Tag Archives: 3 stars

Mount Langi Ghiran Cliff Edge Shiraz 2017, Grampians, Australia

24 Friday Jan 2020

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Bright purple.  On the nose I get blueberry, vanilla, wafers and sweet oak.  On the palate it is fresh, with gobs of sour cherry, rhubarb and blueberry.  There is a nice tannic bite that starts off gently and reaches a decent level of dryness without being overly astringent.  The sour cherry component really takes charge on the midpalate and the acidity peaks.  The finish is quite sour yet refreshing.  The oak has long disappeared, the ending being red fruits galore with rooibos tea and crunchy tannins.  It’s a decent wine that is a touch out of balance with the heavy handed acidity.  It may smooth out after a while.  88 points and 3 stars- $18.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 636 Zinfandel 2016, Lodi, California

24 Friday Jan 2020

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Nice shades of purple with medium opacity.  Zins tend to have higher alcohol and this one shows off its 15.5% very nicely on the legs.  The nose is interesting- honey, blackberry preserves, cinnamon stick and black oak.  On the palate it is very approachable right off the bat with blackberries, tea leaf and an intro to the very fine grained tannins.  On the midpalate there is a stringy astringency that is putting me out of whack.  The fruit subsided very quickly to make way for some bitter tannins unfortunately.  Greeness prevails from that point to the finish.  I’m trying to coax more of that delightful, jammy goodness but I’m being overpowered.  This wine might need some cellaring but the green tannins will always be green unfortunately.  86 points from me and 3 stars for this $13 wine. Drink now. Salut….

Coelho Winery Paciencia Estate Pinot Noir 2014, Willamette Valley, USA

24 Friday Jan 2020

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See through pale purple with nice legs in the glass.  The nose is all about strawberries.  After a good swirl there’s violets and some yellow cherries.  On the palate it’s a very smooth rendition of strawberry meets cherry cobbler.  A touch of oak is a nice nuance.  The mid palate continues the theme and some acidity kicks in.  There’s a nice mouthfeel to this wine that carries it on to a decent length finish .  I’m digging it and the beercan chicken is gonna pair beautifully.  90 points.  Drink till 2026.  This wine gets 3 stars for its $40 average price.  Salut….

Tommasi Le Prunee Merlot Venezie IGT 2017, Italy

24 Friday Jan 2020

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A lighter shade of purple and semi opaque in the glass with thick legs showing.  The nose is a bit off-putting.  I fear it may be corked as I’m getting stewed plums meet bacon fat.  The palate does not confirm any fault- maybe the nose needs to waft a bit.  On the initial I get raspberry and toffee.  It’s strange but intriguing.  There’s a warmth to it that I like.  Cinnamon and cloves mingle with those red berries on the mid palate and some fine grained tannins appear.  The finish is a little thin but offers more red fruits and some fruit cake.  There’s a lot of spices involved here, they seem to clash a bit with the primal fruits.  Acidity is decent and the finish is of medium length.  I kinda like this wine even though it’s atypical and heavily into the spice.  I don’t know offhand what to pair it with but drink till 2023.  88 points and for $14 it’s a 3 star wine.  Salut….

I Giusti & Zanza Rosso Vigna Vecchia Toscana IGT 2015, Tuscany, Italy

18 Friday Oct 2019

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It’s quite bright and fresh looking in the glass with a deep garnet shade.  On the nose – rhubarb crumble, cherry and chocolate dust.  On the palate it is refreshing, tart and brimming with red fruits.  There’s a hint of balsamic as well as coconut on the initial.  The mid palate gives me some woody notes alongside the red currants and cherry.  The tartness gets a little spiky and herbaceous on the finish, a little off-putting.  Overall this is a tasty wine that has some structure to last a few years in cellar but is drinking nicely now.  I’m gonna bury the others I have as I believe they will improve vastly with a bit of age.  Made from Organic grapes and costing $50 makes it a wee bit pricy.  Pair it with Fettucine or pot roast, perhaps Osso Bucco..  Drink till 2035.  90 points from me (the pros went as high as 95!) and 3 stars.  Salut….

McWilliam’s Hanwood Estates Merlot 2018, South Eastern Australia

18 Friday Oct 2019

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Very dark purple in the glass with barely traceable legs.  The aromas spilled over when I swirled the glass.  On the nose I am sensing that candied licorice that I don’t care for.  I also get pine and eucalyptus.  On the palate, it is decent for an $8 bottle.  I wasn’t expecting much complexity but this one has some nice primal fruit flavors of blackberry alongside anise, cedar and wood smoke.  What it lacks in structure it makes up for with fruitiness and verve.  A decent drink that has a trace of tannins, a bit of acidity and an easy going quaffability.  86 points would be generous but at this price, it’s good for a BBQ or a day at the picnic site.  Drink now.  3 stars.  Salut….

Nativ Taurasi ‘Rue 333’ 2014, Campania, Italy

02 Wednesday Oct 2019

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I last had the 2011 Nativ Rue a while back but remembered it for an obscure reason.  The original shipment was heat damaged and really nasty.  The vendor sent me replacements, but the name has stuck with me.  When I saw the 2014 vintage, I had to try.

A nice shade of purple in the glass with thick legs belaying the 14% alcohol.  On the nose I get blackberry, chocolate, oak and vanilla bean.  The palate is a touch austere with black currants, capsicum, sour cherry and raw oak.  It’s a bit off-putting to be honest.  There’s quite an acidic sourness that is hard to ignore, it fights with the green tannins to take over the palate.  The wine is a bit one-dimensional with all eyes on the tannins and opposing acidity.  I’m gonna give this wine some time in the cellar, it deserves a chance, after all an Italian Pro gave it 96 of his make believe points.  I’m going with 89 for now, but I really think it has potential.  I enjoy the Aglianico grape, but this one is really young and imperious.  Give it time.  Cellar till 2022 or aerate it and drink till 2030.  I paid $17, which makes it a 3 star effort.  Salut….

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Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir 2016, Sonoma Coast, USA

28 Saturday Sep 2019

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A darker shade of purple for Pinot, but see through as expected.  The nose screams New World with strawberry, cherry pie, pecans.  I know- strange descriptor.  On the palate it is silky with bright red fruits galore, cherry cola, sasparilla and juicy acidity.  The mid palate shows off the strawberries and tart cherry.  The acid starts to peak.  There’s a trace of tannic grip as we enter the finish.  Overall it has quite an acidic overtone, leaving my mouth a bit puckered.  It’s tasty mind you….  I like it but the $77 price is a little off-putting.  90 points from me and 3 stars.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Guy Mousset & Fils Cotes du Rhone Rose Domaine Guy Mousset 2018, Rhone, France

02 Monday Sep 2019

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This rose’ is quite dark, almost orange in the glass.  On the nose I get Lychee, rose water and strawberry.  The palate is crisp, with red berries, strawberry and honey.  There is a vibrant acidity which is in check that gives the wine a freshness.  The honey component carries through the mid palate where I get more red berries.  The finish is decent with a lingering tartness alongside that strawberry component.  Overall a very charming and easy drinking summer rose’ that begs for burgers, some salami and olives or just by itself poolside.  88 points and 3 stars for this $12 Grenache from France.  Drink till 2020.  Salut….

Chateau Grand Tayac 2015, Margaux, France

27 Tuesday Aug 2019

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Really dark purple, very striking.  On the nose I get blackcurrant, nutmeg and tobacco.  The palate has some nice black fruits and an astringency that is a touch heavy.  It’s not tannic, perhaps from green stems left in contact with the juice for too long.  It takes a turn for the better on the mid palate- more Ribena and a touch of oak.  The finish is quite dry with the appearance of some nice tannins alongside a mineral tone that melds nicely with the currants.  Overall a decent wine that is slightly out of kilter at the beginning with the astringency but it comes around.  89 points= 3 stars for this $25 wine.  Drink till 2025 with hearty stews, or a lamb chop and mint.  Salut….