27 Saturday Feb 2016
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We went out to dinner with friends and I was intrigued by this South African offering. It retails for $13 in stores but did not get great peer reviews.
Coffee. Lots of it, on the nose, palate and finish. Earth and dark mocha in the initial surge with sour cherries on the mid palate. Typical pinotage but with a gruff ending. I made brief comments about Iodine and Beef Jerky flavors. 87 points from me and 3 stars. Salut….
14 Sunday Jun 2015
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From Spain’s Rioja came this blend of Carignan, Grenache and Tempranillo that I had a hard time with. The pro’s were all over the map with scores ranging from 90 down to 82. I paid $13 for it but found it for $10 elsewhere.
Nose of earth and blue fruits with some hint of oak. Atypical for Rioja- muted flavors of blueberry and bramble. Slightly rough tannins but good acidity seem to balance out in the end with a very muted finish overshadowed by the tannic frame. 86 points from me and 2 stars. I think one merits another look as it may be bottle variation. How is it possible to have such varied impression from others I wonder. I will look for it in the future and report back. Salut….
20 Monday Oct 2014
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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….
30 Monday Dec 2013
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My grandfather once told me that The Parson’s Nose was another word for a chicken’s derriere, so when I saw this wine I just had to try it. He also used to say Yacky Da as a toast, I think it’s Welsh for cheers. Here’s to grandad…
This wine was a great expression of Mclaren Vale Shiraz. Not jammy and overdone, but a more restrained offering with blueberry and black fruits showing throughout with generous oak and spice. Medium tannins are a delight and the wine was easy to drink. I got some very interesting mid palate flavors similar to mulled wine with cloves and cinnamon. I really enjoyed the complexity that this very reasonable wine offered. I paid $13 on sale and give this effort 89 points and 5 stars. Think Osso Bucco or Sirloin on the grill. Salut….
05 Thursday Dec 2013
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Cahors is a region in central France that produces ‘the Black Grape’. The Malbec’s from this region are extremely dark, tannic and usually delicious. They differ from Argie Malbecs because the South American version is far more fruit driven and the Old World style is for deeper extraction and more tannic substance, plus the terroir is totally different.
This bottle was flawed. It just tasted bad. It had good intentions, with an almost black appearance in the glass and some enticing aromas of Asian pear and black cherry. On the palate, there was an off flavor that destroyed any hope of it being enjoyable. I am not dismissing this wine just yet, I think it was corked. It’s a shame really as the components all seemed to be in place. The dryness of the hefty tannins was exactly what I was looking for and the acidity was there to balance it. I may look for another bottle to re-taste. This wine got an 89 from WE and it was only $13 which would have made it a 4 star wine. Salut….
The Black Wine
29 Friday Nov 2013
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We opened this wine for the Turkey dinner and it was a hit. I always enjoy Marlborough Sav Blancs. The telltale gooseberry, lime and cut grass components all melded with the crisp acidity. Not overly cutting, the balance is nice with this wine and I really enjoyed it with the bird. It was on sale for $13 and will fit into many pairings or it can be drunk on a warm day, well chilled with some smokehouse almonds. Bang for the buck, this varietal always delivers for me. 4 stars and 88 points. Salut….
27 Wednesday Nov 2013
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I disliked the 2009 Footbolt, thinking it was an off vintage. I was correct. The 2010 version is far more approachable, delicious and true to form. Reddish purple in the glass, it offered up black fruits and a hint of cedar on the nose. Upon tasting, the blackcurrants mingled with licorice and even some mocha came through. Medium tannins and good acidity balanced the whole thing out. The wine is very reasonable at $13 and gives some depth without resorting to jammyness. I would drink it with grilled Lamb and some olive tapenade. The bang for the buck factor is amazing though and I give it 89 points and 4 stars. If you have not tried any d’Arenberg wines, you really should, they are easy to spot as they all have the signature red sash on the label. Salut….
04 Monday Nov 2013
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An extremely interesting flavor from this Chardonnay that had me bewildered. I finally figured it out, after the fact. Quince.
A nice yellowish hue in the glass gives way to a nose full of apple, pear and a touch of oak. On the palate is where the action happened for me. The quince was predominant, with apple and citrus in the background. Crisp acidity and a generous mouthfeel made this an enjoyable wine. It was brought on the trip by a friend (who we shall name Big Horn) and I will endeavor to find it back at home, I would like a re-taste. I see this going great with a Nicoise salad, perhaps a cold poached salmon dish with dill. A quick perusal on the web tells me it can be had for about $13. 4 stars and 88 points from me. This winery is consistent, they make tons of really good wine with great pricing to boot. This particular wine was indeed a different Chard that needs to be tried. Salut….
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