nether regions of Georgia for this Saperavi.

Opaque purple with some thin legs showing off the 13% ABV.  The nose has pronounced aromas of grape, smoky oak, vanilla, dark cherry and spice box.  Cloves and sweet blackcurrant round it out.  I am intrigued by the raw grape scent- it’s not often you come across this basic component.  The palate is exactly what I was hoping for.  Dry, medium (+) tannins with good acidity.  Plenty of primary fruit flavors and oak hints are evident on this medium (-) bodied wine that has a shortish finish.  The freshness of the grape flavor is very unique.  I like it.  The charred oak in this one is quite apparent.  Whilst not overly complex, it is a nicely balanced wine that will pair well with my multitude of flavors.  I would drink this wine by 2024 with hearty meat dishes.  88 points and 3 stars for this $13 effort.  Salut….

Weingut Laurenz V. ‘Singing’ Gruner Veltliner 2018, Niederosterreich, Austria

06 Sunday Mar 2022

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Yesterday was Moxie’s birthday.  Two of our sons snuck in for the celebration- one from Montreal, the other from D.C.  In planning for #3 to return to Canada he needed a COVID test, so I booked one at 5:30 and then a table for the six of us shortly thereafter.  One glimpse at the menu told me I needed a crisp white to go with the grilled Trout mains I was about to order.  This one did not disappoint, albeit the first impression was a bit shocking.

It pours a medium lemon color with barely a shimmer in the glass due to the low 12% ABV.  The nose has interesting aromas of lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, ginger and orange blossom.  The palate is where I nearly regretted my choice- the wine is a touch sweet, as in off-dry.  I was hoping for a crisp, dry white.  Alas, I was not disappointed.  The citrus flavors were ever present, as was a spritz of lemon that I found interesting.  The (candied) ginger is probably what I sensed as a sweet component, though with such low alcohol, there could well be residual sugar present.  I found the wine to be quite refreshing thanks to the spritz and medium body.  The flavors are present but not cloying, the acidity is medium (+) and not cutting.  The finish might be short, but it is mouth puckering and makes me long for another taste.  This is a great white wine varietal to explore with fish, chicken, shellfish and vegetarian dishes laced with savory spices.  I like this $16 bottle that gets 89 points and 4 stars from me.  Drink soon.  Salut….

Stags’ Leap 125th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Napa Valley, California

04 Friday Mar 2022

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Inky, opaque AF and a beautiful shade of deep purple.  The nose of this Napa Cabernet  is quite pronounced.  I get aromas of blackberry, cassis, eucalyptus, oak, black plum and ripe blueberry compote.  The palate is delicious, if a touch young.  Dry with medium (+) tannins that are a bit green and youthful.  Medium (+) acidity, full body and a caressing melange of black fruit, oak, the intriguing eucalyptus, licorice and that jammy blueberry note.  The fruit flavors are very distinct and primal, this wine will meld over time and develop tertiary notes.  The whole package of tannins, acidity and fruit are balanced but not in unison just yet.  I would drink this 91 point wine till 2030.  I am pairing it with grilled Hanger steak, roasted potatoes, asparagus spears and some Peruvian spiced veggies.  For $48, it gets 4 stars from me.  Salut….

Castello Romitorio ‘Romitoro’ Toscana IGT 2019, Tuscany, Italy

28 Monday Feb 2022

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This Tuscan blend of Petit Verdot and Syrah is a deep shade of ruby, bordering on purple in the glass.  The nose has pronounced aromas of violet, black plum, cedar, a touch of fresh funk, spice box and maduro.  The palate is quite zippy and fresh.  Dry, with gentle tannins and medium acidity it has a medium weight body and yummy flavors.  Plum, cedar, spice, maduro ( a dark tobacco), blackberry and that funk- perhaps a mushroom scent?  The mouthfeel is staggeringly smooth and delicious.  This wine is seamless in its component makeup.  The tannins are very nicely integrated, the acidity is balanced and the depth of fruit is great.  The finish is medium to long.  My only concern is the funk that is very persistent.  It is ever present and distracting, knocking a point off the total.  Overall this is a very good wine that gets 91 points from me and at $19- 5 stars.  I am pairing with meatballs and red sauce.  Drink till 2026. Salut….

Tinto Pesquera Reserva Especial 2010, Ribera del Duero, Spain

27 Sunday Feb 2022

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Bottle #100 in the Virtual WIne Tasting group!  We concluded the 25th tasting with this Spanish Tempranillo.  The underlying lesson of the session was the use of oak.  Our first red was made using old oak, the second bottle seeing a mix of new and old whilst this bottle would hopefully show off lots of new oak being a Reserva.

In the glass this wine is deep ruby- opaque AF.  On the nose the lesson was quite obvious- Tar, smoky, coconut, chocolate, leather, charred oak barrel, dark berries, bramble, dust and a touch of heat from the alcohol (it blew away eventually).

On the palate this wine was a touch tart at the beginning with black cherry akin to Luxardos, dried black fruit compote, spice, clove, vanilla, cinnamon and a new one- ‘Nummy”.  High tannins, medium acidity, full body and a long finish made this my WOTN that scored 18 marks.  At $50 and 92 points it get 5 stars from me- delicious stuff that worked beautifully in my oak lesson.  This wine needs a juicy leg of lamb, grilled and served with au gratin and a side of asparagus.  At 12 years of age it is just now reaching maturity and will drink nicely till 2030.  Salut….

Carmelo Patti Gran Assemblage 2013, Mendoza, Argentina

27 Sunday Feb 2022

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The second red wine at the 25th Virtual tasting was from the same producer as the first bottle.  This one is a year younger and has been blended with Malbec, Merlot and Cab Franc.  A mix of new and used oak in the winemaking allowed us to compare flavors and aromas with a wine that relied mostly on used oak.

In the glass this blend is medium garnet, slightly less opaque than the Cab Sav we tasted previously.  Leather, tobacco, black currant, black cherry, blackberry and cassis aromas were quite evident on the nose.  The palate was dry, slightly tart with medium tannins, medium (-) acidity and light bodied.  Flavors of black currant, spice, leather, tobacco, blood/iron and orange marmalade but I did make a note that this wine was a touch ‘thin’.  Scoring it 91 points was a little off from the pros.  This $50 bottle gets 3 stars from me and only 14 marks on the tasting scale.  Drink now with lighter meat dishes.  Salut….

Carmelo Patti Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, Mendoza, Argentina

27 Sunday Feb 2022

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The red wine portion of the 25th Virtual Wine Tasting was focussed on oak and it’s influence on wine.  I purchased this Cab Sav that the winemaker ages is used barrels as a baseline.  The single varietal coupled with old oak would give us a starting point to build from.  Here is what the group had to say:

Deep garnet with a touch of bricking on this 10 year old wine that was showing fine legs in the glass.  The nose had very obvious aromas of cherry Coke/Pepsi.  Black cherry, black raspberry, dark chocolate, leather, smoky, woodsy spice and bramble.  On the palate this wine was smooth with medium (-) acidity, medium body, very fine and well-integrated tannins with a decently long finish.  On the palate we got black cherry, dark chocolate, licorice, bramble, leather and what can only be described as ‘BandAid’ by one of the group.  I scored this wine 15 marks, and then later upped it to 17 once it had had a chance to breathe.  No further reports of that plastic component!  91 points for this very svelte $35 bottle gets it 4 stars in my book.  I would drink this wine all by itself- it’s at peak now.  Salut….

Anselmo Mendes Contacto Alvarinho 2020, Vinho Verde, Portugal

27 Sunday Feb 2022

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We kicked off the 25th Virtual Wine Tasting event with this Alvarinho.  The winemaker has allowed some skin contact during fermentation so I was hoping for a rounder, fuller bodied wine.  We tasted it at room temperature and then chilled.  Here is what the group thought of this wine.

Pale straw colored with citrus, pineapple, yellow apple and saline on the nose.  Someone caught a whiff of petrol and we decided that the smell of Vaseline was an appropriate moniker.  Medium acidity and light bodied this wine has medium intensity flavors of honey, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, yellow apple and I sensed brioche.  I gave this version 11 marks on the VWTC score sheet.

The chilled version was crisper and had more prominent aromas and flavors.  Saline, honeysuckle and brioche with far less apple/citrus notes on the nose.  The palate had melon, grapefruit, pineapple and we felt the acidity was more prominent.  The wine had more body and scored 13 marks with me.  Overall this $20 gets 89 points from me, which is a far cry from the monster scores the pros gave.  I will re-taste tonight and report back if there is any significant change to my assessment of this 3 star effort.  Drink now with seafood or a chicken salad.  Salut….

William Gordon Winery Petite Sirah 2014, Alexander Valley, California

25 Friday Feb 2022

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Moxie is cooking dinner- a beef dish that is heavily influenced by mushrooms.  In case you did not know- umami (found in mushrooms) has a distinct affect on wine.  It makes a red taste more dry and bitter, more acidic, less fruity/sweet.  A perfect pairing for this would be a full bodied, rich, tannic wine with medium acidity and not overly dry- Petite Sirah is the answer.  Here goes.

Deep purple in the glass, this wine is inky.  The nose has pronounced aromas of black cherry, blackberry, macerated black plum, dark chocolate, anise, barnyard (kinda strange for the varietal) and smoke.  The palate is rich and dry.  Medium (+) tannins, full body and medium length finish.  The fruit flavors are delicious.  Black berries, currants, plums and pepper.  The smoke is evident as is the licorice note I got earlier.  It doesn’t quite hold up to the 2013 Petite Sirah I drank last year but it does rate well at 90 points.  For $45 it gets 3 stars from me.  Drink till 2028 with hearty meat dishes, especially those with some well marbled beef.  Salut….