Tag Archives: $26

Chateau Guiraud 2004, Sauternes, France

21 Monday Apr 2025

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,


Medium gold colored with high viscosity (13.5% ABV). Medium (+) intensity aromas of honey, apricot, orange marmalade, white flowers, and green almond. The palate is sweet, with medium (+) acidity, and a full body. Medium (+) intensity flavors of spun honey, apricot, orange marmalade, white tea, spicy chai, white blossom, and preserved lemons.  The finish is medium (+) in length,  unctuous, and delicious.  It is evolving nicely and will continue to do so for a few more years. It begs for blue cheese, or a cherry tart.   It’s not as intense as the 2003, scoring a point less as a result.  93 points for this $26 bottle makes it a 5 star effort.  Salut….

chateau girded sauternes

Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella 2019, Ripasso Superiore Veneto, Italy

18 Thursday Jul 2024

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


Medium ruby colored with copper highlights, slight staining and medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, prune, black raisin, acacia tree planks, band aid, coffee, a medicinal note, blackberry jam and dried herbs.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body and medium tannins that are silky.  The flavors echo the nose and are medium in intensity but leaning more to the jammy blackberry, black plum and medicinal notes.  It’s delicious and far better than the last vintage I drank- this one is layered and inviting.  A perfect pairing for grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops methinks.  I’m going with 92 points on this $26 bottle, making it a 5 star effort to drink ill 2030.  Salut….

Clai ‘Baracija’ Refosk 2002, Istria, Croatia

23 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Deep ruby colored with medium intensity viscosity (13.0% ABV). The nose has medium intensity aromas of garigue and funk, Cinnamon, bramble berry, blackcurrant pie, açaí berry, gamy meat and damp forest wood. The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium tannins and a medium body.  Flavors of charred oak, açaí, blackcurrants, earth and some baking spice lead to a medium (-) finish.  The game note reverberates at the end.  Well balanced with taut grip, this wine gets 91 points from me. $26, 5 stars.  First time for me with the Refosk grape btw.  Drink till 2029.  Salut….

Xavier Vignon ‘Arcane Le Fou’ NV, Rhone, France

21 Wednesday Feb 2024

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Deep purple colored with slight staining and high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black raspberry, black olives, licorice, blackberry ganache, black cherry, granite and petrichor.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, full body and medium tannins.  The flavors are quite pronounced- black raspberry, black cherry, blackberry, licorice, charred cedar, olives and that mineral granite note.  The finish is long and silky with the tannins slinking away to reveal loads of dark raspberry and cherry notes.  The slight oak nuance is nice, as is the earthy minerality.  I like this $26 wine- 93 points worth, making it a 5 star effort.  I would pair it with hearty stews, game meat or meatloaf.  It’s drinking beautifully now and will do so for quite a few years.  Mostly Grenache, there’s other Rhone varietals from different vintages thrown in for good measure.  Look out for this wine.  It’s yummy.  Salut….

 

Matt Parish Pinot Noir 2021, Anderson Valley, California

19 Monday Jun 2023

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Medium ruby colored with slow moving legs (14.1% ABV).  The nose is classic New World Pinot- ripe red cherry, baked strawberry, spice box, vanilla, black raspberry twizzlers and a delightful floral note when I sniff the top of the glass…honeysuckle perhaps?  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins, more so than I was expecting but they are fine grained.  A full body leads me to the ripe red fruit I got on the nose along with some oak spice.  The finish is quite lengthy and a touch tart, which keeps it fresh and interesting.  It’s a full throttle style that I am planning to pair with grilled Pork Tomahawk chops and a crisp salad.  91 points from me.  Drink this $26 bottle till 2028.  5 stars, Salut….

Fontanafreda ‘Ebbio’ Langhe Nebbiolo 2020, Piedmont, Italy

13 Saturday May 2023

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Pale ruby colored with some slow moving legs (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of cherry, roses, tar, cranberry, dried thyme, red licorice.  The palate is dry with high acidity and high tannins.  Medium to full bodied, this Nebbiolo has classic red fruit notes with dried herbs, red flowers and earthy tar nuance.  The finish is tart and medium in length.  This is a scaled down version of Barolo that is easier to drink when young- it begs for pasta dishes which is what I’m pairing it with.  It is very smooth and balanced with the high levels of structure that will reward some cellaring.  It gets 90 points from me and for $26 it gets 4 stars.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Lustau Jerez Palo Cortado Peninsula Sherry, Jerez, Spain

08 Wednesday Mar 2023

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


This is my first Palo Cortado style sherry.  It looks divine- pale amber in the glass.  The nose offers up nuts, yeasty notes from Flor, caramel and toffee with dried orange rind. It has quite a bitter entry with exotic flavors I have never come across.  Dry with medium (+) acidity and a full body, this wine coats my mouth with tangy yeast and nuts with a citrus twist.  It’s unique for sure and offers a glimpse into another style of winemaking that is quite different- google Palo Cortado, you’ll see what I mean.  The fortification of this wine makes it a touch hot on the back end but I am really enjoying the nutty finish with that very singular Flor component.  I paid $26 to get this bottle- it rated 90 with the pros, who am I to argue?  4 stars.  Drink upon opening, Salut….

Quinta do Crasto Roquette & Cazes 2019, Douro, Portugal

01 Wednesday Mar 2023

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


Inky purple in the glass with virtually no legs- 14.5% ABV.  Vanilla, spice, ripe blackberry, (served in the wrong glass so it was difficult to draw off aromas).  Ripe black fruits, fresh oaky notes of vanilla, chocolate powder, black plum and cassis.  Delicious with medium tannins and acidity- a full body that covers my palate through to a medium length finish.  Great drinking right now with a few years left in cellar.  92 points from me and at $26, worthy of looking for as this 5 star beauty will impress.  Salut….

Inniskillin Winemaker’s Series Montague Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir 2018, Niagara Peninsula, Canada

14 Monday Mar 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


When I was last in Quebec I bought a few bottles of this delicious Pinot.  Having enjoyed the 2017 Montague immensely I could hardly contain myself when I found this vintage.  It is a pale ruby in the glass as expected but has very thick legs- interesting considering it rolls in at 13% ABV.  The nose is quite intense- red cherry, strawberry coulis, cinnamon, clove, pomegranate, mocha and florals of violet and geranium.  The palate it dry and surprisingly tannic for this varietal.  The flavors are a bit less intense from the nose but I get strawberry as the lead component with the red cherry and pomegranate supporting.  The chocolate, spice and florals are present along with a touch of oak. The wine is medium (-) bodied with juicy acidity and a decent length finish.  This wine perplexes me- it’s a bit in-your-face at the get go, the tannins are quite persuasive yet it morphs into a seductive and soft Pinot as it transitions to the mid palate and finish.  It may need a bit of time.  Right now it is a 90 point wine that I see potential for.  At $32 CAD ($26) it’s worth looking for and cellaring.  5 Stars from me- I’m pairing it with roast Duck and Scalloped Potatoes.  Salut….

Millbrook Pinot Noir, New York

14 Sunday Nov 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


Pale ruby with watery legs (13%ABV).  The nose offers up nice aromas of red cherry, strawberry, earth, some funk and a medicinal note.  The palate is dry, medium bodied and slightly tart with lithe tannins.  The red fruit I expect from Pinot is dominant here with very little secondary flavors.  It is primal and fruity, if somewhat one-dimensional.  The finish is mid length and juicy.  I like it.  It’s not a Cru Burgundy but it is very serviceable.  At $26 it’s a bit pricy for an 89 point wine.  3 stars, drink till 2026.  Salut….