Tag Archives: $15

Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Muscadelle NV, Rutherglen, Australia

30 Thursday Sep 2021

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I’m delving into the unknown with this one.  I have never tried a Muscadelle, but I have heard about it in my wine course.  In an effort to expand my palate I went looking for one of these and boy is it a rich amber color.  It looked syrupy when I was pouring it and the legs are just a watery sheen on the glass which is surprising considering this sweet dessert wine weighs in at 18.5% ABV.  The nose is interesting- some oxidation with stewed fruit and nuts, almost peanuts…  On the palate it is very thick and rich with aromatic fruit.  Pecans, honey, tangerine peel, burnt sugar, dried apricots, medicinal- think lemon and honey cough drops.  It is unctuous and sweet for sure but there is a bitterness too.  The acidity is medium and the finish is also medium in length.  To say it is full bodied would be an understatement, but the mouthfeel is great.  I am liking this intro to the style yet miss a botrytized white, that’s more down my sweet wine alley.  This bottle will eventually get finished, unlike a good Sauternes which won’t last but a few short hours.  Not knowing what to score this $15/375ML offering, I will defer to the pros who gave it 91 points.  5 stars, drink with dessert!  Salut…

Ixsir Altitudes Rouge 2016, Batroun, Lebanon

22 Wednesday Sep 2021

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It’s Middle Eastern cuisine tonight so I pulled out this Lebanese blend of 35% Cab Sav, 26% Caladoc (?), 22% Syrah and 17% Tempranillo.  Interesting varietals all mixed together.  The wine itself is semi opaque in the glass and has medium intensity aromas of red currants, raspberry, blackberry and cloves.  The palate is dry but has a blackberry jam sweetness to it, I doubt there’s any residual sugar here, it just tastes that way.  The black and red fruit components are well balanced with the lithe tannins and medium acidity.  There is a black tea hint on the mid-palate and I also get charcoal on the back end.  The finish is mid length and tasty.  There is a medium weight body to this wine and good mouthfeel.  I am enjoying it and think it’s a 90 pointer that gets 5 stars for the reasonable $15 price point.  Drink till 2025 with grilled meats aka shish kebab!  Salut….

Marchesi Frescobaldi Castello di Nipozzano 2014, Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG, Italy

25 Sunday Jul 2021

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I had to buy this funky bottle, it is gold.  As in they sprayed the bottle, there is no looking through the glass.  With a bit of age on it, there may be some hope of tertiary development in this Reserva.  It’s pretty dark in the glass, a lovely shade of ruby.  On the nose I get red cherry, cooked red cherry, earth, mushroom, pomegranate and oak.  The palate is very delicious, smooth and not biting.  I am really enjoying lush flavors of dark cherry, earth, game and cooked red cherry.  The tannins are really well integrated and meet up on the back end with some vibrant acidity.  The body is decent, heavier than I was expecting and certainly welcome, the mouthfeel is balanced and smooth.  I am thoroughly enjoying this Sangiovese, and feeling that most people would not buy it due to the strange packaging- I’m off to get the remnants, it’s that yummy for the barebones price of $15.  A veritable steal that gets 91 points and 5 stars.  Drink till 2025 with pasta, duh!  Salut….

Chateau d’Esclans Cotes de Provence ‘Whispering Angel’ Rosé 2020, France

06 Tuesday Jul 2021

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I picked up a few bottles of this summer stunner from Costco for $15 each. Served well chilled on a hot afternoon it was delicious, light and fruity. It is medium salmon colored and has a delightful nose of orange peel, nectarine, lemon and peach. On the palate I also sensed acacia. Medium acidity and a medium body lead to a refreshing mouthfeel. The finish of this dry blend of Grenache and Cinsault was relatively short and crisp. I really enjoyed it and for the price, this 89 point wine gets 4 stars. Drink this summer! Salut….

Stefano di Blasi IGT Toscana Gold 2019, Tuscany, Italy

11 Friday Jun 2021

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It’s pizza night- an Italian wine is in order. This Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cab Sav and Merlot is pale purple in the glass. The nose is of medium (+) intensity with strawberry, rhubarb, cherry cola, blackberry and woodsy spice. On the palate it is off-dry, brimming with those red/black fruit notes and medium (+) tannins that caress the gums. The wine has a nice acidity that is just enough to balance out the structure. I am enjoying the primary fruit flavors of this drop and it’s mid weight body. The mouthfeel, albeit a touch tannic, is really nice and refreshing. It’s going to rock my pepperoni pie. The finish is of decent length and leaves a good impression. This wine is drinking nicely now and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. At $15, I got a great deal and I’m going with 90 points. 5 stars in my book. Salut….

Pecchenino San Luigi 2019, Dolcetto di Dogliani DOCG, Italy

29 Saturday May 2021

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I wanted to introduce the Dolcetto grape to my group of virtual tasters. This bottle was only $15 and got decent reviews and a 90 point rating. Unfortunately it was not a huge hit with the crowd. I noted it was 75% opaque and had a nice shade of purple in the glass. The nose came with cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, blackberry and pepper. The group got flavors of cherry, almond, strawberry, a touch of smoke and some meatiness on the palate. I wrote down- medium tannins and very juicy acidity. I think the acid component and somewhat lighter body was the detractor for most. We have been tasting some pretty heavy duty bottles in our group and the finesse and lighter style of the Dolcetto may have been overlooked in expectation of another big, brooding wine that is so imposing in the glass- quite the opposite of a young Brunello. I am close to the pros on the rating, giving it an 89 points. For the price- this s a decent Tuesday night drop that won’t break the bank, just pair it with some pasta and you’ll be fine. 3 stars for me. Drink now. Salut….

CVNE Selección de Fincas 2016, Ribera del Duero, Spain

13 Thursday May 2021

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This 100% Tempranillo is a pretty shade of purple and semi opaque in the glass. The noise gives me rich blueberry, cherry and telltale Spanish earth. The palate has got a nice jab of licorice to go with the dark blue flavor profile. Judicious oak is evident here, which I kinda like and expect from the region. Tannins are well integrated in this 6 year old wine but the acidity is mouth watering. The mid palate is all about it and the finish is as well. The fruit flavors get darker as I transition to the mid length finish. The body is medium and the mouthfeel is quite tart. I find it a touch out of balance, lacking tannins to overcome the acidity, or at least more fruit to give it flavor. It got a decent score from the pros but I am going with 88 points. I picked it up for $15, worth a try but it garners 3 stars from me. Drink till 2025. Salut….

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Chateau Vincens Malbec 2018, Cahors, France

04 Tuesday May 2021

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In Cahors, Malbec is known as the Black wine. This particular example has 20% Merlot added, so it is not as inky as I imagined. Still, it’s a rich purple and nearly opaque. The 14.5% ABV shows off its legs in the glass. On the nose I get primal fruit flavors of plum, blackberry and oak. The palate is quite dry and tannic. Dark fruits galore with black coffee and coconut flavors are coated with searing tannins and gobs-full of acidity. The mid palate is very much fruit driven with a smidge of black tea. The finish is mouth puckering from the structural components. This wine is precisely what I wanted for the bone-in Ribeyes I am searing on the charcoal. Juicy, tannic and full of bold fruit flavors- that’s typical for the region and this grape. I now know why they tried to soften it a bit with some Merlot. It would have been a beast all on its own. I like the style, it’s kind of rugged. The mouthfeel a bit raw and primal. Overall a decent drop worthy of 91 points from me with a drinking window of 2023-2028. Open now if you like ’em young and tannic. For $15 it’s a steal that gets 5 stars. Salut….

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Bodegas Borsao Berola 2015, Campo de Borja, Spain

28 Wednesday Apr 2021

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This Spanish wine as a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Sirah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s quite murky in the glass, almost fully opaque and a dark shade of purple. On the nose I get rich raspberry, black cherry and some blackberries. On the palate it is a little bit tart from some pomegranate and red fruits- lithe tannins and juicy acidity help keep it fresh. There is a hint of oak but it is not obtrusive. I sense a tiny bit of coconut from the wood and can feel the 14.5% alcohol not only from the weight of the wine but there is a little bit of heat on the mid palate. On the finish the fruit profile turns a little darker with blackberries and black cherry, the tannins not getting in the way of the fruit flavors.  At six years of age I was hoping for some tertiary flavors but alas this wine is somewhat basic in nature but serves it’s purpose. It’s tasty, at peak and looking for a nice juicy steak. I’m giving it 89 points. For $15, it’s an easy buy that gets 4 stars. Salut….

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Tamarack Cellars Chardonnay 2017, Columbia Valley, Washington

25 Thursday Mar 2021

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A medium shade of yellow in the glass with hints of lemon and pear on the nose. The palate is light, refreshing and pretty mild on the pH scale. Lemon drop and yellow pear dominate thew flavor profile but I get a hint of pineapple which is quite intriguing. The tartness starts to show up on the mid palate, where this light-bodied wine gives off more of the pineapple notes. The finish is relatively short and introduces a hint of lanolin, but the main components are the lemon and pineapple. It’s a nice, easygoing drop of un/barely oaked chardonnay that is not flabby or buttery. It reflects the grapes and minimalist intervention. For $15, it get 3 stars as I am going with 86 points. Drink till 2024 with shrimp scampi, salad nicoise, or even a chicken pie. Salut….

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