Tag Archives: 4 stars

Chateau Pontet-Canet 2004, Pauillac, France

08 Sunday Mar 2020

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It was Moxie’s birthday so I opened this lovely Bordeaux in Magnum that’s been sitting in my cellar for many moons.  Very bright purple, surprisingly so.  No signs of aging whatsoever.  The nose is somewhat subdued.  After some frantic swirling I finally get  plum, leather and florals, like violet.  On the palate this wine is super smooth, fruity and fresh.  Black cherries, tobacco, crisp tannins and a zesty touch of acidity greet me.  This is not a blockbuster Bordeaux, it’s a refreshing, lighter wine that will appeal to many.  There are tertiary flavors on the midpalate that include spicebox , leather, rhubarb and blueberry.  The tannins really take hold and are gritty, they continue through the finish.  Speaking of which, it’s a decent length and concentrated on those tannins alongside blueberry and a touch of oak.  This is tasty, still young and will drink well till 2029.  I served it up with grilled Tri-Tips, delicious.  91 points and 4 stars, it can be found for around $125 per bottle.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 622 Riesling 2016, Columbia Valley, Washington

04 Wednesday Mar 2020

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Tonight I’m cooking outside the box, chicken livers in peri-peri sauce and some in a Port wine reduction.  I’m grilling a pork loin as a backup.  So, I needed something white that will take the heat of the spicy sauce, Riesling is the obvious choice.

It’s a light shade of yellow in the glass,  the nose is very fresh with citrus, melon, apple peel.  On the palate it’s quite sweet, round and full bodied.  It’s not as focused and acidic as I was hoping for, it’s more of a salmon or pate on toast kinda wine.   It will work I think, but the style is wrong for the pairing.

The palate offers up yellow pear, banana, melon and a touch of candied apple.  Not a lemon or lime in sight.  The midpalate is really rich, expanding into those flavors whilst the finish is short and sweet- literally.  I’m enjoying this wine all by itself, really tasty and easy to drink.  I’m going 89 points and 4 stars for this $12 bottle.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 676 White Blend 2016, Santa Barbara, California

02 Monday Mar 2020

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Very golden in the glass, beautiful and rich.  On the nose I get peach stone, yellow apple, melon.  On the palate it’s quite different- I still get peach stone, but the focus is more pineapple, honeydew, lanolin.  The mouthfeel is quite full, a nice level of acidity and some glycerin.  The mid palate shows off stone fruit and a touch of sour apple.  The finish is medium length and continues the theme nicely.  This is a good blend of Roussane, Viognier and Marsanne that I would serve with caeser salad, smoked salmon or grilled chicken.  89 points, $14 and 4 stars.  Salut….

Beaulieu Vineyard BV Reserve Tapestry 2007, Napa Valley, USA

02 Monday Mar 2020

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This is the third tasting of the Tapestry over an eight year period.  The cork broke in half which gave cause for concern, the bottom part showing off a deep stain, nearly black.  That normally bodes well for me, except the failed cork part.

The wine still has a lovely purple hue with a touch of orange bricking.  The nose gives off tons of leather, tobacco, some red currants and black cherry.  The palate is focused and concentrated.  Tertiary flavors are forefront- earthiness, that parched tobacco and leather …  black fruits appear after a while but it’s not a seamless transition.  The wine has very integrated tannins and a nice streak of acidity.  It’s holding up well for 13 years old, but I would drink by 2027.  It has evolved well and will continue to soften, shedding the fruit along the way.  It’s a nice Napa Cab that gets 90 points from me and can be found for $55.  4 stars.  Salut….

L’Etoile 2015, Lalande de Pomerol, France

02 Monday Mar 2020

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Very rich purple hues in the glass. The nose is a combo of blue fruit and dark berries, with a tobacco and spice box note thrown in . The palate is very enticing with blackberries, crisp tannins, fruitcake and black tea.  The midpalate continues the theme and takes us to the really juicy finish of Ribena, tea, creosote and Maduro leaf.  Very enjoyable, seamless and drinking well for a relatively young Bordeaux.  91 points and 4 stars at $25.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 2011 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

02 Monday Mar 2020

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Very dark purple in the glass with feint legs, interesting as it boasts 14.5% alcohol.  The nose is rich with cassis, plum extract, oak and tea.  The initial palate starts off jammy, full bodied and tannic.  The dark fruit is very unctuous and the flavors just keep coating my mouth.  The mid palate shows off a nice acidic bite alongside more cassis and leather.  The finish turns a touch blue, berries and oak come to mind.  This is a really delicious yet still young Napa Cab that shows off the Cali sun in a nice, full bodied package.  92 points and 4 stars for this $75 beauty.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 673 Pinot Noir 2018, Russian River Valley, California

02 Monday Mar 2020

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Very pale shade of red and completely see through- expected for Pinot.  The nose is really bright with strawberry, rhubarb and red currants.  The palate is full of red fruits- currants, strawberry, watermelon.   There’s a lovely mouthfeel that envelops the gums with rich red berry compote, not much tannins and a hint of acidity.  There are times for finesse and this winery is hitting all cylinders.  The midpalate shows off more red, think cherry cola and currants.  The finish is a short lived affair of much the same.  A nice closing in my opinion.  Drink till 2026 with lighter fare, I’m doing sous vide chicken with wild rice and broccoli.  90 points and 4 stars for this $18 bottle.  Salut….

Le Chateau 2013, Columbia Valley, Washington

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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Medium strength purple in the glass with a touch of cloudiness.  The nose is unique.  Raspberries, sweet rhubarb jam, rooibos tea.  The palate is yummy, crunchy, a touch acidic.  I get dark fruits instead of red, an interesting transformation.  Delightfully tannins greet me as we transition to the midpalate of crushed black cherry, graphite, black tea and mouth drying tannins.  The finish has a short burst of black berrries, tea and an earthy minerality.  This wine is drinking young at 7 years old, it still needs cellar time.  Drink from 2023-2030 with Ribeyes or a Penne Arrabiata.  90 points and 4 stars for this $25 Cab.  Salut

Cameron Hughes Lot 701 2017, Napa, California

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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Quite dark and brooding in the glass, nice legs.  On the nose it shows bright fruit notes of blackberry, plum jam and vanilla.  The palate starts of with a gob full of tannins, which part ways to reveal Ribera, singed plum and some eucalyptus leaf.  The mid palette continues that dark fruit motif but is very channeled by the searing tannins.  Young.  Very young.  The fruit is really masked by the big underlying structure of this wine.  I’m going to run some through the Vinturi before I proceed.

Nope- that monster is still lurking.  I’ll need to let this bottle breathe overnight to see if it softens.  For now- 91 points but don’t touch it till 2023.  Drink till 2030.

Day two- much softer but those tannins are still formidable.  Blackberry jam, espresso and a touch of oak are the main players today.  I’m sticking with 91 points and the drinking window I mentioned.  $29, 4 stars and a pretty good deal on Napa Cab IMHO.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 674 2017, Mendocino, California

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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Rich purple. Opaque.  The nose offers up blackberries, violets, spice box.  On the palate it’s primal- black fruit, cedar shake, very nice, gentle tannins with a touch of acidity.  The midpalate turns into a more fruity wine with a tannic thrust.  The fruits tend toward blackberry, black cherry and a slathering of breakfast tea.  The finish is driven by the Petite Sirah- dark, brooding and enveloped in mouth puckering tannins.  89 points and 4 stars for this $13 steal.  Salut….