Tag Archives: $14

Cartlidge & Browne Pinot Noir 2018, North Coast, California

21 Wednesday Aug 2024

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Pale garnet colored with copper highlights and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of red currant, cherry jubilee, red raspberry, baking spice and rose.  It’s a bit muted.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a light body and low tannins.  Medium (-) intensity flavors of red fruit with a touch of spice and some minimal floral hints- quite a thin wine.  The finish is where it picks up steam- more red currants and some spice with gently increasing acidity and a medium length ending.  Not a stellar wine- drink now as it has no capacity to age further.  83 points for this $14 bottle makes it a 2 star effort.  Salut….

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2022, Stellenbosch, South Africa

16 Friday Aug 2024

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Medium lemon colored with gold highlights and high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon verbena, lemon peel, white acacia, orange blossom, vanilla pod, melon, mango, rosewater and perhaps a touch of lychee.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium (+) body.  Exotic flavors of mango, melon, lemon zest with florals of orange blossom and acacia mixed with a definitive vanilla-like quality.  The finish is medium (+) in length and a touch bitter, perhaps some skin contact?  There is a hint of oak usage here that I am enjoying alongside the weighty mouthfeel.  Tonight’s pairing is grilled Swordfish with beurre blanc- show hold up to that.  90 points, and for $14, a 5 star effort indeed.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Errazuriz Max Reserva Carmenere 2020, Aconcagua Valley, Chile

17 Sunday Mar 2024

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Deep ruby with slight staining and a medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of bell pepper, black cherry, black plum, licorice, espresso, vanilla, baking spice and blueberry ganache.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium body and medium (-) tannins.  Flavors of plum, black cherry and blueberry with green pepper and oak derived accents.  There is a charred note on the mid palate where the green, herbaceous note fades.  The finish is medium (-) in length but very pleasing.  I like the structure of this wine- not too heavy, not too serious, not too tannic or tart- a perfect accompaniment to my Corned Beef dinner where the meat is soft in texture and slightly fatty served with a mustard gravy.  Drink this 90 point wine till 2027.  For $14 it’s a 5 star bottle to stock up on.  Salut….

Tesoro de Bullas Monastrell 2019, Bullas, Spain

05 Tuesday Dec 2023

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Deep, dark ruby with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose of this Monastrell aka Mourvèdre, aka Mataro has medium (+) intensity aromas of game, violets, black cherry, pine needles, blackberry tart and black currants.  The palate is dry with high acidity and medium tannins.  A full body carries the ripe dark berries and gamy notes.  I get a touch of the floral violets but no pine needles.  It finishes medium (-) in length but has a nice closing.  It’s a pretty nice presentation of this grape varietal that is normally blended as in ‘GSM’.  I like it and think it’s worthy of 90 points.   For $14 it gets 5 stars.  I’m pairing it with roasted Duck and gratin potatoes.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Los Noques Cabernet Franc 2020, Uco Valley, Argentina

24 Sunday Sep 2023

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Deep ruby with medium viscosity (15.1% ABV).  Aromas of menthol, green pepper, blackcurrant and black raspberry.  It’s a bit tough to overcome the high alcohol on the nose but I finally let it blow off and get some notes of dried fig and tamarind.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are quite raw and green.  The body is medium to full and has blackcurrant, raspberry, fig, dusty earth and underripe blueberry.   The finish is astringent and medium in length.  A somewhat disjointed wine that needs some time to settle and let the tannins smooth methinks.  The alcohol is noticeable and bothersome unfortunately which further lowers the score of this wine.  86 points from me and at $14, it’s a 2 star effort.  Drink from 2025-2029.  Salut….

Kotrotsos Mavrodaphne 2018, Patras, Greece

14 Monday Aug 2023

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Pale garnet, almost like strawberry juice- with high viscosity (15% ABV).  On the nose I get stewed cherry, some warm nuts, orange peel, strawberry coulis, caramel and vanilla bean.  The palate is sweet, bordering on luscious, with low tannins and a full body.  The red fruit really comes out, but not quite so ripe as the nose.  Caramel and nuts with vanilla on the back end.  Medium length on the finish, it’s a delicious affair if you like them this sweet.  I plan on pairing this with poached pears and ice cream.  Not overly complex, it only runs $14 and get 88 points from me making it a 4 star effort to drink now.  Salut….

Freres Couillaud Chateau de la Ragotiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie 2020, Loire, France

27 Saturday May 2023

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We kicked off the 31st virtual wine tasting with this Muscadet that has been aged Sur Lie.  It was served chilled and then at room temp- both of which failed to impress.  The nose lacked any evidence of the aging process, ie. brioche, yeast or any other clue.  The palate did reveal a slightly fuller body, but alas nada on the expected flavor profile.  Instead, we got a wine that had aromas of pear, crunchy yellow apple, lanolin, honeysuckle, Seaspray and tangerine peel.  The wine had medium acidity (another non-conformist point), was medium bodied and showed a medium lemon color with low viscosity (12% ABV).  I noted the wine had a short finish and was not complex at all.  Served at room temp it was more flabby and the fruit seemed bruised.  We finally got a hint of the aging process- King’s Hawaiian Roll plus some beeswax and lanolin in addition to the aforementioned flavors.  It also turned a touch bitter and pithy.  Really not my cup of tea- it got an average of 8 points on our scoring sheets and I would give this $14 effort 86 points making it a 2 star wine.  Drink now with seafood or a Cobb salad.  Salut….

Famille Bougrier Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine 2020, Loire, France

29 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Pale lemon with a golden accent and a watery sheen.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon, lime, grapefruit, white blossom and green apple.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium (-) body.  Citrus makes for a fresh and crisp mouthfeel alongside some floral notes.  The apple note is faint.  The wine finishes with a hint of phenolic bitterness and is medium in length.   I would enjoy this wine till 2024 with shellfish and charcuterie.  86 points for this $14 bottle makes it a 3 star wine for me.  Salut….

Saget Pere et Fils Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine 2020, Loire, France

24 Friday Mar 2023

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Pale lemon colored with light viscosity legs (12% ABV).  The nose has aromas of lemon and lime, grapefruit skin, sea air, white blossom, hard Anjou pear and citrus curd.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a light body- very crisp on the mouthfeel.  The flavors echo the citrus notes with salinity and fresh flowers.  The pear note is somewhat muted on the palate.  The finish is medium in length and refreshing- the tartness and light bodied nature of this varietal really showing through.  It begs for  some seafood or a salad with a rich dressing.  I would give this $14 wine a score of 87 and drink till 2024, making it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

G. Stepp Riesling 2020, Pfalz, Germany

21 Tuesday Mar 2023

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Medium lemon colored with a watery sheen in the glass (12.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon, lemon spritz, lanolin, slate, white peach that’s not quite ripe, green apple, some petrichor and perhaps- a touch of petrol.  The palate is dry with high acidity, I feel this wine is medium (-) bodied.  The palate confirms the citrus notes along with the minerality and I also get a bit of grapefruit pith on the mid palate.  The stone fruit are a little muted as is the petrol.  The finish is medium with a bit of leftover phenolics.  I like this no-nonsense Riesling for what it is- easy drinking, capable of taking on several styles of food and modestly priced at $14.  I’m pairing this 88 point wine with Thai shrimp noodles.  4 stars , to be drunk by 2026.  Salut….