Trefethen Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Oak Knoll District, California

04 Monday Oct 2021

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I am looking to pair Eye of Round roast which has been cooking in the sous vide for 20 hours.  A Napa Cabernet is called for.  This wine is opaque and a very pretty purple in the glass.  The nose screams Napa sunshine- bright blackberry aromas with black plum, cloves, charred wood, black tea and vanilla.  The palate is quite intense with black fruit, oak nuances juicy acidity and medium tannins that carry through to the very end.  The blackberry flavors are very prominent in this one, they duke it out on the back end with the tannins to see who lasts the longest.  Th oak usage is very deft and well played.  I like the balance of this wine and it has a medium to full body.  The 14.2% ABV is barely noticeable but I did get a whiff of it on the nose.  Still young- this one will cellar nicely till 2030 but if you like a dry, slightly tannic wine then pop-n-pour right away.  92 points from me make this $50 wine a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Pedro Rodriguez e Hijos ‘Mil Pesetas’ Pedro Ximenez Sherry NV, Andalucia, Spain

02 Saturday Oct 2021

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Several months ago I purchased every style of Sherry made by the same producer that I could find- in hopes of expanding my knowledge and palate.  I tried the dry ones, the off dry ones and now we get to the sweet one.  Made from the the Pedro Ximenez grape in the Solera system, it promises to be a lush dessert wine.

In the glass it is amber and weeping, it looks very viscous.  On the nose it is exactly what I was hoping for.  Dried sultanas, walnuts, prunes, coffee, dried cherry, chocolate  and stewed apricot.  The palate is very thick, unctuous and sweet.  Delicious flavors of nuts, dried fruit, honey, gentle acidity make for a very velvety and luxuriously rich mouthfeel.  The sweetness is something to behold.  Low acidity is actually key here as it would be a detractor if there were loads of it.  This is lovely stuff that gets 91 points from me and for the $25/500ml price point it gets 5 stars.  A great dessert wine if you like ’em sweet.  Salut….

Chateau Marotte Blanc 2020, Bordeaux, France

02 Saturday Oct 2021

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Dinner is Jamaican Jerk Pork.  A spicy dish that needs careful consideration for a pairing.  The first varietal that comes to mind is Riesling.  Number 2 choice- Gewurtztraminer.  I have both in the fridge but opted for this young and fresh Bordeaux blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc that weighs in at a decent 12% ABV. It is very pale in the glass with a lemon color.  The aromas pop out of the glass with lots of intensity.  Lemon zest, tangerine, passion fruit, mango and geranium.  The palate is dry and packed with juicy acidity.  Citrus and floral notes abound alongside exotic fruit flavors that I got on the nose.  Although it is a crisp wine, it has a certain body and mouthfeel to it that I am really enjoying.  It is fresh and lively and will certainly give the spices in the dish a good complement.  This wine is probably best drunk young and paired with fish, pork or a vegetable tart.  It is juicy right up till the medium length finish gives out.  Yummy stuff that gets 89 points from me and at $20 it is worthy of 4 stars.  Salut….

Masciarelli Marina Cvetic S. Martino Rosso 2016, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy

01 Friday Oct 2021

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Tonight I am preparing stuffed shells on a bed of Kale with meatballs on the side- the classic Italian dish that this varietal was made for.  It’s a bit murky in the glass and semi opaque.  The nose is brimming with red fruit, rose, violets, walnut and cedar.  There might be a hint of tea in there as well.  The palate is dry, acidic and carries some medium tannins.  The red currants, red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate notes are all there along with the florals and oak notes.  It’s quite tart on the back end but that’s what I was hoping for.  It’s labelled Reserva, which means nothing officially but it’s a way the producer tries to identify a superior product in this region.  I did a bit of research following my tasting- it’s interesting that three different pros described three different fruit profiles.  One said red fruit, one said blue and the last stated black.  Either way, it got decent scores and I would agree with the 91 pointer.  For $25, it’s a good Friday-with-Pasta wine that gets 5 stars from me.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Clos de los Siete by Michel Rolland 2018, Vista Flores, Argentina

01 Friday Oct 2021

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If you read much about winemaking the name Michel Rolland will no doubt come up, several times.  He’s a consultant oenologist who works with hundred of clients worldwide.  At a steak house in Quebec they offered this blend of 55% Malbec, 19% Merlot, 10% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 12% Syrah, 2% Petit Verdot , 2% Cabernet Franc.  It normally retails for $16 and garnered high marks from the pros so I had to try it.

Inky with rich aromas of blackberry, black currants, mint, charred wood and licorice.  Full bodied with rich flavors and medium tannins.  Gentle acidity makes for great mouthfeel. 92 points.  Till 2028

Those were my tableside notes- very brief but you get the idea (I did not want to detract from the conversation to write details!). Drink this 5 star gem with steaks all day long- the pairing is magical.  Salut….

Chateau Haut Monplaisir 2018, Cahors, France

01 Friday Oct 2021

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We went to Montreal recently and dined at a Middle Eastern restaurant that featured lots of Lamb dishes.  I selected this Malbec for its fruitiness but I was really hoping for a tannic wine to help cut the usually fatty cut of a Lamb shoulder cooked in the Tagine.  In Cahors, Malbec is known as the “Black Wine”.  It did not disappoint- Dark hued, opaque and brooding in the glass.  Black currant jam, oak, charcoal, funk and garrigue all hit me on the nose and palate where I got medium acidity and medium plus tannins.  Fresh and dry with a medium length finish of dried herbs, black licorice and jammy fruit- this 89 point wine get 4 stars from me.  You can find it for $17.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

 

 

Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Muscadelle NV, Rutherglen, Australia

30 Thursday Sep 2021

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I’m delving into the unknown with this one.  I have never tried a Muscadelle, but I have heard about it in my wine course.  In an effort to expand my palate I went looking for one of these and boy is it a rich amber color.  It looked syrupy when I was pouring it and the legs are just a watery sheen on the glass which is surprising considering this sweet dessert wine weighs in at 18.5% ABV.  The nose is interesting- some oxidation with stewed fruit and nuts, almost peanuts…  On the palate it is very thick and rich with aromatic fruit.  Pecans, honey, tangerine peel, burnt sugar, dried apricots, medicinal- think lemon and honey cough drops.  It is unctuous and sweet for sure but there is a bitterness too.  The acidity is medium and the finish is also medium in length.  To say it is full bodied would be an understatement, but the mouthfeel is great.  I am liking this intro to the style yet miss a botrytized white, that’s more down my sweet wine alley.  This bottle will eventually get finished, unlike a good Sauternes which won’t last but a few short hours.  Not knowing what to score this $15/375ML offering, I will defer to the pros who gave it 91 points.  5 stars, drink with dessert!  Salut…

Bodega Quo Grenache 2012, Campo de Borja, Spain

29 Wednesday Sep 2021

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I have been getting into Grenache more and more lately so when this bottle showed up with 9 years of cellaring- I had to try it.  In the glass it is of medium opacity and still bright ruby.  The nose has earthy Spanish dirt alongside blackberry, blackcurrant, vanilla, bramble, dried herbs and eucalyptus.  The palate is gorgeous.  The richness and freshness of the black fruit is amazing.  The earthiness is somewhat subdued, allowing the fruit to shine.  Lithe tannins and medium acidity make for a lighter than expected body but the mouthfeel is great.  The finish is short but makes me reach for more, it’s that delicious.  My pairing is Lamb chops and roasted sweet potatoes.  This wine has plenty of age but is youthful.  Drink till 2028 and for $12, this 90 point wine is a 5 star winner.  Salut….

Domaine Baptiste Boutes Minervois 2016, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

28 Tuesday Sep 2021

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I must admit- I shop the bin ends and any closeouts.  I have found some great bargains but more importantly, aged wine that someone else has fronted for and held on to so I can swoop in and get it at its prime.  So I had to chuckle when I finally red the label on this 2016 vintage blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre.  It says “to be kept between one and two years of age’.  Whoops!

In the glass it’s a medium intensity ruby in color with watery legs.  On the nose- it still smells fresh!  Red currants, raspberry, blueberry, red plum and licorice.  The palate is delightful- medium acidity, lithe tannins and good expression of red fruit, a hint of oak and some black licorice.  I get a tea component on the mid palate and the finish is medium in length with charred oak, red fruit and stewed red plum. The structure is holding on and will allow this wine to be enjoyed for another few years, perhaps with Cassoulet, braised meats or a roast duck dish- it needs a rustic pairing.  89 points from me and at $14 it’s worth buying if you bump into it- 4 stars.  Salut….

David Akiyoshi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Clarksburg, California

27 Monday Sep 2021

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I just fired up the Big Green Egg to char some Picahna steaks- they will need a bold, tannic wine so I picked this young Cab Sav.  It’s pretty opaque in the glass and shows watery legs, which makes sense for a 13.5% ABV wine.  The nose has nice aromas of red plum, black plum, black currants, spice box, cedar and chocolate nibs.  The palate is very smooth, with lithe tannins and juicy acidity- I was hoping for a more dry and tannic wine but the acidity will have to suffice in cutting the fat from the steaks.  The fruit is very evident with red and black notes mingling with the cedar and spices.  It has a touch of sweetness from the ripeness of the berries but I doubt it has any residual sugar- akin to a light preserve/jam.  The tannins are very svelte on the medium length finish which is still chock full of fruit, I really like it!  Overall this is a good wine that will drink nicely till 2024 with Filet, roast Cornish Hens or even a pasta dish.  89 points from me make this $13 effort a 5 star wine.  Salut….