Tag Archives: 5 stars

Borgo M Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT 2015, Italy

12 Thursday Oct 2017

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My son is visiting from Nashville so we decided to order some Chinese food.  Faced with trying to pair reds with Mogolian Beef, Walnut Crisp Shrimp, General Tso…. I gave up and looked in the fridge.  I wanted something on the lower side of the alcohol scale.  This crisp Pinot Grigio rings in at 12.5%, perfect for my Far Eastern foray.  It shows a pretty gold and pink hue in the glass and offers lemon zest, pineapple and green apple on the nose.  On the palate it is not as crisp as I had imagined, slightly more weighty and silky.  It reminds me of unoaked Chardonnay in a way.  Waxy, pear, apple and citrus peel.  The mid palate is really interesting with more green fruits, melon and a hint of beeswax.  The finish has that classic lemon profile.  This Italian Pinot Grigio is more akin to Oregonean or even Alsatian Pinot Gris with it’s heavier profile, darker complexion and flavor charachteristics.  I’m not complaining, it’s a decent wine and I am enjoying it immensely with my exotic dinner.  89 points and 5 stars for this $10 wine that needs to be stocked in multiples!  Drink now till 2018.  Salut….

F E Trimbach Riesling 2013, Alsace, France

05 Thursday Oct 2017

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It’s been a while since I had this brand, always dependable in the white arena.  The wine starts off very pale yellow in the glass.  The nose offers up peach, pineapple and some pecan nut.  It is really a different profile, but enjoyable nonetheless.  The palate shows off lemon curd, stone fruit, cardamom and a crisp green apple note.  The wine is juicy, like mouth watering.  The acidity is ever so present and persistent yet not obtrusive.  The mid palate is more of the star fruit meets pineapple variety.  It is unique and tasty.  The finish is rather short and tart with some more of the lemon hints.  I pulled this wine out for the Blackened Salmon with Garlic infused Kale that I am preparing.  I’m onto something with this pairing.  If you haven’t read my Evolution of a wine drinker, now is a good time to go back to 2014 when I wrote it.  The same rings true today.  Drink this wine now and for the next 5 years.  90 points and 5 stars for this $14 perennial go-to Riesling.  Salut….

Peju Province Winery Merlot 2014, Napa Valley, USA

04 Wednesday Oct 2017

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A really dark purple in the glass which is getting me excited.  The nose is pure pleasure.  Sweet plums, a hint of oak and a creaminess I can’t even describe.  This wine is going to be the business- I just know it.

On the palate it is super duper smooth.  Blackberry, cocoa and pomegranate come to mind.  The tannins pop on the mid palate and dominate the dry finish.  I also get some red currants right at the end.  This wine is multi layered and I expect it to cellar well into 2022.  I’m really enjoying it all by its lonesome but envision roasted duck with root veg and an elderberry gravy might hit the spot.  92 points for this $35 effort and 5 stars.  Salut….

Adega Cooperativa de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Reserva 2013, Bairrada, Portugal

27 Wednesday Sep 2017

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I have said it recently and i will affirm it again- Portugal is a go-to wine source.  In tonight’s case, I needed something full of flavor to go with Braised Lamb Shanks in Rosemary Mint sauce.  Sounds fancy huh?  Costco…

This particular wine rings in at $11 and was worth a punt when I saw it with free shipping.  Here goes-  It comes in at 13% and is a blend of 50% Touriga Nacional, 30% Tinta Roriz and 20% Baga.  It is of medium shade in the glass and has no ‘legs’.  The nose is of dark fruits and wood smoke.  I also get some spice, like cinnamon.  On the palate, this wine is very soft, gentle and supple.  The flavors of black cherry, plum and espresso are very tasty.  The mid palate shows off some very fine tannins and an earthiness along with cherry.  The finish is somewhat tart, with acidity coming through as cherry and rhubarb.  This wine is rocking the full flavored Lamb and has just the right amount of acidity to cut the fat while the flavors complement the herbs of the dish.  I am going 90 points and 5 stars for this bargain.  Drink now till 2022.  Salut….

Nativ Taurasi ‘Rue 333’ 2011, Campania, Italy

26 Tuesday Sep 2017

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I bought some of this wine earlier in the year but the bottles were damaged in shipment.  The vendor sent me replacemens once it cooled down.  I’m glad they did!

The wine in nearly black in the glass.  The nose of blackberry and violets has an oaky touch that adds a certain delicious factor.  It’s more of a vanilla bean flavor but it is appropriate here.  The initial tastes of black fruit get melded with some very dry tannins that really get to my gums.  The wine transcends the mid palate with a shift to plums and coconut.  The dryness really reaches a peak on the finish where the fruit flavors meet spicebox.  I don’t sense an abundance of acidity which would help the wine’s cellaring potential, but think it will last until 2020 at the very least.  I hope some secondary flavors evolve, I’m optimistic.  It is 100% Aglianico, which happens to be one of my favorite grapes.  91 points. It gets 5 stars for the value it presents at $20.  Salut….

Dao Sul Paco dos Cunhas de Santar ‘Nature’ 2012, Dao, Portugal

26 Tuesday Sep 2017

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Portugal is where it’s at in the value wine market today.  Inky, dark and brooding in the glass.  The nose is of black berries, iodine.  The palate is full of dark fruits, a hint of oak, sweet black grapes and an earthiness.  The mid palate transcends that profile and adds some very integrated tannins to the mix.  The finish is long, dry and inky.  Black berry pie finishes it all off at the end.  It is a blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro.  91 points, and an amazing 5 stars for this $11 marvel.  To be bought by the case in my opinion.  Drink till 2024.  I’m having mine with grilled kale salad and London broil.  Salut….

Dao Sul Quinta de Cabriz ‘Cabriz’ 2014, Dao, Portugal

14 Thursday Sep 2017

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$4….  Yup, even though it’s only 375ML (half a bottle).  I could not help myself to try this Portuguese blend of Touring Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Alfrocheiro.  As much as I love the wines from Portugal, they seldom appear in smaller stores, restaurants or places I would be traveling to.

This wine is inky, which bodes well for me!  The nose is somewhat muted right now, but there are signs of black fruit, tar, charcoal.  The initial palate has very precise flavors of black berry, kirsch and creosote.  The wine is precise, with more black fruits on the mid palate that parallel the fine grained tannins and barely perceptible acidity.  The alcohol is low at 13% which merits mention.  The minerality of this wine pops up towards the finish and shows off graphite, charcoal and licorice.  The finish has a nice ending of blackberry alongside the drying tannins.  I’m going to agree with the 90 point rating it got and give it 5 stars for the value here.  I can think of several pairings, but am enjoying it so much all by itself that I won’t bore you.  Drink till 2022.  Salut….

Olarra Clasico Reserva 2009, Rioja DOCa, Spain

08 Friday Sep 2017

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When I see a wine that advertises a 97 point Decanter (or any other reputable critic for that matter) rating that I can get for under $14 it’s a must try.  So I bought a bunch of this back in 2015 and forgot about them, until now.  The wine is a medium purple with a touch of orange.  On the nose, very fresh aromas of black cherry, blueberry and some oak. On the palate I get just what I was hoping for.  Vibrant blue fruits, rich plum, some creosote and olive.  The wine has a tannic streak that starts at the beginning and crescendos at the finish.  The mid palate shows off some Tempranillo earthiness and some rhubarb, the sour kind.  That is where I sense acidity and it balances the package nicely.  The finish is medium in length and has hints of spice box and more earthiness.  A blend of Tempranillo and Garanacha.  I can’t see 97 points, more like 90.  Having said that- for the price, it’s a major 5 star wine.  Drink till 2025.  I’m having Chorizo, a Spanish style salad and grilled asparagus with mine.  Salut….

Pier Rio Sordo 2009, Barbaresco DOCG, Italy

06 Wednesday Sep 2017

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I’m not a huge Barbaresco fan, I have to admit.  Not because I don’t like it, I just don’t know anything about it.  I am trying to broaden  my palate and saw this offer come up, it was only $20 and got a good score- worth a punt as they say.

It shows well in the glass, a thick purple, somewhat opaque but healthy looking.  The nose offers up a really nice Old World funk that I love.  Plum, cherry pie and some oak are all present.  I’m looking forward to this Nebbiolo….

On the palate I am pleasantly surprised, I think I like Barbaresco!  This wine has depth and lots of fruit flavor.  Rich plums, black berries, some black olives and an earthy component give way to some very well ingrained tannins.  They take over on the mid palate and really dry out the gums.  It is a nice sensation and makes for a long lived wine which has enough acidity to balance the package out.  The berry fruit comes out again on the finish with an oak hit.  The tannins are really searing by now, which makes this wine beg for a hearty Ragu, maybe a Ribeye steak.  I’m guessing this wine is only a youngster and will develop for many years, gaining complexity and tertiary flavors.  Drink now if you like them bold, dry and tannic, but cellar till 2022 for a more mellow affair.  I think this wine is worthy of 91 points, and 5 stars!  Salut….

Papa Nui Reserve Pinot Noir 2014, Chile

03 Sunday Sep 2017

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A very opaque and delicate looking Pinot Noir from Chile.  The nose is a combination of Old and New World.  I get cherry, strawberry and funk.  Mushrooms and game also take a turn on my senses.  On the palate, I get a fresh cherry attack with some cola and a touch of the gaminess I sensed earlier.  The mid palate exposes a very lively acidity that keeps me on my toes.  The flavors are decidedly New World from here on in.  Strawberry and cherry on the mid translate to a nice red berry finish with just a touch of tannic dryness.  The acidity is the dominant force but is not overwhelming.  A nice wine with good mouthfeel and balance in my opinion.  Serve with roasted chicken in garlic marinade or perhaps Filet Mignon with Bearnaise and roasted asparagus.  89+ points, and for $13 it’s a steal worthy of 5 stars.  Salut….