Tag Archives: $72

Chateau Musar 2000, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

27 Sunday Nov 2022

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When I select wines for our Virtual Wine Tasting Company I save one for the last bottle in the series.  We have drunk various vintages of Chateau Musar but this closer was the most controversial of them all and also my wine of the night/series/case etc.  I loved it.  Others hated it.

Pale to medium garnet it is textbook Musar in appearance with that gorgeous orange tint in the glass.  Also textbook- sweaty horse aromas with stewed cherry, strawberry compote, tobacco, leather and Brett.  Right up my alley.  The palate is dry with medium (-) acidity, medium (-) tannins and pronounced flavors of baked cherry, pomegranate syrup, tobacco, leather, earth and a touch of that funk.  Extremely well balanced, this medium bodied wine showed off a long finish- very impressive for a bottle with 22 years of age.  A spectacular wine that I awarded 94 points to and will look for again.  An equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan runs $72 a bottle it gets 5 stars from me.  Pairing-wise it is difficult to imaging drinking this wine with any food.  It has such unique, amazing flavors that need to be savored in isolation.  Salut….

 

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

06 Wednesday Jul 2016

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Every July 4th we drive to visit friends in North Carolina.  It’s a huge party with loads of drinking, grilling, golfing and family fun.  I usually take a few bottles, this year it was a Magnum of my Naughty Dragon and a 2004 Rioja from Miros, also in Magnum.  When we arrived, our host was quick to point out two bottles of the 2013 Caymus he had purchased for that evening’s Shish Kebabs.  I was excited as we had drunk the 2012 Caymus last year and really enjoyed my initial foray into some serious Napa Cabs. This vintage was no exception.

Rich hues of purple in the glass, as is expected. Nose of (eucalyptus perhaps?), dark fruits and some blueberry hints. First off, this wine has gorgeous tannins straight up. The fruit follows, with plum, black kirsch, cassis and nutmeg. Typical Napa Cab: bold, layered, tannic and fruity. This one drinks nicely now and will evolve over the next 10 years. I think it merits 91 points and offers a perfect pairing to shish kebabs, a juicy ribeye or perhaps some lamb stew.  The pro’s were much more impressed.  RP gave it 94 while WS gave it a 92, perhaps explaining the price bump all the way up to $72 and the fact that most shops are sold out.  This is a good, solid pedigree from Napa that keeps delivering and is not overly pricy in the grand scheme of special bottles.  I will go with 3 stars.  Salut….

cayman napa cabernet 2013

 

Francois Parent ‘Les Fremiets’ Volnay Premier Cru Cote de Beaune

09 Thursday Jun 2016

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A Burgundy I bought back in 2008 and sat on for a few years, forgetting I even had it. Pouring the first glass reminded me of a Malbec, rich and purply.  Not what I was expecting from a Pinot Noir, but let’s see what comes of it.

A nose of bramble, dark plums and an earthy component.  I am intrigued…  The first sip is smooth, with hints of cherry, cola, a touch of acidity and a barely noticeable amount of tannin.  The second sip reveals strawberry/rhubarb crumble and some spicebox.  The mid-palate exhibits a smooth transition for the tannins to come out along with the dark fruits and mushroom (Ps. The label has a picture of a truffle, perhaps hinting at something).  The tingling on my gums is evident after a fews sips.  The wine is still very young and slightly closed.  The finish shows off the Burgundian earth, some cherry and lashings of fine grained tannins.  I hardly ever sense tannic components in Pinot Noir, but this wine most definitely has structure with tannins and acidity that will allow it to develop for another 10 years at the least.  I am going with 92 points on this wine and wished I had another bottle to open in 8 years or so, I bet it goes all funky with secondary flavors of earth, barnyard and everything else that aged Burgundy has to offer the patient amongst us.   I found it online for $72, making this a 4 star effort for the cellar.  Drink 2022-2026.  WS gave it 93 points BTW.  It comes in at a very enjoyable 13% alcohol, which is a major shift from today’s highly extracted monsters that weigh it at 15+%.  Enjoy this one all by itself when it is ready to go, or perhaps with a rustic roast Chicken, maybe even braised beef ribs.  Salut….

francois parent les fremiets volnay premier cru cote de beaune burgundy france

Mollydooker Carnival Of Love 2011

14 Friday Feb 2014

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This is the third installment in my 4 year vertical of Mollydooker’s Carnival Of Love.  Check back later for the finale, it’s gonna be the 2012..  I hate to sound like I’m repeating myself, but the wines are very close in profile year after year and yet they offer annual nuances that I find intriguing.  The 2011 had the same telltale inky purple appearance and the nose had the same basic components yet I also got cherry and violets on this one.  I grew up in Kenya where my mother started collecting African Violets, she does so to this day.  They have a unique fragrance that is unmistakable to me.  This wine had traces of purple.

On the initial attack I was amazed by the piercing blueberry core.  It was like I was slurping pure blueberry essence, but not the sweet kind- just magnified and intense.  Later on came the nuances of cola, nutmeg and some plum action.  This wine is super smooth and very silky with traceable tannins lurking in the background.  I did not notice as much acidity as the 2010 but the wine was totally in balance.  It’s funny how this vintage scored slightly lower with the pro’s yet I find it more appealing over the previous year!  I believe 93 was awarded by RP and I agree this time.  I paid $72 for it on my worldly travels and give it 4 stars.  I served this wine up with some Scampi Shrimp and Garlic Broccoli, a pairing I kind of regret.  It needs a nice leg of Lamb or perhaps a juicy steak.  I am starting to see a trend here that I will bring up on the final installment of this mini-vertical.  For now have a great Valentine’s Day. Salut….

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