Tag Archives: 3 stars

Weingut Winzer Krems Gruner Veltliner 2021, Niederosterreich, Austria

06 Saturday May 2023

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Pale lemon colored with a watery sheen and some evidence of effervescence (12.5% ABV).  The nose has aromas of lemon and lime with white pepper, crunchy green apple, lanolin and wet slate.  The palate is dry with high acidity that hits on the jaw rather than the tongue.  This slightly effervescent wine has a spritz to the light body where I get flavors of citrus, white pepper, wet wool and green apple.  The finish is medium in length and leans towards slightly unripe green apple, lemon and pungent pepper.  I am tasting this wine only slightly chilled, I think it will perform better with some time in the ice bucket.  I’m going to try and pair it with pulled pork that has been slow smoked all day with a spicy dry rub.  87 points from me for this $15 effort makes it a 3 star wine to drink in the short term.  Salut….

Virtus ‘Vega del Yuso’ 2015, Ribera del Duero, Spain

30 Sunday Apr 2023

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Deep ruby with purple accents and high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose has aromas of  charred oak, vanilla, toast, blackberry reduction, cassis, bramble and a dusty earth component with some baking spices thrown in for good measure.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are plush and fine-grained.  I can confirm the oak and dark fruit flavors echo the nose but there is also a licorice tinge.  The wine is full bodied and the high alcohol is very well hidden, buyer beware.  The finish is a dry affair with charred oak notes and some ripe blackberry coulis that is medium in length.  I love this style of Tempranillo, list price is rather steep though- $100.  I gave it 91 points and 3 stars for the QPR.  Drink till 2030 with grilled Filet and a bleu cheese sauce.  Salut….

Bodega Colome Estate Torrontes 2021, Calchaqui Valley, Argentina

11 Tuesday Apr 2023

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Pale lemon colored with medium viscosity in the glass (13% ABV). The nose has pronounced aromas of lemon, lychee and rosewater. On the palate this one has medium acidity, a medium (+) body with a waxy mouth feel. Flavors of lychee, rose, lemon, grapefruit pith . The finish is surprisingly short for this aromatic grape- 87 points.  For $11 it would be an awesome value that the pros went as high as 92 points on, but I have tasted two bottles on consecutive nights with mixed outcomes.  I will reserve judgement till I try the third bottle.  For now it is a lower score than I had hoped for due to inconsistency and lack of depth/finish.  Salut….

Famille Bougrier Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine 2020, Loire, France

29 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Pale lemon with a golden accent and a watery sheen.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon, lime, grapefruit, white blossom and green apple.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium (-) body.  Citrus makes for a fresh and crisp mouthfeel alongside some floral notes.  The apple note is faint.  The wine finishes with a hint of phenolic bitterness and is medium in length.   I would enjoy this wine till 2024 with shellfish and charcuterie.  86 points for this $14 bottle makes it a 3 star wine for me.  Salut….

Marc Dupas Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie ‘Les Parcelles’ 2019, Loire, France

29 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Medium lemon colored with a watery sheen (12% ABV).  The nose gives me classic Sur-lie aromas of brioche and yeast along with bruised pear, white blossom, orange peel and chamomile.  The palate has a rounded mouthfeel of medium acidity and a medium (-) body. Flavors of citrus and brioche with pear and florals are evident.  The finish is a touch astringent but has a saline twang as well.  It carries on for a decent length.  I think this $16 wine gets 86 points and 3 stars from me.  Drink with seafood till 2024.  Salut….

Les Vins Jean-Claude Debeaune Domaine de Grand Croix 2020, Brouilly, France

23 Thursday Mar 2023

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Deep purple with high viscosity legs (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of grape, red raspberry, lilac- it’s sorta muted right now.   The palate is dry with medium acidity and sandy tannins that are medium (-) in intensity.  The body of this Gamay is medium to full and is silky with ripe red raspberry, red licorice, orange peel and black cherry.  The finish is a touch tart but delightful and quite long.  I paid $25 for this 88 point wine making it a 3 star effort that I’m pairing with roast Duck.  Drink till 2027.  Ps. Carbonic Maceration is commonly used in Beaujolais but I don’t sense its use in this Cru level wine.  Salut….

Olivier Ravoire Bandol Le Pont 2019, Provence, France

12 Sunday Mar 2023

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Deep ruby colored, this 60/40 blend of Mourvèdre and Grenache has slow, gobby legs showing off its 14% ABV.  The nose is meaty and gamey right off the bat.  Black fruit galore with blackcurrants, blackberry, mulberry, wild herbs, licorice and menthol.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins.  A full bodied wine with dark fruits, herbs (aka garrigue) and some smoky game meat all meld together nicely to form a very pleasing flavor profile with nice balance and decent structure.  It’s not overly complex but has a primal sense to it.  89 points from me for this $25 bottle makes it a 3 star effort to drink till 2028.  I’m doing a Sunday roast to pair with- should work out just right!  Salut….

Cooper’s Hawk Winery Barbera NV, California

05 Thursday Jan 2023

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Pale ruby colored with some lightening on the edges and medium legs on the wall.  This Barbera is nicely aromatic with black raspberry, bilberry, perfume, mint and vanilla.  The palate is dry but I sense a tiny bit of residual sugar, but under the threshold of making it an off-dry wine.  Medium acidity and lithe tannins lead me to medium intensity flavors of black berries, mint, baking spice and vanilla.  There is a touch of bitterness (not from the tannins), on the mid-palate that sits on the roof of my mouth.  The body is medium (-) and the finish is medium in length.  I picked this $24 effort to go with Duck in Orange sauce, I think it will work well.  This is slightly atypical of the Italian Barberas I have tasted in that the tannins are very mild and the acidity is lower than expected, perhaps from a warmer climate than usual.  It gets 87 points from me and 3 stars.  Drink soon.  Salut….

Domaine Bernard Serveau Les Sentiers 2009, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, France

23 Friday Dec 2022

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Pale garnet colored, this 13 year old Pinot Noir is starting to show some age.  The nose  is too.  Baked cherry, dried strawberry, caramel, chocolate powder, orange peel, vanilla pod, figs and raisin compote- very layered with primary, secondary and tertiary aromas.  The palate is bone dry with medium (+) acidity and low tannins.  Flavors of dried and stewed red fruit with caramel and cocoa powder dominate.  It’s not as rich or complex as the nose was indicating.  Light bodied it carries through to a short finish that is comprised of tart cherry, cranberry and some caramel.  I was hoping for more from a 1er Cru Burgundy- 88 points with a drink till 2024 window.  It would normally run $50+ and therefore gets 3 stars from me.  We are pairing it with roast Turkey and all the accompaniments.  Salut….

Chateau Cos d’Estournel ‘Les Pagodes de Cos’ 2010, Saint-Estephe, France

27 Sunday Nov 2022

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Our 29th Virtual Wine tasting concentrated on Cabernet Sauvignon and blends thereof so it made sense to include a Bordeaux wine.  I selected this well aged bottle which is the ‘second wine’ of the famed Second Growth- Chateau Cos d’Estournel.  It runs $80 and gets high scores from the pros (92-94).

Deep garnet colored, this wine is showing off its 12 years of age.  Aromas of soy sauce, leather, cedar, cassis, stewed blackberry, forest floor and umami were noted.  On the palate it was dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are well integrated.  Medium bodied, this wine had flavors of black pepper, strong black tea, loam, funk and leather with some dried blackberry notes.  Someone mentioned a Bourbon-like taste and there was some concern over the bitterness.  It is a touch disjointed which lowers the rating imo.  The medium to long finish shows off the pedigree of this chateau.  I enjoyed drinking this 90 point wine but for $80 I can find far more enjoyable wines to drink.  3 stars for the QPR.  I would pair this with a simple Filet steak and gratin potatoes with a side of green beans.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….