Tag Archives: $43

Thelema Mountain Vineyards ‘Thelema’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Stellenbosch, South Africa

09 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Nearly black in the glass, very brooding.  The nose is a gorgeous mix of black berries, kirsch and cassis.  I also get some black cherry which quickly translates over to the palate.  Really nice, grippy tannins greet me with a dry sensation, which is perfect for the Lamb stew I am preparing.  Dark fruit galore across the palate, with a  touch of creosote, some mintiness and spice box.  The wine takes on some smoke and pain grille at the end and the finish is long, interlaced with a mouth puckering tannic component.  I am digging this wine, wishing I had more bottles to track evolution, betting it will age gracefully and take on some interesting secondary flavors.  Drink till 2025. I think this wine deserves 91 points and am giving it 4 stars for its $43 tag.  Good stuff.  Salut….

Gundlach-Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Sonoma Valley, USA

29 Sunday Oct 2017

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


From Sonoma, a Cabernet I have heard of but never tried.  Purply and dark in the glass it shows promise of power and extraction.  On the nose I get cassis, blackberry, ripe oak and a funk I hate to think might be cork taint.   The wine itself tastes a little off.  I get blackberry essence, ink, crunchy tannins and a hit of toasty oak.  The mid palate has a really defined tannic dryness that I am enjoying.  More black fruits come around for the finish as well as some espresso, cocoa powder and the omnipresent tannins.  They really are persistent.  Overall I think this wine has good potential and will cellar well, my only concern is with this particular bottle.  I have been lucky not to have many corked bottles over the years, but it happens every once in a while.  Technically speaking this one is an 86 point wine but has the potential to rise to 91 if it were not faulty.  A shame really for this $43 effort.  I’ll go with 4 stars as a compromise.  Think steaks, au gratin and creamed spinach for a pairing. Salut….

Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

14 Saturday Jan 2017

Posted by in Wine

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,


One of my sons is 14 and ice-skates competitively in Synchro and Ice Dancing.  He has been with his Dance partner for just over 5 months and they qualified to go to the National Skating Championships this weekend in Kansas City.  They all left yesterday and I was supposed to join them today, Friday the 13th.  My flight cancelled and the weather is supposed to be horrendous out there.  Why do I mention all this?  Because his partner’s parents gave me this bottle of wine for Christmas, so it made sense for me to open it tonight in honor of the big weekend.

First off, this wine is a really dark purple- I can almost see extraction.  On the nose, really nice aromas of plum, black currant and olive strike out.  On the initial attack I get more plum, some really prominent tannins that give way to primal black fruits and a hint of the wood.  This wine is young but delicious.  The mid palate is where the tannins really take over and coat my whole mouth, perfect for Ribeye steak!  The finish is rather long and gives out some hints of berry jam, leather and still more lingering tannins.  The winemaker does a masterful job of hiding the 14.9% alcohol.  The acidity is perfectly balanced and this wine is ready for some cellar time.  By all means drink it now, but I think you will be rewarded with 4-5 years in the darkness.  Drink till 2028 and pair it with grilled meats, lamb stew or even a rustic wood oven fired Margherita pizza.  I am going with 92 points on this and for about $43 this is a 4 star wine.  I’m loving it!  Wish us luck this weekend and Salut….

hall cabernet sauvignon napa valley