Tag Archives: 3 stars

Mario Pelassa Bricco Enrichetta 2012

05 Tuesday Nov 2013

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From the Langhe region in Piedmont comes this Nebbiolo/Barbera blend.  Big Horn’s wife Ronny brought this offering to the weekend retreat.  Typically Nebbiolo is a fruity and full flavored grape that matures to a Burgundy-like silkiness after a few years in the cellar.  Barbera is a lighter more acidic grape with lower tannin levels.

This particular wine was rather thin on the flavor profile and did not have the weight I would have expected.  It was almost pink in color and very see-through.  Cherry-like nose and red currants came through on the palate with a touch of dryness from the tannins.  It was pleasant enough but lacked any secondary fruit and is obviously not built to cellar.  Ronny pointed out the hidden 14.7% alcohol on the label which did not show up in the glass.  I would have thought that such a high level would translate into more depth and extraction.  This wine can be found for $15 but only got an 85 out of me and 3 stars.  Unfortunately the retreat has ended and we dash back to reality tonight after the long drive home.  Salut….

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Belle Glos Pinot Noir ‘Clark and Telephone’ 2012

05 Tuesday Nov 2013

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I loved the 2008 Belle Glos and was looking forward to this updated version.  It was dark purple in the glass and had a strong nose of cherry and vanilla.  On the palate, very extracted and plush.  This wine is huge in stature and offers a certain level of complexity yet goes against the grain.  In addition to the primary cherry flavors I got plums and berry with some spice on the mid palate.  The oak is well integrated and the tannins are very smooth.  This wine is neither Old World or New, it goes against the rules and strikes out in a new direction.  The extraction bothered me and detracted from the essence of the varietal.  Pinot is supposed to be seductive, intricate and restrained.  This wine was a like a bull, strong and in your face with the 14.6% alcohol cleverly hidden.  I believe it can be had for about $36 and only gets 88 points from me making it a 3 star effort.  Salut….

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Framingham Sauvignon Blanc 2012

03 Sunday Nov 2013

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This weekend finds us at the beach.  The Outer Banks of North Carolina is where we are staying in an ocean front palace with three other families (the prize from a raffle  back in April).  It’s a bit chilly outside, but inside there’s food and wine, games and football and everyone is just chilling.  The beauty of the gathering is that we all brought some really nice wines and get to share them together.  This particular wine was opened as an aperitif.

Straw colored in the glass, it had a distinct Kiwi nose of Sauvignon Blanc.  On the initial attack it was somewhat sweet for the varietal, which made Moxie love it right off the bat.  She is easily pleased by whites that have residual sugar.  The textbook cat’s pee was missing but grapefruit was in full force as was the grass component.  I only had a few sips of her glass so I am not going to pass too much judgement except to say that it was easy to drink but lacked a certain acidity that I need for this type of wine.  88 points and for $17 I would say it’s a 3 star wine for me for this Kiwi wine from the South Island region of Marlborough.  Salut….

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Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz 2011

28 Monday Oct 2013

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I couldn’t help myself.  The extra packaging sold me on this wine, I just had to try it.  I did not care for the 2008 Reserve Shiraz that much and figured I would give this vintage a chance to shine.

A beautiful nose of blueberry and vanilla with some ripe plums got me very excited.  The initial attack was very tasty indeed, showing off the plums and berries with some pretty forceful tannins.  I was bothered by the balance of the wine though and wondered why.  I am no expert but there was a certain component that was out of line and it took about 3 hours for it to sort itself out.  The wine then became much nicer to drink and I could enjoy the dryness of the tannins and the medium acidity.  The fruit remained prevalent, never swaying.  This Barossa Shiraz cost me about $12 and should be widely available. I think it could use another 2 years in a cellar to help with the balance and should evolve into a nice weekday dinner wine.  3 stars and 87 points from me.  Salut….

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Marrenon Classique Mediterannee 2011

26 Saturday Oct 2013

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In my quest to sample as many wines as possible I will even pay $8 for a co-op made wine served in a plastic cup onboard a United airlines flight. They used to serve a decent NV wine called Fox Grove.
This French version is not quite as decent but was certainly serviceable. I tried to research this one a little more and only came up with the fact that it’s a co-operative wine from the Luberon and Ventoux regions of France (south east from Chateauneuf du-Pape ). I’m guessing a Syrah blend with perhaps some Carignan. A basic wine that offered immediate pleasure without complexity or airs. It does what it’s supposed to do, drink easily and fade away quickly. Mainly blue fruits on the nose and palate, very little tannins but some good acidic juiciness. It’s really hard to pick out nuances in a plastic cup in a pressurized airplane, so I will leave at that. This is perhaps an $8 bottle that won’t embarrass you at a party. 84 points and 3 stars. Salut….

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Flora Springs Cabernet Franc 2009 revisited

25 Friday Oct 2013

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I am hitting it on all cylinders this week, home run after touchdown.  Moxie has been absolutely crushing the new recipes and I have rediscovered some forgotten wines.

Tonight she banged up some Brazilian Shrimp Stew.  Spicy, tasty and surprisingly filling.  The basic ingredients are shrimp, spinach, garlic, coconut milk, red peppers and Ro-Tel (a fine combination of tomatoes and chiles), all topped with fresh cilantro.  It reminds me of Tom Yung Goong, that fiery Thai soup but more focused on the shrimp and coconut.  I needed a fruity wine yet again and was at a loss.  A search of the cellar brought the ’09 Flora Springs, which I hated a year ago.  I figured that it could meet the drain if it didn’t work out for the pairing since I had no predispositions about it.

The wine has really come alive.  A lighter shade of purple in the glass, it offered blueberry fruit on the grill.  The initial taste was impressive with blueberry, toasty oak and some anise.  The wine has a certain sweetness, but not cloying or bothersome.  The heat of the dish needed that fruit aspect combined with a sweetness that Cabernet Franc occasionally possesses along with a certain perfume element.  The structure is fine with some tight grained tannins lurking and a balanced acidity, once again trademark characteristics of the varietal.  I think this wine has finally hit it’s stride and will last another 3 years.  It runs $30 and 89 points but really a 3 star effort considering the price.  I am glad I gave it the year I promised.  Evolution is a wonderful thing as long as it is timed just right!  Salut….

Brazilian Shrimp Stew

Brazilian Shrimp Stew

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Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet 2011

22 Tuesday Oct 2013

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I have had this wine before, but never posted about it.  The nice lady hocking the wares at my local grocery store was not sure of the blend (damned temp agency people) but as she was looking it up I smelled the Zin in the sample she had poured.  Turns out Zin, Merlot, Cabernet and Petit Sirah make up this steal of a $9 bottle.

Very dark in the glass thanks to the heavies, it has a very fruit forward style, albeit not very complex.  Very straightforward aromas and flavors of candied strawberry and Maraschino cherries.  It finishes with some mocha and very little dryness.  This is a pop-n-pour wine as it has little tannic backbone and the acidity is mild at best.  It will serve you well at a large party and the lack of tannins make it an easy wine to quaff.  85 points and 3 stars for me.  I classify this as a cheap and cheerful wine that is widespread.  Salut….

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Los Clop Malbec Reserva 2009

20 Sunday Oct 2013

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Last night Moxie banged up some amazing veggie stuffed flank steaks.  I needed a juicy, big , fruity wine to match her culinary skills.  I opened this Malbec from Argentina’s Mendoza region and give her a half cup for the marinade/sauce.  I then went to the glass.  Beautiful purple with some great plums and blackberry on the nose.  A delicious palate of dark berry, purple plums and chocolate.  Medium tannins and good acidity make this a juicy drink for $15.  However, as good as it was while we were cooking, it became muted as soon as I sat down for dinner.  The wine did not hold up to the meat at all.  I was really surprised.  After dinner, it came back to life without any food around.  I have never seen this happen.  A great drinking wine, but not worthy of pairing with food, strange.  Anyway, I would buy it again for the price and simply drink it before or after dinner, perhaps at a party- problem solved!  3 stars and 88 points for me.  Salut….

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Domaine Louis Latour Corton Grand Cru 2007

09 Wednesday Oct 2013

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If you have read my rather lengthy post about the Paleo Diet, this is the wine that I mentioned.  It was overcome by the Collard Greens I prepared as they are very pungent.  I left it alone for a while and had a revisit once dinner was over.

2007 was not a stellar Burgundian vintage so I was taking a chance on this wine.  I have had this negociant’s wines before and have been very pleased so I took the punt and dove into it.  Burgundy is never cheap, so at about $46 this is a stretch for most.  I just happened across it at a better price.

Textbook in color, smell and flavor profile.  Cherry, earth and strawberry are the initial flavors.  Very smooth texture, but a hint of tannin sneaks in.  You may recall that I have a hard time discerning this component in Pinot Noir.  At six years of age, it is still primal in fruit makeup and has not taken on any secondary flavors.  I doubt that it will.  Never mind, it is a tasty wine that is giving me lots of enjoyment, its finesse is amazing and the cherry component exquisite.  I can take a guess that it could last another 10 years in the cellar but will it improve?  Drinking nicely now I reckon it is a 90 pointer.  I give it 3 stars for the QPR (Quality Price Ratio) but don’t let that stop you.  This company produces consistent wines and if you want a foray into Burgundy, they will provide solid footing- at a price.  Salut….

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Michel-Schlumberger ‘Coteaux Sauvages’ 2009

07 Monday Oct 2013

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The label says “Estate Red”, so I had to look up the varietals because I sensed Syrah from the get-go.  Mind you, I had just spent 19 hours on airplanes to get home from Asia and did not realize I was opening a $60 bottle of vino for a casual drink.  The Syrah was pronounced, with pepper and spice on the nose.  I thought I was drinking a Rhone red, not realizing that this wine was actually from the Sonoma appellation of Dry Creek Valley.  I guess I was really tired from my flight!  Turns out it is a Syrah/Petite Sirah blend (You may recall my love affair with the Petite).  I think that is what is making this wine so interesting and adding the nuances.

The pepper came through again on the palate with dark cherries, which threw me off.  Plums and blackberry also made an entrance.  The wine was all over the place, the profile was Rhone yet the cherry component was very Burgundian.  It was extremely balanced and offered great acidity.  Background tannins held it in check but I fear for long term cellaring.  The wine is a delight to drink now, but at this price it is only a three star wine that wears a 91 point rating in my opinion.  I am thinking it would rock a cheese platter and perhaps a pork roast or just by itself.  I would reserve it against a red meat dish as it shows a delicate side that needs some finesse.  Overall, a lovely wine that I think would offer great pleasure in the right moment with the right person.  Easy to drink, yet complex.  Salut….

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