Tag Archives: 4 stars

Turley Hayne Vineyard Zinfandel 2006

27 Thursday Nov 2014

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Wow, what an amazing bottle of wine.  Courtesy of my west coast friends, we opened this beauty up and indulged in some of the finest Zinfandel I have tasted.  From what I have experienced, California Zins are usually huge, bombastic and very high in alcohol.  This one has certainly mellowed in the cellar and is unique.

See-through purple that was bright as day.  Maraschino cherry nose with some violets, very interesting.  Smooth, if slightly sharp entry of cherry and kirsch. Floral, light and refreshing with sleek, almost invisible tannins and a long finish.  Hints of rhubarb on the mid palate were not expected from this delicious yet atypical wine. Needs cellar time to develop some earth and funk, but is drinking beautifully now.  I am going with 93 points.  The only place I saw it was at auction, be prepared to pay upwards of $50+.  4 stars and a treat to be able to taste such a wine.  Salut….

turley zinfandel hayne vineyard

Andrea Oberto Barolo 2010

27 Thursday Nov 2014

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I sometimes find myself writing basic notes and then forgetting about the wine until many days, and several bottles later before I post to the blog.  It makes it hard to put pen to paper and relive the wine after a period, but this one was different.  I wrote several lines of notes and after reading them I could almost taste the wine again.  It had a thick purple appearance with a nose of plums, cocoa, pomegranate.  Smoke, iodine, plum jam, blueberry preserves and eucalyptus all exploded on the palate with crispy acidity and generous tannins. An interesting taste/mouthfeel combo that kept me coming back for more.  There was a lovely oregano hint on the longish finish. Served with lamb shanks, it was the perfect combination.  I noted that is had ‘Bright fruit, Napa ringer’.  I can’t wait to see the other bottles evolve, it’s going to be magic for this 92 point effort.  Some of the pro’s went as high as 95 on it, we shall see.  You can find it for about $35, making it a solid 4 star wine.  Salut….

andrea oberto barolo

Stags Leap Wine Cellars Chardonnay ‘Karia’ 2012

11 Tuesday Nov 2014

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For the past two weekends I have been tinkering on the Big Green Egg, trying to perfect a Turkey so I am ready for Thanksgiving.  The first effort was not very good, the recipe was too involved and the timing was not right plus I had to leave the grill alone for most of the afternoon to see my son’s football game.  I tried to cook it ‘low and slow’ but it ended up being dry.  This past weekend I tried it again, using the standard 325 degree heat, very little wood chunks, and a simple bouquet of herbs shoved up it’s heiny.  It worked.

I planned on drinking the Mazilly Pommard with the bird and I opened this Cali Chard up for my folks and Moxie, who prefer white wine.  I got in a glass or two myself and was glad I did, this wine is good.  Light yellow in color was to be expected, so I delved right into the nose.  Lemon zest, melon and yellow apples greeted me right off the bat.  Zesty with a hint of steel were on my notes for an initial impression.  I then got green apples and melons.  A smooth transition to a delightful mid palate left me thinking it was not quite buttery but silky in texture.  The wine had a long finish and I gave it 91 points.  I paid around $24 at Costco for it and will give it 4 stars.  It paired beautifully with the bird.  It would also ring with some seafood, perhaps a creamy pasta.  Tasty stuff.  Salut….

stags leap Karia chardonnaybig green egg turkey

El Angosto Los Almendros 2009

08 Saturday Nov 2014

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I wasn’t sure what to expect out of this Spanish blend of Garnacha Tintorera, Syrah and Marselan but it sure looked good in the glass.  Oregano, violets and black fruits on the nose were intriguing.  Pepper, blackberry, tar and capsicum on the initial attack were delightful.  Pinpoint tannins and a nice balance of acidity gave this wine a rounded and smooth mouthfeel.  The tannins are long , tingling the gum for over a minute- surprising.  I drank it with smoked pork one night, but ended up drinking several more bottles of it this week with other dishes, all delightful pairings.  Focus on  juicy steak or hearty stews for the best results.  This is a really versatile and delicious wine with a drinking window of 2014-2019.  It gets 91 points from me and 4 stars with its $25 price point.  Salut….El Angosto Almendros Single Vineyard Tinto

Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

27 Monday Oct 2014

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One thing I love about the Fall is cooking Sunday Roast.  Being half English, it’s in my blood to bang out Beef, roast veggies, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.  The Brits wouldn’t  serve up such fare without a bottle or two of Claret (Bordeaux red).  I switched it up a touch and went west, to Napa.  This wine was simply amazing.

Huge nose of violets, plums and blue fruits from a beautiful purple-hued glass.  Big mouthfulls of black plums, dark currants and absolutely gorgeous tannins greeted me right off the bat. Perfectly balanced with a hint of acidity and a polished finish that lasted forever. I later got olives, fig paste and perhaps a touch of eaucalyptus. This is a stunning wine. 93 points for me for this $60 effort make it a 4 star wine.  Salut….

merryvale cabernet sauvignon

 

Eagles Trace Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

18 Saturday Oct 2014

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I bought a magnum of this wine a while back and had it sitting on my ‘everyday drinker’ shelf for the past two months, waiting to pop it at a moments notice.  This past week I had that opportunity.  Black cherries and eucalyptus on the nose were telltale signs of this wine’s Napa roots.  Kir, plum and blueberry initially hit my palate along with some beautiful ingrained tannins.  Blueberry jam on a creamy finish with nice acidity lead to a great mouthfeel and long ending.  This is Napa Cab at it’s finest, showing off fresh fruit yet with great structure and complexity.  This particular bottle was relatively young, especially since it was in Magnum.  I would venture a 2014-2024 drinking window in large format.  92 points and 4 stars from me for this $55 effort.  Salut….

eagles trace cabernet sauvignon

Chapellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

18 Saturday Oct 2014

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The difference between me and a pro is their ability to taste many wines in one day.  I tend to linger and allow my thoughts to transcend to the next bottle.  Unable to cleanse my palate or my mind of what was, I can’t accurately taste what is.  Last weekend we entertained friends at a great restaurant where we started out with the De Toren Fusion V.  I enjoyed it so much yet when it was finished I wanted something else, I was greedy and looking for two home runs off the wine list.  I scoured the offerings and decided to go with this Napa Valley icon.  I had only had it once before and remembered it as somewhat tannic, yet delicious.  Bring it on…

Deep purple hues with plums galore on the nose started me off .  Chocolate and espresso mixed with dark fruits on the palate made for a rather complex wine that had silky tannins and balance in acidity.  I would say it was technically a very good wine, 91 points in my books.  My only concern was that I had poisoned my thought process with one style of wine yet here I was trying out a totally different one, wishing it could be like the first, a conundrum.  I must learn to get past that in the future if I am to spend large amounts of cash trying several pricey wines in one sitting.  Alas I digress, I did hit two home runs that night.  $50 and 4 stars from me.  Salut….

chapellet cabernet sauvignon

Bayten Sauvignon Blanc 2013

18 Saturday Oct 2014

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From the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa comes this sleek racy number.  We ordered it at our Seasons 52 dinner for those who wanted white.  I only got a sip or two in from Moxie’s glass so my notes were very thin.  I will say it was a good wine and was enjoyed by all that partook.  Lemon zest, apple and cut grass nose that led into a melange of key limes, gooseberry and some slate.  Medium acidity with a mid palate cut finished out the lovely mouthfeel of this wine.  I gave it 88 points.  Having looked it up after the fact WS gave it 90, and it can be had for about $16- a decent price for this calibre of wine.  4 stars I reckon.  Salut….

bayten sauvignon blanc

De Toren Fusion V 2011

18 Saturday Oct 2014

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Back in March of this year Moxie and I went to a charity event where we bid on several interesting items in the silent auction.  One of our winning bids was a Chef’s Table dinner for 8 at Seasons 52 in McLean, Virginia.  We invited some good friends to join us and drove like lemmings to where the GPS took us.  Not until then did we realize that the restaurant was in the mall, of all places.  Not sure what we had gotten ourselves into, we traipsed into the bustling shopping center, all dressed up in our Saturday evening gear.  Once we reached the restaurant it all became clear.  Our table was well inside the restaurant, away from the madding crowd, secluded and curtained off from peering eyes.  We were introduced to several chefs and given a rundown of what to expect.  With each course, the chef in charge would come out and give us a brief outline of the dish.  The beauty of the whole thing was not having to worry about ordering.  Every plate, morsel and combination was delicious, fresh, unique and enjoyed by all.  Our waiter was great and helped make a few of the wine selections.  Sauvignon Blanc for some, Cabernet for others.  The dinner lasted well over 2 hours, the balance of the plates with the wine and friendship was amazing and well worth the money and the wait.  We will no doubt be back for another Saturday evening soiree.

The Chef's Menu

The Chef’s Menu

The first bottle we ordered was this Bordeaux blend from Stellenbosch.  It was magnificent.  A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc & 4% Petit Verdot make this a Left Bank clone if ever I saw one.  My style of vino without a doubt.   My notes had to be discrete as Moxie kept nudging me when I had my phone out….  Short smooth black and blue fruit nose from a dark purple glass.  Bordeaux-like with plums, cola, cassis, herbs and  smooth tannins with mild acidity.  I gave it 92 points with a drinking window of 2014-2020.  WS gave it 91, close enough.  I found it online for about $50 making it a 3 star wine technically but I’m gonna give it 4 because it hit on all cylinders for me.  If you see it on a wine list, don’t  be shy to order this well integrated beauty.  Salut….

de toren fusion v

Domaine Eden Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

25 Thursday Sep 2014

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I arrived early at the airport to catch my flight out west.   With time to kill I went to the wine tasting bar Vino Volo where I got to try this stunner.  A huge nose of Blackcurrants and oak greeted me and prepared me for what was about to happen.  A layered attack of black cherry, currant, plums and pencil hit the palate with a gratifying rush.  Melded tannins give structure and there is a finish of mint and herbs with tailings of wood.  Delicious and balanced, this wine was absolutely gorgeous.  Retailing at about $33 it is a 91 point wine worthy of 4 stars in my books.  I’m a huge fan of this winery and for good reason, the Santa Cruz mountains are definitely a go-to region for my tastes.  Perfect by itself, it would also pair nicely with braised beef, coq-au-vin and a host of other Autumn dishes.  Salut….

domaine eden cabernet sauvignon