Tag Archives: $20

Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Shiraz 2019, Barossa Valley, Australia

07 Sunday Jan 2024

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Inky colored and opaque with some wall staining and high viscosity (14.7% ABV).  The nose of this Shiraz has aromas of ripe blackberry, vanilla, black cherry, baking spice, eucalyptus, violets and bramble berry.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins plus a full body.  Ripe dark fruit dominates with some eucalyptus and baking spices supporting.  Vanilla makes its entrance on the mid palate as well as some rooibos tea.  The finish is long with bramble featuring plus some spice.  The tannins- they are well integrated and I just realized they are so well balanced.  This is a lovely drop that will drink nicely till 2030 and pair with grilled meat, Sunday roast or hearty stews.  91 points and for $20 it’s a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Tinazzi No 3 Vinum Italicum Opera Rosso 2021, Italy

16 Saturday Dec 2023

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Deep ruby colored with high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose of this blend has medium intensity aromas of blackberry, mulberry, plum, coffee, baking spices, violets and cedar.  The palate is slightly off-dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are quite fine and powdery.  Full bodied with flavors of ripe blackberry, plum and juicy mulberry along with cedar, coffee and baking spices.  It’s quite a rich and ripe wine with lots of weight and heft (think the 15% alcohol).  The finish is medium (+) in length and smooth.  This $20 bottle overdelivers in my opinion and gets 91 points from me making it a 5 star effort.  Drink till 2027 with hearty meat dishes or thick stews.  Salut….

Arraigo Benegas Estate Wine Cabernet Franc 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

12 Tuesday Dec 2023

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Deep purple colored with slight staining and medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of blueberry pie, with vanilla and baking spices really prominent.  Acai berry and black plum support alongside bell pepper and mint.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (-) tannins.  A medium body shows off ripe blue fruit, vanilla, spices and a hint of greeness.  The finish is a little bit tart with the blueberry tending to slightly underripe which is interesting.  The length is short to medium and very pleasant.  I like this somewhat basic wine for what it is- a $20 weekday quaffer.  It gets 87 points from me and 3 stars.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Winzer Krems ‘Kremser Goldberg’ Kellermeister Privat Gruner Veltliner 2020, Kremstal DAC, Austria

21 Tuesday Nov 2023

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Pale lemon with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon pith, white pepper, white blossom, lanolin, peach, nectarine and red pear.  The palate is dry with a slight spritz, high acidity and a medium (-) body.  Flavors of citrus peel, white pepper, fresh white blossom and some stone fruit take on a slight phenolic bitterness on the mid palate.  The finish is medium in length and crisp with tart citrus and some crunchy peach.  I like this $20 Gruner, it’s fresh and lively and would pair nicely with spicy Asian dishes, grilled Mackerel or even Ceviche.  89 points and 4 stars from me, drink till 2026.  Salut….

Au Contraire Chardonnay 2019, Russian River Valley, California

28 Thursday Sep 2023

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Pale lemon colored with a watery sheen (14.2% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon pith, lemon, melon, brioche, raw almond, honeysuckle and orange blossom.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a full body.  My first impression:  this wine has seen all the treatments- MLF, Sur lie aging and loads of oak.  The citrus fruit is overpowered by the effects of such treatment- butter, brioche and vanilla are all foremost and then I get a hint of lemon, pineapple and melon.  If you like this style of Cali Chard then grab some- I paid $11 on sale at Costco.  You can find it closer to $20.  It gets 86 points from me and 3 stars.  I’m pairing with roasted Cornish hens and glazed carrots with hot honey and garlic.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Denis Dubourdieu Pure Cadillac 2017, Cotes de Bordeaux, France

12 Tuesday Sep 2023

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose of this 85/15 Merlot/Petit Verdot blend has aromas of black plum, perfumed florals, coffee, blackberry and blackcurrant.  A hint of mint hit me later on.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are quite chalky.  Flavors of black fruit with some basic oak treatment are evident- the coffee starting to come out.  The tannins are a touch rough, perhaps some cellaring is in order.  I like this Bordeaux outlier, it’s got some spunk and has some good structure and nice flavors.  It gets 88 points from me and at $20, 3 stars.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Clos Pegase Mitsuko’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2021, Carneros, California

07 Thursday Sep 2023

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Pale gold colored with a watery sheen showing medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose is clean with pinpoint aromas of lemon zest, white blossom, pineapple, nutmeg, honeysuckle and grapefruit.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a waxy, full-bodied mouthfeel.  Citrus and tropical fruit with white blossom and honeysuckle- but there’s something else.  I don’t get the traditional over-the-top MLF notes, nor is the wine over-oaked but I get hints on both Malo and oak along with some lees stirring, but it’s deftly done.  A very subtle chardonnay from Carneros that gets 92 points from me.  At $20 a pop it gets 5 stars.  I’m pairing with grilled pork chops and Jollof rice.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Spier Seaward Pinotage 2020, Coastal Region, South Africa

02 Saturday Sep 2023

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Bright ruby that is nearly deep in opacity and has high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose reminds me of Pinotage wines I drank early on in my wine career, they had a bit of a medicinal aroma along with tar-meets-the-road.  Additionally I get dark berries, black plum, brambleberry, mocha, spice box and vanilla.  The palate is a dry affair with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins.  The full body shows off flavors of dark fruit, black cherry and nicely integrated oak.   The fruit is quite ripe and passes itself off as a touch sweet on the initial attack but I doubt there’s any RS.  The finish is where it turns a touch tart, but I am loving the interesting wave of flavors that have come across.  Medium length- it leaves me wanting to sip again.  90 points for this $20 bottling makes it a 5 star wine to drink till 2028.  I’m pairing with chargrilled chuk, fries and a side salad.  Salut….

Elio Altare Dolcetto d’Alba 2021, Piedmont, Italy

31 Thursday Aug 2023

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It’s pasta night so I dug out this Italian bottle for the occasion.  It’s a deep purple color with medium viscosity legs (14% ABV).  On the nose- medium intensity aromas of pomegranate, cherry, red licorice, red florals, a hint of coffee as well as a slight green vegetal note.  On the palate- medium bodied, dry,  medium acidity and medium (-) tannins that are overshadowed by tart red fruit.  The red pomegranate leads off with rhubarb and slightly underripe cherry.  Violets and red licorice follow on to the medium length finish where the whole package starts to make sense.  What started out as a bit disjointed, underripe and acidic opens up nicely into a  food friendly wine that gets 88 points from me.  At $20, this Dolcetto gets 3 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

Tenuta di Renieri Chianti Classico DOCG 2020, Tuscany, Italy

18 Friday Aug 2023

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Medium ruby colored with some slight staining and medium viscosity (14% ABV).  Aromas of cherry, tar, damp leaf and charred oak with loganberry and anise supporting.  The palate is dry with high viscosity and med (+) tannins that are a touch hard.  The enamel on my teeth is begging for mercy.  A rather full body will certainly fool the uninitiated- just because it’s not a dark and opaque red doesn’t mean it can’t have a kick.  The slightly tart red fruit is evident as is the oak and some searing tannins on the mid palate.  Young, this one needs a few years to mellow out and start tertiary development as well softening of the tannins.  It should age particularly well considering its towering structure with a drinking window of 2026-2033.  I will be generous and see into my crystal ball- 92 points for $20 this Sangiovese gets it 5 stars, just give it time.  Pasta is an obvious choice, as is grilled red meat with good marbling.  Salut….