Tag Archives: 5 stars

Dominio de Eguren Protocolo Vino Tinto de la Tierra de Castilla 2017, Spain

01 Monday Jun 2020

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Dark shade of purple with nice legs.  Almost opaque.  On the nose I get red currant, violets, iodine and plum. On the palate it presents with red and black fruits, a touch of oak and black licorice.  The mid palate has some black tea, raspberries and tannins that coat with a tarry taste.  The finish is quite tart with some juicy acidity.  It gives the mouthfeel some cut to the drying tannins, which peaks on the finish.  Black cherry is the final note on this 89 point wine.  Drink till 2022.  For $7, this Tempranillo is a steal that gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Louis Latour Corton Grand Cru 2007, Cote de Beaune, France

29 Friday May 2020

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It’s a really nice reddish shade and totally see-through.  The nose is gorgeous- strawberry, cherry, earth and game.  On the initial palate I get rich red cherry reduction, leather, mushroom, forest floor- all flavors I was hoping for in an aged Pinot from Burgundy.  The mid palate shows me red currants, more cherry, crisp acidity and a very fine grained tannic structure.  There is a green streak on the finish that gives it a bit of zing but is dominated by tart cherry and pomegranate.  This wine is very complex and layered.  The finish is long and mouth watering.  I am really enjoying it and think it is at peak, drinking well for at least another decade.  Filet Mignon is on tap for the pairing.  92 points from me but I have no pricing info.  New vintages are going for over $85.  I would give it 5 stars, the cellaring has rewarded me well.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 693 Barolo 2011, Piemonte, Italy

27 Wednesday May 2020

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Semi opaque with a dark red hue.  On the nose I get dark cherries, beautiful oak, raspberry and dried herbs.  On the palate there’s an immediate thrust of leather, tobacco and cherry.  It is a touch tart but mouthwatering.  The cherry theme continues onto the mid palate where I also get a good thwack of tannins.  Wow, this wine is a cherub.  Creosote, black plums and that tart cherry all mingle on the palate and I sense this wine is not yet close to maturity.  The finish is long, tannic, tart and fruity with those cherries galore, some sage and more leather.  I regret opening this wine so young, but I will get more for the cellar.  Tonight I will pair it with Sous Vide Ribeyes, probably the best combo I could think of for this tannic monster Nebbiolo.  Drink from 2025 to 2030 at the least.  92 points and 5 stars for this $39 beauty.  Salut….

Barboursville Vineyards Malvaxia 2007, Virginia, USA

26 Tuesday May 2020

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Golden brown in the glass, appropriate for a 13 year old.  On the nose it has hazelnut, honey, orange peel, quince and Marmalade.  The palate is quite tart with orange reduction, more honey, nuts, nutmeg and Cointreau.  It’s nicely balanced with acidity, fruit, unctuous mouthfeel and loads of orange Marmalade.  The thickness of the wine is really delicious, it gives warmth and body to the elixir.  The mid palate concentrates on the oranges, with the sweetness of honey and apricots.  The finish is medium in length but full on with more oranges, sweet syrup and some tart acidity that balances out the sugars.  91 points. Drink now till 2030.  Delicious, a real treat after all these years in the cellar.  Newer vintages can be had for $35 per half bottle.  5 stars.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 713 Merlot 2017, Carneros, California

23 Saturday May 2020

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This Merlot has a really deep purple hue in the glass with very nice thin legs.  The nose is plummy with anise and blueberry notes.  On the initial palate I get inky dark berries, some iodine, black tea and really nice gentle tannins.  The mid palate is a bit more gripping with the fine grained tannins, they start to cling to the gums.  Black cherry and more plum are hitting me up with some slight oak notes.  The finish is a touch dusty with some spice box and leather.  Plums are my main theme with this wine and the tannic structure is really good.  Juicy, dry and built for the medium haul.  I like this wine- it’s easy going yet has some depth and structure to it.  Drink till 2027.  91 points from me and at $18 a pop- 5 stars.  Cellar some for later.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 691 Barbera 2016, Amador County, California

21 Thursday May 2020

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Red wine with fish is a tough one but since I am grilling it, I feel there might be something to work with.  This Barbera is from California and has a nice shade of purple in the glass.  The nose is very cherry like, with some blue fruits lingering as well.  I also get a leafy component, like parsley.  Intriguing.  On the palate it is somewhat sweet with ripe cherry, cola and cedar.  It is juicy but not overly acidic, nor is it very tannic.  The mid palate has a nice warm feeling to the red fruit compote.  There is a definitive cedar note that runs the length of the wine.  It is very fruity and certainly tasty.  The finish is medium length and concentrates on those sweet cherries alongside some blackberry jam.  Lip smacking stuff.  Easy to drink and very approachable for the next 5 years.  I hope the pairing works for me!  89 points and 5 stars for this $13 steal.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 690 Petite Sirah 2017, Amador County, California

20 Wednesday May 2020

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It’s got a beautiful shade of purple in the glass and I can almost see through.  The nose is lush and rich with blackberry jam, fig paste, blueberries.  On the palate it is very dark fruit heavy.  Black berries, currants and chocolate. There’s a gripping set of tannins that get to work on my gums immediately.  This is to be expected with this varietal, also known as Durif.  On the mid palate there is more plum than blackberry, but it’s still black fruit dominant.  There’s a juiciness to this wine that begs for hearty steaks.  The finish reverts back to blackberry jam and some charcoal.  It is shockingly dry and delicious.  I am really enjoying this wine and it will pair beautifully with the grilled Skirt and Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus I am cooking.  If you like a dry wine, or want to cellar something long term, this is it.  92 points, and 5 stars for this $13 steal  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Paso Robles, USA

20 Wednesday May 2020

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Our wine of the night at the second Virtual wine tasting.  You can’t go wrong with a Cali Cab.  The wine just oozes sunshine, rich fruit, nice oak and balance.  The nose on this wine was all black cherry.  Tons of it.  The initial palate included those dark beauties alongside some plum, blueberry and coconut.  Licorice featured on the mid palate where the tannins really started to grip.  Mouthfeel was very full, rich and nicely balanced with acid, black tea and a touch of plum jam sweetness.  The finish was really nice, long and a touch dry.  This wine was drinking beautifully and was an easy ringer at the end of the night.  92 points from me, drink till 2028.  For $27 it should feature in your cellar, 5 stars.  Salut….

Chateau Greysac 2015, Medoc, France

20 Wednesday May 2020

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The nose on the third wine of our virtual tasting was wild.  Gamy AF, with loads of mushroom, forest floor, bacon fat and some semblance of black fruits.  On the palate it was much more manageable and in line with expectations.  Bramble, blackberry reduction, leather and some really nice tannins all came together on the palate.  The wine smoothed out some on the mid palate and it showed some nice balance between the fruit, the tertiary flavors, tannins and acidity.  The funk wore off but there were trace elements of morel mushrooms, leather and blackberry.  The finish was where this wine finally came on pointe.  Good fruit presentation, some nice touches of those secondary flavors and a decent amount of astringency from the lithe tannins.  Overall I really enjoyed this wine, but the nose was offputting for many on the tasting.  91 points for me.  Drink till 2026, but let it breathe for at least an hour to help dispel the funk.  For $20, it gets 5 stars.  Salut….

E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone 2016, France

20 Wednesday May 2020

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The second wine of our tasting lineup showed bright purple in the glass with nice legs giving caution to the 14.5% alcohol.  I listened to all the inputs from our group and concurred that this wine had loads of pepper, game, plum and garrigue.  The longer the wine sat out, the smoother it got and the terroir really shone.  Mass produced yet very good at 91 points from me.  Drink this blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre till 2027 with stews, leg of lamb or a hearty pasta.  5 stars for this sub $15 ringer.  Salut….