Tag Archives: 4 stars

Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir 2021, Martinborough, New Zealand

16 Sunday Mar 2025

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Medium ruby colored, slightly hazy (Unfined/unfiltered?), with a medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe cranberry, red cherry compote, vanilla bean, baking spice, rhubarb pie, and lingonberry preserves.  It’s quite dense and ripe.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium body and medium tannins.  The red fruit flavors are quite pronounced, the vanilla and accompanying oak influence is very subtle and well integrated.  The tannins melt away beautifully and give this wine a lovely mouthfeel.  The finish has a touch of charred oak alongside some ever so slight tart and bitter notes.  It’s a really nice rendition of Kiwi Pinot- extracted a bit more than Burgundy, not as jammy as a Cali and showing off its own unique terror.   Nicely done- 93 points worth for this $100 offering which makes it a 4 star effort in my books.  I’m pairing it with roast duck breast, sugar snap peas and some boiled potatoes.  Drink till 2036.  Salut….

Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir

Villa Mora Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG 2014, Umbria, Italy

15 Saturday Mar 2025

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Deep garnet colored with a copper highlight, slight staining, and high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of brambleberry, black cherry, roasted licorice, eucalyptus, singed alder, smoky dried herbs, vanilla, coffee, and old railroad ties.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium body and high tannins that grip.  The flavors are somewhat muted by the aggressive tannins which are stripping the enamel off my teeth.  I do finally coax black berries, black cherry and a myriad of oak nuances- coffee, vanilla, smoke, etc.  The high alcohol is well masked and the balance (apart from the tannins) is very nice.  I will aerate the rest of the bottle for a smoother sip.  I reckon this wine has quite a bit of life left and should cellar nicely till 2035.  I’m going with 91 points for this $35 bottle, making it a 4 star wine to pair with juicy steaks, pasta or grilled game.  Salut….

Villa Mora Montefalco Sagrantino

Domaine du Grand Montmirail Vacqueyras Mas Carre 2022, Rhone Valley, France

18 Tuesday Feb 2025

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Medium ruby colored turning to a watery meniscus, with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose of this Grenache/Syrah blend has medium (-) intensity aromas of blueberry, red raspberry, tar, juniper, licorice, charred oak, acai berry, and tomato stalk. The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are a touch gritty.  Flavors of raspberry, blueberry, acai, tar, licorice and green notes of juniper and tomato stalk.  There’s an interesting astringency that keeps me wanting another sip.  The finish is medium in length and somewhat austere.  I kinda like it!  The heat is noteworthy on the back end unfortunately.  This is a delicious, slightly green wine that will pair nicely with stews, game meats or Duck breast.  It gets 90 points from me and for $25, 4 stars.  Drink till 2032.  Ps. It has opened up nicely with a bit of air.  Salut….

Domaine du Grand Montmirail Vacqueyras Mas Carre

Sam Plunkett The Butterfly Effect Cabernet Shiraz 2021, Victoria, Australia

11 Tuesday Feb 2025

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Deep purple colored turning slightly bluer on the edges with slight staining and medium viscosity (14.3% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe plum, eucalyptus, vanilla, blackberry, brambleberry, baking spices, purple licorice, tomato leaf, green and black peppercorns, and acai berry.  It’s jam packed with dark fruit aromas.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium tannins that are plush.  The ripe black fruit weaves through eucalyptus, vanilla and spice notes.  The green note I caught on the nose repeats on the mid palate with a touch of unripe stem coupled with some charred oak notes.  The finish is juicy and medium (-) in length.  I am enjoying the melange of flavors in this $13 bottle and think it will benefit from some short term cellaring.  I give it 89 points and 4 stars.  Salut….

Sam Plunkett The Butterfly Effect Cabernet Shiraz

Don Benigno Medium Dry Amontillado NV, Jerez, Spain

05 Wednesday Feb 2025

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Pale amber colored, with high viscosity (17.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of dried nuts, prune, sea salt, yeast, burnished oak, dryer sheet (I know….), and Brazil nut.  The palate is dry (even though the name says medium dry), with medium acidity, and a full body.  There’s an interesting amalgamation of flavors at play- the nutty notes including Brazil and dry roasted nuts combine with the stewed fruit and oak derived nuance.  The proximity to the sea is evident by the ocean spray notes and the yeast component is a telltale that this wine started out life as a Fino under a layer of Flor.  I love the style.  At $15, you really can’t go wrong with this aperitif wine that gets 88 points from me and 4 stars.  Salut….

Don Benigno medium dry Amontillado SherryDon Benigno

Wagner Vineyards Caywood East Vineyard Dry Riesling 2021, Finger Lakes, New York

04 Tuesday Feb 2025

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Pale straw colored with a watery sheen (11.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of petrol, lanolin, lemon zest, pomelo, white blossom, green almond, wet rock, strawberry leaf (I know…), nectarine, and green apple.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a medium (-) body.  Medium intensity flavors of lemon zest, white grapefruit, white blossom, wet rock, and lanolin with a slight astringency on the mid palate.  The finish is quite tart, the acidity still very much in play.  Lemon, grapefruit and petrol carry through to a rather long finish.  It’s a young Riesling, with plenty of cellaring capacity and the ability to develop tertiary notes.  I paid $25 at the cellar door for this 90 point wine that gets 4 stars.  My pairing is a baked Halibut with beurre blanc.  Salut….

Wagner Vineyards Caywood East Vineyard Dry Riesling

Scott Peterson Rumpus Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, California

19 Sunday Jan 2025

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Medium ruby to garnet colored with slight copper highlights, light staining, and high viscosity (14.8% ABV). The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, blackberry, ripe black raspberry, a hint of twizzlers, some smoke, coffee, black tea, and violet. The palate seems dry, but I suspect a touch of residual sugar. Medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (-) tannins. Flavors of very ripe black raspberry- almost candied, black plum, pomegranate, black tea, coffee, smoke, and that floral violet note I got on the nose. There’s a strange astringency that hits me on the mid palate, not sure where that comes from. The finish is medium in length and pleasant, with a nice mouth feel. 87 points for this $14 effort makes it a 4 star wine to drink till 2026.  (It opened up nicely after 30 or so minutes).  Salut….

Scott Peterson Rumpus California Cabernet Sauvignon

Precision Wine Company Circumference Chardonnay 2023, Russian River Valley, California

01 Wednesday Jan 2025

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Pale lemon colored with gold highlights, and a watery sheen that gives way to some thick, slow moving legs (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe tropical fruit.  Pink guava, apricot, papaya, nectarine, green almond, a touch of butter, and a hit of baking spice.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body and ripe fruit flavors that echo the nose.  The finish is silky and medium (+) in length, showing off the fruit rather nicely.  There are subtle secondary notes, the focus being the fruit profile.  It’s a heavy wine with a rather substantial alcohol content that would probably need to be served well chilled as I can see it ballooning out of control once it gets warmed up.  I am pairing it with Chinese food and it’s working rather nicely.  89 points for this $25 effort makes it a 4 star wine to drink till 2030.  Salut….

precision wine company Circumference Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Miriam Syrah 2021, California

02 Monday Dec 2024

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Deep ruby colored with slight staining and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe red raspberry, black plum, game, vanilla, cocoa, and blackberry. The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium body, and medium (-) tannins that melt away.  Flavors of ripe raspberry, plum, and blackberry with telltale meaty notes.  There is a hint of cocoa and maybe some vanilla.  The finish is medium (-) in length but pleasing.  Not an overly complex wine, it drinks easily and will go well with a variety of dishes ranging from steaks and pasta to roasted chicken.  Overall it gets 86 points from me and at $12, 4 stars.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Miriam California Syrah

Dow’s Trademark Finest Reserve Port NV, Porto, Portugal

17 Sunday Nov 2024

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Completely opaque, deep purple colored with heavy staining and a high viscosity (19.5% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of ripe blackcurrant, blackberry compote, fresh cut wood, purple licorice, a faint hint of tomato stalk and steeped bramble berry. The palate is sweet with medium (+) acidity, a full body and medium  tannins that lose grip pretty quickly.  Ripe and rich flavors of black fruit with a green note and a woody hint.  The alcohol hits on the back end with some heat but it’s to be expected.  The finish itself is delicious and long.  It’s a decent drop that gets 90 points from me and can be found for around $25 making it a 4 star effort.  It begs for some Brie and Blue cheese.  Salut….

Dow's Trademark Finest Reserve Port