09 Sunday Sep 2018
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Rich plums and thick oak staves fill the nose on this nearly black wine. On the palate I get delicious black berries, lush dark currants and a tar component. I’m trying hard to pinpoint the missing flavor, could it be coffee? Tannins are present but not obtrusive, with dark fruits and more wood present on the mdi to back end. 90 points and 5 stars for this uniquely labelled Cab that runs about $18. Salut….
26 Sunday Aug 2018
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$22, 5 stars, 91 points, merlot, South Africa, stellenbosch wine
I have had two other wines from Vergelegen. Both were excellent so when I saw this Reserve offering I had to buy it! Medium intensity in the glass. Black currants, olive tapenade, charcoal and pencil on the nose. The palate has a ton of dark, ripe plums coupled with anise and violets. Rich and tannic, this wine has weight. The midpalate is all black currant. The grippy tannins don’t let go- all the way through the medium length finish. Dark fruits aplenty here. 91 points, drink till 2025. 5 stars again for this $22 bottle. Salut….
17 Friday Aug 2018
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$20, 5 stars, 91 points, marlborough, new zealand, pinot noir
A couple of us met up and had a tasting of several nice wines. We started with this Pinot Noir, building our way up to the Bordeaux by way of some Portuguese, South African and Spanish bottles. Read on for the highlights!
Gorgeous purple- see through but clear. The nose is heavy on the strawberry. Nutmeg is present, spice box and vanilla bean round it out. On the palate it is lush, light and layered. Strawberry coulis mixed with cedar plank and cherry abound. The mid palate exhibits a darker fruit component and more spices that I found on the nose. The wine has a very nice acidity and the very lithe tannins only show up at the finale. An excellent bottle that drinks beautifully now and will go on for another 5/7 years. 91 points for this Pinot and 5 stars. It is a perennial favorite of mine and is consistent, year in and year out. $20. Salut….
17 Friday Aug 2018
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Wow…. super dark and brooding. I get nice, rich blackberry notes with coffee bean and vanilla extract on the nose. The initial palate is thick with black fruit preserves, finely integrated tannins, chocolate powder and an oak hint. The mid palate continues the theme but the tannins start to build. By the finish my mouth is coated with caressing dryness and a blackberry meets tar note. Intriguing. I think this wine will open up with decanting and develop somewhat in the glass. It is young and the potential for it to gain tertiary flavors is definitely there. I would cellar for another 2-3 years and pair it with roast lamb all day long. Delicious, powerful, well made and worthy of 92 points. For $36 it is not an everyday wine, but it gets 5 stars from me. Salut….
26 Tuesday Jun 2018
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$40, 5 stars, 93 points, Ribera del duero, spain, tempranillo
As you may know, we are moving. Our last dinner gathering included two magnums that were still at the house. I did not want to move them, so the opportunity to enjoy was present. I did not take notes of the second bottle, the Perbrun- as I was hoping to do so the following day with what was left over. Unfortunately, it was not as good as I had hoped and the leftovers had a ton of sediment. It was originally $57 my price for the 2010 vintage. Glad we started with the Spaniard!
Nearly black in the glass. Nose is earthy, with tons of plums, black berry and violets. The initial palate is very upfront with black, tarry fruit, ripe tannins, earth and a floral component. The mid palate is quite dry, the tannins ruling the roost. Eventually it transitions to a Ribena like finish with loads of rich black fruit. Oak is present, but not overpowering. It adds a vanilla dimension to the finish and smooths it out some. This wine is still in youth, 17 years after vintage. It will last another 10 at least, mellowing out along the way. 93 points is what the pro’s gave this Tempranillo and I agree. For the $40 entry fee it is a solid 4 star wine, but I am going to up it to 5 as I think this wine will evolve some more as it mellows. I roasted two Beef Tri-tips for the pairing with an endive and frissee salad laced with Balsamic infused Shallots. It was a grand last evening of fun in my beloved home. Salut….
Delicious and young
Not quite as good
23 Saturday Jun 2018
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Some more Kirkland Signature wines are on the horizon in my search for value priced offerings. This one cost $10. It shows nicely in the glass with a see-through medium hued purple. The nose is mostly plum with a hint of nutmeg. The palate is very inviting, easy to drink and fresh. Blue fruits dominate with a touch of tannic vibrancy that tickles the gums. Acidity is present and the wine has a really nice balance. The mid palate has a core of plum that carries through to the finish. There’s not much complexity here, but it does serve the purpose. This wine is great value for a Sonoma County Cabernet that drinks easily, will handle burgers, pizza and make an awesome coq au vin. I would buy it up, serving all summer long out by the grill. Drink till 2020. 89 points and 5 stars. Salut….
22 Friday Jun 2018
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Another in the low priced series that I have been working through. This one rings in at $14. It has a nice medium intensity of purple in the glass. The nose is very rich with plums, black berry and leather. On the palate it is more fruit forward than I had imagined. Very upfront with plums, cedar shavings and a touch of eucalyptus. There is a really delicious mid palate core of sweet black cherry that I am thoroughly enjoying. Tannins are very smooth, balanced and lithe. The finish exhibits a nice acidity and more plums. The dry leather component I found earlier appear ever so slightly and rounds out the finish. This is a very tasty wine, which gets 91 points from me- contrary to the 89-90 ratings the pro’s gave it. I think it will pair well with tonights flat iron steaks, Buffalo Cauliflower and sautéed asparagus. Certainly a 5 star wine that I think will get stocked up on. Summer party season is here and this one is front and center. Drink now till 2020. Salut….
11 Monday Jun 2018
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I have only tasted two other Kirkland branded wines. They were both just okay. This is a shot at redemption. I have purchased this bottle and a Cabernet that I will get to next week. Here’s hoping for the best!
In the glass it is of medium opacity, with a lighter shade of purple. The nose offers up plums, star anise and vanilla bean. On the palate, I am surprised and happy. Smooth, balanced and very tasty. The plums give way to blue fruits, juicy acidity and tannins that are present but not impeding. The anise flavor really hits me on the mid palate. Earthy Tempranillo hints peek out every so often and the tar component that I like in Rioja finally emerges. Decent length finish of black cherry and oak. The wine has backbone and good balance. It offers immediate pleasure with some cellaring potential. Drink with hard cheeses, a lamb stew or even some kebabs and rice. 88 points and 5 stars for this relative bargain at $7, yup, $7. Salut….
09 Saturday Jun 2018
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$10, 5 stars, 88 points, Pinotage, South Africa, stellenbosch wine
Picked this one up for $10 in Delaware, cause I was bored and wandered into a wine shop. I also happen to really like Pinotage. This one shows pretty light in the glass. It’s a pretty purple though. On the nose- textbook. Creosote, black fruit, earth and charred wood. On the palate, it is very fruity- plums, black berry and unique Kumquat note that I find very intriguing. An orange like testiness with some acidity to it. Very interesting. The mid palate has tons of that creosote flavor I associate with Pinotage. The tannins get a grip on the back end, but not overly so. The finish has an oak tinge to it along with black berry cobbler. A touch of vanilla rounds it all out. I must say, I really like this wine. It’s not very complex but it is really drinkable, is unique and is priced right. 88 points from me and 5 stars. It will pair well with the marinated Flap Steaks I have on the grill. Salut….
05 Tuesday Jun 2018
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It’s been a few years since I tasted the 2001 Poggio. As part of my cellar-moving I decided to open this one up to pair with some seared Strip steaks, a tomato salad with Balsamic infused onion strips.
For a seventeen year old wine it shows off nicely in the glass- full purple, no sign of bricking and quite opaque. The nose, OMG, what a nose. This is textbook aged Sangiovese, reminiscent of old Burgundian Pinot Noir. Leather, cedar box, tobacco, cassis and more, it just keeps coming. On the palate I am in love with the Old Worldness of this wine. It gushes with bramble, black berries, the tobacco, leather and cedar along with black tea and olives. Immense and rather concentrated, this wine is amazing, can you tell I’m liking it?
This is what makes cellaring a wine so worthwhile. The earthiness is profound, the freshness- still lively. Fruit, tertiary flavors, integrated tannins and perfect acidity. What more could you ask for? It begs for lighter fare to enable the nuances to come out, I almost regret the seasoning I coated the steaks with. This wine will shine by itself in a spectacular fashion. The finish is long, with more of the black fruits coming out again. Amazing. 96 points from me for this apparently still young wine. The major difference I noted between the last time is that the much lighter Cherry notes were now replaced with heavier, more brooding fruits. I paid $35 for it awhile back, wishing I had bought more than the 2 bottles that I have now drunk. 5 stars for sure. Drink till 2025. Salut….
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