Tag Archives: 5 stars

Patrice Grasset Chenin Blanc 2022, Vouvray, France

21 Tuesday Jan 2025

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Pale lemon colored with strawberry highlights, and a high viscosity (12.5% ABV). The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon zest, tangerine, wax, wool, grapefruit pith, quince, slate, white blossom, and white pepper.  The palate is a hint off-dry with medium (+) acidity, and a medium (+) body.  The flavors are quite pronounced- quince, grapefruit pith, lemon and tangerine with some interesting wool notes.  There is a waxy feel to this wine which is varietally correct.  The finish is medium (+) in length and weighty.  I am enjoying this $17 bottle that I will be pairing with baked Mackerel.  It gets 90 points from me and 5 stars.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Patrice Grasset Vouvray Chenin Blanc

Maxville Lake Winery Petit Sirah 2016, Napa Valley, California

17 Friday Jan 2025

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I have had this wine before and loved it- so I bought more.  It’s still inky purple colored with heavy staining, and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, a medicinal note, blueberry jam, eucalyptus, baking spice, vanilla bean, roasted coffee, dried oak bark, and acai berry.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and high tannins that are integrating nicely.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of ripe dark fruit, oak by way of that medicinal note, coffee, vanilla, and baking spice coupled with some green notes.  The finish is long and silky, the tannins really retreat and allow the ripe fruit to take center stage.  It’s an awesome bottle and a great example of well made Petite Sirah.  It makes a statement, similar in nature to Napa Cabs, but in a bolder, more structured way.  94 points from me for this $55 bottle makes it a 5 star wine that will drink nicely till 2030.  I am pairing with T-bone steaks,  roasted veggies and yams.  Salut….

Maxville Lake Winery Petit Sirah

Oyster Bay Chardonnay 2023, Marlborough, New Zealand

14 Tuesday Jan 2025

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Pale lemon colored with a watery sheen (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of seaweed, lemon zest, flint, tangerine, pomelo, white blossom, pineapple, and passion fruit.  Quite the fruit cocktail imho.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium body.  Medium intensity flavors of lemon zest, pomelo, white blossom, and pineapple with that briny seaweed note adding a touch of interesting segue.  It’s not your normal Napa Chard, nor is it a Chablis- something of an outlier from the two classics.  It is weighty but still refreshing, crisp yet stoic.  The finish is medium (+) in length and concentrates on the citrus notes.  A really delicious wine that has not had all the ‘treatments’ of MLF, new oak, battonage etc.  91 points from me for this $11 steal makes it a 5 star bottle to buy cases of.  This will pair nicely with grilled salmon, roast chicken, fresh salad, and calamari.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Oyster Bay Chardonnay

Ashley Herzberg Petite Sirah 2022, Russian River Valley, California

13 Monday Jan 2025

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Inky purple colored with moderate staining, and a high viscosity (14.7% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, black plum, a medicinal note (from oak?), acai berry, grape bubble gum, slate, and faint espresso notes.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body, and high tannins that are somewhat chalky.  Ripe flavors of blueberry, blackberry, and acai berry coupled with that medicinal note, some black tea and an espresso note.  The finish leans heavily on the tannins, they are very grippy but allow the fruit to show off for a medium length ending.  I like this $22 bottle and give it 91 points which makes it a 5 star effort to drink till 2030.  I would pair it with hearty beef dishes and stews.  Salut….

Ashley Herzberg Russian River Petite Sirah

St Thomas le Merlot A 2005, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

10 Friday Jan 2025

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Deep garnet colored with amber highlights, moderate staining and medium viscosity (No back label and no ABV info posted).  The nose of this aged Merlot has medium (+) intensity aromas of mushroom, truffles, baked earth, dried blackberry, game, cocoa, coffee, blueberry ganache, prunes, and leather.  Simply stunning.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body and medium (+) tannins that are still a touch gritty with some bite.  The secondary notes of mushroom, truffles, earth, and leather dominate this complex and layered wine.  The fruit shows in a dried and mature way giving way to the evolution.  The finish is quite a dry affair, the tannins are still fearsome but the length is long and slightly tart.  This wine is a chameleon- the nose is so complex and mature yet the tannic structure is interfering, refusing to meld away.  Here are the disclaimers- this bottle can only be purchased ex-cellar.  My cousins own the winery.  This bottle is in magnum and I used my Coravin to taste it in anticipation of dinner at a steak house tonight.  There.  It’s a delightful wine that gets 94 points from me and what the heck- 5 stars as pricing is unknown.  This winery continues to show me the power of well made Lebanese wines and how they manage to age so beautifully.  Salut….

st Thomas merlot A

Scott Peterson ROX of the Andes Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Mendoza, Argentina

09 Thursday Jan 2025

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Deep ruby colored with light staining, and a medium viscosity (14.3% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, blackberry, black plum, mint, acai berry, violet, and charred, smoky oak.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are integrating nicely.  Medium intensity flavors of blackberry, acai, black plum, black cherry with black tea and smoke that lead to a medium length finish.  Yummy stuff that has some aging capacity and structure to hold up to a juicy steak.  I would drink this 91 point wine till 2030.  For $16, it gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Scott Peterson ROX of the Andes Argentina Cabernet Sauvignon

Clos Apalta 2013, Colchagua Valley, Chile

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Closing out the series at our 38th virtual wine tasting was this stunner.  I ordered it months before in anticipation of going out with a bang and I was not disappointed.  The group loved it and the notes were as follows: deep ruby fading to garnet colored, with slight staining and a high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose started out funky- “Donkey butt in a barn” was the initial call, followed by aromas of green pepper, black cherry for days, a combo of red and black licorice, cedar, Jujubes, sassafras akin to root beer, layers of ripe black fruits, smoke, and vanilla on the finish.  The palate had medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are well integrated.  A spectacular wine whose flavors echoed the nose- we all just sat there and stopped taking notes, savoring the complexity and finesse. The only loss of points for me was the medium finish, I had hoped for longer.  It would have scored a perfect 20 if so.  I will rate this $130 bottle at 96 points and award it 5 stars.  What a treat!  Carmenere based at 70% with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot supporting.  Drink till 2035.  Salut….

Clos Apalta

Castelli del Grevepesa Lamole 2019, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, Italy

21 Saturday Dec 2024

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Pale to medium garnet colored with copper highlights, and a medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red cherry, pomegranate, rhubarb, baking spice, olive tapenade, and a green stalk note (thyme?).  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium body and medium (+) tannins.  Flavors of red cherry, pomegranate, thyme, dried leather, rhubarb, and some baking spice.  The finish is zippy with some acidity that lingers.  Fruit length is medium and red in nature with some slight astringency right at the end.  It’s a very delicious and food-worthy wine that gets 92 points from me.  I would drink this $25 effort till 2030 with Bolognese all day long. 5 stars.  Salut….

castelli del grevepesa lamole chianti classico gran selezione

Bodegas Balbás Ardal Cuvée Especial Crianza 2020, Ribera del Duero, Spain

16 Monday Dec 2024

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Medium-to-deep ruby colored with slight staining and high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, dusty earth, oak stave, acai berry, menthol, a medicinal note, tomato stalk, black licorice, and a whiff of tobacco.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body, and high tannins that are gritty and young.  The fruit is more intense on the palate than it was on the nose.  Dark berries with nuanced oak and some grippy tannins that carry on for an eternity.  The finish, albeit quite dry, lasts for a medium length and is begging for some food.  I’m guessing the 20% addition of Cabernet Sauvignon has beefed up the normally tame Tempranillo- it makes for an interesting and structured wine that has managed to hide its high alcohol nicely.  I would give this one a wide berth and cellar till 2026, with a drinking window into 2030.  92 points from me for this $30 effort makes it a 5 star wine.  Salut….

Bodegas Balbás Ardal Cuvée Especial Crianza

Basilisco ‘Fontanelle’ 2017, Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG, Italy

14 Saturday Dec 2024

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Opaque, inky purple colored with medium staining and a high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, black currant, coffee, loamy earth, eucalyptus, licorice, bramble berry and blueberry.  The palate is dry with high acidity, a full body and high tannins that are slightly green and very grippy.  Ripe fruit flavors of black cherry, black plum, blueberry, bramble, leather, licorice, coffee, loam, and eucalyptus.  The wine is weighty and very rich as well as structured.  This is a young wine for sure.  The finish is medium in length and layered with dark fruit and secondary flavors.  The tannins seem to sort themselves out after a few minutes, they are very prominent but not green and rough.  This is a delicious bottle that needs a hearty pasta or thick Ribeye.  It will cellar well for at least 20 years and become more approachable in 5, but you can drink now if you like them super dry and astringent.  If not, aerate or decant and you should be good to go.  93 points from me for this $35 effort makes it a 5 star treat.  Salut….

Basilisco 'Fontanelle' Aglianico del Vulture Superiore