Tag Archives: 5 stars

Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay 2009

17 Monday Dec 2012

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I have known that this wine is good for several years, having noticed it in Wine Spectator’s top 100 for several years now. A friend even claimed it was the best Chardonnay he had ever tasted! I’m a fan of their pinot noir, in a big way. This winery makes Burgundian style wines from California’s cooler-climate Santa Cruz mountains. My style…for sure.
Back to the wine….deelish. Apple tart on the nose gives way to a lush, buttery lemon meets green apple on the palate. Very full and rich without being over-oaked. Did I mention a beautiful pale golden color? I wish I had more experience with white wines to really pass judgement on this wine as I reckon it is a top notch effort, yet I can’t get my head around the price. My general knowledge of whites is limited, but I can say this is a really good wine. It got 91+ points from the pro’s. I can’t give it a score but would see it as a 5 point wine if the points/price are considered. If you like Chardonnay, you need to try this wine.

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Lapis Luna ‘Moon Eyes’ 2007

02 Sunday Dec 2012

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Wow! I am absolutely stunned by the nose of this wine. Unique, full force and unfamiliar. This wine is a different beast that has really peaked my interest. Hard core Cabernet on the nose, with black and blue fruits fighting for pole position.
Somooth….. Like buttah. I’m talking about mouth caressing tannins co-mingling with the over-abundant fruit in this hedonistic effort. Dark brooding fruit and balanced acidity on the palate hold out for a medium finish. I wonder if this wine will further improve….. Who cares, it’s so good you need to drink it now. A serious 5 star wine in my books, 91 points or higher if I were a pro taster….this is not a BBQ wine. It is fine by itself and would pair nicely with Filet.

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Francois Montand Brut NV

28 Wednesday Nov 2012

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Every year in November we host a Holiday Open House at Moxie’s store.  I am in charge of the refreshments and this year was no exception to the rule. Easy going and smooth sparkling wine, chilled and served in flutes with reckless abandon. The ladies love it…. I buy the same wine most years as I have found it to be reasonable, enjoyable and plentiful. I had to fly out of town that night, so only got to sample the wine, not really taste it. Check out my notes and get yourself some for the holidays as this is a 5 star sparkler in my opinion worthy of 86 points, not bad for a $12 bottle.
Nose- fresh pear and yeasty apple (in a good way). Medium mousse with pale golden colors. Creamy bubbles of dried green apple and slight caramel. Long finish that is sure to please. A truly amazing value that keeps on giving. I have bought over 100 bottles of this stuff in the past years, never been disappointed.

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Vieux Chateau des Combes 2009

11 Sunday Nov 2012

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Boom, 5 stars. Right off the bat, this is a really nice wine. If you remember, I award stars based on price, quality and overall drinkability. This one rocks all the points in a great manner. Remember that 2009 was a really good vintage in France and St. Emilion wines are generally Merlot based. This one has Cabs Franc and Sauvignon blended in for that extra umph.
Dark purple in the glass, it gives off blueberry and cedar in the nose. The first mouthfull is just jam packed with juicy blueberries and some cassis. Absolutely perfect tannins are perceptible, yet unobtrusive. Balance- perfect. This is seriously delicious wine, I am flabbergasted.
Not a huge, cellaring Bordeaux, this one will no doubt impress and please you for the next 8 years. Delicious by itself, I would pair it with Filet Mignon, roast chicken or game bird. It could potentially develop secondary flavors, but it’s not necessary. Delicious and fresh as it is, I need to get a case. Easily a 91 point wine in my best guess. Love it…..

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Armida Poizin 2009

26 Friday Oct 2012

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Who could argue with this label and the packaging?  This is the second wine I have tried from Armida, and I’m happy to say they both rock my inner Zin.  Weighing in at 14.5 % alcohol, you could be misled into thinking this would be an overripe, jammy, hot Zinfandel.  Wrong….  By a mile.

On the nose, blackberry meets plum with a dose of freshness.  On the palate, blueish berry compote and plum with a faint hint of spice that is characteristic of Zinfandel.  Very balanced and complex, with no hint of the heat, this wine is drinking beautifully right now.  I could not get any tannic structure, but feel like it would last another 3-5 years.  It’s a strange beast, with all the pieces of the the big, jammy, highly laden Zin, yet it fits a completely different mold.  Subdued, a charmer with strength and poise.  This is a great Zinfandel that defies logic and hits it for me on all cylinders.  5 stars, and 92 points.  BTW, I paired it with Moroccan Chicken cooked in a Tagine with apricots, cinnamon, raisins and cumin.  The sweetness of the meal was perfectly balanced by the boldness and acidity of the wine.  PPS.  Before I forget, I tasted this wine as I started cooking dinner and noticed myself salivating after 30 seconds.  It really is that good.

Miller ‘The Works’ GSM 2007

08 Saturday Sep 2012

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The great blend of the Rhone- Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre. Very gorgeous plummy nose gives way to red fruits exploding in a certain freshness that leaves a great mouthfeel. A child at 5, the tannins are well stocked and ready for the next 10 years of drinking. A very well made wine IMHO. I would love to revisit in 5 years- betting some barny type secondary stuff comes out, the kinds that excite me. 5 star effort, 92 points if I were rating it.

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Lyeth Meritage 2009

31 Friday Aug 2012

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A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot and Cabernet Franc that make this my style of wine. Purple in the glass and full of blueberry on the nose it hits the palate with a nice dose of tannin, acidity and blue fruitiness. Definitely California in heritage, it shows what can be done in the blending room. Rich and mature fruit combined in a Bordeaux style that us drinkable right now and has some cellaring potential. I would be really excited to see this vintage in 3-5 years. I reckon it has potential to develop some tertiary flavors which gets me excited. For the price, this is good and I will give it 5 stars for its sheer ability to impress at such a great QPR. I think it got high 80’s scoring. 89 would be about right. I’m serving it up with some London Broil tonight- yummy.

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Sean minor Pinot Noir 2009

21 Tuesday Aug 2012

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Known as Four Bears, this is bang-for-the-buck Pinot that I am digging.

Given to me as a gift, I researched the price- $13 on average. Can you say “I’ll take a case…..”

Strawberry on the nose, lots of it. A clean attack of raspberry meets strawberry on a really nice palate with very subdued tannins and excellent balance of acidity. Massive 14.5% alcohol is not noticeable (until later), with a great feeling in the mouth. My cheeks are puckering, and also anticipating the next mouthfull. This is really enjoyable, either by itself or with a medium dish (I had Jerk Chicken). Loving the value of this well crafted Pinot at 5 stars… Seriously. Perhaps an 89 pointer because it shows good primal characteristics, yet I doubt there is an afterlife. Everyone needs some of this- gitsum………

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Irony Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

13 Monday Aug 2012

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A very decent offering from Napa that won’t break the bank.  A nice nose full of blue fruits gives way to a blueberry infused compote on the palate.  Very slight tannins are set up nicely for immediate drinking that will last until 2015 at least.  I must say, it’s rather ‘juicy’, which is perfect for me right now.  They have a done a great job with this wine.  For QPR, it doesn’t get much better than this.  A good buy for just about any occasion that balances pleasure, drinkability and budget.  Bang for the buck gets this one 5 stars and perhaps a pro rating of 89-  go get some…..

Chateau St. Thomas 2006

10 Friday Aug 2012

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I previously wrote about the 2005 vintage.  Not much has changed in my opinion.  Bordeaux-like with great fruit and cassis, I also noted some leather?  Not as tannic as the ’05, but definitely has a good backbone.  A longish finish that did not surprise me as this wine is well made.  Inky purple in the glass, this wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah that weighs in at 14%.  The back label states that it was aged in new French Oak for 18 months, which IMHO has made it very smooth.  Others have complained about the oak treatment, but it did not bother me at all.  The French Judges gave it accolades as can be seen on the front label.  I would give this one 5 stars again, and perhaps a 90 point rating is due…  I just wish I could buy it locally instead of waiting for a relative to hump back a bottle or two from Lebanon.