Tag Archives: 2 stars

Bodegas Ugalde Bianai Reserva 2013, Rioja DOCa, Spain

18 Monday Jan 2021

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A dull shade of purple belying the age of this Tempranillo blend.  It’s about 75% opaque.  The nose is a bit subdued- I’m really having to swirl the glass.  I finally get steeped plum, bramble and a hint of oak.  The palate is a little thin but I get some blueberry and plum notes alongside anise and that dusty note I like in Riojas.  The mid palate is quite acidic and juicy, but I also sense a touch of heat.  The finish is rather plain with black and blue fruits, really tart acidity and a token dash of tannins.  I’m not overly impressed by this $20 wine, might be in a dumb phase.  For now it gets 86 points. 2 stars. Salut….

Andas Mountain Cuvée Red 2019, Mendoza, Argentina

28 Monday Dec 2020

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Quite dark and brooding in the glass.  The nose is somewhat muted but I managed to swirl some black cherry and cassis.  The palate is basic with black and blue fruit notes, gentle acidity and mild tannins.  The mid palate is a little hollow but I do get some plum and blueberry notes.  The finish is rather short but the tannins hold on for a while, not overly dry but present.  A weekday wine to pair with pasta or pizza it gets 85 points from me.  Drink till 2022. This unique Argentinian red nlend of Bonarda, Malbec, and Syrah cost me $21 and gets 2 stars. Salut….

Diversi dal Solito Vino Rosso 2019, Sicily, Italy

24 Thursday Dec 2020

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Here’s the scene- it’s Christmas Eve, Moxie is making her grandmother’s famous Holiday Crunch for dinner (a pasta casserole) and I am having to pick between four different bottles to try. Eenie meenie moe and voila- the Vino Rosso beats the Barolo, the Gigondas and the Cab Franc.

No idea what the blend is until I pour the wine, it’s gotta be a Sangiovese. Light purple, totally see through and obviously Italian. The nose gives me muted cherry, raspberry and cedar plank. On the palate it is very soft and easy drinking. Strawberry and cherry give it away. Very little tannin make this super light weight and easy without any astringency or acid. The mid palate is a red fruit melange plus some plum that takes me to the short lived finish. Right at the very end I sense some acidity taking hold, but it’s not jaw dropping. A tasty wine that will go well with our pasta dish which normally gets smothered in hot sauce. 86 points and 2 stars for this $19 charmer. Drink now. Salut….

Chateau Moncontour Vouvray Cuvee Predilection Methode Traditionnelle Brut 2016, Loire, France

03 Thursday Dec 2020

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Light gold with small bubbles.  On the nose it is briny with tons of floral undertones and a hint of sweetness.  On the palate it is very fizzy with notes of baking spices, muted stone fruit flavors and a touch of summer flowers.  I’m not getting too much out of this wine unfortunately.  It gets 86 points from me with a drink till 2024 window. 2 stars for this $23 sparkler. Salut….

Rabbit and Spaghetti Tempranillo – Mataro – Grenache 2018, Clare Valley, Australia

18 Wednesday Nov 2020

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This is an interesting blend out of Oz, it’s more Spanish in composition but here goes! Semi opaque and light purple in the glass. The nose is red in nature… currants, raspberry and orange peel. On the palate it’s a racy wine, if not a touch thin. Sour cherry, red currants and judicious oak are all present. The mid palate continues the sour theme and some very fine grained tannins start to coat the gums. The acid component is really making my jaw water. The finish is short in length and pleasant with more red fruit and an intro to some rhubarb. It’s an interesting blend that unfortunately was a little too thin for my liking. Technically I would give it an 86 point score and 2 stars for its $30 retail price. Drink now. Salut….

Alazules Garanacha 2019, Spain

21 Wednesday Oct 2020

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Pale purple and semi opaque.  The nose offers up raspberries, cedar and capsicum.  On the palate it starts a touch tart with pomegranate, raspberry and sour cherry.  The mid palate is juicy with a dollop of acidity and a touch of tannic grip.  The red fruit theme continues and the somewhat short finish is dominated by the sour cherry and its corresponding cut.  It’s an interesting yet basic wine that I am pairing with pork tenderloin and fried potatoes with curried cauliflower. Drink this 87 point wine by 2023.  2 stars as it’s touted as a $25 wine. Salut….

Liberty Road Zinfandel 2018, Lodi, California

26 Wednesday Aug 2020

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Semi opaque, medium shade of purple. The nose is somewhat subdued in the BAG (big assed glass). After a vigorous swirl session I get blueberries, violet and pepper.  On the palate it’s a touch spicy with blue fruits, fig and cedar.  The mid palate is a bit tart, backward and thin on the fruit.  The finish is bitter with more blue fruits and that woodsy note.  I enjoy Zins for their fruitiness.  This one lacks a bit on several points unfortunately.  86 points is all I can muster.  $10 makes this a 2 star wine.  Salut….

F E Trimbach Riesling 2017, Alsace, France

09 Sunday Aug 2020

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The second wine of our #7 virtual wine tasting was very disappointing.  I ordered this Trimbach having really enjoyed it before, the reviews were great and the brand is solid.  No one in the tasting group enjoyed either the room temp version nor the chilled.

Paint thinner, petrol, pine, grass and pineapple were descriptors that we heard.  Personally I found the wine disjointed, the nose muted and the flavors were just off.  I am going to re-taste tonight but don’t have much hope.  Interestingly, I tasted the 2013 Riesling twice in 2017 and had very different tasting notes, but they were both consistent 90 point wines.  This one is 86, and at $17 it’s a 2 point wine.  Salut….

Chateau Langoa-Barton 2008, Saint-Julien, France

21 Tuesday Apr 2020

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A stunning, deep purple in the glass that belies this wine’s age.  On the nose it’s somewhat muted but I do manage to coax some graphite,  plum reduction and anise.  On the palate it’s still young, acerbic yet relatively fruit forward.  Blueberry, sour cherry and that minerality all show up.  The mix of acid and tannins battle each other as the midpalate shows more blueberries and some rhubarb.  I have to say- it’s quite tart and lacking much wood influence.  The finish is pretty much the same with a decent 30 second tail.  I’m serving this with Sunday roast, and somewhat regret opening such a young wine.  Give it 3-5 more years.  For now, 89 points and 2 stars for this $70 offering.  Salut….

Molino di Sant’Antimo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2014, Tuscany, Italy

06 Monday Apr 2020

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I have become more and more enamored with Brunellos and more importantly the Sangiovese grape of late.  I find it a very close parallel to Pinot Noir, which has also risen in my interest.  This particular wine is see-through and a light shade of purple.  The nose is somewhat muted but I do get some stewed cherry and not much else.The palate is quite lithe with some delicate cherry notes, a touch of cinnamon and some fruit cake.  It is very shallow on the flavor depth which makes me wonder if I have an off bottle.  The acidity is of medium strength and there are some very light tannins that appear on the mid palate.  The finish is mainly Kirsch and some mushroom, bacon and forest floor.  It gets better but I am a little surprised at the high scores from some pros versus the lower scores of others.  I am going with 88 for this particular bottle but will try another one soon to check on provenance.  Drink till 2028.  For $60 it’s a 2 star effort.  Salut….