Tag Archives: 5 stars

Clarendon Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Sandown 2006

12 Tuesday Aug 2014

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If you have read any of my Clarendon posts you will know that I love this winery and can’t get enough of their subtle yet complex Syrahs, Cabernets and Grenaches.  This particular Mclaren Vale offering was opened to go along with my new favorite grilled meat- Chorizo.  I loaded up two giant Ribeye steaks (the butcher had labelled them Delmonico’s, all hoity toity) some onions and a half dozen of the Mexican sausages on the charcoal grill and opened this beauty to sip while I got the rest of dinner ready.

Thick purple color is always a good start for Cabernet Sauvignon.  Fresh blue fruits with some mint greeted my flaring nostrils- perhaps a touch of alcohol was coming off the glass.  Unique plum compote and blueberry coulis flavors were my initial impression but I began to think the wine is still primal with full fruit and a whiff of heat attacking the mid palate.  Moderate tannins and cutting acidity belie a still young wine waiting to mature.  Eucalyptus and mulberry came into being on the back end with cassis and red fruits adding to the long finish.  The 14.5% alcohol was hidden after a while, blown off from it’s early attack.  The wine is structured, balanced and a joy to drink.  I would imagine it could cellar for another 15 years easily.  $75 and 94 points from me make this a treat of a wine that gets 5 stars for a special occasion.  Salut….

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Vina Eguia Rioja

07 Thursday Aug 2014

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I forgot to make note of the vintage and did not see it in the picture but I will definitely be on the lookout for this charmer.  My friend bought it at Costco in California for $7.99.  I was blown away by it’s complexity and structure.  Dark purple hues were a welcome sight in the glass.  On the nose there were hints of cinnamon and chocolate with Bramble.  Floral notes and black berries caressed the palate as the melded tannins gave way to a smoke and leather finish.  Classic Tempranillo from Rioja and an absolute steal.  I love being introduced to wines like this!  89 points and 5 stars for sure.  Salut….

vina eguia

Senorio del Tallar Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada 2012

30 Monday Jun 2014

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I just recalled where I got this bottle from- Total Wine for $18, it was on special as they were doing a Spanish wine tasting that day.  I’ll be back for more…  I had to look very hard to find any vintage details, but a tiny set of words ‘Cosecha 2012’ gave it away.  I was startled by the color, it was purpley purple in the glass- more so than I have ever seen in wine.  An unmistakable Tempranillo nose of tar, black fruits and earth came wafting over.  The initial profile was of earthy tar and black berries.  The wine is still young with nice tannins and a very gentle acidity, but then I noted “Wow, really young”.  Brooding black cherries on the mid to back end with a deft use of oak made this textbook and juicy, delicious.  This wine is full on, in your face Tempranillo that I can really sink my teeth into.  It is ready now but will age well for another 5-8 years.  I can’t think of a better pairing than with a big steak!  Bang for the buck, this wine rocks.  91 points and 5 stars for this Spanish beauty.  Salut….

Senorio del Tallar Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada

Chateau Musar 1997

16 Monday Jun 2014

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It’s Father’s Day and I decided to go all out with Filet Mignon, steamed Artichokes and a bottle of 1997 Musar.  I recently drank a bottle of the 1999 Musar in Hong Kong, where it brought back great memories of this awesome winery.  I visited them in 2007 and still have four Magnums of various vintages that I brought back.  Diet be damned, I mixed up some tarragon mayonnaise, melted butter and got totally stuck in to some amazing steaks that just came out of my Big Green Egg.

When I tried to open it the cork crumbled.  I had a moment of panic until I managed to coax out the other half.  I was not sure of any floating bits so I ran the first glass through the filtered Vinturi to make sure all was well.  The wine was sublime, typical for the untypical style of this winery.  It showed off orange edges on a red framed body.  The nose was so amazing with perfumes of violets, funk, earth, wild berries and creosote.  I was preparing myself for the oncoming rush of flavors.

A really fresh palate of damson, blueberries, red currants, mint, sage and barnyard were the first impressions.  A crispy acidity pushed through and revealed the well integrated tannins.  Road tar was the component I kept missing all evening, it hit me in the middle of the night.  It’s funny how that could be considered a flavor or smell that would appeal to wine drinkers, yet it does- just like funk and cat’s pee in other varietals.  Speaking of varietals… This wine is a blend of Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan.  It reminds me of aged Barolo, perhaps Burgundy with a Bordeaux strain.  It is magical and alluring.

As the night progressed, so did the bottle.  Initially I was going with 94 points, but the ever present acidity was a touch too much for me and eventually came across as sour cherries. With this detractor I had to drop it to 93, still an impressive score in my opinion.  I believe I paid $36 for it back in the day making it a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Chateau Musar

musar winery

Taken in 2007 on my visit to the winery

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The Filet Mignons

 

Bodegas Muriel Rioja Reserva 2008

06 Friday Jun 2014

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I saw this wine on a flash sale site, 95 points for $15!  What a bargain, so I ordered up 6 and opened one last night with some Sirloins.  I was expecting fireworks, depth, concentration and a halo around the bottle.  Decanter magazine was the giver of such a high rating and put it at number 7 of it’s top 50 wines in 2013.  I was in for a treat, or a big disappointment.

It was the latter.  My expectations were so high that it was nigh on impossible to reach the lofty imaginations.  It was a good bottle, just not excellent.

It was reddish purple in the glass.  On the nose there was earthy loam and blueberries.  Stone fruits and blueberry jam started off the taste profile and there was a noted crispness due to the acidity.  I wrote that the wine was slightly tart, still young with passive tannins but great acidity.  Albeit still only 6 years of age it shows aged Tempranillo characteristics with leather, dust and tobacco all coming out on the back end.  The structure of this wine is interesting and will hold it well for another 10 years minimum.  I think this is a solid 91 point wine worthy of 5 stars.  It drank beautifully by itself and was a great accompaniment to the grilled meat and veggies.  Salut….

bodegas muriel rioja reserva

Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2001

25 Friday Apr 2014

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I can’t believe that this is my 500th post.  Time flies and the wines have been amazing.  I planned this post out as I just had a birthday and was going to open this bottle that night.  Turns out that Moxie had other plans and we went out to dinner where I ordered the amazing Barboursville Octagon 2009.  The Pichon was left to settle itself properly after a decade long slumber, to be paired with some serious slabs of beef and some spicy little sausages.

As I poured this wine I was trying to remember what it was like several years ago.  Young and immature?  Tannic and flabby?  Bordeaux from 2001 was overshadowed by the great 2000 vintage but many are proponents of its elegance and are amazed by its power.  This wine originally scored 92 or better from the pros and went for about $75.  It now retails at $125 or so and is nearly mature.  The colors of the initial pour surprised me a bit, a little bricking on the edges and slightly orange-purple in the glass.  Textbook Paulliac nose though, how I love it.  Cassis, leather, tobacco.  You name it, all rolled up in there.  The first sip was slightly thin for me unfortunately.  The fruit is fading whilst the tannins are in full force.  I let it sit for a while and started to enjoy the nuances of age a little more.  Plums, black currants, that telltale cassis and leather.  Heaven.  The wine is very juicy with a strong acidic streak to go with the fine grained tannins.  I can only hope and pray that this wine is in evolution, shedding the fruit and picking up the mature nuances we yearn for in an aged Classed Growth Bordeaux.  I am getting excited just thinking about the possibilities of the remaining 10 bottles I have.  If indeed the fruit is fading and nothing comes of the secondary flavors I will be devastated.  Perhaps I shall open a bottle every 6 months to gauge the progress?  5 stars from me and a 92 point effort, good luck finding some!  Salut….

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Provenance Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

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I am closing in on 500 blog posts and wanted to lead up to the big one with some great wines.  This one happened to be a gift from a mate so I felt obliged to open it up and let it rip with some juicy Sirloins and grilled corn.  For post #497, it seemed the right thing to do and I was not disappointed.

I was amazed at how dark and dense the wine was in my glass, but it made sense when I had the first whiff.  A brooding nose of black fruits combined with the dark inky purple color set the stage for this Rutherford Cabernet.  Napa style fruit of plums, black berries, chocolate shavings and a touch of heat.  Silky tannins and juicy acidity made this an absolute delight to drink.  I initially made a 90 point note, but then added that it had a drinking window of 2014-2025 because the wine really opened up and showed off its mouth coating muscles.  The grip of these fine tannins was amazing and the finish lasted a good 30 seconds.  I upped my score to 92 and did some research.  It sells for about $35.  That is a steal in my book for top quality Napa Cabernet and I need to stock up on this wine.  It rocks a steak and would even sort out a heavy pasta dish or some barbecue.  5 stars from me.  Salut….

provenance cabernet sauvignon

Barboursville Octagon 2009

21 Monday Apr 2014

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Yesterday was my birthday and Easter, so Moxie took us all out to our local Melting Pot for some Fondue.  I had a quick look at the wine list and immediately knew I was ordering this bottle.  I had previously tasted the 2008 Octagon at the vineyard and was impressed, so when I saw a $50 (at retail) bottle selling for only $72 I knew I was getting a great deal at restaurant pricing.

One word.  Stunning.  On the nose was a mixture of plums, cherries, oak and an earthy note.  Dark purple in color.  I was excited to taste this one and was not disappointed.  A classic Bordeaux blend comprising Merlot, Cab Sav, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.  It tasted just like I imagined it would; cassis, plums, dark cherry, earth and a touch of cedary wood.  Very smooth and integrated tannins made this an amazing wine to savor and the acidity was so well integrated that I made a note ‘sublime acidity’ on my phone.  The wine did not last long as I could not help myself.  It went well with all the dishes of cheese, beef, shrimp with curry sauce and chicken cooked in Coq au Vin broth.

Yes, $50 is spendy for a bottle of wine.  Take into account the situation, the mood and what you are getting for this 92 point wine that I am giving 5 stars to.  I would recommend drinking this wine from 2014-2020, and I reckon it will evolve nicely in that time frame.  It was a magical day of Church, Brunch, afternoon nap followed by a great family dinner and this amazing wine was the crowning touch.  Salut….

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The family plus a friend

The family plus a friend

Relaxing on Easter weekend by the 'pit' before s'mores got the best of them

Relaxing on Easter weekend by the ‘pit’ before s’mores got the best of them

Sena 2010

13 Sunday Apr 2014

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One of my many wine missions is to taste the finest of Chile’s Cabernet Sauvignons.  I have had several high end wines from the region including Almaviva and my perennial favorite- Don Melchor.  Wines like Montes Alpha M have crossed these lips yet that was before this blog existed and I owned a camera phone.  The quality and complexity is amazing when you look at what the New World is capable of doing, taking their own terroir and adding it to the mix.  Skilled winemakers and joint ventures with the likes of the Rothschilds, Mondavi’s and other world famous vintners has unleashed a slew of exceptional wines that should be tasted to be understood.

This particular wine was first founded by Robert Mondavi and Eduardo Chadwick.  It is now in the capable hands of Vina Errazuriz, where they blend the noble Bordeaux grapes into this nectar.  I paid $92 to sample this bottle, it was well worth it.  Friday night, spring, warm weather and some dry rubbed steaks on the charcoal Weber- what more do I need to say.

On the nose I was attacked with Mulberry and Fig jam, gorgeous.  The wine had an amazing smoothness of black berries and blueberry torte.  At 3 years of bottle age, it is very round and the tannins are melding nicely giving an immediate drinking timeframe with another 10 years of cellaring potential.  I could smell and taste the perfume of Cabernet Franc throughout the evening and made a comment that this wine was ‘sexy and perfumed’.  A hint of the Chilean Eucalyptus edged in on the back end but the main profile was definitely a Bordeaux style claret with cassis and a touch of wood to add spice.  It ends with a figgy component that I first got on the nose.  Superb, in a word.  Pricey- sure.  5 stars in my book because I believe this to be a 95 plus wine that I would put up against anything Napa and Bordeaux have got to offer.  I know where to get more, I’ll be right back.  Salut….

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Handcraft Petite Sirah 2012

06 Thursday Mar 2014

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I just love Petite Sirah.   It’s thick, powerful and in my face.  I also like delicate wines that ooze class and reek of finesse.  Tonight though is for the unabashed.  This wine is a serious dark shade of purple, a warning shot of what is to come.  Blackberry and creosote on the nose, in a good way.  Dark fruits and a jammy plum element hit me right off the bat.  The grape is full on with tannins and juicy acidity.  This is night 2 of this bottle and it is drinking beautifully.  Balanced with tons of potential make this a stellar wine.  Retailing at $12 it gets a solid 90 points from me for its depth and complexity.  You know what that means folks- 5 stars!  I am in need of a few more bottles for a dark and stormy nice with some chili, or a beef Bourguignon.   Cellaring for another 5 years would reveal a treasure.  Salut….

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