Tag Archives: $15

Neethlingshof Estate Pinotage 2015

10 Tuesday Jan 2017

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My father asked me what I wanted for Christmas.  He has 3 sons, 2 daughter-in-laws and 5 grand kids.  I wanted something that would not bankrupt the man, but would mean something to me.  I told him “a bottle of wine”.  He hit it, right on the head with this banger.  I am so surprised at this wine and am super happy that my dad got it for me.

In case you haven’t read my notes about Pinotage, I love this varietal.  It is a quirky oddball only found in Afrique du Sud and made really well in Stellenbosch.

Reddish purple in the glass with a nose of tar, beautiful violets, black plums and a really nice hint of blueberry right at the and.  On the initial attack I get blueberry pie, some tar, cherry and plum jam. The mid palate yields some very entrenched tannins that come out of hiding and balance the acidity.  More plums hit after the tannins and they lead you into a really nice dry finish of vanilla, coffee bean, and berry.  Really good, a delicious wine.  91 points and at a shocking price point of $15 this is my first 5 star wine of the year.  Kudos to dad for popping this bad boy under the tree, he has hit wine nirvana.  I drank it with braised Beef ribs and purple potatoes.  Heaven!  I hope you have a wine that has significant meaning that hits it on all cylinders too.  Salut….

neethlingshof pinotage

Bodegas Resalte de Penafiel ‘de Restia’ Crianza Selected Harvest, Ribera del Duero, Spain 2009

07 Wednesday Dec 2016

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A lighter purple color with a touch of orange bricking on this crianza level wine that has 7 years of cellaring.  On the nose, a subdued level of plum and dusty earth- a hallmark of the varietal.  On the palate a somewhat rustic initial attack of dark fruits, with dried oregano, earth and very dry tannins.  The acidity is somewhat lacking and is overcome by the tannins, which is not a bad thing.  The finish is decent in length and offers up more purple fruit flavors with a touch of heat.  The dryness on the gums goes on forever, which I kinda like!  The wine, at this stage of its life is giving me pause….  It has a really tannic structure yet I feel it is not able to age much more due to the low acidity.  The fruit is starting to dry up but there is not much evolution.  All in all a pop-n-pour wine that won’t break the bank at $15 and gets 88 points from me.  This 3 star effort would pair well with some charcuterie, perhaps a bowl of pasta Arrabiatta.  Salut….

Bodegas Resalte de Penafiel 'de Restia' Crianza Selected Harvest, Ribera del Duero, Spain

CVNE Rioja Reserva Spain 2012

12 Wednesday Oct 2016

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I will start out by saying that the label and name got me.  The 93 point WS capsule sold me along with the $15 price tag at my local Costco.  How could I pass on this amazing QPR (Quality Price Ratio).  I have read much about this winery and all their award winning wines.

Nose of blueberry and earth.  On the palate I get subdued notes of blue fruits, some blackberry and a swath of fine grained tannins.  There is an offsetting acidity that is bracing.  The wine is short on the finish but I fear I am drinking it prematurely.  For now it lacks depth and is rather thin.  If I were to score it on it’s initial presence- 86 points is all I could.  The label  states that it got a monster 93 points, which would make this $15 bottle a 5 star wine.  Let it breathe for 24 hours and revisit.

Nope, still a little light in the flavor profile and the wine seriously lacks depth.  Did I get a bum bottle?  I am heading back to Costco soon and will get another, surely I am wrong.  For now I will reserve judgement on this Tempranillo blend and just give a preliminary rating of 86 points and 2 stars.  Stay tuned for updates on what could be the biggest winner out there (3 pts for $15….Dang).  Salut….

The cork, hmmm

The cork, hmmm

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The talker...

The talker…

Sigston Swift Tatachilla Block Reserve Shiraz 2011, McLaren Vale

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

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This was the second Sigston Swift bottle at our tasting, the other being the Aunt Prissy Tempranillo.  This Reserve Shiraz has a bit of bottle age on it and is drinking well.  A nice purple color that leaves a sexy set of legs on the glass and introduces you to a nose of gorgeous black and blue currants. I’m missing the telltale white pepper notes associated with Mclaren Vale Shiraz, but they are replaced with some vanilla that I’m really liking. On the initial attack I get black berry torte, some blueberry pie and a touch of cinnamon. Mid palate wise it just flows on from the front end. The wine finishes with perfume, some slight tannins and black cherries. I think this wine is worthy of 87 points and 3 stars for its $15 price point.  Drink now-2018.  Salut….

sigston swift tatachilla block reserve shiraz

Sigston Swift Aunt Prissy Tempranillo 2014, McLaren Vale

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

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A friend brought this to the tasting, and I was impressed.  I was not expecting a Tempranillo from Australia, nor one that was this delicious.

Dark purple, with lots of extraction.  A full on nose of black currants, a hint of earth/dust and possibly some eucalyptus. A super smooth intro of Ribena, black olive and spice on the palate.  The tannins are very integrated and there is a nice touch of acidity.  The mid palate gives black fruit and an interesting note of bell peppers.  This wine drinks well now and will drink nicely all by itself or perhaps with some charcuterie.  It may have some cellaring capacity but the structure calls for pop-n-pour.  It closes with a sour cherry note and a mid length finish that I enjoyed.  I’m not sure if much oak influenced this wine but the relatively low 13% alcohol makes it a treat to drink.  I really like this wine and look forward to it becoming more widely available.  A very respectable 88 points from me and 4 stars for its $15 price point.  Salut….

sigston swift aunt prissy tempranillo

Chateau De By Medoc 2010

14 Saturday May 2016

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I just flew across the country on United Airlines.  I chose this half bottle over the smaller, more generic offerings they had for sale.  2010 Bordeaux was a great year! This entry level red was hard to critique in the plastic airline cup but it looks purply enough! The nose is somewhat subdued due to the vessel but if I get my schnozzola right in there I get faint hints of pomegranate, some black berries and a touch of the plastic. My initial taste is quite nice- perhaps a bit rustic. Blue fruits and some plum stone. There are some good tannins swirling around intertwined with blueberry cola. The wine is slightly one-dimensional but is pleasing. It drinks well with some nuts and would pair with olives, a charcuterie plate or even grilled skirt steak. It gets an 85 point rating from me. Here’s the twist…. It is $16 for a 375 ML split, which equates to the same price as buying two of the regular, small bottles on United. Same price but a better wine that needs a corkscrew! I’m not sure how much it retails in the shops so I will guess $15 and give it 2 stars.  Salut….

chateau de by

Chateau Hanteillan 2009

18 Sunday Oct 2015

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From Haut Medoc comes this charming, meaty wine that needs to be on your shopping list. Very dark and murky in the glass with a nose of really sweet bramble, cherry and blackcurrant. My first impressions are good. Very pleasing initial attack of black kirsch, blackcurrants and a gradual introduction of some well integrated tannins. The acidity hides in the background yet balances the wine very well. Primary fruit is fully evident but I suspect that this wine has some evolution in it’s near future. It drinks well today but I reckon it will get better in 2-3 years. This 09 Bordeaux sums up the vintage well. Early drinking pleasure coupled with a decent cellaring potential make this wine a must have at $15 per bottle. I am going with 90 points and 5 stars. Roast game is screaming to be paired with this as are some stinky blue cheeses and don’t rule out a braised beef rib.  Salut….

chateau hanteillan

Edmeades Zinfandel Mendocino County 2012

19 Sunday Jul 2015

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If you read my write up on the Lagarde Malbec you will know that we were at dinner with friends.  The Malbec never made it to the table, this tasty Zinfandel was more than up to the task of handling our beef short rib dinner.  I made some quick notes as Moxie was giving me the evil-eye for using my phone at the table.

Reddish purple with long legs in the glass. Nose of cinnamon, plums, orange peel and some vanilla.  Initial tastes of plum and cinnamon with gently spiced cola. Tannins are subdued with a balance of acidity. 89 points and very food friendly. It sorted out the ribs with their strong flavors and offset the fat found in such a tender and delicious cut.  The finish is mid length. This wine will pair well with any marbled meats and could stand up to a hearty BBQ with its spice component.  A bargain at $15 this one may need to bought in bulk.  4 stars from me.  Drink 2015-2018.  Salut….

Edmeades Zinfandel Mendocino County

El Vinculo 2006

02 Tuesday Jun 2015

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Broken cork- never a good start…. unless the wine is unharmed and is as good as this one.  Funky Tempranillo nose of earth, black cherries and garigue.  Full power attack of aged leather, tobacco, black berries and dark cherry jam. Very balanced with some tight tannins and sharp acidity. Mid palate shows some real stuffing, sour cherry with leather and black brooding fruits. The finish is long and the tannins continue to caress. This wine is still very young and will age gracefully, all the pieces are in place. 93 points from me which differs considerably from one pro who gave it 90 and my peers only managed 87 points.  I’m sticking with my guns and searching for more.  At $15 per bottle you can’t go wrong- 5 stars for sure and another winner in the books. 2015-2025  Salut….

el vinculo

Charles Smith Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2012

05 Sunday Apr 2015

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I saved this one for last in the Charles Smith repertoire that I picked up in Cali.  It was worth the wait.  Dark purple in the glass with a nose of cherry, blueberry and a hint of oak.  The initial attack consisted of black cherry and plum jam.  Nice acidity and slight tannins make for a nice mouthfeel. The mid palate is rather one dimensional, yet the tannins start to grip at this point. The finish is interesting with the tannins still coating the gums along with some mint and violet. Really interesting bottle. 89 points with a drinking window of 2015/2020
PS. After an hour this wine has really mellowed, opened up and that mid palate issue I had is gone. 90 points now.  4 stars at $15.  Tasty and worthwhile cellaring a few bottles.  Salut….

charles smith cabernet sauvignon