Tag Archives: $18

Familia Blanco Mairena Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Mendoza, Argentina

14 Thursday Mar 2019

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Pretty purple in the glass, quite opaque.  On the nose it is all blackberry.  The initial palate is black cherry, an awkward greenness and tar.  The mid palate offers much the same, with more vegetal notes than I care for.  This wine rates well with the pros at 90+ but I don’t get it.  The finish is sour, green, the tannins are astringent.  Not my cup of tea at all.  There might be some of you who enjoy austere wines, this one might be up your alley.  I’m going 86 points.  For $18, it is a pass from me but you may want to give it a try- 2 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

Vineyard at Hershey Gewurtztraminer NV, Pennsylvannia

23 Saturday Feb 2019

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Super light yellow in the glass, made me look twice.  The nose is floral with lemon and pineapple notes.  On the palate I get peach right off the bat.  Apricot and citrus hit me on the midpalate where the acidity starts to kick in.  The wine is really light and bouncy with nice crisp mouthfeel.  The tail end is more subdued on the flavors, mainly a pear component.  This wine is intriguing in its multitude of flavors, definitely worth looking out for.  I’m pairing it with salmon Alfredo.  It begs for a hot summers evening outside with some oysters and chorizo.  89 points and 3 stars for this $18 bottle. Salut….

Francis Ford Coppola Director’s ‘King Kong’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California, USA

09 Sunday Sep 2018

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Rich plums and thick oak staves fill the nose on this nearly black wine.  On the palate I get delicious black berries, lush dark currants and a tar component.  I’m trying hard to pinpoint the missing flavor, could it be coffee?  Tannins are present but not obtrusive, with dark fruits and more wood present on the mdi to back end.  90 points and 5 stars for this uniquely labelled Cab that runs about $18.  Salut….

Alamos High Altitude Seleccion Malbec 2015, Mendoza, Argentina

15 Friday Dec 2017

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Dark purple, barely see through.  The nose is somewhat candied, purple licorice, plum cake and Christmas pudding.  On the palate it shows off much more pleasant notes of black currants, iodine and fruit cake.  The mid palate is quite abrupt as are the mild tannins that permeate.  The finish is not as smooth as the front half and lacks any acidity.  Overall this is a pleasant wine that gets 87 points. The pro’s went much higher, 91 points in one case.  I just did not get the same level of satisfaction unfortunately.  $18 make it a 3 point wine for me.  Salut….

Marchesi de Frescobaldi Castello di Nipozzano 2012, Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG, Italy

04 Monday Sep 2017

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It’s a pasta/Italian kinda night here at the chateau so I decided to open a Chianti Rufina to keep with the theme.  In the glass, it shows off a reddish hue but not opaque.  The nose is somewhat muted but gives off whiffs of plum, some oregano and a dried bark component.  The initial taste is an acidic attack with some dark cherry, dried herbs and a touch of oak.  The fruit is somewhat cloaked I’m afraid.  The mid palate is mostly a tannic affair with some faint fruit notes from the initial attack.  The finish is long, with some nice acidity balancing the tannins as well as a dose of Kirsch.  I paid $18 for this 89 pointer and give it 3 stars, it’s kinda boring in my opinion- perhaps it’s in a dumb phase.  Sangiovese is the main player here folks.  Ps.  I’m serving grilled Squid, Tortellini and some Zucchini pasta with pine nuts.  Salut….

24 Thursday Aug 2017

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Just when things were running on rails, the wine world throws a curve ball.  I’m talking about LBV Port, specifically Unfiltered.  Turns out this is a whole different beast that I don’t have a clue about , being untrained and just a commoner.  There are several links to explain the differences:

http://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/40319

Port_wine

Now, back to my bottle, an unfiltered LBV from 2011.  Veyy dark purple in the glass.  A nose of dark, rich plums, some alcohol and a touch of nutmeg.  On the palate- very rich dark berries, plums and a hint of spice.  Lovely.

The mid palate shows off very smooth plum compote, with a warm blackberry jam extraction and some ripe tannins.  The wine has spent time in the wood and has some vanilla notes to boot.  The acidity hits the finish along with more dark berries and some tobacco.  There is a certain dryness to this wine that I am really digging.  The mouthfeel is a little rough for me, with a green tannin compound but overall, very enjoyable.  91 points from me and 5 stars for this $18 effort.  If you enjoy a dessert wine, buy this one by the case.  Salut….

Chapel Hill The Parson’s Nose Shiraz 2013, McLaren Vale, Australia

02 Sunday Jul 2017

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I drank the 2011 Parson’s Nose a while back, enjoying it so much that I saw this vintage and had to try it.  It is inky black in the glass.  It smells of coffee, anise and plums.  It tastes of black berries, anise and espresso.  The coffee flavors are really hitting me today.  The wine has a great mouthfeel, very smooth, inviting and it hides the 14.5% alcohol very deftly. The mid palate has more berries, but now more on the blue side, with ever so slight tannins making an entrance.  They build into the finish and leave me with a nice dryness on the gums, not too much.  The whole package is really tasty, not over-extracted like so many Aussie Shiraz’s can be.  I paid $18 for it but it looks to be on sale for under $14 online.  Folks- this is a 91 point wine in my books and for that price, they may not have much left after I get done.  5 stars.  Salut….

Chapel Hill The Parson's Nose Shiraz

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2014, Stellenbosch, South Africa

24 Saturday Jun 2017

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I recently wrote about the 2013 Faithful Hound, so when I caught some of the 2014 on sale, I grabbed a few.  Retailing for $18, it’s a good parallel to the Bordeaux style blends that I so truly love.  This one has a dark purple complexion, just like it’s older sister.  The nose is gorgeous- plums, bramble, chocolate, some oak and a blueberry component.  On the palate, much darker fruits than expected.  More of the blackberry and currants theme with some violets.  The mid palate is bone dry with tannins popping out and caressing the gums.  The finish is blackberry, tar and those delightful tannins.  The mouthfeel on this wine is great, built for steaks or the pasta with meatballs and sausage I am about to serve.  This wine will cellar well, it has al the right components.  I really hope it can evolve with secondary flavors like it’s French cousins.  Drink till 2025.  90 points and 4 stars for this gem from SA.  Salut….

mulderbosch faithful hound

Mission Estate Winery Merlot 2014, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

22 Thursday Jun 2017

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Dark but opaque purple.  Nose has flavors of raspberry, oak and nutmeg.  On the palate, somewhat tannic and dry on the initial taste with red berries and an astringency that is somewhat overpowering.  The tannins continue the dryness onto the mid palate where I get some black cherry notes, but just barely.  The finish is one dimensional.  For me this wine is unbalanced and lacking fruit.  It could be in a dumb phase.  Right now I’m thinking 85 points and for the $18 I paid it is a pass and 1 star.  It’s a shame as I really enjoyed the 2014 Mission Cabernet Merlot blend which I gave 89 points to.  Salut…

Mission Estate Winery Cabernet – Merlot 2014, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

10 Saturday Jun 2017

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Really dark purple, almost opaque in the glass.  The nose is an interesting compilation of Cherry and Iodine meets blue fruits.  On the palate it’s a different story.  Much more focused on blueberry and some black berries plus a touch of oak.  The acidity is present from the get go and the tannins ramp up gently, closing out the finish with a nice dryness.  The mid palate exhibits blue and black berries as well as some nutmeg.  This is a decent wine that gets 89 points from me and will do well with Osso Bucco or perhaps a mixed grill on the barbie.  I paid $18 for it and give it 3 stars.  Salut….