Tag Archives: 4 stars

Chateau Beau-Site 2009

15 Friday Feb 2013

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Last night Moxie and I celebrated our 22nd Valentine’s day, albeit a day early. We took the time and did it right by going to our all-time favorite restaurant. We have dined in some of the finest restaurants, always regretting, always pining for our little country bistro. Chez Francois is a Washington institution with a long history and extensive list of accolades and awards. Nestled down a windy country road in Great Falls, Virginia, it offers an unparalleled gastronomic experience.

I chose the 2009 Chateau Beau Site from the menu as I just read about this wine recently. A Cru Bourgeois from St. Estephe, I was expecting a bit of power. What I got was smooth and fruity. For a young Bordeaux, this vintage is hitting it. Offering up plums and earth without being jammy or tart. A very primal fruit right now, but with all the right pieces to evolve. Crisp tannins are unobtrusive, yet present. The mouthfeel is great, caressing. It amazes me that this wine is already drinking beautifully yet is just in its infancy, with 10 years at least to evolve.
I must say it’s a 90 pointer, but for $35 retail (I paid $90 in the restaurant) it may be pricey. I really think it will live up to its potential and hereby give it 4 stars for its all around deliciousness and its potential longevity.

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Jerome Gueneau Sancerre Le Clos Chartier 2011

04 Monday Feb 2013

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Made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape in the Sancerre region of France, this wine was very delicious.  Typical of the varietal, and the region- grapefruit and lemon zest on the nose.  Transitioning to the palate, the wine was balanced with excellent acidity.  I love Sav Blancs that cut your tongue with razor sharpness.  More lemon and apple on the palate mixed with a certain minerality that I found intriguing.  A very serviceable wine that could be enjoyed with any fish plate, a summer salad or as an aperitif.  89 points and 4 stars.

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Château du Cartillon 2009

26 Saturday Jan 2013

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Yet another showstopper from the great ’09 Bordeaux vintage.  A nice purple/red color that hinted of red berry and oak on the nose and transcended to show currants, raspberry and blueberry on the palate.  A really good tannic structure will make this wine last yet it is drinking beautifully right now.  Balanced and classy, this is a good drinking wine.  I’m stumped at what I would pair it with though.  Bang for the buck gives this 4 stars and 89 points in my book.

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Château Domeyne 2006

25 Friday Jan 2013

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A Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois from St. Estephe, this 2006 came across as ferociously tannic when first opened.   I was amazed at the levels since this wine has been sitting for 6 years.  True to form, it exhibited raw power with cassis, tobacco and dark fruits on the nose and palate.  Getting past the tannins, this wine was really delicious, if not everyone’s cup of tea.  My drinking partner and I decided it needed a good decanting and aeration, so we left it for a while.  It is absolutely amazing how much this wine mellowed out in a short period of time.  The tannins melded and gave way to more perfume and a touch of oak.  The fruit that was already displayed became more rounded and the wine was rapidly changing its stripes.  I have never witnessed such a rapid transformation in a bottle of wine like this.  I doubt it would even be a shadow of itself if left for a day.  Be careful with this wine… If you like searing tannins, pop-n-pour.  It would be an awesome companion to a Ribeye or other really fatty cut of beef.  Do not drink it by itself, it is not designed for that.  Overall, I would carve out a space for it in my cellar and give it 4 stars, but only 85 points for its volatility.  (I paid about $21 for it).

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Wolf Blass Presidents Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

24 Thursday Jan 2013

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I have had this wine before, from the 2008 vintage. More fruity, the 2010 starts out as dark purple in the glass. A strong whiff of really blue berries leads to a full-on attack of the fruit when I took the first sip. This wine was delicious, almost too much so. The texture was strangely ‘thicker’. I can’t describe it very well, but this wine was almost (syrupy?). Not as tannic as the 2008 vintage, it still offers a balance and smoothness that are really good. I recall some pluminess and tobacco on the palate in addition to a long finish. A very nice wine, perhaps more suited for drinking than pairing with food. I see this as a 4 star wine that would get 88 points. In a pinch, this wine will please most people that is affordable and widely distributed.

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Chateau De Lisse 2009

19 Saturday Jan 2013

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A St. Emilion from the great 2009 vintage that is Merlot based. Unfortunately I forgot to make notes and can only recall liking this wine a great deal. Not overly tannic, drinking nicely now with several years ahead. This is the kind of wine I really enjoy finding. It offers classic Bordeaux qualities, at a very affordable price and can be consumed without the customary cellaring. I would drink this wine with a host of dishes, including meats and pasta. A 4 star effort with potentially 88 points going for it.

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14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

09 Wednesday Jan 2013

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Right up my grill with plums, lots of em mashed up with blueberry. It’s almost like a plum salad on the palate, really delicious in its own way. Good acidity detracts from a tannic frame that I sense exists to give this wine some aging potential. I am liking this wine for different reasons, it’s interesting, has depth and it’s making my mouth water…. 4 stars, 90 points easily.

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Chateau Guillot 2001

09 Wednesday Jan 2013

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2001 Bordeaux is underrated. Following on the heels of the hyped 2000 vintage, it was overshadowed- and I’m glad. Prices were much lower, while quality remained high. I have just started to open my ’01’s and have found them to be approaching the ‘Claret’ age that I like. This particular chateau is peaking with fruit, tannins and secondary flavors all coming together. Classic Pomerol on the nose, there are dark berry fruits and cedar on the palate. Cassis rolls in as does some earthiness. Well integrated tannins are smooth, yet starting to fade ever so. A long finish gives the ultimate gratification. It’s hard to numerically score an aged wine, but I think this is a definite 91 pointer and worthy of 4 stars.

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Artesa Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

17 Monday Dec 2012

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At 6 years of age, this blend of Napa and Sonoma Cab Sav is still young. Grippy tannins are prominent yet unobtrusive and meld nicely. On the nose, dark, brooding berry fruits. On the palate, chocolate and plum that finish nicely with the caressing tannins. Good balance and acidity make this a really good bottle, coupled with the decent price makes this a 4 star wine. I would give it 90 points and serve it up with some New York Strips on the charcoal. Really yummy.

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Ferrari Carano Siena 2010

02 Sunday Dec 2012

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A Californian blend whose majority is Sangiovese, made by the famed Ferrari-Carano winery. Instant pleasure for most people. It comes off as an easy drinker, yet has some depth and complexity to impress.
Strawberry and Raspberry form a bright attack, with good balance and some very hidden tannins. The structure surfaces after a while, as do some tertiary flavors, giving this wine some street cred. A dry finish lasts for a while, which is making my mouth water. I am digging this wine. 4 stars and 89 points IMHO.

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