Tag Archives: 5 stars

Ravenswood Petite Sirah Vintners Blend 2010

13 Saturday Jul 2013

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I’m a big fan of this winery, having had their Zinfandel on several occasions.  You can’t beat the sub $10 price for this inky purple offering that plays like a 25 dollar wine.  On the nose, some spice and blue fruits that translated into plum and blackberries on the palate.  Not overly complex, but interesting.  I am into Petite Sirah in a big way (not to be confused with Sirah-totally different grape folks).  It offers power, yet not in a jammy, over the top style.  This wine was very balanced in my opinion and hit the spot with some teriyaki skirt steaks and corn.  Structure wise, I am not sure it will age beyond 5 years, but who cares, it’s ready to tango right now.  I might need a few bottles in the cellar in case a party breaks out, this wine won’t disappoint.  Technically speaking, this would probably rate an 88 by the pro’s but it’s a 5 star wine for me.

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Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec 2011

01 Monday Jul 2013

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I’m a big fan of this winery and have had this wine from the 2008 and 2009 vintages.  I sang the praises of the 2009 yet missed out on the 2010 for some reason.  Anyway, this latest wine is a little young in my opinion.  Delicious and inviting with its dark fruit and brooding tannins.  Inky purple in the glass, it exudes power and depth.  The acidity is quite pressing, and the tannins are a little green, but given time this wine is going to be delicious.  I imagine it will start to rock in 2015 and continue to roll until 2020 at the very least.  Potentially a 90 point wine, at $22 it rates 5 stars with me.  I am going to cellar a few of these and watch the evolution.

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Carpe Diem Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

25 Tuesday Jun 2013

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I ordered this bottle on our recent Napa trip to pair up with Duck Confit.  Three words come to mind when I think of this Napa Cabernet Sauvignon…….  Atypical, amazing and obvious.

Atypical because this wine does not follow the Napa Cab profile.  It offers delicious Napa fruit, but in a Bordeaux style, with cassis, tobacco and a hefty plum flavor.  On the nose there is a huge amount of blue fruit.  Fine grained tannins and a balanced acidity make this easy to drink, very smooth.

Amazing, because value for money this one is a home run.  At $25 or less you are getting at least 91 points IMHO of excellence.  This wine paired up to the duck with no effort, it would easily handle a juicy New York strip and I would even serve roasted chicken with it.  Talk about versatile.

Obvious, well that stems from the fact that I was so impressed with this wine that I had to research it some more- the winemaking team behind Dominus make this as a second-second label.  Now that I know the pedigree and the lineage, it resembles it’s big brother Dominus, but in a softer, more approachable way.

5 Stars for its value and flavors, 91 points as mentioned on its technical merit.  I am on my way to the local store, hoping for a case or two….

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Trivento Amado Sur 2011

08 Saturday Jun 2013

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Mostly Malbec with a dose of Bonarda and Syrah, this little gem fits between the Malbec Reserve and Golden Reserve of which I am very fond of.  Deftly made with subtle oak, there is a serious tannic compound to this wine which will hold it together in the cellar for years to come.  Dark purple in the glass with very interesting blueberry notes and some mintiness on the nose.  On the palate is where the blueberry driven Malbec mixes it up with the red fruits of the Bonarda and Syrah.  I’m not sure where the tannins are derived from, but they just wont quit.  I was licking my lips forever after each sip, the mouth puckering was amazing, in a good way.  The acidity was bright and balanced in this wine.  It finished with a plumminess that was somewhat jamlike, which I enjoyed.  89 points in my book and a 5 star wine for the price.  This winery keeps on delivering the goods, a must have for the cellar to be enjoyed for the next 7 years.  Salut!

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Van Ruiten Old Vines Zinfandel 2010

27 Monday May 2013

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Wow.  What a beautiful Zinfandel.  This wine was absolutely delicious.  Plums and blueberry galore, on the nose, the palate, the finish.  Not jammy, like many over-the-top Zins, but smooth, mellow and refined.  I can see a lot of care has been put into crafting this wine.  The winemaker has worked the old vine grapes into a powerful wine, yet hiding the massive 14.5% alcohol behind a balanced canvas of sweet tannins and bright acidity.  Very complex once you start to delve into it, the wine offered up some nuances that will no doubt further evolve when the wine is cellared.  I imagine it will develop over the next 6 years and drink beautifully until 2020 at the least.  For sure a 5 star wine and 91 points in my opinion.  If you can find a bottle of this, snag it…  Well worth the effort.

PS. This wine was a gift from a friend, I am duly grateful that he was able to share this spectacular bottle.

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Barboursville Malvaxia 2007

18 Saturday May 2013

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If you have just read my previous post about this winery’s Phileo, you will know that it rocked my world.  Having the Malvaxia right after that one was like winning the World Series followed by the Superbowl, in one evening.  Talk about perfection, here it is, in two lithe little bottles.

At $32 for a skinny little 375 ml bottle, this one is not cheap.  The grapes are made in the Passito style, where they are air dried for a while to concentrate the juice and produce this elixir.  Oak barrel aged for an eternity, the wine is deep in color and has an almost honeyed look and consistency.  A huge nose of creme caramel and apricot just seemed to melt its way onto the palate.  Layers of aromatics came forth from the Muscat and Vidal blend transcending into an almost syrupy compote of ripe pineapple meets apricots and almonds.  Very complex without being cloying, the weight of this wine is perfectly balanced by the acidity.  A huge finish that seems to carry on forever.  We drank this one after the lighter Phileo, by itself.  It doesn’t need accompaniment, in fact it would take center stage if you tried to add any desserts to this stunning wine.  My only mistake was to chill it in the fridge for a while.  Unbeknownst to me, it shows far better at room temperature and I was able to enjoy the second part of it as such.  I am grateful to have been able to visit the Barboursville Winery where I first tasted this wine, now I know where I can stock up on it!  Technically speaking a 96 point wine, a huge score.  I have to be honest and say this wine deserves 5 stars, even at such a steep price.  The process and time involved in making this wine must be monumental, kudos to the winemaker.

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Barboursville Phileo NV

18 Saturday May 2013

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NV- Non-vintage.  Phileo- Greek for ‘Love for special things’.

I’m not Greek, but I love this wine.  It is a blend of Moscato and Gewurztraminer that is made in a low alcohol, dessert style whilst keeping its acidity and defying the cloying trait associated with most ‘stickies’.  I served this one right out of the fridge on a warm evening.  Absolutely perfect.  The Gewurz brings that delicious apricot and honey to the nose and palate, while the Moscat has its own additions of peach and rose.  The nose went forever and followed smoothly onto the palate.  A razor sharp acidity cuts in right at the end, perfectly timed.  A long finish had me reeling for more.  When I first tasted this wine at Barboursville, I loved it and bought two bottles.  Now that I have had it at home, in the right surroundings and in the right frame of mind- I wish I had more.  At about $16 per bottle, this wine absolutely, 100% rocked my wine world.  Albeit a ‘dessert’ wine, I would easily drink this as a pre-dinner aperitif, with starters of foie gras and definitely with dessert/cheese plates.  We sorted out some brownies with ours.  I am convinced that this wine is a 94 pointer and if I could give it 6 stars I would.  Bravo….

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Quinta Do Crasto 2009

15 Wednesday May 2013

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A re-taste from 2012 that gave me nothing at the time.  The Quinta Do Crasto 2009 that I previously tasted was absolutely closed, off-limits, nada, nothing.  This time around, much more open on both the nose and the palate.  Indeed, a rather high scoring wine.  Let’s start with the beautiful purple hue in the glass.  On the nose, gorgeous plums and blueberry.  On the attack, blackberry and spicy oak.  It’s hard to nail any varietal because this one is a  blend according to the label.  I do however, get some Touriga notes, which I love.  This Reserva was bottled in 2011 after 16 months in oak, both French and American.  I will say that I am starting to notice a little heat, wondering if the 14.5% alcohol is in balance.  I think with some more time, it will hide behind the really silky tannins that are still in force.   A long life ahead for this unfiltered wine, with further evolution that will be interesting to see.

I keep sniffing the glass, getting more depth all the time.  This is a serious wine folks, I’m glad I reserved judgement.  I would like to visit it again in 2015.  For now, this bottle is giving me a 92 point opinion  and at the decent price of around $40, 5 stars.  I would get a few for the cellar if you like Portuguese wines, this one rocks.

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It’s my birthday

21 Sunday Apr 2013

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Well, it was and we celebrated a bit early because I was traveling.  Moxie indulged me with some Filet Mignons and I dutifully obliged with one of my last 1996 Lynch Bages.

I bought a case of this wine at a Parisian wine shop circa 1998 soon after its release.  I have been slipping a bottle out of the cellar every Christmas for a few years and decided to treat myself to one this week.  I can honestly say that this was one of the finest bottles of wine I have ever had.  There is little else a bottle of wine can do for me that this one didn’t.  Stored in the dark cave, it has matured and is starting to hit its peak at 16 years of age.  On the nose pure Paulliac cassis and blueberry.  On the first wave of palate covering richness there was blackberry, cassis and tobacco, followed by leather and cedarbox.  Not a hint of imbalance and absolutely gorgeous tannins caressed my mouth.  I forgot to time the finish, but it seemed to last forever.  The depth of concentration was so amazing that I just kept sipping, almost not wanting to spoil the tasting with food.  I could have sat there all night savoring every drop, but alas the steaks had to be grilled.  I pray that I still have more in the cellar and will vow to drink the next one in one year’s time.

A show stopping 95 pointer that I must give 5 stars to.  I just looked at pricing- currently running at about $150 per bottle, I think I paid $45 back in the day.  Stupendous wine that has truly rewarded my patience and cellaring.  I am grateful to the have been able to enjoy such magnificence.  Good night.

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Barboursville Chardonnay 2011 Redux

01 Monday Apr 2013

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I wrote about the Barboursville Chardonnay previously and had forgotten about the tasting.  I then went to the winery and promised to taste the wine in earnest.  Well, not much has changed of my opinion.  Straight up 89 pointer with 5 stars clanging around it, singing its praises.  This is a really good example of what a clean-cut Chardonnay is all about.  Lean, racy apple infused with a sharp set of razor blades to zip along your tongue.  I served this wine at a slightly higher temperature than at the previous tasting, some of the nuances were more obvious and the mouthfeel was even rounder. Really, you need to get some of this.

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