25 Tuesday Jul 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Medium amber colored with high viscosity (20% ABV). The nose has intense aromas of yeasty bread, green almonds, warmed cashews, dates, and coffee. The palate is sweet with medium (+) acidity and a full body. It shows off more nuts and fruit than bread/yeast- Dates, raisins, smoky oak, dried figs and cashew. A luscious dessert wine to enjoy with a cheese board or some Baklava. 91 points from me and at $20- a 5 star deal. Salut….
27 Saturday May 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
A 60/40 Bonarda/Malbec blend, this was the second wine in our lineup at the 31st virtual wine tasting. It showed deep purple with lots of staining and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV). On the nose- blackberry, black cherry, black currant, pomegranate and caramel. Others noted candied cherry, twizzlers, fig, slate and violet. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and high tannins. The dark, ripe fruit flavors were echoed on the palate along with some oak influence- coffee, charred wood and an oaky hint. The finish on this medium bodied wine was decent in length and really honed in on the ripe, black berries. I gave it 13 points on our scoring sheet and would assign it 90 points. For $20 this wine gets 4 stars with a drinking window of 2025-2030 unless you like them tannic AF. Salut….
25 Tuesday Apr 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Pale to medium lemon in the glass with a watery sheen (12% ABV). The nose has medium intensity aromas of peach, cantaloupe, Mandarin orange, white flower and saline. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a touch of spritz. The body is medium and the flavors echo the nose with some grapefruit pith thrown in for a touch of bitterness. The finish is quite persistent and refreshing with citrus taking over the lead role. The acidity is en pointe with this wine and keeps it focussed. We tasted this wine blind last night and it was slightly chilled. I’m re-tasting it at room temp and feel it needs a few minutes in the chiller followed by a pairing of seafood with lemon wedges. Drink this 90 point Albarino dominated blend till 2026. For $20, it gets 5 stars from me. Salut….
07 Friday Apr 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Deep ruby colored with a brownish tinge and medium viscosity tears (14.5% ABV). The nose of this wine has medium intensity aromas of red cherry, red raspberry, dried herbs, a gamy note and some licorice. The palate is dry with high acidity and low tannins, kinda crisp. The body is medium (+) and I get red fruit flavors and licorice. The gaminess returns on the back end alongside tart red cherry. It is a food-friendly wine from the Piedmont that is quite bracing in it’s acidity yet has a nice freshness to it. Made from the Barbera grape, this will pair well with rich pasta (obviously!) as well as grilled pork chops or even Moussaka. It runs $20 and gets 89 points from me making it a 4 star effort. Drink till 2027. Salut….
21 Tuesday Feb 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
This Mencia was a medium magenta/ruby color in the glass. An earthy nose of crushed gravel and licorice with blackberry and lilac aromas. The palate had medium (+) acidity, medium (-) tannins and a hefty body. Blackberry, gravel, licorice all featured and the finish was medium in length. Pairings for this wine would include lamb chops, beef stew or even roast duck. Drink this 90 point wine till 2026. I paid $20 but it can found for a few bucks cheaper, not bad and worthy of 5 stars. Salut….
25 Wednesday Jan 2023
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Pale to medium lemon/lime colored with a watery sheen (8.5% ABV!). The nose is intensely aromatic with rose water, apricots, ginger snaps, grass, honeysuckle, curry powder (yup, curry powder), lychees and crushed stone. The palate is off-dry as expected but has medium acidity and hint of bitterness. I feel the body is quite full, as the wine coats my palate but the low alcohol defies that logic. The fruity, aromatic, perfumed flavors echo the nose with emphasis on ginger and lychees. The finish is quite long, the perfume just lingers on the palate. It’s a delicious wine and I picked it to pair with spicy tacos- I think the level of sugar, acidity and big aromatic qualities will do well in the combination. I am thinking 91 points for this $20 wine, making it a 5 star effort. I can see myself loading up on this low alcohol, slightly sweet wine that will pour easily all summer long and pairing it with all manner of lighter fare- even some spicy dishes like mine. Drink till 2025. Salut….
23 Monday Jan 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Moxie and I just dropped off our daughter at university in NYC. We had a last dinner with her at this amazing Italian restaurant. I dined on herb-infused papardelle with an oxtail ragout that screamed for a juicy, yet not overly tannic red. My choices included this $20 (at retail) bottle of Montepulciano. No notes were taken but from memory I recall it being the perfect choice. Red fruit driven with medium (+) acidity, a modicum of tannic grip and a medium body. The freshness of the fruit was evident as was a touch of spice, some herbs and a hint of oak. The finish was medium in length with red fruit driving the flavors. It was thoroughly enjoyed and I will be looking for more, at that price-point this 90 point wine is getting 5 stars. I would drink it with all manner of pasta until 2025. Salut….
05 Wednesday Oct 2022
Posted in Wine reviews
Deep, opaque purple colored with thick slow-moving legs (14.5% ABV). The nose excites me- rich black cherry, pencil shavings, bell pepper, garigue and açaí berry compote. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and very smooth medium tannins. It’s a medium to full-bodied wine that has flavors corresponding to the nose plus a bit of spice box and tobacco. A medium length finish rounds this delicious single varietal wine up nicely. I like it- 93 points and for $20 this is a steal of a 5-star effort to drink till 2025. I’m pairing mine with a combo Cottage/Shepards Pie (one side with beef the other side with lamb). Salut….
16 Friday Sep 2022
Posted in Wine reviews
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$20, 5 stars, 91 points, california, petite sirah, winetasting, zinfandel
I was tasting wines for a prospective class and wanted to stick to single varietals, the bartender convinced me to try this red blend of Zinfandel, Cab Sav, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Syrah. In one word- Delicious! Medium ruby colored with a slight blue edge it has aromas and flavors of ripe plum, blueberry pie, coconut, charred oak, cracked pepper and allspice. Medium (-) acidity and medium tannins lead to a full bodied, mouth coating experience. A long finish adds to this wine’s appeal and solidifies my score of 91 points. Not bad for a sub $20 effort that gets 5 stars. At 15% ABV, it is obvious the winemaker has used really ripe, sun-drenched grapes to achieve this level of flavor. Yummy stuff to pair with a thick Tomahawk steak or some braised Beef ribs. Drink till 2027. Salut….
26 Sunday Jun 2022
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$20, 5 stars, 91 points, bekaa valley, cabernet sauvignon, lebanon
If you read my previous post about the Basque white we enjoyed at dinner, this is the follow up wine we ordered to accompany the Crescent Duck Breast, Young Broccoli, Rhubarb and Black Barley dish. Spectacular is what I remember as there were no notes taken. At 6 years of age this bottle looked a bit beat up but tasted great. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Cab Franc, Syrah and Cinsault thrown in for good measure it combines red fruit aromas/flavors with nicely integrated oak, supple tannins and spice box nuance alongside some tertiary notes of leather and tobacco. Really great mouthfeel and a decent length finish. If tasted properly I would score this 91 points and give it a drink till 2028 window to pair with red meat, Duck (obviously!) or even a hearty Ragout. Yummy stuff to be had for under $20 that gets 5 stars from me. Salut…. 
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