Tag Archives: 5 stars

Mirassou Vineyards Riesling 1998, Monterey County, California

20 Tuesday Feb 2024

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Another bottle from my buddy’s garage is this 25 year-old Riesling.  It is medium gold colored, a stunning looking wine with a watery sheen (11% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe pear, apricot, honey, petrol, lime curd, vanilla thread, white and orange blossom, honeysuckle and candied tangerine.  The palate is off-dry with high acidity and a medium body.  Unfortunately the flavor intensity is a little lacking compared to the nose but I do get petrol, candied apricot, honey, pear, lime, candied ginger and blossom.  There is a slight bitterness on the mid palate that carries through to the medium (+) length finish.  I must say- I’m impressed that this wine is even drinkable considering its provenance and quality level, perhaps a testament to the longevity of the varietal and the agglomerated cork.  You can purchase a current vintage for $10.  This one got 86 points and a Best Buy rec from Wine Enthusiast back in the day.  I can see why.  Speechless to say the least.  Salut….

Chateau Les Ormes-de-Pez 2017, Saint-Estephe, France

18 Sunday Feb 2024

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Medium garnet colored with slight staining and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).   The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, charcoal, blackberry,  acai berry, mint, licorice, a slight green note and warm baking spices.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium tannins and medium body.  The tannins are integrating nicely and make for a silky mouthfeel.  Flavors that I love in Left Bank Bordeaux come out of the glass- cassis, leather, pencil shavings, licorice, blackberry and baking spice.  The finish is classic for the region- slightly tart, long and a touch dry from the fantastic tannins.  I first became a convert of this wine when we visited Lynch Bages and got to try this as part of the tasting.  For $40, I am impressed with the quality of this Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend.  91 points from me and 5 stars.  It is open for business now but will cellar nicely till 2030.  I’m pairing with Sunday roast.  Salut….

Finca Nueva Crianza 2018, Rioja DOCa, Spain

15 Thursday Feb 2024

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Deep ruby, inky with slight staining and high viscosity (14% ABV).  Aromas of vanilla, baking spices, ripe blackberry, violets, blackcurrant ganache, mocha and blueberry pie.  Dry with medium acidity, medium tannins and a full body. Flavors of  blackberry, dusty earth, violets, blackcurrant, blueberry and vanilla lead to a medium (+) length finish that has some baking spice warmth.  The tannins are delightful and silky.  91 points for this Tempranillo that runs $17 makes it a 5 star wine.  Drink till 2030.  Salut…. 

Famille Bougrier Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Vin de France, France

14 Wednesday Feb 2024

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First time I picked up one of these bottles it was in Phoenix and I was traveling on business.  I needed something easy that was going to bring pleasure without breaking the bank- Decanter gave this 95 points so I figured I could not go wrong.  It’s pale lemon colored with a watery sheen (11.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon, grapefruit zest, green grass, orange blossom, pineapple and wet slate.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a light body.  It’s a crisp and refreshing wine with flavors of grapefruit zest, lemon, pineapple and a slaty minerality.  The finish is medium in length and zippy- the light body coupled with the level of acidity making it easy to drink and refreshing.  It’s not a 95 pointer but it gets 89  from me and for a mere $12- 5 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

Ruffino Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico Riserva 2020, Tuscany, Italy

13 Tuesday Feb 2024

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This Sangiovese was served blind at our tasting group and it stumped us all.  Medium ruby colored with slight staining and medium viscosity.  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of dusty black cherry, purple licorice, vanilla, baking spice, strawberry pie, caramel, açaí berry and roses.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium body and medium (+) tannins.  Flavors of black cherry, licorice, baking spices and vanilla are prominent, the dusty note faded.  The strawberry shows up later in the game with the acai berry.  It finishes medium in length and not as tart as expected from a Chianti.  It’s a young wine whose tannins need to settle down with time or vigorous decanting.  This bottle was a brute last night but has since mellowed out very nicely.  It should drink well till 2030 and gets 91 points from me.  At $20 it’s a definite 5 star wine to load up on.  Salut….

Adegas Valminor Albarino 2022, Rias Baixas, Spain

13 Tuesday Feb 2024

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Pale lemon with gold highlights and a medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of peach, white blossom, saline, grapefruit, lemon pith and a hint of papaya.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a medium body.  Flavors of white blossom, sea spray, peach, papaya, lemon pith and grapefruit zest with a medium to long finish.  It runs about $20 and gets 90 points from me.  I like the crispness and tangy acidity coupled with the saline notes.  Drink this 5 star wine with seafood till 2027.  Salut….

Domaine de Pignan Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2019, Rhone, France

12 Monday Feb 2024

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My college buddy gave me this at Christmas, I was waiting to open it with him to enjoy.  Not exactly the right scene, but it made the pre-Superbowl party more enjoyable!

Medium garnet with slight staining and high viscosity (15.2% ABV). The nose has medium intensity aromas of blackberry, black plums, cracked pepper, violets, purple licorice, blueberry ganache, chocolate powder, baking spices, vanilla bean, coconut and eucalyptus (?).   The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium tannins and a full body. The first thing that comes to my mind is the silky yet slightly chalky texture to the tannins. It’s beautiful. Medium (+) intensity flavors of blackberry, black plums, purple licorice, ripe/rich blueberry paste, vanilla bean, baking spices and cocoa powder- itfinishes long and sensual. Very smooth and delicious. 93 points. Drink now until 2030. Simply amazing.  At $50- it’s a treat for sure that gets 5 stars.  Salut…..

Red Tail Ridge Perpetuelle Change Solera Brut Nature NV, Finger Lakes, New York

02 Friday Feb 2024

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Pale salmon colored with a fine yet aggressive mousse and low viscosity (12% ABV).  The nose is heavenly, unique and inviting.  Medium (+) intensity aromas of papaya, lime, blood orange, rose hip and cranberry.  I get a faint whiff right at the end of yeasty brioche and green almond.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a light body.   The mousse is delicate and fine- invigorating. Flavors of papaya, lime zest,  tart blood orange, bitter cherry, brioche and pomegranate lead to a medium length finish.  This is an intriguing wine that releases waves of flavors and has a beautiful mouthfeel.  I like it- so much so that I will order more.  92 points from me- at $33 it’s a relative bargain compared to French Champagne of this level.  5 stars.

An aside- this wine is made in the Solera method out of the following:

30% Previous Cuvée
38% Pinot Noir
13% Pinot Blanc
11% Riesling
8% Chardonnay

Salut….

Osborne Cream Sherry NV, Jerez, Spain

19 Friday Jan 2024

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Cream sherry is made by adding a sweet sherry like Pedro Ximenez to the base Oloroso sherry- itself an oxidatively aged wine made from Palomino grapes.  As such the wine has a much darker hue than a pale or medium sherry.  This one is a gorgeous pale amber with orange highlights and high viscosity (17% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of caramel, burnt sugar, walnuts, Brazil nuts and figs.  The palate is off-dry to sweet with medium (+) acidity and a full body.   Layers of burnt sugar, caramel and nuts with some ripe fig nuances lead to a medium length finish.  It’s a nice drop to enjoy as an aperitif but it would certainly hold its own postprandial.  I paid $15 but it’s available for $11 online, which makes it a steal.  88 points from me- 5 stars.  Salut….

Chateau Ksara Red 2018, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

18 Thursday Jan 2024

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Deep ruby, bordering on inky garnet with slight staining and high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose of this Cab Sav/Merlot and Petit Verdot blend has medium intensity aromas of vanilla, mint, black cherry, cassis, açaí, black raspberry, leather and espresso.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (+) tannins and a medium body.  The palate starts off with açaí berry, followed by the cassis, black raspberry, vanilla and mint.  The tannins are very polished and chalky leading to a nice mouthfeel.  The finish is medium in length and tends towards the raspberry, leather and vanilla.  The structure of this wine is really approachable which is nice.  I find many Lebanese wines that are age worthy need a few extra years before the pieces integrate into a nice drinking wine.  This one is performing nicely and will continue to do so till 2032.  I would pair it with grilled kebabs, some roast Lamb or Filet Mignon with peppercorn sauce.  I paid $22 and would give this beaut 91 points making it a 5 star wine in my books.  Salut….