Tag Archives: 4 stars

Murrieta’s Well Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Livermore Valley, USA

20 Thursday Jun 2019

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Dark purple in the glass with long legs.  93% cab, 5% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot.  On the nose I get rich plum, blackberry, cocoa and cedar.  On the palate I am surprised yet delighted by the rich cherry flavor that hits initially.  The wine offers up the more traditional plums and black fruit later, alongside very lithe tannins that sneak up.   Balance is great in this wine, just a touch of acidity to keep the dryness in check and allow the fruit to shine.  There’s a certain warmth that closes out the midlength finish that I’m enjoying.  This wine is drinking nicely now and will improve with age.  Drink till 2026 with steaks!  92 points and 4 stars for this $62 wine.  Salut….

Murrieta’s Well Tempranillo 2017, Livermore Valley, USA

20 Thursday Jun 2019

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


Very dark purple.  On the nose it is showing off sweet blackberries with a spicy component.  Plum reduction also comes to mind.  On the palate sour plum combines beautifully with blackberry and coffee bean.  The midpalate introduces the tannins which ramp up nicely to caress the gums on the finish without being too dry and obtrusive.  Drink now till 2024 with game dishes, charcuterie or all by itself.  91 points makes this $50 charmer a 4 star wine.  I was impressed BTW.  Salut….

 

Murrieta’s Well Dry Orange Muscat 2018, Livermore Valley, USA

20 Thursday Jun 2019

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Very pale yellow.  Blood oranges, gardenia, rose water all hit my nose- from a foot away.  This is very aromatic.  On the palate it tastes just it smells- plus lychee.  Delicious and tight. 90 points and 4 stars even though it’s a bit pricey at $38, it’s a treat.  Salut….

Nativ ‘Eremo San Quirico’ Aglianico Irpinia Campi Taurasini 2015, Campania, Italy

09 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Wow- 99 points form one critic, I just had to try it!  Then I realized the pro in question rates on a different scale. It looks pretty dark in the glass, but there’s an effervescence appearing on the top that concerns me- either a tainted glass or something in the wine.  On the nose I’m getting currants, cherry and bramble.  The palate is quite sweet, with layered blackberry jam/blackcurrant reduction.  This wine is very thick and juicy, loaded with fruit extract.  There’s a nice dose of tannins that gently appear on the midpalate, melding with the dark fruits and carrying the wine to a nice, balanced finish of black berries, black currants and black tea leaf.  There’s a Ribena note right at the end that I’m enjoying.  This is a solid 91 pointer that will drink nicely till 2024.  I’m going 4 stars at $30 for this Aglianico.  Salut….

If you look close- effervescence in the glass

World’s End ‘If 6 were 9’ Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa Valley, USA

09 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Bright purple with nice legs in the glass.  Sweet blackberries on the nose with a vanilla bean twist.  On the palate it is crisp, dry and delicious. Black cherry jam with blackberries topped with some espresso beans.  The mid is more blueberries and plum, the tannins smoothing out.  The finish has black fruits, tea, olive and a good whack of tannic grip.  There’s a lot going on here folks, very intricate.  92 points and 4 stars for this $48 Napa beauty.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Matt Parish Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Napa Valley, USA

09 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Dark shades of purple in the glass.  The nose is overflowing with blackberries.  There’s a slight oak tint as well as blueberry torte once the blackberry subsided.  On the palate it is a touch astringent right up front but good fruit structure rolls in as well as some gripping tannins.  Black stone fruits are the main focus, with violets and cranberries- for their tartness- seem to coexist.  The tannins are relentless. Aerating would be key here unless you have a fatty, juicy steak.  Nice finish with blackberry and dry tea.  Astringent as heck but mouth watering and tasty.  90 points and 4 stars for this $40 effort.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

Glenelly ‘Glass Collection’ Syrah 2013, Stellenbosch, South Africa

21 Sunday Apr 2019

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Wow- inky, dark, thick and brooding in appearance.  The nose is focused, plum torte and blackberry extract are my first impressions.  On the palate it’s full of dark fruits, tar, mint and a meaty component.  The tannins are so mild, melded and unobtrusive- making this a great sipping wine.  It’s flavorful, easygoing, adaptable yet complex.  The finish is really smooth with nice blackberry jam and bacon notes.  Medium length.  This is not a dry nor sweet wine- just nicely balanced between the extremes.  Drink till 2022.  90 points and 4 stars for this $20 effort.  The pros went higher, perhaps I need to re-calibrate!  Salut….

Poggiobello Pinot Grigio Colli Orientali del Friuli 2017, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

11 Thursday Apr 2019

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Really pale, straw yellow in the glass. On the nose it is very citrusy with melon and bartlett pear notes as well as a touch of rose water.  On the palate it is much meatier with a creaminess that I was not expecting.  Hazelnuts hit me alongside green apple and lemon zest.  The acidity is of medium intensity with a nice long finish of lemon.  89 points and 4 stars for this $14 effort.  Drink till 2022 with seafood, baked chicken or even Fettucine Alfredo.  Salut….

Domaine Mazilly Pere and Fils Pommard Les Noizons 2011, Cote de Beaune, France

08 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Typical Pinot Noir in the glass, light, reddish, totally see through.  I can smell it from four feet away, the waft is amazing.  It’s rather young on the nose- cherries, mushroom, spruce.  On the initial palate it presents with loads of fine grained tannins.  The fruit comes later.  Cherry, strawberry, balsamic essence and cola hit me.  The mid palate is one-dimensional- sour bing cherry.  The tannins really grip on the finish and leave me with a very dry set of gums, almost painful- which is rare for me and Pinot.  The finish also shows off rhubarb, the sour kind.  The acidity presents itself in mysterious ways some times!  There is a uniqueness to this wine, I can’t pinpoint it.  Could it be the freshness of the acidity, the gushing amounts of tannin or the way it leaves my mouth feeling?  Anyways- I am enjoying it and will probably run some through the Vinturi to soften it a bit.  For now, 90 points and 4 stars for this $45 bottle.  Drink from 2022-2033.  Salut….

Cascina Adelaide Barolo DOCG 2013, Piedmont, Italy

05 Tuesday Mar 2019

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


It pours out as expected, reddish purple, see through and intriguing.  On the nose I get strawberry, rhubarb and sour cherry juice.  On the palate this wine is very young with copious tannins immediately attacking the gums- finally giving way to lush cherry, cinnamon, cedar box, leather and tobacco flavors.   This wine is chock full of everything- flavors, dryness, acidity…. you name it.  Very interesting mouthfeel to boot.  It really needs a pour through the Vinturi, but I can’t help myself with these tannins, they are so intriguing and mouth puckering that I will have to sit here and suffer a little longer before I soften them up.  The mid palate is all sour cherry, not in a bad way.  The finish is much of the same…  cherry, leather, mushrooms, acidity, mouth puckering tannins but it eases off nicely.  This is going to be an awesome wine one day when it has grown up, shed the flab, softened the tannins and developed secondary flavors.  For now I am going with 92 points and 4 stars.  This Nebbiolo lists at $80 and should be cellared until 2024 then drunk till 2034.  Salut….