Tag Archives: 5 stars

Meerlust Rubicon 2010, Stellenbosch, South Africa

20 Saturday Jan 2018

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The iconic South African wine, a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and a touch of Petit Verdot- the penultimate Bordeaux style blend from sunny Stellenbosch.   I have had various vintages of Meerlust, but I don’t think I waited as long as this 8 year old.

Somewhat opaque, medium hued purple in the glass.  The nose is rich with plums, cassis, spice, oak and a surreal blackberry pie note that I love.  On the palate- simply delicious.  Black fruits, silky tannins, plums, cedar box, a touch of tar and very lithe acidity to go along with the delightful tannins.   This is a powerhouse wine, aged to perfection and ready to rock n roll.  The mid palate allows a certain degree of dryness to hit the gums, but not in an overpowering way.  The blackberry streak continues all the way to the finish.  The grippiness of the tannins builds the further they get along, culminating on the finish with a crescendo.  The flavors carry right through on this wine, giving it a richness that I admire.  The pairings are unlimited for this treat: steaks, stews, charcuterie, cheeses- nothing will interfere with its presence.  I would save a few bottles if you buy more than one as it will mature well for at least another decade, smoothing out no doubt and adding more complexity.  I am going with 93 points minimum on this $31 effort and give it 5 stars.  Salut….

Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Breede River Valley, South Africa

09 Tuesday Jan 2018

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Light purple, medium opacity.  A nose of black currants and cedar shavings.  On the palate- plums, blackberry, fig paste, iodine.  Very nice mouthfeel, not overly tannic but a touch dry with low acidity and a decent finish. 89 points and a sure 5 stars for this $7 stunner, buy it by the case for short term cellaring and enjoy at it parties, barbies and with pretty much anything from the grill.  Salut….

Spellbound Petite Sirah 2014, California, USA

06 Saturday Jan 2018

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I’ve tasted the 2010 Spellbound and liked it.  For dinner tonight I ordered it as I wasn’t in the mood for a big pricy bottle.  It was $33 on the menu, the cheapest offering at this Bay Area steak house.  Dark, inky purple in the glass as is to be expected for the varietal.  The nose offers black fruits, bramble and dusty tannins.  The palate gives me a nice, easy drinking black fruited wine with easy going acidity, smooth, lithe tannins and a nice dose of sunshine.  This basic wine offers much gratification, lots of primal flavor and a great mouthfeel.  88 points and 5 stars for this $12 effort that I enjoyed quite a bit.  Salut….

Charles Smith Wines ‘Eve’ Chardonnay 2015, Columbia Valley, USA

26 Sunday Nov 2017

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I am a fan of this winery.  They produce good quality wine that is fairly priced.  Always a go to in a pinch.  I just ordered a bunch for my folks in Florida, they loved the variety that I sent.

This Chardonnay is from Washington state.  It exhibits a bright yellow color and offers a nose of apples, pear, a hint of almond.  On the palate I get a really creamy mouthfeel with green apple, Bartlett pears and more nuttiness.  The flavor profile continues throughout the mid palate and ends up on the finish with some very faint acidity.  A very generous and inviting wine, it is really easy to drink and fits the bill when you don’t want something too steely, loaded with minerality or overly tart with acidity.  This wine will drink well with Lobster!  I think it also could pair nicely with white pizza, fettuccine Alfredo and stuffed Portabello.  Drink now as it doesn’t have the stuffing to go for cellaring.  90 points from me and for $12 this is a super amazing 5 star wine.  Buy it by the case.  Salut….

San Felice Campogiovanni Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2012, Tuscany, Italy

05 Sunday Nov 2017

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I really loved the 2010 Campogiovanni when I drank it last year.  So much so that I bought six bottles of the 2012 on spec.  It got great ratings (96 WS), was priced right at $45 and delivered free.

This one shows a slight orange tinge when I poured it, which is unusual for such a young wine.  The nose is cherry, earthy funk, mushroom, oak and a trace of truffle.  On the palate it shows primal fruit flavors of cherry, leather, gorgeous tannins and a juiciness from the impeccably balanced acidity.  The tannins deserve a sentence of their own- fine grained, discrete at the beginning, working themselves squarely into the mid palate and reaching a crescendo on the finish.  Not mouth puckering, but certainly apparent, very lithe yet powerful.  They hold the wine together nicely.  The finish has an oak hint to go along with the cherry and game notes.  This wine is very young, and holds promise for many years of cellaring that will help it develop secondary notes, maturing into a great Brunello.  I can’t wait to taste the evolution, perhaps starting in 2020.  I will have to go with 93 points right now and 5 stars.  Tonight’s pairing is with a Beef Pot Roast, bathed in Petite Sirah and braised for 6 hours.  Salut….

Herdade do Esporao 4 Quatro Castas 2015, Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal

01 Wednesday Nov 2017

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In my continued quest to to discover Portuguese wines, I have come across this $14 effort that piqued my interest.  It is an equal blend of Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet.  My first hint is the 14.5% alcohol.  The second is the deep, dark purple color in the glass.  Both, to me, indicate an extracted, powerful wine that will grab me and not let go.  I’m ready for it.

On the nose, I get the telltale Syrah notes- Plum, oak, cocoa.  The wine has amazing ‘legs’ indicative of the alcohol content.  The initial taste is as predicted, full on, powerful and alluring.  The wine starts off with black berry, black currants and a delightful set of tannins that prop the wine up rather than detract from the fruit.  The mid palate shows off more dark fruit and some earthiness.  Tannic structure is great and they start to peak on the finish where menthol and anise flavors intertwine with berries.  I am digging this wine and like the flavor profile.  It has the correct structure to age for 2-5 years and is drinking well now if you like them a touch dry.  I have to go 90 points and 5 stars for this wine.  Salut….

Koyle Royale Syrah 2015, Colchagua Valley, Chile

29 Sunday Oct 2017

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Dark yet opaque purple in the glass.  The nose is lush with blueberry, coffee, cedar. The palate is delicious- meaty, with blue fruits, crunchy tannins and a cutting acidity.  The midpalate incorporates some black currant and smoke with the blueberries.  The tannins, omnipresent are really gripping at this point.  They don’t surrender, dominating the finish which has remnants of blue fruits and a charred oak note.  I like it.  90 points and 5 stars for this $20 effort.  Salut….

Mas de Boislauzon La Chaussynette 2015, Rhone, Vin de France

24 Tuesday Oct 2017

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A reasonably priced number that hails from France, the Rhone Valley to be more precise.  It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre typical for the region.  I bought it on sale for under $10, but it normally sells for $15.

A very pretty medium depth purple color bodes well!  On the nose I get raspberry, spice, a hint of smoky oak and some bacon fat.  The initial palate suggests more of the same, which is really a treat.  I enjoy all those flavors melded together.  The tannins are really nice, juicy and not too dry.  They complement the fruit and don’t overpower. This wine has a great feeling mid palate, with some cassis, black olives and more raspberry making appearances.  The finish is nice, longer than expected and offers an oaky tinge along with the fruit and tannins.  I have to say, this is a really good wine, far more complex than the price would allude to, far tastier than I imagined and it has some short term cellaring potential to boot.  I am drinking it with some Broccoli Cheddar soup, which seems to work really well.  It would pair great with some thin crust brick oven pizza, perhaps even a Beef stew.  I have to go 91 points, which is above and beyond the rating I saw, and award this wine 5 stars for sure.  I wish I ordered more.  Salut….

Clos St. Thomas ‘Chateau St. Thomas’ Rouge 2000, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

22 Sunday Oct 2017

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It’s not often I get to drink a 17 year old wine, but I received two bottles of the 2000 St. Thomas recently.  Given to me by a cousin and hand carried by my uncle half way across the globe.   I was very gentle in opening the bottle, using my Two Prong Puller to prevent any cork failure.  There was none, in fact the cork looked very good.  The wine has a burnt hue to it, a slight bricking which is expected at this age.  It is pretty dark though which is interesting.  On the nose I initially got a dank whiff which has since blown off.  I now get a fresh dose of plums, some tobacco and espresso bean.  The palate is wonderful- soft, flavorful, balanced and easy to drink.  Flavors of black berry, toasty oak, cherry, leather and cassis all hit me in layers.  The mid palate offers up the tannins, bone dry and and still a force to be reckoned with.  The acidity is juicy, yet not tart- balanced.  The finish is long, with loads of tannin, dark fruit compote and more of the coffee/tobacco that I got on the nose.  This wine believe it or not, is young.  I see room for more development, more mellowing and believe the structure is there to hold it all together.  It is a delicious, dry wine that begs for charcoal grilled Filets, which is what I am going to cook.  An amazing wine from a distant relative’s winery that is excellent in every facet.  91 points from me for this vintage.  I have no idea on price but newer vintages are running $22 and are equally delicious, even in their relative youth.  A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.  I would give this wine 5 stars for sure.  See my reviews of other St. Thomas vintages.  Salut….

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….