Tag Archives: $25

Marques de Murrieta Reserva 2015, Rioja DOCa, Spain

08 Friday May 2020

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It’s showing dark purple in the glass with barely perceptible legs- almost opaque.  On the nose I get jammy black currants, mint, cedar shake and bramble.  On the palate it is inky, with a nice grip of tannins right off the bat.  Black fruits, some earth and sour cherry notes all meet me after the initial wave of those tannins.  The mid palate is a little more tart, with a nice touch of acidity.  I was hoping for a little more earth out of this Tempranillo.  It delivers a more fresh and fruity wine that has its own nuances and attractions.  I am enjoying its youth.  The finish is a nice tart affair with some sour blackberries and a diminishing tannic presence.  The wine is still young but I think it will drink well for 5 more years.  I was looking forward to a bit more oak to be honest. Overall- decent, not great.  89 points and 3 stars for this $25 wine that garnered 90+ points from the pros.  Maybe I need to let it sit longer before I popped and poured, I don’t understand.  Perhaps it’s in a dumb stage.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 660 Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Red Mountain, Washington

02 Monday Mar 2020

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Semi opaque in the glass, bright purple.  On the nose I get graphite, blackcurrants, oak and twizzlers.  On the palate there are some gentle notes of black cherries, a dose of dry tannins and some black tea to go along with black currants.  The mid palate has a cherry cola component with black fruits and that slightly unbalanced tannic dryness.  The finish is dry but fresh and packed with black fruit flavors, some oak and a touch of minerality.  Decent wine for a weekday.  87 points, which contrasts with others opinions btw.  Drink till 2024, 2 stars, $25.  Salut….

L’Etoile 2015, Lalande de Pomerol, France

02 Monday Mar 2020

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Very rich purple hues in the glass. The nose is a combo of blue fruit and dark berries, with a tobacco and spice box note thrown in . The palate is very enticing with blackberries, crisp tannins, fruitcake and black tea.  The midpalate continues the theme and takes us to the really juicy finish of Ribena, tea, creosote and Maduro leaf.  Very enjoyable, seamless and drinking well for a relatively young Bordeaux.  91 points and 4 stars at $25.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Puente Alto, Chile

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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At $14 a bottle, this was my house Cab back in the day.  It quickly gained popularity and it’s price climbed like a homesick angel.  I went looking for other great QPR wines.  When I saw it in the shop today, I reminisced a bit and pulled the trigger on what has now become a $25 offering.  Here we go!

It’s very purply in the glass (I am using a straight hotel glass, no stemware in sight).  The nose is lush with blackberries, spice box and a touch of oak.  On the palate it is rich, balanced and gives me blackberry notes, star anise, black tea and a nice touch of tannin.  The mouthfeel is warm and smooth, acidity being very well behaved and allowing the tannins a chance to enter the fold.  They build up to a nice dry finish but don’t interfere with the fruit.  The blackberry component is strong and remains all the way to the finish.  There is a nice minerality to this wine and the dryess of the tannic grip on the finish is just enough to make this a meat – worthy wine.  Think big, juicy steaks on the fire and this one fits right in there.  I am impressed that this wine has held its quality over the past 20 years, even though the price has nearly doubled.  I’m going 91 points and 5 stars.  Welcome back you little beauty!  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Le Chateau 2013, Columbia Valley, Washington

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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Medium strength purple in the glass with a touch of cloudiness.  The nose is unique.  Raspberries, sweet rhubarb jam, rooibos tea.  The palate is yummy, crunchy, a touch acidic.  I get dark fruits instead of red, an interesting transformation.  Delightfully tannins greet me as we transition to the midpalate of crushed black cherry, graphite, black tea and mouth drying tannins.  The finish has a short burst of black berrries, tea and an earthy minerality.  This wine is drinking young at 7 years old, it still needs cellar time.  Drink from 2023-2030 with Ribeyes or a Penne Arrabiata.  90 points and 4 stars for this $25 Cab.  Salut

L’Ecole No. 41 Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Columbia Valley, USA

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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Very dark purple in the glass.  The legs are almost nonexistent, belying the 14.5% alcohol.  The nose has sweet cassis, fresh figs and a blueberry reduction.  The palate is delightful, rich and smooth.  Layers of blackberry, dark cherry, charcoal and anise flow from the initial to the finish.  It’s a seamless transition with a nice touch of tannic bite at the end.  I’m pairing with Picanha, mashed potatoes and grilled Brussel sprouts.  Drink till 2028. 90 points and 4 stars for this $25 Cab.  Salut….

Boeckel Riesling Wibelsberg 2016, Alsace Grand Cru, France

07 Saturday Dec 2019

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Quite pale yellow in the glass with fine grained legs belying it’s 13% alcohol. On the nose I get lemon zest, minerality and slate.  I’m expecting a cutting wine versus a sweet version of this varietal.  On the palate I was wrong, it’s not tart, bracing or edgy.  It has a warmth that surrounds yellow apples with lemon curd.  The acidity is well in check but still obviously present.  There’s a raw lemon component that appears on the midpalate and there is a nuttiness too.  The mouthfeel transitions to a racier version with some nice honeyed notes on the mid-length finish.  Very tasty and flexible, this one is going to pair nicely with my blackened salmon.  Drink till 2030.  90 points and 4 stars for this $25 effort.  (The pro’s went way higher BTW).  Salut….

Chateau Grand Tayac 2015, Margaux, France

27 Tuesday Aug 2019

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Really dark purple, very striking.  On the nose I get blackcurrant, nutmeg and tobacco.  The palate has some nice black fruits and an astringency that is a touch heavy.  It’s not tannic, perhaps from green stems left in contact with the juice for too long.  It takes a turn for the better on the mid palate- more Ribena and a touch of oak.  The finish is quite dry with the appearance of some nice tannins alongside a mineral tone that melds nicely with the currants.  Overall a decent wine that is slightly out of kilter at the beginning with the astringency but it comes around.  89 points= 3 stars for this $25 wine.  Drink till 2025 with hearty stews, or a lamb chop and mint.  Salut….

Ricossa Antica Casa Barbaresco DOCG 2014, Piedmont, Italy

18 Thursday Jul 2019

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See through but with slight bricking.  I noticed the cork had signs of possible seepage which gives me cause for concern.  Here goes….

On the nose – it’s corked.  I even tasted it….done.  Luckily I’m not far from the shop so I returned it .

The second bottle looks much better in the glass.  Light, see through purple.  On the nose it is not very open.  I’m struggling to swirl some life into it and all I get is faint cherries, some capsicum and carrot.  Yes, carrot.  On the palate this Nebbiolo starts off with some lush, medium tannins and a dollop of cherry juice.  It’s not subtle.  The mid palate has more breadth with cherries, currants, a touch of fresh oak and sassparilla.  The finish is quite dry with the tannins still in full force.  There is a woody note alongside red fruits and cinnamon.  Tasty but restrained, I feel this wine might be hibernating.  It should improve with age and drink nicely till 2028.  90 points and 3 stars for this $25 effort.  Salut….

P+S Prats & Symington Post Scriptum de Chryseia 2016, Douro, Portugal

04 Monday Mar 2019

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This is the second wine of Chryseia, it is a beautiful dark purple in the glass.  The nose gives off rose petals, perfume, black currant and cedar slate.  On the palate it is big- loads of Ribena, oregano, red licorice and a hint of wood.  The mid palate is seamless with the introduction of some very lithe tannins.  The mouthfeel is generous and warm in this wine.  It is relatively easy drinking with the mild tannins, barely perceptible acidity and warm fruit. The finish is all black currant, decent in length and not overly dry.  92 points and 5 stars for this $25 effort.  Delicious.  Drink this blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz till 2030.  Salut….