Tag Archives: 5 stars

Rosa dell’Olmo 2021, Barolo DOCG Piedmont, Italy

30 Tuesday Dec 2025

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Pale ruby-red colored, with high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, rose petal, pomegranate, smoke, a hint of licorice, and leather.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, and high tannins that are still young and gritty.  Medium (+) intensity flavors embody the fruit but really highlight the old oak aging.  The tannins grip for days yet allow for a decently long finish with fruit and secondary notes present.  The cherry and leather dominate.  It’s a young wine for sure, with loads of cellaring capacity yet it could be drunk soon if decanted/aerated.  I think it is worthy of 91 points and available for $30 which makes it a 5 star effort in my books.  Drink from 2028-2035.  Salut….

Rosa dell'Olmo Barolo

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Marlborough, New Zealand

28 Sunday Dec 2025

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Pale lemon colored, with a watery sheen (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon verbena, cut grass, jalapeño, white blossom, papaya, grapefruit, and lime zest.  The palate is dry, with high acidity and a medium (-) body.  Medium (+) intensity flavors that mirror the nose are sharpened up by the cutting acidity.  The finish is medium (+) in length.  What a shockingly good value wine that is so consistent and tasty.  I paid $10 for this 91 point effort which makes it a 5 star bottle to buy en mass.  Drink till 2028 (would be interesting to see how it matures and what cellaring capacity it may have).  I’m pairing it with seared scallops and garlic linguine.  Salut….

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Domaine la Guintrandy Louise d’Agoult 20, Beaumes de Venise, France

13 Saturday Dec 2025

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  Medium intensity aromas of black plum, black raspberry, cracked pepper, bacon, green herbs, licorice, and açaí berry.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium tannins.  Medium (+) intensity flavors, with black pepper being the most noticeable.  The tannins sneak up on the mid palate.  The finish has a slight green note and is medium in length.  Decent cellaring capacity unless you like a fresh wine with a slightly tannic mouthfeel.  A blend of Grenache and Syrah from the Southern Rhone that gets 90 points from me.  At $15 it’s a 5 star wine to drink till 2030.  Salut….

Domaine la Guintrandy Louise d'Agoult Beaumes de Venise

F Stephen Miller Black Label Old Vine Zinfandel, 2021, Lodi, California

29 Saturday Nov 2025

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Medium garnet colored, with high viscosity (15.9% ABV) !  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, black plum, anise, blackberry, black raspberry, green herbs, and cracked pepper.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a full body, and medium (+) tannins that are chalky.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of blackberry, black cherry, black plum, iron, cracked pepper, and dark purple twizlers but no green herbs.  The wine turns a bit juicy and the finish is medium (+) in length.  The high alcohol is pretty well hidden but it finally sneaks up on the back end.  This is a pretty silky wine, once the chalky tannins dissolve.  The ripeness of the fruit is evident.  I like it, but buyer beware, this one has a kick!  I’m pairing it with smoked Duck breast.  89 points  for this $14 wine makes it a 5 star effort.  Drink till 2030.   Salut….

F. Stephen Millier old vine zinfandel

Domaine du Grand Montmirail Gigondas ‘Vieilles Vignes’ 2020, Rhone, France

28 Friday Nov 2025

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Deep ruby colored that is slightly cloudy, with high viscosity (15% ABV). Medium intensity aromas of black and red raspberry, licorice, green herbs.  The palate has medium acidity, a full body, and medium tannins.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of charcoal, ripe raspberry, licorice, lavender, stone and iron.  The long finish makes this a delicious wine which is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, hence the deep color. 91 points from me for this $30 effort makes it a 5 star wine to drink till 2030.  Salut….

Domaine du Grand Montmirail Gigondas 'Vieilles Vignes'

Chateau Musar ‘Musar Jeune’ Red 2021, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

22 Saturday Nov 2025

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Deep ruby colored with an inky core, and high viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, game, bacon, garigue, a medicinal note, brambleberry, black currant, and acai berry.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium body, and medium (+) tannins that are fresh and grippy.  Medium (+) intensity flavors mimic the nose, except that medicinal note, which was quite pronounced when smelling the glass.  It’s a young wine, yet it delivers solid fruit flavors and shows off nice structure.  The finish is a little shorter than I had hoped but the tannins tickle my gums for quite a while.  It’s totally different than an aged bottle of the Grand Vin, but it’s very enjoyable and will pair nicely with my pasta and meatballs.  It’s a blend of Cinsault (35%), Syrah (35%), and Cab Sav (15%).  I’m a fan, going with 91 points for this $22 wine makes it a 5 star effort to drink till 2035.  Salut….

Chateau Musar 'Musar Jeune' Red

Reputation Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, Napa Valley, California

15 Saturday Nov 2025

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Deep ruby colored with an inky core, moderate staining, and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of cassis, blackberry jam, black plum, mint, eucalyptus, coffee, blueberry, and a hint of oak.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a full body, and high tannins.  The fruit is ripe indeed, with cassis running the show.  Blackberry coulis, blueberry pie, some herbal notes and a trace of oak.  The tannins really grip on the mid palate and stay there for a prolonged period, the finish itself is medium in length and delicious.  This wine is a bit young, but could be decanted or aerated for immediate pleasure or cellared for a few years. Drink by 2035, with a juicy steak or lamb chops.  93 points from me for this $30 bottle that’s on sale at Costco for $15 makes it a no brainer 5 star effort.  Salut….

reputation cabernet sauvignon

 

Aresti ‘Trisquel’ Gran Reserva Carmenere 2021, Curico Valley, Chile

10 Monday Nov 2025

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Deep ruby colored with slight staining, and a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of green pepper, black plum, blackberry, wet rock, charred oak, black coffee, dark chocolate, and black cherry.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium body, and medium tannins.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of black plum, black cherry, charred oak, dark chocolate, well steeped tea, and coffee lead to an interesting finish.  I stated that this was a dry wine, yet there’s a sweetness as it rolls onto the mid palate and then the back end.  I doubt there is any RS, but perhaps some very ripe fruit contributing to the taste.  It’s a medium length ending that I am enjoying.  I paid $9, on sale from $13 at Costco.  It’s a solid 90 pointer and gets 5 stars for it’s really good QPR.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Aresti 'Trisquel' Gran Reserva Carmenere

Vinos de Arganza Lagar de Robla ‘Coleccion Cuatro Hermanos’ Mencia 2022, Bierzo, Spain

08 Saturday Nov 2025

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Deep ruby colored with slight staining, and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of dried cranberry, black plum, baking spice, dried herbs, blackberry coulis, dark pomegranate, and petrichor.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium body, and medium (+) tannins that are chalky.  The flavors are of medium intensity and more secondary driven- chalk, iron, baking spice, dried herbs, and slate followed by dark red fruit and some blackberry.  The tannins are all-encompassing.  They seize the moment and grip from start to finish, slightly overshadowing the fruit on the palate.  The finish is medium (-) as a result.  It’s got lots of promise, and cellaring capacity.  Time will be kind to this wine and will reward the patient.  I would either decant/aerate it for immediate consumption or start drinking it from 2027 till 2035.  It’s a big wine that gets 92 points from me and at $25, 5 stars.  Salut….

Vinos de Arganza Lagar de Robla 'Coleccion Cuatro Hermanos' Mencia

Precision Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon Method 2022, California

30 Thursday Oct 2025

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Deep ruby colored with medium staining, and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of blackberry, black plum, charcoal, oak, dark chocolate, anise, orange peel, blueberry, and acai berry. The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a full body, and medium tannins.  The flavors are more pronounced and offer black/blue fruit along with some oak influence.  You can tell the grapes were very ripe at harvest, there’s a California sweetness to the wine and not from residual sugar (I don’t think).  The finish is medium in length and the whole package fades gently, making me reach for another sip.  It’s really tasty and won’t break the bank.  This is my second tasting of this wine and I am surprised at how it showed last year versus now.  It’s morphed and I get different attributes, plus I did not care for it back then as much as I like it now.  It runs about $25 but I got a steal on this bottle at Costco for a tenner.  It gets 90 points from me and ranks 5 stars.  Drink till 2030, Salut…..

Precision Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon