Tag Archives: 2 stars

Cune Crianza 2010

14 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


From Spain’s Rioja came this blend of Carignan, Grenache and Tempranillo that I had a hard time with.  The pro’s were all over the map with scores ranging from 90 down to 82.  I paid $13 for it but found it for $10 elsewhere.

Nose of earth and blue fruits with some hint of oak.  Atypical for Rioja- muted flavors of blueberry and bramble. Slightly rough tannins but good acidity seem to balance out in the end with a very muted finish overshadowed by the tannic frame. 86 points from me and 2 stars.  I think one merits another look as it may be bottle variation.  How is it possible to have such varied impression from others I wonder.  I will look for it in the future and report back.  Salut….

cune crianza

Dark Hundred 2012

02 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


With no varietals mentioned on the label I took a chance on this $30 offering that was on BOGO at the local.  Brooding nose of black fruits and chocolate dust. Mouth of ripe plums, cinnamon, ganache and green pepper (kinda strange I know). Rich acidity and mellow tannins. 88 points from me and 2-3 stars.  Not sure yet, perhaps it needs some time.  This wine hails from Sonoma and I suspect it is loaded with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  Salut….

dark hundred wine

Domaine de Beausejour Chinon 2010

05 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


On my California grand adventure with my son, I managed to stop into a Whole Foods and take advantage of their sale on six packs of wine that day, they threw in a carrier for free!

I wanted a Chinon as soon as I saw the region represented.  I was dying for a good Cabernet Franc, I figured the French would deliver.  I was hoping for sexy, alluring violets, a dash of perfume, some silky tannins and perhaps a dollop of cassis for good measure.  I was sadly disappointed.  It was a lighter purple than expected with a very subtle nose of violets and damson.  Light plums and some flower essence on the palate.  The wine was dry yet not very tannic with a mid palate transition to darker berries and some acidity that is offset by some heat. Not an easy drinker nor was it my favorite flavor profile.  84 points and only 2 stars for this $16 effort.  Pass and salut….

domaine de beausejour

Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle 1999

15 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


An iconic wine from a crappy year.  Yup, I bought a wine that I knew was not very good.  The pro’s originally gave it high 80’s scores.  It was priced at $120 per but I picked up a case at $70 a bottle, probably because nobody was buying this vintage.  La Chapelle is a huge name in the wine world, some vintages are worth thousands, yes $1000’s of US dollars.  It is a world class Syrah, from the famed Hermitage appellation in the Rhone Valley. Buying this wine was a once in a lifetime look into something amazing, with a storied and solid history- albeit in a mediocre year.  I cellared the case for a decade before I tried the first bottle.  I was hugely disappointed, it was crap.  I couldn’t believe it, I had wasted nearly $850 on a whim.  I tried several bottles and gave one away.  The rest just sat there, forlorn in their OWC (Original Wood Case).  Until Thanksgiving, when I cellar-dove to pull out some gems for the holiday season.  I found the case of Hermitage and decided to empty it out and get ready to either drink or pour the last 5 bottles.

Glad I resisted the urge to dump, this wine has turned around and offers a modest drinking experience and may even be on an upswing.  Vintages of this wine have been known to age gracefully for nearly a century.  It is a huge wine.

Inky purple glass which is a good sign.  The bottle had large deposits of sediment on the sides but there were none in the glass.  Nose of garigue, violets, game and dark fruits.  Mellow and smooth opening with bright fruit flavors of ripe plum, blueberry and cassis, not what I was expecting considering my previous experiences with this wine.  An earthy component on the mid palate which melded well with some acidity. The tannins are fully integrated and this wine is at peak. 88/89 points were my initial and final impressions.  The pro’s have since upgraded their scores to reflect the wine’s true personality.  It is drinking at its best now and will go for another 5 years.  If you like finesse this is a wine for you, but at this price point I think there are far better wines to search out.  2 Stars unfortunately for this rather expensive yet average drinking wine.  Salut…

paul jaboulet aine hermitage la chapelle

Francois Parent Volnay Premier Cru Fremiets 2005

13 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


I bought this and several other bottles of Burgundy several years ago at a local wine shop.  I have been waiting patiently for this 93 point (WS) wine and figured that now I am on Christmas break- it’s time.  I opened it last night to go with some spectacular Boeuf Bourguignon I whipped up.  Incidentally I used a bottle of Apothic Red  to cook with that wound up in my cellar as a gracious gift…. I digress.

I figured it was time to pop this premier cru wine and was hoping for a monster worthy of it’s $75 price tag.  Here is what I got.

Darker purple shades in the glass than I was expecting.  Somewhat muted nose, I couldn’t quite make out any normal Burgundy or even Pinot hints.  On the initial attack there were crunchy sour cherries with cranberries intermingling.  I had to take note of the very juicy mouthfeel made up of acidity and a touch of heat.  This wine is slightly off balance, perhaps in slumber?  No earthiness or funk, kinda boring where my overall impressions although it did mellow somewhat after some air time.  I have to disagree with the pro’s, this is at best an 88 point wine, and 2 stars for its price point.  Lacking complexity, unbalanced and showing no sign of secondary evolution  make this a major  pass in my book.  Salut….

francois parent volnay fremiets

Milestone Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

20 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


A very basic Cali Cab that we added to our Sunday afternoon football/wine tasting extravaganza.  This was brought by a friend. Candied plums and wood on the nose were kinda intriguing.  On my first taste I knew what I was in for-  Violets, plum and twizzlers on the initial attack with a heavy dose of oak.  I just wish they had toned down the wood, this wine just is not my style at all.  Mild tannins and a hint of acidity make up a very basic backbone to this casual drinker.  84 points and 2 stars for this $9 offering.  I think I would pass, there are many wines that suit my taste for the same price.  Salut….

milestone cabernet sauvignon

Evans and Tate Strange Bedfellows Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

20 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


A Margaret River Cab Sauvignon we picked up for $9.  A casual afternoon watching football was on the cards so we added a wine tasting to the fray.  Blue fruit compote on the nose from the reddish purple glass.  Tart cherries and some oak with blueberries on the palate lead me to think of this as a basic, drinkable red worthy of 85 points.  It did the job, and well.  Basic components tell me that this Aussie wine will drink between 2014-2016.  2 Stars, Salut….

evans and tate strange bedfellows cabernet sauvignon margaret river

Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

07 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


A wine with great pedigree from Colchagua in Chile yet it failed to impress me.  It was on special, 3 for $28, regularly priced at $14.  Plum and oak on the nose from a very dark purple glass made for a promising drop.  Unfortunately it was tart and thin on the opening leaving me puzzled.  I did manage to get some plums and eucalyptus on the palate along with some very basic tannins.  Black berries finally showed up on the mid palate with a certain sourness that was a little too unbalanced for me.  I initially gave this wine 86 points, but after opening the other two bottles I think I may have had some bottle variation.  Final verdict- 87 points and 2 stars overall.  I plan on re-tasting this one.  Salut….

los vascos cabernet sauvignon

Shingleback The Davey Estate Shiraz 2010

11 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Every once in a while I come across a score that I totally disagree with.  This one is definitely in that camp.  The wine was a dark purple in the glass which was a good start.  On the nose I coaxed fruits of blue and red currants by swirling like crazy.  Once I tasted the wine I wrote ‘Picture blue plums’.  That’s all I could muster.  Bracing acidity with mild tannins made for a rather boring drink that I was trying to pair with some Hanger steak.  Two of the reviews gave this McLaren Vale Shiraz 93 points and WS gave it 88.  I’m going with 87 personally and for the $20 retail price, it gets 2 stars.  Salut….

shingleback davy estate shiraz

Bellarmine Wines Pemberton Shiraz 2010

22 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


I must admit that I am in total disagreement with this wine’s rating. I bought it on sale with the high hopes that it’s 95 point badge was going to be right up my alley. I paid $25 or so dollars for it which would have made it a 5 star wine worthy of kings. Alas, it was not to be. Here is what the critics wrote…”Deep purple-crimson; the class of wine shines through from the first whiff to the long finish and aftertaste; multi-spice, licorice and black pepper are woven through the blackberry and plum fruit, fine-grained tannins in support.”

Here are my notes:Plums and dark cherry nose, lithe and thin with alcohol notes.  Plums and spice with a touch of wood. That is all I could write, I was so underwhelmed that I did not bother to seek deeper into the glass.  I may have opened a bad bottle, perhaps it is in a coma state.  Either way, I have one more and will wait a while to see if this Western Australian Shiraz comes any where near its claimed score.  For me 87 points and 2 stars.  Salut….

bellarmine shiraz