Tag Archives: 4 stars

Hubert Meyer Riesling Winzenberg 2018, Alsace Grand Cru, France

20 Monday Jun 2022

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The thing that annoys me about Riesling is that most labels don’t tell you if it’s going to be dry, off-dry or sweet.  Deductive reasoning tells me this bottle is going to be dry due to it’s 13.5% ABV.  A very pretty medium lemon color in the glass with pronounced aromas of lemon zest, grapefruit pith, petrol, geranium and ripe pear.  It tastes dry as expected with very high acidity and a delicious cut of lemon/grapefruit.  The ripe pear note is more a green pear note on the palate but I do get florals and petrol.  I can sense the alcohol if I breath out through my nose, which is unusual for me as my threshold is pretty high to sense the burn.  I would say this wine is medium bodied and it has a juicy, tart finish that is medium in length.  It begs for Asian dishes or a grilled seafood platter.  I like it but think it will develop over time.  Right now it is really zesty with just a few primary flavors.  It should flesh out and develop with time as it has great structure for cellaring.  92 points from me for this $60 bottle makes it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Cave Dog Albarino 2019, Napa Valley, California

17 Friday Jun 2022

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A New World Albariño, I’m excited!  Medium lemon colored, it has fast moving legs belying its modest 13% ABV.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of pineapple, lemon zest, bruised apple, geranium and baking spice.  On the palate it is dry, really dry, with high acidity and a tart opener.  Lemon, underripe pineapple, green apple and spice.  There is a piercing minerality on the mid palate that I am really enjoying.  The body is fairly light whilst the finish is medium in length and refreshing with the cut I got initially.  A nicely crafted wine that gets 90 points from me and 4 stars for it’s $37 sticker price.  I am pairing it with Thai beef salad and some Szechuan fried veggies.  Drink now.  Salut….

Iapetus ‘Subduction’ Red 2019, Vermont

07 Tuesday Jun 2022

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This is a curious wine, made in Vermont from 100% Marquette grapes.  In the glass it is a deep purple color with some haze that confirms the data sheet- unfined and unfiltered.  Here we go!  Medium intensity aromas of wild blackberry, baking spices, black cherry, sour cherry, leather and a minty greeness.  The palate is dry with juicy acidity, low tannins, medium body and sprite flavors of dark fruit, oak nuance and that green note I caught on the nose.  It finishes tart and dry with lithe tannins tickling my cheeks.  The sour cherry taking pole position.  I had to look up this grape’s lineage, it is a crossing of two other hybrids.  They were trying to make a cold-hardy grape that is disease resistant.  I like it.  It reminds me of Sangiovese without the searing tannins.  That sour cherry note being the key here.  I would imagine this wine will evolve a little but it should be drunk by 2026.  It can be found for $27 online and gets 90 points from me making it a 4 star effort.  Try something different!  I would pair it with pasta, grilled duck breast or peppercorn steaks.  Salut….

Domaine de Saint Gens Gigondas Cuvee de l’Ancien Oratoire 2017, Rhone, France

28 Saturday May 2022

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A blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah, this Rhone wine has a medium ruby color in the glass.  The nose has a perfume meets rich plums and blackberry.  I am desperate to find the garigue and game these two varietals are known for but they elude me for oak influence of vanilla and coffee along with some green leaf hints.  The palate is interesting- dry and a touch tart with medium (+) tannins and medium to full body.  I get a definitive charred wood note along with the black fruit, vanilla, coffee and tomato leaf. There might be a touch of licorice in there to boot.  The wine gets pretty grippy on the back end as it flexes its muscles on the medium length finish.  I like it but feel it could use some cellaring.  It’s a bit one dimensional right now and the tannins need to mellow out a bit.  It got big scores from the pros but in my book this $30 bottle is a 91 pointer that gets 4 stars.  Drink from 2024-2030.  Salut….

Glatzer Zweigelt Carnuntum Cuvée 2019, Austria

14 Saturday May 2022

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We went out to a fancy new restaurant (Lark) where the suggestion was to order several appetizers, some pasta dishes and finish with a main course.  We shared everything so there was a cornucopia of flavors ranging from grilled Octopus, salad, Gnocco with Ricotta and Parma, Raviolis and my Duck breast.  Such a varied range of food requires an open mind to wine choices.  Zweigelt, being a fairly light bodied wine with fresh red fruit and low tannins was the perfect match.  This Austrian varietal was developed as a crossing between Bläufrankish and St. Laurent.  This particular bottle was smooth with medium (-) tannins, medium acidity and light to medium body. Red fruit driven with tons of cherry, some red currant and a spice box note. As I drank this wine I also noted earth and leather notes. With a medium length finish this easy-drinking wine was delicious and complemented the meal to the T.  At retail it’s a $15 wine that gets 89 points from me.  I would probably not sit on it for long as it has a great freshness and lacks sufficient structure to cellar.  4 stars- pair with lighter dishes and white meats.  Salut….

Clarendon Hills Grenache ‘Clarendon’ 2011, McLaren Vale, Australia

09 Monday May 2022

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I recently tasted the 2009 Clarendon Grenache and loved it.  I hope this newer bottling is as good!  Deep garnet in the glass with medium intensity aromas of raspberry, dried sage, black cherry, dust, charred wood, coffee, blueberry jam and vanilla.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and bracing tannins.  A full body with medium (+) intensity flavors of red fruit, oaky coffee, vanilla and charred wood along with some steeped blue fruit and rustic dust.  The finish is a dry, short to medium length affair that hones in on the charcoal and black cherry notes.  Overall, not as good as the ’09- it gets 91 points from me with a drinking window till 2028.  I give this $45 wine 4 stars.  Salut….

Raats Family Cabernet Franc 2017, Stellenbosch, South Africa

07 Saturday May 2022

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Our second Cab Franc at tasting #27 was this much more restrained version from S.A. Our first foray into the varietal was a powerhouse Chinon.  This wine was more elegant and softer- beginning with the medium ruby color in the glass.  On the nose the group found aromas of lavender, violets, blackberry leaf, blueberry, cherry (cola), black pepper, creamy coffee (froth), caramel and a medicinal note as well as a touch of cough syrup (?).  The palate was dry and we debated the acidity- High was the consensus.  Lush, nicely integrated tannins led to a medium bodied wine with lovely flavors of blackberry leaf, lavender, vanilla, violets, and that medicinal note.  A medium  (-) finish took off a point or two from me yet I love this wine.  91 points for a $45 wine makes it a 4 star effort to drink till 2026 with Steak au Poivre.  Salut….

Raventos I Blanc ‘Blanc de Blancs’ 2018, Catalonia, Spain

07 Saturday May 2022

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I wanted to introduce my tasting group to sparkling wines and the differences between Traditional method versus Tank method production.  We kicked off the 27th VWTC event with this Spanish sparkler made from Macabeo in the traditional way.  Apple, citrus, toast, caramel, yeast, and a wet hay component were noted by the group.  On the palate we found a dry wine with high acidity and flavors of green (crisp) apple, citrus, almond (marzipan) and the autolytic characters we smelled- toast and yeast.  A medium finish that left us somewhat refreshed yet yearning for the minerality this wine promised.  I scored it 89 points and for $17 it’s a nice 4 star introduction to this style of wine from Spain.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Saxon Brown Fighting Brothers Zinfandel 2015, Sonoma Valley, California

27 Wednesday Apr 2022

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Medium ruby colored- this 14.7% ABV Zin has got thick, globby legs in the glass.  The nose has pronounced aromas of stewed blackberry, prunes, blueberry compote, walnuts, vanilla, cedar and spice box.  I like the tertiary notes of this developing wine. The palate is dry and fully bodied with well integrated tannins and juicy acidity.  The flavors are delicious and pronounced as I swirl the nectar around my mouth, sucking air in to boost the flavors.  The finish has a touch of heat on it but still shows lovely fruit flavors for a medium length finish.  The alcohol is a bit of an unbalanced distraction that will cost a point or two.  This $40 wine gets 91 points and 4 stars from me.  It is really good all by itself but may pair well with grilled Picanha steaks or roasted duck with a cherry reduction.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

Brokenwood Oakey Creek Semillon 2009, Hunter Valley, Australia

27 Wednesday Apr 2022

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At my weekly WSET class we were tasked with the notes on this Semillon.  It was medium lemon colored although there may have been a tendency toward gold IMO.  The nose was of medium (+) intensity but fell off quickly.  We got aromas of beeswax, toast, flint, tangerine, grapefruit, white blossom and ripe pear.  I thought this developing wine was quite complex albeit not yet showing the big tertiary notes associated with the Hunter Valley.  The palate was dry with medium (+) acidity- a good thing for helping age these graceful wines.  Medium (+) body coupled with medium alcohol and medium (+) intensity flavors of the above.  The citrus stood out on the mid palate and long finish.  We though this wine was of Very Good Quality and could do with further aging.  Overall I feel this is potentially a 91 point wine and for $30 it gets 4 stars.  The pros went as high as 94 but I don’t see it.  Salut….