Tag Archives: 3 stars

Carmelo Patti Gran Assemblage 2013, Mendoza, Argentina

27 Sunday Feb 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,


The second red wine at the 25th Virtual tasting was from the same producer as the first bottle.  This one is a year younger and has been blended with Malbec, Merlot and Cab Franc.  A mix of new and used oak in the winemaking allowed us to compare flavors and aromas with a wine that relied mostly on used oak.

In the glass this blend is medium garnet, slightly less opaque than the Cab Sav we tasted previously.  Leather, tobacco, black currant, black cherry, blackberry and cassis aromas were quite evident on the nose.  The palate was dry, slightly tart with medium tannins, medium (-) acidity and light bodied.  Flavors of black currant, spice, leather, tobacco, blood/iron and orange marmalade but I did make a note that this wine was a touch ‘thin’.  Scoring it 91 points was a little off from the pros.  This $50 bottle gets 3 stars from me and only 14 marks on the tasting scale.  Drink now with lighter meat dishes.  Salut….

Anselmo Mendes Contacto Alvarinho 2020, Vinho Verde, Portugal

27 Sunday Feb 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


We kicked off the 25th Virtual Wine Tasting event with this Alvarinho.  The winemaker has allowed some skin contact during fermentation so I was hoping for a rounder, fuller bodied wine.  We tasted it at room temperature and then chilled.  Here is what the group thought of this wine.

Pale straw colored with citrus, pineapple, yellow apple and saline on the nose.  Someone caught a whiff of petrol and we decided that the smell of Vaseline was an appropriate moniker.  Medium acidity and light bodied this wine has medium intensity flavors of honey, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, yellow apple and I sensed brioche.  I gave this version 11 marks on the VWTC score sheet.

The chilled version was crisper and had more prominent aromas and flavors.  Saline, honeysuckle and brioche with far less apple/citrus notes on the nose.  The palate had melon, grapefruit, pineapple and we felt the acidity was more prominent.  The wine had more body and scored 13 marks with me.  Overall this $20 gets 89 points from me, which is a far cry from the monster scores the pros gave.  I will re-taste tonight and report back if there is any significant change to my assessment of this 3 star effort.  Drink now with seafood or a chicken salad.  Salut….

William Gordon Winery Petite Sirah 2014, Alexander Valley, California

25 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Moxie is cooking dinner- a beef dish that is heavily influenced by mushrooms.  In case you did not know- umami (found in mushrooms) has a distinct affect on wine.  It makes a red taste more dry and bitter, more acidic, less fruity/sweet.  A perfect pairing for this would be a full bodied, rich, tannic wine with medium acidity and not overly dry- Petite Sirah is the answer.  Here goes.

Deep purple in the glass, this wine is inky.  The nose has pronounced aromas of black cherry, blackberry, macerated black plum, dark chocolate, anise, barnyard (kinda strange for the varietal) and smoke.  The palate is rich and dry.  Medium (+) tannins, full body and medium length finish.  The fruit flavors are delicious.  Black berries, currants, plums and pepper.  The smoke is evident as is the licorice note I got earlier.  It doesn’t quite hold up to the 2013 Petite Sirah I drank last year but it does rate well at 90 points.  For $45 it gets 3 stars from me.  Drink till 2028 with hearty meat dishes, especially those with some well marbled beef.  Salut….

Gioso Barolo DOCG 2016, Piedmont, Italy

18 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


This Nebbiolo is rather young at 5 years old but I have a hankering for something to go with our Tenderloin tonight.  It’s bordering on garnet but is clearly a pale shade.  The nose is of medium intensity and has aromas of steeped cherry, cooked strawberry compote, leather, dried herbs, coconut and charred oak.  Classic Barolo components- I’m excited to taste.

The palate is dry and tart, as expected.  The tannins are present but you can tell they have softened from their youth and are nicely integrating.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of cherry, leather, herbs, a medicinal note (from the oak presumably) and kirsch are noted.  Medium bodied- this wine has high acidity and a nice finish, albeit rather grippy and tart.  These are all qualities to look forward to in this varietal.  The wine is obviously still young and needs time to flesh out and gain more tertiary notes but it will drink nicely with our Beef and would pair well with stews and game.  I’m not convinced that it’s a 92 point wine as awarded by one pro, more like an 89 point effort that gets 3 stars for it’s $30 price point.  I have a few more in the cellar and will spread them out over the next few years.  Salut….

Edmond Cornu et Fils Les Bons Ores Chorey Les Beaune 2014, Burgundy, France

27 Thursday Jan 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


I’m roasting a rustic chicken so Pinot Noir is my choice of red.  This Burgundy is pale garnet, showing off its 7 years of age.  The nose gives off a decent amount of sour cherry, some mushrooms, a bit of earth, stewed strawberry and pomegranate molasses.  The palate is quite tart with sour cherry notes, that earthy funk and a hint of the strawberry.  The wine is dry but very light on the tannic structure.  They are very well integrated.  The mouthfeel shows light to medium body and it finishes with a sour twist that lasts a good long while.  I get no evidence of new oak in this wine, nor is there much complexity.  It is a basic, everyday wine that fits in nicely with my Coq dinner.  I would also pair it with lighter meat dishes, pasta with red sauce or even a stew.  88 points for this $35 effort makes it a 3 star effort to drink by 2028.  Salut….

Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Trois Sources 2015, Rhone, France

11 Tuesday Jan 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


This Grenache blend was third up at our virtual tasting.  It showed well but was not my favorite.  Deep garnet, it was more opaque than I was expecting.  Pomegranate, raspberry, pepper, anise, kirsch, bramble and strawberry jam notes on the nose were echoed on the palate.  We also got a green olive aftertaste with cedar and charcoal on the mid palate.  Very integrated tannins, low acidity, medium bodied and a long finish made this a 91 pointer.  At $50 I was hoping it filled the 93 point hype the pros gave it, alas it was just decent.  3 stars from me.  Drink till 2025.  Salut…

Oremus ‘Mandolas’ Tokaji Dry 2018, Tokaj, Hungary

11 Tuesday Jan 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


We started our 23rd Virtual Wine Tasting with this Furmint, a varietal I have never had before. Tasted chilled and then at room temperature, it was a completely different wine.  Medium lemon color the chilled version had pear, apple, apricot, lemon and a brie-like note.  The palate also included honeysuckle and lemon pith.  Medium body and medium acidity led to a decent finish.

The room temperature serving was skunky on the nose- that Brie note really taking the pole position.  Spices, honeysuckle, nuts, brioche and a greenness with hints of Malolactic fermentation.  The palate was ‘yucky’ and flabby for me.  Buttery, pithy and bitter- the lemon was evident to a degree but the wine was just too funky.  I scored it a 7.5 on my VWTC scoresheet. Overall this $25 bottle got 89 points making it a 3 star wine. Drink well chilled until 2025 with seafood, Alfredo or even a grilled chilled salad. Salut….

Cono Sur Reserva Especial Carmenere 2017, Cachapoal Valley, Chile

06 Thursday Jan 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


I’m re-visiting this varietal as it intrigues me.  Back in the day I had some great Carmenere’s but recently had the misfortune of trying one that was over-the-top vegetal.  I really despised it and could not bring myself to drink any for quite a while.  This one is quite opaque in the glass and purple in color.  The nose has got some creosote, cooked black plum, iron, graphite, blackberry and cracked pepper.  The palate is a touch thin but I get black fruit and earthy minerality along with the tar-like flavors I got on the nose.  It is very smooth with low to medium tannins and medium acidity on the back end.  The wine would be classified as light weight in body even though it sports 14.5% ABV.  The finish is medium in length and I get more of that black pepper component along with some espresso notes.  It’s a decent drop that gets 87 points from me.  I would drink until 2024 with grilled meats and chimichurri sauce for sure.  At under $10 it’s easy to stock up on this 3 star wine.  Salut….

C-Town Cabernet Sauvignon NV, Cleveland, Ohio

24 Friday Dec 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


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….

M Plouzeau Chateau de la Bonneliere Chinon Les Cornuelles 2016, Loire, France

10 Friday Dec 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Chinon is a region in the Loire Valley of France where Cabernet Franc is the primary red grape.  You know how I love the varietal so I couldn’t pass this one up, especially when it was on sale for $14.  The wine itself is semi opaque and tending to garnet rather than ruby, I guess age is playing a factor here.  The nose is developed with stewed plums, black cherry, black currant pie, leather, mint and violet.  It is quite an interesting waft that got better as I swirled the glass.  On the palate this dry wine has upfront tannins, good acidity and flavors of plum, black currant, black cherry, licorice, mint and violets.  The leather and stewed plum notes are nowhere to be seen.  The tannic grip is pronounced on the back end where I get some dry gums.  It is a raw, primal wine with good fruit and structure but it is not for a big night.  A serviceable weekday wine that gets 88 points from me and should be drunk by 2026, it gets 3 stars and would go nicely with hearty stews.  Salut….