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Tag Archives: 3 stars

Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir Central Otago2012

23 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by caspernick in Wine reviews

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$30, 3 stars, 89 points, central otago, new zealand, pinot noir


I was given this bottle by a friend who just passed the Sommelier exams and was traveling to New Zealand on holidays.  Several weeks later, her husband passed his exams as well- congratulations to Christine and Tyler!  On their visit they no doubt did some winery tastings and bottle shop visits.  I looked up some pricing and could only find it in New Zealand- NZ$35, about $30 USD.  A generous gift I must say.

Textbook light purple in the glass with cherries jubilee on the nose and some spice.  On the palate I got a whopping mouth full of tart strawberry, cherry pie and some vanilla.  A rather tannic wine with a rather sharp acidic frame makes for an interesting mouthfeel.  The acidity was nigh on piercing when I first opened the bottle but mellowed out after some air.  The backbone is firm on this young wine and it bodes well for long term cellaring.  I would say 2015-2022 for a decent drinking window.  There was some interesting spice notes of clove and cocoa powder on the mid palate.  The question is what to pair it with when it grows up….  Perhaps some plank grilled salmon and roasted rosemary potatoes, I would even go with roast duck and orange glaze.  89 points and 3 stars from me for this decent effort.  Salut….

gibbston valley pinot noir central otago

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Chateau Moulin D’Ulysse 2010

18 Friday Apr 2014

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$30, 3 stars, 89 points, bordeaux


I was not sure if I should open such a young Bordeaux, but I felt like I needed something tannic to go with tonight’s dinner.  I was correct, this wine is a baby and somewhat closed for business.  It came with a muted nose of dark fruits and a touch of heat.  Initially I got blackberry torte and oak, lots of it.  Medium tannins and a bright acidity came across with sour cherries on the mid palate.  This wine is too young to enjoy right now and needs another 3 years to fill out.  Drink from 2017 till 2020.  I paid $30 for it and am going with 89 points and 3 stars.  Salut….

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Elderton ‘Friends Vineyard Series’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

09 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by caspernick in Stuff....

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$15, 3 stars, 88 points, Aussie, cabernet sauvignon


I was intrigued by this bottle having never seen the Friends series before from this producer. They had a Shiraz as well but I was not in the mood. It priced out at $15, what the heck.
Atypical of Cab for me it had a unique flavor profile. Black and blue fruits on the nose with a touch of cedar. On the palate dark fruits, bramble and some dust (in a good way). Sour cherries on the back end with gentle tannins and good acidity make this easy to drink. 3-5 years cellaring and a wide variety of foods make this a versatile wine. 88 points and 3 stars.
s

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22.296937 113.933829

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Elderton ‘Friends Vineyard Series’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

09 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by caspernick in Wine reviews

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$15, 3 stars, 88 points, Aussie, cabernet sauvignon


I was intrigued by this bottle having never seen the Friends series before from this producer. They had a Shiraz as well but I was not in the mood. It priced out at $15, what the heck.
Atypical of Cab for me it had a unique flavor profile. Black and blue fruits on the nose with a touch of cedar. On the palate dark fruits, bramble and some dust (in a good way). Sour cherries on the back end with gentle tannins and good acidity make this easy to drink. 3-5 years cellaring and a wide variety of foods make this a versatile wine. 88 points and 3 stars.
s

20140410-011045.jpg

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Louis Latour Mersault Perrieres 2007

08 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by caspernick in Wine reviews

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$80, 3 stars, 92 points, burgundy, chardonnay


White Burgundy is a minefield for me.  I know almost nothing about the region, the terroir or the names.  I just know that I like most of the Louis Latour offerings and am confident when I see the telltale badge on their bottles.  I recently picked up two of these, one for mum’s birthday and the other for my cellar.  Saturday night was going to be a treat in our house.  Moxie had previously bought a box of frozen Lobsters from Costco.  We are in the process of emptying our freezers so it seemed like the right combination.  Decadence meet opulence.  We all know the price of the crustacean, the wine was equally eye watering at over $80 per bottle…. You only live once.

For a wine that has only 6 years of bottle age, it has the most beautiful golden color.  The hues were riveting in the glass, I have never seen such a young wine look so elegant and demure.  The consistency was very graceful and almost syrupy.  I was starting to wonder.  It all came out with the first sniff and taste.  Pears, apples, apricots, stones, butterscotch, you name it.  A veritable fruit basket on the olfactory senses that transferred the same powers to the palate.  Great balance of acidity make this a very easy wine to drink, and a perfect companion to the garlic infused butter that I draped all over my Lobster.

I realize that this wine is very pricey, I also remind myself that I am on a mission in my wine tasting life and it is too short to get hung up on dollars.  I need to experience Chardonnay from Burgundy just like I need to sample Barolo from Italy, Cabernet from Napa and Tokaji from Hungary.  The entry is steep, the rewards- amazing.  Having said that, this wine is a bargain for high end Burgundy.

WS gave this one 94 points.  As a relative newb to whites, I scan only muster 92 points and give it 3 stars for its price point.  I feel that you need to try some good Burgundy to appreciate them for what they are and do it with loved ones over a great meal so you can cherish the moment and remember it.  Salut….

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The telltale logo

The telltale logo

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Chateau Arnauld 2006

01 Tuesday Apr 2014

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$20, 3 stars, 88 points, bordeaux, cru bourgeois


It’s not very often that I find an aged Bordeaux in a local convenience store, but when I do there is this certain curiosity that overwhelms me and I take the $20 plunge.  This was a good find in my opinion.  Slightly bricking on the edges, it is almost past its peak and heading into old age.  I know Cru Bourgeois is not as cellar-worthy as Grand Cru so this ’06 vintage was a bit of a gamble.  The wine has a mature nose of violets and kirsch to go along with some garigue.  This also came across on the initial palate with some funk and plums.  The wine has Haut Medoc terroir stamped all over it and is showing some drying tannins on the finish.  I could smell the 12.5% alcohol, but only just.  This was worrisome as this level should not have been noticeable.  Overall I really enjoyed the terroir and my guests thought it was the bottle of the tasting.  I am going with 88 points and 3 stars- drink up though.  Salut….

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Trivento Tribu Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

29 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by caspernick in Wine reviews

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$15, 3 stars, 88 points, Argentina, cabernet sauvignon, Mendoza


I happened across this wine in Manila, at the duty free shop.  I have tried various Trivento wines before and have enjoyed them all so I felt confident that my $15 would not go to waste.  I was correct.  Albeit not as complex as the Golden Reserve line, the Tribu was well endowed with currants and tea leaf on the nose.  The palate was very fruity with red berries and a vegetal note that I enjoyed.  Fine grained tannins were very well balanced and the whole package was smooth.  We drank this one before dinner and I reckon it would pair well with some sirloins and gratin potatoes.  Charcuterie would be an excellent choice for an early evening sundowner as well.  I am going with 88 points and 3 stars for this Argentinian wine.  Salut….

 

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Artisan Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2010

25 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by caspernick in Wine reviews

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$50, 3 stars, 90 points, cabernet sauvignon, Napa, napa cabernet


The label says ‘By Artesa’ but I could not find out much about this wine except I know what I paid for it and what it retails for, $50 or so.

It’s a young vibrant Napa Cab with not much going on right now.  I believe it is hibernating and waiting to explode in about 2 years time.  For now, the structure is in place awaiting some bottle age to allow the various components to meld and the fruit to re-appear.  I managed to coax Plum Torte and wild flowers out of it, but the nose was very muted.  Young and vibrant tannins are all you will get right now with some bracing acidity.  I would cellar this bad boy for a few years and look at it in 2016 at the earliest.  Potentially a 90 point wine, but I am no expert at this.  For the price, a 3 star wine with potential to go up, it’s just a matter of time.  Salut….

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Sempre Vive Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

22 Saturday Mar 2014

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$20, 3 stars, 89 points, cabernet sauvignon, napa cabernet, old vine cabernet sauvignon


From Napa valley harks this old vine Cab Sav with some bottle age on it.  Black currants and eucalyptus on the nose with an initial attack of black fruits and some beautiful plums.  The wine is slightly tannic and has good acidity.  I would class it as medium bodied with a fruit-forward Napa style.  My only concern was that I could smell the 14.8% alcohol on my own breath after a few seconds, it was the weirdest thing.  I did not pick it up in the glass or on the palate, just afterwards.  For some complexity I noticed bittersweet chocolate and coffee on the back end.  A decent finish with good length made this a pretty decent Friday night wine with some Lamb chops and grilled Cauliflower.  It will probably drink for another 5 years or so and gets 89 points from me.  I paid $20 for it and reckon that makes it a respectable 3 star wine in my books.  Ps.  The cork had a heavy build up of sediment so I ran the bottle through my Vinturi which has a filter to trap the junk, it worked out fine.  Salut….

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The sediment

The sediment

the filter on my Vinturi

the filter on my Vinturi

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Arrayán Petit Verdot 2007

21 Friday Mar 2014

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$27, 3 stars, 89 points, petit verdot, spain


You don’t often come across a 100% Petit Verdot, it is used mainly as a blend in Bordeaux style wines.  It’s a fiercely tannic, bold and dark wine used to bulk up other, less endowed wines needing a little darkening and structure.  If you do find one that is all PV, try it and you’ll see what I’m on about.

Typical for the variety this wine was a tannic monster with an earthy nose and some funk on the initial attack.  Pencil shavings of wood and graphite add to the olfactory experience and wild flowers come up on the mid palate with a blueberry component that is quite pronounced.  On the back end is where ripe plums came into the picture.  This wine was very dark in the glass, full of backbone and needing a fatty steak to mellow it out.  I am going with 89 points and 3 stars for this $27 offering from Spain.  I think anyone who is trying to expand their palates needs a good dose of 100% Petit Verdot to appreciate its power and potential to beef up other wines.  Ps.  I finished the bottle up with some new Lindt chocolate that rocked , Caramel with a touch of Sea Salt, ever so crunchy, ever so smooth.  Salut….IMG_0848

Lindt's Caramel and Sea Salt

Lindt’s Caramel and Sea Salt

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