Tag Archives: 4 stars

Koyle Royale Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Colchagua Valley, Chile

18 Wednesday Oct 2017

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Dark purple.  Nice nose of dark currant, mint and oak slivers.  On the palate it is a pleasing wine with freshness, good dry tannins and flavors of Ribena, plum, bitter chocolate as well as a meaty note.  The tannins really kick in on the mid palate and the finish.  The wine is full bodied, full flavored and not shy about its structure.  It is somewhat tilted toward the tannic end with hardly discernible acidity at this time.  I think this wine needs some cellaring for a year or two to mellow out just a touch.  I’m going to be pessimistic and go with 90 points but I think it may improve.  If you must drink it now pair with Lamb Shanks and Couscous or maybe a seasoned T-bone on the charcoal.  I paid $12.80 each for two bottles on sale.  Regularly $21. 4 stars.  Salut….

Koyle Royale Cabernet Sauvignon

Herdade Do Esporao Monte Velho 2015, Alentejano, Portugal

04 Wednesday Oct 2017

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See through in the glass is this blend of 40% Aragonez, 35% Trincadeira, 20% Touriga Nacional and the balance of Syrah.  On the nose it it musty- with some oak, blueberry and green pepper.  Kinda funky and different if you ask me.  The palate is a different story with primal flavors of blueberry, cedar, and graphite.  As the wine gets to the midpalate it adds some acidity and juiciness by way of rhubarb, (which I hated as a kid BTW).  Tannins are very fine grained and perceptible mainly on the finish.  A dryness envelops the gums and I feel balance.  The cedar I mentioned earlier comes out again on the back end and mingles with some more blue fruits.  There is an astringency that hits right at the very end that detracts a bit but overall this is a decent wine for the $6.88 I paid for it.  That’s right, under 7 bucks for a decent weekday quaffer that gets 87 points from me, therefore making it a 4 star wine.  Salut….

Whitehall Lane Winery & Vineyards Merlot 2014, Napa Valley, USA

04 Wednesday Oct 2017

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Bright purple presentation.  The nose is blackberry, sage, eucalyptus and pine needle.  The initial palate is vibrant, full of black fruit, bright acidity and Ribena.  The mid palate takes a turn.  The fruit is dark and brooding, giving way to the clash between the acidity and the tannins.  They are balanced mind you, just in the forefront.  They taper off on the finish and allow notes of blackberry pie, vanilla bean and blueberries to close it out.  This is a bold wine, full of fruit, structure and a solid mouthfeel.  It really could use some grilled meats, au gratin and a big salad to tone it down a touch.  Impressive if you ask me.  91 points.  $25 and 4 stars.  Salut….

Warre’s Warrior Finest Reserve Port, Portugal

27 Wednesday Sep 2017

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I do love me some Port.  It goes well with cheese, dessert or alone after dinner.  It is one one of life’s real pleasures.

This particular one was bought with a slew of others as I am trying out as many as I can.  It looks almost black in the glass.  A brooding, dark monster.  It is after all named a Warrior, and is of the Finest Reserve.  The nose offers up burnt matches and dark plums.  Kind of a weird combo.  The thickness of the wine is evident on the presentation.  On the palate- it is rich, with dark cherry reduction and blackberry syrup.  The wine has an unctuous feel to it, somewhat akin to dessert whites.  It shows off a nice level of acidity to go along with the tannic backbone.  This one will cellar well.  The finish is long, broad and has hints of blueberry pie, some vanilla as well as dark chocolate.  I like this one and am going with 90 points.  I paid $19 and give it 4 stars.  Not a bad drop if you like Port.  Salut….

La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir 2014, California, USA

26 Tuesday Sep 2017

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I remember the first time drinking this wine.  It was at a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in New Jersey, overlooking Manhattan with Moxie.  We were there attending a Gift Show, buying product for her first retail gig.  It was an exciting time for us, we learned a lot and succeeded in keeping the business running through the dark days of 2008-2011.  We were the last retail Gift shop standing in our area after the dust settled.  I remember the wine, the meal and the atmosphere of the night vividly as it would signal the beginning of our newly charted course.

The 2014 Monterey Pinot is very light in the glass, see through and pale red.  On the nose it’s all New World.  Strawberry, Framboise, a touch of oak.  On the palate, it is silky smooth.  More strawberry, earthy mushrooms, a nice dose of acidity and some Rooibos tea.  The mid palate caresses with some ever so slight tannins and a reminder of the acidity.  The red fruit theme is in force and the wine carries swiftly to the medium length finish.  It all ends with some cherry notes and a touch of vanilla bean.  A very nice wine that can be yours for $15 and gets 89 points from me and 4 stars.  I’m splapping together some creamy dill Chicken to go with it.  Drink now till 2020.  Salut....

Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2015, Western Cape, South Africa

26 Tuesday Sep 2017

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This wine was a perennial favorite many years ago.  I gravitated to reds and rarely bought it, until I saw it on sale the other day.  I’m making Sizzling Hoisin Shrimp tonight so I figured a Sauvignon Blanc would do the trick.

This wine is faint gold in color, not quite yellow, nor deep.  The nose is bright, charming and packed with citrus notes.  Grapefruit being the major player here.  The initial taste is very refreshing, quince and citrus battling it out for dominance.  The wine has a nice balance, not overly acidic yet a touch dry and offering a hint of bitterness.  I get Almond seed on the mid palate which is probably how I sense the bitterness, it is unique.  The finish is all lemon and persimmon.  I am glad I bumped into this bottle, it really is tasty while remaining relatively modest in price.  It refreshes and will go well with my dinner but I am thinking it may take on some spicy foods as well if you are in a pinch.  89 points and 4 stars for this $13 wine.  Salut….

The Sizzling Shrimp

Mooiplass Langtafel Red 2014, Stellenbosch, South Africa

26 Tuesday Sep 2017

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A pleasant purple with medium density.  On the nose I get plums, a faint hint of cinnamon, black cherry and creosote thanks to the 9% addition of Pinotage.  The balance is Cabernet Sauvignon.  The initial taste is very Pinotage heavy, with more plums, some dark fruits and the telltale chemical note, often likened to nail polish remover.  I like it.  The wine transitions nicely and some very delightful tannins caress throughout.  The flavor profile doesn’t change much throughout and the acidity is very fine, barely noticeable.  The finish is relatively long, with the dark fruit balancing nicely with a hint of oak.  The bitterness of the tannins is apparent right at the end but is not detracting.  This is a tasty weekday wine that I would pop with stew, chili, grilled sausages and even burgers.  89 points and 4 stars for this $11 wine.  Salut….

Marques de Riscal Reserva 2011, Rioja DOCa, Spain

26 Tuesday Sep 2017

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I have a history with this wine.  It was introduced to me by friends, one of whose father was Chairman of the Board way back in the day.  I have drunk many vintages over the past 20 years and look forward to each bottle.  Quality can be a little inconsistent over the years but generally speaking this is a very good staple for the cellar.  This particular vintage is dark and brooding in the glass  It offers up notes of lush blackberry with lashings of black cherry pie and vanilla.  On the palate I get some raisin, blackberry, tar and almond. Very Tempranillo-like.  The tannins are quite polished and unobtrusive.  They join the party midpalate and carry through to the medium length finish.  The flavors are mostly primal right now but I sense that development is forthcoming and this wine will evolve nicely.  The predominance of that earthy tar component really excites me as this is my favorite Tempranillo trait.  This wine will drink well till 2025 at the least and begs for roasted meats, a hearty game stew or some heavy duty cheese.  I’m going 90 points, and for $16 this is a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Vignamaggio Il Morino Tusacany 2015, Italy

14 Thursday Sep 2017

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It’s pasta for a quick pre-ballet dinner with my daughter so I needed a quick and easy Italian wine.  This one rolled in the other day at $10 so I figured it was worth a shot.  The glass shows off a decent color palette of purple that is somewhat see-through.  The nose offers red berries, raspberry and some clove.  The Sangiovese in the blend gives me some cherry notes on the palate while the Merlot component brings out some  plum while adding a bit of backbone to the wine.  On the mid palate is where I get a nuttiness, almonds and a touch of oak.  The wine has some very dry tannins that kick in on the finish and add a bite to the gums.  Acidity is nice and the wine is balanced.  I’m not sure I would go as high as the pros with 92, more like 89 points for me.  Still a good value IMHO and worthy of 4 stars.  Perfect for the midweek pasta dish or perhaps a thin crust wood oven pizza.  Drink till 2020.  Salut….

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Coonawarra, Australia

12 Tuesday Sep 2017

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Dark blackish purple in the glass. An interesting nose of sweet dark plums, sasparilla, oak and ginger.  On the palate I get very precise flavors of plum ganache, dark chocolate, violets and the beginnings of some very fine grained tannins.  The mid palate shows a bitterness I can’t figure out.  The tannins however really kick in.  The finish is a really strange compilation of blueberry pie, oak, astringent tannins and that odd bitterness.  It detracts from the full potential of this wine and makes it an 88 point wine IMHO.  I paid $12 and give it 4 stars.  I would like to re-taste in a few years, perhaps it will mellow out and gain some balance whilst losing the bitterness.  Salut….

Jacob's Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon