Tag Archives: 4 stars

Chateau Meaume 2009

08 Wednesday May 2013

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I recently had the 2008 Meaume and enjoyed it for its price, quality and mass appeal.  The 2009 version takes it a step further.  More intense than the ’08 with red fruits and currant on the nose, the oak is cleverly masked.  On the palate, an appealing tannic presentation of plum and red berries that is evenly balanced with the acidity.  Not overly complex, it is clearly made to appeal to the masses, yet I find myself wanting to cellar a few bottles just to see.  I think it would pair greatly with duck confit, beef burgundy, even sloppy joe’s!  At under $15, well worth searching out this charming Bordeaux.  4 stars easily for its goodness ratio, and 88 points if you want to get technical.

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Big White House Petite Sirah 2009

08 Wednesday May 2013

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I prefer finesse to powerhouse, but every once in a while along comes something that makes me pause.  Petite Sirah is that pause.  This varietal is juicy, tannic, bold, flavorful and not at all subtle.

In the glass, this particular wine was inky purple.  On the nose, definite Cherry and pepper components.  Once it hit, I was amazed at the fruit and body of this wine.  Cherry, but not in the Pinot Noir sense, mixed with oak and spice.  A powerful combination that had depth.  This wine is muscular with teeth-coating tannins that are just starting to mellow.  If you like a dry wine, this baby is right up your alley.  The fruit is well integrated with the wood and the wine is extremely ‘juicy’, making me salivate at the mere thought of it.  My only concern with this bottle was a slight metallic tinge that I noticed on the back end.  Apart from that, a solid 90 pointer worthy of 4 stars.  If you have never had Petite Sirah, you need to explore it.  Yum……

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Concha Y Toro ‘Marques De Casa Concha’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

05 Sunday May 2013

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There once was a time that this wine was my go-to Cabernet.  Back in the day, it was a 90 pointer for about $13- amazing value for amazing quality.  It now prices at $19, and still hammers out a consistent 90 point rating.  You cannot go wrong with this wine.  It is mass produced in Chile under the Concha Y Toro brand.  I liken it to their second best offering.  Dark purple in the glass, it smell of Black Currants and some mint.  Eucalyptus is another trademark of Chilean Cabernet, it shows up on the mid palate along with some plum and blueberry dipped in chocolate.  It really is amazing what depths this wine can pull for such an affordable price.  Not overly tannic, it has a structure that will help it mellow out for a few more years, with good acidity to balance.  Are you salivating yet?  I completely agree with the pro’s, 90 points all day long, and for the price- a 4 star wine.  Stashing a case of this in the cellar is an insurance policy should all your friends descend on you uninvited.  They will drink well!  Salut……

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Veuve Clicquot NV

05 Sunday May 2013

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I normally put the picture after my notes, but in this case I figured it was worth a thousand words.  Who does not recognize this wine?  It is widely available, decently priced and always a consistent performer.  NV means it is of no particular vintage and signifies two points.  The wines were not of a quality for the Champagne house to ‘declare’ a vintage, and 2: The wine is consistent with the house style of previous years.

On the nose, bright apple mixed with some interesting yeast notes.  On the palate, very smooth bubbles open up a spicy citrus laden apple pie thingy.  It’s hard to explain, but a very interesting mix of flavors.  This is by far the best bottle of VC I have had.  Its acidity was well defined and the balance of the key components was excellent.  When you buy a real ‘Champagne”, it’s going to cost.  At around $45 per bottle, this is a 4 star wine that I would give 91 points to.  A crowd pleaser for most occasions.

I was going to Sabre the bottle, but ran out of time.  Here’s how I did it in the past- a neat party trick.

Allain Graillot Crozes Hermitage 2005

05 Sunday May 2013

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Syrah is synonymous with Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage.  This is  land where the French have perfected fine Syrah for hundreds of years.  Made in a traditional style, respecting the grape, the soil and the palate.  These wines are about complexity and balance, leaving the extraction and over-the-topness to New World producers who refer to it as Shiraz.  This wine has started to evolve and is now taking on what I yearn for in aged wines- funk.

Purple in color, the nose had a definite pepper note mixed with some blue fruit and dirt.  Sounds funny, I know, but when a wine matures and picks up barnyard, earth or other non-fruity attributes, it excites me.  This wine came through with earth meets blackberry on the palate.  Very smooth tannins are almost imperceptable and the acidity was in check.  For an 8 year old wine, it has certainly evolved, yet I fear it will only last a few more years.  It is at peak right now and would accompany a Filet perfectly.  A gift from a friend that in my opinion should be a 91 pointer and worthy of 4 stars.  I decanted the bottle and let it open for about an hour as it had some sediment and I figured it would benefit from ‘opening up’.

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Domaine Lalande Pinot Noir 2009

28 Sunday Apr 2013

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A Frenchy that acts all New World….  Very nice and easy drinking, yet so totally un-burgundian in flavor profile.  I would hazard a guess that some Syrah has been added here as the wine is really much darker, heavier and less Pinot like than what I expected.  Very nice flavors of strawberry and blackberry, yet no cherry (unlike most Pinots).  Certainly no earthiness to this wine and the fruit forwardness shows a new style of winemaking.  Balanced, yet lacking any tannic structure, this wine is an easy drinker that won’t break the bank.  We drank it per-dinner and then with some burgers, it played well.  I would give this one 86 points technically and 4 stars for being decent at a good price.

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Chateau Bel-Air 2004

21 Sunday Apr 2013

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I bought two magnums of this St. Emilion several years ago to test a theory on storing magnums versus regular sized bottles.  I just needed to prove to myself that a magnum ages slower.  Damn straight.  This bottle is still young and exhibits plenty of youth with its rather obtrusive tannins.  Not overly complex or heralded, it is nonetheless a Bordeaux.  Bright cherries on the nose translated into cranberry and leather on the palate.  A decent finish and balance were evident as were the tannins.  I don’t think I paid very much for these magnums and am pleasantly surprised.  I will hold the other one for another 3-4 years and re-visit.  I might mention that I drank from this bottle over three nights, with the second night being the smoothest.  The third night showed too much oxidation and the first night it needed air.

I just did a quick price search, the ’09 can be had for $20.  Bang for the buck, 4 stars.  Quality-wise I reckon this wine would have to be 88 points.

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Château Cheval Brun 2009

14 Sunday Apr 2013

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By the time we got to this wine, it was late and our ‘palates’ were suffering ‘fatigue’.  Let me re-phrase… we were plain old drunk by this point, or we would have realized that we had brought the best bottle out last.  The number one rule of wine drinking (versus tasting) is to start with the best and finish with the rotgut because everyone is usually hammered and can’t taste much.

Oh well, I do remember that this was a really good bottle, yet again from the much heralded 2009 Bordeaux vintage.  Beautiful purple color in the glass and a very defined blueberry note on the nose translated into a gorgeous palate of oak, cassis and plums.  A certain earthiness lent itself well to this wine and should be interesting to watch it evolve.  I wish I had been in a better position to really taste this wine, because I reckon it would have more depth than I was able to record.  For the price, a 4 star wine that I estimate deserves 90 points.  Definitely stick some in the cellar and start drinking in 2-3 years.  Delicious.

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Chateau Bonnet 2009

14 Sunday Apr 2013

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A 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Emilion made in the 2009 vintage.  At $15 this wine is a good deal, plain and simple.  Most decent Bordeaux doesn’t even hit the shelves at under $30 these days, so this one initially makes one pause and wonder how good it could possibly be.  Well, as we know, 2009 was a tremendous year in France with all levels of producers bottling balanced, fruity and ageworthy wines.  This particular offering hit the ground running with dark fruits on the palate opening up to plums and earth.  Oak use is apparent, but not obnoxious.  Still really young, the tannins are nicely integrating and will help this wine mature over the next 5 years.  I would cellar this one for another 2-3 years before it is ready.  Bang for the buck, 4 stars with 89 points.  At 13.5% this is an easy wine to relax and enjoy with friends, or you could pair it with Steak Frites and Bearnaise sauce (yummmm).

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Ortas Les Viguiers Cotes du Rhone 2009

14 Sunday Apr 2013

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My friend brought this bottle to the party, claiming “France- 2009, you can’t go wrong”….. He is quite correct.  At $9.99 a bottle, this little beauty is a winner.  Blended with 70% Grenache, 20% Carignan and the last 10% Cinsault, this wine has much to offer.  A deep purple color in the glass, it translated into dark fruits on the nose and the palate.  Blackberry and red currants meet an earthy quality swirling around in some pretty young tannins.  This wine is still young, with some tannins still to be resolved.  I reckon it will develop nicely in two years and be much better.  For now, 88 points and 4 stars.

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