Tag Archives: $15

Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2012, Tuscany, Italy

25 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


After a cork failure, I had to sift through the debris to find a light purple wine that is nearly see-through. The nose has pencil lead, plums, sour cherries.  The palate is somewhat lighter than I imagined, cherry being the prime player here.  There is a certain amount of garigue I sense in addition to mushroom and leather.  The acidity is slightly overpowering the mild tannins, but I don’t mind.  It has a nice cut to it.  The astringency hits on the finish, where the tannic dryness grips the gums.  I would say the fruit has really taken a back seat here.  Drink till 2021 with pasta, pizza or charcuterie.  88 points and 3 stars from me for this $15 wine.  Salut….

Cap Royal Bordeaux Superieur 2015, France

18 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a 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….

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 2016, Coonawarra, Australia

03 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Really dark purple, extruded looking.  The nose is of lush ripe plums, black cherry and cinnamon stick.  On the palate I get a very smooth intro of black currant preserves, black cherry extract and the beginnings of a dose of mouth coating tannins.  The mid palate is heavy with the black fruits and tannins.  They coat the teeth, the gums.  Rooibos tea is the balancing flavor here.  Everything else is dark and brooding.  The mouthfeel is great, if you like a dry wine.  It is not overly tannic, but will most definitely get your attention.  The finish is of medium length and focuses on the black currant preserves I got at the outset.  Overall a decent drop that gets 89 points from me and would do well with hearty game, roasted meats and even Bolognese.  $15 and 3 stars.  Salut….

Wynns Coonawarra Estate ‘The Siding’ Green Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Coonawarra, Australia

03 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Medium depth of purple in the glass.  The nose, after a swirl, showed off vanilla, oak and black currants.  It borders on that aroma I don’t care for but I’m willing to overlook it today.  On the palate it is much less dense and not as powerful as I imagined it.  A slightly sour note hits right away that continues through to the mid palate.  Black berries, coffee and a dried herb note all come to mind.  The tannins start off gently but build up to a medium dryness by the mid palate and continue for a short finish.  Black fruits and thyme are noted on the back end.  Overall this is a tasty wine that I would pair with pasta, Kebabs or lamb chops.  89 points and 3 stars for this $15 wine.  Salut….

Los Vascos Grande Reserve 2014, Colchagua Valley, Chile

25 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Yesterday was a little bit of a let down with the basic Los Vascos Cab.  This property is a well respected Rothschild winery in Chile.  As such, I opted to go back and try their Grand Reserve offering, in hopes of a better showing that suits my particular taste desires, and has higher technical components than the basic wine.

First thing I noticed was today’s Reserve wine has a real cork, versus synthetic.  A good start.  The wine is not overly dark, but a pleasant purple in the glass.  On the nose- a whole different story.  Black berries, rich mocha, fig on the nose.  The palate is more plum-like but the black fruits are still evident.  There’s a slightly obscure, astringent quality that hits right up front.  Once over that I’m settling in to the gentle mouthfeel, moderate tannins and tangy acidity.  The mid and finish are a little darker with coffee bean, black cherry and an oak tinge.  Overall, much better.  89 points and 4 stars for this $15 effort.  Grilled meat, Moussaka or even hearty pasta would pair nicely.  Drink now till 2020.  Salut….

Marques de Riscal Reserva 2014, Rioja DOCa, Spain

17 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


I have a long history with Marques de Riscal.  I enjoy the wines and appreciate them for what they are.  This one is nearly black in the glass.  The nose is huge- lots of black berries, blue fruits and a wallop of charcoaled oak.  Violets and spice round it out.  On the palate it shows off black fruits, sassafras, vanilla and an oaky component.  Delicious but a touch of bitterness on the midpalate detracts.  Violets and blueberry really take over on the finish alongside medium tannins.  The bitterness is the only detractor that unbalances this otherwise delicious wine.  89 points and 4 stars for this $15 effort which is solidly produced and made from Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo.  Salut….

Marques de Caceres Reserva 2012, Rioja DOCa, Spain

30 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Very deep purple color.  The nose is voluptuous with tons of plums, bramble, some tar and an earthiness.  On the palate I get upfront dryness with lots of tannins leading up to the plum core, with blueberry and creosote adding to the mix.  The tannins really dry up my gums and are going to go swimmingly well with the Lamb shanks that are braising.  The mid palate is mostly blue fruits and more gum dryness.  The finish has that earthiness that I love about Riojas.  It’s a dusty, tarry, brambly thing that I really enjoy.  Even though I am sure this wine has had lashings of Oak, it is not overly evident.  What wood is present is very integrated.  Reservas are only made in certain years, this one is pretty decent IMHO.  90 points and 5 stars for this relatively modest $15 Tempranillo.  I would say buy a case and drink for the foreseeable future!  Salut….

Clarendelle 2013, Bordeaux, France

30 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


Dark and murky.  The nose features plums, oak, black cherry.  The initial palate has blueberry, fine grained tannins, more black cherry.  The finish is quite dry, with blue fruits dominating.  87 points and 3 stars for this $15 Bordeaux from a relatively weak vintage.  Drink up.  Salut….

Sandeman Founder’s Reserve Port, Portugal

27 Tuesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


I opened this bottle up last week but kept forgetting to make notes (I was really tired).  I nearly finished the dregs before realizing my faux pas, so pardon the brief outline- it was a good drop of Port that I bought for the initial Port taste test.

Rich, tannic, dry.  Nose of dry oak, blueberry syrup and red raspberry reduction.  The palate is very thick- blueberry, cedar slate, a long, dry finish. This wine is attractive, if young.  It begs for a cheese tray.  90 points for this $15 bottle.  I yet again disagree with the big boys…. oh well.  5 stars, you can’t beat the quality to price here folks, go get some if you like Port wine.  Salut….

Mas de Boislauzon La Chaussynette 2015, Rhone, Vin de France

24 Tuesday Oct 2017

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


A reasonably priced number that hails from France, the Rhone Valley to be more precise.  It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre typical for the region.  I bought it on sale for under $10, but it normally sells for $15.

A very pretty medium depth purple color bodes well!  On the nose I get raspberry, spice, a hint of smoky oak and some bacon fat.  The initial palate suggests more of the same, which is really a treat.  I enjoy all those flavors melded together.  The tannins are really nice, juicy and not too dry.  They complement the fruit and don’t overpower. This wine has a great feeling mid palate, with some cassis, black olives and more raspberry making appearances.  The finish is nice, longer than expected and offers an oaky tinge along with the fruit and tannins.  I have to say, this is a really good wine, far more complex than the price would allude to, far tastier than I imagined and it has some short term cellaring potential to boot.  I am drinking it with some Broccoli Cheddar soup, which seems to work really well.  It would pair great with some thin crust brick oven pizza, perhaps even a Beef stew.  I have to go 91 points, which is above and beyond the rating I saw, and award this wine 5 stars for sure.  I wish I ordered more.  Salut….