Tag Archives: $60

Bledsoe Family Winery ‘Flying B’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Walla Walla Valley, USA

16 Sunday Sep 2018

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Number 4 in the line up, it followed a hard act.  This is Drew Bledsoe’s brand (NFL QB).

Medium opacity in the glass.  The nose starts off with a lot of wood.  I swirl and swirl to finally get violet, damson and stone.  On the palate it is quite young, bracingly tannic and somewhat shut down for business.  What I do coax out of it include plums, fir tree essence, mocha.  The finish is very dry and decent in length.  90 points is a decent score for this winery’s first vintage Cabernet Sauvignon.  At $60 it’s a step up from everyday drinking wines, but it gets a decent 90 points from me and 4 stars.  I would cellar it for a while and drink from 2020-2037.  Pair it with some hearty grilled meats, Venison or even Osso Bucco.  Salut….

Arista Pinot Noir 2015, Russian River Valley, USA

16 Sunday Sep 2018

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The second bottle at the wine shop tasting….  unfortunately not a good sample.

A dark red in the glass, more serious for a Pinot Noir.  The nose is off as the wine has been open too long- however…. the palate offers a much richer expression of dark red fruits and cinnamon.  No rating as it would not reflect well.  However, a search on the web shows it available for $60 and gets decent 90+ scores.  Salut….

Hall Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa Valley, USA

26 Sunday Aug 2018

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Just looking at it I see a brooding monster.  It is nearly black, fully opaque and taunting me. The nose is – wow.  

Black cherry, plum jam, black currant and sassafras.  The initial palate is thick with dark fruit compote, plum ganache, luscious oak and tannins that are en pointe.  Plums really come out on the mid palate alongside a cedar shake note.  The tannins start to grip and by the time I get to the finish they have me licking my gums.  The dryness lingers forever and my teeth feel gritty- I’m loving it.  This is a delightful sensation in the wine appreciation sense.

The finish, dry as hell, also features a mint meets eucalyptus oil note which I find intriguing.  This is a delicious, structured wine that will cellar for the mid term but is drinkable now if you like some bite.  91 points and 4 stars for this $60 effort.  If you like sunny Napa fruit and bold Cabs, this one is for you.  Serve with a juicy steak or a roasted leg of Lamb.  Salut….

Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Napa Valley, USA

02 Saturday Jun 2018

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The last time I tasted the 2009 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon was in 2014.  This bottle was cellared until now.  I’m doing up a Tri-Tip roast on the grill to accompany it alongside some sautéed asparagus and heirloom tomatoes.

It shows a very dark, brooding purple in the glass, which is what I expect from a powerhouse Napa Cabernet.  The nose is lush, plummy, full of fruit and a touch of oak.  After another swirl I also get blackberry in waves.  On the palate this wine is absolutely amazing.  Layers of black and blue fruit, finely grained tannins and a balance so precise between the acidity and dryness.  Ripe plums, sweet blackberries and vanilla bean are very concentrated.  Great extraction of fruit without overdoing it. I just read the label, 85% Cab Sav, 9% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc and a dash of Petit Verdot- which makes this a classical old-school Bordeaux blend.  Malbec being the  kicker, they don’t use it much these days over there.

The mid palate of this wine exhibits plum pie, black olive and some coffee bean.  The tannins start to reveal a slight astringency, but I am still digging it.  The finish is medium in length with more of that coffee thing I caught earlier.  Meat is what this wine begs for.  Roast it, grill it, braise it….  92 points from me for this $60 beauty.  4 stars.  Drink now till 2025.  Salut….

Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou ‘La Croix de Beaucaillou’ 2010, Saint-Julien, France

18 Friday May 2018

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This is the second wine of Ducru Beaucaillou, and comes from the good 2010 vintage.  I have been given 2 bottles from my buddy, it’s Friday night and there are Porterhouses that need some company.

It looks somewhat murky in the glass, somewhat opaque in depth.  The nose is classic Bordeaux.  Cassis, leather, tobacco, dark fruits.  I am excited.  The palate offers up delicious Claret flavors, black berries, tobacco, cassis, leather and that classic terroir that you only get from the region.  The wine transcends the whole palate with the same flavor profile.  Tannins are well integrated and the acidity is barley noticeable, but balanced.  The wine has a decent length finish that keeps giving that Saint Julien terroir.  I am really enjoying this wine and it is drinking on pointe.  The steaks are going to pair beautifully, alongside the roasted Sprouts, Radishes and Beetroot.  I am going 92 points on this wine, it is rich, full bodied, flavorful and will age for another 10 years.  $60 is not a cheap price, but when the moment arrives- this is a great wine to pop.  5 stars from me.  Salut….

Chateau Gloria 2010, Saint-Julien, France

22 Sunday Apr 2018

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My buddy brought this wine, which I was really excited to try.  Unfortunately, it was a major let down.  Color was right but the nose and flavors were earthy with a tar note.  I did not bother to write further as I was really tired and just wanted to relax.  Overall, I would have given this wine 86 points and probably a pass for the $60 price tag….until I read some more posts about it on the web.  It rated very highly with the pros and sells for its price point, so maybe I got an off bottle.  I will reserve further judgement until I get another opportunity.  Too bad.  Salut….

Cliff Lede Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, USA 2012

23 Friday Dec 2016

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An invite to my old college buddy’s house revealed this bad boy waiting to happen.  We started with a Merlot I had brought and moved into this one shortly thereafter.

Nearly black in the glass with a nose of black berries, black cherries and oak, but in a mild mannered way.  The initial attack is bold, bright and tannic.  Tons of dark fruit, cassis and espresso.  The mid palate is somewhat muted by the tannins which push through to the finish where they really shine.  The balance is slightly off between the acidity and fruit being overcome by the tannins- give this wine a few years in the cellar.  90 points from me which coincides with WS.  RP gave it 93 points, I can’t see that personally. Delicious wine but pricey at $60 per bottle make this a 3 star effort and worthy of cellaring for that special occasion.  It would rock a well marbled Ribeye, Leg of Lamb or in our case- homemade Meatballs in a Marinara sauce.  Salut….

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Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

27 Monday Oct 2014

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One thing I love about the Fall is cooking Sunday Roast.  Being half English, it’s in my blood to bang out Beef, roast veggies, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.  The Brits wouldn’t  serve up such fare without a bottle or two of Claret (Bordeaux red).  I switched it up a touch and went west, to Napa.  This wine was simply amazing.

Huge nose of violets, plums and blue fruits from a beautiful purple-hued glass.  Big mouthfulls of black plums, dark currants and absolutely gorgeous tannins greeted me right off the bat. Perfectly balanced with a hint of acidity and a polished finish that lasted forever. I later got olives, fig paste and perhaps a touch of eaucalyptus. This is a stunning wine. 93 points for me for this $60 effort make it a 4 star wine.  Salut….

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Pablo Gran Viu Finca Santiaga 2004

03 Thursday Jul 2014

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Wow, this wine was good….Blackberry and herbs on the nose after coaxing, it seemed closed at first but opened nicely.  Juicy acidity, melded tannins and a core of black fruits with an earthy touch were my introduction.  The wine is big, bold and powerful, packing a 15.5% punch which never showed up. Plums on the mid palate with some teeth searing tannins became evident as the wine evolved.  What had started out as a mature wine quickly transformed into a rather young wine (at 10 years of age already).  I timed a long finish with some road tar, black berries and orange peel on the tail end, quite complex.  This wine is till too young- 2015-2025 would be my guess.  It is a blend of Grenache, Carignan and Vidadillo from Aragon in Spain. It got high marks from the pro’s and I agree with their 94 points.  I found it online for about $60.  4 stars for this complex wine with great cellaring potential.  Salut….

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Broadbent Porto 2003

12 Sunday Jan 2014

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I love Port, but never seem to have any lying around so I only drink it when out to dinner.  I bought two bottles of this Vintage Port before Christmas and gave one to my parents, they love the stuff.  I opened my bottle last week and have been sipping on it every so often.

Gorgeous stuff is all I can say.  Dark flowing purple in the glass it explodes with aromas of blackcurrant, cassis and earth.  Slippery smooth on the palate make this a treat to drink.  Dark plum compote and blackberry tart come to mind with some leather and sweet candy- like twizzlers.  A generous use of wood is balanced out with loads of fruit weight.  The wine is somewhat tannic, which I thoroughly enjoyed along with a balance of fine acidity.  I did not decant the wine but the bottle showed signs of residue in case you have one lying around.  The cellaring potential for this wine is long, perhaps until 2030 at the least.  The back label has a ton of information relating to maturation, varietals, etc.  I won’t bore you with the details, suffice to say it’s a delectable wine that finishes a nice meal in grand style.  93 points from me and a retail price of $60 make this a 5 star wine to be brought out for special occasions (mine happened to be a delayed Christmas season!).  Salut….

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