Tag Archives: 4 stars

Mollydooker Carnival of Love 2009

12 Wednesday Feb 2014

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This is the first of a 4 vintage vertical tasting of this fabulous Shiraz.  I managed to find the ’09,’10 and ’11  on my travels while the ’12 was sent courtesy of the folks downunda.

I started off by sending the first glass throughout the Vinturi and then I performed the Mollydooker Shake on the rest of the bottle to open it up some.  What I saw was a deep inky purple wine that showed off some gorgeous damson plums and Dr. Pepper soda on the nose.  The first sip was amazing.  Blueberry pie, blackcurrant and nutmeg formed the basis of the flavor profile with some smoke and ink lingering on the mid palate.  The level of fruit is amazing and the focus is razor sharp.  The wine coats the mouth with the multiple layers of fruit and leaves it rather refreshed by the fine grained, well integrated tannins.  The acidity is totally in balance and there is no dryness to the finish.  The word ‘concentrated’ keeps popping in my head, I guess I should tell you that this wine is very focused on giving you its all, up front and direct.  It is a powerful wine that is not for the faint of palate.  Hiding in the swirls of fruit and oak is a well disguised 16% alcohol, not once making its presence known, yet crucial to the backbone of this extracted beast.

I thought this one out and decided to pair some NY Strips with it, going for a lower fat cut due to the relative age on the wine.  I also prepared some riced cauliflower with sautéed jalapeños and some green beans with toasted almonds.  The combination was perfect with the heat of the jalapeños giving the wine a new dimension while the steaks provided the texture I was looking for to offset the raw power of the wine.

This wine got an average of 93.5 points from the big boys and I am in agreement.  94 points from me for this $90 treat which makes it a solid 4 star wine in my books.  I would love to re-visit in 5 years but alas I only bought one bottle.  If you can find it you may want to try it, it’s that good.  Besides, the artwork is fabulous on these bottles.  Salut….

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Wolf Blass Yellow Label Shiraz Cabernet 2011

09 Sunday Feb 2014

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The label says Limited Edition, but I think it’s just to celebrate their heritage rather than a specifically special blend.  By the time we got to this wine, we were suffering from some ‘palate fatigue’ (we were pissed, I’ll admit it).  I did enjoy this one more than I thought I would.  The Shiraz was not overdone and the Cabernet provided a healthy framework and some nice sweet tannins.  The nose of the wine was elegant with blackberry and blueberry dominating the oak influence.  The flavors on the palate included blackberry pie, cinnamon spice, some blueberry jam and tobacco.  Quite a compilation of nuances I must say.  The acid, tannins and alcohol were all in check and balanced nicely.  This really was a pleasure to drink and I am going with 89 points.  I believe my mate paid $10 for it making it a 4 star effort and a sure-fire winner.  I would serve this up with burgers, perhaps a pizza and probably a hearty pot roast.  I have tried numerous Wolf Blass wines and this one was one of the better examples from this huge winery.  Salut….

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Castle Rock Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

09 Sunday Feb 2014

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I have previously had the Castle Rock Cabernet but from Paso Robles and the 2009 vintage.  This wine follows the same mold, but is far better.  Priced at a bargain price of $9, you will be hard pressed to get anything form Napa for less.  It starts off with a decent color in the glass and some pretty plums flavors on the nose.  This is not a complex wine, nor is it built for cellaring.  It has primal flavors of plums and violets with a candied cherry finish.  Very light on the oak and virtually no tannic backbone.  It was very easy to drink and managed to keep up with some big players at the tasting.  I gave the Paso version 82 points and 4 stars.  This one gets 84 points and 4 stars as well.  We enjoyed it with some cheese and (crackers).  It would do well with some bruschetta, perhaps some olives and cold cuts but I would hold off on pairing it with a main course of meats etc.  Good value for the money folks.  Salut….

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Peitan Albarino 2012

02 Sunday Feb 2014

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This was the white wine that my mate ‘Mr Tormay‘ ordered for dinner.  If you recall, he is an avid Sauvignon Blanc fan but they ran out so he was forced to switch varietals at the Cajun/Korean fusion restaurant last night.  I got a taste as he shared the bottle with Moxie, another white wine fiend.  Albarino is from northern Spain and is a highly aromatic wine, which goes against his strict taste profile.  I understood why after a few sips. Yes, it is aromatic, but it has some cutting acidity and lacks the cloying sweetness found in other similar wines.  The nose offered melons, some Bosc pear and a hint of lemon.  The flavors of honeysuckle and peach also came through on the mid palate in addition to the pear and citrus.  A very interesting grape that I found to be quite multidimensional and easy to drink.  I would put this wine up with some grilled sardines any day.  A summer salad with a chilled bottle- awesome.  I’m going with 89 points and will be on the lookout for this $12 bottle.  4 stars for its QPR and interest factor.  Salut….

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Cosentino ‘The Franc’ 2012

02 Sunday Feb 2014

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Moxie and I went out to dinner with some dear friends last night at our local Cajun/Korean Fusion restaurant.  Don’t laugh, it’s an amazing combination of flavors and the food is presented in a very neat way that is meant for sharing, Tapas style.  My mate drinks white wine (which I will review later, but his wife Mercedes and I shared this Lodi Cabernet Franc.  It is 76% Franc with 20% Cab Sav and a dollop of Malbec.  I really enjoy this winery’s offerings, they are always well made, smooth and easily accessible.  This one was not far from the mark, albeit on a much more reasonable scale.  At $12 retail, it was a bargain.  Slightly tight on the nose, the purple juice flowed with black currant, dark blueberry and some white pepper.  The structure was firm as expected for such a young wine but it was drinking well.  The Franc had a nice perfume to it once it got going and the Cab Sav did wonders for the tannic backbone.  I enjoyed this wine with dinner and would like to add a few bottles to the cellar for the near future drinking.  88 points and 4 stars from me.  Salut….

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Almaviva 2006

19 Sunday Jan 2014

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I have been sitting on this bottle for a while, just waiting for the right moment.  It happened last night with NY Strip, peppercorn sauce and Moxie’s delicious roast Broccoli with Garlic.

The first ‘real’ wine I ever remember having was a Chilean Cabernet, and have subsequently tried most of the top Cabernet’s for the region with the exception of the the Almaviva.  It is the most expensive of the three big names in Chilean Cabernet which include Don Melchor and Montes Alpha M, both of which I love.  This wine is a blend of the classic Bordeaux varietals with Cabernet as the main factor.  It is quite simply- delicious.

The wine show a dark purple hue in the glass and the nose explodes with kir, black berries and cassis.  On the first wave, there is a purity of blue and black fruits with secondary nuances of leather, cassis and tobacco.  The mid palate has a slight imbalance but the wine finishes with grace and length.  The tannins are fully resolved and the wine has entered it’s secondary stage where the fruit is dissipating and being replaced with interesting tertiary flavors.  I got a little eucalyptus on the back end and but no dryness.  The acidity is what was off balance on the mid palate but I could easily overlook that split second for the much more fulfilling finish.  The wine is smooth and very easy to drink and appreciate.

It is the priciest of the three top Chilean Cabs at over $100 per bottle and it scored highly with the pro’s.  I am going with 92 points and 4 stars.  If you get a chance to try this wine, it is well worth the effort as it mixes Chile’s terroir with the winemaking expertise of Concha Y Toro and the Rothschilds.  A great effort indeed.  Salut…

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Mollydooker Miss Molly 2010

18 Saturday Jan 2014

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A sparkling Shiraz that Moxie and I opened on a Friday night while cooking up some Scallops.  I tried a further experiment by pouring myself a flute and a wide brimmed glass.  The results were quiet enlightening.  I will start with the flute.

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A concentrated nose of red currants, black berry and cola.  The mousse was dark purple when I poured the glass.  On the palate there was black cherry, black berries and some cola with a mid palate addition of some bubbly blueberry pie.  The wine shows some tannins, very strange in a sparkler but hides the whopping 15% alcohol very well.  The finish is long with a drying mouthfeel and trace of oak- very interesting.

The wide mouthed glass was a different beast altogether.  The nose was very subdued, given the shape of the rim.  The effervescence is wasted on this glass as I got almost nothing even after swirling the heck out of it.  On the palate, a whole different story.  The glass shape allows the wine to really open up and bring black fruits, blue berries and a raft of differing plums to the palate with a good dose of cola and some vanilla.  The mousse was not as tasty in this glass but the overall flavors were much more pronounced.

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Between the two I would sniff from the flute and drink from the wide rimmed glass.  I am going to balance the results and go with 90 points.  This is an interesting take on sparkling wine.  If you have never had a sparkling red, this is the one you should try.  For $25 this will be a treat for your palate.  4 Stars for a really tasty yet different effort.  PS.  I ended the tasting with a bit of cheese, the perfect combo if I might add.  I had some Cypress Grove Chèvre ‘Humbolt Fog’ goat cheese.  Perhaps one of the most intricate, complex and creamiest cheeses I have ever tasted.  The Shiraz was the perfect accompaniment to the acidic blue nature of this gamey, earthy yet really creamy concoction.  An amazing cheese, really.  Salut….

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Chateau De Carles 2009

16 Thursday Jan 2014

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From Fronsac in the eastern part of Bordeaux comes this little charmer.  Blackish blue in the glass and giving up very little on the nose- I knew I was in for a seriously closed wine.  This wine is built to last folks, it is completely in its dumb phase with only a solid core of blueberry fruit able to penetrate the bracing tannins.  Manageable acidity make this a cellaring bottle, of which I have several more.  I am looking forward to the evolution over the next 5 years.  For now, I had to do some research. It got 92 from Suckling.  That is why I am not a pro, I cannot give scores like that when a wine is so young and unapproachable.  I cannot see past the tannins and dryness to delineate the fruit flavors and potential of the wine.  I paid $20 and going by his points this should be a 4 plus star wine- just give it a few years to emerge from its monster shell.   Salut….

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Merryvale Merlot Napa Valley 2007

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

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Several points about this wine.  Firstly, I don’t remember buying it, or the second bottle I found in my ‘to drink’ rack.  Perhaps one of my mates brought them over for Thanksgiving when I was not here yet Moxie has no recollection of this occurring.  Oh well, free booze is free booze.

Secondly, the cork on bottle #1 was badly stained, never a good sign.  I sliced the second one open to see, it is safe.  So…. I will write based on the fact that I suspect this wine to be flawed, which is a shame considering it’s heritage, reputation and price.

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As you can see, pretty grim on the left side.  I shall endeavor to open the other one soon so I have a fresh recollection.   Anyway, back to the details.  Mostly Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc make this more of a Right Bank blend which excites me.  The wine is inky dark in the glass and unfortunately had a slightly oxidized nose of plums and blackberry.  On the palate I was in for a surprise.  The wine had survived nearly intact.  Big juicy black berries and dark plums with a deft addition of the wood and some spices make this a full-on wine of great depth.  The tannic structure is great with some dryness on the back end, right where it should be. I did not sense any imbalance but did notice a slight oxidized note on the finish.  I am lucky this bottle showed so well, now if only I could find it’s source!  I am giving a provisional 90 points and found it online for about $46.  Potentially a 4 star wine for me, we shall have to wait for the re-taste to confirm.  Salut….

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Silver Oak Alexander Valley 2005

12 Sunday Jan 2014

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When searching for the right wine to go with Steak Au Poivre last night, I asked my guest ‘Johnny’ what types of wine he liked. He panned Syrah, liked Pinot and was open to Cabernet.  He loves Pinotage as he comes from Afrika Suid after all.  So, off I went on a mission to find the right bottle.

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon hails from Sonoma County, the Alexander Valley to be more precise- which is located in the northeast corner of the county.  Fully mature now it offers up dark plums, some herbs and a dose of pencil out of the inky glass.  On the palate, more dark fruit, but intertwined with leather, maduro tobacco and some eucalyptus.  The wine is still somewhat dry with tannins in the finish but they were delicious.  The texture of the wine was great with the steaks and peppercorn sauce.

This wine got trashed by WS, an 82 point rating on release was a big shocker for this iconic steakhouse wine.  I think they got it wrong that time.  I am going with 91 points and 4 stars for this $75 treat.  I think it epitomizes higher end California Cabernet with its balance of New World fruit and Old World depth and complexity.  Salut….

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