Tag Archives: 3 stars

Red Tail Ridge Pinot Noir 2020, Finger Lakes, New York

08 Wednesday Jan 2025

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Pale ruby colored with medium viscosity (12% ABV). The nose has medium intensity aromas of potting shed, dried cranberry, red cherry, baking spice, lingonberry, and a slight medicinal note.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a light body, and medium (-) tannins.  The flavor intensity is medium (-) but I get some nice cranberry, red cherry, lingonberry, and spice notes.  The finish is a touch sour but medium in length.  Overall a nice, lightweight rendition of Pinot Noir that will pair nicely with our Turkey dinner.  I would drink till 2028.  88 points for this $30 effort makes it a 3 star wine.  Salut….

Red Tail Ridge Pinot Noir

Jacqueline Bahue Cabernet Franc 2023, Lodi, California

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Medium ruby colored with iodine highlights, slight staining, and a medium viscosity (13.2% ABV).  The nose has aromas of candied raspberry, perfume, pine sap, ripe pomegranate, leather, and lingonberry.  If I could describe smelling something sweet- this would be it.  Can’t wait to taste…..On the palate it is dry!  Medium acidity, medium (-) body and medium (-) tannins make for a very easygoing wine that sips nicely.   The red fruit driven nose is apparent on the palate along with a hint of oak but no sign of the tobacco, perfume or pine sap.  The green note I was smelling did not materialize.  The finish is relatively short and a touch tart.  This is a basic wine without much structure that will enable any cellaring.  It’s a great wine to pair with BBQ ribs or pizza.  86 points from me and for $11 it’s a 3 star effort to drink in the near term.  Salut….

Jacqueline Bahue Cabernet Franc

Ruca Malen Capitulo Dos Petit Verdot 2020, Los Chacayes, Argentina

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Tasted at the 38th virtual wine tasting, this single varietal Petit Verdot performed as I had hoped, introducing the group to this grape that is normally blended.  This bottling was deep ruby colored with moderate staining, and a high viscosity (14.9% ABV).  Medium intensity aromas of Maduro, with smoke, black licorice, red Twizzler, blackberry, and tobacco.  On the palate we got medium (-) acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins.  Blackberry led the charge with pencil lead, red beet, tobacco, pomegranate and sour cherry supporting.  A tart finish that lasted medium length led me to award 13 points on our scoring sheet.  Technically speaking, this $20 effort gets 89 points and 3 stars.  Drink till 2029.  Salut….

Ruca Malen Capitulo Dos Petit Verdot

Artazu Pasos de San Martin Garnacha 2016, Navarra, Spain

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Tasted at our 38th virtual wine tasting- this Garnacha performed decently for many in the group.  It had a a medium garnet complexion with medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  On the nose we smelled lavender, smoke, peat, barnyard funk, cranberry, blackberry, raspberry, black olives, and some funky blue cheese.  The palate had medium (-) acidity, a medium body, and medium (+) tannins that are nicely integrated.  Green peppercorn flavors with black olives, red raspberry, black cherry, black pepper, and that funky blue cheese led to a medium length finish.  This wine was just okay for me and got 11 points on our tasting sheet but scored 89 points for technical merit.  At $20, I would like to revisit this 3 star effort and give it a chance to open up and release the funk.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Artazu Pasos de San Martin Garnacha

Quevedo Family Red Blend Xisto 2021, Portugal

22 Sunday Dec 2024

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Deep purple colored with a watery meniscus, and a medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black raspberry, red plum, acai berry, vanilla bean, menthol, and red licorice.  The palate is slightly off-dry with medium acidity, a medium (-) body, and medium (-) tannins.  Very light in the mouth with very little structure- it has nice flavors of raspberry, plum, acai berry and red licorice with some vanilla and menthol notes.  The finish is medium (-) in length but pleasing with its fresh approach.  A blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Sousão that drinks effortlessly.  This easygoing style will appeal as an aperitif or with lighter fare. It runs $11 and gets 86 points from me which makes it a 3 star wine.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

queued family xisto red

Barboursville Vineyards Octagon 2017, Monticello, Virginia

15 Sunday Dec 2024

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Deep ruby colored with slight staining and a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of pencil lead, blackberry, cassis, menthol, orange peel, bramble berry, black plum, and coffee.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that build on the mid palate.  Medium intensity flavors of blackberry, plum, cassis, bramble berry, coffee, menthol, and graphite.  The finish is very dry and long.  The tannins really grip here along with some juicy acidity.  It’s a delicious wine that is evolving nicely but I think the 2016 might be better (I gave it 93 points).  This one gets 91 points from me and at $95 it gets 3 stars.  I’m pairing with Sunday roast for the treat.  A classic Right Bank blend of Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.  Salut….

barboursville octagon

Precision Wine Company Method Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, California

01 Sunday Dec 2024

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Deep ruby colored with some staining and medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of candied black raspberry, red plum, boysenberry, chocolate powder, red licorice, dill, and eucalyptus.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are pretty grippy and a touch green.  Flavors of dark red fruit, some chocolate, dried green herbs, and eucalyptus.  The finish is a touch off-dry and red-fruit driven which is really not my favorite profile.  The chocolate and green herbs bring it back in line.  It lasts a medium length.  Albeit not my style of wine tbh it will appeal to many as it hints at a touch of RS.  87 points from me for this $25 bottle makes it a 3 star effort to drink by 2027.  I’m pairing with oven roasted Pork Ribs.  Salut….

Precision wine company Method Cabernet Sauvignon California

Gerd Anselmann Dornfelder 2023, Pfalz, Germany

18 Monday Nov 2024

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Deep purple colored with moderate staining and a medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of candied raspberry, red licorice, candied red apple, grape bubble gum, spice box and green asparagus.  The palate is slightly off-dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium (-) body, and low tannins.  It’s super easy to sip this wine- the mouthfeel is made for easy drinking. The flavors are red fruit in nature, either ripe or I think the residual sugar is messing with my taste buds.  The green notes make way for a slightly bitter hint, akin to steeped black tea.  There is a smoky note and also some spice.  The finish is short and concise.  It’s a very interesting wine that is rather simple yet very pleasing- I like it as much as the 2020 vintage I tasted recently.  87 points for this $17 bottle make for a 3 star wine to pop-n-pour.  Pair with lighter meats or vegetarian pasta dishes.  Salut….

Gerd Anselmann Pfalz Dornfelder

Concha Y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Malbec 2021, Rapel Valley, Chile

01 Friday Nov 2024

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, bramble berry, a medicinal note, baked pie, vanilla, a touch of green herb, and cracked pepper.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body, and medium tannins.  The fruit takes a turn towards tart, which is accentuated by the acidity making for some mouth puckering.  The tannins grip a bit more on the mid palate.  Flavors include dark fruit, charred oak, vanilla, baking spice, and green herbs.  The finish is a bit tart and medium in length, the acidity really grabbing hold- it’s almost to the point of imbalance.  Under $9, this bottle gets 86 points from me and 3 stars.  It’s getting paired with burgers, I’m guessing it will all work out just fine.  Drink now, Salut….

Casillero del Diablo Reserva Malbec

Trivento Reserve Malbec 2022, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina

28 Monday Oct 2024

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Deep purple colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of crushed red raspberry (ripe), super ripe strawberry compote, candied red cherry, baking spice, vanilla thread and red licorice- it’s really not my favorite set of descriptors btw.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins sitting on a medium body.  The tannins are a touch unripe and the flavors are somewhat more tart than I was expecting.  Red fruit, but not the macerated, stewed or ripe ones I smelled plus some rooibos tea.  It’s a bit unripe and disjointed tbh, not something I was expecting from this winery.  The finish is tart and a bit astringent.  This is not what I was hoping for by a long shot- 85 points instead of the 90 that JS gave it.  I paid under $10 for it and will go with 3 stars.  Drink soon as I doubt there is much cellaring capacity.  Salut….

Trivento Reserve Malbec