Tag Archives: $13

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2020, France

27 Friday Nov 2020

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Once a year (the third Thursday in November to be precise) the French release the Beaujolais Nouveau. Super bright shade of purple, totally opaque.  The nose is very fruity- black cherries, blackcurrants, cherry cola and sassafras.  The palate is lively with lots of purple fruit, gobs of acidity and some licorice notes. Primal, this wine is meant to be drunk right away, yet it seems to have a bit of stuffing in there that may allow it to cellar for a year or two.  There’s a sour cherry note that carries this wine through to the medium length finish.  I’m thoroughly enjoying it.  The Nouveau movement started as a marketing ploy, got very popular in the 80’s and waned a bit of late.  It’s a fun, basic wine that is nearly perfect for Thanksgiving and is easy to drink.  Gamay based wines are served by the bucketload in the bistros of Paris, normally chilled ever so slightly they make a great red for a hot summers lunch.  This one will fill that role nicely in the coming 12 months.  87 points. $13 and 3 stars. This brand changes the label every year, cool stuff. Salut….

Arabella Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Western Cape, South Africa

22 Tuesday Sep 2020

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This South African Cab is a dark shade of reddish purple and is semi opaque.  The nose is steeped in dark fruit compote, a touch of mint perhaps and coffee bean.  The initial palate is very smooth with some nice blackberry notes along with espresso and chocolate powder.  Very gentle, lithe tannins make it very easy to drink but conversely- it lacks structure for the long haul.  The mid palate is more blueberry and plum.  The finish is very fruity with nice black and blue berries to go with vanilla.  There is a hint of oak influence that I am enjoying.  The mouthfeel is really pleasing and I am thoroughly enjoying this wine as an aperitif.  It will pair nicely with lighter fare and drink well till 2024.  89 points from me and 4 stars for this $13 effort.  Salut….

F. Stephen Millier Black Label Old Vines Zinfandel 2019, Lodi, California

21 Monday Sep 2020

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I have had a few wines from Lodi recently and am becoming a big fan.  Zinfandel is one of their signature grapes so this wine is exciting to me.

As I look at it in the glass it’s a nice shade of opaque purple.  I can also smell the waft of fruit from a foot away, always a good sign.  The nose is very fruit forward with tons of black berry, dark plums and a cinnamon twist.  The palate is misleading- when you smell that much fruit you automatically expect a wine with a touch of sweetness, which I do not look forward to in reds.  This wine is not at all sweet- it is rich, concentrated with black fruit and very tasty.  There is a core of minerality on the mid palate that mixes it up with some oaky char and anise.  I usually expect pepper with this varietal but I’m not getting any.  The wine has a nice, balanced mouthfeel with very lithe tannins and supporting acidity.  The finish is a fruit salad of black cherry, blackcurrants and blackberry jam.  It is mouth filling and satisfying if you like a ton of flavor.  I’m enjoying it with some Spaghetti Arrabiata with garlic bread.  Kudos to the winemaker for this 90 point effort that I paid $13 for.  It gets 5 stars and will drink nicely till 2027.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 722 Chenin Blanc 2018, Sonoma County, California

22 Saturday Aug 2020

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Pale yellow in the glass.  On the nose I get watermelon, lime spritz and melon.  On the palate it is fruity and flavorful- quince, pear and a buttery note.  The mid palate continues the full bodied mouthfeel and flavor profile.  The finish is decent in length and offers up some honey alongside yellow apple and more pear.  It’s an interesting and tasty wine for sure, refreshing yet it has some depth and viscosity.  The malolactic fermentation has given it a touch of butter and flab, enough to notice but not overdone.  This wine will pair well with grilled Salmon, Cobb salad or baked Aubergine in tomatoes.  Drink till 2024.  For $13, this is a no-brainer to keep on hand.  88 points make it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

 

 

Cameron Hughes Lot 731 Malbec 2018, Mendoza, Argentina

21 Friday Aug 2020

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Very bright purple in the glass.  The nose is fruit forward with blackberries, grilled plum and purple licorice.  On the palate this wine is very tasty…. delicious in an easy-going way.  Blackberry reduction, star anise, ribena and creosote all feature on the opening.  The mid palate gives me some charred oak, blackberry reduction and oolong tea.  The finish is short to medium length- with dry notes of tea leaf, dusty mocha and that blackberry theme that has been consistent from the get-go.  Overall a decent drop that gets 89 points from me as the tannins are present but won’t promote extended cellaring and the acidity is feint at best.  Drink till 2023 with stews, a Lamb Tagine or beef moussaka.  4 stars for this $13 charmer.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 639 Rosé 2017, Monterey County, California

20 Thursday Aug 2020

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This wine is a gorgeous shade of orange/pink.  On the nose I get strawberry and lemon zest, pink grapefruit and almonds.  On the palate it is a touch sweet, apricots come to mind.  The strawberry component reappears on the mid palate with notes of lanolin and lemon.  The finish is refreshing, a touch acidic and decent in length.  Light red fruit notes carry through to the end.  This is a nice, if somewhat sweet, summer sundowner.  I would serve it with charcuterie, hard cheeses and some fresh figs.  Drink till 2022.  88 points and 4 stars for this $13 Valdiguié, a varietal I have never tried before.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 720 Rosé, Haut Alpes, France

14 Friday Aug 2020

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Darker shade of straw/pink.  On the nose it’s very fruity with hints of cranberry, strawberry and pink grapefruit.  On the palate it is bright, fresh and medium bodied with the light red fruit theme continuing.  There is a trace of acidity to keep it fresh and it drinks very light and bouncy.  A perfect summer sipper.  I like the whole package for what it is.  Drink till 2023 with appetizers, perhaps a charcuterie tray or light, white meats.  88 points and 5 stars for this $13 quaffer.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 633 Riesling 2017, Napa Valley, California re-visited

12 Sunday Jul 2020

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This was our opening wine at virtual tasting #5.  As before, I had everyone reserve half at room temperature and chill the other half.  Mixed results as usual with some enjoying the rounder, fuller nose and palate of the unchilled version whilst others preferred the slight cut and edge of the chilled.  I got quince, pineapple and honey.  It was not very acidic, nor was it sweet, a trait commonly found in Riesling.  Overall a very serviceable white that I will be ordering more of.  87 points this time around, which contrasts with the last time I drank it.  My previous notes showed it to be sweeter but I preferred it in this iteration whilst scoring it lower….  hmmm.  $13 is a good price btw, 4 stars.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 719 Rosé 2018, Mediteranée

14 Sunday Jun 2020

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This Rosé started our third virtual wine tasting with friends.  I had everyone reserve half the bottle in another container at room temperature and the remainder in the fridge to be served chilled.  It was a gorgeous evening and all parties were on their respective patios with cheese and crackers at the ready.  We started off with the chilled version which I found to have a nice pinkish hue, good nose of strawberry, rhubarb and a touch of citrus.  The palate was very refreshing, lithe with some nice acidity exhibiting strawberry and red berry notes.  The room temperature version had a much fuller nose but was very flabby on the palate.  I enjoyed the chilled one more and would forgo some of the nose in return for that crisper body and more succinct flavor profile.  It’s an interesting experiment to try with whites and Rosès.  Overall I thought it was a nice drop which gets 87 points from me.  For $13 it’s a nice summer wine to have on hand, 3 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

Baywood Cellars Classic Red NV, California

26 Tuesday May 2020

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Number 2 from SplashWines is this non-vintage blend that rings the bells at 13.5%.  Semi opaque with a reddish tint in the glass.  The nose is intriguing- strawberries, by the bucketful.  Red currants and sweet pomegranate to boot.  Oh…. and Apricots.  Yup- Apricots.  The palate is very unique, a touch sweet but very red fruit forward.  It’s a very interesting flavor profile. The mid palate is very easy going, red Twizzlers and a touch of cherry cola.  The acidity is very gentle which makes up for the lack of much tannin.  The finish is more cherry and rhubarb with that crispy acidity adding zest.  It’s decent in length and tasty.  I must say I was a bit biased when I unscrewed this bottle, but I reckon it’s very easy going, fun to drink and will appeal to the novice as well as anyone coming over for a barbecue.  This is a $13 party wine and it gets 86 points from me. 3 stars. Drink now.  Salut….