Tag Archives: $13

Osborne Medium Sherry NV, Andalucia, Spain

17 Wednesday Jan 2024

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Pale amber colored with high viscosity (17% ABV).  The nose of this sherry has medium intensity aromas of nuts, green almonds, a touch of yeast, seaspray and burnt sugar.  The palate is off-dry with high acidity and a full body.  Medium intensity flavors of warmed cashews, green almonds, caramel, yeast and caramel/burnt sugar carry throughout to a long finish that has a bit of lingering heat.  It’s a tasty drop for sure that could use chilling (I’m tasting at room temp btw).  In case you missed it- Medium Sherry is an Amontillado (partial Biological age then Oxidatively aged) base wine that is sweetened to between 5-115 g/l of sugar.  I like it and think it deserves 89 points.  For $13 it gets 4 stars.  Salut….

Phebus Torrontes 2022, Mendoza, Argentina

15 Monday Jan 2024

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Pale lemon colored with a watery sheen (12.5% ABV).  The nose of this aromatic wine is quite intense with aromas of wild flower, lemon zest, grapefruit, papaya, pink guava, rosewater and tangerine.  It’s quite a potpourri!  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a refreshingly light body.  The flavors are not quite as intense as the nose but I still get loads of wild flower, citrus and tropical fruit notes. The papaya is quite prominent and reminds me of growing up in Africa.  One would be mistaken in assuming this veritable fruit salad is going to be off-dry- it’s really dry and crisp.  The finish is short to medium in length with citrus pith dominating.  I am really enjoying this Torrontes as I did with the 2021 vintage .  This one gets 89 points from me and at $13 it’s a buy-by-the-box wine for the upcoming summer.  Pair with crisp salad, grilled chicken salad or tuna fish casserole.  4 stars.  Salut….

Carmen Stevens Red Blend 2020, Western Cape, South Africa

22 Friday Sep 2023

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Medium purple with hints of ruby and high viscosity (14.9% ABV).  The nose has ripe aromas of blackberry, black cherry, vanilla bean, blueberry cobbler, capsicum, lavender and baking spices.  It’s a very enticing nose- can’t wait to taste.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins.  The ripe fruit I got on the nose is a touch subdued but the dark berry and cherry is evident as is the oak influence.  The tannins turn a touch chalky on the mid palate but this full bodied wine delivers a nice mouthfeel.  The heat is a bit noticeable on the back end which has a medium length finish.  I like it!  I’m going with 89 points for this $13 blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon making it a 5 star effort.  I would pair it with BBQ, perhaps a stew or even Osso Bucco.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Finca Bacara ‘Time Waits for No One’ 2017, Jumilla, Spain

07 Monday Aug 2023

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Deep purple with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  Aromas of candied black cherry, blackcurrant jam, salty licorice, vanilla thread, dark chocolate mocha and blueberry ganache.  The palate is dry with gritty, medium-grained tannins and medium acidity.  Full bodied- it shows off dark berry fruit, a candied note and some oak influence.  Blackened char hits on the back end alongside ripe blueberry. 89 points for this Mourvèdre (aka Monastrell), drink till 2026.  At $13, coupled with high scores from other reviews it gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Sam Plunkett The Butterfly Effect Shiraz 2020, Victoria, Australia

11 Sunday Jun 2023

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Medium to deep ruby colored with high viscosity (14.6% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black raspberry, mint, eucalyptus, a hint of vanilla, red plum, blackcurrants and baking spice. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins. Confirming dark red fruits with definite oak influence plus the eucalyptus and mint notes. The wine is full bodied with very caressing tannins towards the mid palate. Finishing medium in length with a touch of red fruit-driven tartness. 90 points and for $13- 5 stars.  I am pairing this smooth Aussie Shiraz with grilled Strip steak. This one will cellar till 2028.  Salut….

Jose Hernandez Torrontes 2021, Salta, Argentina

15 Sunday Jan 2023

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Pale lemon-lime colored with a watery sheen on the glass walls (12.5%ABV).  The nose of this aromatic Torrontes has intense aromas of papaya, apricot, geranium, honeysuckle, mandarin oranges, white tea and bergamot.  Intriguing!  The nose smells of ripe, sweet fruit so there is a preconception that this wine will have some sweetness- au contraire.  It is dry with medium (+) acidity and a medium (-) body.  A touch bitter right off the bat, the flavors of apricot, geranium, white tea and honeysuckle carry through to a medium length finish that I am enjoying.  I’m really starting to like this varietal, it is very tasty with crisp acidity and holds many interesting flavors and aromas.  88 points from me.  I am serving it as an aperitif while I cook dinner.  It would pair with a Cobb salad, poached chicken on quinoa or even a hard cheese board.  For $13 it’s a 4 star effort.  Drink now.  Salut….

Arabella Reserve Pinotage 2020, Western Cape, South Africa

10 Tuesday Jan 2023

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Opaque, deep purple colored with slow moving legs (14% ABV).  The nose has aromas of dark plum, black cherry, purple licorice and a touch of smoke and coffee.  The palate is dry with medium (-) acidity and bold tannins that cover my cheeks.  Flavors of black cherry, blackberry and black plum with coffee and smoke on the back end.  There is a touch of bitterness on the finish showing perhaps some greeness in the tannins?   Full bodied with a medium finish, this is going to pair well with my grilled Tri-tip and Boerewors sausage.  Not overly complex or rich, it is tasty and easygoing wine with short term cellaring capacity.  I would drink this 87 pointer till 2025 and for $13 it’s a 4 star effort to stock up on for barbecues and parties.  Salut….

Juicy’s Shiraz Assemblage 2020, South Australia

10 Thursday Nov 2022

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This blend of Shiraz is a medium shade of garnet in the glass with defined legs (15% ABV).  The nose has pronounced aromas of black plum, black raspberry, blackberry, cinnamon and dill.  The palate is dry with medium (-) acidity and very supple tannins.  Medium bodied- this delicious wine has very ripe fruit flavors of plum, dark raspberry and black cherry with some licorice, pepper and cedar.  The alcohol shows up on the back end with a touch of heat on the throat, which was to be expected.  The finish is medium in length and I get dark red and black fruit with some oak notes.  Really delightful wine that gets 89 points from me and at $13 it’s a steal worthy of 5 stars.  Drink over the short term with some braised beef ribs or perhaps a roast leg of lamb.  Salut….

Benjamin Darnault Pinot Noir 2020, Languedoc, France

23 Friday Sep 2022

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Pale ruby with a hint of red on the edges.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of raspberry, rose petal, red cherry, baking spice, pomegranate and red currant.  The palate is dry with low tannins and high acidity.  Flavorful- it has a medium body and I get candied cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, red currant and baking spice.  The balance is nice but the wine finishes a bit short.  I like it and would pair it with roast chicken, grilled Mackerel or even baked Salmon.  88 points and for $13 you can enjoy this 3 star wine till 2025 whilst tasting the sunshine of the South of France.  Salut….

Barista Pinotage 2020, Paarl, South Africa

16 Friday Sep 2022

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As the name implies- this is a very coffee-driven wine.  Pinotage takes to heavily toasted oak barrels like a fish to water- this is where the winemaker can add the definitive coffee notes if they so choose.  This particular bottle is a pale-to-medium ruby with a blue tinge (lower acid).  On the nose I got pronounced aromas of coffee, some dark chocolate, tar, blackberry compote, forest floor and mulberry.  My notes include a ‘fish?’ notation, might have been a passing moment.  On the palate the wine has medium (-) acidity (remember the blue tinge?), medium (+) body and medium tannins.  I noted it was quite earthy but the structural components made for a great mouthfeel and it ended with a decent length finish.  For $13, this 89 point wine earns a respectable 4 stars from me and could pair nicely with Venison, BBQ, Pulled Pork or any other highly flavored dish.  See my notes on the 2016 Barista.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….