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Tag Archives: $24

Cosentino Semillon Napa Valley 2015

24 Monday Oct 2016

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$24, 4 stars, 89 points, Napa, semillon


Gorgeous pale gold color gives way to a nose of persimmon, ginger root and cut grass.  On the palate it introduces lemons, star fruit and a waxy component.  Sharp and cutting, it rounds out the midpalate with hazelnut.  Vanilla bean is present on the finish, which is of medium length.  This wine is racy and easy to drink.  It would pair well with oysters on the half, perhaps a middle eastern mezza, or you can be adventurous like me and serve it with Chili.  I’m a member of this winery and get an allotment twice a year, this one was a good surprise!  It retails at $24 and gets 89 points.  4 Stars from me and a repeat buy on the next order!  Salut….
cosentino semicolon napa valley

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Alain Roy Givry en Vauvry 2012

30 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by caspernick in Wine

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$24, 3 stars, 88 points, burgundy


alain roy givryBurgundian Pinot Noir is a minefield for me.  So many different villages, so many producers, so many vintage variations and so little time to taste them all.  I’m happy to get busy though!

This one started out a pale purple in the glass with a crimson cherry nose with green notes, very fruit forward for a Burgundy.  The thing that makes this region so alluring is the terroir and what it brings out of the finicky Pinot grape.  I always think of earth, barnyard, funk and restrained fruit.  This one is different with initial tastes of strawberry, tart rhubarb and violet. Streaking acidity with gentle tannins balance each other well. A decent, if short finish of floral notes and some cherry with acidity swirling around the gums along with the tannins. I think this one needs some cellar time. 2017-2022. 88 points for this tasty yet atypical Burgundy. 3 stars for this $24 effort.  Salut….

ED Note.  I found this article in drafts from May of 2015 and just now published it.

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Alexander Valley Vineyard Wine Club Reserve 2012

19 Tuesday May 2015

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$24, 3 stars, 89 points, alexander valley, meritage


Next in my tasting series from Alexander Valley Vineyard is this gem.  45% Cab Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot makes this a Meritage in anyone’s books.  How I love Cab Franc and more importantly how it melds into the Bordeaux style blend !  This was one bottle I was looking forward to.

Dark purple with a nose of black currant, eucalyptus, wood shavings and pencil lead. On the palate is a vibrant, somewhat tannic attack of currants, black berries and more  graphite. Very young wine with a good cellaring potential. 89 points with a drinking window of 2016-2022. (Or you could run it through a Vinturi and pair it with a ribeye!)  I paid $24 at the winery and give it 3 stars.  Salut….

alexander valley vineyards wine club reserve

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Stags Leap Wine Cellars Chardonnay ‘Karia’ 2012

11 Tuesday Nov 2014

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$24, 4 stars, 91 points, chardonnay, Napa


For the past two weekends I have been tinkering on the Big Green Egg, trying to perfect a Turkey so I am ready for Thanksgiving.  The first effort was not very good, the recipe was too involved and the timing was not right plus I had to leave the grill alone for most of the afternoon to see my son’s football game.  I tried to cook it ‘low and slow’ but it ended up being dry.  This past weekend I tried it again, using the standard 325 degree heat, very little wood chunks, and a simple bouquet of herbs shoved up it’s heiny.  It worked.

I planned on drinking the Mazilly Pommard with the bird and I opened this Cali Chard up for my folks and Moxie, who prefer white wine.  I got in a glass or two myself and was glad I did, this wine is good.  Light yellow in color was to be expected, so I delved right into the nose.  Lemon zest, melon and yellow apples greeted me right off the bat.  Zesty with a hint of steel were on my notes for an initial impression.  I then got green apples and melons.  A smooth transition to a delightful mid palate left me thinking it was not quite buttery but silky in texture.  The wine had a long finish and I gave it 91 points.  I paid around $24 at Costco for it and will give it 4 stars.  It paired beautifully with the bird.  It would also ring with some seafood, perhaps a creamy pasta.  Tasty stuff.  Salut….

stags leap Karia chardonnaybig green egg turkey

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Mollydooker ‘The Violinist’ 2012

10 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by caspernick in Wine

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$24, 4 stars, 89 points, Aussie, verdelho


There is so much I want to say….  I’ll start with my mission- to taste the full lineup of Mollydooker’s wines.  Seeing as my local shop doesn’t carry all of them, the folks downunda were kind enough (no, really generous enough) to send me a sampling of their full range.  With their help I previously managed to procure the 2009 and 2010 Carnival of Love and now also have the 2012.  I will endeavor to get the 2011 so I can do a 4 year vertical.  I digress.

Verdelho is the varietal used in the Violinist.  Predominantly Portuguese, I was surprised to see it on the label of this winery’s sole white wine.  This wine was a gorgeous pale yellow in the glass, telltale of what was to come.   On the nose- pear, apple and a touch of wood.  I was blown away by the initial attack.  Pear, Quince and Yellow apple all mixing it up.  The mouthfeel is superb, with a fullness reminiscent of a Cali Chardonnay.  Gentle and balanced acidity make this a full bodied wine with some nice finishing notes of nut, Asian pear and flowers.  I timed a good 20 second finish on this wine.

Now, back to the chicken and the egg…… Did I cook chicken for dinner because I was having this wine, or did I pick this wine to go along with the bird I was going to cook anyways?  I shall not reveal the correct answer.  Once the chicken was done, I decided to immediately whip up a spicy gravy to go with it.  I just happened to have some fresh stock from the other night, so I dressed it up just so- a dash of sage, some onion powder, a hint of salt and a boatload of Chili and Red Pepper.  The resultant sauce was red in color and fiery in nature.

The combination of the spicy sauce and the somewhat sweetness of the Verdelho- a perfect combo.  This wine sits at a whopping 16% alcohol which is a shocking amount for most wines, let alone a white.  I tip my hat to the winemaker who has managed to hide the alcohol without a trace of heat, well done Andrew.

The majority of Mollydooker’s wines are priced at $25.  For this amount of cash you are getting an exceptional wine with complexity and depth not to mention great taste and mouthfeel.  I am going 89 points and 4 stars for this one and recommend drinking it with some fish or poultry.  Salut….

 

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Jean Louis Chave Mon Coeur Cotes Du Rhone 2010

14 Saturday Dec 2013

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$24, 3 stars, 88 points, Cotes du rhone, grenache, syrah


Having just drunk the more delicate Pinot Noir, this was a smack to the face.  A huge, tannic, rustic wine that was nearly black in the glass.  Full bodied and not afraid to show it, this wine had notes of blackberry, licorice and oak on the nose.  On the palate, very earthy, almost too much even for me.  The garrigue infused funk overpowered the black fruits.  The tannins were great and will hold this wine for at least 5 years but it is drinking great right now.  My personal opinion is 88 points for this wine.  The balance of fruit and secondary flavors weighed the scoring down for me.  For $24 it may be worthy of a try but be prepared for it.  I suggest pairing this Syrah/Grenache blend with a beef stew or lasagna- something hearty.  I’m going with 3 stars for now.  Salut….

IMG_0546

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