Tag Archives: $19

Gundlach-Bundschu Estate Vineyard Mountain Cuvee 2016, Sonoma Valley, USA

26 Sunday Aug 2018

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A mellow blend of the traditional Bordeaux varieties- this wine is a pretty purple in the  glass with long legs showing.  The nose is plump with dark fruits, some cherry cola and a touch of cinnamon.  The initial palate is very rounded, soft and smooth.  It features black currants, black olives, oregano.  It has a great mouthfeel due to the very slight tannic structure which is really balanced well with the gentle acidity.  This is a quaffing wine for sure, with a drink now date.  The finish is medium in length and dark fruit dominated.  It has a hint of charcoal on the end and some plum tart.  I really like this wine for what it is, the 89 points are not a slam- it just lacks the backbone to cellar and evolve which detract from a numerical score.  This would be great with light appetizers or as a base for a wine sauce.  It really has a lovely fullness to it.  $19 and 4 stars.  If I had to blind taste it, the soft and supple mouthfeel scream Merlot.  Salut….

Oberon Merlot 2016, Napa Valley, USA

30 Monday Apr 2018

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Solid, dark and brooding.  On the nose it is somewhat muted in this particular glass but I managed to coax black cherry, olives, cinnamon stick.  On the palate it is much more defined, albeit a bit tannic at first.  Plum and black berries come out with some nuttiness to go along with the mouth drying tannins, which are rather forceful by the mid palate.  Figs, a touch of oak and some more blue fruits tie it up with a mid length finish.  The wine is young, the tannins are quite untamed.  I would give this wine another 2 years in cellar and drink from 2020-2028.  88 points and 3 stars for this $19 effort.  Salut….

Warre’s Warrior Finest Reserve Port, Portugal

27 Wednesday Sep 2017

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I do love me some Port.  It goes well with cheese, dessert or alone after dinner.  It is one one of life’s real pleasures.

This particular one was bought with a slew of others as I am trying out as many as I can.  It looks almost black in the glass.  A brooding, dark monster.  It is after all named a Warrior, and is of the Finest Reserve.  The nose offers up burnt matches and dark plums.  Kind of a weird combo.  The thickness of the wine is evident on the presentation.  On the palate- it is rich, with dark cherry reduction and blackberry syrup.  The wine has an unctuous feel to it, somewhat akin to dessert whites.  It shows off a nice level of acidity to go along with the tannic backbone.  This one will cellar well.  The finish is long, broad and has hints of blueberry pie, some vanilla as well as dark chocolate.  I like this one and am going with 90 points.  I paid $19 and give it 4 stars.  Not a bad drop if you like Port.  Salut….

Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Napa Valley, USA

12 Wednesday Jul 2017

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I just rolled up to the Aloft hotel bar and ordered this Cabernet from their menu, taking a chance on it’s provenance and style.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Forget the color, it was nigh on impossible to tell in the current venue.  The nose has a warmth to it along with blackberry, slate and eucalyptus. On the palate I get a really smooth intro to the blackberry notes as well as graphite and black cherry.  The core flavors continue to the mid palate and beyond along with some very fine tannins that really pop on the finish.  The wine has a great mouthfeel with gentle acidity omnipresent but not obtrusive.  Atypical for this varietal from Napa, this wine is more on the subtle side, a refreshing change.  90 points, $19 and 4 stars from me.  Pair it with some steaks and mushroom sauce, or perhaps a Cornish Hen dressed up in a garlic rub.  Salut….

Hard to see the color in glass…

Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon

Penfolds Club Tawny Port, Australia

26 Friday May 2017

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The last time I had an Australian Port was in 1999, in Sydney.  It never really dawned on me to search them out.  I recently got back into Port drinking and just ordered 10 different bottles to try out.  This is the first of them and I am looking forward to this adventure.

The newly arrived Ports

In the glass it resembles it’s style-tawny…  It has a brownish, purply tinge to the see-through base.  The nose is nutty, with plum reduction and a hint of oak.  There is a certain youth to go along with the mellowed out nuances in the nose of this aged wine.    On the palate- orange marmalade, raisins and hazelnut mingle with a plum base.  The wine is slightly syrupy and shows nice legs in the glass.  The 18% alcohol is well masked and there is a trace of very fine grained tannins running through the mid palate and on to the long finish.  Speaking of which, the finish has more of the orange notes I got on the opening as well as some oak, almond and raisin.  It lasts a while, with not much sign of the alcohol at all.  Overall this is a very tasty dessert wine that has aged nicely and is ready for business.  I’m going with 90 points and for $19 this is a 4 star effort.  Salut….

enfolds club tawny port

Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Merlot 2013, California, USA

23 Thursday Mar 2017

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No nose- I’m sitting in an airplane with a plastic cup.  The initial impression I get is of mellow plums, really nice acidity and some earthiness.  The mid palate is generous with the dark fruits and I am enjoying the very mild dryness the tannins are giving.  On second thought, it is really packed with plum flavors.  The finish is shortish but tasty.  The strength of this wine lies on the generous mid palate, which is where the flavors and technical components all seem to materialize.  Considering I am cooped up in a pressurized tube I think the winemakers have a winner here.  They have crafted something I am really enjoying.  90 points and kudos.  I paired it with pasta and meatball, courtesy of United Airlines.  For $19 this wine gets 4 stars and is widely available.  Salut….

kendall jackson merlot

The meatball and pasta

 

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2013, Stellenbosch, South Africa

18 Saturday Mar 2017

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Dark and brooding in the glass it shows off Blackberry and mint on the nose.  The palate is very interesting.  Black cherry pie meets blackberries and licorice.  The tannins are delightful, packed just right.  The mid palate gives off some plum jam but is quickly overriden by the tannins.  The finish is decent in length and I am getting charcoal, blackberry and dark cherry notes.  A well made wine that has some cellaring potential.  We are pairing it with Flank steak and roasted asparagus.  90 points and for $19 is it a 4 star effort.  It is a true Bordeaux blend, comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  Salut….

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound

Havens Black and Blue Napa Valley 2012

18 Sunday Oct 2015

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Bright purple edges in the glass. Nose of bramble and blue fruits. Bright and airy initial attack of blueberry pie, iodine and vanilla. Cinnamon and crime brûlée hints come out mid palate. Soft tannins and low acidity make this easy to drink now and in the near future. Full flavored yet somewhat light and lithe- this is an easy wine to enjoy with or without food. 89 points. $19 and 3 stars.  Salut….

havens black and blue

Trivento Golden Reserve Chardonnay 2011

18 Friday Apr 2014

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I forgot to take a picture of the bottle, but I did capture the moment.  We put together some cheese, apple, nuts and chocolate sticks to start out the tasting.  The wine was poured and I noticed it was a very crisp looking pale yellow.  It had a nose of apples and gooseberry which translated well onto the palate.  In addition, I tasted citrus notes and green melon on the mid palate.  Good clean acidity and a sharp mouthfeel made this a delightful wine for an afternoon tasting.  Others have noted the use of oak and vanilla flavors, I did not.  I would pair it with baked salmon, perhaps grilled chicken and most definitely oysters on the half shell.  This Argentinian winery has always over-delivered for me and the pricing is excellent.  When in doubt at the wine shop I always look for the telltale golden capsule of their Reserve line and am never disappointed.  I paid $19 for it and am going with 90 points and 4 stars.  Salut….

IMG_0700trivento-golden-reserve-chardonnay

Robert Storey Cellars Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

06 Thursday Mar 2014

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I’m not sure what to think about this wine.  You’ll see why in a few minutes…..

I paid $19 on sale for it and was looking forward to a juicy Napa Cab of sorts.  It started out somewhat lighter in the glass than I imagined and had a nose of Kirsch. The initial attack consisted of blackcurrants and black cherry with a heavy oak influence and noticeable tannins.  On the mid palate it had an interesting Oregano flavor and I sensed a biting acidity.  The wine was quite unbalanced and I noted “Two pronged attack??”  It was different and off-putting.  I finished the first glass with an 86 point impression.  The wine baffled me to the point that I was determined to coax something better out it.  I found some 100% Cacao dark chocolate that was so bitter it re-aligned my taste buds.  The single square of chocolate was all I needed to jerk the wine out of it’s disjointedness.  It came alive and seemed to right itself.  The questionable note regarding split personalities was put to bed, the wine became more focused on the core fruits and nuances.  The acidity seemed more in check and the tannins melded better (they should after the bitter thrashing the chocolate gave me).  The wine came away with an 88 point rating at the end of it all and gets 3 stars.  I am going to re-taste this wine in short order to see if it is the same again.  Ps.  Try the 100% Cacao trick some time, I think you’ll be surprised!  Salut….

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100%Bitter but it did the trick

100%Bitter but it did the trick