Tag Archives: 4 stars

Mt. Luxxe Vineyards Zinfandel 2017, Lodi, California

09 Wednesday Sep 2020

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I don’t drink Zins very often, but when I find one I like- I remember it and revisit.  I was not a huge fan initially of the last Zin I drank, the Turley Zin turned out much better after a day or so.

This one shows semi opaque in the glass and has a lovely reddish hue to the purple color.  On the nose I get raspberries, red currants and cinnamon stick.  The palate is very rich with a nice thrust of raspberry coulis and mulling spices.  There’s a really nice set of tannins that caress the gums without stripping the enamel off my teeth alongside a juicy acidity that hits the mid palate.  The red fruit theme continues with some steeped rhubarb and spices.  This is not a jammy Zin, but is full bodied with rich flavors and a really nice, long finish.  The warmth I get on the backend is also very interesting.  Really tasty with a decent level of complexity and aging capacity make this a 91 point wine IMHO.  I paid a paltry $9.99 for it but it normally retails for $40.  4 stars with a drinking window till 2027.  I’m flash cooking some thin Ribeyes that will pair nicely.  Salut….

Turley Wine Cellars Old Vines Zinfandel 2017, California, USA

30 Sunday Aug 2020

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The last wine of our Virtual tasting #8 was this highly regarded Zin which rolls in at $35.  I selected it because I really like this winery and was thinking it would be interesting to have two wines from the same winemaker, albeit different varietals to showcase the winemaker’s style and skill.  There were 8 different groups tasting this wine and I recorded their collective notes.

The wine starts off with a nice purple shade of medium opacity.  Fine legs on the sidewalls gave away the 15.5% alcohol, which was not evident on the palate- well disguised!  The immediate reaction to the nose was ‘Grandmothers attic!  A good swirl and more traditional aromas of baked cherries, rhubarb, cherry, currant, plum and dusty mocha were mentioned alongside descriptors of svelte, brooding, jammy and finally mothballs.  Back to the closet I guess!

On the palate members of the group noted sassafras, huckleberry, cinnamon and Jalapeño.  I found the wine to be complex but the finish brought up some interesting comments.  Stinky Brie, green and bitter notes were mentioned but I thought the wine was balanced between lithe tannins and gentle acidity.  Pepper was the predominant feature for me.  I was not overly impressed by this wine on night one and will re-taste tonight.  For now I’m going with 89 points, a stark contrast fro the 92 it got from some of the pros.  3 stars initially.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

UPDATE- I re-tasted the wine after a 24 hour period and have revised my score to 91. It improved dramatically.  The complexity was evident- 4 stars.

 

Cameron Hughes Lot 722 Chenin Blanc 2018, Sonoma County, California

22 Saturday Aug 2020

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Pale yellow in the glass.  On the nose I get watermelon, lime spritz and melon.  On the palate it is fruity and flavorful- quince, pear and a buttery note.  The mid palate continues the full bodied mouthfeel and flavor profile.  The finish is decent in length and offers up some honey alongside yellow apple and more pear.  It’s an interesting and tasty wine for sure, refreshing yet it has some depth and viscosity.  The malolactic fermentation has given it a touch of butter and flab, enough to notice but not overdone.  This wine will pair well with grilled Salmon, Cobb salad or baked Aubergine in tomatoes.  Drink till 2024.  For $13, this is a no-brainer to keep on hand.  88 points make it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

 

 

Cameron Hughes Lot 731 Malbec 2018, Mendoza, Argentina

21 Friday Aug 2020

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Very bright purple in the glass.  The nose is fruit forward with blackberries, grilled plum and purple licorice.  On the palate this wine is very tasty…. delicious in an easy-going way.  Blackberry reduction, star anise, ribena and creosote all feature on the opening.  The mid palate gives me some charred oak, blackberry reduction and oolong tea.  The finish is short to medium length- with dry notes of tea leaf, dusty mocha and that blackberry theme that has been consistent from the get-go.  Overall a decent drop that gets 89 points from me as the tannins are present but won’t promote extended cellaring and the acidity is feint at best.  Drink till 2023 with stews, a Lamb Tagine or beef moussaka.  4 stars for this $13 charmer.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 639 Rosé 2017, Monterey County, California

20 Thursday Aug 2020

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This wine is a gorgeous shade of orange/pink.  On the nose I get strawberry and lemon zest, pink grapefruit and almonds.  On the palate it is a touch sweet, apricots come to mind.  The strawberry component reappears on the mid palate with notes of lanolin and lemon.  The finish is refreshing, a touch acidic and decent in length.  Light red fruit notes carry through to the end.  This is a nice, if somewhat sweet, summer sundowner.  I would serve it with charcuterie, hard cheeses and some fresh figs.  Drink till 2022.  88 points and 4 stars for this $13 Valdiguié, a varietal I have never tried before.  Salut….

CVNE ‘Cune’ Gran Reserva 2012, Rioja DOCa, Spain

14 Friday Aug 2020

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Bright purple in the glass, semi opaque.  The nose is lovely, warm and chock full of dark berry fruits, charcoal and bramble.  On the palate I get a really smooth intro to the blackberries, Ribena and earthy notes that allow some oak to mingle.  There is a certain rustic twist to this wine.  On the mid palate I start to get tertiary flavors of leather and bramble, that earthiness I love in aged Riojas.  The wine is quite juicy at this point, the acidity making its presence known.  Lithe tannins crop up and the whole mouthfeel is really nice.  The finish is a touch dry, acidic and medium in length.  The black fruits really present alongside that charred oaky wood note.  91 points, drink till 2027 with steaks, grilled goat.  At $30, it’s a 4 star effort that I really enjoyed.  Salut….

Chateau de Poncie Fleurie ‘Le Pre Roi’ 2016, Beaujolais, France

09 Sunday Aug 2020

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My Virtual Wine Tasting Company is a group of friends who taste wines every two weeks or so.  The goal for me is to introduce new varietals and regions to them and try to educate as best I can with my knowledge and experience.  At the #7 tasting I presented the Gamay grape.  No one realized that Beaujolais wines were made from this grape.  We discussed regular maceration versus cold maceration and finally I talked about Carbonic Maceration used to produce the Nouveau Beaujolais.  I pre-empted the tasting with a few pointers on Gamay wines- they are very low in tannins and acidity, do not generally cellar past 6 years for Cru wines and are drunk in abundance in the French Bistros.  It is a lively, very fruity wine that is extremely easy to drink.  Some can present decent complexity, most are basic wines.  I chose this Cru that has a bit of age on it and is drinking nicely now.  It was exactly what I was hoping it would be, an elegant introduction to the varietal.  Some loved it, others hated it.  Each to his own.

Gamy, cranberry, pepper, black cherry, blueberry and mocha were all mentioned by the tasters.  The wine has little tannic grip but one can sense a tinge of acidity.  Most expected a sweet wine, but I mentioned that the Gamay grape is very fruity, hence the  expectation once they sniffed.  This wine gets 89 points from me, the only detractor being it’s cellaring potential.  I really liked it and will buy more at the $22 price point.  It gets 4 stars from me.  Drink now.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 633 Riesling 2017, Napa Valley, California re-visited

12 Sunday Jul 2020

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This was our opening wine at virtual tasting #5.  As before, I had everyone reserve half at room temperature and chill the other half.  Mixed results as usual with some enjoying the rounder, fuller nose and palate of the unchilled version whilst others preferred the slight cut and edge of the chilled.  I got quince, pineapple and honey.  It was not very acidic, nor was it sweet, a trait commonly found in Riesling.  Overall a very serviceable white that I will be ordering more of.  87 points this time around, which contrasts with the last time I drank it.  My previous notes showed it to be sweeter but I preferred it in this iteration whilst scoring it lower….  hmmm.  $13 is a good price btw, 4 stars.  Salut….

Domaine Pascal & Mireille Renaud Pouilly-Fuisse Cuvee Vieilles Vignes 2017, Maconnais, France revisited

12 Sunday Jul 2020

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This is the second go at this Pouilly-Fuissé.  It is tasty as before and has evolved somewhat with new flavors evident.

Light gold in the glass.  Pineapple, white peach and honeycomb on the nose.  The palate is round with notes of almond, pineapple, melon and that honey twist.  The mid palate is plump with nice honeyed tones, some lemon marmalade, a waxy component and lanolin.  The finish is quite long and pleasing.  There is a touch of lingering acidity but it doesn’t cut, the rounder mouthfeel is evident and very pleasant.  It lacks much minerality, focusing more on fruit flavors with a touch of wood influence.  91 points and for $40, a great intro to Burgundy and the hallowed Chardonnay.  Drink this 4 star effort till 2027.  Salut….

Clarendon Hills Piggott Range Syrah 2010, McLaren Vale, Australia

18 Thursday Jun 2020

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I love this winery, they make very Old World style Syrah in Australia that is very rich, extracted but not jammy.  This one happens to be a younger version of the 2006 Syrah.

It’s very inky and opaque in the glass.  The nose is brooding, and the 14.5% alcohol is evident.  Black plums, dark fruit melange and spicy oak are all present.  With a good deal more swirling I get violets, Boysenberry and a charred note.  On the palate it is very juicy right off the bat.  Figs, blackberry and espresso hit my palate alongside some slightly green tannins and a nice acidic cut.  The mid palate is quite focused on that tartness alongside a blueberry meets plum note.  Tannins take a step back while the acidity plays lead.  The finish is long, mouthwatering and modestly dry.  Black fruits dominate the back end with some Mocha, licorice and that burnt wood note.  I think I preferred the 2006, but this is a very tasty wine that I feel is acid dominated and slightly off balance.  Drink till 2026.  For $100, it’s quite pricy which gets 92 points and 4 stars from me.  Salut….