Tag Archives: $25

Chateau Genot-Boulanger Mercurey 2005

06 Saturday Dec 2014

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I bought this bottle several years ago when a local wine shop was closing down.  I had no clues, ideas or preconceptions.  I just knew it was Burgundy, and it was on sale for 50% off.  I can’t imagine this village level wine being more than $25.  It was a pale purple with very light intensity, I was expecting that from a Pinot Noir based Burgundy wine.  It had a nose of funk, cherry and straw which was interesting.  Delightful yet light strawberry and cherry notes with a crisp and delicious acidity, mouthwatering.
I could sense a tinge of melded tannins which is atypical for me and Pinot.  If you read my other notes on this varietal you will know I have a difficult time detecting tannins in Pinot.  This is a very serviceable wine that gets 88 points from me and 3 stars.  I don’t think I would search for it but if there are any still in the cellar I know what to pair them with; grilled Salmon and boiled potatoes with a herb butter sauce, yum.  Salut….

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Domaine Mazilly Pere & Fils Pommard ‘Les Noizons’ 2011

11 Tuesday Nov 2014

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I hate it when I open a bottle way too young.  It’s such a waste, yet I feel compelled to begin my tasting cycle at an early stage so I can watch a wine evolve.  This bottle was unfortunately way too young for my amateur palate to really discern what the pro’s talk about.  It offered textbook color and shade in the glass with a nose of cherry and cranberry.  My initial taste was of tart cherries and crunchy pomegranate.  I tried to coax more out of it but alas, it is in slumber.  I will not delve too much deeper into the wine, saving it for a later date for a follow up.  Right now I’m going with 90 points vs. the pro’s at 92.  My drinking window would be in the 2017-2023 range.  I made note that it was not Burgundian right now, but more primal and Pinot like.  I really hope it evolves with some earth and funk, perhaps a touch of dark fruits would be nice.  I paid around $25 for it making it a 3 point effort.  Salut….

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El Angosto Los Almendros 2009

08 Saturday Nov 2014

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I wasn’t sure what to expect out of this Spanish blend of Garnacha Tintorera, Syrah and Marselan but it sure looked good in the glass.  Oregano, violets and black fruits on the nose were intriguing.  Pepper, blackberry, tar and capsicum on the initial attack were delightful.  Pinpoint tannins and a nice balance of acidity gave this wine a rounded and smooth mouthfeel.  The tannins are long , tingling the gum for over a minute- surprising.  I drank it with smoked pork one night, but ended up drinking several more bottles of it this week with other dishes, all delightful pairings.  Focus on  juicy steak or hearty stews for the best results.  This is a really versatile and delicious wine with a drinking window of 2014-2019.  It gets 91 points from me and 4 stars with its $25 price point.  Salut….El Angosto Almendros Single Vineyard Tinto

Bellarmine Wines Pemberton Shiraz 2010

22 Tuesday Jul 2014

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I must admit that I am in total disagreement with this wine’s rating. I bought it on sale with the high hopes that it’s 95 point badge was going to be right up my alley. I paid $25 or so dollars for it which would have made it a 5 star wine worthy of kings. Alas, it was not to be. Here is what the critics wrote…”Deep purple-crimson; the class of wine shines through from the first whiff to the long finish and aftertaste; multi-spice, licorice and black pepper are woven through the blackberry and plum fruit, fine-grained tannins in support.”

Here are my notes:Plums and dark cherry nose, lithe and thin with alcohol notes.  Plums and spice with a touch of wood. That is all I could write, I was so underwhelmed that I did not bother to seek deeper into the glass.  I may have opened a bad bottle, perhaps it is in a coma state.  Either way, I have one more and will wait a while to see if this Western Australian Shiraz comes any where near its claimed score.  For me 87 points and 2 stars.  Salut….

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Mockingbird Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Sonoma County 2012

08 Tuesday Jul 2014

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One of my friends brought this bottle to the party so I have no idea the price or where to get it.  My first impressions were good with a nice color to the glass and blueberries on the nose with some vanilla.  Spice box and cedar with blue fruits and plums came across on the palate which was coated in mellow tannins and sweet oak.  Decent acidity brought the whole package together for me until the back end heat showed up.  I missed the actual percentage, but it was not well integrated, which cost it a point or two.  We ate appetizers of shrimp and crab cakes, hardly the best pairing but we enjoyed the whole ambiance of the moment.  I would prefer a leg of lamb, perhaps even a grilled pork chop to go with this particular bottle.  89 points and potentially a three star wine if it goes for the $25 price I imagine it to be.  Salut….

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Mollydooker Miss Molly 2010

18 Saturday Jan 2014

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A sparkling Shiraz that Moxie and I opened on a Friday night while cooking up some Scallops.  I tried a further experiment by pouring myself a flute and a wide brimmed glass.  The results were quiet enlightening.  I will start with the flute.

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A concentrated nose of red currants, black berry and cola.  The mousse was dark purple when I poured the glass.  On the palate there was black cherry, black berries and some cola with a mid palate addition of some bubbly blueberry pie.  The wine shows some tannins, very strange in a sparkler but hides the whopping 15% alcohol very well.  The finish is long with a drying mouthfeel and trace of oak- very interesting.

The wide mouthed glass was a different beast altogether.  The nose was very subdued, given the shape of the rim.  The effervescence is wasted on this glass as I got almost nothing even after swirling the heck out of it.  On the palate, a whole different story.  The glass shape allows the wine to really open up and bring black fruits, blue berries and a raft of differing plums to the palate with a good dose of cola and some vanilla.  The mousse was not as tasty in this glass but the overall flavors were much more pronounced.

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Between the two I would sniff from the flute and drink from the wide rimmed glass.  I am going to balance the results and go with 90 points.  This is an interesting take on sparkling wine.  If you have never had a sparkling red, this is the one you should try.  For $25 this will be a treat for your palate.  4 Stars for a really tasty yet different effort.  PS.  I ended the tasting with a bit of cheese, the perfect combo if I might add.  I had some Cypress Grove Chèvre ‘Humbolt Fog’ goat cheese.  Perhaps one of the most intricate, complex and creamiest cheeses I have ever tasted.  The Shiraz was the perfect accompaniment to the acidic blue nature of this gamey, earthy yet really creamy concoction.  An amazing cheese, really.  Salut….

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Il Veltro Brunello Di Montalcino 2005

13 Monday Jan 2014

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In case you missed it, Moxie (the wife) and I are on the Paleo diet.  I have had no pizza or pasta for over three months and I feel better for it.  JJ, my daughter loves pasta and is a self-proclaimed 9 year old vegetarian.  This makes it really hard in our short-order kitchen to cater to all the various diets and preferences.  So…. last night I let her chose.  Spaghetti and Marinara sauce. I could not resist her charms and gave in, immediately seizing the opportunity to crack open an uncharted Brunello.  The sauce was dressed up with loads of spicy Italian sausage and I loved every guilt laden mouthfull.

The wine was just ok though.  It was touted as a 90 point wine with bright berry nuances and background notes of spice, cola, tobacco and leather.  I got blackberry, tar and some earth but no tobacco, no leather and very little spice.  What I did get was green tannins and a touch too much of acidity making this wine slightly unbalanced and off pointe.  The flavors were decent, don’t get me wrong.  The balance was very off-putting and I wish it would sort itself out.  I love Brunello yet know so little about it.  I was hoping for something delicious and was left wondering what happened.  I sadly will give this 86 points and hope for the best.  It cost me $25 on sale and will get 3 stars for now.  Hoping for a miracle on the other three bottles I bought.  Salut….

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Feudo Maccari Saia 2010

12 Thursday Dec 2013

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If you have never had a Nero D’Avola wine before, you must.  From Sicily comes this black wine with ample tannins and great depth.  This particular wine was as expected.  Bold black cherry and dark fruits with a hefty dose of tannin that was somewhat curbed yet providing a strong backbone.  The use of oak was deftly hidden and the acidity was great.  The wine is slightly rustic and needs a big plate of salami, olives and some hard cheeses to really get it going.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend this $25 offering for the uninitiated.  91 points and 5 stars.  Salut…IMG_0537

Spier 21 gables Pinotage 2010

04 Monday Nov 2013

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This bottle was brought to the weekend retreat by my mate, we’ll call him Johnny.  He originally introduced me to Pinotage and I have been a fan ever since.  This particular bottle is a ‘Private Collection’ from Stellenbosch that could be had for $25.

Dark and lurking in the glass it offered up generous fruit on the nose.  On the first taste it was different from other Pinotages- more serious, complex and richer.  I instantly thought of black fruits and figs.  Rich oak and a delightful tannin backbone are interlaced with some great acidity.  The wine blossomed and offered up some secondary flavors of licorice and earth.  A thoroughly enjoyable wine that kicked the flank steaks into high gear.  If you have some spare cash and want to broaden your reach, Pinotage is becoming a must-try in my book, this example being rather terrific. 90 points and 5 stars from me.  Salut….

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Alouette Pinot Noir 2012

03 Sunday Nov 2013

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A Sonoma Pinot Noir made in a New World style.  And I disliked it.  Sorry, but the flavor profile was not to my liking with Strawberry and Cherry Kirsch on the palate mixed with a cloying component.  My first impression when I saw the dark purple wine in the glass was that it was over-extracted.  Pinot Noir is supposed to be delicate, pale and complex yet this wine was extremely fruit driven and in my face.  This varietal almost never shows off tannins like other reds do, but the acidity was decent.  If you are a fan of this style you can certainly give it a go for $25.  86 points from me and 2 stars.  I probably would not buy it for my cellar.  Salut….

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