Tag Archives: 1 star

Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou ‘La Croix de Beaucaillou’ 2010, Saint-Julien, France

05 Friday Jun 2020

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


It’s inky, brooding, opaque and shows fine legs in the glass.  On the nose I get graphite, plums, oaky vanilla and cedar.  On the palate there are black currants, green plums, black tea and dry tannins.  The mid palate is very astringent with more tea, strange tannins, some black fruit and not much acidity.  I’m not enjoying this wine very much, too off-balance and way too dry without fruit to back it up.  The finish is very dark and austere- over-steeped tea, some plums and a woodsy note.  The grip of the tannins hold on for a while but the fruit fades quickly.  Overall a disappointing wine from a great Bordeaux vintage.  86 points from me, the pros went much higher but I don’t see it.  It may mellow out in the near future.  Drink till 2025.  For $75 it gets  1 star and a pass from yours truly.  Salut….

Bodegas Nekeas Vega Sindoa Merlot 2018, Navarra, Spain

27 Wednesday May 2020

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


The third SplashWine in the lineup is a Merlot from Spain.  It’s a dull shade of purple and nearly see through.  On the nose I get cherry, raspberry and oregano.  On the initial palate it is somewhat sweet with cherry juice, more red fruit melange and tart acid.  The mid palate is not so sweet and the proper flavors come around.  Raspberries and sour cherry are more like it.  The wine finishes quickly, with some red fruit, crunchy tartness and a trace of tannins.  83 points from me and 1 star for this $12 wine.  Salut….

La Croix-Barton 2015, Bordeaux, France

20 Thursday Jun 2019

Posted by in Wine

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,


Pale purple and seethrough in the glass.  The nose is black kirsch and charcoal.  On the palate it has a definitive woodsy note that opens up the initial palate.  Black berries appear alongside rooibos tea, but it’s a little thin.  On the midpalate I get some juicy acidity alongside some dark fruits.  The finish has some tannic bite, albeit slightly green.  Overall I’m quite disappointed in this vintage.  84 points and 1 star for this $15 wine, a major pass I’m afraid.  Salut….

Cap Royal Bordeaux Superieur 2015, France

18 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by in Wine

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,


Light to medium density in the glass.  A lighter shade of purple that offers up plum, star anise and a stony minerality on the nose.  On the palate, it is somewhat sour and lacking in upfront fruit.  I have to coax some dark fruits, mainly plum out of the midpalate.  There is a herbaceous component that disjoints the wine coupled with volatile tannins.  The lack of fruit bothers me somewhat.  The overpowering dryness is quite dominant making this wine not very pleasant nor technically very good.  83 points- a pass of 1 star, save the $15.  Salut….

Mission Estate Winery Merlot 2014, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

22 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


Dark but opaque purple.  Nose has flavors of raspberry, oak and nutmeg.  On the palate, somewhat tannic and dry on the initial taste with red berries and an astringency that is somewhat overpowering.  The tannins continue the dryness onto the mid palate where I get some black cherry notes, but just barely.  The finish is one dimensional.  For me this wine is unbalanced and lacking fruit.  It could be in a dumb phase.  Right now I’m thinking 85 points and for the $18 I paid it is a pass and 1 star.  It’s a shame as I really enjoyed the 2014 Mission Cabernet Merlot blend which I gave 89 points to.  Salut…

Quinta do Vallado Tinto 2013, Douro, Portugal

30 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


I really look forward to Portuguese wines.  I normally find them to be full of flavor, with good structure and interesting profiles.  This one was on sale for $14 and relied heavily on past vintage points awarded.  It starts off very promising with a rich deep purple in the glass.  Nose of bramble, blackberry and earth.  The palate is initially a little light for me.  Black cherry, more blackberry but that’s about it.  The mid palate is one dimensional, offering a dusty blackberry note and not much else.  The finish is slightly dry with some tannins finally appearing.  This wine is too thin for me, not extracted enough and lacks any long term cellaring.  I don’t think it is a repeat purchase.  83 points and 1 star from me.  Salut….

vallado douru

Laleure-Piot Les Tuvilains 2009

01 Friday May 2015

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,


If you read my first tasting note on this Beaune Premiere Cru you will recall that I hated it, giving it 80 points and 1 star.  I have a few more in the cellar and pulled one out for a comparative tasting after two more years of cellaring.  Not much has changed, unfortunately. I did some research and I must say I am confused.  It scored 91 points on average by peers on cellar tracker.  Vivino peeps gave it a good write up yet I can’t get my head around the muted nose of rhubarb and cherry pie which is too tart still with little fruit depth. Red currants and cinnamon finally showed up. I was kinder this time with 85 points, but that is generous.  A major 1 star pass for the money.  Salut….

IMG_2465

Magistrate Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

20 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


This wine rounded out our trio of Sunday Cabs-with-Football.  I recognized the label right away when my friend poured us a taste.  I wrote my notes based on this bottle and just now looked up the previous vintage that I tasted.  Yup, I hated the Magistrate 2011 just as much as I disliked this offering.  Sorry, but candied plums and oak again make me realize that there are far too many nasty wines out there that are merely juice with oak chips and tannin powder.  This one in particular had a slightly lighter body with purple fruits and wild flowers with slight tannins and a hint of acidity.  83 points and 1 star.  Major pass, yet again for this $13 bottle.  Salut….

magistrate cabernet sauvignon

Maison Champy Gevrey-Chambertin Vielle Vignes 2008

20 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Gevrey-Chambertin is supposed to be a structured and bold Pinot Noir from the Burgundy region.  This is my second try at this bottle.  The first was in 2011, I hated it and decided to cellar the rest for potential improvement.  Nothing here folks.  A major dud from this producer who used ‘old vines’.  Sour cherries and pencil lead.  Some strange funk going on, but not the kind that I like.  Very sharp acid and some ingrained tannins but no real finish.  The lead component took me a while to pinpoint.  It really is unpleasant.  This was not a cheap wine, and can be found now for $40.  WS gave it 90 points.  I reckon it is an 84 pointer and a major pass.  1 star and moving on.  #dissappointed.  Salut….

IMG_0035

Apothic Red Winemaker’s Blend 2011

15 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by in Wine

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , ,


I am going to do something completely different today.  I am re-tasting the Apothic Red which I despised back in May of last year.  One of the primary reasons for this tasting is  to calibrate my palate.  Right after I tasted this wine, hated it and wrote about, the Big Man himself proclaimed it to be his ‘wine of the day’.  Imagine what a schmuck I felt.  Anyway, that was last year and it was the 2010 vintage. I have the 2011 vintage and am ready to try it again.  This time, I am going to write about it as I am drinking it.  Here we go……

Dark purple in the glass, there appears to be some effervescence.  (That is not a good thing by the way.)

On the nose, that Zinfandel smell of candy again.  Not liking….

My first impression is…. …. …  Candy.  Again with the sickly sweet, overdone sugar water.  This is a wine that will be loved by newb’s.  It is sweet, lacks structure, has no tannins and is off balance with the acidity.  I cannot recommend this wine, to anyone.  A blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon that lacks any fruit characteristics.

Dear Mr P.  I disagree with your thoughts about this wine.  It is junk and should not be on shelves.  The end.  Your thoughts?

 

For $14, there are millions of other wines that are delicious.  1 star and 80 points (I’m being generous).

IMG_2547