Tag Archives: $55

Chateau Musar White 2010, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

21 Wednesday Jul 2021

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Here is my class note on a wine I have tasted before that is divine and should feature in any cellar worth its salt. For $55, it’s not a cheap intro to these two unique grapes that make the blend, but this winery has done something very special here and it needs to be tried. I am going with 91 points and 4 stars. Salut….

Chateau Musar White 2010, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon 12.5% ABV

  • Appearance- deep gold.
  • Nose- pronounced aromas of lemon, grapefruit, quince, wet stones, passion fruit, blossom, acacia and nuts.  Developing.
  • Palate- dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium (+) body, medium (+) intensity flavors of lemon, grapefruit, quince, wet stones, passion fruit, blossom, acacia and nuts with a long finish.
  • Conclusion- very good quality wine that can be drunk now, but has potential for aging.

An amazing blend of Merwah and Obaideh from my native Lebanon.  These two grapes are thought to be closely related to Semillon and Chardonnay.  This is a young wine at 10 years of age from this iconic winery who make whites that will outlast their reds.  A cellar tour in 2008 showed thousands of bottles that were vinted in the 1930’s and ‘40s.  Their wines are long lived even though the acidity is not high, a strange phenomenon.  The body is quite weighty even though the alcohol is relatively low.  Delicious now, this will no doubt start to gain more tertiary flavors and aromas and continue to evolve for many years to come.  Unique stuff.

Azienda Agricola Gabutti Boasso Barolo ‘Gabutti’ 2016, Barolo DOCG, Italy

12 Friday Feb 2021

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This young Nebbiolo is 50% opaque and has a beautiful crimson hue in the glass. Thick legs bely the potent 15% alcohol. On the nose I get cranberries, cherry, anise and leather- textbook. On the palate it is delicious, if not young. The tannins are formidable but I manage to break through the barrier and taste Bing cherries, leather, espresso and black tea. The tannins are gripping on the mid-palate, so much so that the top of my gums feel abused by rough hewn rope. The finish is a terrifically dry affair but the red fruits come through as does a balancing acidity. This is a delicious infant of a monster wine. With proper aeration, decating or extended cellaring it will soften and develop into a beautiful bottle. For now, you will need to pair it with a fatty meat, like I am with Rack of Lamb- or decant over a full day. 93 points from me as I see the potential in this wine and look forward to our next meeting. At $55 it is typically priced for a Barolo, which are never cheap. I am going with 5 stars as I think this one will reward some patience and be delicious by 2025. Drink till 2033. Salut….

Domaine Pascal et Mireille Renaud Vers Cras 2018, Pouilly-Fuissé, France

01 Friday Jan 2021

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This Chardonnay pours a rich gold in color and shows off some nice legs in the glass. The nose is very crisp with lemon rind, green almond, passion fruit and pineapple. The palate is very mineral driven with citrus backing it up whilst melon, more passion fruit and a touch of yeast co-mingle with some lithe acidity. The mid palate is warmer, fuller and less acidic. The flavors are rounder with more of the tropical fruit notes. The finish reverts back to being juicy from the citrus and acidity. It’s quite decent in length to boot. The minerality gives this wine some verve while the fruit shines. It is delicious and will pair beautifully with our shrimp scampi. Drink this 91 point Burgundy till 2029. At $55 it’s pricy and gets 4 stars. Salut….

Beaulieu Vineyard BV Reserve Tapestry 2007, Napa Valley, USA

02 Monday Mar 2020

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This is the third tasting of the Tapestry over an eight year period.  The cork broke in half which gave cause for concern, the bottom part showing off a deep stain, nearly black.  That normally bodes well for me, except the failed cork part.

The wine still has a lovely purple hue with a touch of orange bricking.  The nose gives off tons of leather, tobacco, some red currants and black cherry.  The palate is focused and concentrated.  Tertiary flavors are forefront- earthiness, that parched tobacco and leather …  black fruits appear after a while but it’s not a seamless transition.  The wine has very integrated tannins and a nice streak of acidity.  It’s holding up well for 13 years old, but I would drink by 2027.  It has evolved well and will continue to soften, shedding the fruit along the way.  It’s a nice Napa Cab that gets 90 points from me and can be found for $55.  4 stars.  Salut….

Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay 2014, Santa Cruz Mountains, USA

05 Thursday Dec 2019

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Bright yellow/gold in the glass, a stunning color.  On the nose- creme brûlée, yellow apple, almond shavings… super complex.  The palate brings me back to reality.  Apple, pineapple and a nice acidic bite transition me to a midpalate of waxy apple, nutmeg and pineapple.  The finish has me wondering what is making my gums feel dry.  Acidity is on pointe and the creme brûlée reappears.  Fantastic wine.  93 points and for $55 I have to go with 5 stars.  It’s not for everyday, cellar a bottle or two and open on a special occasion- mine was Thanksgiving.  Salut….

Chateau Brane-Cantenac 2012, Margaux, France

01 Friday Mar 2019

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Rich purple hues in the glass with classic Bordeaux notes on the palate.  Cassis, lovely oak and dark cherry are dominant on the nose.  On the palate it is slightly thinner than expected but its litheness is appreciated.  Plums, blackberry reduction, black olives and charcoal dominate the initial palate.  Very lithe tannins peak on the mid palate with very slight acidity countering them.  The finish is where the astringency kicks in with black tea, black currants and spice box.  This wine is drinking very nicely now and will improve over the next 10 years.  92 points and 4 stars for this $55 Grand Cru.  Salut….

Turley Napa Valley Petite Syrah 2016, Napa Valley, California

26 Saturday Jan 2019

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Nearly black in the glass.  Blackcurrant and smoky wood on the nose.   On the palate it offers black cherry, dark currants, superb tannins and olives.  The midpalate gets a dose of dryness from the tannins to go with more dark berries.  The finish is blackberry coulis, tea and a touch of wood.  Overall a very good but young wine that needs two to three years in the cellar.  After that- drink till 2028 with heavy duty meat dishes.  91 points for now.  I would love to revisit in 3 years.  $55 makes this a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Eagles Trace Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Napa Valley, USA

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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I have previously had the Eagle’s Trace Cabernet, in Magnum.  Dark purple with a touch of brick.  On the nose it has a bit of funk- hoping it blows off. Black cherry, cola, eucalyptus hit me after a hard swirl.  On the palate it shows red fruits- a rich acidity and fine grained tannins.  Raspberry, cherries jubilee and an oak influence all hit.  The mid palate gets me back to cola.  Sassafras appears on the tail end where the tannins start to grip and the mouthfeel turns astringent.  Enjoyable if you like a dry finish.  89 points and not a bad choice for Thanksgiving that included a smoked turkey as well as a deep fried one.  It did not hold up as well as I had hoped.  For $55 it gets 2 stars from me.  Salut….

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Chateau Leoville-Las Cases ‘Clos du Marquis’2006, Saint-Julien, France

17 Friday Aug 2018

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I have had the 2005 Close Du Marquis, twice.  This vintage is not as solid and lacks depth.  My Danish buddy brought it to our tasting and we saved it for the finale.  Unfortunately, the best was not saved for last- the best was the Pioneer Pinot that we tasted first.

Very dark and opaque in the glass.  The nose resonates with plums, Kirsch and Pepsi cola.  The palate has a definitive edge- plums, gripping tannins, acidity and pencil lead.  Cassis appears on the mid with a blue fruit and cedar component.  The finish is somewhat short, but pleasant with kirsch and cassis dominating while the  tannins recede.  89 points and for $55, 3 stars.  Salut….

Chateau Cantemerle 2001, Haut-Medoc, France

16 Friday Jun 2017

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Last night I had an old College friend over for dinner.  We ate Brisket, as can be seen in my previous post.  While it was still cooking we have heavy hors d’ouerves and I opened up a stunning set of wines.  The 2001 vintage from Bordeaux has been quietly sitting in my cellar and I really should get to drinking them, time flies and most wines fade.  So, we started out with the amazing 2001 Chateau Cantermerle, which has been drinking well for a decade now.  The first tasting note I wrote was in 2011, the wine has only gotten better and more defined.  The secondary flavors are in place, the fruit is still present and the tannins are fully melded.  A great 91 point wine that I really enjoyed.  I purposely did not write notes, I just wanted to enjoy the moment and relish the wines.  A quick check online shows this one available for $55, making it a 5 star effort even at 16 years of age!  Well done.  Salut….