Tag Archives: $75

Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012, Willamette Valley, Oregon

17 Thursday Feb 2022

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For a Pinot Noir, this one is quite a bit more opaque- say 60%.  It’s a beautiful shade of ruby with long legs in the glass.  The nose is quite intense- cherry, black raspberry, pomegranate, cinnamon stick, red licorice and an earthy note.  The palate is dry with some nice medium intensity tannins that are balanced beautifully with medium acidity.  The flavors are quite pronounced with red cherry dominating.  The pomegranate gets joined with cranberry and I also get the spice and earth components.  Medium bodied with a decent length finish that shows off some tannic grip.  I like this wine for it’s New World boldness yet it sticks to the traditional red fruit flavors I love in Pinot.  It’s had a decade to age and is still rather primal with another 10 years ahead of it.  92 points from me for this $75 effort makes it a 4 star wine that compares with the delicious 2014 Nysa that I previously tasted.  Salut….

Domaine Bernard Serveau Les Sentiers 2009, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, France

29 Tuesday Jun 2021

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I have been sitting on this Pinot for many years, letting it age gracefully. The time has come as I needed to taste a Burgundy for my wine course. Here are the technicalities:

Appearance- Pale garnet with watery legs.

Nose- Medium intensity, aromas of dried cherry, strawberry, mushroom, forest floor, Rooibos Tea and truffle.  Fully developed

Palate- dry, medium (+) acidity, medium (-) tannin, medium alcohol, medium (-) body, medium (+) flavor intensity, long finish.  Flavors of cherry, strawberry, Rooibos tea, forest floor.

Quality- very good with potential for more aging.

In layman’s terms, this is a delicious yet young 1er Cru Burgundy. I enjoyed it more as the night went along but could not help but feel a tinge of regret, opening it probably 5 years too soon. I was hoping for many more tertiary notes, a little less tannin. I can only guess at the cost- $75? It gets 92 points from me and is a 5 star effort in the Burgundy minefield of red wine. Paired with grilled Rack of Lamb. I wish I had another bouteille…. Drink from 2025-2030. Salut….

Chateau Musar 2001, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

21 Sunday Mar 2021

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Our second wine of the 16th virtual wine tasting gave me pause in deciding it’s drinking order. I originally wanted to showcase this icon as the finale of our session, but after careful consideration felt it was best to go before the younger, bolder wines- it was a good call.

Chateau Musar at pretty much any age will have an orange tinge, or bricking. It’s also usually about 50% opaque. This blend of Carignan, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon never looks brooding in the glass. I asked the group for their comments when we started smelling the wine. “Heaven” was the first I heard- very appropriate. We also noted strawberry, leather, black pepper (?), cured meat, garrigue, black cherry, funk, barnyard, new-purse leather, dirt, smoke and earth. These are awesome descriptors from the group, yet I still feel we have missed out on some more. The nose was amazing.

On the palate this beauty is deceiving- delicate, yet powerful. Flavors of cracked pepper, cherry, leather, spice, raspberry jelly and baked cherry compote. The smoothness of this wine is above reproach. The tannins so well integrated and the gobs of acidity so well disguised. I think the gaminess and dried prune notes were my highlight. I was so happy to have been able to present this tremendous wine to my friends, who for the most part loved it. I awarded a perfect 20 points on the tasting scale. Technically speaking, it gets 95 real points and at $75, five stars. I would imagine this one has a long tasting window but make sure you have a two-pronged wine opener, the corks gave issue to several bottles. Salut….

Cakebread Cellars Estate Vineyards ‘Vaca’ Red Blend 2015, Napa Valley, USA

09 Monday Nov 2020

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Inky and opaque in the glass.  The nose is spicy and layered with black fruit, graphite and violets.  On the palate it is very fruit driven but packs a nice tannic punch.  Black currants, Blackberry jam, coffee bean and some vanilla.  The tannins are quite present but not overly dry.  The midpalate shows off layers of fruit, complexity and structure.  The black theme continues but the tannins are really starting to grip.  The finish is long, nuanced and full of flavor.  There’s a definite oak influence and I’m sensing the alcohol- which turns out to be 15.4%. It’s not an issue but just be careful!  I’m loving this wine for its bright Cali sunshine, it’s fruit forward style and it’s structure.  Drink till 2030.  92 points and 4 stars for this limited production charmer that normally retails for $75. It’s mainly Cab Sav with 6% Cab Franc and 3% Merlot. Pair with Steaks. Salut….

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

05 Friday Jun 2020

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It’s inky, brooding, opaque and shows fine legs in the glass.  On the nose I get graphite, plums, oaky vanilla and cedar.  On the palate there are black currants, green plums, black tea and dry tannins.  The mid palate is very astringent with more tea, strange tannins, some black fruit and not much acidity.  I’m not enjoying this wine very much, too off-balance and way too dry without fruit to back it up.  The finish is very dark and austere- over-steeped tea, some plums and a woodsy note.  The grip of the tannins hold on for a while but the fruit fades quickly.  Overall a disappointing wine from a great Bordeaux vintage.  86 points from me, the pros went much higher but I don’t see it.  It may mellow out in the near future.  Drink till 2025.  For $75 it gets  1 star and a pass from yours truly.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 2011 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

02 Monday Mar 2020

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Very dark purple in the glass with feint legs, interesting as it boasts 14.5% alcohol.  The nose is rich with cassis, plum extract, oak and tea.  The initial palate starts off jammy, full bodied and tannic.  The dark fruit is very unctuous and the flavors just keep coating my mouth.  The mid palate shows off a nice acidic bite alongside more cassis and leather.  The finish turns a touch blue, berries and oak come to mind.  This is a really delicious yet still young Napa Cab that shows off the Cali sun in a nice, full bodied package.  92 points and 4 stars for this $75 beauty.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Two Hands Wines Bella’s Garden Shiraz 2010 (2020 tasting), Barossa Valley, Australia

24 Friday Jan 2020

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If you look at my previous reviews of this amazing Bella’s Garden, you will see some differences, and some similarities over the years.  This wine has evolved beautifully and the fact that I picked up extras is awesome, for me!

Nearly black in the glass and somewhat surprising with it’s lack of legs considering the monster 15.5% alcohol. On the nose it’s very rich with dark plums, black berries, cinnamon stick.  The palate is lush, rich, layered and delightful.  Dark fruits meld with extremely well integrated tannins, deft oak and syrupy cassis.  The mid palate is gorgeous, bright dashes of those black fruits with a great mouthfeel which balances the tannins with a touch of acidity.  This wine is young at 9 years.  Primal fruit is still in full force with a great structure which will assure a long cellaring potential and the possibility of tertiary flavors evolving.  The finish is long, filled with blackberry reduction and black tea.  There’s a nice hint of vanilla on the back end.  Great wine.  95 points. 5 stars for this $75 jewel.  Drink till 2035.  Salut….

Chateau Musar 1996, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

21 Sunday Apr 2019

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For my birthday celebration, I pulled out two magnums, one of which was the ’96 Musar, I hand carried it from the winery many years ago.  I have two bottles of the ’98 waiting but in the meantime….Super pale red- see through, reminiscent of Pinot which it’s not with a touch of orange bricking.  On the nose it’s stupendous, like aged Bordeaux.  Leather, tobacco, plum and cassis- all my favorites.  On the palate it is so smooth, with hints of cassis, cedar box, more tobacco and forest floor.  There’s so much going on it’s amazing.  Towards the mid palate I get cherry, faint tannins and a perfectly balanced acidity.  The finish is awesome.  So sleek with cherry juice reduction and a slightly biting rhubarb component.  93 points and 4 stars for this $75 wine.  It’s not for everyone, the style is different but for this boy- it hits the right notes.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Two Hands Wines Bella’s Garden Shiraz 2010, Barossa Valley, Australia

20 Saturday Jan 2018

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You know you’re in for a bombastic treat when the label says Shiraz and the wine comes out inky in color and very dense.  The nose is delightful- full of plum, espresso, cedar plank, elderberry syrup and a vanilla hint.  On the palate it is more restrained than I was expecting, more silky, smoother, with much more depth.  This is indeed a powerful wine, but in a more stately fashion.  It shows the dark fruits I mentioned plus a really tight knit tannic structure that couples with the acidity to give an amazing mouthfeel.  The elderberry syrup component really kicks in on the mid palate, it is so silky smooth.  The finish is long, and full of fruit.  The tannins are perfectly in sync and do not overpower the flavors.  This is a delicious wine that has aged nicely and will continue to do so for many years.  Drink with pretty much any grilled meat or all by itself.  Beware the well hidden 15.5% alcohol, it may sneak up!  The pros went big on this wine, which was WS #3 wine of the year in 2012, I can see why.  95 points and 5 stars for this treat that comes in at $75, if you can find it.  Drink till 2024 at the least.  Ps.  I originally bought 2 bottles, and then another six afterwards.  See my other two posts on Bella’s Garden.  Salut….

 

Two Hands ‘Bella’s Garden’ Barossa Shiraz 2010

30 Thursday Jun 2016

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A few posts ago I wrote about buying up wines from a shop that was closing.  I picked up two bottles of this delicious, heady Shiraz and sat on them for a few years.  Turns out my timing was just about right.

Nearly black in the glass and super brooding. A nose of plum jam and hoisin with a baconny hint as well. The first sip reveals gorgeous plum reduction, violets and rich, thick blueberry pie. This wine is full on, with layers of extraction and polish. To say it is meaty is an understatement. The alcohol (15.5%) becomes evident in the mid palate, as well as the acidity. It refreshes where the tannins left off. A telltale Shiraz hint of pepper and some tar come out eventually.  The finish is somewhat abrupt after a decent length of time but leaves some tannic residue on the gums. This wine begs for a Sunday roast, Lamb or beef- with horseradish. It is a fall or winter wine that will reward more cellaring but is hitting all the notes right now. Drink from now until 2026. 93 points from me but the pro’s went higher at 95.  My only concern is the undeniable hit of heat on the mid palate.  If you can still find it they cost $75 at retail making this a serious 4 star contender.  Glad I have one left!  Salut….

two hands bella's garden barossa shiraz