Tag Archives: 4 stars

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

24 Saturday Aug 2019

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It’s a medium gold in the glass with a nose of pear, apricot and banana.  The palate is tasty, with nice flavors of that pear, some citrus by way of grapefruit and some lanolin.  The mid palate has some weight, with silky smooth popcorn notes along with the fruit.  Acidity is lithe and balanced.  It makes the wine refreshing without too much cut.  The finale’ has more of that pear fruit meets lemon with a decent length finish that has me wondering how good this is going to be with the roasted Cornish Hens I am grilling.  91 points.  I paid $20, but it lists for up to $50, this is a 4 star effort at the first price. Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Spier Rose 2018, Stellenbosch, South Africa

15 Thursday Aug 2019

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Pale straw color in the glass for this 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir blend.  On the nose, strawberry and cherry flavors mingle with nutmeg.  On the palate I get much more fruit flavor than I was expecting, it is lush and vibrant with more strawberry, a trace of rhubarb and capsicum.  The mid palate shows a touch of acidity and some minerality.  The finish is of decent length and much the same for flavors.  Refreshing and satisfying describe this 88 pointer from South Africa. Yours for  $10 makes this a 4 point wine that will pair tonight with roast pork shoulder and spiced Basmati rice.  Drink till 2020.  Salut….

Domaine Lucien Lardy Fleurie Les Roches Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais, France

13 Tuesday Aug 2019

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Many moons ago Moxie and I went to Paris on one of several trips to that great city.  Drinking wine  in the cafe’s I noticed that sometimes they would serve a red wine slightly chilled.  Turns out, that’s how they enjoy their Beaujolais wines, which are made in a slightly different method and use the Gamay grape.  Many are designed to be drunk young, as in weeks old, while there are several Cru wines that have some aging capacity.  I bought a few bottles of this Fleurie to savor in the heat of the summer after they had a slight chill.

This one is quite dark purple and just barely see-through.  It gives off typical Gamay notes of black currants alongside oak, charcoal and violets.  On the palate I get definitive black currants and cedar shavings.  There is a surprising level of tannin alongside some black tea notes.  There is a nice level of acidity to balance and the wine leaves me wanting more.  The mid palate is really quite dry, bolstering the blackberry flavors and giving me a peak of Ribena as we go to the finish.  The wine has a long dry streak at the end but it does it with finesse and plenty of black fruits.  The pros were all over the scoring table with this one, ranging from 86-91.  I think it drinks nicely now and will cellar till 2024.  90 points and 4 stars for this $18 wine.  Pair with roasted birds, potato and leek rosti or with some soft, ripe Brie.  Salut….

Domaine Jean Fery & Fils Les Vergelesses 2010, Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru, France

26 Friday Jul 2019

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The second tasting of the Les Vergelesses.  See-through reddish-purple with some hints of bricking.  On the nose I get fresh cherries, blackberry extract and nutmeg.  On the palate it is light, refreshing and young.  There is a red cherry component alongside strawberry coulis and pomegranate- which is adding some zesty acidity.  The mid palate is somewhat one dimensional with just strawberry and juicy acidity.  The back end finds those darker fruits again with black cherry dominating.  There’s a cedar note in there alongside some fruitcake.  This wine is still way too young and primal.  I foresee some great evolution in the next ten years, which is quite a stretch for a nine year old.  If you like refreshing, young Pinot- five in.  I’m holding my other bottle for a few years, looking for more secondary Burgundian flavors to emerge.  92 points and 4 stars for this $40 effort.  Salut….

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2012, Pauillac, France

18 Thursday Jul 2019

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Nearly black and opaque in the glass.  On the nose I get gorgeous blackberries and fruitcake with a touch of mint.  On the palate it is fresh, young, fruity and chock full of black fruits, cedar, scrumptious tannins and a slight hint of cassis.  Tobacco and leather are evident on the mid palate which totally excites me and hints at long term evolution in line with traditional Bordeaux.  The tannic structure is amazing, very lithe at the beginning with a steady rise to a crescendo of black tea dryness.  92 points and 4 stars for this $50 Fifth Growth.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

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….

 

Murrieta’s Well Petit Verdot 2017, Livermore Valley, USA

20 Thursday Jun 2019

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Dark purple in the glass.  On the nose there’s sweet lingonberry, French oak notes and charcoal.  On the palate this wine is delicious- black fruits galore. Lilac, delicious oak without the flab and gorgeous tannins all caress my palate.  The finish is super duper….long, a touch dry with that dark fruit jam that is delicious.  92 points $56 makes this a 4 star effort that was the wine of the day for me.  Drink till 2028 with all sorts of meats and stews.  Salut….

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

20 Thursday Jun 2019

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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

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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

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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….