Tag Archives: 3 stars

Clarendon Hills Brookman Merlot 2010, South Australia

08 Monday Jun 2020

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A slightly murky purple in the glass, which I find normal for this winery and their older vintages.  The nose is interesting, if not a touch gamy.  Ripe plums, violets, blackberry ganache and bacon fat.  On the palate it’s much more ‘normal’.  Mature purple fruits, black cherry kirsch, oak and stewed plum.  I also get some smoky wood notes that carry me into the mid palate where I’m greeted by some tame tannins that just add a nice touch of dryness to the gums.  More black fruits and tobacco. The finish is quite dry but not astringent.  The fruit fades quickly and the wine does show a balance of acidity.  It’s all black tea, dry gums and some blackberries.  Overall it’s tasty but lacks technical merit.  At 10 years of aging it should be showing stronger, perhaps this vintage peaked early.  I’m a huge fan of this winery, this being the first Merlot I have tried from them.  It’s a bit of a disappoint but still gets 90 points from me.  I was hoping for a showstopper.  Drink till 2025. $28 and 3 stars.   Salut….

The Cleaver Red Blend 2017, Amador County, California

30 Saturday May 2020

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This is the 5th wine in the SplashWines lineup.  A blend from Amador County, which has been showing some real quality of late.  This one is a nice purple hue in the glass and is semi-opaque.  On the nose I get pepper, plum, mocha and blackberries.  The initial palate is interesting, a touch sweet from cassis and spice.  It has some zest to it, I like that.  The mid palate has some tar, more dark fruits and a charcoal note.  Very lithe tannins appear and there is a nice acidity to the wine.  The tar and spice components carry through to the finish, but there is an astringency that hits me, some greenness.  It’s not all bad, as the sweet cassis nullifies it.  The finish is quite tart, with good length.  Overall this is a decent bottle that gets 89 points from me.  Drink with summer BBQ, perhaps pizza and definitely a red pasta.  For $15 it’s a 3 star Zinfandel blend that includes some Petite Sirah and Syrah.  Drink now.  Salut….

Baywood Cellars Classic Red NV, California

26 Tuesday May 2020

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Number 2 from SplashWines is this non-vintage blend that rings the bells at 13.5%.  Semi opaque with a reddish tint in the glass.  The nose is intriguing- strawberries, by the bucketful.  Red currants and sweet pomegranate to boot.  Oh…. and Apricots.  Yup- Apricots.  The palate is very unique, a touch sweet but very red fruit forward.  It’s a very interesting flavor profile. The mid palate is very easy going, red Twizzlers and a touch of cherry cola.  The acidity is very gentle which makes up for the lack of much tannin.  The finish is more cherry and rhubarb with that crispy acidity adding zest.  It’s decent in length and tasty.  I must say I was a bit biased when I unscrewed this bottle, but I reckon it’s very easy going, fun to drink and will appeal to the novice as well as anyone coming over for a barbecue.  This is a $13 party wine and it gets 86 points from me. 3 stars. Drink now.  Salut….

Gran Via 90 Bullish Blend 2016, Spain

24 Sunday May 2020

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It looks very dark and brooding in the glass, the legs barely evident- 13.5% alcohol will do that.  On the nose it is spicy with dark cherry, cola and a touch of oak.  I also notice a spice box component.  On the palate it is a bit abrupt- black cherry, green pepper, iodine and anise all greet me.  There’s a frontal wave of tannins that also hit right off the bat, quite dry and relentless.  The mid palate is more red cherry meets blackberry, with a nice acidic touch to refresh the palate.  The tannins are certainly players here, enveloping my gums and making me pucker.  The brooding nature of this wine is evident on the palate now as it finishes with crunchy black berries, that tannic grip and some toasty oak nuances.  The finish is quite long.  I was not sure what to expect from this wine, it was part of a SplashWine shipment.   I did see it for sale at $12 online and it got 83 points from one reviewer.  I would guess it’s got some Syrah, Grenache and maybe a touch of Tempranillo.  Who knows….  For me it’s decent for everyday, gets 86 points and 3 stars.  Drink till 2024 with some Jamon, a steak or pasta.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 721 ‘Plan de Dieu’ 2018, Cotes Du Rhone, France

14 Thursday May 2020

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A touch murky in the glass with medium dark purple.  Semi opaque.  On the nose I get plum, bramble, white pepper.  The initial palate is very pleasing, if not a touch sweet.  Lush, ripe plums alongside blackberry and violets.  The mid palate has a nice tangy acidic bite alongside very ingrained, lithe tannins.  More purple fruit flavors and a spiciness comprise the profile I get on the back end with a nice, dry finish that is quite long.  This is a very drinkable pop-n-pour wine that gets 89 points from me.  I like it a lot for short term enjoyment.  Drink till 2024.  It’s a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre.  For $15 it gets 4 stars.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes LOT 692 Barbaresco 2007, Italy

12 Tuesday May 2020

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Quite see-through and showing off a reddish/purple hue in the glass.  On the nose I get sour cherry and rhubarb.  On the palate it starts off with that sour cherry, some cola and rooibos tea.  There is a crisp acidity that begins on the front end and carries all the way through.  Lithe tannins greet me on the mid palate where the sour cherry theme continues alongside some raspberry and vanilla notes.  The finish is quite tart but I get a very defined cherry note and some earthiness- leather and creosote.  Overall this is a tasty wine but for $39, it’s a stretch.  I’m going 89 points and 3 stars.  Drink till 2025 with Pasta or hearty appetizers.  Salut….

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….

Loveblock Pinot Noir 2018, Central Otago, New Zealand

26 Sunday Apr 2020

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This was the opener at my first virtual Wine tasting.  It was pretty full bodied and New World in it’s fruit forward approach.  Delicious but somewhat atypical for the varietal.  Very meaty and gamey with some interesting minerality.  I went with 90 points.  3 stars for this $29 Pinot Noir.  Salut….

Domaine des Monts Luisants ‘Les Monts Luisants’ 2009, Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru, France

26 Sunday Apr 2020

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A bright shade of red and see through.  The nose rings of pomegranate, sweet cherry and clove.  The palate is very smooth and soft- the fruit is vibrant and the acidity is very gentle. It’s all primary flavors for now, loads of red fruit and some backend tannins.  The midpalate is tart, with more pomegranate and some rhubarb.  The finish is very sleek and easy going- more lingering flavors from the midpalate and a nice spike in the very fine-grained tannins.  This wine is young and has many years to go.  I’m thinking it will be very nice as a mature Burgundy.  91 points for this very lithe Pinot Noir.  Drink till 2033, but cellar if you like some secondary flavors.  At over $100 it’s a pricy addition to the cellar, but then again- Burgundy is never cheap.  3 stars.  Salut….

Tenuta di Burchino ‘Il Burchino’ Toscana IGT 2010, Tuscany, Italy

21 Tuesday Apr 2020

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Pale purple in the glass.  The nose gives off violets, black currants, sweet oak and vanilla bean.  On the palate it’s just what I expected- dark fruits, woody, fresh and tart.  The acidity is delicious in this one, keeps me on my toes.  The black fruit core really pushes through the mid palate.  There are some barely discernible tannins that finally appear on the finish alongside some wintergreen.  Refreshing is the phrase that comes to mind.  The tannic bite coupled with the acidity on the finish is really a treat.  88 points, drink now till 2021 with pasta, pizza or charcuterie.  3 stars for this $14 Sangiovese/Cab/Merlot blend.  Salut….