Tag Archives: $21

Marietta Cellars ‘Roman’ Estate Grown Zinfandel 2019, North Coast, California

17 Sunday Jul 2022

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Our second wine at the 28th virtual tasting was this Zinfandel that had a smidge of Petite Sirah and Barbera mixed in.  It tied as my wine of the night.

Medium ruby colored it’s not as opaque as I was expecting.  The nose had tobacco, ripe boysenberry, cherry cola, chocolate covered cherries, black pepper, dark plums and green peppercorns.  The palate was dry with low tannins, medium acidity and deliciously smooth flavors of pepper, freeze-dried strawberry, tobacco, dried cherry and raisin.  Medium bodied, this wine was lower in alcohol than I was assuming- 14.7% ABV.  It’s a lot, but I have seen Zins in the 16% range.  A long finish was this wine’s crowning achievement making it a 19 pointer on our grading scale.  I would rate it 93 points and for $21 I might have to load up on this 5 star effort.  Drink until 2025 with lean red meat dishes.  Salut….

Posted Accord “Coffee” Pinotage 2018, Western Cape, South Africa

10 Wednesday Mar 2021

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I enjoy Pinotage quite a bit. It’s a grape that was created by cloning Pinot Noir and Cinsault. This one is semi opaque and a lovely shade of purple in the glass. The nose gives me chocolate, espresso bean and blackberry. On the palate it is very fruity with black currants, black cherry and dare I say- coffee. There is a richness to this wine that I am really enjoying, full bodied with rounded tannins and good acidity. The mid palate goes old school with some smoke, dust, jerky and brooding dark fruit. I am missing the acetone flavors I normally associate with this varietal, it’s kind of unique. The back end is dry, dusty and has nice tannins to finish. I like this wine and would pair it with almost any meat dish, perhaps even pasta. 89 points from me with a drink till 2025 window. At $21 it gets 3 stars. Salut….

Hartford Family Winery Hartford Court Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2018, Sonoma County, California

25 Thursday Feb 2021

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A lighter shade of yellow in the glass with pretty hefty legs belying the 14.2% alcohol. The nose has creamy citrus, like a mousse, plus a hint of butter and coconut. The palate is very rounded with lush flavors of nectarines, clementines, lemon zest and peach. It’s like a tropical fruit salad with buttery popcorn as a side. I taste layers with this wine, which shows some nice complexity. The acidity is relatively mild giving a full mouthfeel. The finish is mid length and adds some papaya to the mix. Delicious stuff, really. 92 points worth. Seriously, and at $21- it’s a steal. This one will be featured in another blog post early next year, and if I could give it 6 stars I would. Drink till 2025. I am pairing it with Shrimp Scampi and salad. 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….

Small and Small Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Marlborough, New Zealand

08 Tuesday Dec 2020

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Very, very pale gold in the glass. Grapefruit and cat pee on the nose with some cut grass.  The palate gives me lime zest, green apple and vibrant acidity. It’s very refreshing and light.  The mid palate is very bright with citrus and more apple.  The finish gets back to the cut grass motif with really juicy acidity stemming from the lemon and lime notes.  I picked this wine to pair with Spanikopita- it’s a treat.  Drink till 2023.  89 points from me. 12.5% alcohol makes it a great quaffer, especially on a hot summers eve.  Delicious and decent value at $21. 4 stars. Salut….

Jen Pfeiffer The Rebel Shiraz 2019, Australia

02 Monday Nov 2020

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This Shiraz is a rich purple and is nearly opaque. On the nose I get plum extract, blackberry and espresso. It’s very fruit driven but there is a touch of oak as well. On the palate is shows tar, plum and raspberry jam. It’s very tasty with a very nice balance. The tannins are present but are very fine grained and unobtrusive. The acidity on the other hand is quite pronounced leaving my jaw dripping. The mid palate has a vanilla component as well as the black fruits. The finish turns slightly dry from the crescendo of tannins that finally grip. It’s not a typical Aussie Shiraz, it’s more restrained yet still fruit forward. I like it. 89 points and 4 stars for this $21 effort. Drink till 2024. Salut….

Clos de Luz Massal 1945 Carmenere 2016, Central Valley, Chile

18 Sunday Oct 2020

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When I started the Virtual Wine Tasting Company I wanted to educate my friends as best I could about as many varietals that we could find. This was the 39th different bottle thus far, and it has taken over as the most controversial wine yet. Some loved, others hated, and I mean with a passion. It stunk, like ass. I will just copy and paste my notes:

Bright purple in glass, nearly opaque. Fine legs.

Smells like the farm, very herbal, hay and cow pies. Funky.  Burnt plastic, bell pepper.

On the palate it offers black cherry, more funk, and is smooth.  Rounded. Not overly tannic nor acidic.  Well with cheese. 

This was an over-the-top expression of Carmenere that I enjoyed to a certain degree. Moxie gave it 1 point on my tasting scale because it was visually pleasing! I tried it on night 2 and it’s as funky as ever, not everyone’s cup of tea. I would give it 88 points from a technical standpoint but I honestly cannot recommend this $21 wine, it’s too much. The pro’s went massive on it with scores ranging from 93-94! Wowsa. Salut….

Amalthea Cellars Reserve Merlot 2015, Outer Coastal Plain, USA

22 Monday Oct 2018

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This is the second bottle of Amalthea that my cousin brought over.  Bluish purple with nice legs showing in the glass.  The nose has plum, blueberry and filberts.  The palate has rich blue fruits, juicy acidity, nice tannins from the outset and a hint of that nuttiness I caught on the nose.  The wine transitions nicely to the mid-palate and finish where the tannins really grip.  More blueberries, black tea and a mineral note close it out.  The wine is very balanced with really well crafted tannins that give a nice level of dryness without astringency.  This is a much smoother wine than the Cabernet, which can be expected with the varietals.  It paired nicely with my Tri-Tip roast, Yorkshire pudding and roasted potatoes.  Drink till 2024.  91 points and 5 stars for this $21 effort.  Of note- both wines have had freezing issues which does not harm the wine, only crystalizing some sediment in the glass.  Salut….

Crystals from freezing

Tri Tip Roast

 

Koyle Royale Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Colchagua Valley, Chile

18 Wednesday Oct 2017

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Dark purple.  Nice nose of dark currant, mint and oak slivers.  On the palate it is a pleasing wine with freshness, good dry tannins and flavors of Ribena, plum, bitter chocolate as well as a meaty note.  The tannins really kick in on the mid palate and the finish.  The wine is full bodied, full flavored and not shy about its structure.  It is somewhat tilted toward the tannic end with hardly discernible acidity at this time.  I think this wine needs some cellaring for a year or two to mellow out just a touch.  I’m going to be pessimistic and go with 90 points but I think it may improve.  If you must drink it now pair with Lamb Shanks and Couscous or maybe a seasoned T-bone on the charcoal.  I paid $12.80 each for two bottles on sale.  Regularly $21. 4 stars.  Salut….

Koyle Royale Cabernet Sauvignon

Chateau Miraval Cotes de Provence Rose 2015, Provence, France

13 Thursday Apr 2017

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I’m not a huge Jolie-Pitt fan, but when they teamed up with the French Perrin Family they caught the wine world by surprise.  I have only just seen this wine for sale and had to try it.  The last time I drank a Rose was…..  no idea.  I must say I am way out of my comfort zone when it comes to drinking this style of wine, which I do not really like nor dislike.

Orangy pink in the glass, it reminds me of peach juice.  A nose of- you guessed it, peach!  I also get some citrus, of the tangerine variety. Intriguing.  On the palate, this wine is offering strawberry, lemon zest and pineapple.  It has very little acidity yet packs a certain bitterness I can’t quite put my finger on.  The mid palate is generous with more fruit and the finish is long.  More strawberry with flower notes on the tail end.  88 points, served with panko/parmesan crusted chicken.  I paid $21 for this light and refreshing wine.  It gets 3 stars from me but scored really well with the pros.  Salut….

Chateau Miraval Cotes de Provence Rose