03 Tuesday Dec 2013
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A Bordeaux Superier from a modest vintage that did not break the bank. $12 buys an everyday Cab/Merlot blend with tasty red fruits and some cassis. The tannins seemed a little unripe to me, almost like they had let some green stems stay in the must a little too long. The result was a slightly angular back end finish. I would buy it again and pair it with a cheese platter and some cold cuts. Nothing special here yet appealing for some reason or another. 85 points and 3 stars. Salut….
29 Friday Nov 2013
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When eating at a South African restaurant, it’s obligatory to drink Pinotage. I am really digging this grape as the winemakers have transformed it from lazy plonk to good quality table wine. Originally derived by crossing Pinot Noir and Cinsault varietals, it is only grown in South Africa. This particular one was ordered to go along with some rather awesome Ribeyes. Dark purple in the glass, it gave off the telltale notes of plum and oak. On the palate, the plums and spice give way to black currants and a decent grippy finish of dryness from the tannic structure. Medium acidity round the package out and I must say it was a good balance for the steaks. It can be found for about $15 and I rate it 87 points with a 3 star medal. Salut….
29 Friday Nov 2013
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I don’t believe I have tasted a New Zealand Merlot, so this was a new one for me. It was slightly pale in the glass and had an almost Pinot looking hue to it. On the nose, some cherry and cranberry notes were detected. On the the palate it was very modern in style with Kirsch and cranberry flavors. Not overly dry, it had some decent acidity and was rather refreshing. I am not sure of the typicity to region, but it was an interesting twist on Merlot. I shall have to taste more of the varietal from there to get a baseline. This bottle was on special for $9 but usually costs $18. A crowd pleaser because it was easy to drink and different. 87 points from me and 3 stars. Salut….
29 Friday Nov 2013
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Product of France….. Look closer at the label. It’s generally a decent wine made in an old world style with zest, lime and apple components. Slightly more acidic than the previous wine, it had a bit of a bite that I enjoyed. Pale straw colored in the glass, it had a nose of lemon/lime and some earthy funk. I have no idea how much it was purchased for but would imagine in the $10-$15 range. I’m giving it 86 points and 3 stars. Think shellfish or grilled squid and you would have a great pairing. Salut….
27 Wednesday Nov 2013
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The second bottle ordered at our Argentinian dinner was this Malbec. You can’t have Argie steaks without Malbec, they go hand in hand. This one was the traditional inky purple as expected and gave off red fruits and fig compote on the nose. The palate was different, more blackcurrants and cranberry with some mintiness mixed in. I enjoyed this wine but have had better Malbecs and would look for more tannins and better acidity. The big man himself gave it 90, I’m going with 88. $20 at retail makes this a 3 star effort for me. Salut….
20 Wednesday Nov 2013
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If you read my post on the Santa Ana disaster, it leads into this wine. My buddy bought two bottles of the nasty stuff and returned one the next day. They offered him this bottle as a replacement so I don’t know the value of it. A lighter shade of red in the glass and some hints of raspberry on the nose. On the palate I got red cherry and strawberry with some earth. Not my favorite profile for a Cab Sav but I was willing to roll with it. Nice mouthfeel yet not very complex. I don’t think this is a serious/expensive wine yet it was intriguing. Suffering from jet lag and hunger we polished it off and headed out for dinner. If this was a $10 bottle I would give it 3 stars. I reckon it is an 85 point wine and think you may enjoy it as an aperitif. I can’t quite pick a pairing because of the somewhat strange flavors for the varietal, best to be drunk by itself I reckon. Salut….
18 Monday Nov 2013
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We tasted this wine next to it’s stablemate, the Tilia Merlot. For me, Malbec is supposed to be very fruity, rich and sometimes jammy. Syrah has a far greater flavor profile and draws a lot from the terroir where it is grown. The combination of the two is somewhat bedazzling. I can’t really enjoy the Malbec side, and the Syrah portion is not to my personal taste. It does however offer up some decent fruit for the measly $9 price tag.
Darker purple than the Merlot, this wine had a more candied nose of red fruits. On the palate, raspberry and earth with a touch of cafe’. There was a slight sweetness to the wine, but nothing off-putting. The tannic structure is decent as is the acidity. I think I prefer my Malbec served straight up, no mixing. Syrah is a wonderful grape by itself or in company with more traditional blends. I will look for the pure Malbec from this winery to see the difference, stay tuned. 85 points and 3 stars from me for this effort. Salut….
17 Sunday Nov 2013
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A new world version of Pinot from New Zealand. Pinkish red in the glass, it exploded with strawberry and cherry on the nose. I usually prefer the Burgundian style of this varietal but every so often I come across a refreshing new world bottle that I appreciate. This varietal never offers up tannins in the usual sense, making it hard for me to discern and predict aging potential. This wine seems like it could go the distance yet it offers immediate bing cherry, strawberry and red currants. The whole package is well balanced and easy to drink. I found it for $20 and it gets 89 points from me and 3 stars. Salut….
17 Sunday Nov 2013
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I have had the 2006 Hanteillan before and hated it. This is a totally different beast. 2010 is a much better vintage and it shows in this offering. A very young yet approachable wine that displayed a dark purple hue in the glass. Searing tannins greeted me on the first pass, but after getting acquainted the blackberry and cassis came shining through. A strong plum chord struck on the mid palate and there was an earthy component that surfaced on the back end. Cellaring would be good for this wine and 2016 would be an opportune time to pull some out and pair them with game, steaks and pasta. I wonder if secondary flavors will evolve and would like to get some for my cellar. I found it online for about $20 and give it 89 points making it a 3 star effort pour moi. Ps. I drank it after lunch on a flight, served with cheese and dessert. Salut….
10 Sunday Nov 2013
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This wine got huge accolades from WA and was originally $100. I got it for far less and was intrigued by the varietal. Made from old-vine Vidadillo from Spain I was not sure what to expect. It was dark purple in the glass and had a subdued nose of plums and tar. I Picked up some Grenache like notes on the palate amidst the thick tannins. The wine was relatively young yet somewhat complex. Swirling it in the glass again it started to open up after I poured it through the Vinturi. The black fruits and tar came through more clearly and the acidity was decent. The pro’s gave it 93 points, I must be missing something here as I would only venture 89 and for the price- 3 stars. It was an interesting opportunity to try something different but I don’t think I would repeat. Salut….
