Tag Archives: $35

Murrieta’s Well The Spur Red 2016, Livermore Valley, USA

20 Thursday Jun 2019

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Dark purple, opaque.  On the nose I get red fruits, mainly raspberries and dark cherry. On the palate I sense a definitive Cali sunshine component that differentiates this blend from a more traditional Medoc. It’s more fruit forward and fresher.  There’s more concentration and the wine is rich.  I start to get plums, black currants and quinine on the mid palate.  This is multidimensional and very tasty with a nice tannic structure and good acidic balance.  I would suggest a few years in cellar and then let ‘er rip till 2028.  Steaks, rich stew in the fall or osso bucco beg for this 91 point blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 22% Petite Sirah, 9% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec.  $35 and 4 stars.  Salut….

 

The Ojai Vineyard Syrah 2016, Santa Barbara County, USA

16 Sunday Sep 2018

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I have to remember that wine is very subjective, and what I like or dislike is often opposite of others.  This one is a perfect example of that.  It shows medium intensity in the glass.  The nose has that candied oak waft that I don’t like. The palate mirrored that profile so I just spilled the glass and moved on to the next wine bottle at the tasting.  A review of the web shows it available for $35.  Salut….

Carpineto Vigneto Poggio Sant’ Enrico 2001, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Italy

05 Tuesday Jun 2018

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It’s been a few years since I tasted the 2001 Poggio.  As part of my cellar-moving I decided to open this one up to pair with some seared Strip steaks, a tomato salad with Balsamic infused onion strips.

For a seventeen year old wine it shows off nicely in the glass- full purple, no sign of bricking and quite opaque.  The nose, OMG, what a nose.  This is textbook aged Sangiovese, reminiscent of old Burgundian Pinot Noir.  Leather, cedar box, tobacco, cassis and more, it just keeps coming.  On the palate I am in love with the Old Worldness of this wine.  It gushes with bramble, black berries, the tobacco, leather and cedar along with black tea and olives.  Immense and rather concentrated, this wine is amazing, can you tell I’m liking it?

This is what makes cellaring a wine so worthwhile.  The earthiness is profound, the freshness- still lively.  Fruit, tertiary flavors, integrated tannins and perfect acidity.  What more could you ask for?  It begs for lighter fare to enable the nuances to come out, I almost regret the seasoning I coated the steaks with.  This wine will shine by itself in a spectacular fashion.  The finish is long, with more of the black fruits coming out again. Amazing.  96 points from me for this apparently still young wine.  The major difference I noted between the last time is that the much lighter Cherry notes were now replaced with heavier, more brooding fruits.  I paid $35 for it awhile back, wishing I had bought more than the 2 bottles that I have now drunk.  5 stars for sure.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

Domaine Sebastien Magnien Les Aigrots 2010, Beaune Premier Cru, France

19 Saturday May 2018

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Very light and see through, just as I would expect from Burgundian Pinot Noir.  The nose shows off bright renditions of strawberry and rhubarb compote.  The palate is somewhat different, cherry being the dominant player with backing from strawberry and ginger snap.  Crisp acidity forms a defined backbone and the wine has ever so slight tannins.The finish offers more rhubarb with a tangy sourness that I am enjoying.  This wine strikes me as young, needing some time to develop tertiary, earthy flavors that I love in aged Burgundy.  Thankfully it only sports 13% alcohol.  For now it gets 90 points from me.  Serving it with grilled chicken, blue cheese laced salad and sautéed onions.  $35 and 4 stars.  Salut….

Peju Province Winery Merlot 2014, Napa Valley, USA

04 Wednesday Oct 2017

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A really dark purple in the glass which is getting me excited.  The nose is pure pleasure.  Sweet plums, a hint of oak and a creaminess I can’t even describe.  This wine is going to be the business- I just know it.

On the palate it is super duper smooth.  Blackberry, cocoa and pomegranate come to mind.  The tannins pop on the mid palate and dominate the dry finish.  I also get some red currants right at the end.  This wine is multi layered and I expect it to cellar well into 2022.  I’m really enjoying it all by its lonesome but envision roasted duck with root veg and an elderberry gravy might hit the spot.  92 points for this $35 effort and 5 stars.  Salut….

Louis Jadot “Le Vaucrain” Cote de Nuits Villages 2006

19 Tuesday Jul 2016

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Louis Jadot has to be one of the more prominent wineries in our local wine shops.  You can’t glance over the Burgundy section without seeing the telltale label.  They own their own vineyards and also buy in grapes.  I tried to count how many different wines they produce but lost track.  They have numerous labels at all levels of quality and price.  This particular bottle was bought a few years ago for about $25.

An intriguing pale, see-through purple that reminds me of other delicate Pinots I have tried. Quite a deep nose of strawberry and pomegranate. On the palate- still a young and fresh wine with flavors of cherry kirsch, cranberry and a nice acidic touch. It warms up on the mid palate and offers up some strawberry along with sour cherry. The finish is dry with tannins and acidity bracing each other. I have a hard time detecting tannins in Pinot Noir, but this one serves them up, albeit all on the finish.  I’m glad I sat on this wine for as long as I did, it is just hitting its stride now. It offers a mature, refined approach to old world Pinot that I enjoy. It only lacks the earthy components I look forward to in Burgundy. Overall, I like this wine quite a lot. 90 points and 4 stars as this wine is only a Village level yet acts all grown up and has lasted well past it’s recommended drinking window yet shows another 2-3 years at the very least. Newer vintages will run you $35 or so for this delicious offering.  I would pair it with roast Cornish hens or perhaps flank steak with chimichurri sauce.  Salut….

louis jadot le vaucrain

Rollan De By 2005

25 Wednesday May 2016

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When I wrote about the Chateau De By that I drank on a recent flight it fed into my Twitter feed.  I got a message out of the blue to which I replied:

@caspernick Noticed your wine feedback on ChateaudeBy. Do you know our other wines #ChateauGreysac #ChateauRollandeBy #ChateauHautCondissas

Tweet text

Reply to @RollanDeBy

‏@caspernick May 17
@RollanDeBy I have certainly heard of them but have not had the pleasure to try them! Perhpas I will look for them in my local wine shop.

 

Well, It turns out I didn’t need to visit anything more than my cellar.  Back in 2008 a local wine shop was closing doors and I trudged through the snow and picked up anything I thought was worthy.  This ’05 was in the cart, and thankfully.

Opaque purple in the glass with a stunning nose of cassis, tobacco and plum with some earth. I’m so excited. The initial taste is fantastic! Blueberry torte, cassis, plum, and a flavor profile reminiscent of classed Pauillac. I’m shocked. This cry bourgeois is simply rocking my world. The mid palate is full-on secondary Bordeaux flavors of cassis, tobacco, leather and plum with fully integrated tannins that are fine grained and holding this wine together. Acidity is apparent but only as a balance to the structure. The finish is long with the tannins holding on for a good 40 seconds, working the gums into a frenzy. I know 2005 was a great year and this wine is taking advantage of the strengths of the vintage. I’m going with 93 points. Amazing!  You can still find it for $35.  RP gave it 90, WS 88.  I’m sticking with my guns, this is an awesome wine that  introduces one to the luxuries of Bordeaux without the high entry fee.  Decanting may be needed on this 5 star effort!  Salut….IMG_0790

rollan de by 2005

Ollara Clasico Reserva 2009

02 Tuesday Jun 2015

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The label says Decanter magazine gave it 97 points- that’s huge and worthy of the $35 entry fee.  I was actually blown away once I opened this Rioja gem.  Thick purple hues in the glass with a solid nose of bramble, blackberry, oak and ginger.  Initial attack of super smooth fruits- blackberry, blue berries, orange peel and a dancing acidity that mingles around. Super duper smooth tannins grace the whole mouth and provide an amazing mouthfeel, not sumptuous, nor lean – just present. This is an amazing wine. Mid to back end is where I find some wood, lighter red fruits and as it airs out- more gripping tannins. Not exactly textbook Rioja, it’s a cross with Bordeaux and young Brunello. Simply amazeballs. 95 from me make this a 5 star wine with a long life ahead. 2025-2028.  Salut….

ollara clásico reserva rioja

Merryvale Pinot Noir Carneros 2011

13 Saturday Dec 2014

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Boom, after last night’s epic Pinot fail I was determined to find something worthy of my time, and the Cornish Game Hens I roasted tonight.  This was it.  I really enjoyed myself and had to remember how I got this wine.  You see, several months ago I opened a Merryvale Merlot that was corked.  The folks at the winery got in touch with me after reading about the botched bottle and offered to replace it.  Talk about customer service and a class act.  So, in finalizing the replacement I was so taken by the representative’s willingness to make sure I was happy I ordered some of their other wines.  So far so good I must say.  Here we go..

Classic new world nose of bing and white cherries interspersed with some violets.  In the glass, a very crimson purple that is see-through- typical of Pinot.  On the initial attack there is strawberry, cranberry, cherry and a subtle mouthfeel that is balanced to within an inch of it’s life.  Razor sharp focus with a hint of acidity offset by some lurking tannins make this a well made Pinot.  I timed a 30 second finish that kept morphing, amazing.  I served it up with Cornish Game Hens and steamed veggies that made this wine excel.  92 points from me for this $35 effort make it a solid 4 star wine, but I’m going to give it 5 because I’m in a generous mood.  Perfect with poultry and perhaps a cream sauce based dish.  Lovely and smooth.  Salut….

merryvale pinot noir carneros

 

Citille Di Sopra Vigna Poggio Ronconi Brunello di Montalcino 2008

27 Thursday Nov 2014

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I have to admit that I only wrote a few short lines about this wine and did not even give it a rating.  Bad me…  This is what I made note of:

Pinkish purple
Cranberry, pomegranate and a mid palate hit of strawberry
Very young with crispy tannins and a pinch of acidity

Can’t be bad after all.  I sometimes get the stink eye from Moxie if I have my phone out at the dinner table, she knows that I am trying to take notes but I do have small, impressionable kids who need to learn by example- no phones at the table.  This one can be had for around $35.  Salut….

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