Tag Archives: $25

Katnook Founder’s Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Coonawarra, Australia

13 Wednesday Apr 2022

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This was a wine we tasted at my WSET class.  I brought the dregs home for another look-see as the wine had some very powerful aromas and flavors that I wanted to get my head around.  Starting off it had some sediment in the bottle which is normal for an 8 year old bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.  In the glass it shows that age by way of a deep garnet hue.  The nose has pronounced aromas of eucalyptus, blackberry, coffee, black plum, blueberry compote, vanilla, mint, leather and tobacco.  It certainly is complex and showing some age as well as lingering youth.  The palate is dry with juicy acidity and a great tannic structure.  The rich fruit flavors are present coupled with oak nuance and tertiary notes but the coffee, mint and eucalyptus are the stars here.  Medium (+) bodied, this wine is very balanced and the mouthfeel is fabulous- a touch dry here and there with some juiciness to keep your palate alive.  The finish is quite a lengthy affair with black and blueberry fruit notes swirling with the tannin and acid- a nice way to end for this delightful wine.  I am impressed by this $25 effort that gets 92 points.  It needs to be drunk fairly soon- say by 2026 and gets 5 stars from me.  Salut….

Castello di Meleto Vin Santo del Chianti Classico 2009, Tuscany, Italy

06 Wednesday Apr 2022

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This is a new one for me- Vin Santo (not to be confused with Vinsanto) is a technique of drying the grapes in the rafters of a shed and pressing the dried grapes later in the season.  The must is then sealed in small barrels and left for several years to ferment, slowly, integrating with the barrel and it’s oxygen.  Mainly Trebbianno, they also add Sangiovese and Malvasia to the blend.  These small barrels are called Carati and are sealed once 70% filled, creating ample air space.  This one is now 13 years old and is medium amber colored.  The liquid slides down the glass in a watery sheen, versus the traditional legs, which imply a viscous texture is to be expected.

The nose has pronounced aromas of dried apricot, honey, walnuts, hazelnuts, orange marmalade, a touch of bread dough and cream.  The palate is medium sweet with medium acidity and full body.  Medium alcohol and a mouth coating richness make for a beautiful mouthfeel.  The flavors are pronounced- honey, dried apricot and nuts with much less bread/yeast notes.  The marmalade is less intense but adds depth.  This delicious dessert wine has a decently long finish and gets 92 points from me.  I would love some sharp cheese to pair with it and can see it aging nicely till 2030 at the least.  I paid $25 for this 5 star sticky and would do it again for the cellar.  Yummy stuff.  Salut….

Chateau Juvenal Ventoux ‘La Terre du Petit Homme’ 2016, Rhone, France

03 Sunday Apr 2022

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From the Southern Rhone comes this blend of Grenache 50%, Syrah 40% and Mourvedre 10%.  It will hopefully go well with my braised Lamb shanks.  The wine is medium ruby in color with quite a full-on nose of red raspberry, baking spice, pepper, blueberry compote, game, oak-derived vanilla and blackberry- quite an array of complexity from the three varietals.  The palate is dry with dusty tannins, medium to full body and high alcohol (15.5% ABV).  Red and black fruit interlaced with spice, pepper and oak make for a yummy flavor profile that is quite earthy, gamy and austere.  The tannins are nicely integrated yet still showing plenty of grip, especially on the back end but balanced with medium acidity.  The finish is medium in length with the astringency lasting a lot longer.  I like this rustic wine- 91 points worth and for $25 it gets 5 stars.  Drink till 2028 with hearty stews, braises or a hunk of meat on the grill.  Salut….

Franc Dusak Still Real Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Sonoma Valley, California

24 Thursday Feb 2022

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I am cooking a very complex and spice-laden dish for dinner- so no wimpy, thin wines tonight.  This Cabernet has been aged in Whiskey barrels and comes from Cali, so I am looking forward to some hearty and bold flavors to complement my Lamb Tagine which is loaded up with Ras-el-Hanout spice mix, honey, preserved lemons, dried apricots, peas and the ever present onions and garlic.  Side dish is pearled couscous mixed with peppers, garbanzos and red onion- drizzled with a lime/olive oil and honey dressing.

So- the wine itself is inky purple, as in opaque AF.  The nose is gorgeous.  Pronounced aromas of blackberry, black plum, caramel, smoke, vanilla- loads of oak influence there.  The palate is very smooth with what seems to be a touch of sweetness.  I doubt there is residual sugar, must be ripe fruit and perhaps the whiskey barrel influence?  Anyways I get delicious flavors of black berries and currants, plum, smoke, vanilla and the caramel.  The wine has beautifully integrated tannins that caress my gums from the beginning to the end.  Juicy acidity hits on the finish where I now sense the powerful 16.1% ABV.  Be careful out there, that’s quite high.  This full bodied wine is a treat that is going to pair beautifully with my exotic dinner.  I would drink this till 2026, it has some cellaring capacity but don’t let it get too long-it is drinking well now.  91 points for this $ 25 bottle makes it a 5 star effort.  Salut…..

Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Gewurztraminer 2020, Finger Lakes, New York UPDATED

19 Wednesday Jan 2022

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Another Finger Lakes wine to try from our recent trip- this one is a Dry Gewürztraminer which I am pairing with Beer-Can Chicken….  but I am a little concerned.  The cork was funky, looked very wet and there was some schmutz inside the neck.  I ran the first glass through a filter and here goes nothing:

Medium lemon color in the glass.  The nose is somewhat muted, surprising for the varietal but not for this particular bottle.  I do get some citrus, hazelnuts, bread and a hint of the telltale lychee.  The palate is better.  Medium intensity flavors of tangerine, lemon, lychee, rose, geranium and no sign of the bread or nuts.  Light to medium bodied it has gentle acidity and a medium length finish.  I love the varietal, but this bottle might be suffering.  Luckily I have another one nearby.  I’ll give it a try in the near future.  For now this $25 wine gets 86 points and 2 stars.  Hopefully it will improve on the next go.  Salut….

 

UPDATE

I wrote to the the winery to let them know I had an issue and they promptly refunded me the cost of the bottle.  Tonight- I taste the second bottle.

It has evidence of being frozen, with crystalized deposits in the neck.  The appearance is fine otherwise.  The nose shows much better than the previous bottle.  Medium intensity aromas of geranium, lemon, tangerine, rose and lychee that are crisp.  The palate is dry from a residual sugar standpoint but the varietal always has a certain sweetness to it that I love.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of the aforementioned citrus and floral notes, with less emphasis on the lychee.  Shame, as I look forward to that component in Gewürztraminer.  Medium bodied it has great mouthfeel for a wine of low acidity.  The finish is decent in length and concentrates on the flowery flavors versus the citrus.  It is drinking far better than the flawed bottle and gets a respectable 89 points from me making it a 4 star effort.  Bravo for pulling it together!  Salut….

C-Town Cabernet Sauvignon NV, Cleveland, Ohio

24 Friday Dec 2021

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It’s Christmas Eve and the family have arrived from all over.  My little brother brought this Cabernet all the way from Cleveland, where his friend owns this winery.  It is a medium shade of ruby with thin legs showing off the 14.5% ABV.  The nose is of medium intensity and gives me black cherry, black currants, ripe pomegranate, black plum, sassafras, coconut and charred oak- very interesting!  The palate is a touch bitter at first but the astringency gives way to black and red fruits, a touch of oak influence and medium acidity.  It has a medium body and medium (-) finish.  The tannins grip again on the back end and coat my gums with a black tea component.  I think this Non-Vintage red needs a year or two in cellar to flesh out the raw tannins and let the fruit meld a bit better with the structural components.  It has promise and gets 88 points from me.  Without a vintage it would be best to mark a few bottles and lay them down.  At $25 it gets 3 stars from me- we are pairing it with Holiday Crunch (A traditional Pasta dish).  Salut….

Chateau Bellevue 2016, Medoc, France

06 Monday Dec 2021

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This Bordeaux blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cab Sav and 5% Cab Franc is opaque and garnet in color.  At 5 years of age, that is to be expected.  The nose is starting to develop tertiary notes alongside black plum, blackcurrant, tobacco, earth, barnyard, cassis and bramble.  Oak nuance by way of coffee and smoke are present.  The palate is yummy and developed.  Stewed black plum, blackcurrant, cassis, leather and barnyard.  Very earthy and smoky with well integrated yet persistent tannins and a touch of back end acidity.  The wine is medium bodied and shows a mid length finish.  It dries up on the finish and will go beautifully with my braised Lamb shanks which will have plenty of rich gravy and Yorkshire puddings.  91 points for this $25 effort makes it a 5 star wine to drink till 2026.  It is mature now and will last a few years.  Salut….

Esprit de Pavie 2015, Bordeaux, France

10 Wednesday Nov 2021

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I have been braising Beef Short ribs all day, now it’s time to thicken the sauce and mash the potatoes.  A classic Bordeaux, somewhat young and hopefully a touch tannic will do the trick to marry the richness of the dish and its accoutrements.  This Merlot based blend from the Right Bank is the little brother to the famed Pavie.  It’s meant to be drunk younger and will no doubt have less structure than the iconic namesake.  It shows a deep shade of ruby in the glass with thick legs (14.5% ABV).  On the nose it is quite pronounced with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, black plum and charcoal. Licorice starts to appear after a swirl as does perfumed violet.  The palate is smooth, very smooth.  Super fine-grained tannins, juicy acidity and gobs of black fruit greet me immediately.  The licorice and charcoal nuances wait till the mid palate, letting me enjoy the primal fruit flavors with the caressing structural pieces.  The finish is mid length on this full bodied wine.  What I like is that the tannic grip disappears before the fruit, which is rare.  This is a really nice bottle that will reward further cellaring unless you like a young, brawny wine.  Drink till 2029 with stews or steaks.  91 points for this $25 Frenchie makes it worthy of 5 stars.  Salut….

Famille Perrin Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise 2015, Rhone, France

17 Sunday Oct 2021

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In the final throes of studying for my WSET Level 3 exam comes the single page of text devoted to Fortified Muscats- well I had to try one.  This particular bottle came in 375ml and costs $25.  The wine is medium gold and has watery legs even though it sports a 15% ABV since it’s has been fortified.  It has a pronounced nose, ie I get a whiff when approaching the glass.  The aromas are perfume, rose water, lychee and flowers.  Delicious notes, but rather simple.  The palate is medium (-) sweet and viscous.  Medium (-) acidity and low alcohol gives me a medium weight body.  The palate reveals medium (+) intensity flavors of rose, lychee, orange peel and apricots.  The finish is medium in length and very satisfying.  I really like this style- it’s a touch fresher than a Botrytised wine and the aromatics of the Muscat grape are heavenly.  Overall this wine would be classed as good in the Lexicon and I am awarding it 89 points and 3 stars.  I will probably buy more as Moxie and I really enjoyed it.  Drink with desserts till 2025 as it will age a bit and hopefully pick up some tertiary notes.  Salut….

Matt Parish Tino 2018, Napa Valley, California

13 Wednesday Oct 2021

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The label says it’s a red wine blend.  Let’s see if I can discern the grapes.  First off- it’s deep ruby which rules out Pinot Noir.  Number two- it runs 14.5% ABV even though the legs are quite watery in the glass. The nose is of medium intensity and I get aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry, smoke, licorice, chocolate, black plum, and a grape note.  The palate is dry, with high acidity and high tannins.  The alcohol is evident and the body is medium (+).  The flavors are medium intensity and mirror the nose, although there is a black tea component on the mid palate.  The tannins are searing on the finish which is decent in length.  Overall a tasty wine that I believe will age well for another 5-7 years.  As for the varietals- here goes.  Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and perhaps Merlot would be my guess.  91 points for this rather big red that can be had for $25.  5 stars.  ps. it needs a big, juicy steak.  Salut….