Fattoria della Talosa Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice 1996, Tuscany, Italy

07 Monday Jul 2025

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It’s called Occhio di Pernice, which means Eye of the Partridge- relating to the deep amber color.  This one has a slight haze due to non-filtration and a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of walnuts, prunes, candied orange peel, salty caramel, Seaspray, and spun honey.  It’s quite complex. The palate is sweet, with a full body and medium (+) acidity.  The flavors are intense and mirror the nose.  It’s quite an unctuous drop packed full of flavors that layer on themselves.  The sweetness is balanced by the juicy acidity.  This wine begs for a stinky Blue Cheese or super ripe Brie.  The finish is long and silky.  What a treat.  We paid $45 ex-chateau for this 94 pointer that makes it worthy of 5 stars.  It’s just being released after 29 years- shockingly good stuff.  Made predominantly from Sangiovese grapes made in the Vin Santo method.  Drink till 2040.  Salut….

talosa occhio di pernice vin santo di Montepulciano

Domaine Durieu Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reserve Lucile Avril 2020, Rhone, France

09 Monday Jun 2025

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The closer at the 40th virtual wine tasting was this CDP.  Medium ruby colored with a high viscosity (15.5% ABV).  The group found medium intensity aromas of black cherry, bramble berry, funk, blackberry, leather, green leaf and a benzene note.  On the palate it was dry, with medium (-) acidity, a full body, and medium tannins.  Flavorwise- it was syrupy with black raspberry, bramble berry, overstepped black tea and black cherry.  Slightly astringent, it finished long.  It was not my favorite by a long shot and only garnered 15 points out of a possible 20 on our tasting sheet but technically speaking- this $45 effort got 90 points making it a 3 star wine.  It has some cellaring capacity even though it’s currently open for business. My buddy gave it a perfect score but then again he was pretty cheery by the close and loves Southern Rhone wines in general.  A blend of 80% grenache, 10% syrah and 10% mourvedre.  Salut….

Domaine Durieu Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reserve Lucile Avril

Yohan Lardy Fleurie Le Vivier 2023, Beaujolais, France

09 Monday Jun 2025

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I wanted our virtual tasting group to try a cru Beaujolais, unfortunately this one wasn’t it…. Medium ruby bordering on garnet with a low viscosity (12.5% ABV).  The nose had medium intensity aromas of purple grapes, pepper and plum.  It was quite boring.  The palate had medium (-) acidity, a medium (-) body, and medium (-) tannins.  Flavors of green pepper, grape, fresh peppercorns, and some plum gave way to a decently long finish that lifted the low score of this one-dimensional wine.  I scored it a mere 12 points on our tasting scale and awarded it 89 points on technical merit.  I paid $23 for this 3 star effort.  Drink till 2028. Salut….

Yohan Lardy Fleurie Le Vivier

Cambria Estate Winery Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022, Santa Maria Valley, California

09 Monday Jun 2025

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We drank this stunning Pinot bargain at our 40th virtual wine tasting.  I noted a pale ruby color with medium (-) viscosity (13.2% ABV).  The nose had medium (+) intensity aromas of strawberry, blackberry, black cherry, cherry cola, sweet licorice, red currants, tomato stalk and an evergreen hint. (these are combined descriptors from the group btw).  The palate was dry with a light body, medium (-) acidity, and low tannins- a very enjoyable mouthfeel.  Strawberry, mature black cherry, cola, smoky charcoal and sweet licorice flavors were noted.  The wine had a medium (+) finish and was enjoyed by all.  I scored it 18 points out of 20 on our tasting sheet and assigned it 91 points on a technical merit.  At $20 I am most definitely ordering a case of this to throw back at every opportunity.  A stunning 5 star effort to drink until 2030. Salut….

Cambria Estate Winery Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir

Sebastien Dampt Cote de Lechet 2022, Chablis Premier Cru, France

09 Monday Jun 2025

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We tasted this Burgundian Chardonnay at the 40th virtual wine tasting.  Per normal,  it was served chilled first followed by a room temperature glass for comparison.  The chilled version scored far better for me which is unusual.  Pale gold in color with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose gave us citrus, nectarines, honey, melon, peach and pink grapefruit.  The palate was dry with medium (+) acidity, and a medium (-) body.  The flavors are very terroir driven with loads of minerality and a long finish.  I scored this one a 16 on our tasting scale with a 91 point technical score.  The room temperature version was far less aromatic on the nose which surprised me.  It was more broad with lemon and grapefruit pith notes coupled with some honey and peach.  The palate was fuller in body but less powerful, not as complex and lacking focus.  The peach note remained alongside some ripe Honeycrisp apple notes and a slight bitterness.  The finish was only medium at this temperature.  I scored it a mere 10 points on our sheet.  Overall, I really enjoyed this wine well-chilled on night two.  At $30, it’s a treat bottle that gets 4 stars from me.  I believe it has some decent cellaring capacity with potential to evolve.  Salut….

Sebastien Dampt Cote de Lechet

Val do Sosego Albarino 2023, Rias Baixas, Spain

03 Tuesday Jun 2025

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Pale lemon colored with a watery sheen (12.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon and grapefruit pith, peach, pear, some salty minerality, white blossom, and a hint of green apple.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, and a medium (-) body.  The flavor intensity is slightly more than the nose and echoes the aromas in taste.  The finish is long and slightly tart from the zippy acidity.  It’s refreshing, light and delicious.  Worthy of 91 points and for the $20 price point it gets 5 stars. Load up on this beauty for summer, serve with grilled fish all day long.  Salut….

Val do Sosego Albarino

Lachini Vineyards ‘La Contrada’ Red 2017, Walla Walla Valley, Washington

27 Tuesday May 2025

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Deep ruby colored, with slight staining, and high viscosity (15.4% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of cassis, blackberry, black plum, vanilla, acai berry, mint, eucalyptus, and espresso bean.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are quite grippy.  Dark fruit coupled with lavish, yet well integrated oak make for a very rich and satisfying mouthfeel.  The vanilla was very obvious on the nose but more subtle on the palate, as are the herbal notes- allowing the fruit to dominate the flavors.  The finish is medium (+) in length where it shows off the ripeness of the grapes, which are an 83/17 blend of Cab Sav/Merlot.  The tannins leave me with a dry palate after it’s all said and done, the youth and structure of this wine being quite obvious at this point.  I like it, 93 points worth and for the price of $55 it gets 4 stars.  Drink this youthful wine till 2034.  Salut….

Lachini Vineyards 'La Contrada' Red

Williamsburg Winery Semi-dry Rosé 2023, Williamsburg, Virginia

19 Monday May 2025

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Pale strawberry colored, with a watery sheen (12% ABV). The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of red grapefruit pith, strawberry, red cherry, tangerine, fresh green herbs, and white blossom.  The palate is barely off-dry, with medium (+) acidity, and a medium (-) body.  Medium intensity flavors of red cherry, strawberry, tangerine, grapefruit pith and a lovely, airy, floral note.   The finish is medium in length- crunchy with great acidity coupled with red fruit flavors.  The residual sugar (1.5g/l) is just noticeable and really balances out the rather high acidity, making the wine taste fresh and zippy.  It’s a great aperitif and would pair nicely with a salmon salad, shrimp cocktail or a hard-cheese board.  I like it.  88 points and for $17- it gets 4 stars.  An interesting blend of 52% Tinta Cao, 32% Vidal Blanc and 16% Roussanne that will drink well until 2028.  Salut….

Williamsburg Winery Semi-dry Rose

Luis Vieira Reserva Capital 2020, Portugal

18 Sunday May 2025

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Deep ruby colored, with medium viscosity (13.5 % ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, blackberry, licorice, coffee, mint, a hint of game, and cracked pepper.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium body and medium tannins.  Medium intensity flavors of blackberry, black plum, kirsch, licorice, coffee and black pepper.  The finish is medium in length.  Overall this is a well made wine that will drink nicely till 2028 and pair great with steaks, burgers, and pasta.  It gets 88 points from me and for $14- 4 stars.  An interesting blend of Trincadeira (40%), Syrah (40%), and Aragonez, aka Tempranillo making up the balance.  Salut….

Luis Vieira Reserva Capital

Vazisubani Estate 3 Qvevri 2023, Kakheti, Georgian Republic

16 Friday May 2025

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Pale to medium amber colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of apricot, spun honey, white blossom, green almond, grapefruit, tangerine, and melon.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium body, and medium (+) tannins (yes, orange wine has tannins!).  Medium intensity flavors of bitter apricots, honey, white blossom, grapefruit pith, tangerine skin and astringent green almond.  This wine is quite bitter, by design.  The fragrance of the honey, apricot and white blossom transcends into a pith driven tannic wine that is now giving me over-steeped white tea notes.  The finish is medium in length with the acidity finally overstepping the tannic grip.  An interesting blend of Rkatsiteli, Mstvane, and Kisi that has been fermented on the skins to dryness.  It gets 88 points from me and at $20, 3 stars.  Drink till 2028.  I am going to pair it with Vietnamese rolls and spicy dipping sauces.  Salut….

Vazisubani Estate 3 Qvevri