10 Sunday Nov 2013
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Cheap and cheerful for $12. This is a must-have wine for everyday drinking. It offers juicy Malbec flavors of plums, blackberry, vanilla and it does it all in an easy to drink style. Slight tannins and juicy acidity give this a great party wine mouthfeel. It handles pasta, burgers, steaks and just plain old pre-dinner drinking really well. This winery is consistent and the wine can be found everywhere. I am a fan and think it’s a respectable 87 point wine worthy of 4 stars. Salut….
09 Saturday Nov 2013
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I tasted this wine before, in July and really did not get to grips with it. I vowed to wait until re-tasting before I wrote about it.
Honey yellow in the glass it immediately gave up some citrus and pineapple on the nose. Beautiful mouthfeel with vanilla, butterscotch, lemons and pineapple come through again on the mid palate. Sharp acidity is making my mouth pucker slightly and the finish is long on this one. I am really enjoying this wine and think it would absolutely rock a Salmon with dill butter and boiled new potatoes. The balance is correct and the wine rocks. I have a few more in cellar and will drink them sparingly for the next 4 years. Rather pricy at $40 but a terrific Napa Chardonnay. When compared to equivalent white Burgundy- a veritable steal for this 90 point wine. I reckon 4 stars and if you like Chard, give it a go. Salut….
09 Saturday Nov 2013
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I have always wanted to try this wine, it’s list of accolades is long and distinguished. I had my chance last night, pre-dinner with some very close friends. I unscrewed the cap and poured a small taste into the glasses, not sure of the need to decant or aerate. My hunch was correct and out came the Vinturi. A very young wine, with brute strength and bold fruit. Inky purple in the glass it offered up plums and blackberry on the nose. The first attack was blackberry tart and plum torte. I later picked up the vanilla and oak mingling in the fray. This wine is not a jammy Aussie Shiraz, but more like a fruit concentrate ready to burst. Albeit young, the tannic component seems subdued. The one thing of note is the deft masking of the massive 16% alcohol. This is a feat in and of itself. I prefer lower alcohol but appreciate the winemakers touch when such camouflage is executed so perfectly. The result is a delicious wine, somewhat young and in a dumb phase I reckon. I will cellar the rest and wait another 2 years before I venture there again. $22 and 90 points from me make this a 4 star effort. Salut….
04 Monday Nov 2013
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An extremely interesting flavor from this Chardonnay that had me bewildered. I finally figured it out, after the fact. Quince.
A nice yellowish hue in the glass gives way to a nose full of apple, pear and a touch of oak. On the palate is where the action happened for me. The quince was predominant, with apple and citrus in the background. Crisp acidity and a generous mouthfeel made this an enjoyable wine. It was brought on the trip by a friend (who we shall name Big Horn) and I will endeavor to find it back at home, I would like a re-taste. I see this going great with a Nicoise salad, perhaps a cold poached salmon dish with dill. A quick perusal on the web tells me it can be had for about $13. 4 stars and 88 points from me. This winery is consistent, they make tons of really good wine with great pricing to boot. This particular wine was indeed a different Chard that needs to be tried. Salut….
30 Wednesday Oct 2013
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I was invited to a friend’s house in the Bay area last night and swiftly put my diet on hold. Our aperitif was the stunning non vintage brut style Champagne from Piper Heidsieck. It opened up in the flute with apple and brioche notes that translated onto the palate seamlessly. A fine mousse and refreshing acidity mingled in with some lemon and biscuit. The mousse was perfect for me, I don’t like large bubbles and the sweetness (or lack thereof) was ideal. Smooth and balanced with a decent finish. We drank this wine with appetizers of cheese, olives and dips. It paired well with all the flavors and was an excellent choice. Very adaptable, this is a brand I will cellar for intimate parties or special occasions. I found it online for $40 and would give it 90 points and 4 stars. Good Champagne is never cheap, this one happens to be a great value. Salut….
25 Friday Oct 2013
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I love Malbec, Argentinian or French. They have their nuances but both regions offer up really juicy , meaty wines that offer power and finesse at the same time. This one is particularly good at both characteristics.
Dark purple in the glass with strong blackberries and vanillin on the nose. Very smooth on the initial attack of dark fruits and integrated oak. Flavors of chocolate and some cassis come through on the back end. The tannins sneak up and leave a refreshing dryness on the gums. We’ll integrated and balanced. This is a tasty wine for $39 a bottle. I just had a glass at the airport before traveling to Cali. 91 points and 4 stars. This wine is superb on its own but I bet it would kill a Filet Mignon. Treat yourself! Salut….
21 Monday Oct 2013
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I hardly chirped up about the 2010 Bordenave when I first tried it. Last night, I had a hankering for something sweet and this one just happened to be lying around. Considering it is about $15 per bottle, I did not fear pulling the cork and being underwhelmed. I was in for a surprise. Seems like I have had a string of crappy wine lately and it is nice to re-visit a bad one and get some satisfaction out of it.
More unctuous in the mouth, it was somewhat sweeter with more depth of fruit. Pineapple was evident but the botrytis gave off a lovely honeyed apricot. Juicy acidity balanced the wine and kept the sweetness in check. I enjoyed half the bottle while watching a movie and found myself licking my lips several times. Sauternes is never cheap, this bottle is very ‘reasonable’ and I am glad I still have a few hiding out downstairs. 4 stars and 90 points from me this time. Amazing what a little cellar time will do for a young wine. Salut….
17 Thursday Oct 2013
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A Vino Nobile di Montepulciano made from the Sangiovese grape. I have been sitting on this one for a while waiting for the right time and the right meal. Tonight my stars aligned. Moxie went nuts and cooked the mother of all Paleo meals- a Ribeye, Bang Bang Shrimp, sauteed mushrooms, roasted Yam fries and a Kale/Brussell sprout salad with homemade French country dressing.
The wine was superb. I just love Sangiovese and this one was so typical of the grape. Cherries and a delicious use of oak. This wine is 12 years old and is just now coming to life. A great tannic profile with racy acidity have given this wine an iron-clad structure. It still shows purple/red in the glass with no bricking. It’s nose is dark cherry and strawberry. Secondary flavors of earth, capsicum and leather really excite me. I am getting a long finish and the tannins are mouth puckering, yet smooth. Alcohol on this wine is 13.5% which is about where my threshold lies. This wine started out at over $60, can be found today for about $42 and will not let you down with a big steak, pasta or rack of Lamb. A serious wine that gave me much enjoyment, 92 points and a 4 banger. Salut….
10 Thursday Oct 2013
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Half and half Grenache and Carignan, a great blend from the Roussillon region. I was seeking a basic country wine to go with my roast chicken and Peri Peri sauce (spicy as a mo-fo) with Arugula (Rocket) salad, more spice. I needed a raw, acidic, somewhat tannic, fruit forward wine for my meal. I was not far off. Usually, spice kills the red wines as I discovered. This particular dinner was more about spice than heat. The Peri Peri sauce comes from Nando’s, a South African restaurant that uses the sauce to warm things up a bit.
The wine itself was purchased for about $15. A great deal considering the big man gave it a 90+ rating. I’m going with 89. It offers up raw Blueberry, green peppers and lithe tannins with a bracing acidity. The blue component was the right anti-spice and the acidic component was right up my alley for the meal. It’s difficult to pair red wines with anything spicy, the rougher the better I reckon. What I mean is that finesse has no place here. The fruit needs to be forward and really in your grill. Secondary nuances are overwhelmed. Stick to the basic, young country wines that have the brawn. This is a wine that is flexible, capable of tackling heat, grilled meats and even roast chicken. I would imagine it would kill a Lasagne. 4 stars in my system. Salut….
08 Tuesday Oct 2013
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Note: My buddy ordered this wine for us to split a case. I did not really know what I was getting, but it retailed at $25 per (we paid about half that).
Totally New World in profile, it screamed Sonoma. Cherries, more cherries and some red rhubarb. Very defining acidity and a noticeable tannic structure make this a serious wine. It is rather heavy for a Pinot Noir and strays from the traditional flavors with some additional notes of red currants and perhaps some oaky smoke. Riding a hefty 14.8 %, I think extraction was foremost on the winemaker’s mind. It works out though and I am digging this wine. Question is, what would I drink it with? Salmon with lemon butter, that’s what. I think it has a certain flavor that would complement the fish and the acidity/tannins would cut nicely into the fatty component. Steak is not ideal for this hefty wine, it lacks tannic punch. I figure it is worthy of 89 points, and for the price- 4 stars. Cellaring for another 5 years would be fine, but it is providing pleasure right now. Salut….
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